19 easy and cheap home decorating ideas for Indian households

Asha Bogenfuerst Asha Bogenfuerst
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Decorating the home does not necessarily have to be expensive. There are many creative ideas which are quite simple yet quite effective in beautifying a home. In this article, we will take you each of these ideas step by step with gorgeous pictures from local Indian interior architects to illustrate the ideas. There's an idea for every budget and taste here so we hope that you will be inspired to try it out at home. The ideas range from rearranging the furniture to creating a focal point and buying new curtains. So some of the ideas don't even require you to spend any money at all, but instead just require some creativity and effort. The main objective of decorating is often to create a new and fresh look, and a fresh look often doesn't require a lot of money to be spent as you will see from this article. Continue reading to find out more…

1. Rearrange the furniture

Yes that's right, sometimes there's no need to spend money at all to give your home a new look and feel. It may require a bit of effort and help to move heavy furniture around, but it's definitely worth the trouble. The living room is a great place to try this idea as the sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, side tables and cabinets can be moved around relatively easily compared to big beds or built-in kitchen furniture which can't be moved around. Decorating the home is often about achieving a fresh look and rearranging furniture is one of the most budget friendly ways to do it. A fresh look can make a home feel brand new. 

2. Create a focal point

Creating a focal point in a room can help to make decorating cheaper. This is because the focal wall or focal area will take away the attention from other areas of the room. For example, in a living room, the main focus is often the television and many modern homes often make the TV wall the focal wall for this reason. Pictured here, we see a simple demonstration of the idea above. The TV focal wall here has a wooden theme and glass shelves decorated with framed family photos. 

3. Change the upholstery

The same old living room furniture can get boring after a while, but you don't necessarily have to buy a new sofa set to achieve a new look. Changing the upholstery or the covers is a more budget-friendly way of getting a new sofa set. It's also more environmentally-friendly to change the upholstery rather than buying new furniture when there's nothing wrong with it and over-consuming uneccesarily. 

4. Create a green wall

Proper green wall installations can be expensive, but there's a much more affordable DIY version of the same concept. Attaching a few potted plants to the wall with some slabs of wood to give it definition is actually quite an inexpensive way to create a green wall. Add some lights to highlight it even more, and one focal wall is covered. For more information, have a look at our article titled bring the green inside—placing a green wall in your home.

5. New curtains

New curtains can be made to dress up your windows for a relatively cheap price, especially in India. The cheapest way to do it is to pick out a colour and pattern of fabric that is well suited to the rest of the room and then have it tailored to fit the windows. Here are 5 tips for buying curtains.

6. Switch the carpets around

Carpets are not only decorative, but also a great way to make a room more cosy. Using different types of carpets in a room can create an interesting effect too. If there are already several carpets at home, you can just switch the carpets around—meaning take the carpet from the bedrooms and place it in the living room, and take the carpets from the living room and place it in the bedrooms. Here is how to lay out a carpet step by step

7. Paint the furniture

Adding colour to a room is a great way of decorating it. However painting a whole room can be expensive and time consuming. An clever alternative solution is to paint the furniture instead. The picture here demonstrates how a cheery yellow cupboard can make a world of difference in a plain white bedroom. For more information, here's how to paint wooden furniture.

8. Add a few ottomans

Ottomans are a great addition to any room as they are not only functional but decorative as well. There are a myriad of designs to choose from too. To make things more interesting, get a few different types of ottomans. 

9. Decorate the corridors

The corridors and hallways of a home are often neglected when it comes to decoration. Framed family photos on the wall is a nice way of creating a welcoming, homely atmosphere as soon as you step into the house.This can be very comforting, especially if you often come home to an empty house. 

10. Coloured lights

A sure fire way of creating a new atmosphere and mood in any room is to install coloured lights. Pictured here, we see a funky little living room with a purple glow. This coloured lights even can change the colour of the sofa and curtains so that the room can look quite different during the day time compared to the night time. 

11. Change the cushion covers

Something as simple as changing the cushion covers can create a new look for the living room. Choose cushion covers of different types of patterns and colours to create a more visually interesting room. 

12. Lighting

The importance of lighting in creating different moods in a room is astounding. As mentioned earlier, lighting can create a whole new effect for a room. Use a variety of different types of lighting such as spot lights, wall lights and table lamps to decorate the room. Spotlights are also great for highlighting artwork on the walls. It's an excellent way of changing perspectives and seeing things in a brand new light. 

13. Wallpaper

Wallpaper can be a wallflower or it could be the most outstanding decorative element in the room, depending on how it's used. Wallpaper doesn't necessarily need to be a series of monotonous patterns, it could also be like a huge image that seems to pop out of the wall like the one pictured here. 

14. Decorate the headboard and ceiling

One way to get extra attention is to decorate unusual spots such as the ceiling and the headboard with as much creativity as possible. Fake ceilings are great, but they can be expensive to install so instead you can hang something from the ceiling or attach something to it. 

15. Framed mirrors

Framed mirrors are often not too expensive and they look great anywhere, especially when highlighted with proper lighting. Mirrors also can be used to reflect decorative elements such as a beautiful vase of flowers on the opposite side of the room. 

16. Paint the pots

Placing a few potted plants near the entrance of the house is a great way to decorate it. However to bring more attention to the potted plants, you can paint the pots and make them really colourful and outstanding. 

17. Fake flowers

Some fake flowers can look quite real and they can last a long time so it's a much more budget-friendly way of decorating the house with flowers,compared to using real flowers. Furthermore they hardly require any care or maintenance unlike real plants. 

18. Pendant lamps

Pendant lamps are highly decorative and functional too, and there are so many beautiful, creative designs to choose from. They also don't have to cost a bomb, but will definitely make any space pop. 

19. Plants in the bathroom

Don't neglect the bathroom when it comes to decorating. One of the best ways to decorate a bathroom is with indoor plants and fake flowers. Certain indoor plants can also help to filter and purify the air in the bathroom, creating a more refreshing experience. 

We hope this article has been inspiring. For more related ideas, check out our article titled 23 tips for decorating with plants.

More home decoration ideas

One of the best and cost-effective home décor ideas is to refurbish old cabinets and make them functional again. This red and wood piece is an excellent example of that. See how it complements the rustic brick wall behind it and makes for a conversation starter. A couple of elegant lamps and a potted plant complete the appealing vibe here. You can also use vintage vases, candles and family photos to liven up the setting. It is one of those decoration ideas that will free up your attic or store room too! You can also consult interior designers before you get started if you have many such old items.

If you are looking for cheap room decoration ideas for your kitchen, get inspired by this one. Beautiful and vibrant plates of different sizes adorn a wall in this modular kitchen to lend it uniqueness and personality. It is among those home decoration ideas that don’t require you to buy anything at all. Just keep the rest of the kitchen neat and minimalistic to turn this wall into a focal point. 

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