fbpx

How we decorate on a budget

by Erika Torres
29 comments

After our little home post, I know what you were all wondering–how could this supposedly ‘poor’ couple move into a two-bedroom townhome and furnish it when all they owned beforehand was a couch and a bed?

The entire amount we’ve spent so far, out of our own pocket, is $700. We were also extremely fortunate to receive a $500 housewarming gift from my grandma, to be used specifically for our home. So this is what we purchased with a $1200 budget:

In the Dining Room

A new (to us) dining table: $250

I fell in love with this seven piece dining set that we found on Craigslist. I knew I wanted six chairs instead of four, because I love to have friends over for dinner, and there never seem to be enough chairs to go around!

This set was listed on Craigslist for $500. I sent an email and low-balled at $200 which really was our budget for a dining table. We ended up settling for $250 and I was thrilled! There are a few paint marks on the chairs, which will easily come off with paint thinner, we just haven’t gotten around to it. The table set also came with a custom glass top.

Metal Chandelier $100 (from the Grandma fund):

The chandelier in the dining room was a dinky old thing and I knew I wanted to replace it. This was one of those purchases that I wouldn’t have made if my Granda hadn’t gifted us with $500. This chandelier totally brightens the place up, don’t you think so?

BEFORE

White hutch $0:

The beautiful white hutch in the background is a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law. She actually gave it to us while we were living in the shack. I had originally told her we couldn’t take it because holy cow, where would we put it? But I absolutely LOVED the piece, so I made Eric rearrange the whole downstairs of our shack so we could make it fit. And I am SO glad I did, because now it is an absolute showstopper!

It simply housed storage at our old place, but now I can actually showcase the fine china my parents gifted me as a wedding present.

In the Living Room

A new (to us) couch: $150

Even though I was fine with our old couch, I knew it wasn’t going to be big enough for our new space. I started browsing couches on Craigslist, and fell in love with the idea of a large sectional–perfect for hosting friends and family! We found this one listed for $200, and offered $150.

It’s super comfortable and we love lounging on it!

Marble top coffee table: $0

This was my parents’ old coffee table that was sitting in the garage. Once we moved, we realized our little red coffee table purchased off Craigslist two years ago for $15 wasn’t going to do our new place justice.

We really wanted a circular coffee table to help reduce the whole “square-y” thing going on, but beggars can’t be choosers, and this is a really nice coffee table (even if it does have a few water stains on it).

Brown Zebra Rug (from the Grandma fund): $297

I am not a fan of the grayish carpet. I thought a rug would really help brighten up the place. My mom suggested this zebra rug and though I was apprehensive at first, I really love it now!

Brown Mirror: $100

We purchased the brown mirror above the couch for $100 from the same couple who sold us the dining set. It’s a solid piece, and I knew I just had to have it.

In the master bedroom

Everything in the master was pretty much ours mine from beforehand. The reason our master is so girly is because it’s all my furniture from when I was single. Unfortunately, Eric just has to put up with it because I have no desire to get rid of my $2,000 Pottery Barn bed. Yes, that is what I paid for this bed when I bought it back in 2008. Those were my pre- “pay down debt” days…

Sunburst Mirror (from the Grandma fund): $100

The only thing we purchased for this room is the mirror you see above the bed–and that was a Joss and Main purchase. This is an up close shot so you can see the detail:

 In the Man Room

Desk: $150

We bought this large solid oak desk off Craigslist, originally listed at $200, we offered $150. It’s a great piece, and Eric really wanted a desk to study for all his fire exams.

Desk Chair (from the Grandma fund): $80

We got the desk chair at Office Depot. It was the floor model, so we got 20% off.

 

TOTAL: $1230

Out of Pocket: $730
Grandma: $500

And yes it has all been paid in cash! We pretty much bought the big ticket items ourselves, but we were really able to splurge for a few pieces because of the gift from my Grandma. There are a few things I still plan to do–like curtains and some table lamps.

While yes, I would LOVE to have brand new furniture, it just isn’t feasible for us right now. Plus I’d rather save for the really nice stuff when we buy a new place, rather than rent. This suffices for now and I don’t think it’s that shabby!

Everything is slowly but surely coming together. And I love that we are sticking to our budget to do so!

 

 

29 comments

Gary Davis November 6, 2015 - 2:07 am

I’m loving everything, it gives a cool and fresh vibe with the colors that you use. Thank you for sharing your wonderful idea.

Reply
Adele Grisham October 24, 2015 - 5:03 am

I love saving money and expanding my skills by taking on DIY projects. I’ve had my eye on recycled bottle and mason jar chandeliers and sconces for quite a while, and one of these days, I’m going to make one.

Reply
Karin @ HR Degree Directory May 2, 2012 - 9:51 pm

I loved the concept of your arrangement – putting old pieces together with new picks to create a whole new theme. It’s amazing. Your design is cozy and simple, yet elegant and functional. At $1, 230, your design is nothing but perfect and practical.

Reply
Favorite Posts #2 - Budget For HealthBudget For Health April 25, 2012 - 9:07 pm

[…] for Nora by Simple Organized Living I hope Andrea wins this; Nora is just so stinkin’ cute!!! How We Decorate on a Budget by Newlyweds on a Budget Someday when we move out of our snug one-bedroom apartment, I’ll […]

Reply
Friday’s Link Love « bogofdebt April 20, 2012 - 4:55 am

[…] Newlywed’s on a Budget shared how they deocrated their new house–I think it looks wonderful and got some nifty ideas for my house! […]

Reply
Teacher Girl April 18, 2012 - 3:59 pm

Love the touches! The new home looks great! =)

Reply
The Happy Homeowner April 18, 2012 - 10:17 am

Nice work paying cash and utilizing your gifts/what Craigslist has to offer!!

