PussycatMagazine

Decorate without going broke: Decorating ideas for $0 to $275

It's easy to fall out of love with your house. Maybe you saw a beautiful photo in a magazine, or found something fabulous-- but way out of your budget-- on the real estate listings. Or, if you're like me, your friends just bought a fabulous house down the street- and it's got you thinking that your own home isn't that great.

It happens. Just don't dust off the moving boxes quite yet. Instead lose the sad face and stop shuffling around the house looking at your home's glaring deficiencies. The cure is putting on your creative decorating hat, or dusting off that list of must-do projects, and getting to work.

If you just don't love your home as much as you once did, there are plenty of fix-its for every budget that will reignite your passion for your home...

If your budget is....$0.

Declutter. Getting rid of stuff that's covering desk tops, gathering dust in closets, or otherwise clogging up your surfaces can have an amazing impact on your feelings about your home. I'm much happier when the house is clutter-free and when I've given away a bag or two of tchotchkes to the Salvation Army.

Organize. Also a great way to refresh your home. Tackle some of those organizing projects on your to-do list. Do one small area every day or every weekend-- i.e. empty one closet, or clean out one drawer, so that the task doesn't seem too overwhelming. Your small successes will keep you motivated.

"Spring" clean.  We all know that sad truth is that our generation will never keep our houses as tidy as our mothers and grandmothers. There is nothing wrong with that. We just have different priorities and bigger things on our to-do list than to spend hours scrubbing the tub surround.

But, there is psychological benefit from a massive deep scrubbing. If you are low on funds and want to love your house again, the best thing you can do is scrub it. And we mean the kind of deep, thorough cleaning that happens rarely, not just the maintenance cleaning we do all the time, like washing the dishes and folding the laundry.

Rethink your use of space. I use to think that I needed a pantry. My countertops were accumulating more and more items that seemed to not have a home. But the solution was not to add on or build up, it was to use the cabinets I had more wisely. Making better use of the space you already have is a tonic for many house woes. Go room to room and ask yourself if you are making the most of each space. How could you get more use and value out of the spaces you already have? Are there any 'hidden' spaces, like the area under a staircase, you could make usable?

If your budget is....$30 to $50

Paint. Or repaint. I have painted my kitchen, my bedroom, and my half bathroom no less than three times each. Paint is fun and easy to change. Even one accent wall, which can be had for the cost of a $9 quart of paint, can freshen things up and make it feel like a whole new room.

Revamp your lighting. Replace that sad lamp you've had since college with something fun from the thrift store, swap meet, or antique mall. Or, romance up the mood a bit with a wall of glass tea light candle holders. (I saw David Bromstead do it on Colorsplash and have been dying to try it ever since!) The power of mood lighting should not be underestimated. Good lighting can disguise architectural oddities AND disguise dirt. What's not to love?

If, like me, you are living in a house that's cool but was a bit, well, old-lady, when you moved in, it may be time to upgrade some light fixtures. It can do wonders for you. Wired lighting can be expensive, but that isn't always the rule. Good, stylish lights can be had for under $50.  I replaced the icky fluorescent light in my half-bathroom with a stylish oil-rubbed bronze-y number for a mere $42, thanks to the sale rack at my local hardware store. It pays to shop around and keep your eyes peeled for deals.

Buy some fun fabric. Buy some new fun fabric and turn it into pillows, or a throw, some curtains, or a new duvet. If your handy that way, of course. I find that the basic quilting cottons at Jo-Ann Fabrics often have some really mod, hip and fun patterns for less than $5 a yard.If you don't sew, pending a little something on a new luxury pillow, some really nice sheets. or a new bedspread may be the cure for a dull room.

Buy a plant. Never underestimate the power of a giant palm or a sexy snake plant to sass up a room. I've rescued sago palms and ponytail palms from hardware store clearance racks for a pittance. Plants can add a lot to a sad space, and they don't cost a lot. Pots, however, can cost a pretty penny, so it's wise to always keep your eyes peeled for bargains, whether on freecycle, the local swap meet or yard sale, or the end of season clearance at the hardware store.

If your budget is.....$75 to $275

Knock a small, nagging nuisance off of your to-do list.  In this dollar range, you can seriously begin to knock some of the smaller, yet really life-improving projects off of your to-do list.  On this budget, you could realistically replace your water hog toilet with a new high-efficiency model (savings up to $100 a year in water, by the way), retile the ugly 1970s harvest gold floor in your bathroom, or even hire a pro to fix your leaky faucets.

