The favourite part of our job is seeing the look on the homeowner’s face when they enter their newly staged house. It’s a mix of surprise, amazement and joy, shortly followed with “I should have had my property styled years ago!”.

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The next stage is pondering… “I wonder if I could recreate this look in my new home…”. Well guess what.

Yes, you absolutely can! And there’s no need to spend thousands of dollars (even though we did, but that’s because we want your house to sell quickly and for a good price).

I sat down with Jenessa, one of our Lead Stylists and we had a chat about How to easily style your home on a budget, starting off with bedroom.

Best Shops to Hit

Jenessa, the self-diagnosed Shopaholic, shared her list of the best budget-friendly retailers for bedroom items, including some of her tips and recommendations.

The Sheridan Outlets do some great sales.

TK Maxx is a bit of a hit-and-miss, but we found some of our favourite suppliers there at a discounted rate.

Target & Kmart are the obvious choice, but you must really check the quality and feel the material.

Ikea is great for feathered pillow inserts, which makes your cushions & pillows look nice and plump, which is associated with higher-end quality.

It’s All About the Texture

Being bold when it comes to using different textures is a MUST. People oftentimes avoid it in fear of creating a ‘messy’ or overwhelming look, unknowingly underestimating the power that texture holds.

Textured linen adds an element of depth and warmth to the entire room. Not to mention the fabric doesn’t crease as easily and appears more expensive, even in comparison to a significantly pricier 1000TC cotton. How is that even possible? It’s simple… cotton fabric is flat. That’s all there is to it.

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These are some of our favourite textures to use on quilt covers and pillowcases.

Jenessa’s tip

“If you want to make your bed look more luxe, you need to make it seem optically bigger than it is. Plump up your pillows, place them vertically upright, as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Don’t be afraid to use textures, but don’t overdo it with too many colours or patterns.”

Our Stylist’s Checklist

There are many different ways you can make your bed. At Foxy, our Stylists aim to uphold a certain standard of consistency, which is why identified two looks we use most often – Bed 1 & Bed 2 (see picture below). We alternate the colour palette and the positioning of the coverlet/throw.

Colour-Coordinate with the Artwork

Using too much colour can make the entire room feel ‘cheap’. That’s why Jenessa recommends using neutral colours (white, beige, grey) for the bed sheet, quilt cover and pillowcases and accentuate the more vivid colour palette with cushions, coverlets and throws.

“If you can, try to colour-coordinate your cushions or linen with the artwork hanging above your bed. It ties the whole place together, plus an organised look always appears more sumptuous.”

How To Get the Best Price

‘Ness has a few tricks up her sleeve about getting the best possible price.

Look out for the sales. There are the seasonal ones throughout the year (EOFY, Valentine’s Day, Boxing Day, etc.) and then there are the spontaneous in-store clearances. The best way to keep track of these is to either sign up for the shop’s newsletter or join Facebook groups (Bargain Hunters, Markdown Addicts, etc.)

Go into the store with a plan. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with the number of product choices you’ll see in the store, that’s why you should pick a colour scheme or theme in your mind beforehand.

Online is not necessarily better. Yes, you may score a really great bargain, but these oftentimes come at the cost of quality. Go into the store in person and feel each fabric before you purchase. You don’t have to be a Property Stylist to recognise what a tacky fabric feels like.

Ask for a discount. Because if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Nine times out of ten, the salesperson can take at least 10% off the retail price. It may not seem like a lot, but at the price of $50 you saved enough to get a free coffee… and that’s a win in our books!

Don’t Forget About the ‘Knick-Knacks’

By ‘knick-knacks’… we mean accessories. Items like bedside tables, lamps, plants, picture frames, candles… (we could go on and on) are a perfect way to ‘finish off’ the look. Make sure they match your overall theme & colour palette. Here’s a few of our bedrooms we styled, feel free to get inspired!