To get a new look for your space without spending any money, restyle your shelves and surfaces with items you already own taken from other rooms.

“Since we all change our styles and preferences over the years, it is so good to remember that rather than all new things every time this happens, we can look for small tweaks to existing furniture we already own to make these changes for almost no money.”

One of the joys of using what you already own and thrifting when possible is that then you can afford to splurge when it’s something really important to you. Because we bought a secondhand bed and used so many finishing touch items that were already in my stash, I could purchase Farrow and Ball paint without going over my budget!

Don’t be afraid to go big when decorating a kid’s bedroom. By focusing most of our efforts on this gorgeous mountain feature wall, we could afford to do very little else except a few simple accessories and themed bedding to complete the look we wanted.

One way to make sure the artwork in your space is interesting and personal is to avoid buying generic prints at a home furnishing store. Etsy is a wonderful resource for custom creations such as quotes, and vendors often send downloadable files that you can have printed at Staples in whatever size you want. IKEA frames are an affordable finishing touch.

Combining different styles together gave a rustic yet warm and cozy feel to this primary bedroom makeover.

There is no reason a small space can’t be cozy and functional! No space for a big reading chair? Use a comfortable upholstered headboard so the bed can be used to read in. No formal entryway? Peg rails on one wall add so much storage space for coats and clothes. You get the idea! Be creative in your solutions and you will always find a way.

Sometimes there are things about our houses that we can’t change no matter how much we would like to. If you can’t change or remove something, hide it! By choosing a simple white fixture against a white ceiling, we were able to draw attention away from the awkward placement of the lighting in this nursery. This principle works almost anywhere, and I have also painted ugly cold air return grates in the middle of hallways the same colour as the wall and watched them fade into the background.

One of the simplest and most dramatic changes you can make in any space is changing the paint colours! White or other similarly bright colours will freshen up your room and makes it appear more modern and open.

When decorating a small bedroom, think about how to maximize space by making furniture do double duty. We were able to use two medium sized dressers that doubled as nightstands instead of two small nightstands and a large dresser, which actually ended up providing MORE storage and putting LESS furniture in the room!

When making over a small space, make a list of your must-haves and see if there is a way to combine two or more requirements into one space. By raising the bed and putting drawers underneath it instead of putting a separate dresser in for this small bedroom makeover, we saved SO much room and made this space feel wide open and happy.

Be creative in how you save inches in a small room. By changing the closet doors from outward swing to sliding and choosing a bed with a recessed base, we were able to make a small space feel much bigger!

I cannot stress enough the value of looking through the free section of Kijiji or taking a stroll through your neighborhood garage sales when you have the time. I have found so many treasures that either worked great the way came or just required a bit of love to make them perfect for my or my clients’ space. Ask yourself “what would this look like if I painted it white?” before you dismiss that dated $5.00 chandelier completely.