A little goes a long way — Be creative
You don’t need a lot of money to give your home a makeover. In fact, all you need is a creative mind and a little elbow grease. Being thrifty has its benefits and can articulate a sense of style and personality. Nowadays, retro is in fashion and one statement piece can be enough to design a whole room around. Head over to your local thrift store or garage sale and take a peak. You may find a smokin’ deal that catches your eye. You may even find it in your own basement or storage unit.
Find that statement piece
Finding the right statement piece takes a bit of skill, but definitely doable. Find something that says something about your personality. Do you like music? You can find old brass instruments for a jazz ensemble piece. Gather old sheet music and frame as many pieces as you’d like for a musical wall set. Find old paintings in thrift stores and add in your own personal touches. My favorite is adding monsters to thrift store paintings. In my house, I’ve taken old scenery paintings and added monsters somewhere in the setting which gives them uniqueness and also embraces a theme (you could choose any).
Got paint?
Painting is probably the cheapest way to alter your home. Whether it’s the entire room, every room, a single wall, or just a canvas, colors convey moods and connotations. Paint a room with a color that evokes who you are and show a little personality. I chose Ralph Lauren’s Blue Suede for my bedroom. I’m a fan of the color blue and almost everything I wear has blue in it. So, this paint makes me feel comfortable and adds texture to my walls. The walls actually look like they are coved in blue suede! We painted the molding around the edges of the floor white to add a touch of class and pop.
A hidden gem could be some old flooring!
If you’re like me, then you like the look and feel of hardwood floors. This is a little more difficult to pull off but with an electric saw and some careful measuring, we were also able to tear up our old nasty carpet and install vinyl flooring. We have a smaller bedroom, so all we needed was a couple package of vinyl flooring planks we found on Craigslist for around $200 (someone had purchased few too many for their project).
So, in one weekend my girlfriend and I had had completely revamped our ordinary bedroom into a classy, jazzy, and personal palace for a grand total of $275. Using the same technique and creativity, we also managed to customize our living room and kitchen on the weekends to follow. I love our home because we surrounded it with our artwork and ideas that define who we are.