How To Build An Affordable Room Aesthetic in 5 Steps

Pinterest Aesthetic Room Ideas. You want it and you dream about it, but you can never afford it. 

As a recent college graduate during one of the worst economic crises and devastating pandemic, I’ve felt that. Being forced to stay at home during quarantine, all my time was spent in my room. I also wasn’t making much money due to my struggles of finding a job. My goal was to find a way to build my room aesthetic in the most practical AND affordable way. 

After loads of research, price comparisons, and couponing – I found out that you can definitely create your room aesthetic without breaking the bank. 

This is how I decorated my room with a budget of $200.

Step One: Resell all of the things you don’t want or need anymore.

Fund the costs for your new room decor by selling your old things.

Sell the old cabinet you don’t like anymore. Sell the ugly storage containers. Sell everything. Even if it doesn’t look like anyone would want your old things, remember that someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure! 

The easiest way to sell your items is to list them online!

You can learn how to resell your items on my previous post here. Once you’ve resold the majority of your old things, use the money as the predetermined budget for your new room design & decor. 

Step Two: Research the room aesthetic and decor you want – and price compare options! 

I personally went for a classic, minimalist aesthetic, choosing light pine wood for most of my furniture pieces. Since I have white walls, light colored wood gives the illusion that my room is more open and spacious than it actually is. If design is not your forte, here is where Pinterest room decor gazing comes in. 

Look through all the sites and places that carry what you’re looking for and price compare, price compare, price compare! 

• Cheap Home Decor Stores: Ikea, Wayfair, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ross, DD’s Discounts, Target, Big Lots

If you’re ok with used furniture, I highly recommend checking Facebook Marketplace. 

Step Three: Utilize free membership programs and find coupons.

Sign up for free membership programs where you plan on purchasing your items to get the best price.

Every big name or retail store has a free membership program – and you need to utilize it! Learn more about free membership programs and how to get discounts/coupons for what you need here.

Example: Target has their own free membership program called “Target Circle” where you download their app on your phone. Once you download the app, every single time you purchase at Target you can scan the barcode in the app to get “earnings”, aka free money to use at their store. The Target Circles app also has weekly coupons for you to use also 🙂 Combine the coupons and earnings to get discounted items. 

Step Four: DIY what you can’t buy! (AKA thrift it and go to Michael’s)

Let’s say you want a giant frame with a white trim to hang pictures, but brand new giant picture frames with that beautiful trim cost $20-$50 (as written through personal experience). DIY it. 

Go to thrift stores or donation centers and dig through FB Marketplace listings to see if there are any giant frames for sale. In some cases, the item may even be free on FB Marketplace because the seller is just looking to get rid of it quickly. Go to your local flea market and they may have what you’re looking for, or a similar item!

In my case, my sister had an old bulletin board laying around that she gave me and I went out to buy some white paint and paint brushes at the Dollar Store/Michaels. I then cleaned the brown trim and repainted it white. Lastly, I used some double sided tape to stick my polaroids into a collage on the bulletin board and viola – a giant picture frame with a white trim!

• Places To Source For DIY Supplies: The Dollar Tree, Michael’s, Jo-Ann, Walmart, Flea Markets, Home Depot

Step Five: Put your room together and enjoy! 🙂 

Here is how I designed my room aesthetic. 

I hope my room aesthetic gives you inspiration for bedroom ideas! My main pieces were ikea furniture, mixed in with DIYs pieces from Michaels, Dollar Tree, and thrift stores.

List of Items Sold and Where I Sold Them:

• Old Brown Book Shelf | Facebook Marketplace | $30
• Two Old Printers | Facebook Marketplace | $180
• Headphones | Mercari | $30
• Pre-Owned Clothes | Instagram, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace | $100+ (ongoing)

List of Items, Where I Bought Them, And For How Much:

• Hejne Full Shelf | Ikea | $45
• Hejne Shelf Piece (that I used as as wall decor)| Ikea | $9
• Two Wooden Crates, White Acrylic Paint, Jagged & Square Wood Plaques| Michaels | $10 Each, 79 Cents, $13
• Photo Clothespins, Paint Brushes, Twine String | Dollar Tree | $1 Each
• Plants | Flea Market | $2 to $5 each
• 4 Inch Pots & Wall Mount Rings | Home Depot | $18
• Picture Frame | Eco Thrift | $4
• Bed Frame | Facebook Marketplace (Amazon Dupe $95)| $80
• Tjusig White Hanger | Ikea | $13
• White Table w/ Cabinet Drawers | Gifted (a part of my old furniture) | Free

$340 Old Items – $205 New Items = $135 Leftover Money

I did go over $5 for my $200 budget, but oh well – I still turned a profit over!

I hope this post was able to inspire you to decorate your room – at a price you can afford to 🙂 

Share with me your experience decorating your house below!