$100 Room Challenge, Week 2: How to Save Money on Home Decor by Shopping Your Own Home

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Hey, guys! Last week, I shared my plans for giving the kids’ bathroom a refresh as part of my participation in the $100 Room Challenge. If you missed that post, or you’re wondering what the heck a $100 Room Challenge is, you can learn more right here.

And here’s a quick look at the inspiration board I created for the project:

Now that I am solidifying all my plans, I’m thrilled to be back to give you an update as to how the project is progressing.

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This past weekend, I purchased two key items for the bathroom refresh: this adorable shower curtain and the coordinating toothbrush holder from the Pillowfort line at Target. Even though I am sticking with a similar color palette to what’s already in the bathroom, I think that swapping out the shower curtain for something with a white base will make a huge difference and will (hopefully) make this small bathroom feel a little bit bigger.

Thankfully, those items only cost me a total of $22.98, so I still have nearly $80 left to put toward other items for the room refresh. The faux flower shown above isn’t new….but doesn’t it look cute with the shower curtain and toothbrush holder?! I snagged it from my daughter’s bookcase as I was snapping this pic.

I’m also hoping to pick up two of these baskets from The Container Store to corral all our bathtime essentials. We currently have all our shampoos, body washes, and other odds and ends in a basket that sits on the back of our toilet. The setup is far from ideal, as I have to twist around slightly every time I need a handful of soap. And honestly, I am shocked that to date, nothing has fallen into the toilet. I’m just waiting for a rubber duck to land in, um, a porcelain pond…..

I have two DIY projects up my sleeve for the bathroom refresh:

• I’m not changing the wall color in our bathroom, BUT I’m going to try my hand (literally!) at painting abstract, watercolor-esque strips on the wall, similar to what Monica at East Coast Creative did with this laundry room/entry nook project (I’ve shared a glimpse of it below). Frankly, I’m a little nervous, because I feel like this project could easily go from abstract and cool to “Were you drunk when you were trying to repaint this space?” status. I’m crossing my fingers that all will turn out great, but I’ll keep you posted! So please send good vibes. And maybe some wine for after I’ve completed my painting….{Source}
• The bulky, boring mirrors above the sinks are getting the boot, and I’ll be creating my own driftwood-framed mirror to hang instead that hopefully will look similar to this one (see below!). My friend Ashley from Bigger Than The Three of Us (she’s also participating in this month’s $100 Room Challenge) suggested looking at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore location for a builder-basic mirror, which I thought was a great suggestion. I did take a peek on Facebook Marketplace as well, but couldn’t find what I needed. However, I totally lucked out after I posted in my neighborhood Facebook group, as three different neighbors promptly offered me their large builder-basic mirrors for FREE. Amazing! So I scored the mirror for my project for a whopping $0. Now I need to go find some faux driftwood.

Okay, so I’ve got a new shower curtain and a toothbrush holder, plus plans for a (sort of) new paint job and a DIY mirror.

But what about everything else?

This is where shopping in my own home is SUCH a lifesaver.

I move decorative accents around my house a LOT over here — as you could have probably guessed, especially if you follow me on Instagram — but we all know that home decor can get expensive, and fast. While it may appear that I can run out to HomeGoods anytime I want and load up my cart, the reality is that, just like you, I don’t have endless loads of cash to constantly run out and buy new things.

Whenever I am refreshing a room in my home or just looking to switch up my decor as the seasons change, my first stop is to literally walk around my house and see what can be moved, what can be used better elsewhere, or what things I’m not currently using that should be pulled out of the back of the guest room closet. This is a great way to achieve the feel of a new “look” in a space without having to spend tons of money to make that change.

Here are some of the items I gathered up for the bathroom refresh. The faux plants are all from Target and used to live in our master bedroom, the decorative rope accent was a random purchase from At Home a few months ago, and the glass jar with shells is something that’s been in my daughter’s room since last summer’s family vacation.

Now, I often hear people say that they struggle with this because they like such a wide range of styles. And I can totally understand how this presents a challenge:

“I don’t know how to define my style. I like a lot of different looks, but then I often end up buying things that don’t really go together and can’t be easily moved from room to room. So how do I go about creating this home decor ‘shop’ in my own house?”

I used to struggle with this SO much, you guys. You should have seen the first home we ever owned. The living room was colorful and contemporary, the master bedroom was blue and beachy….. The place was a disaster and totally disjointed. Plus, it was a condo, and mismatched decor becomes painfully obvious when your total living space is 750 square feet.

But then I learned.

Today I’m sharing with you three tips for creating your own home decor ‘capsule wardrobe,’ if you will.

• Figure out your style. Let me be clear here: You don’t need to name your style, or place yourself in the “farmhouse” or “contemporary” category. Besides, the reality is that I’ve never met a single person who adheres to just one style. Rather, you just need to know what appeals to you. Look in your closet. What colors do you gravitate toward? Do you love bohemian patterns or are you more of a classic, tailored lines kind of gal? Check out your Pinterest boards. What colors and styles do you pin the most?I also highly recommend reading Emily Henderson’s “Styled” if you haven’t already. I know, I know — you’re thinking that I am pushing you to read some book for people who love design, but it’s actually not that kind of a book at all. It’s all about figuring out what makes YOU happy when it comes to your home, along with some super easy tips to make your abode a place that you absolutely love.
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• Choose a core color palette, and stick with it. What colors do you use in most rooms in your home? Do you love blues and greens? Gray, black and white? Look around your home and figure out what colors you gravitate toward, and then keep those colors in mind when you’re out shopping. When you’re trying to decide whether to splurge on that gorgeous vase, ask yourself, “Does this fit into my core color palette?” Sure, there are times you can make an exception to this rule, but I do find that stopping and checking yourself before you buy certain items often keeps you from later having buyer’s remorse.
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• When in doubt, go with neutrals and natural textures. If you’re not yet ready to commit to a core color palette, or you’re thinking of maybe switching your color palette in the coming months when you redecorate, then go for neutral colors and natural textures. Accessories like a faux plant in a simple white planter go with any style of decor, and a seagrass basket can easily be used in any room in your home.

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There you go! I promise that if you follow these tips, you’ll have a more cohesive home and a collection of decor that you love. AND you’ll save money (bonus!).

Check back next week for another progress update on my bathroom makeover. As a reminder, here’s what I will be sharing each week:

Week 1 (7/7): The plans for our bright and beachy kids’ shared bathroom makeover (you can read that post right here)

Week 2 (7/12): A look at the items I’ve purchased, plus how I’m shopping my home for this project (that’s this post!)

Week 3 (7/19): A DIY tutorial for one of the projects I have planned for the bathroom

Week 4 (7/26): The reveal of the refreshed bathroom

As always, be sure to check out the other bloggers (links below) who are participating in this month’s challenge! So much great inspiration here.

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