However, just because you're on a tight budget doesn't mean that designer looks and sleek finishes are out of your reach.

Follow our guide to cheat's chic:

Discount shopping is savvy shopping One of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping European villages, Kildare Village Outlet offers hefty discounts on an array of interiors collections. Typical bargains include a Grecian windlight with a recommended retail price of Euro120, down to Euro84 at Kenneth Turner; a Le Cube White Espresso Coffee Maker with an RRP of Euro305, selling for Euro184 at Home & Cook; and Bedeck 300 thread count cotton sateen double fitted sheets down from Euro40 to Euro28 at Designers' Guild which is also great for children's duvet covers, supersoft towels, frames, rugs and garden furniture and outdoor cushions.

You'll also find French cookery label Le Creuset's previous season's collections in different hues. One of the bestsellers at Descamps is the Helena Springfield hand-embroidered percale bedlinen. Bring bling into the bathroom at Move where Swarovski hand towels sell for Euro19 to Euro25.

Pick up on the trend for bamboo accessories and monochrome towels here and also watch out for the suction bathroom accessories that don't require drilling. You'll also find a nifty tray table for Euro53.85; plenty of other smart storage including plain and multicoloured baskets; and fun slogan towels.

Nature-inspired tableware is modish and you'll be spoilt for choice at Villeroy & Boch, which stocks the Palm, Palm Garden and Palm Leaf fine china. It's also great for glasses and children's cutlery sets.

The Italian Lagostina saucepan range is exclusively available at Home & Cook which also carries Jamie Oliver's range and Tefal's compact cookware, which promises to save kitchen space by 50%.

At Orshof, run by the van Orshoven family from Belgium, who came to run the Christmas shop at the Outlet and stayed on, the shabby chic look can be put together with lots of distressed tables and accessories, including candleholders, available.

For those still searching for the perfect al fresco pieces, there's dried centerpieces which can be filled up with flowers; double woven placemats; Italian terracotta plates;

lanterns for terraces; and rabbit-shaped wire planters.

Also check out the funky print tends at Tog 24 and the liquid hand wash and hand creams at Molton Brown.

There's always something new at the outlet, with Oneida the latest addition.

Trade with the trades By placing an order at a trade exhibition or show, you will often secure a discount. Sometimes you may be lucky enough to walk away with a demo kitchen or other piece of fab furniture for a fraction of the original price. Just make sure it measures up to your living space.

Slip into neutral Using a neutral background, for example, different tones of white walls, allows you to choose furniture that can be strikingly framed by the background, says Jason O'Shaughnessy of Architecture 53Seven in Portlaoise. Salvaged pieces can work very well against this backdrop and will bring character to the space, he says.

Look around too for other areas that can be perked up with a lick of paint such as worn stairs.

Cook the books Keep kitchen costs down by avoiding splashing out on a very expensive kitchen which could date. "Try going to a kitchen manufacturer, buying doors there and getting a counter pre-cut, " O'Shaughnessy suggests.

"For splashbacks, go to your local glazier and get laminate diffused glass or sheets of mirror which can be bound to existing tiles to avoid labour costs." Use the money you've saved to splash out on terrific taps.

Storage savers Double height doors normally used to cover fridges, available from kitchen manufacturers, can cover simple shelving, O'Shaughnessy says.

Using pre-lacquered doors in large planes can make for sophisticated styling. Bed frames made by a local joiner can incorporate plenty of clever storage, such as bookshelves.

In bathrooms, awkward alcoves can be put to work by transforming them into shelving to hold rolled up towels and some carefully edited cosmetics for a dash of hotel chic.

Light approach to living Good lighting can make a huge difference to a room.

O'Shaughnessy recommends using several recessed lighters on different vertical and horizontal surfaces. "Alternatively you could get away with daylight tubes in standard fluorescent fittings or expose linear fluorescent tubes in recessed lighting pockets."

Floor show Flooring dictates the feel of the room and it's something that we don't tend to change too often. It's worth spending on good quality covering or waiting for the sales for this major purchase.

Watch out for bargain priced polyurethane resin flooring. Keep your eyes peeled too for tile displays that have been known to be given away; and end of lines going for a song. Otherwise, keep the cash for porcelain tiles;

semi-solid or solid wooden flooring or carpets with a high wool content.

Ware it well Sanitary area is another area worth splashing out on as it's something you use and see every day and can really add to the overall finish of a home.

Either hold on for sales or trawl the showrooms for special discounts.

Get mobile If there's a possibility that you'll be moving house in the near future, buy as many mobile pieces as possible, rather than getting corner units and other major pieces of furniture specially made for specific areas.

Ligne Roset's 'Travel' storage is a mobile programme of storage furniture for people constantly on the move. The range consists of sideboard units with two doors or four drawers, tall cupboards with hinged or space-saving 'bus' doors, and a bedside table with two drawers.

Interior finishes come in ribbed red, white or aluminium laminate.

Don't discount asking Many small shops and familyowned businesses will - and do - offer discounts, especially to those making several big purchases and paying in cash.

Ask and you may receive. Otherwise, enquire about forthcoming promotions or sales and consider waiting for them for major outlays.

Accessorise all areas Inexpensive furnishings and home accessories can be picked up at TX Maxx which offers up to 60% off homewares.

Heaton's is another good bet for up-to-the-minute looks at knockdown prices. Just a few cushions, throws, frames or vases can help devise a stylish seasonal interior that picks up the latest looks without breaking the bank.