More style than money? Here's how to
decorate your home on a tiny budget.
"The poor need not only bread. The poor also need beauty." So said a wise
man named Hildebrand who went on to become Pope in the year 1073. Now whether
or not a desire to live a frugal life in 1999 necessarily qualifies a person
as "poor", I'm going to assume for a while that you're not the happy possessor
of buckets of cash. Nothing left over in the budget for extensive renovations
to your home, no money to landscape your yard or buy expensive furniture
and art work. How, then, do you fulfill what Monsignor Hildebrand considered
one of life's necessities?
You do it by adding little pockets, or islands of beauty to your home and
garden. Somewhere, no matter how small, that your eye can pause for refreshment.
One small island of beauty in what might otherwise be an ocean of mundane.
Creating little islands of perfection throughout your home will not only
enrich your home life, it can be done cheaply and quickly. And best of all,
the effect is cumulative. Sooner or later, depending on how fast you work
and how much you tackle at one time, you will have created whole rooms, whole
gardens, that send a shimmer straight to your soul.
Of course, all this has to be done on a budget. So start small. One perfect
flower, real or silk, on the coffee table. Spend a few extra dollars and
get a perfectly proportioned vase that does it justice. We're not talking
Ming Dynasty, here, though. You can find attractive containers in most craft
stores, discount department stores and dollar stores.
Or you could head off to a florist supply store and buy about five dollars
worth of floral marbles. These are beautiful glass beads in a variety of
colours that look wonderful in a glass bowl. How about one perfect china
or ceramic ornament on the mantle? Look in gallery and museum gift shops
for unusual and beautiful objects you can display. Remember, though, you're
looking for "Beauty", not "so-so". Get the best quality you can afford. After
all, you're only buying one for now.
As well as simply purchasing a tiny amount of perfection, you can also add
beauty to your home by shrugging off convention. Look for beauty in Nature's
bounty. Pile some bright green limes in a white ceramic bowl on the counter
or table and add cheer to the dullest day. You could also try lemons, red
bell peppers or Granny Smith apples. Or you could plant a herb garden in
baskets and cluster them in a sunny location in your kitchen or dining room
for a little double-duty decor. The trick is to allow your imagination to
wander. Think about everyday objects in new ways. Frame a postcard from a
museum or gallery giftshop. Better yet, frame four of them.
Experiment. Have fun.
Later, you might want to expand your scope a little. If you're
artistically-inclined, make a stunning flower-arrangement, or purchase one.
Remember, just one at a time! I like good-quality silk flowers, they're almost
indistinguishable from the real thing nowadays and you don't have to keep
replacing them. Maybe consider a wonderful picture frame. Try antique and
junk stores or garage sales. The more ornate the frame, the more easily it
can be revamped with a coat of gold, silver or bronze spray paint. Head back
to the gallery gift shop and buy a print or a calendar with wonderful pictures
and you'll have art work for a fraction of the price.
Or you could try and tackle one end table. Pay attention to the details and
create a still-life. Decorator tables, those inexpensive circles of wood,
can be easily dressed up with a lovely tablecloth, a lamp, a photograph in
a wonderful frame and flowers or a plant to add greenery and life. When you're
creating a display, think in groupings of three or five. An asymmetrical
arrangement usually looks better and is easier to work with. You're not tackling
the whole house, now. Just one end table! Give it some thought.
Instant gratification can be a real boost. One of the best things about starting
small is that the projects can usually be accomplished in an hour or so at
most.
Unless of course, your desire for beauty extends to, or originates in, the
outdoors! Still, if you're a gardener, you already know the results of your
effort and patience will be well worth it. It can often be very expensive
to landscape a whole yard in one season. But it's easy to apply the same
principle of starting small and creating "islands". Tackle one flower bed
a season, or just the lawn. The following year, you might plant one barrel,
one container with the prettiest flowers you can find. Plant another container
or another bed as soon as you can and eventually you'll have a whole garden
of flowers. Of course, this idea works best if you plant perennials. Annuals
are usually cheaper up front, but you have to replace them every year, draining
not only your cash reserves, but your time as well.
The important thing to remember is that although small touches like these
can seem inconsequential, hardly worth the bother, once you get started,
the effects build quickly. Sort of like compound interest. Which reminds
me, I have a savings plan I need to work on...
About the Author:
Karen Millard is a freelance
writer who lives in Saskatoon, Canada with her husband, three children, one
dog and one very small kitten. She can be reached at
millardk@home.com
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More style than money? Here's how to
decorate your home on a tiny budget. 
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