With a little bit of bargain hunting, planning, and some DIY you can turn a drab room into something that you enjoy. My boyfriend’s mother wanted her living room to be inspired by French country style, and we did it on just a $550 budget!
Before I get into the details of this transformation, you really need to see the before pictures.
They had just purchased this house, and the house was in need of a lot of updates. Maroon-beige walls, dated pink marble, and old fixtures. The furniture originally in the room was much too small for the size of this room (luckily that furniture went with the previous home-owners).
After a fresh coat of paint, the room was already on it’s way to looking lovely.
Anyone who’s ever purchased a home knows how things like paint and repairs can add up. So the budget was going to be tight.
Whenever you’re working with a small or modest budget, keeping expensive pieces (like a couch) is a great way to save money. And luckily she already had a nice cream colored wingback chair.
We decided that a slip cover would do the trick in giving the floral couch an updated French country look. I purchased fabric and poly-fill from Joann’s to make new pillows.
Bargain Hunting
Pretty much everything for this living room makeover was either on-sale, pre-owned, DIY-ed, or free. I did a lot, and I mean a lot of price checking, bargaining, and asking.
Maybe you will learn a couple of things! The first thing I’d like to share is that there’s a free section on craigslist (*update Facebook Marketplace has this too*). You do have to check it a lot, but I’ve found great floral arrangements and such on there.
Also, whenever I’m doing a budget makeover I will reach out to family and friends to see if they have anything they don’t want. You might be surprised at some of the hidden treasures people keep in their garage and spare closets.
In fact, the chests (that are tucked into the right corner by the windows) were up in garage rafters. They had been covered in checkered craft paper. But I used a heat gun to remove it—and violá.
Another handy trick is looking to see if there are coupons or apps that can get you discounts at major retailers (such as Joann’s, & Overstock). You might be surprised that a lot of times you can use coupons on already discounted items. And that’s a double win.
I made quite a few purchases at Kirkland’s because they have an app called “Spin to Win” where you’re given a deal a day, and I used that a lot.
Living Room Makeover Purchases
So here’s the breakdown of what I bought, and where I bought it:
- Slip Cover from Overstock – $77.78
- Jute Rug from Overstock – $89.99
- Lamp & Black Side Table from Kirkland’s – $92.96
- Big mirror & two small side mirrors from Kirkland’s – $60.97
- Glass Cylinders from Ross – $10.87
- Coffee Table from Craigslist- $45
- Glass Jar (on coffee table) from TJMaxx – $10.86
- Fabric & Poly-fill (for pillows) from Joann’s- $27.15
- Large Flower Picture from HomeDepot – $59.97
- Lace drapes from Walmart – $11.45
- Hydrangeas from Joann’s – $45
- Wood & Stain (for flower box) from HomeDepot – $10
I’d love to hear from you and how you’ve pulled off a budget makeover!
