We’ve all dreamed of renovating our homes, swapping out our dated furniture and tired old rugs for some gorgeous new items. While we’re dreaming, it would be great to update our flooring and maybe redo the windows too, right? Of course, these kinds of major renovations do come with a hefty price tag, and they’re probably out of reach unless you’ve just won the lottery.
Up Next: 7 Savvy Ways To Budget for Home Remodeling Projects in 2025
For You: 6 Hybrid Vehicles To Stay Away From in Retirement
Fortunately, design genius Joanna Gaines has some great tips for affordable ways to update your home. The “Fixer Upper” host knows how to think outside the box and find low-cost upgrades that will transform just about any living space. The best part? Making smart upgrades to your home can actually increase your property’s value.
This article pulls together some of Gaines’ best tips for renovating a house on a budget. We’ll also talk about how much you’re likely to spend on each of the upgrades.
A Few Key Design Principles
Gaines has some basic design principles that we can all learn from.
- Use what you have. Instead of buying new furniture, see if you can fix or repurpose the pieces you already own.
- Introduce changes slowly. Don’t rush through the remodeling process. Instead, make changes one at a time and stop to assess your impressions at each stage.
- Embrace antiques. You can often find gorgeous, classic furniture and light fixtures at flea markets, antique stores and auctions for a fraction of the price you’d pay for brand-new items.
- Learn from nature. When you’re not sure what to do, reconnect with natural elements to ground yourself. It’s a surefire way to find inspiration.
Now that we’ve covered the basic principles, let’s take a look at six of Gaines’ tips for renovating your home.
See More: 20 Best Cities Where You Can Buy a House for Under $100K
Use Accents To Transform Your Living Space
Little touches can change the whole mood of a room and make you feel like you’ve done a major upgrade, all for little effort or cost.
Experiment with accents like colorful pillows for a couch, a textured throw blanket or a big vase with fresh-cut flowers. The best part? These accents are usually affordable, so you can play with them, mix and match and rotate according to your whims.
Estimated cost:
- Throw blankets: $10 and up
- Accent pillows: $6 and up
- Vases: $5 and up
Inject Your Home With Fresh Energy With a Wallpaper Accent
Wallpaper is usually bright, vibrant and energizing. Using just a little bit of wallpaper to create an accent wall can change your whole space, giving it a new dynamism.
You can apply the wallpaper yourself and change it as often as you’d like. You might end up with a new look every season, or you may find one style that you want to stick with for the long term.
Estimated cost:
- Peel-and-stick accent wallpaper: Starts at under $30
Define Your Space With Carefully Curated Candles
Candlelight brings a special kind of magic to any room. Scented candles are especially effective at creating a mood. You can use scented candles to build a signature setting for each of the rooms in your home. Of course, you can keep changing your favorite scents whenever you want.
Estimated cost:
- Scented candles: Start at about $5
Create Depth by Adding Trim to Your Doors, Walls and Ceiling
Flat walls can feel dull and uninspiring. When you’re looking for a change, you can add a new dimension to your space for the cost of a couple of pieces of ornamental molding.
You can use narrow pieces of wooden trim to create symmetrical designs and add interest to your walls and ceilings.
Estimated cost:
- Ornamental molding: Starts at $15 per piece
Cheer Up Your Home With Scallops
There’s something joyous and nostalgic about scalloped edges. Whether you introduce scallops on the borders of your rugs, the edges of your mirrors or the ends of your bookshelves, they’re sure to lend some welcome whimsy to your rooms.
Scallops are a subtle and fun way to make your home feel fresh and new. Plus, they’re always easy to rotate in or out, depending on your mood.
Estimated cost:
- Scalloped wood trim: Starts at about $20
- Scalloped rugs: Start at about $35
- Scalloped mirrors: Start at about $30
Freshen Up Your Floors With a New Area Rug
Dreaming of new flooring but aren’t quite ready to pay for hardwood floors? Rugs are a great, affordable way to change your flooring. You can start small, with just one or two little area rugs — or you can go big with a bold carpet.
Rugs come in a dizzying variety of textures, colors and patterns. It’s fun to play with different possibilities and to mix and match.
Estimated cost:
- Area rugs: Start at about $45, depending on the size and the materials
More From GOBankingRates
- 6 Costco Products That Have the Most Customer Complaints
- This is the Most Frugal Generation (Hint: It's Not Boomers)
- How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Your State?
- Clever Ways To Save Money That Actually Work in 2025
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Easy and Affordable Home Renovation Tips From Joanna Gaines
