U Weekly. Serving The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio

Decorating on a budget

By Madeline Brown

Decorating a small space on a college student-sized budget can be tough. It is possible to maintain your own sense of style at home without spending tons of money. Here are a few useful tips to decorate your dorm room or apartment with ease.

Cheryl Johnson, publisher of “Simple Debt Free Living,” suggests shopping in your own home first. Find a central piece that reflects your own sense of style. It could be a piece of furniture, some curtains or a piece of art. Arrange this as your centerpiece before you redecorate. Also, try rearranging things you already have to revitalize your look.

Kathy Wilson, writer for an online newsletter called “The Budget Decorator,” says the number one problem in homes is clutter. Removing the clutter from your small living space makes a huge difference.

“Move out accessories, pillows, everything!” says Wilson. “Now bring things back one at a time, and stop when it’s perfect. The key here is restraint!”

Wilson also provides a simple solution to make a small space look larger. Keep windows and large surfaces squeaky clean. She says clean surfaces make a room look brighter and larger.

Another suggestion Wilson gives to remove clutter is to use as many double-duty items as possible. Find a nice entertainment center to hold your TV, as well as all of your movies and magazines. Find end tables and a coffee table that stores books. Having one or two large pieces of furniture in a room can also make the room look larger.

One great source for nice furniture is family members. Chances are you have an aunt or grandma with some furniture or a work of art they are not using. Call them up and ask them for some nice hand-me-downs.

Another place to look for good furniture or decorative pieces is thrift stores — of which there is no shortage in Columbus. For larger stores close to campus, check out the Goodwill at 2768 North High in Clintonville, or the Volunteers of America store up at 3620 Indianola Avenue.

Inventory in a thrift store is constantly changing with the seasons, so go back if you don’t find what you are looking for the first time. Besides thrift stores, retail outlets like Marshal’s and TJ Maxx carry tons of cheap decorating pieces and works of art to jazz up your home.

Fixing up an old, worn-down piece of furniture is easy. For a table with good legs but an ugly top, get a piece of glass cut to fit the table top. Place postcards, photos or old band posters under the glass for a completely new look. Use a blanket or buy an inexpensive slip cover to clean a dirty couch.

There are several ways to dress up the windows in your living space. Old sheets are easily transformed into curtains. It only takes a little time and simple sewing. Another great trick for curtains: Buy a curtain rod and find some nice cheap shower curtains to hang on your windows. Find some decorative show curtain hooks to hang them in the window. Shower curtains are half the price of window curtains, and hardly anyone will know the difference.

Linda Kennedy writes for the website calicos.com — she says buying a few simple pieces can update any room. Lamps are fairly inexpensive and they can be found at major retail stores and thrift stores.

“Find unique, interesting lamps that will make a bold statement and relate to the personality of your room,” says Kennedy.

Plants also make a room look a lot more interesting. Kennedy suggests that placing plants of varying heights in your room will refresh your space. Don’t have a green thumb? Find some nice silk plants or make your own silk flower arrangement.

Take some family or friend photos and find a frame to showcase them in. You could make photo frames using a variety of materials. If you can’t spend time crafting frames, the stores mentioned above carry frames at more-than-affordable prices.

Finally, do a little research. If you’re looking for more tips, there are a plethora of books out there to help you decorate. There are tons of internet newsletters and websites to assist you in decorating without devastating your wallet.

Originally Published: February 13, 2008

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