Good budget best place to start decorating plan

In my last column, I shared 15 budget decorating ideas. Now let’s look at five ways to get the most out of your money.

Make a plan and budget each item. This keeps you from impulse buying and overspending.

I’m always asked, “Well how much will it cost?” And my answer is, “How much do you have to spend?” I don’t mean to answer a question with a question, but as we know, just as with clothes, you can buy a dress for $10 or $1,000. If you have $500 for a sofa, then you need to shop for a $500 sofa. If you only have $25 for a coffee table, you’re going to have to be a smart shopper and look for a resale item or one from a clearance center. If you’re willing to do leg work to find something within your budget, most times you can.

Start your budget by writing down everything that you’d like to do in the next 12 months. I say 12 months because there are many things we all want to do in our homes, but some may be during the next three years, and it’s better to just focus on this year.

Make your list very specific. Instead of listing furniture for the family room, list each item individually: sofa, two chairs, coffee table, two lamps. Now, place a dollar amount for each item.

Don’t know what they cost or what you want to spend? Instead of running all over town, look through the weekly advertisements or go online and price them out. This gives you a good starting point. Once you have everything priced out, total it up. Is that number within your budget? If it isn’t, what are you willing to wait for and do next year? My advice is to “plan the work and work the plan.”

Start by using what you have and add when you can. Redesign your room with a fresh pair of eyes. Completely empty the room and then bring in one piece at a time. Start with your largest upholstery piece. Then create an “L” with your second piece, whether it’s a sofa, love seat or chair. Add your next upholstery piece and place it on a diagonal across from the grouping you just created.

Then you should bring in your tables, lamps, floor plants and area rugs. Next, look at your walls and place your artwork. When deciding where to place your artwork, think of it like a puzzle. Which piece best fits the wall space that you have? Finally, bring in your personality with your accessories. Then sit back and admire your room. It’s amazing what you can do with what you already own.

You also can trade things with family and friends or swap out some of your things at a consignment shop; we all need a change.

Shop at the furniture clearance centers and consignment stores. If you go with an open mind and know they might not have the perfect piece you’re looking for, you’ll do good. It’s a hit and miss, but you can save a lot of money. Many times the consignment stores purchase items left over from the furniture market so you’re able to buy new pieces that are also the latest introductions.

When shopping at these stores, make sure that you have your list of items with your budget and size. It’s first come, first serve so it might not be there when you go back.

It’s obvious, but only buy when the item is on sale or you have a coupon. For larger items, shop for them and then watch for a sale. Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount if you’re spending a fair amount at one store. If you ask your sales person to let you know when something goes on sale, I’m sure he or she would be happy to.

But, please make sure you call and confirm that he or she will be in the day you plan to make the purchase. Almost everyone works on a commission and many times the sales person will only receive it if he or she places the order for you.

Think out of the box. What pieces do you have that are not being used that you can use in other rooms? A dresser can be an entry piece, dining buffet or even a console. A nightstand can be used as a side table and a side table can be a nightstand. If you need a couple of extra chairs in your living room, use your dining room arm chairs. If you have no coffee table, consider a trunk, nesting tables, an ottoman or a bench. Maybe you have a console table you’re not going to use; cut the legs down to coffee table height.

Need artwork? Download pictures from the Internet and print them on photo paper. Place them in inexpensive frames or spray mount them to pieces of 3-inch foam core. Create a wall gallery with pictures from vacation. Use the photos you took of just the scenery; it makes them look like professional images. Some other ideas are to frame fabric, wallpaper, calendar pictures or note cards.

For dimensional art, use plates, quilts, screens, baskets or an inexpensive piece of ornamental iron. When you really think out of the box, it’s amazing what you can do.

So make your list, complete your budget, use what you have, shop sales and think out of the box.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.