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Gone are the days where you spend hours dreaming about ways to create your best home by coveting beautiful Pinterest pictures. You too can have a beautiful home YOU LOVE. Creating your best space doesn't have to be a stressful, expensive process. With the following tips, I will share with you my process to creating the home you love without breaking the bank. 

The Perfect Layout

Setting the right foundation for YOUR space is the key to having a home you've always dreamed of. Don't focus on the limitations of the room but focus on how to create the best layout.

This is also when you want to pay attention to the scale of the furniture. For example, you don't want to try furnishing a large room with furniture that is small in scale. It will just make the room feel bigger while the furniture looking out of place. Taking the time to move furniture around, trying different placement ensures that you get the best layout for the room. 

Function

By taking the time to think about how you want the room to function is key to creating a home that worst best for you and your family. Don't get stuck on how the rooms were originally intended to be used. For example, if your home has a formal dining room right off the kitchen. Think about if your family would do best as using that space as a dining room, or, could it be best used as playroom? Or could you use the space as a home office? Just because the home was sold to you with a formal dining room, doesn't mean you need to use the space as such. This is where you get to customize your home and make it into a space that you use fully. 

Invest in things you LOVE

I have to admit, that I've had to learn this the hard way. Sometimes, I just get fixated on the price and try to convince myself that I could make it work only to take it home and after a couple of weeks or months realizing that I should have skipped on it. If you get anything out of this post, I hope that you take this away: wait for pieces that you truly love. Your wallet and your home will thank you for it! 

By being selective in the decor pieces that you bring into your space, you will soon create a home that reflects your love and personality.

Plan Ahead

Before you head out shopping, make sure you take some time to think about what pieces you are looking for. This is when Pinterest inspiration comes in handy.  You can get ideas of how you want your space to look and feel and adapt them to your own home and budget. By taking the time to plan ahead you can focus on purchasing pieces that you actually want and need. This also helps in avoiding that dreaded buyer's regret. The more you plan and know what pieces you want to invest in, the more money you will save by not buying pieces that don't work or that you don't truly love. 

Splurge in Pieces that You Use Most Often

If you are wondering what pieces you should invest in, my suggestion is always to spend more in the pieces you use most often. You want your pieces to wear nicely so they last you for a long time. Keep in mind, that this is all relative to your budget. For us, the sofa and beds is where we like to spend most of our budget on, while saving the bargains for the accent pieces. This helps whenever you are looking to redecorate as well because you can keep the sofa but update those cheaper accent pieces like throw pillows to create a different look.

Keep Room Measurements with You 

When shopping for key pieces in your home, one of my best tips is to make sure you keep a floor plan and measurements of the room with you. This helps you to quickly see if that special piece you have your eye on will actually work in your space. There's nothing worse than shopping for a large piece of furniture and not knowing if it will actually fit in your space. By taking the time to measure your space will help avoid major heart breaks when your chosen piece doesn't fit in the room or the scale is off. 

Create a Pinterest Board

Pinterest is a great tool to dream up that perfect space you love. This is where you get to dream and think about how you want your room to look and feel. I always like to start with Pinterest before tackling a room because even though I may have an idea of what I want to do in the space, with the help of Pinterest, I have been able to find, for example, an easy DIY alternative, or find a completely different look that I love. This helps me explore all of my options without actually spending any money or wasting time creating a room that I'm not truly happy with. 

DIY When you Can

A budget friendly way to get the look you want without hurting your wallet is by hitting up thrift stores and garage sales for big ticket items, like beds, dressers, desks, etc. Focus on the style and quality of the piece and if you think that you have the skills to make it your own, go for it! Redoing furniture in your own style with a coat of paint, can make all the difference!

The most important thing to remember is to have FUN! Enjoy the process and explore different styles and in no time you will have a home you LOVE!

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you do when decorating your space?

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