TV Review: Decorating Cents on HGTV

Decorating Cents puts a whole new spin on home redesigning by providing valuable information on frugal home redecorating. Joan Steffend is the host of Decorating Cents, who, along with guest designers, provides expertise in room makeover areas such as spicing up a bland bedroom, jazzing up a lackluster living room, and putting the fun back into a non-functional family room.

Steffend visits with homeowners who are desperate to make a major makeover change and develops a dialogue in developing a fantastic renovation plan within limited financial funds. The budget is set at $500 and is used to rearrange and redesign the chosen room by adding inexpensive touches and creative accessories. Once a plan of action is finalized, a team of guest designers put together a room makeover that will dazzle and delight the homeowner. 

A few of my favorite room makeover episodes are the “Romantic Bedroom Makeover,” “Exotic Den,” and “Living Room Redesign.” “The Romantic Bedroom Makeover” was flawlessly redesigned, with the team taking an ordinary master bedroom and transforming it into a luxurious retreat by adding a little taupe paint, a four-poster bed, a stylish chaise lounge, and animal print accessories. This beautiful and breathtaking master retreat was amazingly transformed with very little money and a lot of creativity.  

The “Exotic Den” was redesigned by the use of warm and inviting colors, decorative window treatments, and the use of a light projector that projects an image of bamboo poles on a corner wall. I thought this idea was truly innovative and interesting. It definitely gave the “Exotic Den” character.  

“The Living Room Redesign” was transformed into a livable and cozy meeting place by creating an entryway into the sitting area. The designers put the finishing touches on this “Living Room Redesign” by centering each furniture piece in front of the marvelous fireplace and discarding the carpet to reveal magnificent hardwood floors. 

At the conclusion of each episode, each designer was able to explain and demonstrate simple transformation projects for each room makeover and gave useful tips on decorating and redesigning on a budget. 

Decorating Cents is packed full of great ideas, motivation, and inspiration to the adventurous home decorator who is looking to step up their living space with limited resources. The Decorating Cents website features “100 Ideas Under $100," “Design Basics,” and a “Decorating Cents Newsletter”.    

Article Author: Career Diva

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