By Amy Pfingsten, Nebraska Home Sales Realtor

How you design your home matters. If you love the way your home looks, you will love coming home every day, and there are many ways to update a home’s décor without spending a lot of money.

Start by taking an inventory of everything you already own, even if it looks like its seen better days. Then try to think of ways you can revive those things. For example, you have an old area rug that is stained and worn. Don’t throw it out. You can paint it, hiding all the stained and faded spots. Use one solid color or try a pattern. There are several different methods and types of paint used for this, so be sure to find a good tutorial online and read the comments and reviews.

Now focusing on the walls, what do you have to fill those empty spaces? A newer trend is to put up empty frames; no glass, no picture! What could be easier? You can even paint them to match your homes personality, or you could leave the glass in and use a photo transfer technique to transfer a monogram or quote onto the glass creating a sophisticated piece of art. (Simple tutorials can be found for free online.) Or use this technique on old wood for a more rustic look.

For light fixtures, if it’s just the brassy color that you don’t like, then once again paint can be your best friend! You could also dangle crystals or ribbon from a chandelier to give it a fresh look.

What about that old mirror in your bathroom? If it’s not already framed, you can simply buy some crown molding, paint or stain it, and add a frame. You can even have the pieces precut for you at the hardware store. If the mirror is already framed, either remove the old frame, carefully, and install a new one or paint it.

Hopefully these tips will help inspire you to make your house the home you dream of, even on a tight budget.