High Class - Low Cash Living Room

Doing an elegant living room on a budget doesn't mean
you have to cut corners.
This living area combines fun, fresh, elements with traditional formality to create an unusual space.
Having a plan in mind is key to acquiring the look you want.
Looking through books and magazines over the years,
I was able to find what appealed to me and get an idea
of the sort of rooms I wanted.
That way, when I would be out at a garage sale or thrift store
or the closeout store, I could snap up those bargains with confidence.
Having an open mind and being able to see the potential in a piece helps immensely also.





For instance, I have a fence in my living room.
It makes a great room divider and it only cost me about $30.
It was originally purchased to be a backdrop for my booth at a craft mall, but when I folded up that business, the fence came with me. It's been painted with a crackle finish of cream over soft green and is a real conversation piece with a purpose.
In front of the fence is what appears to be a matching shelf unit,
but upon closer inspection, you realize appearances can be deceiving. The shelf unit is really two long benches painted with the same crackle finish
and stacked one on top of the other.


These benches were part of a dining set my parents had made
by Amish craftsmen when I was a teenager.
With a family of six kids, the trestle table and benches were practical and space saving.
Many years later, they've been re-purposed and are still going strong.

The couches, though similar in style are not a set. As hand-me-downs, they've both
seen better days but with new slipcovers purchased at Target on sale,
they look like they've always been a team.
The mattelasse fabric goes with almost everything and can be tossed into the wash when needed. The table next to the love seat was a garbage day find.
The unusual octagon shape made it hard to pass up but the wood was scratched and chipped.
An old bedspread in a matching mattelasse texture makes this old treasure
good as new and a fine fit.






Moving around the room we see an old hooked rug in the same buttery yellow gold shade
as the curtains. I knew I wanted a hooked rug for this room but couldn't afford a new one.
When I saw this one at an antique store it was almost perfect but in a light ivory tone
and stained, however they only wanted $45 for it.
Turning it over, I found the underside was the perfect shade of yellow and cleaner than the top! Sold!


The table next to the couch was found in my father's garage
holding cans of paint.
I convinced him when he was moving years later to let me have it.
New knobs and some fabric panels transformed the piece and with shelves inside, it is perfect for storage. Not to mention - free!


On the other side of the couch,
a $5 church sale table has been repainted
with flowers to coordinate with the room's color scheme.
Over it hangs a $99 chandelier, not dirt cheap but a great price for lighting that gives so much class and style to the room.
The curtains are simply sheets bought at a closeout store.

I fell in love with the pattern and have used them as sheets, curtains, table cloths in various rooms over the years. The sheets were purchased for approximately $8 - 15 each,
a steal compared to traditional curtains. Originally, I found only 2 singles but I went to several locations of the chain and kept going back, until I'd collected enough to do the job.
Tenacity is another trait that helps when you're doing things on a budget.

It's not hard to put together a room like this on a budget but you have to have a vision
and not be afraid to think outside the box.
That's what makes it possible to achieve that fabulous-life look for a fraction of the cost
and have it be uniquely yours.