Affordable Updates

Decorating our house has been a lot of fun, but sometimes the cost of new furniture and accessories is overwhelming.  I've been pondering practical ways to update the look of our home, and I just wanted to share a few ideas.

1.  Add bright pillows to chairs, couches, and beds.  While some pillows are very expensive, it's easy to find affordable options, and pillows really do make a world of difference.  Check out the sale at Pottery Barn for some reasonably priced pillows:  http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/sale/sale-accessories-decor/sale-pillows-throws/
 

Look how the pillows made this room come alive!

2.  Decorate with books - both old and new.  Books add an element of sophistication and warmth to any room.





I love books arranged by color, and it looks great on a smaller scale too.


3.  Buy new kitchen towels!  It really brightens a kitchen to have pretty towels here and there.  Some of my favorite kitchen towels come from Anthropologie:

4.  Create a picture wall!  You can buy inexpensive frames from Target in a solid color and then add your favorite pictures.  I love using only black and white pictures.

5.  Paint an old piece of furniture.  Most of us have an old piece of furniture that isn't exciting or even pretty.  Buying a small container of paint from Lowe's definitely won't break the bank.  I'm looking forward to painting a chest of drawers I have, and I'm hoping the finished product will look similar to this one:

I'm excited about trying these affordable options, and I'll let you know how they turn out.  Happy Decorating!