Your home is the one place that can make you feel completely and utterly secure. It is the haven whose warmth you seek at the end of a stressful and taxing day; it is your refuge from the world, and all its trials and tribulations.

Your home is also a personal statement of sorts, a kind of summation of your likes and dislikes, quirks and eccentricities; it basically tells an outsider what you’re like and how you think.

Your home will instantly reveal to a newcomer the second they walk in the door, where your tastes and flavours lie. A person’s home is like an exhibition of their mental psyche, free for the world to observe and judge; this is probably why most people go to all kinds of  lengths to doll-up their homes.

However, logic and common sense are here to tell you that you don’t need to bend over backwards to beautify your precious abode. Here are a few budget-friendly tips to decorate your house:

1. Cushions and Throw Pillows:

You can get pillows in bulk at any local furniture store. The trick is to cover them in luxurious and colourful covers. These covers, bought at a retail mart or local store, or homemade if you are able, will not cost you too much and will instantly add colour to your living room and/or bedroom.

Pillows are also a great substitute for an armchair: By placing large pillows in neat piles on the floor; you not only save money, you also end up creating comfortable and welcoming seating for your guests.

Tip: If you’re placing pillows on the floor, make sure they’re not too bouncy; since bouncy pillows provide very little traction, seating could be an issue.

2. Paint Over a Plain White Wall:

If you don’t want to, or are unable to, spend too much on decking up your house with ornaments and paintings and such, you could paint your walls a nice, rich shade. The beautiful colours will draw attention before anything else, thus covering up the lack of decorations. In fact, it is an innovative way to add colour to your space.

The beauty about painting walls is that, with a roller and some tarp, you can do it yourself in a couple of days. You don’t need to hire a professional who will be expensive, and even could overcharge and delay the job.

Tip: Colours like dark blue, maroon, yellow and green work best in a home; Avoid using grey and black, as these colours can cause the house to feel dull and depressing.

3. Paintings, Photographs and Posters:

Get pictures of your family and friends printed out and place them in quaint frames all around the house. You can get these frames at an antique shop, or second-hand shop, to create a distinctive look for half the price.

Put up framed posters of your favorite band, movie or quote. These posters may look kitschy and teenage-like if used as is; but encased in glass, they’ll make you seem classy, even culturally enlightened.

You can get beautiful prints and paintings from street artists and small shops. Not only will you be supporting an ailing segment of society, you’ll also make your house more attractive at a really low price.

Tip: Avoid putting up paintings of war and death, basically anything that can elicit feelings of negativity and depression.

4. Lighting:

The right kind of lighting can make all the difference in the world to your home; Use a brighter bulb to throw light on the more distinct features of the unit. You can get A-line lamps for a more simplistic effect. Use decorative lamps in bright colours if you want to create a livelier environment. Use soft lighting for the den/bedroom, and bright lighting for the living and dining rooms.

Place scented candles in simple glass holders in whichever place you think needs a fresh look: These will not only add colour to your home, but will also make for a cozy and inviting ambiance.

Tip: Avoid using plastic candle-holders. These look gaudy and tasteless. That’s not the kind of impression you want your guests to have of you.

5. Introduce a Natural Element:

Place plants wherever you can; These will cover up any bald spots in your home and spruce the place up like few other things can. There are some low-maintenance varieties of small plants and shrubs, that will be perfect for people who work long hours and do not have too much time to water and tend to them.

If you’re completely against shrubbery inside your home, you could place natural stones in small bowls to accentuate the house. You don’t even need to buy these stones from a store, you could pick some up from a nearby park or beach, wash them, paint them if you want to, and decorate your house almost completely free of cost!

Another natural element that will work here is a water feature; Water lamps and table fountains are economically feasible and decorative. Plus, flowing water is supposedly very cleansing to your ‘chi’.

Tip: If you’re going to use a water fountain, make sure to clean the water regularly: Stale water starts to smell after a few days, and can cause mould to start growing inside the container.

Interior décor does not have to be as stressing on your wallet as modern retailers will have you believe. By using the right kind of decorations, bought from the right places; you can completely change the look of your house at a fraction of the cost.