10 Fun & Unique Decorating Ideas | Budget-Friendly Tips, DIY Ideas For Renters

Well hello. Are you looking for more delight, more drama, more fun, more whimsy, and more overall joy in your decor? Then sit down because I have 10 very fun ideas you will want to steal. This is Laugh Cry DIY, I am Katie, and on this channel I love to give you fun, budget-friendly inspiration to DIY your own home into the oasis of your dreams. And if you're like me, then sometimes you feel like everything in your home is kind of boring. And so, as I have been making over my own home, as well as other spaces, I have been diving into my own inspiration archives to pull fun, cool, creative ideas that feel exciting, that feel easy to incorporate, and most importantly, just feel fun. So today I thought I would do a roundup of 10 fun things that have been inspiring me. Some of these are very fancy, some of them are very easy to DIY, some are thrift-friendly, some you can adapt however you want to whatever taste you have. But I hope they all spark a creative flame to inspire you to do something fun and cool and different in your home. Oh, and of course, if you haven't seen the channel before, I am a color-loving maximalist who tends towards the dramatic, so a lot of these ideas are going to be in that kind of vein. And now, let's jump in with number one, my newest, latest obsession. Can't stop talking about it, won't stop talking about it, and that is lanterns. Specifically, Hoi An lanterns. This is a style of Vietnamese lantern that is inspired by both Chinese and Japanese lantern styles. These come in a ton of different silhouettes, a ton of different colors, they are often hand-painted, and I think they are such a beautiful and unexpected addition to any room. Here's a beautiful example of this blue bedroom. I love how they paired both of these lanterns with a larger one and a smaller one, as well as mixing the pattern and non-pattern. What I especially love about these lanterns is that they are so flexible depending on your style. You can get really large over scale, you can get really small ones, you can go super maximalist like this beautiful collection of lanterns in this hallway. I think this is such a cool and unexpected idea. This is also a great idea if you're looking for some more unconventional party decor. You can also go more minimal with a simple color or a really subtle pattern. I just made over my own bedroom on this channel, I will link that below. I actually sourced my own lanterns and painted my own pattern on them, and they came out so beautifully. They are also a great option for renters because you can just add your own pendant and swoop it over a hook and just plug it in. And let me tell you, I added color changing bulbs to mine and it makes them so gorgeous at night. I also think they are just generally a really cool alternative to a simple kind of rice paper lantern, which those are very beautiful on their own, but they are very simple. So if you like a little more pizzazz or a little more drama, hoy on lanterns. I will link some below if you're interested. And now let's turn our attention to number two. Another unexpected, often underused, but often found at the thrift store item, and that is bird cages. I know when we often think of bird cages, we think of kind of like frou-frou decor or like more Victorian decor, but I do think that there are some really cool interesting ways to incorporate them that aren't as traditional as you think. Now if we're talking just standard decor, I love this beautiful little rattan version up here in the corner. Obviously it's a very beautiful sculptural piece on its own, and it introduces a nice kind of natural material that is kind of unexpected. And honestly, I think we've all seen bird cages that are really true like works of art, so sometimes they are worthwhile just to display or just to hang as they are. But I do think they're very cool when they are used as functional storage. For example, look how clever this is on this little vanity table. They're actually using the bird cage to store other products, and I think that's so interesting and unusual and whimsical. And of course, painting the bird cage that fun pop of orange just adds that much more personality. In that same vein, here's another option where they turned it into a plug-in light. Again, this is very fun and unexpected and whimsical, and I love that this is actually a plug-in version that, again, you can do if you are a renter. Of course, one of the more common ways to use bird cages that I've seen is to repurpose them as planters or plant holders, and honestly there are so many examples of this that just look so beautiful. I especially love kind of come out of it like a cornucopia. It's a beautiful way to reuse it, and again, whether you keep it as it was or you painted a really fun color, it can just be very eye-catching and exciting. I do see bird cages of kind of all sizes oftentimes in the thrift store, so I think if you see one made in a really cool silhouette or with an interesting kind of material, snap it up. All right, next. While we're talking about bird cages, which hold birds, are things that fly and other things that fly. Guys, I'm not always good at transitions. Let's talk about my new other obsession, which is butterfly-shaped mirrors. I personally love sculptural mirrors in any sort of a design, but I will say that ever since I saw this photo right here, I have been so enamored by these antique butterfly-shaped mirrors. It's such a beautiful silhouette. It's such a work of art, and I think it's such a beautiful alternative to a more traditional framed mirror. That said, these types of antique ones are rare, and they are very expensive. However, you can find other butterfly-shaped mirrors, which I think are also beautiful. Here's a gorgeous example, and I love that they didn't even hang this. They kind of leaned it on the bureau. It just creates a kind of cool, layered, unique look, and I really like that. And obviously, I do love a giant butterfly mirror for scale, but you don't actually have to go that big to get a little bit of the essence of it. You can source these in a variety of sizes. For example, there are these small little butterfly mirrors. You can pop one of these anywhere. You can add it to a gallery wall. And honestly, in