Maintaining Your Home

      Decorating on a Shoestring

Whether you're moving into your first apartment or a spacious new home, chances are your decorating budget is limited. Rather than elegant furniture with matching rugs and accessories, you may find yourself turning moving boxes into end tables! Home décor magazines sell a dream of gracious living that few of us can afford. With a little ingenuity, you can incorporate that designer flair into affordable style. Your creativity will not only save you money, it will transform a new home into a personal space.

Where the Deals Are
You may not have ventured into a thrift store such as the Salvation Army in years but it is an excellent place to find bargains and some unique items. On the surface much of the furniture may seem shoddy but take a closer look. Wooden chairs and tables can be sanded and repainted or stained. Damaged fabric can often be replaced with a new fabric of your choice simply using scissors and a staple gun.

Thrift stores are also excellent places to find framed pictures. While you may want to toss the picture, the frames are often in perfect condition or can easily be fixed up. Wood frames are a good choice because they can be repainted or stained. Nicks and chips can be filled with wood filler before painting. Art museum gift shops are a great place to find art prints to fill your frames. Prices are comparable to other art stores but the selection at a museum gift shop is typically extensive and eclectic. If you want something other than sunflowers or slick commercial art prints, check out a museum.

As the saying goes, one person's junk is another person's treasure. Garage sales can yield some great deals and amazing finds. If you doubt this think back on your parent's garage! Chairs, lamps, end tables, dishes…the pile is endless. To find the best "treasures" visit garage sales in better neighbourhoods - they're a convenient way for homeowners to clear away the clutter regardless of the their lifestyle.

Visiting auctions is another way to find treasures not to mention participating in lively events. Due to the nature of auctions, you may find few people bidding on the item you want, in which case, you walk away with a deal. Auctioneers are often called in to dispose of estate items. The quality and selection of the goods will vary. Check out the classified ads in your local newspaper for details of upcoming auctions or look under "auctioneers" in the yellow pages. While you're perusing the classifieds, check out the listings for used furniture, appliances and house wares. People today are highly mobile. Whether moving for work or adventure, it often isn't financially viable to move belongings particularly larger items.

Local papers are not the only source of online classifieds. In an Internet search engine enter "online classifieds" and the name of your city or region. There are a number of Internet-based services across the country. Regardless of the source, buying used furnishings means you don't pay tax.

Creative Low-Budget Decorating
If your lamps don't add to the ambiance of a room consider replacing the shade rather than the entire lamp. It may not be the entire lamp but simply the shade that looks outdated.

If you know how to hem a pair of pants, you can sew curtains, covers for pillows or even a simple bedspread. Curtains can be a big-ticket item yet the selection is often mediocre. A simple, inexpensive way to add interest to your windows is to create a layered curtain. You will need two fabrics: a cheap lightweight fabric in a solid colour and a top layer of sheer fabric with a pattern if you wish. Cut the solid and sheer fabric to the same size (depending on your window size). Sew the tops according to how you wish to attach the curtains to a rod: snaps, buttons, ribbon or creating a tube for the rod. Finish the edges on a sewing machine and hang the curtains placing the sheer layer on top.

Years ago it was beige and today it's white - that ubiquitous new home wall colour. White walls may look clean and open but they can also be rather lifeless especially when furnishings are minimal. Finding the right colours to suit your tastes and furnishings can be a challenge. A good place to start is with large pieces of furniture such as couches and chairs or a cherished bookcase or armoire. Choose a paint colour that will complement those "anchor" furnishings as well as your flooring.

For 25 cents worth of potato, a craft knife and some paint, you can add unique designs to your walls and floors. Draw or trace a shape that you like then cut it out. Choose a potato that is slightly larger than the shape. Cut the potato in half and place the cutout shape or stencil on one half. Trace carefully around the shape with a waterproof marker. Use a craft knife to cut away potato around the stencil to a depth of one centimeter or half an inch. Dip the stencil in paint or glaze and press on the wall in the desired pattern.

Plastic stencil patterns can be used to create more intricate patterns on walls and floors. Tape down the stencil with painter's masking tape then paint carefully inside the shape. Wipe the stencil between uses to keep the edges clean and crisp.

Today you have a choice of opaque or semi-transparent paints for stenciling. For an opaque look simply choose latex or oil paint. Semi-transparent looks can be achieved with glazing liquids. This medium adds depth to your designs as it allows the underlying wall colour to show through. You can build up layers for more intensity. Glazes are available in traditional oil-based or latex, which produces fewer odours and cleans up with soap and water. You may wish to experiment before working on your walls. Use a piece of plywood painted the same colour as your wall to test out techniques. Glazes can also be used for sponging on textures.

Turn a plain solid-coloured tablecloth into an object d'art with ribbon. Most fabric stores have a wide selection of ribbon from thin to wide and shiny to satin in countless colours and patterns. For this project, choose ribbon that does not crease when bent. Cut slits in the tablecloth just large enough for the ribbon to fit through. If your tablecloth starts to fray, do buttonhole sewing stitches or apply a thin layer of clear drying glue to the cut edges. A recommended pattern is a rectangle (or square depending on the shape of your tablecloth) approximately 15cm (6 inches) away from the edge. Use fairly wide sheer ribbon with a luminous shine. Cut the ribbon into four pieces and weave through each side. Leave enough at each end to tie into a generous loose bow.

With decorator walls, some unique pieces of furniture, beautiful artwork and a dramatic table, no one would guess the dishes are Salvation Army chic!

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