Crafty short

If you have piles and piles of books with no where to put them and no space (or money) for a book shelf, just arrange them in an old wooden box! No need to buy new furniture.

You could probably also do this with a plastic crate that garden shops sometimes give away for cheap, if not free. In my mind, I see a black crate spray painted a metallic, shimmery gray around the edges and stacks of books rising out of it. You could also stack chunky reference books or encyclopedias against the wall & crown them with potted plants. Something like this:

The possibilities are endless. Don’t let lack of furniture limit your design potential. Here’s my little reading corner:

Thrifty, yet still cozy.
You can also see a little sliver of my white ikea dresser on the left. It was devoid of personality and I was considering the arduous task of putting my clothes in storage, priming and painting it (it’s so heavy and clunky) until one day I just threw a scarf on it. And presto! change-o! A dresser with attitude.

What are your frugal designing tricks? Please share