general, I just love incorporating nature in any way, whether that is imagery or pattern or textures. So I'm telling you, if you are searching for a beautiful addition to any part of your home, add a little baby butterfly or a giant grandmother butterfly. All right, now this next one, I do not have an eloquent or elegant or articulate way to say it. Other than that, it is painting your headboard like the wall behind it to make it look like one cohesive thing. And I'm going to show you two examples of this. Number one is this interesting color-blocked wall. I don't know if you guys can see, but they actually painted the round headboard, which is its own piece, to look like a piece of the wall art behind it. I think this effect is so interesting, and it's so cool when art kind of expands outside its frame or spills onto other items around it. I also think this is a very DIY-friendly thing you can do because it does not require that much artistic talent. It's really just a lot of color blocking. And now I will show you the second and most incredible execution of this, and that is this gorgeous mural. As you can see, they gold-leafed the headboard and added a little bit of the bird's tail spilling right down onto it. It is so whimsical and so unexpected. Kind of makes you do a double take. If you do have wallpaper or a piece of art or something large-scale behind your bed, bringing it onto the headboard can be so cool, so interesting, so fun. And if you do it, I beg, beg, beg you, please send me a photo. Of course, I understand that not everybody is such an epic kind of artist to be able to do that. And so let's talk about another thing that is inspiring me. This is more of a decor kind of trend or technique that is easy for anybody to do, and that is to add one very bold object in the room. Now, obviously in design, we always talk about adding a pop of color, but I am talking about adding a very vibrant, very specific shade into the room in just one or two places. Here is a perfect example of this really bold lantern. Just adding this really highly saturated color just adds that much more interest to the room, and it doesn't have to be that overpowering. Here's another example of doing that in that kind of bright orange-reddish shade. And this is very easy to do with just a chair or an ottoman or a stool. Here's another example of doing that with this beautiful Yves Klein blue chair. And although I am a colorful maximalist, I actually think this is even more effective if you do it in a more neutral space. Here's another example with this really bright yellow sideboard. It's such a dramatic color, but it really adds a lot of cheer. And I think what's cool is that this is a great thing to do with kind of an old piece of furniture you have, whether you paint it or reupholster it. Maybe there's something that's just kind of boring or kind of blah in the room. Painting it a really, really, really saturated shade can just be such a cool thing to do. This is also a great budget-friendly hack if you are afraid to play with color or if you're just not totally sure. Grab a $4 can of spray paint and you can paint a lampshade, paint a lamp base, paint a chair, paint a chair leg, play around. If you don't like it, spend another $4 and change it to another color. Now, on that note, if you are looking for very budget-friendly decor that you can incorporate that you probably already have on hand, why not explore using books as furniture? Here are some of my favorite ways to do that. It's very easy to use books as a coffee table or a side table by simply adding a pane of glass to the top. Here's another great example of just stacking a bunch of books between two chairs. It creates a beautiful little side table or plant stand, as you can see here. And depending on the types of books you get and the size and the scale, you can really play around with whatever your style is. Here's another very simple, very low-key kind of bedside table. This is very budget-friendly, very easy, but I do think that books can make beautiful decor in unexpected ways, and I think they're especially great for giving you the kind of lived-in, relaxed feel that just feels really nice and cozy, but still sophisticated. You also don't have to use them as specific furniture. Just using them as kind of styling props or as plant stands also works. I adore this little bedside vignette where they've just stacked the books up. They don't even show the covers, and I actually think that's even cuter. Of course, books can also be used as shelving and hung on a wall. I love how they just kind of tucked this little column of books in and added that plant on top. It's really subtle, really simple, and it's a really cool use of kind of dead space that might not be used otherwise. And you can customize this in a lot of ways. You could thrift a bunch of books in a particular color palette. You can do a bunch of different sizes. You can sort of twist them so they kind of spiral up. So there are a lot of ways you could play with it, but I do think they are a beautiful, budget-friendly, and unexpected element if you do it the right way. Now, while we're talking about unexpected, let's talk about things that are unexpected, unnecessary, but really fun and overly dramatic. And that is something that has really been catching my eye lately, which is very oversized cabinet hardware. Hardware is an often overlooked feature, but it can really add a lot of design to a space. And lately, I have seen a lot of cool executions like this really cool sideboard. And these can really run the gamut in style. Maybe you are a very bold Hollywood Regency person like me, and you love a lot of this kind of outrageous gold hardware. I did a very fun kind of pop art bathroom makeover where we added really large handles to the vanity just to make it more playful. Maybe you like more natural elements like these really large, oversized wood closet doors. Or maybe you like to be as extra as humanly possible and go for something like these brass jaguar handles. Obviously, I adore these because they are so outrageous, but this is a really fun thing to play with if you're looking for more scale or drama or personality. It can also be a great way to makeover a piece if you are on a limited budget or if you don't want to swap it out entirely. So if you're