DIY decorating
Finding cheap ways to decorate can improve the look of a temporary home
By Breanna Scott • Freelance Reporter
Auer nncung a place,
signing the papers and
are getting ready to
move in, it seems like most of
the hard work is done — until
taking a closer look at the liv
ing arrangements and realizing
the work has just begun.
The walls are bare, and the
furniture is mismatched. It
could be time to add some col
or to the room with a little
cheap redecorating.
Many people run into the
situation of needing or want
ing to redecorate but don't
have much money to accom
plish their goal. Alisa Caesar,
an interior decorator at Drag
onfly Interior Designs, provid
ed several suggestions on how
to improve a space.
"The easiest way to make a
place brighter is to paint,
which adds color and freshens
up the space," Caesar said.
"However, sometimes paint
ing isn't always an option to
those who rent."
For those who don't have
the option of painting, Caesar
suggests the next level of im
proving the look of the furni
ture.
"A slipcover on a couch or
chair will drastically change the
look of a room," Caesar said.
"Even a blanket or sheet can be
used as a slipcover to change
the look of the furniture."
Caesar said it is possible to
add color in a variety of ways
and at almost any price.
"For example, an area rug
can drastically change the ap
pearance of a room," she said.
it tne carpet is stained or ugly
an area rug will cover that up,
and they can be purchased at a
variety of prices. A cheaper one
can still look nice and can still
accomplish the same look as a
more expensive one."
Once a color scheme is
picked, Caesar recommended
adding patterns to give a space
more variety.
"You can add patterned pil
lows or curtains to a room that
pick up the other colors in the
room," Caesar said. "Discount
stores are good places to look
for patterned things to add, al
though it might take longer to
find something you really like."
She also said window treat
ments are becoming more do
it-yourself.
"All the supplies are avail
able at various stores," she said.
"You can choose the color, the
fabric, the style of treatments
and buy a curtain rod to hang
them from. Even sheets can be
used as a curtain in a pinch."
Sophomore Michelle Rose
offered some suggestions
about decorating on a budget.
"If you can identify your dec
orating inspiration, then you
can find low-budget items that
replicate the features that you
admire," Rose said.
Sophomore Patty Miller said
Ikea — the closest store is locat
ed just south of Seattle — is a
good place to find items for
decorating an apartment.
"It's trendy style, but cheap
prices," Miller said.
Miller added that putting up
posters is a cheap and easy way
to cover bare walls.
"It's cool when people do
tilings like hang their own art
work and add color and per
sonality that way," she said.
"My aunt, for example, makes
artwork out of household ob
jects and hangs it on the walls.
It ends up looking pretty cool.
"Do things like decorate new
lampshades for old lamps you
find at thrift stores," Miller
said. "This will make them
look newer and trendier."
Miller said throw pillows
can add a lot of color to a room
and are easy to incorporate.
"You can even take an old
pillow and cover it with fabric,"
she said. "They fill up space
and accent the rest of the colors
in the room easily."
I lome decorating is becom
ing easier and more accessible
as stores focus on do-it-yourself
projects. While you may not be
able to change everything in a
new place on a small budget,
you can make drastic improve
ments. Simply adding color to
the walls, throwing down an
area mg and putting new cov
ers on couches and chairs can
make a drab place look new.
"The range of things that
people can do varies whether
they rent or own and what the
available budget is," Caesar
said. "But home decorating has
become so much more accessi
ble to the average person and
they are able to do a lot them
selves."
Breanna Scott is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.
. Local stores provide
easy, inexpensive
options for decorating
% There are many places to
buy affordable furnishings to
make a dwelling cute, comfort
able and impressive. The key is
shopping around.
Although most students
can't spend top dollar com
missioning artist Vigil Ortiz to
design a bedspread or have fa
mous designers plaster the
wall to accent a Picasso paint
ing, domestic necessities can
be affordable.
Graduate student Kristin
Hoobler said she has bought
items on discount at yard
sales including an antique
coffee table for $10 and a
kitchen table and a night
stand for $2. She said she
loves Ross Dress for Less, lo
cated in the Gateway Mall in
Springfield, andT.J. Maxx, lo
cated in the Oakway Center
off Coburg Road, where she
has found stylish dishes and
sheets. Hoobler said she has
an artistic eye and enjoys
making things work together.
"I get to be creative, and I
save a bunch of money," she
said.
Many people have found
fantastic savings at thrift stores
like Goodwill, with five area
locations; The Salvation Army
at 2065 W. Seventh Ave. in Eu
gene and 346 Main St. in
Springfield; Value Village Thrift
Store located at 555 W. Cen
tennial Blvd. in Springfield;
and St. Vincent de Paul's six lo
cal locations. However, some
of the merchandise at second
hand stores is more expensive
than at discount stores. For ex
ample, a used couch was sell
ing at Value Village for
$119.99, and stained lamp
shades were going for $4.99 at
Goodwill. At Ross, furniture
pieces range from $12.99 to
$149.99, and lampshades are
priced at $4.99 and up.
TLC's "Trading Spaces"
designer Vern Yip said in an
online posting that he likes to
shop at Target for lamps and
glass accessories and at Ba
nana Republic for sale bed
ding and towels. Area resident
Lindsey Lusk said she gets
good deals at Discount Depot,
located at 3061 W. 11th Ave.
She said the last bargain she
got there was two Ralph Lau
ren pillows for $10.
Small touches can also make
a big impact. Bright candles,
vases and fake roses add color
to rooms. Throws cover worn
desks and tables, and small pil
lows accent other decorations.
To inexpensively add spark
to a room , find a few decora
tive pieces to visually excite
and cover flaws with table
cloths, throws or paint. Other
local stores that sell acces
sories are Pier 1 Imports and
Bed Bath & Beyond, both lo
cated at Oakway Center off
Coburg Road.
— Mary Sasa
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