Style on a Budget Decorating : House Tour from BHG


Take a cue from this home and see how easy it can be to rework remnants, castoffs, and closeouts into stylish, personality-filled home decor.


From the outside, this Colonial style home looks about like any other. But one step inside reveals a carefully accumulated collection of furniture and accessories purchased from yard sales, closeout sales, and antiques shops that have all been updated and brought to life with paint, upholstery, and other decorative touches.

Inspired by the bold pattern blue and white area rug, a navy blue accent wall adds dramatic appeal to the home?s living space. Hits of high contrast white, including the coffee table and fireplace surround, brighten the room. Simple white curtain panels make a window that lacks molding look finished. The homeowner hung the window draperies high and wide to make the window seem larger.

Look online to score deals. This pair of bookcases, an online score, was given new life with a coat of soft blue paint. Paired together, the units create a focal point along one wall of the living room and offer plenty of storage and display space. The backs of the bookcases were painted navy to help tie the units in with the area rug and accent wall.

Give a mismatched group of furniture a cohesive look with paint. Here, a thrift store cabinet, painted white to match other living room furniture, serves as a media console. The doors of the cabinet feature a motif similar to that of the area rug, which helps tie the piece in with the rest of the living room. Different size black and white images hung above the TV add height and make use of old frames the homeowner had on hand.

A variety of gold accessories scattered throughout the home?s living space lends glamorous appeal. Here, a dramatic gold mirror frame makes use of empty wall space. Use gold paint or gold leaf to give ordinary objects sparkle. A small half moon shape console table below the piece provides a bit of additional display space and visually grounds the mirror.

Mix and match furniture by relocating pieces from different spaces. In the casual breakfast nook, a hand-me-down table is paired with chairs that originally came with the dining room table. An outdated yard sale chest was painted black to match the chairs. Designer fabric snagged from a remnant bin was used to create the zippy curtains that add character to the neutral space.

With the dining room chairs relocated to the breakfast nook, a bench was introduced for seating in the formal dining room. Thrift-store chairs painted white and reupohlstered with fabric to match the drapes serve as additional seating. The final look is an eclectic, unpexpected alternative to the basic matching dining room set. A former TV console now serves as a handy buffet, topped with lamps that were updated with spray paint and new shades.

No guilt, no fuss is the feeling in the master bedroom, where simple white bedding and cool gray walls allow for easy redecorating for pocket change. The clean lined four poster draws the eye upward and toward the unique ceiling treatment. White painted dressers flanking the sides of the bed work overtime as both nightstands and clothing storage space.