I’m a Room Decor Editor that loves a bargain – this is my little black book of places for decorating on a budget

Having moved a few months ago, I did a lot of decorating and buying new pieces for my home – everything from kitchenware to decor and even furniture. And I didn’t exactly have a massive budget to do all of this – but being a Room Decor Editor here at Ideal Home has its perks, and luckily, I had my go-to places for decorating on a budget at the ready. And I’m happy to share my little black book with you, too.

I love a budget decorating idea and I don’t think you necessarily have to spend a lot of money to have a stylish home. It certainly helps to mix high-end with low-end but also to pair old with new – and that’s not only for your home to look ‘expensive’ but also so that it has some character.

My approach is to mix something a little more polished and high-end - such as my King Living 1977 sofa - with pieces from budget-friendly high-street stores such as Dunelm (which is on the list we’re going to get into), easy DIY projects (which in my case largely consist of paint ideas) and lastly vintage decor such as wall art.

1. Second hand platforms

Speaking of vintage decor, whenever I need or want something ‘new’ for my home, more often than not, I’ll start by looking second-hand and vintage. It’s often more affordable and sustainable to buy second-hand rather than new. But again, there’s the element of adding more character and personality into your home, which is what I enjoy about vintage pieces.

I regularly turn to Facebook Marketplace - just last month, I scored a piece of mid-century wall art on there for £15 - where you can also get second-hand homeware from high-street brands like H&M Home and M&S in as-good-as-new condition. If you’re happy to do a bit of treasure hunting, then I couldn’t recommend charity shops, car boot sales and even vintage markets enough.

Alternatively, instead of going to a physical vintage market, you can shop around at Etsy and eBay where you can find plenty of vintage home accessories up for grabs.

2. George Home

ASDA’s George Home is by far my favourite supermarket homeware range. This brand is especially great for budget alternatives of more high-end pieces like the viral giant £250 Matilda Goad clam shell bowl. George Home's created an equally viral but very affordable lookalike which I simply had to have – and now it decorates my sideboard. Sadly, it's now sold out.

George Home’s latest Crafted Calm range is also full of designer-looking gems, including the £10 Brown Nerikomi Style Stoneware Bowl that looks a lot like Henry Holland’s ceramic bowls which I’m a huge fan of – needless to say, it’s found its way onto my wish list. And this striped bedding set it giving serious HAY vibes. But instead of paying £130 for the HAY Ete duvet cover, available at Selfridges, the George Home set will set you back only £15.

3. Amazon

Let’s be honest – is there anything that Amazon doesn’t sell?! The answer is no, because you can get pretty much anything your heart desires from this online retailer, from practical storage buys to decorative pieces from various brands. And that includes a lot of affordable options like my very own ValueLights wavy floor lamp that I can’t recommend enough.

But what’s currently on my wish list is this aesthetically pleasing set of stackable storage drawers with colourful handles and this absolutely beautiful marble sugar dispenser for just a little over £15.

4. Dunelm

Are you looking for bedding that won’t break the bank? Dunelm’s got plenty, I’m currently eyeing the spring-ready gingham Portloe set. Do you need some clever fridge organisers or stylish striped underbed storage? Dunelm has that too and customers are currently going crazy for just that.

But equally, Dunelm is also one of my go-to places where to buy lighting. And not just table lamps and light fittings, but even something like lampshades – I’ve bought a couple of these origami-style lampshades to cover my ceiling lights and diffuse the light a little, plus they make for a nice decorative feature even when the lights are off.

5. TK Maxx

I get excited every time I go into a TK Maxx store because much like with charity and vintage shops, you never know what you can find in this treasure trove of a store. TK Maxx is known to sell discounted Diptyque candles for £45, as well as the popular colourful glass HAY mugs for less than the regular price.

But even aside from all the designer bargains, TK Maxx is great for budget-friendly kitchen tools, accessories and cookware from well-known and established brands but again selling for lower prices than anywhere else.

6. Primark Home

I’m personally not a big fan of Primark clothes but I think the brand gets it right with a lot of Primark homeware. Both in terms of looks and pricing because it is super affordable. I recently bought some tea towels from Primark as I was in need of new ones and the brand always has a wide variety of colours and patterns on offer.

But I’m also regularly tempted by their cushions - the ones from the Primark x Pinterest collab are the perfect example - and Primark’s tableware, especially the cute, fun designs like the kitsch food-themed pieces.

7. Sostrene Grene

I’m a fan of most Scandi brands, especially ones that are as affordable as Sostrene Grene. While I like IKEA as much as the next person, my one issue with some of its pieces is how instantly recognisable they are. Everybody loves and shops at IKEA so everyone has the same things or at least recognises them.

But luckily, the originally Danish Sostrene Grene is not as well-known, or at least not just yet. It’s great for anything from pretty storage and organisation pieces - like those colourful crates everybody loves - and it’s my go-to place for some decently sized but simple wooden picture frames that can easily be painted any colour you like to go with your colour scheme, as well as for canvases for creating my own artwork to hang on the walls.

Where do you like to go when you want to give your home a refresh on a budget?