Clearly how far you can stretch this kind of budget depends on your level of handiness or confidence, and your savvy shopping skills. at this price, don't be scared to shop off the rack at Home Depot (just think creatively, so it doesn't look like you bought the generic in-stock stuff...), or in the seconds bin at your local tile shop. Be prepared to spend a little more time in order to save money-- as in, more time savvy shopping and more time to get the work done if you plan to DIY.

Redo an entire room. Don't let the $25,000 and up makeovers on HGTV fool you. Those folks are living  in la-la land. Redoing an entire room doesn't have to cost big bucks. With some creativity, it is possible to revamp an entire room for less than $250.

Here are a few budget re-dos I have finished lately:

• Half bathroom makeover, $210. My half bath just off the kitchen has been a wreck since I  moved in. We had a new floor put in, only to have the toilet leak and ruin it. The quote to replace 15 square feet of floor was $500. Uh, I don't think so!. So, I got to work. I replaced the tiles myself, replaced the leaking toilet, and decided while I was at it to paint two walls in a rich chocolate accent color and replace the ugly flourescent lights. All for less than what one guy quoted to replace the floor. I spent:  $9 for 1 quart of paint, $42 for new light fixture, $99 for new toilet (American Standard), and $60 to replace damaged floor tiles. Total: $210.

• Master bedroom makeover, $93. My bedroom has long been a dud--from the wall-to-wall mint green carpet and dirty walls awaiting when I moved in, to the not-quite-right wall colors I had chosen over the years. This makeover, though cheap, took time. I pulled up the mint green carpet and found lovely hardwood floors. Not a fun job, but a slam-dunk for even novice DIYers. Then all I needed was some creative painting-- one warm neutral to cover three walls and the ceiling, another for the accent wall behind the bed, and a third for a wide dramatic stripe behind the headboard, to make the room look taller and to show off a custom painting I made for the room. Voila. A much better bedroom. I spent: $58 on paint and primer-- 1 gallon primer, 1 gallon of paint, and 2 quarts of various accent colors, $15 for paint supplies, and $20 for a sale canvas.

• Master bathroom makeover, $270. OK, so this is cutting it close to our prescribed budget, but  considering the scope of the work, still a grand value. My master bath used to be stuck in old-ladyville. 1970s blue floral vinyl tile, a 7-gallon-per-flush toilet, slime-crusted shower doors that were impossible to clean. You get the picture. While, it's not really as luxe as I'd like it to be eventually, a low-budget makeover is enough to make it much more stylish and to delay my remodeling urge for a couple of years until I can afford to do it right. I painted the vinyl floor-- yes, you can paint over ugly vinyl. You simply sand off the gloss, primer it, paint it with a high-gloss paint and seal it with about six coats of polyeurathane. I replaced the toilet with a 1.6 gallon per flush model, tore out the icky shower doors and replaced them with a curved rod and new shower curtain, and I painted the walls a metallic silver. I spent: $70 on special metallic wall paint, $30 for supplies to do the floor, $125 on a Kohler toilet, $25 on a shower rod, $20 on a shower curtain.

• Sun porch makeover, $170. Like many  projects, this one was on the bottom of the to-do list, but a deal that was too good to pass up moved it up the list. The convent attached to the Catholic school I attended as a kid had a yard sale, and at that yard sale were four Charles Eames for Herman Miller fiberglass wing chairs. Oh.My.God. $300 new or on eBay, they were always out of my budget. So who could blame me for almost having a heart attack when these were only $5 each. I'll take them all, and, use them to replace the ratty metal dining chairs on my sun porch. This is where this project snowballed. The new chairs don't work with my old ratty dining table, so why not replace it with the $150 IKEA knock off of the Saarinen tulip table? Ka-ching. Although the room is still a work in progress, I feel like I'm off to a pretty good start. And my yard-sale score chairs gave me a much-needed decorating cue for the entire room.

The Poor Girl's Guide to A House To Be Proud Of

By Jasmine Lamb

I don't think anyone wants to unnecessarily spend hundreds of dollars trying to decorate their home. But with the struggling economy, it's really hard to find things you can do with your home that you can happily show off to friends and family. I have absolutely no disposable income to spend on furniture and knickknacks, but I do have an obsession with decorating. When you are dealing with walls, which tie the entire room together and can sometimes be the hardest things to decorate, here are some things you can do to easily cover those walls on a minimal or non-existent budget.

