Free home planning tool
Estimate your room makeover before you spend a dollar.
Use the CHAGAS Decor Budget Calculator to plan a realistic USD range by room size, condition, labor style, shopping level, timeline, and the exact items you need.
USD
Clear US-style estimates.
Itemized
Line-by-line ranges and tips.
Shareable
Save choices in the URL.
Calculator checks
- Room size in square feet.
- DIY, mixed, or pro labor.
- Safety cushion included.
Fresh notes
Featured posts
Home Organization & Optimisation
First Things to Buy When You Move Into a New Home, in Order
A priority order for what to buy when you move into a new home: the true night-one list, what can wait a month, and the purchases people regret buying early.
Interior Decor & Styling
How Far Should You Sit From a TV in a Small Living Room?
How far should you sit from a TV in a small living room? Match screen size to your real distance, and fix eye level, glare and off-angle seats before you buy.
Interior Decor & Styling
12 Texture Layering Ideas for a Warm Neutral Living Room
Twelve texture layering ideas for a warm living room: where the coarsest weave belongs, how to match sheen instead of color, and when texture reads as noise.
Interior Decor & Styling
12 Warm Neutral Bedroom Ideas With Layered Linen and Wool
Warm neutral bedroom ideas that stay warm instead of flat: choosing undertones, layering linen with wool in three weights, and one tone to anchor it all.
Interior Decor & Styling
12 Cabin-Style Decor Ideas for a Small City Apartment
Cabin-style decor ideas for a city apartment: wool, pine, worn utility objects, and warm low light that work with no fireplace and no timber beams.
Interior Decor & Styling
12 Olive Green Living Room Ideas With Warm Wood Tones
Olive green living room ideas that stay warm, not muddy. How olive differs from sage, which wood tones and neutrals suit it, and how much olive is too much.
Free home planning tools
Plan your room in two steps
Step 1
Room Style Finder
Pick your room, mood, colors, and budget energy. Get a clear style direction, practical decor moves, and safe Pinterest inspiration searches.
Step 2
Decor Budget Calculator
Build a realistic USD range by room size, condition, labor plan, shopping style, timeline, and the exact items you need, with a safety cushion built in.
Meet Isabella
Real homes need warmth, storage, scratches, sunlight, and a little cat supervision.
CHAGAS Home Decor is written by Isabella CHAGAS, a Brooklyn-based home decor writer and single mum of two cats. Her approach is personal and practical: make the room work first, make it beautiful next, and never design a home that cannot handle real life.
Read Isabella’s storyHelpful answers
Frequently asked questions
What is CHAGAS Home Decor actually for?
It is a warm, practical corner of the internet for anyone who wants a home that feels calmer and works better, without pretending life is perfectly styled. You will find free tools to plan a room and a budget, honest decorating and organization guides, and small ideas you can try this weekend. Think less "perfect showroom" and more "a home that can handle real life, kids, cats, and a tight month."
I am not sure where to start. Which tool should I use first?
It depends on what is on your mind. If you keep saying "I do not even know what look I want," start with the Room Style Finder to settle the mood, colors, and direction first. If you already have a clear picture and your real worry is money, jump straight into the Decor Budget Calculator to get a realistic cost range. And if you are feeling stuck, the Style Finder is the gentler place to begin.
Are the budget estimates real quotes I can rely on?
No, and it is important to be honest about that. The calculator gives you practical planning ranges in USD so you can walk into a project with a rough number instead of a blank page. Your real costs will shift with where you live, whether you hire help, the quality you choose, delivery, sales tax, and how much you already own. Treat the estimate as a starting map, then confirm actual prices before you buy.
Do the Pinterest links copy or steal images?
Not at all. The Style Finder simply builds a normal Pinterest search link based on your answers and opens it in a new tab, exactly as if you had typed the search yourself. The site never scrapes, downloads, stores, or displays Pinterest images. You stay on Pinterest's own pages to browse and save whatever inspires you.
Is everything really free, and do I need an account?
Yes, everything here is free, and no, you do not need to sign up, log in, or hand over an email to use the tools. You can plan a whole room without creating a single account. The optional newsletter is the only place you would share an email, and that is completely up to you.
Home decor for real New York living
CHAGAS Home Decor is written from Brooklyn, so the advice here is shaped by how people actually live in New York City. Space is tight, light is precious, and most of us are working with a lease instead of a blank canvas. That changes how you decorate. You lean on vertical storage, warm lighting, and removable upgrades rather than knocking down walls.
New York style is not one look. A pre-war apartment with original moldings asks for something different than a new-build studio or a Brooklyn brownstone floor-through. What ties them together is making a small, busy home feel calm and personal. Warm neutrals, a few natural textures, and one or two pieces you love will do more than a room full of trendy buys.
We write for that reality. Whether you are styling a shoebox studio in Manhattan, sharing an apartment in Queens, or refreshing a rental in Brooklyn over a weekend, the goal stays the same: a home that works hard, feels warm, and still feels like yours.
See what we create on Pinterest
Follow along for warm, practical home decor ideas, and save the ones you love to your own boards.