Reply
LifeInTransition April 18, 2012 - 7:32 am

Looks great great! I know I will have a hard time decorating my new place on a budget since I have a hard time resisting pretty (which usually means expensive) decor and furnishings.

Reply
Savvy Scot April 18, 2012 - 5:38 am

You absolutely put us to shame with spend amounts for furnishing your new house – looks great though. We also made use of a lot of family furniture in storage. Love the rug – where did you get that from??

Reply
Jackie April 17, 2012 - 5:22 pm

Oh I really like the mirror in your bedroom. And it sounds like you got some great deals from Craigslist (especially on the dining set).

Reply
John@MoneyPrinciple April 16, 2012 - 11:37 pm

Looks like you’ve got some bargains there! Well done.

Reply
Stacy April 16, 2012 - 7:51 pm

I just found your blog and those are some awesome finds for your house. I really love the kitchen table set and the mirror!

Reply
Megg April 16, 2012 - 6:54 pm

Your used furniture is gorgeous! Half the stuff in our house is from Craigslist or hand-me-downs from my husband’s mom. And I love it! (Well, I’d love to replace the couch some day) Craigslist has some great things for a bargain! We got our washer and dryer off craigslist. $250 for a less than 5 year old set, from a woman who was just trying to get rid of it. Score!

Reply
Young Professional Finances April 16, 2012 - 2:44 pm

Gorgeous furniture! I can’t believe you found all that on Craigslist – I’m going to have to start looking around for great buys like this. Maybe a new couch…

Reply
bogofdebt April 16, 2012 - 12:42 pm

I loved your finds! I’ve been slowly finding nifty things to decorate my house and you just inspired me even more.

Reply
kim April 16, 2012 - 12:31 pm

I love the zebra rug! You have some great finds; I’m impressed that you got so many great responses from Craigslist. Often I find people to be flaky (moreso selling than buying). It depends on what you’re getting; I would bet that people are more responsive the more money they stand to make. Great work! I hope it really feels more like a nest/home than a shack. Oh and the paint on the inside of the hutch really makes it look amazing.

Reply
ImpulseSave April 16, 2012 - 11:23 am

The new place looks great! You did so well furnishing on such a reasonable budget! Congratulations, Erika and Eric.

Reply
Frugal Portland April 16, 2012 - 11:18 am

Awesome! I love Craigslist, too, and it sounds like you did your diligence. You know, I’ve NEVER bargained on CL before. Maybe I should!

Reply
Jai Catalano April 16, 2012 - 10:13 am

Grandma rocks. $700? That is really good. From the looks of the photos you got an amazing deal. Congrats.

Reply
MommaStar April 16, 2012 - 9:55 am

Those were excellent finds! Beautiful decor. I love it.

Reply
KendraD April 16, 2012 - 9:47 am

You did a great job with your Craigslist finds. I miss having a yardsale type site around to advertise on. We just ordered custom made bedroom furniture, and I cannot wait to get it in. Our current bed frame is just railings on wheels and our dressers are a mismatch of what we both got as hand me downs post college.

Reply
Remy @MLISunderstanding April 16, 2012 - 9:44 am

Hooray for Craigslist! While my sweetie and I have absolutely no room for furniture (or much inclination for it, to be fair), we’re finding lots of good deals on stuff for our upcoming wedding (mismatched china, glasses, fabric). This weekend we picked up more than a hundred yards of white muslin (some hemmed for tablecloths, and some still on the bolt, which was marked at $1.49/yd) for $15 — and the seller tossed in two bolts of white tulle and two boxes of glass votive holders for free! Glass beverage dispensers, a few large bubble vases for our attendants to carry down the aisle… the wedding resale market is booming on CL. 🙂

Reply
CeCe @Frugalista Married April 16, 2012 - 8:41 am

You all did great with your budget and craigslist. I hear a lot of people finding stuff there but when I look I never find what I need and I can’t wait to see if someone posts that one thing I need. We spent a ton of money and bought everything new. Don’t get me wrong; we got great deals but not craigslist prices of course. I’m okay with it because we budgeted for it and had the money to do it and I love the deals and everything we got. That Pottery Barn bed is def a keeper. Some day you’ll have an extra bedroom and it can go in there but I would never part with it either! Oh and I LOVE that chandelier. It’s so classy.

Reply
jobo April 16, 2012 - 7:53 am

wow! that is so impressive!! I love your finds and how great of deals you got! We have a hutch that M had from his former marriage and I love it too! Elegant and stylish (I can look past that it was from his ‘past’ life hehe)

Reply
Daisy April 16, 2012 - 6:38 am

It looks great! And sounds like you got some great deals. We currently have mainly hand-me-downs and pretty crappy furniture but we’re hoping to change that soon (when we buy).

Reply
Lisa April 16, 2012 - 6:25 am

I think you did an excellent job decorating on a budget. The place looks stylish and sophisticated… great work!

Reply
Jordann @ My Alternate Life April 16, 2012 - 5:26 am

Wow you sure got a lot of bang for your buck! I was very lucky in my current place, it came furnished (nicely furnished too) so I haven’t had to buy furniture in awhile. Once I buy a house or move though, I’ll be scouring the classified ads too.

Reply
Michelle April 16, 2012 - 5:18 am

I love everything you bought! All very cute.

Reply
my honest answer April 16, 2012 - 5:00 am

You’re so lucky to find great things on Craigslist – near me it’s all scam job adverts and not much else! There is a good classified site though, I guess it just varies by location. I think brand new furniture is ridiculously priced too!

Reply

Leave a Comment