Budget Friendly Decor

A girly bed

Grey linen headboard, with nail head border; classic, timeless

A nice comfy, place to read before sleep

Starting out fresh, as I did, with little furniture, a very short time to furnish it in and a small, no make that tiny budget, took some finessing, but it was also fun. I was able to pick the style I like (girly, light and airy), without having to compromise for someone else’s tastes. Not that I have anything against compromising when two people are working together, but it’s been a long time since I was able to pick furniture and decor that didn’t have to have a dark, heavy, masculine influence and I enjoyed every minute of it!

My budget being what it was, small, I was afraid that I would end up with a hodgepodge of mismatched, college-aged decor like a futon or just a mattress, without a frame or a headboard. At my age, no way was I letting that happen! Thanks to, the kindness of friends for some stylish furniture pieces and places like Homegoods, Marshall’s, TJ-Max and believe it or not Walmart, I was able to create a warm, inviting space within my budget. Before you ask none of these stores are paying me for this, I’m just a fan.

I got a lot of style inspiration from Homegoods and of course, Pinterest. The bedding all came in one of those bed-in-a-bag things, including the throw pillows, which was amazingly affordable at Homegoods and the colors are a soothing, feminine blue and grayish brown that fits right in with the apartment’s abundance of natural sunlight. The lamp and table, I either had or got at Marshall’s or TJ’s. I was able to find this gem of a headboard at Walmart.com for a fraction of the prices I have seen at any other store ($99 on sale). Its linen, in a rich gray with a nail head border (I love nail heads), that screams a timeless elegance that I had thought would be forever out of my reach.

Let me just say, it was very difficult to find a mattress, that was within my budget that didn’t break your tailbone when sitting on it (ouch), but I found one. Since most inner spring mattresses in my price range are usually ultra firm and painful, I opted for a memory foam one that’s actually quite comfy. Again, a Walmart.com find and since they also had a platform style bed frame that did not require a box spring, I was able to get both pieces, mattress and frame, for under $250 not including shipping. I was a bit worried that a mattress on a platform style frame would be very low to the ground, but its not at all. The mattress is still great, several months later; no aches or pains upon waking and believe me I sleep a lot on my days off 🙂

The only minor drawback, and its very minor, is a slight plastic or chemical odor, this could be the anti-microbial agents that they add to it, despite having aired it out for the recommended time when I got it. I only notice this when I’m changing the sheets, though and it has not caused any skin reactions (and believe me, I have super sensitive skin). The easiest solution would be to cover it with a mattress pad, which I probably will do.

I am slowly but surely filling up the apartment as we go, still need some basics like shelves for the pantry in the kitchen (seriously, why weren’t they built in?!?) and a home office space for me. Someday soon, armed with a wrench that I have yet to buy or borrow, I will actually attach my head board to the bed frame, although it seems to work well enough the way it is. My next project will be some sort of DIY artwork for above the bed that ties in or contrasts nicely, with my color scheme. I’ll post pics and any step-by-step instructions soon.

I enjoy winding down my evening, de-stressing with a good book and a cup of fragrant herbal tea to help see me off to sweet dreamland. Tonight its honey vanilla chamomile and The Water Room by Christopher Fowler. Sweet dreams.

~Renee

“Tea is the magic key to the vault where my brain is kept.”–Frances Hardinge