Decorating Princess

The next room I am going to decorate in my dream house for under $1000 is the bedroom. Each room is going to have a theme of a different country. I’m going to use the same neutral tones throughout the house so it doesn’t look like a restaurant. For the master bedroom I’m going with a French theme, Paris specifically. There’s many styles of French decorating, French Country, French Provincial, basically anything a little fussy.  However, I want my French bedroom to be very restful & calm.  I am going to paint the walls a very light blue, almost white & have everything else be white, with just a touch of black.

Accessories: Then I’m going to .  The entire idea for my dream house was inspired because I simply wanted a lamp that looked like the Eiffel tower.  These sell for several hundred dollars but hopefully I’ll be able to pick up two of these for around $50.  I’m going to eliminate all other artwork & accessories so these lamps stand out.  If window treatments are absolutely necessary I will use white airy sheer curtains that I already have.

Mirrors:  I originally wanted mirrored nightstands but they were way over budget.  I was going to make them myself, but then I decided on silver leaf.  You can get DIY instructions here for how to silver leaf.  These instructions are for glass, but hopefully it will work the same on wood. This won’t be as expensive as trying to affix mirrors to nightstands & won’t get as many fingerprints.  Plus I can use some old nightstands I picked up at a garage sale for free.  This will add a vintage feeling to the room.

Bedding:  I already have a fluffy white down alternative comforter that I can’t live without, so it has to stay.  I will however splurge on some high thread count sheets, mine right now are like 14 thread count or something very sad like that. Enter coupon code SHOP5 through 12/31/2006 to save $5 off a purchase of $50 or more. 

Furniture:  I don’t want a bulky dresser or armoire in my light & airy bedroom, so I am going to move the dresser I have now into my walk-in closet.  (The house will have a walk-in closet otherwise I’m not moving).  The focal point of the room will be the bed. This iron finish bed is $421 & reminds me of the wrought iron gates that are always in pictures of Paris. I’ll also add this chaise lounge for $409 which will be great for reading. Enter coupon code SHOP25 through 12/31/2006 to save $25 off a purchase of $250 or more.

Final Touches:  It just wouldn’t feel like Paris without a chandelier.  I wouldn’t know because I’ve never been but I imagine that there would be chandeliers.  I’ll probably paint this chandelier white & take the shades off, but its less than $50 so it could use some work. I like that it is a miniature chandelier so it won’t overpower the room.

I will save the $50 I have left to go towards the purchase of a white flokati rug someday.  This will add some warmth & whismy to the room.  So what do you think of my Paris inspired bedroom for under $1000?  Leave a comment & let me know.

This was one of the biggest challenges so far, could I decorate a living room for under $1000, and have it be my dream Tuscan villa? This would mean new furniture because I am too lazy to reupholster a couch. Every room in my fictitious dream home is being decorated in a theme of a different country or region. I decided that the living room should be Tuscan, because of the warm comfortable colors. I wanted this to be what welcomes people into my home. As always, I will be carrying my neutral color palette throughout the house to tie everything together, and keep it from looking like a Disneyland ride.

1. Sofa and Loveseat: I want a neutral comfortable sofa and loveseat that I will have for many years to come, so it should be something classic. I chose this mocha brown set. This was my biggest expenditure at $719 for both pieces, but it was a great deal because it was marked down from $1,799.

2. Rug: I’m using a soft rug with just a touch of burgundy in it for only $99.

3. Instead of a coffee table I wanted a bench that could be used as extra seating. This bench was the best buy for under $71, and as Edward from Trading Spaces says “every room needs a touch of black”

4. Like the rest of my dream house the living room will have a chandelier. This bronze chandelier matches the color palette, the scrollwork matches the Italian feel, and the price of $91 matches the budget.

5. I only have $20 left so I will have to really stretch my budget. I will spend the rest of the money on silk, or silk like fabric to make rust color curtains. I will bring in some dark wood side tables that I got at garage sales, and mismatched lamps that I’ve also purchased at garage sales. For artwork I want to mimic stucco walls. I will take big canvases and spread joint compound over them. Then I will make a light wash of yellow color. I will have three of these hanging next to each other, one red, one orange and one yellow.

So after shipping charges I may be just over $1000, but overall I saved thousands of dollars. You can get a great living room set that looks so much more expensive. The key is to purchase your big pieces first so you don’t spend all the money on accessories. Click on any of the pictures that you want more information about. What would your dream living room look like?  Have you decorate for under $1000, or do you need help?  Leave a comment and let me know.

I am not yet a homeowner, but I’ve been planning my decor for years for when I am. I have decided that each room will be themed like a different country. I don’t want it to look like a cheesy restaurant so I am going to tie everything together by carrying the same dark laminate hardwood floors throughout, and using the same color palette. For my dream bathroom, I am using a Moroccan theme, and I plan to decorate on a $1000 budget. This will transform even the smallest bathroom into a jewel box. The bathroom is usually closed off from the rest of the house so there’s free reign to use dark jewel tones like purples, burgundies and blue for wall color.

For the vanity I want something in dark wood that looks like a piece of antique furniture. Carving adds an intricate Moroccan feeling like this black granite topped vanity in a honey colored birch for $699. For the faucet try a bronze or iron fixture instead of traditional nickel or gold faucets. Furniture styled vanities have become the latest decorating craze.  Many people are just taking antique pieces of furniture and then dropping a sink in them.

For the shower curtain use a heavy velvet or rich satin. This is definitely the best buy of the whole bathroom. This claret colored velvet shower curtain is elegant but waterproof, and it’s only $5.65. Deal of the century.

Instead of traditional bathroom rugs, try Persian rugs for a touch of elegance. This will also add warmth, to the room and to your feet. Use a runner, it’s the perfect size for most bathrooms, this classic wool Persian rug with cotton backing is only $69

The centerpiece of this bathroom is this Moroccan-esque light. Every jewelry box needs something shiny, and light is very important when applying make up. This chandelier has a splendid Old World look with its antique bronze finish and sparkling, diamond-patterned glass shade for $79.99.

To add a feeling of elegance splurge on the everyday accessories, the soap dispenser and toothbrush holder. For a Moroccan feeling try a crackled glass or one of these solid beaded brass accessories, these are $22 each.

Now it’s the time I hate, time for math. The total is $896. This leaves plenty of money for artwork, paint, and shipping charges. For art, try black and white architecture photos of archways in simple black frames, to keep the room from feeling too fussy. Click on any of the pictures for more information. For a more neutral color palette, you can easily do this is all taupes and rich browns, just use a lot of texture for that expensive feel. Do you have a room you hate? Leave a comment and tell me about your room and give me the $1000 challenge free of charge.