Posts tagged ‘budget’

January 16th, 2012

Real Homes

With a lot of decor magazines I’m just used to seeing the same thing over and over. I was so excited to check out the site for the Real Homes magazine for a couple of reasons. First, it’s based in the United Kingdom so I see a totally different design perspective than what I’m used to in the United States. I’ve found a lot of the color palettes are the same. Some of the wording is different like they say holiday homes when I’d say vacation homes but all of the ideas are still applicable.

The other thing I love is the concept behind the magazine. It’s so simple but I haven’t seen anything like it before. Just like the title says these are real homes. There are stories of real people going through real renovation projects. Usually everything in design magazines is beyond my budget or diy skills. I also found out about some new products and got the answer to”why choose HomeAway?”. If you want a fresh take on design then check out Real Homes.

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January 13th, 2012

My Biggest Investment

For me my biggest investment in my home was my mattress. At first I was more tempted to spend money on cute furniture. However, I figured a good night’s sleep would make the biggest difference in my life so I had to get it right.

I usually would rather stay at home and shop online than in a store. It also makes it easier to find a mattress sale. Then I have time to think about my budget without being pressured and I can do proper research. This is where Coast to Coast Mattress comes in. You don’t have to worry about paying extra for shipping because it’s free. If you need advice then you can communicate with a sleep specialist for free. The Mattress Advisor is like an online test where you fill in your mattress needs and then are shown coordinating products.

Another thing that makes shopping so easy at this site is that there is a quality scale next to each mattress. It shows whether it qualifies as good, better, or best. There’s also a customer rating option. To get an idea of all the available options first I like to sort by size and then look for a queen mattress sale. They have all the name brands like Sealy and Serta. If you want a Simmons mattress sale then they have that too.

So if you only have room in your budget for one big expense then make it your mattress. DIY projects can be used for furniture but you just can’t make up for a bad mattress.

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January 5th, 2012

Time for a Change

The best and worst thing about living in an apartment is that I can’t make huge changes. However, it’s nice to not have renovations on my mind and as part of my budget. The maintenance is usually someone else’s problem so there’s another plus.

My big decorating project this year is that I’d like a new color scheme in both of my bathrooms. I also want to add some wall decals. I want mural versions that cost about $50-$70 but I think it will help with the fact that I don’t have any natural light in either of these spaces. I would love to be able to have gray walls. However, since I already own all of my furniture that I need for this small space I also can’t bring gray in there either. Since I started out with mostly browns using gray throw pillows or art doesn’t make sense. However, the bathrooms are blank slates where jut new shower curtains, art, towels, and toothbrush holders, along with bath mats is my only chance to finally get this trendy color in my home. I just don’t know if doing the same scheme in two bathrooms will be too similar. I could pick up different accent colors I guess but I still want gray to be the feature. Any ideas on how to accomplish this?

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January 5th, 2012

House Plans for 2012

In the blogging world I’ve found it amazing some of the plans that people come up with for their homes in the new year. Sometimes it’s little like adding house address plaques to the yard. However, more and more I’m seeing people making the same mistakes with their decor that they do with resolutions about diets or money. They jut go overboard planning expensive renovations for every room. Instead, I can see wisdom in tackling smaller projects like finally getting new address plaques.

These smaller changes can still have a big impact if you plan thigns out carefully. You could just budget to buy one small thing for your house each month. Over the course of a year this can add up to a more dramatic color scheme or a new decorating theme. What I love about the Mailbox and Beyond site is that you can get an address plaque or mailbox in the same finish. For a Tuscan theme try iron finishes and add in elegant birdbaths to complete your garden design. Like with any renovation you’ll usually be more succesful if you tackle smaller projects that are feasible.

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March 18th, 2011

Wedding Decoration Pictures and Photos

I’ve been looking at wedding decoration pictures all day. No, I’m not engaged, I’m still single. However, I love the recent trends of inexpensive receptions as well as using everyday items that you can find around your home. This cuts down on costs and just goes to show that you don’t have to have the basic centerpiece made out of roses anymore. The photos are from creative commons.

1. I really love this idea from Lizzybeans. It’s probably not your typical wedding decorations but photos of vases really inspired me. It will save you tons of money on flowers. It’s going to give you a chance to pickup vases at craft stores or even thrift stores. You’ll be able to use them as part of your home decor, and as shown in the picture you don’t have to have flowers in every single one.

wedding decorations photos of

2. I really adore this creative commons photo from Vera Devera. This is a great idea for just a backyard wedding, even if you don’t have an arbor or lots of flowers. You might already have a lot of these items around your house or in your garden but just pairing them in an unusual way really makes your wedding day special.

3. I really love the next CC pictures from Jose and Roxanne. It’s amazing what they did without using a lot of flowers, and brought in a natural theme that is still cool. However, it just goes to show that you can just take a basic topiary and tie ribbon or organza around it and suddenly it’s a wedding decoration. This is especially important if you are buying or making all of your wedding decor because then you’ll still be able to use this later on in your home as a sentimental accessory. This is also one of the few purple color schemes that I’ve seen that doesn’t look too feminine or juvenile.

5. It’s also possible to really simplify your wedding table decoration ideas. This is proven by this Warrenski picture. The centerpieces and flowers are kept to a minimum. The focus is on beautiful paper lanterns that you can get fairly inexpensively and has a modern touch to it. Any glassware that you have on the table will really shine and sparkle a lot more when you are using a minimal theme.

I really love all of the nonfloral or at least minimal floral options that are out there right now. Instead, you can focus a lot on centerpieces with height as well as fun color palettes. It’s also one of the more budget friendly wedding decor ideas out there.

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