10 ways to reinvent a room on a tight budget

By Christine Elliott
The Associated Press

When Jonathan Fong decided it was time for a new end table, he skipped the furniture store and went instead to his storage closet. There he found an old mirror and a plant stand, glued them together, and within minutes a one-of-a-kind accent piece was born.

“I just love reinventing what you have,” says Fong, a Los Angeles-based interior designer.

Reinventing is the key to updating a room when money is tight, Fong says. A budget of $250 won’t get you much in the way of new furniture, flooring or window treatments, but you can still come up with a dramatic new look for that amount or less.

 “When you’re on a low budget, that’s when you get to be creative, and that’s when it’s the most fun,” Fong says. “You don’t have to start from scratch, and you shouldn’t.”

Here are 10 tips from Fong and other experts for rejuvenating a room on limited funds:

1. Eliminate those white walls.

Painting is one of the simplest tasks for the do-it-yourselfer and has the most impact. The bolder the better, say the experts. Paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore & Co. predicts the hot color for 2006 will be Queen’s Wreath, “a chameleon-like purple,” says Eileen McComb, the company’s director of communications. But subtle shades work, too. “It’s a very personal choice,” McComb says. “It has to resonate in the environment you want to create.”

If you’re not picky, check out the “oops paint” colors that have been mistinted or returned, and are available at most paint and home improvement stores at a reduced price.

2. Go for the “wow factor.”

Paint isn’t the only way to spruce up walls, says Fong, whose book, “Walls That Wow” (Watson-Guptill Publications, 2005), gives step-by-step instructions for wall treatments made of fabric, metal and paper, among other things. They can provide patterns and textures you can’t get with paint, he notes.

3. Create a “conversational space.”

In other words, says Minneapolis interior designer Peggy Sellwood, move furniture away from the walls and rearrange it to create an intimate area where guests won’t have to shout at one another. If you don’t like it the first time, keep experimenting, she says. The best part? It doesn’t cost a dime.

4. Give old furniture a new look.

This can be as simple as adding new cushions or a slipcover to your couch, changing a lampshade or putting new knobs on an armoire.

5. Go shopping at grandma’s.

Relatives, particularly older ones, can be sources of high quality furniture that simply needs to be refinished or reupholstered.

6. If you love it, it will match.

Don’t worry if your coffee table is oak and your armoire is cherry, or if your couch and loveseat are from different decades. Fong agrees. “If your room is filled with things you love, it will match, because it’s all you.”

7. Floor fix-ups.

Boyer suggests placing a new area rug over an existing carpet or floor. Remnant pieces from carpet or home improvement stores can save you even more money.

8. Assess your art.

9. Don’t underestimate the power of accessories.

Votive candles, plants and even colorful switch plates for lights can add a final flourish to a redesigned room.

10. Light it up.

Once you’re ready to show off your new room, make sure it shines day and night with lamps, wall lights, hanging fixtures or a combination.