mama marchand's nest: guest post: monique on budget friendly decorating.

Hello there! I'm Monique from The Lemonade Diaries! I'm a wife, momma, student, aspiring writer, design junkie, avid reader, aspiring seamstress, craftaholic, lover of all things vintage, and wanna be French girl.

I am so HONORED to be sharing here on Mama Marchand's Nest! This lovely blog is one of my every day must reads!

my first apartment--that's my front door

Ever since I was little girl, I have always been obsessed with interior design.

When I would play with my barbies, I would spend most of my time setting up her home. I always wanted everything to be picture perfect, and most of all comfortable. If Barbie did not look comfortable while sitting on her couch reading, then I would rearrange the furniture until she did {I know, I was a bit of a strange kid}.

As I got older, my obsession with design only got worse. Growing up, I shared a room with my little sister and thus was very limited as to how I was allowed to design and decorate my room. And so when I moved out and got my first apartment, I finally felt free to do with it what I pleased.

First thing on my agenda: make my sparsely furnished apartment feel like home. My only problem was money. I did not have very much of it. So, I took what I learned in design school and with a little bit of sweat, I made my home my own.

A couple months ago, my family and I moved into our first house (rented), but still it's a house. Before this, we had always lived in apartments or condos and so moving to house was a very big deal for us, especially me--a whole house of my very own to make my own.

Many people think that just because you rent means you are very limited to what you can do to your home, but this is not so. I believe that any place--whether apartment or house-- can be made to reflect who you are...it can be home.

A few budget friendly tips to make your home your own:

1. Paint

Just painting a room can make it feel more warm and inviting--it can make it feel like home. A lot of people think that just because you rent means you cannot paint--so not true! In every place I've lived I have always had the option to paint. I am not saying every landlord gave me a "high 5" to go ahead and paint; with some it took some convincing, but in the end I won them over. If your landlord is hesitant to allow you to paint, here are a few ways to convince them:

* paint adds value to a home, even a rental (just stay away from neon colors)

*stick to neutral friendly colors, such as grays, blues, and creams.

*remind them that it will be no cost to them (most landlords like this) you will pay for the paint and do the work yourself.

*and if all else fails, you can suggest to paint it back when you move. However, this can be a lot of work, so keep that in mind.

2. Bookshelves

Many underestimate the value and use of a good bookshelf, especially if you are lacking display space.

dining room of our first condo

These are just standard bookshelves I bought at Target. Believe it or not, I still have them 5 years and 3 moves later--they are still holding up. I bought a simple $10 wine glass rack and low and behold I now have a place to store/display my plates and wine glasses (see bookshelf on the right). I added the simple shelf in the middle (a $10 piece of wood from Home Depot, painted to match the bookshelves) to add a cohesive feel, as well as a way to add more display space.

3. Vignettes

Vignettes are a great ways to personalize your home--they are little snapshots of you throughout your home. A well designed vignette can add warmth and vitality to a space.

reading nook in master bedroom of our first condo

entry way of our second condo

4. Pictures

Pictures are my favorite way of making my home my own. I have pictures every where throughout our entire home. Why? Because without them, our home would not be home. Also, what is the point of taking tons of pictures if you just share them with others?

I hope these tips help you in making your home your own. For more tips and tricks for styling your home on budget make sure to check out my blog. I hope to see you around my corner of the blogiverse!