Most people hear “budget decorating” and picture old wobbly granny furniture, mismatched paint, cushions and flooring and a sad collection of bric-a-brac that doesn’t remotely match from a flea market. Because “budget” means cheap and tacky, right? But a small budget doesn’t have to mean unstylish. What it really means is a clear vision and a borderline unreasonable amount of creative hutzpah.
This isn’t one of those “go to a thrift store and buy everything second-hand” lists (though a lucky FB marketplace finds never hurt anyone). We’re talking about unexpected, yet genius-clever touches that make your garden room feel like it belongs in a magazine, even if you’re not a natural decorator and don’t have a ton to spend.
Consider this your official permission slip to escape down the Pinterest rabbit hole for a few hours because all the inspiration you need to create an amazing garden room on a budget is freely available and brought together with nothing more than the willingness to play around with new ideas.
9 Tips to Decorate Your Garden Room on Budget
Dreaming of a stylish garden room but working with a tight budget? These nine savvy tips will help you design a beautiful space through creativity, not cost.
Start with a Clear Vision
The very first protection against impulse buying and ending up with a garden room that looks stitched together from a car boot sale is to have a clear vision of what you want before you start buying things.
Now, a garden room can be anything you want it to be (literally). There are no rules to follow and there is no garden room decorating police coming to inspect. There is only your greatest desire to consider. So don’t hold back. What would make you sigh in bliss? Either because it’s just so beautiful and peaceful or because it’s the most functional room ever and it allows your OCD monster to stay sleeping in the box.
One of the easiest ways to bring a cohesive vision together is to create a mood board. This can be a simple cork board on a wall with pictures stuck to it or if you’re more tech savvy you can start a free Canva account and play around there. Try different vibes and see what you’re drawn to. Then, when you think you’ve got it, don’t dive into shopping straight away. Sit with it for a while and really daydream about the elements you’ve chosen. When those daydreams don’t morph into new things, you know you’ve found your style.
When you start buying or creating things for your garden room, keep this daydream vivid in your mind so that each thing you buy or make is utterly intentional and aligned. This will keep you on track when you get swept up into a buying frenzy (especially when things are a deal) and keep your room from being a haphazard collection of various treasures. If something you find doesn’t support your vision or blend in, be ruthless in saying “not now” and save it for another room or another fun decorating project.
Disclaimer: Once the decorating bug bites you, it’s a terminal affliction!
Use The Same Space for Two Purposes
Do these people even exist? There is nothing more appealing than being able to use one thing for two purposes.
Like when you discover that your kitchen scissors can also crack open beer bottles (don’t ask, just trust), that’s deeply satisfying, right?
Well, garden rooms are the same. Why do you just have an office where you can have an office and a home gym and a reading nook?
A great way to do this is to create zones. If you’re investing in a garden room, you may also get a slightly bigger one and create different areas for different things, so you feel like you’re using it to its full potential. So, you could have your “office zone” with a desk and a chair and your laptop.
But then besides it, you have a workout bench with some free weights and a yoga mat. Across the way, under the window, is a reading nook that overlooks the garden so you can tune out work stuff while trying to relax.
This is the kind of 2-for-1 magic that makes you feel like you’ve played the system.
Also Read – Growing an Edible Garden: A Beginner’s Guide
Be Minimalist on Purpose
Most people unravel with decorating because they get swept up into the more is better assumption, and they over-decorate.
If you only have a small budget, be minimalist on purpose. Pick a few things you absolutely love and let them be a focal point in the room.
For example, a rug in bold geometric design or bright colors might be all you need in a minimalist office or investing in a luxurious egg chair for reading but adding some green and orange cushions for a pop of color along with a few plants for a relaxing reading nook.
Remember, garden rooms are naturally small, l purposeful spaces, so choose a few pieces with care rather than overwhelming the space with clutter.
Nature is Your Best Design Partner
The easiest way to make a garden room feel… Well, “garden-y” is to borrow from Mother Nature herself when decorating. Using natural elements typically costs very little and if you’re a person who loves to go exploring in forests and other outdoor places, you can collect most of these things for free along the way. Plants and nature are timeless and endlessly adaptive so you can create any kind of vibe that you want.
Here are some creative ways to decorate with nature:
- Save space by hanging planters from the roof.
- Stones, shells, pinecones, fallen branches, or driftwood from the beach all make beautiful natural art.
- Hang branches from the roof and drape them with fairy lights for a breathtaking effect.
- Create a “living wall” as a statement – use recycled wooden pallets with some potted herbs or use hanging planter bags for seasonal greenery. Low budget but high impact.
- Paint your plant pots audaciously bright colors or use glow in the dark paint for something completely different.
- Put glow-in-the-dark pebbles on top of potting soil. They charge in the sun and glow at night or on those dark, rainy winter days.
- Forage for natural treasures and display them in tall jars or vases.
- Create your own budget water feature with a ceramic bowl, smooth river stones, and a small solar fountain pump.
- Try grouping your plants in odd numbers and at different heights to create a designer look without any extra cost.
