Home is where the heart is, right? We have all heard this well-known phrase that captures the importance of creating a loving home, where memories are made and relationships are strengthened. This feature is all about designing a home that you can put your heart into, while staying within a budget.

Lauren Boyack believes that every person should feel comfort and joy within the walls of their own home, regardless of income or ownership status. As a newly married couple, Lauren and her husband were both working to finish school and their living conditions were less than glamorous. “Most of our furniture consisted of ‘hand-me-downs’ and Craigslist finds. Our old mattress sat on a box spring, and we used a moving box as a nightstand for longer that I would have liked.” Lauren admits.

She couldn’t afford to completely renovate each space, but learned how to achieve a stylish ambiance through furniture and decoration. “Regardless of how old, outdated, or for lack of a better word, ugly our apartments were, I longed to make these temporary spaces feel like ‘home’. The home I wanted!” Lauren said.

Lauren has learned that it is possible to love your home on a budget. She has experience with creating a loving home, where memories can be made and relationships can be strengthened. Here are the following tips that she has shared with us:

• Go big

While small scale furniture and accessories seem like an obviously better choice due to the consequently smaller price tag, it also makes a small impact and usually doesn’t achieve a big enough footprint for the space. Bigger is almost always better! If you can afford it, go big. You won’t regret it and you won’t waste money on other “stuff” trying to improve the small vignette you can’t quite get right.

• Balance comfort and style

There has to be a balance between function and style. Find what your balance is and choose how to invest from there. Doing so will save you from wasting money on dysfunctional pieces in the long run. I’m willing to spend a little more on something that I find comfortable and stylish looking. I won’t spend very much on a stylish accent chair that I know is just for fluff and won’t be sat on often.

• Rugs are not necessary, but highly encouraged

Regardless of your flooring, a good rug is always the biggest statement in the room. The rug sets the mood for the entire room and can also be an affordable way to cover up floors you may not love. I know, rugs are expensive, but save those pennies and splurge on something timeless that you will love for years to come.

• Ignore trends and follow your (design) heart

Too many times I have spent money on trendy items, only to hate them a year later. Trends are constantly changing and unless you want to constantly be chasing to keep up with them, you will need to somewhat ignore them and stick to what makes you happy. What appeals to YOU will keep a much longer shelf life in your heart and home. It will keep you from shelling out cash with each changing season.

• Create ambiance with lamps

As a little girl, I would string Christmas lights across my bedroom walls for the holidays and find any excuse to leave them up long after Christmas was over. I loved the ambiance of twinkling lights. The cozy, happy feelings those lights created were feelings that sang “home” to me. Lamps are the best way to achieve this without any stringing involved. When you turn the overhead lights off and a lamp on, it creates a romantic glow and give your home a special touch.

• Patience is key

My biggest piece of advice is to be patient. I have slowly put my home together over months of comparing, searching, and waiting for just the right pieces at just the right prices. Patience will save you money and keeps you from making impulse buys that you don’t LOVE quite as much as you should. In the world of the internet, the “dupe” is commonly used as a term for “duplicate” or something similar at a lesser price point. I love to find “dupes” to high-end pieces and spend a fraction of the cost while getting a similar look.

Lauren wants people to remember that while designing your home on a budget does require a little extra effort, the end result is rewarding. “I find peace in knowing that my family loves to be at home. No matter how big or small, old or new…home is what you make it!” she said.

Follow Lauren on Instagram for more inspiration on how to design your home on a budget here: @larshome