wow...when I redecorate I usually make money on the deal...lol!  Due to the fact that I have a yard sale and sell the stuff I'm getting rid of.  I visit an online Mag that rocks like you would never believe, its called Ready Made and it is for the serious recycler.  http://readymademag.com/  check out their archived issues, they have so many projects that can be made for pennies on the dollar...and even for free in some cases. They even have a forum!  I am CHEAP and I am PROUD!

You're certainly not crazy. I think that is expensive. Like you, I am a fan of Decorating Cents, especially the end part where they give rooms a makeover by rearranging items in them. In most instances, people already have the furniture and accessories needed to create an attractive space. They just need to be creative and have a financially conservative mindset.

 However, even if you did want to re-do the room, you could certainly follow the $1,000 or less limit if you weren't buying completely new furnitures. For furniture, sometimes you can find great deals at the local thrift store (especially the Salvation Army) or a used furniture store.  Also, look on craigslist. Often, people will sell perfectly good items for low prices just because they are desperate to get rid of them or have bought something new as a replacement! One man's trash is another man's treasure. It is not necessary to buy the new top of the line Hemingway collection in order to have nice, functional furniture. Like you, I got almost all of my apt. furnishings as cast off's from family members. They may not be fancy, but they work well for me, and it would be a waste to have a fully functional recliner or loveseat go to the dump just because they are not new and shiny.

orbisongirl:

In most instances, people already have the furniture and accessories needed to create an attractive space.

This is why I am going to be looking at spending more than we ever have. We don't have the furniture to work with except for some old damaged cast offs that we are making do with until we can get better pieces.

To get quality furniture new you're going to pay quite a lot of money. I am a furniture snob, I only buy pieces that I think will be long lasting. I paid $500 used for our bed, but its a queen's captains bed that's solid oak. I intend to keep it the rest of my life, I love that bed. If you go to Ikea you could probably do a room for under 1k. All of our rooms come out to less than that, but that's because all our decorations, etc. are things I picked up as souveniers or from thrift shops over the years.

Jayme:

I intend to keep it the rest of my life, I love that bed. If you go to Ikea you could probably do a room for under 1k

Ikea is not a local store for me. After looking at their site though, I wasn't too upset about that, lol. I hope that it's just the way they set up rooms to show the furnishings because their sense of style is not appealing to me.

I think that 2000 dollar budget is intended to include all new furniture for the room plus curtains and bed sheets/comforter and a few pictures or decorative items.  If furniture isn't included, that's an awful lot of knick-knacks. But I guess it does make a difference in the cost if they are buying 5 thousand thead-count sheets that were hand-woven by Egyptian nobility.

I think it is easy to spend $2000 and more if you bought all new furniture, pictures etc at the same time.  I am assuming most of us buy bit by bit. I don't think I have $2000 worth of furniture (what I paid for it) in the livingroom, including the tv!  if I count dvds and toys plus birds cages definitely. Dh lord of the rings collection is a different story.   The last thing we bought was the bookcase from Ikea $130 for my birthday last year. 

We got a nice kids rocker recently from a friend. 

We have to spend money on painting the living room but it needs it.    The most expensive things we have bought besides the fridge and stove was our bed mattresses $1100 and our antique (30's)duncan piffe dining room set $1600 table/4 chairs/china cabinet/buffet.

I work for a cleaning service as a supervisor you should see the beautifully decorated houses we go to , thay look that way for a total of 2 mo until the kids, pets, and husband start using it and they spent around 10,000 for a decorator. I buy only used or free, if its worn I use a cover for it and keep everything nice neat and clean. Everyone who comes over says it looks like a cottage or shabby chic, I called it thirft store/ yard sale chic. My latest purchase a chair for 3 dollars nothing wrong with it fabric good and my cats love it !!!!,

From someone who's spent weeks stripping layer after layer of wallpaper off, weeks of stripping paint from doors & moulding, and is currently in the process of stripping ashfault tile & tarpaper adhesive off the floor to get to the hardwood floor underneith...yes rooms can cost $2k. I if paid someone to do the room I'm working on right now it would be 2K just for the contractors never mind the new furnishing.

That's a tough question, but NO you're not crazy for thinking you can decorate for less!  I happen to love the shabby chic look, and I love to see new ways to repurpose things.  I'd also say that the answer depends on the room!  Kids' rooms for example, in my opinion, should be much less, since kids interests change quickly as they grow.  Adults' bedrooms may be an area to invest in classic styles that will last decades; therefore, you'd want to spend a little more.  Livingrooms and dining rooms are seen by guests, and may be an area to invest in furnishings that are both durable and stylish. 

All in all, I'd say the answer depends on your priorities, tastes, purposes for the room!  The most important thing is to decide the answers to these questions and set your budget accordingly!  Good luck!  I'd love to see what you come up with!