Good budgeting is all about saving money, just like how good interior is all about saving and utilizing the space in your home so that one can have a lot of stuff without having a lot of clutter.  There are a lot of ways to save space through your home, whether it be storage boxes under the bed, bookcases, drawers.  But there are also a lot of other ways to save space that you may not know about, such as keeping things stored inside your bed! Here are three ways of unusual storage that you might not know about that can really minimize the clutter in your home.

1. In-furniture storage
Blanket Box and other storage companies have created furniture that incorporate storage space within your furniture.  That includes being able to put things under your bed, under your chair, inside your chair, etc. It’s definitely a great way to store things that you don’t usually use and keep them out of sight for unneeded clutter.

2. Mirrors
What’s become trendy lately is mirror furniture that has storage space incorporated into it, such as shelves on the sides of mirrors.  Mirrors are also a fantastic way of making a room seem bigger by reflecting the rest of the room.  Not only can you put things such as jewelry and other vanity items near your mirror, but also create a more comfortable atmosphere.

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Most homes today are decorated in a more casual or family friendly style rather than the formal don’t-touch-anything style of past generations. However, this formal look can create an elegant and luxurious atmosphere that is lacking in many homes today. The question is…is this a look that you could really maintain and enjoy? Before you start planning your home’s interior design or choose to decorate your home or single room in a formal decorating style, consider the functionality and upkeep that go along with maintaining this classical, and often expensive, design style.

Formal home décor usually involves using dark, intricately carved hardwood furniture and floors. They are often coated in shiny, highly polished lacquered finishes to reflect the lights and attract the eye’s attention. This can be a sleek and expensive look, but it can also collect dust and is easily marred with fingerprints and smudges. Wood furniture and floors need to be dusted, polished, and mopped on a regular basis to keep them looking clean and luxurious.

Some formal rooms use dark leather sofas, chairs, frames, or accessories and these also can easily accumulate dust. In addition, leather needs to be treated with moisturizers on a regular basis to keep it from cracking or fading. Leather furniture can also be difficult to repair if ripped or stained, so if you have pets or small children you might want to reconsider leather furnishings.

Long, thick drapes of heavy velvets or expensive silks are often used in formal rooms to add a sense of height and warmth to the room. Decorative, boxed cornices might be used over the windows and rope tieback with large tassels might hang from the drapes. While beautiful, these are other locations that you might not expect dust to accumulate. Since darker fabrics are generally used in formal rooms, dust can be seen more easily than on lighter fabrics.

Another thing to consider with formal rooms is the practicality of them. Oftentimes these rooms are only used for very special occasions once or twice a year and when they are used you spend the time worrying that someone will spill a drink, drop some food, or break a fine antique. The stress of worrying that your precious formal room will be ruined can often lead to the room not being used at all.

So, before you decide to spend a lot of money decorating your dream room in a formal décor style, consider the maintenance and practicality of the room itself. While a formal room can be a wonderful place to entertain or display your finer collectibles, it can also be a commitment that you might not necessarily want to keep.

Don’t look now, but those retro designs so popular in the 1970′s are back! Perhaps it’s because kids leaving their parents’ homes and establishing their own are raiding family attics and basements and hauling out all that stuff their parents started out with 30 years ago. Or maybe it’s that a modular sofa from the 1970′s is easier to find and less expensive to purchase than, say, a Queen Ann desk actually made during Queen Ann’s day.

Whatever the reason, retro 70′s décor is hot again, and those ebullient patterns and colors so beloved by decorators then are making a big comeback as well. If you love the 70′s look, here are some tips for 70′s style furnishings and accessories to bear in mind while designing your funky space:

• Use strong colors: Brilliant orange upholstery, walls painted in cobalt blue and turquoise, bright red plastic chairs, Navajo rugs, and brightly patterned fabrics from Marimekko.
• Think big, big and bigger: Oversized art like huge Robert Rauschenberg prints, massive cantilever floor lamps and big fat floor pillows for sitting and casual entertaining.
• Go modular whenever possible: Entertainment centers with spaces for television, stereo and books, inflatable furniture, and trendy assemble-it-yourself furnishings from stores like Ikea.
• Choose multiple textures: Suede pillows, leather, hard plastic dining chairs, a vinyl covered bean bag chair, flokati area rugs, and nubby cotton upholstery.
• Get graphic: Swirling avocado and turquoise draperies, Andy Warhol prints, and rugs with big, graphic blocks of primary colors.
• Order organic: Lamps featuring light globes shaped like mushrooms, painted wicker furniture on the porch and in the kitchen, as well as earth tones for the exterior of buildings.

Where to find 1970′s furnishings?

You can stock your retro rooms from many sources. Families and flea markets are among the best. Thrift shops are also excellent sources; in fact, if you can, make friends with someone who works at your best local thrift or secondhand furniture store and asked to be called when 70′s furnishings and home décor accessories come in.

While there are still plenty of 70′s sofas, tables, chairs, art work and rugs around to choose from, be prepared to pay top dollar if you find a Danish modern dining set or an Italian chrome lamp in excellent or mint condition. You’re not the only person looking-fleas and thrifts are where most dealers get their 70′s stock, too. Stores specializing in mid-century to 1980 furnishings can be found in every city, but buying from them can cost a bundle. Before you buy from one, get an idea of what 70′s items are actually bringing by checking out prices for the items you seek on eBay.

The retro world awaits you…If funky patterns and outrageous colors are your passion when it comes to your home or apartment’s interior design, be diligent in your search for genuine 1970′s treasures and look in unusual places for great finds. Groovy, baby!