Living Room Remodel- Budget Reveal

Everything in our Living Room Remodel 

was purchased used from craigslist or a thrift store. 

This is a true design on a budget. 

Before-Vintage Magnavox Stereo Cabinet- $10 craigslist

After- Sanded, primed and painted Heirloom White, gray paint on detailing, quatrefoil metal sides, original hardware spray painted bronze. 2 front panels removed to make way for stereo equipment. 2 other panels converted into functional drawers. Inside was gutted and re-framed. About $80 in lumber materials, $30 pressed metal, $30 primer/paint. Total estimated cost: $140.00 

Before- Oak Side Table with wooden appliques-$10 Savers

After- Sanded, primer and painted Heirloom White with gray glazing on detailing. Original hardware repainted from brass to bronze. Total estimated cost $15 in spray paint.

Before- Vintage Amber Glass lamp with Brass
$5 craigslist

After- All metal painted bronze, light diffuser removed,
and long rod taken off. No cost- already had the paint.

Before- Picture Frames. All purchased from Turnstyles thrift store for about $25

Before- Antique Frame. No antique photos
were harmed in the making of my project-it
was just a paper copy that I threw away.
craigslist $10

                                                                                      Before- Old Frame with Gone with the    Wind style fake painting. craigslist $15

We walled off the E door on the side of the house and put in this custom picture window that looks like an antique leaded glass window, but new and efficient. Seavie built all the trim around the window to match the existing (which was new when we remodeled it the first time about 7 years ago)The piano moved to this little nook, and it's the perfect spot. All the items on top of the piano are from a previous post, but 1/2 were free, or I already had. The new addition is the tray in the middle was only $2 from Turnstyles. 

We sold all of our existing furniture/decor in efforts to only use a good part of the
$ from items sold for our remodel cost.
We sold our old micro suede couch for $100, 4 of our extra parsons chairs for $100, piano lamp for $40, old shutter for $25, white frieze rug for $35.
Equaling $300 to go to new furniture for our remodel.

This olive green loveseat/oversized chair/chaise lounge of sorts was only $100 on craigslist.

I just adore it. Seavie still doesn't feel the love. I already had all the pillows on the window seat and couch except for 2, which match the loveseat perfectly- which were $10 total from Savers. The rug I bought from my friend Teryn (that was her landlords) for $15.

The 2 slipper chairs are a brown velvet material, and they were $150 for the pair from craigslist.
The unpainted table(soon to be painted) was $15 on craigslist, and the green 
vintage lamp was $5 at salvation army.

We found this real leather couch on craigslist for only $50. It took a little elbow grease and some amazing leather cleaner/conditioner, but it looks as good as new. 
And super comfy.
The best part is that it had a Nintendo DS lite in it, just a few years old- for FREE. Score! 
Braden had been asking for one forever, but we hadn't got one due to cost. 
Problem solved :)

***We saved on cost, because we had already replaced the trim, windows, and blinds 7 years ago, and all that stayed. As well as all the pillows from the window seat.***

Here's the cost breakdown:                     

1.Leather Couch $50                               

2.Loveseat $100                                     

                                       3. Two Slipper Chairs $150 

                                                            

                                                 4.End Table $15 

                                                             

                                                5.Side Table $10  

                                                            

                                             6.Vintage glass lamp $5

                                                            

                                           7.Vintage green lamp $5

                                                            

                                              8.Oriental Rug $15    

                                                            

                                        9.Picture frames for wall collage $25

                                                          

                                     10.Two large picture frames $25 

                                                          

                                11. Two med.size frames $15 (craigslist)

12.Record Cabinet $10                           

13. Two pillows $10

Total:                      $435.00                    

Craigslist items sold -$300.00                     

-------------------------------------                  

Actual cost to us:      $135.00                   

paint for table         +$   15.00

materials ent.cent.  +$ 130.00

paint for frames      +$  15.00

2 gallons paint         +$  60.00

-------------------------------------------

Cost+Materials=         $355.00 Grand total spent

 Had these all been purchased new they would have cost around:

                            1. Leather couch      $800

                            2.Loveseat              $400

                            3.Two Slipper chairs $300
                            4.End table              $100

                            5.Side table            $50

                            6.Vintage glass lamp $75 (on ebay)

                            7. Vintage green lamp $50                            
                            8. Oriental Rug $300

                            9-11.Random picture frames $200+
                           12.Record Cabinet   $350
                           13.Two pillows $30

                                     Total new: $2655.00

                                      paint       +$   60.00
                           -------------------------------------                  
                                     New cost   $2715.00

This is my version of design on a dime, except in my case, the budget was not $1000, which I don't consider a cheap remodel. This came in at $135 for accessories, and $220 for materials, equaling $355.00 total for an entire Living Room remodel. That's only 13% of what the cost would have been brand new. It helps tremendously to know what you're getting a good deal on and looking for high quality items that are sold really cheap or discounted. If I never said how much I'd spent, no one would ever know otherwise. Why waste all that money new, when you can do so much with refurbished items and sell old things to trade out with what you want to replace it with.

It also helps that I'm an Interior Designer by trade, and my hubby is a Professional Woodworker by trade.

 But I honestly didn't become passionate about savings and fun decor until I had to stare at this previously boring space for the last 9 years and envision what it could become. It's so fun to think outside of the box and be creative with design and re-purposing. I'm always looking for fun spaces to redesign :)


***Disclaimer- I apologize for this horrible formatting- still getting used to the new blogger design***