Make Your Own Art- If you find that you draw and paint like a toddler, as I do, there are still art projects you can do that you can be proud of. You can make collages of your family, hot movie stars, candy wrappers, or whatever you want. Collages are fun, easy, and you can make them as big or small as you desire. You can also choose to add texture to them by adding jewelry, pieces of cloth or lace, dried flowers, etc.
Another great thing you can do by yourself is making stencils. You can find either print or picture stencils on the Internet, just print them and cut with an exacto knife. You can fill these in with spray paint, crayons, colored pencils, glitter glue, and basically any kind of paint. You can repeat the same picture over and over again or just have it as the focal point. You can use any surface you choose for both these projects, they don't have to be hung up on the wall.

Consider shower curtains- Depending on where you buy them from you can get great deals on some really nice printed cloth shower curtains. These can be used either as they were intended or you can use them as window treatments. I have an odd shaped wall accompanied by a large, long window on one side of my bedroom. I got two Zebra print curtains, cut them into shape, and thumb tacked them to the wall to make textured wallpaper.

Corners- I find sometimes when I have hung a bunch of stuff on my walls, that I am still disappointed with the outcome because of the corners of the room. They either look bare, like I haven't tried to put anything around them, or the things I have hung look terrible next to them. In these situations I have found that it's actually pretty cool to hang things cater-cornered against them, like mirrors and large collages. This takes up the space and brings the room together. The only downside is that if you do it too much it begins to feel like the walls are closing in on you. Another good thing to do is hang things like paper lanterns and plants from the ceiling to take up the corner space.

Go Girly- There are many websites with tutorials on how to make jewelery organizers for your wall. Some are as cheap as putting bubble wrap inside an old frame. Pick out some of your favorite jewelery and use it to decorate with! You can also pick out some fun, funky, mod, or antique purses you have laying around that are not being utilized at the moment and hang them either all around the room or group them together. Hang your gorgeous lace lingerie or beautiful dresses from the walls. These take up a lot of room, add more personality, and you get to admire all your beautiful belongings. You can also make shadow boxes and hang things like retro perfume bottles and interestingly packaged make-up.

Take Advantage Of Oddly Shaped Ceilings- The ceiling in my bedroom is straight until it gets closer to the window before it angles downward. For a long time it stayed bare until I got three posters of Sid and Nancy and realized I had no place to put them but on the ceiling. As many times as I have rearranged my furniture and redecorated those posters have never come down. You can either find posters for cheap online or make your own artwork to fit on your odd ceiling. It's up to you!

Cheapo Art- The cheapest and most effective way to get art is to buy calendars. You can get everything from pin-up girls to old movie posters. Obviously, there are usually 12 pictures per calendar which can go a long way when you are decorating. Just simply rip out the pictures that you like and either frame them or just tack them in the wall. They are small enough for you to group them for a burst of color but big enough to be appreciated as a stand alone.

Using Sheets- Just like with the shower curtains. You can use sheets as wallpaper. This is a great practice for people who rent because when you move you can easily remove it and transport it to your new house. Sheets are also good as accents for posters or art. If you have a poster or piece that you want paid special attention to simply cut the sheet to fit about 1-5 inches above the picture and tack it to the wall. Hang the picture on top and it will stand out amongst all the others. This also works if you have a picture you know you want in a certain spot but it doesn't take up as much room as you would like. Be sure that the sheet you pick is something that would be complimentary to the picture and the room. Cleaning is simply wiping down with a lint roller.

A Few More Ideas- Cd case frames are a great way to add flair to small pieces of wall. Just print or cut out pictures that you enjoy and fit them into the front of the case. Break off the black or colored piece where the CD would go and hang it.
Records are great for wall décor. If you have a lot that you no longer listen to you can simply tack them on the wall or go to craft websites like www.cutoutandkeep.net which shows you how to make letter holders out of records.

Retro decorating Thursday: mid-century, with rubber plant

Ignore all of the wonderful things in this room: the Case Study sofa, the Armstrong tile floors, the Bertoia chair. No no. Never mind all of those. The focus of this book is that tried and true rubber plant by the fireplace. Huh? Well, what do you expect from the Better Homes & Gardens "Houseplants" book circa 1959?

The caption on this one reads:

India rubber plant grows well in home environment. Most common of rubber plants in the home, Ficus Elastica withstands poor conditions of light, temperature, moisture. But it grows best in bright light or shade-- not sun. A husky plant like this one needs a sturdy base. Set it in a tub or jardiniere that suits the decorating scheme.

