Shoestring DecoratingSense of adventure

Shoestring DecoratingSense of adventure, planning are keys to a great lookIf a new sofa isn't in the budget, transform your old couch with a luxurious slipcover. (Photo Courtesy of Sure Fit Inc.)Good taste is expensive, right? Whether you're a first-time apartment-renter fresh out of college, newly single, a single parent on a budget or you're simply not Rockefeller, trying to make your home resemble the pages of House Beautiful can be a sobering experience. Window-shopping often is discouraging, as you realize that walking into a showroom and saying "I'll take that" is an impossible dream. Being on a budget doesn't mean that you have to resort to orange crates, cinder blocks and plastic dorm-room cubes, however. Indeed, there are bargains to be found, and here's where the fun begins. All it takes is a sense of adventure – and a little advance planning.First, take a look at your living space, whether it's a cookie-cutter apartment, condominium or a single-family home. What is your favorite part of your home? (Saying that you don't have a favorite part is not an answer.) Is it a large window that lets in the morning light? A window seat? A garden window? Some built-in shelves? You'll want to capitalize on this and make it the focal point of that room.
If it's the shelves, for example, you'll want to be on the look-out for some interesting objects d'art. And they don't have to cost you an arm and a leg, either. By the same token, if you've been hanging on to something that you don't like simply because you felt you didn't have any other options due to budgetary constraints, get rid of it if you can. If you can't, can you hide it? Enhance it? How about selling it and using the money toward what you really want?Create a dream book Next, head to your library or book store. If your library has a used magazine sale (many libraries take magazine donations and then sell them for $.10 or $.25, for example), buy yourself a stack of decorating publications. Peruse them, and clip pictures of rooms and design elements that you like. Do you see some paint in a magazine photograph that you like? Clip that, too. Compile everything in one place, whether it's a photo album or photo box, and write the name of each room on the appropriate clippings. When you're on the hunt for items for a particular room in your home, bring the clippings with you.Before you begin purchasing anything, think about your intended purpose for each room in your home. Do you want your home to be a soothing contrast to your stressful job? Muted colors and neutrals will be your best bet. Or do you want to feel energized by your surroundings? Then you might want to consider brighter and bolder colors. Do your tastes lean toward the casual side or the more formal side? That might depend on the surroundings in which you work (for example, if you work in a rigid, ultra-corporate environment, you might wish to keep your home surroundings deliberately more casual), your personality, whether or not you have children and whether or not you entertain frequently.For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you with Apartments in Middlesex County NJ. Raritan Crossing has apartments near metropark, apartments near Rutgers and apartments near Robert Wood Johnson.