One of the post requests I got last month was to see more insight into approaching home shopping on a budget. Not necessarily creating an exact budget for your shopping, but more of a general sense for affordable purchases because home items can get quite expensive. I would recommend also reading the post How I mix High and Low for my overall approach to making a space look and feel more expensive than in is.

Keeping my step for shopping with intention in mind – if you are really on a tight budget there are plenty of stores that cater to that now. Maybe you are in a college apartment or a point in your life where full on investing in your living space doesn’t make sense right now. You can still have intention when shopping cheap and what I have learned, just because it is inexpensive doesn’t mean you need more! I always like to make a list of everything I need or want to change and prioritize what is number one. I might spend a bit more on that, but for everything else I start scouring the internet at places like Amazon, Target, World Market, etc. I have talked about this in multiple posts, but if you care about comfort (i.e. sofa) I would recommend not going too cheap or you might end up replacing it.

When it comes to accessorizing on a budget I like to think outside the box. One of my favorite things to do is ransack the kitchen section at CB2. I started using their cocktail mixing pitchers as vases which look so high end. At $14.95 they end up being cheaper than some of the vases I have seen at Target and look so much nicer! I also grab a couple different small plates that I use underneath my candles (instantly makes a $5 candle look nicer) and to corral misc. items like perfume or jewelry.

When it comes to pillows you know I love options that are more on the expensive side. However I totally understand not wanting to spend a lot especially if you won’t be in your place forever. To avoid high price tags you can go to Home Goods or Target and look for the pillows you like that have a zipper cover and replace them with a nicer down insert. A lot of their pillows even have down inners now so that is a great place to start. I also love the selection at H&M home like this and this.

Home Goods is where I have gotten a lot of great cutting boards for the kitchen and misc. accessories like large baskets and ginger jars. Even at places like Home Goods they have a range of quality so instead of filling up your cart, try and choose wisely. Look for nicer woods that haven’t turned yellow and white marble accents because they always have at least a few!

SHOP BUDGET PIECES

my living room: sofa, art, lamp, console, rug, pillow, vase, cloche

Lastly, flea markets are the best for cool unique pieces that won’t break the bank. I have talked about my love of flea markets and Etsy in so many posts, but that is where I have gotten a lot of the pieces that y’all ask about! Flea markets are great because they tend to be CHEAP. I have purchased accessories at the Alameda Flea Market that I end up seeing online for three times the cost. You can get furniture and fix it up, a slew of accessories and even cool lighting (the alabaster lamp on my desk). I always like to point out – to avoid your space turning into a flea market itself, you want to choose pieces that you really gravitate towards not just cheap furniture. You can mix an Ikea dresser with a cool vintage wood bowl and painting above it which will instantly offset the more basic furniture. A beautiful home doesn’t have to be an expensive one!

SHOP (MORE) BUDGET PIECES

Photos by Torrey Fox