I don't know if I'm the only twentysomething who feels like this, but I've never really purposefully bought furniture or home goods. I've just kind of acquired them.
As I'm thankfully working from home for the foreseeable future, I thought it was about time I gave my room a revamp that reflected my tastes now.
So, if you're thinking about updating your room, I hope the ramblings of this design-challenged fool can be of use!
Here's a snap of my room pre-makeover:
For a theme, I chose millennial pink, because otherwise I'm like a magpie who gravitates toward the brightest and shiniest things, with no concept of how they might look together.
With a mask on my face and a song in my heart, I embarked on the 40-minute walk to my nearest Ikea.
After striding through the showroom, I found three sets of sheets that fit the color scheme I was going for:
I then spotted this large canvas, which I liked because it a) fits the colors I was going for beautifully and b) I'm a writer and...typewriter.
Finally, I picked up these fake flowers on my way out. I'd never had artificial flowers before, but I figured I was guaranteed not to kill these.
Day one total: $46.97
I finally reached the point of working from home where my back was screaming at me to buy a proper desk and chair. I began to search Craigslist, setting my radius to one mile as I don't have a car.
I quickly found a chair for free, which was coincidentally being given away by someone in my building.
Next was the desk, which I found from someone two blocks away from me. I was a bit concerned because the photo only used a cat for measurement, but it fit perfectly.
Day two total: $66.97
I live near a bunch of discount and 99¢ stores, so I wanted to see if there was anything else that looked cute.
In my third discount store, I found this pillow that I loved because the little gems turned rainbow in the light.
I also found this basket in a different store, which I thought might be handy for dealing with some of my clutter.
Day three total: $78.95
My new desk looks over a parking lot, which means I get a lot of light. But it can look a touch drab. As a result, I thought some bright curtains might make the view a bit more lively.
Now, I must confess: These curtains I found on Amazon did send me slightly over budget. But because they claimed to be blackout curtains, I thought they would be a better investment than the slightly cheaper ones I found in the discount store.
Day four total: $105.90
I had to move around my furniture to make the desk fit, which resurfaced an ungodly amount of dust that needed to be cleaned.
I'm super happy with the results! I think having a clear color scheme really helped me narrow down what I wanted. And it means that I feel like I'm waking up in a marshmallow.
In particular, having a cute work station has been *chef's kiss*.
I realize I'm super lucky to have a bit of money to spare on nonessential products right now. I'm usually the type of person who's super hesitant to spend money on material things for themself, so this whole makeover was a nice reminder that it's okay to spend a lil' to make myself feel better when I can.
So, do you have any tips for giving your home a makeover on a budget? LMK in the comments!
