By laura kulas on January 30, 2014 ( 1 Comment )

Broke Girl’s Guide To A Fabulous Home

Great Minds think alike…

That’s probably why you have stumbled across this blog. I haven’t spent countless years of my life many sleepless nights and large amount of students loans to keep all this interior design knowledge all to myself. So here is one of my many blogs that you will read to gain just a little more interior design swag as you conquer your life one home at a time. And when you can afford a designer you know where to turn.

I live for patterns I am a sucker for wall paper and will obsess over the perfect geometric pattern area rug. Some may be afraid of pattern but I gravitate towards it. But sometimes my budget doesn’t so I have to get creative. Here are just a few broke interior designers’ tricks that has gotten me through some tough times.

#1 Save on Wallpaper: If you are a wall paper junkie like me here’s a trick for you. Google geometric wall paper that you love but can’t afford. Print it out to scale. Go to the local hardware store and grab the variety of sizes you’ll need of painters tape to mimic the pattern of the wall paper you want. And buy samples of the paint colors you selected. It may be a little time consuming but so is working countless hours to afford that wallpaper. Once you get it down head for the closest room in need and get to work. I promise you this will change your life. Even if you are a renter you can paint right over it before you hand in your key.

Secret Resources:

Way to impatient to use painters tape? Mimic the costly wallpaper you love www.spoonflower.com
Stencil It! I love these stencils my HGTV Design Star Kim Myles : http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/kim-myles.html

From Kim Myles!

On Sale at Spoonflower.com

Trick #2: Build Your Own Furniture: Listen up people this one may cause for some scouting. First things first locate the nicest handy man and make them your best friend. Next go to www.thedesignconfidential.com and search for any piece of furniture that you want for your home. There are plans for all different styles of furniture. You can build your furniture for the fraction of the cost and totally customize it to suit your space and style!

The plans for the Buffet

The Actual Buffet from West Elm

Secret Resource:

www.thedesignconfidential.com

Trick #3: DIY Light Fixtures: This scares me a bit because of the whole get electrocuted thing, but building your own lighting is quite easy and stylish! There are tons of how tons on Pinterest, however, I would actually begin by sketching out something original, and putting the plan to work on my own. Here are some great examples (with tutorials) below.

DIY Light Fixture Via Pinterest

Via: http://loveandrenovations.com/

Trick #4: Finding Art In Unexpected Places: Art can be costly! and if your are a broke girl living fabulously you need to find some alternate sources…. Try using art from Etsy, vintage magazine ads blown up to canvas, vintage comic book covers, and record albums as unexpected sources. Kids art framed and matted looks awesome as well.

The framed image is an album cover purchased for $1.50 by Tiffany Brooks

#5 Fabric Remnants are your new BF – Yep. This is an oldie but a goodie, When Shopping for fabrics ask to be escorted straight to the remnant table. There are some really stylish sleft overs out there just begging to cover a seat cusion, or become a pillow. They are often pennies on the dollar.

Secret resource: Fishmans Fabrics in Chicago http://fishmansfabrics.com, and Loom Craft.

#6 Use Greenery. I mean the real stuff – There is nothing like filling up a tablescape with plants. Or a room with trees in the corners. Some of the best indoor plants are succulents, ferns, foxtail ferns, and the fiddle leaf fig tree. A note: this is the one spot in your home to KEEP IT REAL!

from the puresthome.com

I hope I have sparked some interior design/ DIY interest out there to get started on your home no matter the budget more words of advice to come till next time!

Laura K.