So, You've Got Taste But No Money

I'm in the same boat. A lot of people have boarded the S.S. Minusmoola since the recession hit. It doesn't mean you have to live in a state of abject poverty just because you lack the funds to buy the amenities you once enjoyed. It just means you have to get a little more creative.
I got the idea for this blog because people kept remarking on my ability to do so much with so little. I'm frugal but I like to dress well and have a home that's tasteful and well-decorated.
I'm a journalist by occupation but I'm a closet interior decorator, art collector, antiques lover, crafter, fashionista and gardener in my spare time.
I love perusing home-decorating magazines and my favorite television channels are HGTV and DYI.
But, come on, folks. How many people can really afford to spend $9,000 for the home wine cellar recently featured on the DYI network? And how many of us have an army of helpers ready to help us install our new bathroom like they do on the Home and Garden channel?
I recently repainted my entire living room, cathedral ceilings and all. And my poor, overworked husband didn't have time to help me move a stick of furniture.
I managed to paint the entire room with just one gallon of parchment-colored paint from the "oops" shelf at Wal-Mart purchased for a whopping $6.99. How? I turned it into a wash by watering it down, doubling the amount of paint and giving the walls an Old-World, weathered look that went perfectly with my slip-covered antique furniture, Chinese silk curtains I made myself from remnants and mounted to bamboo poles and 19th-century majolica pottery.
Most of the 19th-century majolica, by the way, was purchased at antique shops, yard sales and estate sales long before majolica became the popular collectible it is today. I started collecting it because I loved the turquoise, pink and green hues, and various animals and plant designs. I had no idea that the pieces I was paying $20 for would soon be worth $220.
In future blogs, I'll provide tips on how to identify antiques and collectibles at thrift stores, tag sales and garage sales.
I'll also show you how you can turn mundane bathroom and kitchen cabinets into fabulous showpieces without refacing or replacing; how to update a ho-hum chandelier; how to make a boring concrete patio look faux fabulous; how to antique walls, how to give your appliances a whole new look; how to update your outdated tile; and lots of other ideas for very little money.
Welcome aboard.