Design on a Dime
I personally think everyone under the sun can and should have a beautiful home. If you’re pinching pennies, there’s plenty you can do to create a stylish and warm home for yourself and your friends. The first step (and this is true no matter where or how you live) is to clean your home and get it organized. Doing those two things alone will improve your space.
Paint a accent wall
Painting your walls is one of the most cost-effective decorative updates you can make to your home. But if you’re on a shoestring budget, the two cans of $30 paint it may require to paint your bedroom could very well put you out. Instead, consider painting an accent wall. A quart (which covers up to 100 sq. ft.) or a 2.5 liter can (which covers up to 260 sq. ft.) is likely all you’ll need to cover a single wall, which can make just as much of an impact.
Declutter!
Before you start worrying about what you can and cannot afford to buy, consider what you should get rid of. Dated, worn, or damaged items could be doing the look of your home a disservice, and if they’re non-essential, removing them can give your home a clean slate. One of the worst offenders common in rental apartments is a closet in a unpredictable place. Take the door off and add a bit of color with a pretty drap. Easy to look at and a place to store your stuff.
Do it yourself
Making your own furniture and décor can earn you a great savings. In a studio place sometime your bed has to double up as a sofa. If this is the case you can create a backboard/headboard out of wood carving or take plywood and cover it and run it along the two corners of the wall where the bed sits. There actually are a remarkable number of sophisticated projects out there to take on, though; you just have to hunt for them—or read a curate site.
Shop your house for repurposed items
The cheapest way to decorate is to repurpose what you already own. Take a walk around your house and think about how you might be able to repurpose objects and accessories. Get inspired to arrange trays, bowls, and other accents in your home in new ways.
The A.R.T. of Domesticity 
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