Hello everyone! My name is Janelle and you can find me over on IG @burnettbungalow. We all get that itch, you know, the one where you look around a room and say I want to change things up. A lot of things can get in the way, but for me the number one thing (besides my 3 and 1 year old) is money. My head is screaming at me to switch things up and my wallet is screaming at me to slow my roll. Over time, and with a lot of practice, I have learned how to do things on a budget. That way both my mind, my wallet (and my husband) are all happy! So, since winter is coming to an end and spring is slowly creeping in I wanted to share six tips for re-doing a room on a budget. This way you can change things up for the spring and not feel so guilty ☺

Shop Your Home

This idea was new to me but completely blew me away that I had never considered this. So what is it? Well it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, you go around your home and find things in storage and use them again. Whenever I get something new I always stuff the old item away. When I stumble across the item two months later, it is like they are new again. I have found some things from four years ago, that are back in style that I switch out. So the number one thing I encourage everyone to do, is shop your home. Look around, see what you already have, and see how you can incorporate it into the space that you are re-doing. I recently wanted to re do my bookcases. They actually held books in them, imagine that! I wanted to create some awesome shelfies but didn’t want to go and buy a bunch of stuff. I shopped my house and had almost everything that I needed to complete my look. Check out the picture below to see how I re-styled my shelves by shopping my home.

2. D.I.Y.

I love a good D.I.Y. project! A lot of people are intimidated by them but anyone can do them, you just got to jump in and go for it. There are so many blogs out there that have step by step instructions. If you are scared, start with something small. Maybe something as simple as putting together a shelf (you have to start somewhere). I used to be terrified of D.I.Y. but in college I happened to live with some crafty roommates and they slowly started to get me excited about trying new things. Then I married my husband who was D.I.Y. king and it quickly escalated into a weekly activity. I just made this D.I.Y. picture ledge to hold my new prints. I couldn’t find one in the right size and so I looked at Kismet House blog and found her step by step instructions to build one. It cost less than $50 and was an exact fit for the space I needed. Here is the picture of my new gallery ledge. I am digging it!

3. Paint

This may sound so simple but a lot of people don’t realize the power of paint. It is magical and can really change a space. Painting one wall to create an accent wall can have a major impact for little money. So before you decide to go buy something new, think can I paint this and make it amazing? Or if you are bored with your bedroom, paint a moody accent wall, or a bright one, the possibilities with paint are endless. Here is a color block I just did to freshen up this space.

4. Add Plants

I used to have a black thumb, it was bad. My husband however, always loved plants. He would start buying them and I slowly would start learning how to take care of them. Now it’s me who comes home with a new plant every week. They are so cheap ($15 average) and they add so much texture and warmth to a space. If you are afraid, buy a faux plant, you can find some really cheap ones at Home Goods! I have a ton of faux ones in places where the light is bad. Start with something easy to take care of (succulents for the win) if you are nervous to test out your green thumb. Plants are one of my favorite ways to change up a space on a budget. Check out my family room to see how all these plants add texture to the space.

5. Move Things Around

A lot of people may hear this one and think, isn’t this obvious? Yet a lot of people don’t think to move things around before deciding to go out and buy something new. Maybe it isn’t the sofa but the configuration of the living room that you don’t like. Maybe the rug just isn’t working in that space, try it somewhere else. Try different items in different spaces, it is crazy to me how I can think I hate something then move it somewhere else and love it. See the double layered rugs below, I have moved them around my home so many times. Musical rugs is one of my favorite games.

6. Thrifting

This is something that I am just getting into the past year, but I am a thrift addict these days. A lot of people don’t realize how many treasure you can find thrifting. Our Goodwill has unopened Target rugs, chairs and lights on a weekly basis. Facebook Market Place, Offer Up an Let Go are also amazing resources for finding items at a fraction of the cost. Don’t be afraid to thrift, it is so fun and you feel a sense of accomplishment! Check out the gold lamp I just scored at our local thrift store.

So there you have it, six ways to change up a space on a budget. Feel free to ask any questions, I am happy to answer them in the comments below :)

Cheers!

Janelle