Let There Be Light (Without the Price Tag)
Getting your garden room wired up professionally with plug points and lighting fixtures can be costly, however, there is no denying that lighting can make or break a room. The good news is that if you’re a little scrappy, you can create a wonderful light effect with just a few inexpensive bits. (Honestly, fairy lights can fix so many problems if you just let them!)
Here are some fun ways to create mood and ambience on a budget:
- Go full 17th century with some candles in mason jars.
- Put your stash of empty wine bottles to good use by repurposing them with some LED cork lights.
- Make sure your garden room harnesses natural light as much as possible with big windows. Then, instead of typical curtains or blinds, which can be costly, leave the windows bare and decorate around the frames with Viney plants or a statement color paint for around them.
- Hanging mobiles of old CDs from the roof can create an incredible light effect. (Plus, you don’t have to throw away those now-cringey old 90s favorites like Nickelback that you still secretly like.)
- Map out your star sign (or favorite constellation) with glow-stickers, pin lights, or fiber optics for a different way to throw out some pretty light.
- Use a fiber optic light tree – these are uber stylish and inexpensive.
- Hang paper lanterns at different heights, painted or stenciled with patterns that the light will throw across the room.
- Make a bottle or branch chandelier with fairy lights.
- Put colored cellophane on your windows for a stained-glass effect without the expense. You can change your mood by switching the colors.
Also Read – Top 10 Mosquito Repellent Plants & Herbs for Garden
Paint Your Garden Room Walls
The walls are already there, so you may as well put them to work. A tin of paint doesn’t cost much, but if you’re clever about it, it’s a simple thing that can make a massive impact. And paint is forgiving because even if you mess it up, in the worst case, you buy another tin of paint and paint it over. It really is an easy way to create something amazing on a budget. You can have 2-tone walls, bold stripes or even one dramatic statement wall that really stands out. If you are using your garden room for a nighttime entertainment spot, using glow in the dark paint will be fun and unusual and give your space that ’90s retro disco vibe all for less than 20 quid.
Some other fun ideas for garden room walls are:
- Use recycled pallets for shelves but paint them in bright and bold colors.
- Make fabric canopies by draping thrifted fabrics across the walls and ceiling to change the geometry of the room.
- Hot glue some smooth pebbles to one wall to create feature accents and you can paint them so you can go full abstract art if you wish.
- If you are art lover, paint one wall with chalkboard paint and change the decor as inspiration strikes with doodles and inspirational quotes.
Sustainable Choices That Save Money
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Organize a neighborhood swap to clear out attics and save on the cost of a skip or a trip to the dump. You will probably get better quality pieces doing this, since sometimes people only get rid of things because they’re bored and want something new, not because there is anything wrong with them. To make this easier, set up a WhatsApp group where everyone can post what they’re looking for and also the things they’re willing to trade. Everyone wins.
Not Your Average Flat-Pack Furniture
People underestimate just how easy certain things are to repurpose and reimagine. Furniture doesn’t only need to come from thrift stores or Facebook marketplace. You can create a lot of really cool and different pieces of furniture if you’re willing to be a little eclectic and think outside the box.
When you think of a relaxing reading corner, you generally think of beanbags, but if you’ve ever tried to buy one, you’d be surprised at how expensive they can be. Not to mention, those little white balls that fill them go everywhere.
More than this, if you’re even a little environmentally conscious, these are not great choices for the earth. Instead, you can use a fabric hammock, which is comparatively inexpensive and even easier to make out of old bedding if you’re handy.
Here are some other ingenious ideas to repurpose furniture for a totally new look and feel:
- Turn an old wooden ladder into a bookshelf with a little paint.
- For some bohemian low seating, fill duvet covers with old blankets and cushions.
- Stack pallets together to create almost anything and then paint them to match the style of your room.
- Cinder block shelves are also really easy to make if you use reclaimed wood for the shelves.
- Wrap rope around table legs for a nautical feel or even make coiled rope mats. You can even use colored rope if you’re feeling adventurous.
The Power of Personal Touches
No garden room is complete without adding the personal touches that make it feel like home. There are many different ways to do this, and the point is to make the finishing touches meaningful for you.
If you are a travel enthusiast, perhaps you’ll display things you’ve collected from all over the world or even have a wall dedicated to the maps of all the places you’ve been. Maybe you even put up a world map and fill it with colored pins of everywhere you’ve been.
Another easy way to add that sentimental touch is to have a photo clothesline. String some twine across the wall and peg on some of your favorite photos. You could even use postcards or art prints if you’re not a fan of photographs. The beauty of this is it is so easy to change up as your mood changes at minimal cost.
If you have kids, get them to paint you some artwork to decorate one wall of your garden room. This is a fun family activity that captures memories forever. If you don’t have kids, you can do some painting yourself or you could have some friends around for a painting and swap date where you all create a piece of art for a friend’s house.
There are endless ways to add meaningful touches and memories through your garden room without depleting your bank account.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, decorating on a budget doesn’t have to be something that feels like a sacrifice. With the right attitude, it can be a lot of fun and full of “I can’t believe that worked” moments. Half the fun of decorating on a budget is seeing just what you might dream up with a tin of paint and a few wild ideas.
The garden rooms that end up looking the best are usually not the ones that were bought… but the ones that were made.
