Apartment decorating on a budget in L.A.

Interior design is one of those endeavors that can capture your entire time and budget if you let it. It’s so easy to get carried away when you like what you’re doing and you find pleasure in beauty and style.

The good thing is there are plenty of ways to enhance the looks of an interior even if we’re on a tight budget; you just have to look in the right direction, get creative and draw inspiration from the natural world. After all, our great outdoors is the greatest creation ever.

Bring in a few natural elements, wicker furnishings, a vintage wooden chest or an old suitcase, a woven rattan bar cart or even some shells and pebbles you collected from the beach.

Twigs and branches can be used for a very dramatic effect in a bedroom for instance; or invite the tropical breeze inside your bathroom by adopting a nautical theme and decorating with vintage prints of shells, coral, and sea life.

Frames can be an inexpensive solution to upgrade your interiors. Make your own comfy nook by adding some memorable pictures to a wall in the bedroom, complemented by attention-getting frames; or add oomph to your living room with special, one-of-a-kind framed prints.

Sometimes I think it’s all in the little details. Small pieces of décor, varying in terms of shape, texture and color, can add depth and dimension even to small apartments. Glitzy mirrors, patterned accent pillows, stylish lamps or energizing greenery are all inspired choices if you’re looking for a way to breathe new life into a dull space.

Flea markets and vintage stores are great places to shop for unique and fairly priced home accessories. Luckily for us, Los Angeles abounds with antique and consignment stores. The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena is now world famous for hand-picked finds and charming old pieces, as well as great summer events. Last year, the HISTORY® Cross-Country Cookout Tour stopped by the Rose Bowl featuring the impressive 80–foot Ultimate Smoker and Grill which has the capacity to cook up to 2,000 pounds of BBQ at once!