If you all didn't see my last post, then you don't know that I've moved! It's been a fun and crazy journey, and I am ready to make this house into a home. I reached out to a few fellow bloggers to help me begin figuring out how to design and decorate, and so many had such wonderful ideas.

I am happy to introduce to you Danielle! She blogs over at Enjoy This Beautiful Season and is here today to take over for me as I try and get settled into my new apartment. Danielle has some amazing tips for decorating on a budget that I am definitely going to use. Take it away, Danielle--

I am a huge fan of creating beautiful spaces that truly exemplify your personality. For me, I am a Jersey girl born and raised, living about an hour from the shore, so my style is light, bright, airy, and a bit beachy. I love the calm that flows along with ocean waves, with a scent of fresh baked treats in the distance. So that is the full embodiment of my home.

Although I am completely in love with owning my home, I absolutely remember what apartment living was like and the desire to nest in this space that was ‘mine’, but I didn’t actually own. I honestly believe you can make your apartment (house, condo, etc) a home whether you are there for a short season or the long haul by putting an extra bit of love and design into your space.

I also really love staying on a simple budget (I mean as best as possible). My husband and I are not made out of money, and although I can seriously fall in love with some high end furniture pieces and Pin away some gorgeous decor, I am constantly looking for a bargain that fits my budget. Sometimes that means going out of my way to do a bit of extra work on a furniture find or becoming creative with where I discover my decorating items.

So here are some great tips and tricks that have helped me create and beautify my living space on a budget.

Bargain shop your furniture.

Now when I say this, I’m not really talking about the obvious Target or Home Goods purchases (although you can find some lovely pieces there). However, I’ve found over the years that the quality is not always the best and ends up not lasting nearly as long as I would like. I’m talking real furniture here people. And some of the absolute best places to buy these treasures are at antique/vintage shops, The Restore Store, yard sales, and even the Goodwill (yes, you would be surprised at the diamonds in the rough you can obtain in this place). Which leads me to my next point.

Watch a few furniture refinishing posts on YouTube (or your favorite blog).

These have seriously been so super helpful to me in decorating my home. My husband and I have found some neat little treasures in some of the above mentioned stores, that we have rehabbed into a new life and now currently chic up our living spaces. With a great tutorial and a bit of help from some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, you could literally be unstoppable.

Salsa Jars and Wine Bottles.

Now I know this may seem silly to say at first, but you can seriously repurpose these food favorites into gorgeous decor pieces for your home. My absolute favorite is the salsa jar. Now I am a huge advocate of Mexican food for dinner (like every night), so I consistently have an abundance of used up salsa jars ready to head to the recycle bin. Instead of recycle, I up-cycle them into a fabulous new pop of color for my home. All you have to do is peel the label, wash the jar out extra well, and you have an instant flower jar with adorable personality.

Fresh Flowers.

I know this may seem like a duh kind of statement, but I can’t even begin to tell you what a gorgeous bunch of fresh flowers can do to liven and brighten up a space. Every other week I head over to Trader Joe’s and pick up about three different arrangements and then create multiple vases around my house, mixing and matching the flowers. (Two of these always go into my salsa jars). Trader Joe’s has amazing prices on flower arrangements (usually in the $2.99-$5.99 range) and their flower food keeps my arrangements alive for almost two full weeks.

Don’t over clutter.

I know this can tend to be a struggle in an apartment especially, since there is limited space, but do your very best to minimalize. You don’t want to feel like stuff is caving in on you every time you relax in your living room. If you have one wall full of photos, then maybe keep the next wall open, or place just one simple statement piece like a mirror. Less is truly more.

Curtain accents make all the difference.

Most apartments, even though they don’t really appreciate you putting holes in the walls, will allow you to as long as you fix it up when you leave. So curtains are a fantastic accent that will bring a whole lot of personality to a space. And there is definitely a difference in a room when there are blinds alone and no curtains. Curtains enhance the design of the room and can bring life to a colorless wall. We purchased all of our curtains from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for somewhere in the $24.99 a panel range (which honestly is a steal compared to high end curtains ranging in the hundreds of dollars arena).

Pick a few complimentary colors and build your rooms off of those.

My personality color is light blue. It’s what I am always attracted to and find attractive in a space. So I’ve used that to pick my color palette for my home. The complimentary colors that are the accompaniment for this palette include sandy tan, muted bluish green, cream, and light gray. With this color wheel, I move from room to room choosing furniture pieces, accents (such as rugs and curtains), and wall colors that flow together with these complimentary colors. Your home will have a more cohesive feel by sticking to one particular palette versus throwing a thousand different colors around everywhere. It brings beautiful symmetry to the space.

Find simple ways to let your personality shine.

I am a big fan of photography and art. Family photos are my favorite because it reminds me of the beautiful love that surrounds my husband and I in our daily journey. Since we love our family and photography so much, a piece of our decor are antique framed wedding photos for each parent, grandparent, and aunt and uncle in our lives. Some of our pictures are beautiful black and whites from over 60 years ago. Not only does this support our personality of loving our family but it adds beauty and style to our historical charm home.

However you may be designing your home, look for ways to showcase who you are and what is important to you. Hopefully these tips will help you to create that perfectly cozy space that brings beauty and calm to your everyday life. And remember, the most important part of designing your place is to have fun along the journey. For more tips and tricks, head on over to my blog Enjoy this Beautiful Season and check out my July series, ‘Creating a Beautiful Home You Love’ for some more inspiration.

What decor hacks do you have that have helped beautify your space?

xoxo, Danielle

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a lifestyle blogger with a natural excitement for discovering joy in every situation. I'm thrilled to share life with my amazing hubby and adorable pug. I posts about home design, marriage and relationship advice and encouragement, a little travel, as well as some everyday helpful hacks.

What is your favorite part about your home?
My favorite part of my home is the feeling of peace and serenity as soon as you walk in.

What are some of your goals for this year?
By the end of the year I would love to be able to expand my blog and offer awesome ways to help you make your home beautiful as well. I share my adventures over at Enjoy this Beautiful Season and would love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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