Retro decorating Thursday: gussy up the stairway

We liked this photo because it's not really of a room. We all have weirdo dead spaces in our house that could be really cool, like this one. I mean, when was the last time you put some thought into decorating the stairway, the entry, the weird corner wall between your bedroom and bathroom? Never, well, me either. Here is a little inspiration from 1966 to get you thinking about the weird spots in your house that could be cool. 

The caption reads:

Dead entries, such as the stairway to the basement family room are dramatized by low-budget straw or rattan baskets and hampers (by Danny Ho Fong), plus a big hexagonal paper globe.

Retro decorating Thursday: yellow naugahyde anyone?

This room jumped out at us not only because it is austere- no clutter here- but because we simply can't resist yellow pleather. Love it. This room is from the 1966 "World of Budget Decorating," a must-own title for all retro decorators. The caption reads:

"Op" artsy stripes of no color with separate checks on the table are arrested in their race down the wall and across the floor by a fat canary yellow T-cushion lounger covered in Naugahyde, filled with latex foam rubber. The walls are textured "Decor" vinyl and the carpeting is knubby "Royal." The lamp, a touch of Magyar madness, is about $25 at Sloane's. 

Retro rooms: 1970s blue and yellow dining room

Who says paint can't solve the boring-room blues? You didn't hear it here. The caption in this mid-1970s dining room reads

"This optical illusion alcove is made by painting stripes on walls and ceiling. The far wall, in a receding hue, gives the illusion of infinite space."

Infinite space? Probably not, but it does say "Hey, look at me. Isn't this pretty awesome?"

I am not personally a fan of blue and yellow together, but this room proves that anything can work if you do it well.

Retro rooms: 1960s Lavender Lady Living Room

Thursday is retro decorating day here at Pussycat Magazine. check back next Thursday for another fabulous room from a less-beige era.

The retro room of the day is this lush lavender number from the mid-1960s. The caption reads

"A palette of pinky lilac casts a romantic spell over this living room planned by Shelley Mowell. Every hue and nuance are gathered together in the exotic print that covers the Chippendale sofa. Here is the purple that gives such character to the vinyl tile floor, the rosy lavenders, the chalk white of the Art Nouveau lunette above the window and painted table and dining chairs. Note the importance of the space-stretching mirrored wall, the very contemporary light on a curving stem."

How can we not note the mirrored wall? Isn't it time mirrors made a comeback?

This room really puts a thumb in the eye of those who insist on beige beige beige!

Retro rooms: Awesome living rooms from the 60s and 70s

I was perusing some of my vintage decorating books and thought I would share some photos of awesome living rooms. Maybe these will inspire you to get out the pain brush or reupholster that chair.

7 do-it-yourself projects to boost your confidence and your property value

by Ann Leisure

It doesn’t always pay to hire a pro for the little stuff. You can save up to 50 percent of the cash it’d cost you to get something fixed if you do it yourself instead. It may seem a little daunting, but all you have to do is a little homework to get the fear and the "I can'ts" out of your system.

Here are seven home improvement projects you can do yourself. These fix-it’s will not only boost your property value, they’ll teach you the skills and give you the confidence you need to tackle bigger and better projects.

1. Painting. You’d be amazed how many folks pay a pro to do this simple task, but you can have pro-quality results if you follow this simple rule: Don’t skimp on the prep work. First, repair all cracks, dents or holes in the wall (see No. 2). Next, give the wall a coat or two of primer. Then, Run painter’s tape along baseboards and ceilings, window and door frames, or anywhere else you want a clean, straight line. Voila. You are ready to paint.

Start by cutting —using a brush to paint a three to four-inch section along the baseboards, windows, doors, etc. Then, use a roller to finish the rest of the wall, running it in a W pattern to apply the paint in a light, even coat. View painting instructions here.

2. Repairing cracks in the wall. There’s no sense looking at what hole in the wall when it’s so easy to fix. You’ll need a metal putty knife, some Spackle or joint compound and some fiberglass tape. All of these tools should be right next to each other in your local hardware store. First, you’ll need to make the crack a little wider, being sure to dig out any spackle from old repairs. Next, fill the crack with a smooth, even coat of compound. Then, cut fiberglass tape to the length of the crack and smooth on top of the wet compound. Let dry for 24 hours, and then add a smooth, even top coat of compound — just enough to hide the tape. Let dry for 24 more hours, then use a fine sandpaper to sand the patch until it is smooth. Now your once-cracked wall is ready for priming! View repair tips and tricks.

