In love, on a budget, and ready to design!

Do you remember when you were a newly wed, "crazy in love", and on a "crazy tight" budget? As a young, ambitious, and often times, overly eager wife of almost five years, I love to host, decorate, and cook. Yet, we have relocated several times within those five years, and because of our frequent moves, we have had our fair shair of rentals. Young, newly married, and renters; it's no wonder why- we we're on a very strict budget! This situation looks to pose three hurdles for a beautiful home: First of all, being young and eager is an unbalanced mixture that has a strong potential for style disaster, especially if both parties have strong opinions and tastes; secondly, a majority of young married couples have a common challenge that some call...."living on a dime"....also known as, financial hardships; lastly, when you have yet to plant roots in a home, you usually live in a space that is either not your own (rental) or if you are a home owner, you are learning as a couple, how to turn your house into a home.

How do you over come these three obstacles? The first step is to pick a style that best describes you and your spouse. Just simply pick up a magazine and window shop. Write down the following: what emotions they exude, the colors that are used, and what it is that you like about it.Then identify and accessorize the pieces that you already own & absolutely love. This will be a great way to work on "communication" and day dream together!

As newly weds, I encourage you to go ahead and give it a try...even if you're not ready to buy! Communication is key- knowing what you both like and don't like is half the battle. Here's an example of how we begun to accessorize our Master Bedroom. We have picked one item that we already own, my King Louis Chair, and we want to accessorize it with a picture of the Pale-green bedroom (below): Hamptons home by Jeffrey Bilhuber, from Elle Decor: 'Hancock Green' by Benjamin Moore.

I am in love with this design & look forward to adding my own twist to it!

Remember: financial hardships and budgeting difficulties should not stop you from planning your dream home; communication is the key! Learn to appreciate one another's style, so that your house can be redeemed into a beautiful home. Enjoy day dreaming together!

KtMaude