Decorating Smarts: Using What You Have

Do you think you need to wait until you have a decent budget to start in on a room? If you look around your house, in the garage and perhaps in the basement, making use of what is already on hand you might just be surprised with the progress that can be made by using what you have. Case in point: Lakeitha's "new" living room!

As Lakeitha wrote: "Last night while I was painting the last cabinet in my kitchen, I got the urge to pull together my living room on the fly using what I have."

"For the past year, my living room had been bare. Ok, who am I kidding, it has been my catch all room when I’m working on projects! So last night when I saw one of the boys riding the back of my sofa like a horse, I decided right then that I had to make better use out of my living room and I started by moving the sofa in there. After pulling pieces from different rooms and from my garage, I ended up with this:"

"I still have A LOT to do to say that this room is “finished”. I need to add some pictures and art to the walls. I need more pillows and I know exactly which ones I want! With the holidays knocking at the door, I had to do something fast. Next is the dining room and then I’m going to finish the kitchen which is really really close to being done. Using what you have is a great way to decorate when you’re in a hurry and on a limited budget (and believe me, my budget is teeny weeny!)…. So, what do you think?"

I think you rocked it! When I saw the first "after" picture, for a moment I thought it was an inspiration image. Great job, enjoy!