3. Replacing an old toilet. It doesn’t take a genius to pull off this plumbing project. You will, however, need another human being to help you lift the toilet off of its mount. The physics are very simple. You will need to remove the old bolts — you may have to cut them off with a hacksaw if they are rusted. Lift the toilet off of the mount. Install a new set of bolts and secure with plumber’s putty, then attach a new wax ring on the new toilet and lower over the bolts. View complete instructions.

4. Installing ceramic tile.
Sign up for a free class at Lowe’s or Home Depot before you get started or view instructions here.

5. Changing an electrical outlet. Electricity makes a lot of folks nervous — and it should. If you aren’t careful it can give you a shock or even kill you. But you can change a faulty outlet. First, turn off the fuse/ breaker attached to the outlet. You can test to make sure the line is off using a voltage detector pen, which beeps when a current is present. It’ll cost you about $9. View instructions here.

6. Installing beadboard. Invest in a three-in-one stud finder. It’ll tell you wear the studs, plumbing and electrical wiring are in your wall, so you can avoid costly or dangerous mistakes. First, you must let the beadboard sit for 24 hours in the room where it will be installed. This will allow it to adjust to the humidity in the room. Complete instructions.

7. Refinishing hardwood floors. Giving life to that worn out hardwood floor can be as easy as lightly sanding it and applying a fresh coat of polyurethane. To avoid turning a small job into a big one, refinish the floors before the varnish wears off completely and leaves only bare wood. View complete instructions.

Easy-to-grow retro house plants

By Ms. Ann Leisure
There are two majorly cheap ways to instantly change and cozify a dull casa. Paint and plants, in no particular order of importance. For the foxy gals on the go that don’t have time or patience for pets, babies or permanent bed partners, plants are great companions and result in instant gratification (not that kind, you naughty girl!). They are like tattoos; it starts with one, and who knows how many you end up with! Add to your décor with a few of these easy care plants for beginners:

1) SANSIVERIA (a.k.a. snake plant, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue)
Not only graphically eye-catching, but practically NO maintenance. It is from the succulent (cactus) family, and may want to occasionally step outside for shady sunbathing. Otherwise, stick it in a bright corner and ignore it. Really. Water once a month, or every six weeks, never when the soil is moist. Overwatering and freezing temps can kill it.
















2) SPLIT-LEAF PHILODENDRON ( a.k.a. Swiss cheese plant)
Has a fabulous retro look that you’ve probably seen often in vintage mags and books, often replicated in plastic versions. Treat them well, and they will tower over you! They tolerate shade, but are happier in bright indirect light. Enjoys moist soil in winter, occasional dryer soil in summer. They’ll climb and trail, and may need support with a wood post or an attractive bamboo stake. In heated or dry rooms, mist occasionally and enjoy.














3) JADE PLANT
Especially nice for that Asian feel, with cute little leaves. Some have been known to live over 30 years, so it’s not a plant for you commitment-phobic types. Can be as small or large as you want, depending on how you treat it. Also a succulent, so it likes bright direct sunlight. Great for windows, tabletops, patios or porches. Water once a week or every other, always letting it dry in between. If the tips turn reddish-pink, it’s getting too much water.
4) LUCKY BAMBOO (dracaena)
Probably the absolute easiest plant, great for any decorating scheme. Comes in handy for that peaceful "zen" feel, and makes an excellent housewarming gift. The curved stalks are extra fancy. Just keep it constantly moist in a vase with a few inches of water, and add some colorful decorative gravel for an extra decorative punch. Keep it out of heavy direct sunlight. Need cash? Ancient Chinese secret say long leaves= prosperity! Try it on your desk. Try out your parenting skills times two by adding a handsome betta (Siamese fighting fish) to the water and it provides extra nutrients.

5) RUBBER TREE (ficus)
No, it won’t save you money on Trojans, but it does look quite 1960’s sexy in a living room. Color coordinate the room with it’s dark, waxy eggplantish-green colored leaves. The more light the better, or the leaves will drop off. Water a couple times weekly to keep moist. This baby has the potential to get pretty freakin’ tall.

Good Luck, but you won’t need it. Just remember, treat your new babies to occasional misting and fertilizing. You wouldn’t survive without that occasional pedicure, right?