One of the hardest things about decorating a home is that it’s so easy to get overwhelmed, especially with all the options that stores are trying to sell you. The possible cost of home improvement is yet another factor that has discouraged many a homeowner. But just because you’re underfinanced or undecided doesn’t mean that you can’t have the perfect home you want. With enough planning, even the plainest rooms can become the most elegant of spaces with just the meanest of budgets.

Planning should be your first step towards designing any space in your home. While you are still on the drawing board, it’s a good idea to let your imagination wander and your mind experiment with all sorts of styles. Keep a journal or scrapbook of styles and themes that you chance upon; keeping a camera with you at all times is also a wise move. Read through interior design magazines and catch up on those home improvement shows you didn’t have the time to watch before.

After you are done gathering ideas, it’s time to sit down and give some serious thought about what the theme of your space will be. You can go with a single set theme that you saw in a magazine or spotted on a TV program. You could also formulate your own, putting together different ideas and concepts from other themes. What’s important is that you set a theme that you think you could carry out yourself.

Next comes the budgeting part. How much are you able to spend at the moment? Will this be a one-time investment or a long-term project? These are all things you will have to answer so as to check just how feasible your redecoration project is. You may want to have an approximate costing of all the materials you’ll need to make this budgeting portion easier.

When you’ve settled just how much you will spend, it’s time to go out and shop for your stuff. Now, just scrounging around and buying the cheapest items you could find is as bad an idea as going all high-brow and buying the priciest pieces available. Professional designers recommend getting one or two pricey items that will act as key design elements – sofas and tables fall into this category. Once you’ve got those, you can start getting all the other items from discount stores and flea markets.

An area rug is one of those items that you’ll want to consider seriously investing in. Not only are the rug’s durability and quality important but the workmanship that went into it is immediately visible to any guest as well. At the same time, area rugs are also very versatile because they are easily changed and relocated. Do you want to change the look or mood of the space? You can do so just by moving the rug, a task that should take you less than an hour and no money at all.

Never forget to inject your personal style into the decor to give the room depth and character. Whether you do the space in your favorite colors or add your favorite things to the room as accents, those small details will make the room truly and completely yours.