The Dappled Willow

Can you believe it?! The Living Room Budget Room Refresh for the Spring 2021 One Room Challenge™ is officially done!

It took just over 8 weeks from start to finish. Many DIYs were done, deals were found, problems were solved, and now we have a beautiful and welcoming living room to enjoy!

Here’s a little reminder of what the room looked like before. It was cluttered, nothing matched, and the flow was terrible as the entryways were so narrow.

Without further ado, here’s what it looks like now!

Not too shabby right? I was able to accomplish almost everything on my list.

THE PROJECT LIST:

• Declutter
• Widen entryways
• Drywall
• Prime
• Paint walls
• Paint brick fireplace
• Paint window frames
• Install and paint baseboards
• Prep fireplace mantel
• Install and seal the fireplace mantel
• Cover the Couch
• Music storage/station
• Firewood storage
• Replace rug
• Figure out lighting
• DIY Art
• Stage with art and accessories 

Unfortunately I couldn’t improve the lighting situation. I do have some ideas for that one but I was pressed for time and didn’t want to go for it just yet. For now the lights we have will do just fine.

I’d still like to get pillow covers that pull the colours from the rug and the wall art nicely. I don’t want to rush that though. I already have pillow inserts I’ve been collecting for this purpose but even then good quality pillow covers with beautiful patterns and texture can be expensive so I want to be careful with my selections.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering, was this really a Budget Room Refresh? How much did it really cost?

Well I tracked my spending along the way and here’s the breakdown.

Butternut Slab for Wood Fireplace Mantel	Free (from arborist brother-in-law)
5 Metal threaded rods	12
Tung Oil	Free (already had it on hand)
Drywall and tape and screws	Free (leftover from my Dad’s reno at his place)
1 box of Drywall Compound	20
Metal Corner Bead	15
Articulated Corner Bead for arch	20
Baseboards	15 (Half the room free with leftovers)
Caulk	6
Drywall Interior Primer	15
Sherwin Williams Wall Paint (Alabaster)	225
Rustoleum Spray Paint	Free (had it on hand)
9×12 Loloi Rug (Layla in Ocean/Rust)	615 (on sale from The Rug District.ca)
4 Drop Cloths (for Couch Slipcover)	80
1 jug of bleach	4
Music and Wood Storage Credenza	80 (from FB Marketplace)
Curtain Rod	35 (from FB Marketplace)
2 packs of 20 Black Curtain Rings	24 (from Amazon)
Pair of Chairs	40 (from FB Marketplace)
2 sets of 4 Wood Legs	45 (from Amazon)
Mirror	Free (had in another room)
Hand Casting Kit	90 (from Amazon)
Bird Digital download	Free (from the Audubon Society)
Printing at Costco (with shipping)	13
Gold Frame (for bird art)	Free (already had it)
Coffee Table	Free (had in another room)
Throw Pillows	Free (secondhand)
Landscape Art	Free (Canvas salvaged from garbage and DIY painting)
Blanket Ladder	Free (DIY from scrap wood)
TOTAL	$1354 CDN

I would have loved for that total number to be smaller but I splurged for the big new rug and I have no regrets! I was able to save money in other ways by using items I had on hand as much as possible. Facebook Marketplace and Buy Nothing groups were the first place I looked for anything I didn’t already have. I used budget friendly DIY solutions everywhere I could. When buying things at the stores I shopped sales and used online coupons whenever available. My true total may actually be a little less than what I put above because the listed prices don’t reflect all of the 10-20% off coupons I used. Sometimes it’s worth it to sign up for promotional emails to get the discounts!

I also sold a rocking chair that was previously in the living room for $50 and I’ve been selling items from this room through Facebook Marketplace and yard sales for a few years as I decluttered and edited but wasn’t keeping track back then. In my mind those sales were to save up for this refresh!

Now to see if my budget friendly solutions like the DIY wood mantel and the slipcovered couch hold up through the wear and tear of regular use by a busy family of 5 (soon to be 6)!

I wasn’t on Instagram and Facebook stories as much as I hoped to be since it’s difficult to get stuff done and record it all along the way. So much respect to everyone who shares their DIY process and makes it look so effortless. Respect.

I’ve saved everything I did manage to share in my Living Room highlight on my Instagram page if you’d like to see how I progressed! It was slow moving since I could only really work on it when the 3 little munchkins were sleeping but we got it done! All in all, this One Room Challenge was another great experience and I’m so glad I decided to participate again this year, even though I was a little slow moving since I was pregnant this time around.

Special Thanks

I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my dear family. Shoutout to our nanny Monica, for helping with dust management during the demo and drywall phase, my sister Naomi for helping with mudding and painting, my mom Ruth for her help with sewing the couch slipcover, and my brother-in-law Marc-Andre for making and installing custom transition strips for the widened entryways. More special shoutouts to my in-laws Mary Beth and Andre, and my sister Esther and sister-in-law Josee, for watching the kids so progress could be made in the room.

And last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to my husband Daniel for cheering me on, believing in me and letting me dive in to this process even though it messed up the house for a bit. We’ve made it through to the other side!

Thank you, dear reader, for following along and encouraging me throughout this process. Now I get to sit back and relax in this space with a glass of something bubbly… and dream up the next project!

Cheers,

Lydia

Visit each week of my One Room Challenge™ here:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 |

Thanks for being here! See what everyone else in this challenge got up to at One Room Challenge™.