You may be one of the many Americans making a conscious decision to tighten your belt right now, but that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice any plans you had to redecorate or freshen up the look of your home. In fact, the majority of people are spending more and more time at the home, instead of dining out or going on vacations. It all comes down to a few simple facts that ring true for most people. You want your home to be a sanctuary for you and your family where you can relax and enjoy one another’s company. You want it to be a place where you can entertain friends and family and have pride in its appearance and ambience. You want it to reflect your personality and style. But you don’t want redecorating it to break the bank!

There are plenty of ways to tap into the resources of high-end design companies to get expert advice on home decorating. One of the simplest and most straight forward ways is to search for urban furniture stores in your area that offer free design or decorating consultations. Generally, all you will need to bring along are your room floor plans, and maybe some photos and inspirations. A trained staff member can then create a whole new look and layout for your room. Make sure you point out any items of furniture you are not willing to part ways with and what your budget is for your decorating project. Prompt the consultant to help you with color, paint and furniture positioning suggestions that will coordinate with your new purchases. At the end of the day they want to sell their products but they also want to create a space for you that will work both functionally and aesthetically. As an added bonus, some stores even offer in-home decorating consultations (generally for a small fee that is often credited with your consequent purchase), so keep an eye out for the availability of such services.

If you would rather take the reins in your own home redecorating project there are plenty of resources and tools to help you out too. The first step is envisioning the style and types of furniture you would like displayed in your home. Once you have figured out whether you prefer modern contemporary furniture, traditional, French country, cottage, or eclectic furniture styles, you can start searching for publications that focus on those styles. Use both their online and hard copy tools to get inspiration and advice to help you recreate the look in your very own home. With a wealth of home makeover shows on TV today, you can also pick up clever cost-efficient ways to redecorate on a limited budget. If you’re having problems visualizing how your new furniture, colors or layouts will look in your room, you should check out some nifty free 3D design programs that you can download from the web. Again all you’ll need are your room measurements. In a very user-friendly process you can literally create a 3D rendering of your room, where you can customize and tweak your furniture and layout until you find the dream solution.

So, what are you waiting for? Don’t let the economy hold you back – redecorate your home to create the perfect sanctuary for you, your family and friends. After all an investment in your home and new décor will last a lot longer than a summer vacation! All it takes is a little legwork to find some of the many inexpensive or free tools out there that will help bring your vision to life!