| Sometimes money is tight when your dreaming | | | | never even imagined I could ever get (then.) |
| of a beach style home. | | | | That's when I learned how important visualizing |
| I know this because my when I bought my first | | | | your dream is! When you start thinking about |
| beach style house: | | | | something in your mind, somehow, it just seems |
| - I was in my mid-20s Making 32,000 a year... | | | | to happen! |
| - Money was really tight (like a coffee at the local | | | | I'm going to share with you now what I learned |
| shop had to be in the budget!) | | | | over three years of living there and creating my |
| Just to get the house, I had to get a loan from | | | | beach style cottage on a budget. |
| my grandma for the deposit (which I later paid | | | | The house was painted in Federation type colors... |
| back). Let me just set the scene for you so you | | | | peaches, earthy red tones, forest green. |
| can get a picture in your mind how this all came | | | | These are the traditional colors that "old |
| about... | | | | Queenslanders" were painted in the late 1800s to |
| I was living in a studio apartment in the city (with | | | | early 1900s. This style is often replicated today in |
| 2 people a very tight squeeze!). I really wanted to | | | | achieving the original look of the cottage. |
| live in a beach side cottage... (always had). So I | | | | But those were definitely not my inspired colors! |
| began to "allow myself to dream." | | | | It needed a FRESH feel. So basically I just had to |
| I had actually drawn a picture of the place as | | | | do it room by room as I got some money. |
| well... | | | | Here are my 10 Tips for Beach Theme |
| My Perfect Beach Cottage: No money but still had | | | | Decorating on a Budget |
| "the dream" | | | | |
| - It was a little cottage with a front deck. It had a | | | | 1. Use what you have- don't waste money buying |
| big yard (with a clean slate for me to create a | | | | new furniture. Coordinate the look of what you |
| garden paradise.) It would have wood floors. It | | | | have already by painting the wood pieces a |
| would have flowing curtains, beach style furniture, | | | | uniform color like white or black (if you want a |
| a claw foot bath and a deck out the front. | | | | more contemporary look.) |
| - It would have amazing sea breezes with an | | | | 2. Look for free "stuff." You'll find free stuff |
| open kitchen. I imagined myself soaking in the big | | | | everywhere once you start looking... check out |
| tub. I imagined lavender flower boxes hanging off | | | | the side of the road for tables, chairs and |
| the front deck. | | | | couches people are throwing out... Keep your ears |
| - I imagined cooking amazing feasts for friends | | | | open for friends and family who want to give |
| and drinking glasses of wine on the deck. | | | | stuff away. Once you get the "free stuff" then |
| I think I imagined and visualized my seaside | | | | do a make over and make it fresh and new! |
| cottage dream for about 5 months.... | | | | 3. Your best investment is a big tin of white paint. |
| Until one day my dad called me and said, "I want | | | | 4. Start shopping at dollar stores and discount |
| you to come see this little house I've found. It's | | | | stores for basics like twigs, white pillar candles, |
| near me, I've seen it... I think you would love it! It | | | | pebbles, white hand towels, baskets, glass vases |
| would be perfect for you." | | | | and hand made soaps. |
| And I said Dad... I don't have the money to buy it! | | | | 5. Make your own art. |
| But I thought what could hurt in looking? It might | | | | 6. Stick to a neural color scheme for your big |
| inspire my vision more... | | | | pieces of furniture... makes it easy to look good |
| So... I saw it, and I fell in love! It was exactly like I | | | | and easy to change accessory colors without |
| had pictured in my head. Well not exactly, ha ha... | | | | costing a lot of money later. |
| but it was the bones of what I had pictured in | | | | 7. Create one room at a time. |
| my head (the other 30% I could do with | | | | 8. Visit 2nd hand stores and local markets to get |
| decorating). | | | | old and creative objects. Use old signs for art. |
| I could plant the lavender and the palm trees. I | | | | 9. Group objects together on one shelf to make |
| could paint the walls. But it DID have a claw foot | | | | a statement and design impact. |
| bath I could lay in soaking for hours. It DID have | | | | 10. Decorate with shells you find at the beach. |
| a front deck and it DID have sea views... which I | | | | |