Home Tour: Design on a Shoestring Budget

I apologize for the lack of posts the past week.

                  {I'll try & make up for it & post 5 times today :)}   

We listed our house on Tuesday evening & had our first showing Wednesday, & found out yesterday where our first assignment is.

We're going to San Antonio, TX.

Do you think they have vegans there?  Mormons?  I don't know much about the place, but all I can say is:  at least it's not North Dakota.  I'm beyond thrilled to be going somewhere warm.

So about today's post I thought, since we're getting ready to move (as soon as we sell our house), I should show you around the place.

I'm not a designer.  I don't pretend to be.  I do love design, though.  I look to ladies like Design Mom or Nicole at Making it Lovely for inspiration. 

Once, long ago, I had hopes of being an interior designer.  I got a much more practical degree instead--English.  Right.  English is not a practical degree.  But back to what I was saying about design.

I have no formal training in design.

I did minor in art, which did help teach some handy principles & elements of good design, but I do believe I have a very distinct & defined sense of style.  I know what I like & I'd like to think I have some pretty good instincts as to what works & what doesn't.   

I grew up in a home where our home decor was very practical & utilitarian.

Houseplants were the extent of my mother's design tendencies.  She was much more comfortable building decks or fences, re-roofing houses, or gardening, than decorating a home.  Somehow, out of this upbringing, I didn't, unfortunately, get my mother's knack for building & fixing.  Instead, I got the urge to rearrange my dwelling.   To make things look pretty, clean & organized.

(Why I think you should have nice things & a clean home with kids, even with small kids, here).  

Since during my married life, we've always been on a very limited budget, I've purchased things over time.  

People come to my house & say wow, how did you put all of these things together (especially considering my job teaching, taking care of the kids, supporting a husband in law school & being on a tight budget)?  

It didn't happen overnight, that's for sure.  It's been about 7 years in the making.  

I don't think it needs to take 7 years to figure out what your style is, or to get your house in order in such a way where you love how it's decorated.  But for us, that's how long it's taken simply because we haven't had a lot of discretionary income up to this point.  

Most of my home decor was either purchased on sale, with coupons, received as a gift (I still do have some of those gifts from our wedding gift registry!), or bought from second-hand stores like Goodwill or Desert Industries.

Here are some of my top places to shop for my house:

• Target:  Oh Target.  Why do you have to be so clean, organized, & lovely so that I want to buy everything in the store?  Target is a great place for mirrors, shelving, & little bits & bobs you need to make your house feel homey (like wicker baskets, throw blankets, pillows, & fake flower arrangements & wreaths).  I've also had success finding reasonably priced, nice bookshelves.  Check out their clearance section (often at the end of the aisles).  
• Kohl's:  Has a great selection of picture frames, kitchen stuff, & Christmas decorations which you can often get at a deep discount with coupons & sales.   
• Pier1:  I'm in love with this store.  I don't like everything there--the bright colors & bold prints aren't my thing, but I recently got all my living room furniture there & it's a perfect fit for my style.  This is a great place for pillows (they have some amazing decorative pillows!), decorative candles & candle holders, table & dishware, furniture, curtains, & rugs.  They often have sales or clearance items.  
• Tai Pan Trading Company:  Not crazy about their overall style--it borders on a bit too flowery or cutesy for my taste, but I've been able to find a few different items there that I really like.  
• JCPenney's:  I purchased most of my lamps from here.  Also buy my comforters, sheets (highest count possible), & other bedding items.  
• Tuesday Morning:  Kind of a "last chance" store.  Lot's of designer home decor pieces.  Similar to TJ Maxx but better selection, more designer goods to choose from.  Hit & miss, depending on what you're looking for, but they get new stuff every week.  Great for fake plants, door mats, rugs, & paintings or inexpensive wall art.  
• Kmart:  They actually have some really great, affordable furniture pieces (was even better when they carried their Martha Stewart line).  I think the rest of the store is a jumbled, useless mess, but I'm quite happy with some of the furniture pieces I've been able to get there (like my kitchen hutch & kitchen table!).  

Ready to see the house?

Let's go!

[Full Disclosure:  My house is not always immaculately clean.  Just saying.  I don't want to you to start thinking my house always is spic & span without a trace or hint of dust, crumbs, or peanut butter smears.  I am human & I have 4 little persons running around the place, for Pete's sake!]

Outside, porch, garden, & yard

Kitchen

Living Room

Bedrooms, Toy Room

Bathroom, Laundry

Tweet