Affordable Decorating Ideas: 20 Ways To Decorate On A Shoestring

Thrifty tips to stay on budget

A tight budget requires resourcefulness, which is a creative asset when decorating a home. This is where you find original touches that draw the eye, thoughtful updates that make the most of what you have at hand, and an admirable can-do attitude to upcycling and DIY.

Some of the best-dressed homes are full of inherited, second-hand or otherwise thrifted furniture, and interesting knick-knacks picked up on travels or strolls through the countryside. The magic is usually in the mix, and as a bonus, everything has an interesting back story.

So, before you open your browsers or step onto the high street to start shopping, consider some thrifty ways to decorate without spending much at all. Be a bit economic with a clever use of paint, consider everything in your home as worthy of display and decoration, replace worn-out kitchen cabinets with quaint curtains, scour vintage shops for the best picture frames, and get creative with some foraged wood.

Here, we share 20 thrifty and nifty decorating tricks to help you stay on budget.

Forget wall-to-wall colour – paint can be used more sparingly (and economically) to revamp a room. A quick lick will instantly update doors or add definition to skirting boards. A painted ceiling contrasts wonderfully with white walls and, if you fancy a panelling effect without the financial outlay, create the same effect with bold paint, taking it in a crisp line across both walls and doors.

Instead of buying matching cushions and throws, take inspiration from the colour combinations of interior designers such as Robert Kime. Invest in one or two new pieces to mix with your existing textiles – florals, patterns or stripes all make happy companions.

Pictured: Country Living Witcombe Chaise Sofa at DFS, Blossom Cushion and Bamboo Cushion, both at Birdie Fortescue, Runda Glass Lamp and Seema Raffia Lampshade at Birdie Fortescue

Blinds are more economical than full curtains. They don't even need to function, depending on the room, and can simply be used to soften a frame or add colour.

They may be a quick and eco way to refresh a room, but they’re not so cost-effective if you can't keep them alive. For the less green- fingered, plant experts Hortology recommend hard-to-kill specimens, such as areca palms, the Cast Iron aspidistra or Philodendron.

Pictured: Ercol Ancona Breakfast Table and Ercol Heritage Chair, both at Furniture Village

If your cabinets have seen better days, consider replacing the doors with curtains. It's a great way to add colour or pattern, and brings a quaint vintage feel to the room.

Why pay someone to refurbish tired pieces when you can learn to do it yourself? Check out upholsteryskillsonline.com or, if you prefer a workshop environment, Craft Courses will connect you with expert tutors countrywide (craftcourses.com). It's amazing what you can do with a staple gun, tacks and some fabulous fabric.

Pictured: Walls painted in Country Living Dusted Sugar and Beetroot Relish paints at Homebase

If storage is limited, make a virtue of the clutter, displaying functional pieces such as chopping boards, jars, platters and utensils on open shelves and countertops

Wool carpets may cost more initially but will last for years. They’re also eco-friendly and can help save on energy bills as they’re natural insulators.

Pictured: Country Living Salcombe Carpet at Carpetright

We love this idea from Madder Clutch & Co, who put together their printed linen offcuts in a wonderful and colourful bundle. Perfect for creating a wall-mounted mood board, quilting or appliqué.

Pictured: Madder Cutch & Co Box of Lovely Scraps from the Country Living Marketplace

Country style really lends itself to affordable decorating because you can mix vintage, antique and new pieces at will, styling can be a bit haphazard and mismatched, and a wide palette of wood tones can sit happily together.

Pictured: Country Living Ullswater Bed at Dreams

Second-hand clothing stores are full of vintage kimonos, silky robes and dazzling sequinned and feathered dresses that you might not choose to wear yourself, but would look fabulous hanging on an empty wall.

Give wooden units a facelift with a dash of paint – you might be able to get away with paint samples rather than full tins. Finish with old handles and door knobs sourced from eBay or local salvage yards.

Pictured: Bespoke kitchen at Neptune

Good quality picture frames or framing services can be astronomical. Seek out pictures from charity shops, discard the prints and use the frames to create a wall collage. For budget artwork, frame a patterned tea-towel or vintage silk scarf.

A headboard can really make or break your bedroom. Here, a DIY version has been fashioned from ticking fabric with a sturdy upcycled frame.

When you're decorating on a budget, everything has some creative value. Fill up your sideboards, not with new vases and bowls, but with a makeshift home bar using any nice bottles, trays and glasses you already own. And add some oranges for good measure.

Pictured: Ranelagh Cocktail Glasses, and Rubinne Side Table, all at OKA

Your kitchen will benefit from some foraged accents like logs, dried herbs, interesting shells from a beach walk, or some wildflowers from a country stroll. Alway keep your eye out for nature's offerings.

Pictured: Bespoke utility room by deVOL

Pared-back decorating – with a plain, monochromatic colour scheme – makes it easier to pull off a sophisticated look for less.

Not everything has to look pristine – there's beauty in the bashed and battered, too. Wornpaint, rusted signage, distressed wood and weathered pottery all work well together. Keep it looking chic by offsetting with crisp paintwork on your walls.

Make shelving units and bookcases using inexpensive wood from reclaimed sources such as scaffold planks, or try DIY stores. Homebase's furniture board is FSC-sourced and cheaper than solid wood.

Rescuing and restoring a pre-loved find helps save both money and the planet by reducing landfill. Check out fairs, flea markets and boot sales local to you at carbootjunction.com.

The easiest way to create a country bathroom

A big list of B Corp homes brands to know about

40 of the best online furniture stores in the UK

How to decorate the space above a sofa

19 beeswax wraps to help you go plastic-free

Bath trays for a soothing home-spa experience

Win! £2,500 to spend on Hillarys blinds

Save 60% on a Simba mattress by buying refurbished

6 clever ways to use mirrors

Shaker kitchen doors: Ideas and inspiration

Tips for buying vintage and antique furniture

Headboard ideas, from upholstery to tapestries