I've recently been trying to make my apartment a bit more attractive. However, I only have a small amount of money to spare, and cannot change any of the furniture (since I moved in after my roommates, the place was already furnished with their belongings...)

Thus far, here are some of the solutions I've come up with. I'd love to hear everyone's budget decorating ideas...



Since the apartment is a Victorian tenement, the types of solutions I could see is original tenants coming up with seem quite appropriate. As such, I keep old wine bottles with beautiful labels, and I pick wildflowers in a nearby vacant lot, and fill the bottles with lovely fresh bouquets several times per week. It's currently lilac season, so the whole apartment looks (and smells!) wonderful.

Small terracotta pots and herb seeds are both very cheap. That being said, small potted herbs can do wonders for making an otherwise cluttered and utilitarian kitchen have some sense of class and homeyness. Not to mention, there is nothing better than walking to your window and picking a handful of fresh basil sprinkle into your food.

Because the apartment is rather small, we have many rather unsightly cardboard boxes of items, as well as an air conditioner that we have no place for during the cooler months, just lying about. After being fed up with them, I took some fabric from my scrap bin and tossed it over these items. After arranging a few plants., lace shawls, and accent items on top of them, these items look more like tables than anything.

Everything looks better in soft lighting. Even my boyfriends terribly ugly bedroom looks half-decent when it's lit by a shaded lamp or candles. Candles are inexpensive, and many beautiful candle holders can be found at thrift shops for only a few dollars each. If you really want to create sunning ambiance, sweet-smelling flowers or incense, and soft music can make a place feel especially wonderful (great for guests, or even a quiet evening alone!)

If you have an ugly living room set that you can't replace, accent pillows can make a -huge- difference. After I tossed a few accent pillows I had made onto our horrid 70's-esq living room chairs, it made the room look twenty times better.

Don't hide pretty things in your cabinets. Having a lack of accent items, and a lack of money to buy any, I took my roommates fine china tea set out of its storage box and set it on some open shelves. I placed my own small stoneware tea set a few shelves down, and it's been quite a lovely setup.

With my place it looked too empty after my roommates left. I found after putting up three posters and taking some of the decorations I had in my room and putting them out in the living space made things look better. I try to find little accent pieces that are on sale or at thrift shops. I find the smallest changes make big differences.

I love to have spaces in my place filled, so I accumulated many posters & also put up my canvases of art pieces I've done. I've also received framed art works from friends & my bf so those are also on display. For a fun Victorian-esque idea, I've seen metal wall sconces/candle holders in various places that are cheap-thrift stores, antique stores, etc. Maybe peruse an antique shop & find cool vintage photos/post cards & maybe make framed collages? If you're feeling really ambitious, you could make shelves out of old books, which can be found extremely cheap at thrift stores/garage sales. That would be a cool personalized accent. Or take old cds and hang them shiney-side-up on the wall for a mirror effect. When I get my own place again I want to try the book shelf & cd idea. Hope your decorating goes well!