FROM THE “DUH-WHY-DIDN’T-I-THINK-OF-THIS” DEPARTMENT comes this clever idea courtesy of designers Martha Angus and Phillip King and Metropolitan Home’s Designer Showhouse in San Francisco. To give a boy’s bedroom a clever spin, Angus and King hung striped wallpaper sideways instead of vertically. You could do the same with any striped paper, making a common (and oftentimes inexpensive) pattern feel fresh and bold. I also like the way they incorporated budget  finds, like West Elm’s ubiquitous Parsons Desk, which frequently shows up in high-end interiors, but is on sale right now for a paltry $299.

Photos: Matthew Millman/Metropolitan Home

I LOVE HOME MAKEOVERS (as long as they don’t involve sick children and Ty Pennington). But few are as thrifty as the one that Brad Ford pulled off at his parents’ guesthouse in Russellville, Arkansas. With just one week and less than $3,500, the New York designer transformed the 1,000-square-foot bungalow from bland to beautiful. In an article in Country Living, Ford relates how he draped a throw across the back of a boring sofa instead of reupholstering it, papered the bathroom with color plates torn from a $22 book, and adorned the walls with framed leaves he picked up in the yard. He swapped out some of the pedestrian furnishings for funky finds he found at rummage sales and antiques shops, and augmented them with new pieces from Pier 1 and Target. In the end, Ford proves that it’s personality–not provenance–that counts. 

Photo: Lucas Allen/Country Living

WHEN IT COMES TO DECORATING, I’ve always been a move-the-furniture-around-the-room kind of guy. But all of that changed when I discovered the wealth of free room planners available online. With these fun, easy-to-use programs, you can arrange furniture icons any way you want atop a scale drawing of your room, then print out the results. I’ve tested a number of these, and my favorites include the Jordan’s Furniture Room Planner (above), Bassett’s Room Designer,  and Better Homes and Gardens’ Arrange-a-Room. All three are super-easy to use, and because there’s no actual lifting involved, it frees your mind to try things you might not otherwise consider. Feeling ambitious? Bo Concept’s Furnish takes longer to master and doesn’t work on Macs, but rewards you with 3-D views of your interior, just like the costly professional programs.

WHEN I COULDN’T FIND A LAMP I LIKED for my living room at a price I could afford, I decided to make my own from an inverted vase (above). Practically any item can be turned into a lamp–from jars, vases, candlesticks, wine bottles and driftwood to baskets and musical instruments. Lampmaking kits are available at most hardware stores for less than $15 and contain wiring, a socket, a finial and a harp (the armature that holds the shade). Directions for making a lamp are included in the kit, or you can consult these easy lampmaking instructions from Lowe’s. 

If you don’t want to do the job yourself, consider hiring a professional (you’ll find them in the Yellow Pages under Lighting Fixtures). The cost will depend upon the business and whether the lamp will need to be drilled, mounted on a base, fitted with a special finial, etc. Figure at least a hundred dollars for a simple project with no base to more than $250 for a piece requiring a custom base and matching finial. Shades are extra.

MY EYES ARE STILL SMARTING from staring at the assemblage of gingham and floral tchotchkes that make up Kmart’s new Country Living Collection. Created in partnership with Country Living magazine, the collection is heavy on curtains and tabletop items rendered in shades of red, white and blue. It’s all a bit too Minnie Pearl for my tastes (Kmart has a long way to go if it wants to catch up with Target), but there were a few items that caught my eye. I liked the nickel and black-wood picture frames, and the Begonia Lambswool Area Rug (top) was striking and well priced, at just $129.99 for the 62-by-90 size. For understated chic, it’s hard to beat the Leaf Lantern Collection (above)–and if you buy before October 3, you can get them at half off.

Photos: Kmart

SAY WHAT YOU WILL, but Pottery Barn has done a lot to make chic design affordable. Two pieces jumped out at me from their latest catalog. I totally dig the Benchwright Bookcase ($799), with its cast-iron frame and rustic wood shelves–just the thing to add an industrial kick to an otherwise-conventional interior. And their charming new Hadley Woven Bench ($499) features a woven-rush top that adds a  touch of country without the corn. (It’s a table or bench, giving you two functions in one.) Drawers open from either side, making it perfect for storing all that clutter that collects in a family room.

Photos: Pottery Barn

Nate Berkus' versatile ottoman for HSN sells for $395.95.

IF WE WERE TO SHARE the title of DecoratingGuru with anyone, it might be Nate Berkus, Oprah’s resident interior design expert. The blue-eyed hunk recently introduced his own home furnishings collection for HSN (formerly the Home Shopping Network). The selection includes bedding and a trio of furniture pieces, including the ottoman above. This versatile piece can serve as overflow seating, or double as a coffee table. (Add a tray on top for books, drinks, etc.) And the price point is appealing: just a nickel under 400 bucks.