How to create a great room and not spending much money

The obvious answer is diy and shop around.

First of all get a color scheme. Think of a main color, one that you really love and work around it. I love turquoise, mint and very pale blue - and the combination of all these colors.

Quilting was one of the crafts I tried before I started making handbags. I loved doing it as I was also working with fabrics. The only drawback for me, was the fact that it took so long before I finished one. Halfway through one quilt I had ideas about doing other ones and had to wait until I finished the one I was doing because otherwise it would never be finished.

But you can still get a great quilt when you use large squares and this does not take a lot of time.

Years ago, while visiting Singapore, I bought a stack of silk fabrics and I had the idea of using some of the fabrics to make a quilt for the guestroom. This turned out fine. It was machine sewn but I quilted it by hand in the evening while watching TV.

I also made the cushions on the bed using vintage doilies and vintage lace from charity/thrift shops, fake pearls from old pieces of jewellery, glass beads and embroidered celtic motives on some of them to pull them all together. I crocheted the valence around the bed and the curtains are made of an Indian sari. I think the overall effect is quite good.

In a charity shop, that is run by a friend of mine, I found this beautiful vintage handpainted Hungarian coffee service. Okay, some of the gold on the cups is rubbed off and I only have 5 cups but the colour and the painted flowers are beautiful. 

I have placed the service on a cane carrying tray (also from a charity/thrift shop), which I painted light blue and decoupaged the tray itself with roses.

Of course the lampshades complement this colour scheme and so do a few more bits and pieces like the vase I once got as a christmas present. I love this room!