Decorating solution that saved you the most money?

**peanut** · 05-02-2009, 08:41 PM

Hmmm...I'm thinking this would be the modular bookcases and cabinets DH made when I was pregnant with DD#1. It's been 24 years and we're still using those hummers. They've changed colour a few times, but I've actually had one of the girls ask for a couple of these when they left the house to set up their own homes!

They cost all of maybe 4 sheets of 1/2" 2SG spruce plywood in the early 1980s. DH made 6 2x2x1' bookcases with adjustable shelves and 2 2x2x2' cabinets with doors. The beauty of this size is they can be stacked and arranged any number of ways to create interesting designs.

**kittykatstrong** · 05-13-2009, 05:44 AM

About 10 years ago I bought a huge bookcase at a thrift store, half off. It has been about 3 or 4 colors and it has been used is many rooms.

**Pemberleyan** · 05-13-2009, 06:34 AM

I'd say two things; purchasing all sorts of items at yard sales and flea markets, and paint. Paint is one of the least expensive ways to transform a room, a piece of furniture or a decorative object, and the possibilities are endless. I even painted a phone. We recently painted my mother's 30-year old white laminate countertops with oil-based charcoal-colored porch paint. The difference was incredible.

**2ndGenGranola** · 05-13-2009, 06:35 AM

About 60 years ago my parents bought this cute little chest of drawers for my sister's room. After she left it got a dishonorable place in the garage. When I was in my teens I discovered it and asked to paint it. I was given the OK. I stripped it and stained it. It has stayed with me and has a special place in the dining room.

**Judi Dial** · 05-13-2009, 07:11 AM

In the '60s my dad bought wall mounted teak veneer bookcases for his house. He had a lot of books, he was a college prof and he'd met my mother when she was selling books for a living! So, anyway, there were a lot of book and they needed bookshelves.

I have most of the bookcases. They didn't like moving from the beach to the desert to the swamp to New England, the veneer hasn't done that well and the brackets have started to break. However, we still use the cabinets and some of the bookcases. They cost me nothing, we've had them 25+ years now, and I expect I'll have them with me to the end.

Judi

**The Muse** · 05-13-2009, 09:55 AM

For me, it was not falling into the new house trap of buying a house full of furniture. We've been in the house 7 years and it's still not fully furnished/decorated. I've taken a lot of flack for this, but taking our time has enabled us to inherit top of the line furniture from my inlaws, and pick things up dirt cheap at auction and second hand.

I'm often complimented on my decorating style, and I've done it on a shoestring, but being open to used things, and taking my time with it.

**Momof3girls** · 05-13-2009, 10:08 AM

I think stripping the varnish off our old kitchen cabinets, sanding and staining them and replacing the hardware. It updated our kitchen tremendously. It was labor intensive work and we did it over several months, but it was well worth the time.

**pat in east texas** · 05-13-2009, 10:26 AM

I think that knowing that our house is for us to LIVE in, not for a "showplace". Our walls are decorated with things we've made and been given; "my" room has my basket reed hanging on picture-frame hooks in one corner, and I smile every time I enter the room and see it. Bookcases, knitting stuff, and musical instruments live here and there. We just don't have room to "decorate", and that's probably saved us a ton of money.

**uniqueseason** · 05-16-2009, 02:01 AM

We just don't have room to "decorate", and that's probably saved us a ton of money. but I could decorate the cheap ones! It was a cool product. It came off with cigarette lighter fluid. The very first floor from 1948, A yellow number. We replaced the sub floor and kept it bare for 2 weeks while it settled. We'd walk around and around renailing nails and adding a few more.

**miss_thrifty** · 05-16-2009, 03:56 PM

I guessthe enertainment stand first . too buy at sears and its all chip press board there would be over $6-700. mines less then $150 to make with pine . and solid as heck.
then lately it would be the stand my hubby made for micrwave/ water bottle.

**Debbie-cat** · 05-16-2009, 04:10 PM

I will only buy real wood furniture from thrift stores and garage sales. They are built so much better, sturdier and will hold up to anything. I just refinish them how I want. I still have my grandmother's bed in excellent shape and will probaby use it till the day I die!

**mauimagic** · 05-16-2009, 05:36 PM

Just a note - I don't have anything personal to share - but I have loved reading all the love and caring that have gone into your posts. Mahalo for sharing!!

**Luckybustert** · 05-16-2009, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

I still have my grandmother's bed in excellent shape and will probaby use it till the day I die!

I wish I had some of my grandmother's old wooden furniture - it was so beautiful and so well made! She gave a lot of it away for little or nothing over the years as she downsized into smaller homes.

**missyali** · 05-16-2009, 06:12 PM

I bought mis-tint paint for $5 per gallon. I know I've said this in like 50 posts, but from a gal who's lived in rehabbers that "required" neutral tones for the first 5 years of my marriage, I LOVE COLOR! but I won't pay a ton for it

**TheRootedNomad** · 05-25-2009, 10:47 AM

It's really had to pick one thathas saved me te most as there are several thathve saved me tons. This is one of the fewareas where I can say we almost never spend alot. Overall its definately DIY.

One in particular that comes to mind is the living room drapes. For the first9 years we lived in this house I had 2 sets of drapes/curtains that I switched back and forth. I made them with only a few straight seems from some clearance cotton fabric from Wal-mart. Our living room has 1 HUGE picture window and 2 regular windows. I spent under $12 for the material and rod pieces. I got all kinds of compliments on them. The fabric is still in good shape and I will eithertransform it into something else soon or gussy tem up to look a little different.