feeling handy, think about really oversized hardware. All right, next. Let's talk about a handicraft that I think is very cool and that is very due for a resurgence, and that is specifically large macrame planter slash tables. I have been seeing really grand macrame planters pop up on Etsy, and I think they are such a cool statement piece that can be used in really interesting ways. Obviously, using them as planters is the more popular and traditional use, and I just love any version that has multiple tiers or arrangements where you pair different ones of different sizes. I also think they are so cool to add as an unexpected side table. Here's a real vintage piece that is so beautiful. I love that it has the multiple tiers. I love that it has the tassels. It adds such a beautiful texture and kind of sculptural element to that corner. I also love these oversized versions by Forest Feathers on Etsy. She creates these in all sorts of sizes, in all sorts of colors, and these are like three and four feet long, so they are really, really dramatic and they take up a lot of space. Now, obviously, macrame might not be everybody's style. However, they do make multiple sizes, multiple colors, and so I think there's a lot of flexibility in how you can use them. I especially think they're great for any sort of dead corner or dead space that you don't just like quite know what to do with, but you do want an interesting or even kind of dramatic element, especially if it's near a window and can sustain a plant. So make macrame cool again. Next up, let's talk about whimsy. I have been on a mission to make my home more whimsical in various ways, and I really love when you can combine function and form, and so I think we should all be incorporating more functional, whimsical elements into our home. Now, there are a million ways you can do this, but here are some really, really cool ones that I've seen lately. First up, we have these beautiful brass wall diver hooks by Perigold. They have a whole series of these diving figurines, and I actually love them because they are so subtle. You might not notice what they were until you got up close, but I think that they are so pretty and so sculptural and so beautiful that it would bring me a lot of joy to hang a towel or a bag on those hooks every day. Here's another cool example for my more gothy or witchy girls. This cobra snake sconce is really cool. It's kind of creepy, but it's really eye-catching, and it just adds that much more visual interest to the Obviously, this kind of dresses up this little gallery wall moment, but objects like that are so cool. They can very easily stand on their own. Now, of course, you can add whimsy into sculptural objects or hooks or doorknobs or frames or mirrors or pretty much anything, but I also really love when there's a really subtle, unexpected, kind of surprise, whimsical moment, and I almost hesitate to show you this next picture because if you're like me, you are never going to not want this, but check out these hand bed legs on the bed at the Broadway Soho Hotel in London. These gorgeous brass hands hold up the velvet bed all around, and I love that they are something you might miss entirely if you weren't looking out for them. So if you can, add more whimsy in more places and more secret places if you want to make life more fun. And that brings us to today's final item of decor inspiration, and that is something that is also whimsical, also fun, also very common, especially at the thrift store, and that is ceramic animals. Now, I am a dramatic maximalist who loves a lot of kitsch, and ceramic animals are a perfect thing to incorporate into your decor if you like that kind of thing, but I think there are some cool ways to do it that are not just kind of the overwhelming clutter core kind of thing. Of course, I adore a very dramatic animal sculpture, especially if it is flanking a fireplace, and of course this is a common thing we see in Hollywood Regency style, but if that is way too dramatic for you, I think there are other subtle, cuter ways to incorporate it. For example, I love this little ceramic zebra lounging on top of these books. It's a really cute way to create a layered vignette, and I think this would be adorable at a party if it was sitting on top of a stack of napkins. I also love when ceramic animals can be a little bit more functional, so I think these flamingo vases are so cool, and I think they look especially great on that glass table where they look like they are just kind of coming out of water. And of course, we've seen these incorporated into things like lamps. I thrifted a ceramic cat, and sometimes I will add a wireless bulb to turn it into a mini lamp, but sometimes I think even the smallest little animal can add a little personality to something like a bookshelf or a little side table, so I also really adore these little poodle candle holders. They're petite, but they do have a lot of personality, and I think these are a great thing to look out for at the thrift store. You will often see kind of in the trinkets or chalk piece section a bunch of different little ceramic animals. Those can be larger, those can be smaller, and I think that's really cool whether you turn it into a little candle holder, if you maybe glue one to a plate and use that as like a little plant tray. You could paint them, you could spray paint them, you could gold leaf them. There are a lot of options, a lot of things you can do to customize it to your taste, and I firmly believe that every house needs more animals. And that, my dears, is today's roundup of inspiration. I have and will continue to incorporate more of these ideas on my channel. I hope that you will too, and I hope, as always, you will send me pictures. If you like these roundups of tips and decor ideas, I will link my playlist below. You can also catch my recent bedroom makeover, which was full of fun DIYs. However, more importantly, I always want to know what is inspiring you guys, so if you have new obsessions, hyperfixations, products you're lusting after, let me know below. I want to see what's in your brain, I want us all to inspire each other, and I want to create a more fun, personality-packed world. So until next time, stay whimsical, stay inspired, and stay in my inbox showing me what you guys are doing. Okay, bye!