UPDATE
You can now find the finished room HERE.
This should be some fun!
When my sister mentioned she’d like to makeover her little dining space, in virtually the same breath she dismissed the idea due to a lack of funds.
You see, my sister’s not really into thrifty decorating, and having a non-existent budget seemed to pose some kind of problem for her.
Though anyone who knows me will know that I relish in a frugal challenge!
Like me, my sister has a small house. The dining area being little more than a throughway between the kitchen and living room. It looks deceptively spacious in the above pics though is actually quite tight.
Currently, although there’s nothing terrible about it, there’s nothing special either. And after eight years it’s time for a change.
The dining setting has never been quite right. Dark, chunky and dominant it does few favours for the petite scale of the house. And the square table hinders flow between the living room and kitchen (it’s hard to tell in the pics though the table is pushed right back towards the rear wall to allow enough room for a walkway – of course, this results in one dining chair being smooshed against the wall). In addition, it’s seen better days with the table top and chair upholstery showing signs of wear.
The traditional pendant light, whilst okay in a period home, just looks dated here.
Ordinarily, I would try and work with what we already have, though in this case it’s not really the best solution. The scale and shape of the dining setting would still be wrong, and I don’t really want to alter a perfectly fine classic pendant someone else would be happy to have as is.
So, if I’m not planning to use the pieces already in the space, how am I going to pull off a super thrifty makeover?
By selling baby!
Yep. I’m going to list the original items on Gumtree then use the money gained from their sales to wholly fund the makeover, resulting in what will essentially be a FREE room refresh!
Of course, in order to secure the best possible price for my items they need to be in good shape. The light is in perfect condition though I will spruce-up the dining setting by refinishing the table top and reupholstering the chairs.
Wish me luck…and stay tuned – especially if you’re in the market for a traditional pendant light or five piece dining setting ;)
Oooh, I cannot wait to see this one!
Thanks for your enthusiasm :)
How exciting! I can’t wait to see how you transform the space.
Thanks Tricia :)
I CAN.NOT.WAIT!
He, he. Love the excited capitals Jana :)
Kristine, you toy with us! A “before” with no “after”. We have to WAIT! Such suspense. X
I know, right? I think that’s what most proper bloggers do to build some tension ;)
Haha! I spent ages trying to see the difference between the pictures then realised they were both before the makeover
LOL! Oh Cheryl, I hope you’ll be able to clearly spot the after once it’s done :)
I think this is the kind of makeover that many people could tackle, but don’t. Maybe your after will give them a nudge. Looking forward to the after!
Thanks Patricia :)
How will we stand the waiting? Let’s hope the pieces sell quickly so we can get to the results. Can’t wait to see it:).
Thanks so much Sabrina :)
Looking forward to seeing what you do!
Thanks Susan. Looking forward to sharing. I’m actually a tad excited about this one :)
Looking forward to seeing what you do Kristine !!
Thanks Julie :)
Can’t wait. checking out Gumtree!
LOL! I’ll publish a new post once they are listed :)
I’m so excited to see how you do this!
Thanks so much. I’m excited too :)
Love a good refresh! Can’t wait to see the finished result.
Thanks Kerry. Looking forward to sharing :)
Hi Kristine,
Love your work, can’t wait for after.
Jen
Thanks Jen :)
This is going to be so much fun! Your enthusiasm is so wonderful!
Thanks so much Sherylee. Can’t wait to bring the space together :)
Cannot wait to see how this progresses. Looks like I found your blog just in time. I never seem to find makeover blog posts as they’re actually going on and I’m obsessed with home makeovers.
I am very excited to see how you do that?
It’s nearly done!
I love seeing your transformations Kristine, good luck!