Guest Blog: High End Style on a Budget

Note: We’re delighted to have award-winning interior designer and blogger Patricia Davis Brown as our guest author on the blog today. Check out her fantastic work at DigThisDesign.net. – Taylor Royle

High End Style on a Budget
by Patricia Davis Brown

Living on a budget, like so many of us are doing these days, usually means we have let go of our decorating dreams. But, some of the hottest trends in design right now are all about rustic, restored and vintage looks that are cheap! This means you can get a high end look on a low end budget.

Here are some of the stylish trends we’ve picked up on Pinterest that you can emulate in your design – without breaking the bank:

Eclectic Collections

Start a collection of vintage items – like the serving trays featured below – and turn them into an evolving art piece on your wall as you add more and more. Each time you pass a garage sale or head to your local flea market, grab a new item for a few cents.

See Vintage Silver Platters wall decor

Or, save up items like magazines as shown below and create the base for a new table or desk. Ask your friends for their old magazines and start piling up the catalogs in your mailbox and before you know it, you’ll have what you need to create a one-of-a-kind piece for your home.

See Magazines as a Table Base

Thrift Store Treasures

Do you have an eye for potential beauty? Then, head to the thrift store and use that talented eye to spot furniture that has the shape and function you’re looking for – but just not the color or finish. Take it home and re-paint it, stain it a new color or apply a finish like you see in spray painted (yeah… really… spray painted!) dresser below.

See Chest of Drawers with Metallic Spray Paint

Upcyclying Trash

Before you throw out a broken item, think about how the “bones” that are left can be repurposed. The chair-turned-bath-rack below is a great example. Chopping off the broken legs, giving it a fresh coat of paint and hanging it upside down above the comode added style and extra storage to this bathroom.

See Chair Back Bathroom Rack

Get Creative

My favorite part of this upcycling trend is that it really allows each person to let their own creativity shine. What one person sees as a bunch of useless old bowling balls, someone else may see as a whimsical garden feature. So, let that creativity fly!

See Bowling Ball Garden Art

Good Luck

Don’t let your budget stifle your design. You can bring beauty, function and style into your home with a little elbow grease and a bit of creativity!

— Patricia Davis Brown, National Award Winning Interior Designer
Design Blog: http://DigThisDesign.net