I know the feeling, you visit a friend or neighbor and you see their perfectly decorated home. You wonder how they were able to achieve a completely pulled together look that appears to have come from the pages of a decorator magazine. You dream of the day when you can afford to hire a designer and give them carte blanche to buy new furniture and completely update your space. But that has not happened yet and you are tired of waiting. So you decide to be realistic and make some affordable changes, but where to start?

First of all, it is amazing how much of a difference simple changes in your decor can make. Starting with a simple paint change on the wall can make a dramatic statement. Go to your local home improvement store and find a color that you can live with. Yes, it is okay to go with a beige if that is what you like. Want a more intimate feel? Go a few shades darker than what you think you want and you may be pleasantly surprised. Going from a light tan to a slightly more golden hue is daring but worth the effort. At worst, you can always repaint and at best you may love your new look. You also can find coordinating colors to match your decor. If you don’t consider yourself decorator savvy, stick to 3 colors and work those colors in your home. If you have rooms that connect, use one of the colors in the next room if you can visually see one space from another. A perfect example would be tan, cream and burgundy. The walls are painted in tan, the ceiling and trim in cream and accent color for draperies and pillows is done in burgundy. This works well when existing furniture is in the beige or cream category. Window treatment

If you can’t afford to replace the furniture but are tired of the look, simple changes really do make a big impact. With the above color scheme, you can replace the pillows on your existing sofa and loveseat and replace the curtains. You will have a new look with limited expenses thanks to the low overhead on most eBay purchases. Changing the placement and moving them closer to the ceiling is another simple yet very effective way of making your space more luxurious. By moving up the curtain rod from just above the window to anther 10 to 12 inches higher, it gives the illusion of a much larger window. Have small windows you wish were wider? Get a larger decorative curtain rod and hang curtain panels on each side of the window over the wall. The actual window will appear 15 to 20 inches larger giving a dramatic improvement in the style of your room. Curtain rods

Accessories is the next step. Go through your house and see what is in style that fits the new color scheme. You will find that what you buy for one room may look great in your new space. Then decide what style you want to go with and look for the pieces that help reach your goal. Ebay is the perfect solution for every bargain shopper. Why shop garage sales and antique stores when you can buy brand new merchandise at a fraction of the cost right from the comfort of your home? Mirrors work great behind furniture if you are trying to maximize your small space. Don’t have a green thumb? You can buy gorgeous flower arrangements to pull your look together that never need to be watered. Perfect if you want little or no maintenance. Flower arrangement

Tapestry pillow set

Tired of having too much clutter? You can even place decorative hat boxes under an end table to create storage for remotes and the tv guide to reduce the look of clutter. Hat box storage

Finally, don’t forget lighting. Decide what type of lighting you need in your space. Don’t just have one light on the ceiling of your room. Consider if you need task lighting or a reading lamp or prefer a romantic look. Adding table lamps, floor lamps or hanging chandeliers can truly change the look and transform your space into the decorator quality space you have been going for. Have a nice sofa table or long dresser? Balance a look by adding two small lamps and a nice sized flower arrangement. Add some candles and candlesticks and you are on to an amazing look. Place a large mirror or picture on the wall behind the piece and voila, you have a decorator look in the making! Table lamp

Because I have not yet won the lottery, my designer taste has always been more than my budget. Ebay has allowed me the luxury of getting the look I want at a fraction of the price I would expect to pay at a trendy designer store. You will be amazed at the transformation of your space and will be thrilled to find you did not have to break the bank to get the look you wanted after all. Pink bed canopy