Makeover Any Space on a Low Budget

 

Are you looking for inspiration or ideas for a low budget home makeover? I recently turned an empty guest room into a cozy, curated office, craft, hobby, content creation room, by spending very little money and using items I already own.

If that sounds like you’re kind of vibe, I may be able to offer you some tips.

In this blog post, I’ll share 5 questions that helped me plan a low budget office makeover. These questions can be incorporated into any room or space makeover you might be thinking about.

These questions will help you:

• Choose your design
• Set a budget for your makeover
• Create a space for both pretty and functional purposes

 

Steps to Help Plan for a Low Budget Makeover

 

Step 1: Clear out the room, clean it, take measurements.

Step 2: Plan your design — Here’s where the 5 questions will apply:

• Question #1: How do you plan to use the space?

Determine how the space will be used. Will it be used as an office, a guest room, a family space, or multiple purposes? Establishing the identity of the space will help keep you focused on the scope (plan) of the project.

• Question #2: What functions does your space need to provide? (i.e., electrical, lighting, etc.)

Do you need proper lighting, ventilation, storage, electrical outlets? Identifying what functions are needed will help you determine if you are planning the right space, as well as, how much work and budget will this project need?

• Question #3: Is there anything in the room that needs to be removed or added?

This question falls in line with question #2. Based on how you answered question #2, you may now be able to sit down and make a list of what will be needed, or removed, from your space.

• Question #4: What is your inspiration?

Your inspiration for your space is the most fun part of planning a makeover. You get to dream up all the things you would love to see in your space. During this phase, don’t let budget impact your choices. Inspiration is just that. Inspiration. It should inspire you to come up with what can be accomplished with your budget.

• Question #5: What do I already have that can save some money out of the budget?

At this point, you know what you would like to create and what will need to be done. I recommend you sit down and start your list. Get estimates for any work that is needed or items that are needed. Determine if work can be done as a “DIY” and if there is anything you already own that can be repurposed in this new space.

 

Find my cozy office mood board on Pinterest: hammer & spoons Cozy Office Mood Board

 

Step 3: Set your budget

Now that you have had a chance to sit down and answer these questions, you can move forward with setting a budget (now that you know what will be needed).  From this point, you can establish your design plan (determined by your budget limit) and decide what will be done now and what will need to wait.

Step 4: Prime and paint

A tip about primer:

You should use a good primer if you are painting a very light color over an original dark color. Likewise, you can also use a primer when you are painting a dark color over a lighter or brighter shade, which is usually a gray primer.

For this project, we were painting a very light color over a dark color, so we used Kilz All-Purpose 2 

 

 

 

 

Choosing a Paint Color

When it came to painting my office, I decided to leave the trim and doors the original color. One, because I didn’t have the man power to tackle too much in this makeover, and two, because I knew I would be incorporating some pieces painting in the same or similar shade. Leaving the color of the trim allows the room to pull together cohesively.

I plan to get it color matched as I really do like the color. I don’t have the match yet, but if you subscribe to my blog or vlog, you’ll be updated for sure.

 

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I used Foampro Color Mats to help me decide on the final paint choice.

 

 

I chose Benjamin Moore Mountain Peak White 2148-70

 

Step 5: Shop your home and start putting the room together

• Pull in pieces of furniture or decor from around your home (maybe you have something in the garage?)
• Acknowledge room size and shape
• Create vignettes for those odd corners or room shapes
• Add lighting (natural and synthetic)
  • Mirrors
  • Light paint

 

You can see the office in the after reveal on my Youtube channel. Follow along as I continue adding to this space.

 

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