Accessory Ideas for Less Than $100

Having a beautiful home isn’t just about matching colors and patterns and great furnishings. In fact, a well designed room isn’t going to mean much to you if it doesn’t feel like it’s a good representation of you.

Part of the joy of home ownership is the ability to personalize your space, making it a reflection of who you are and what is important to you. Accessories will help you personalize and pull together your rooms for a look that is uniquely you.

Here are a few suggestions that can go a long way to adding style and personality to your rooms — without breaking the bank!

• Paint, paint, paint! Yeah, paint isn’t technically an accessory, but nothing can transform a room as quickly as a great coat of paint. And it doesn’t have to be cherry red to be effective. If you want to stick with neutrals, at least try a warm beige or brown, or even some cool greys if that’s more your style. Seriously, it’s one of the cheapest and most effective ways to add some personality to any room.

• Lamps. Liven up your space with light! An evenly lit room is boring — variations in brightness, highlight, and shadow make a room more interesting and livable. And lamps are a great way to show off your personality, too. Today’s styles can be elegant, retro, fun or funky… just like you!

• Wall artwork. Displaying your favorite photos, painting or prints on the wall will dress up any room. Since so many of us have digital cameras now, it’s easy to forget to make prints of some of your favorites, but it only costs a few cents per print! For under $10, you can enlarge some of your favorites and make a great focal point on a wall with a collection of framed photos in various sizes.

• Pillows. Accent pillows allow you to change up your décor seasonally and keep your room looking fresh and new throughout the year by bringing fun colors, patterns, shapes, and textures to your room. Depending on the amount of detail or hand-stitching, accent pillows can range from $15 to $99.

• Mirrors. Mirrors liven up a space by bouncing more light around the room. Whether you buy one large mirror to hang above a fireplace or piece of furniture, or a few small ones in a pattern on the wall, mirrors add interest and depth to any room.

• Freshen it up with fruit! Furniture stores often dress up their showrooms simply with bowls of green apples or wide glass vases filled with bright yellow lemons. It’s an inexpensive way to display some natural color, and it adds an air of freshness to any room.

• Little details with big impact. Transform your kitchen and bathroom cabinets and dresser drawers with new knobs. Decorative knobs range from simple versions that cost as little as $.50 to more unique ones that cost around $3 each. Also, look for interesting finials to touch up your lamps or curtain rods.

The best tip I can give is to have fun with your decorating. It’s your home, and no one has to love your choices but you. Sprucing up your home doesn’t have to be pricey, but with some well-chosen accessories and a little creativity, it’s possible to make your home look like a million bucks! Let us know with a comment if these are helpful suggestions for making your home more personal, and share with us any ideas you have!