$1000 living room makeover

I’m in a bit of a decorating mood this morning, so I thought I’d start a series of inspiration boards with $1,000 limits.  Since I woke up and stumbled into our living room, I figured this would be a great place to start!  Our walls are already yellow, and since we can’t paint them, I figured I’d just go with it.  Plus I’ve been dying to do a gray and yellow room for a long time.  I love that combination, I think its very calm and relaxing with just the right amount of energy and sunshine.

Shall we?

1) This is actually a dresser from Ikea, but I think that two of them side by side would make a great TV console with tones of storage (Aneboda 3 Drawer Chest from Ikea – $70 each).

2) From the same line comes a wardrobe from Ikea.  I have a baker’s rack right now in the living room with all my cookbooks, and I definitely need that storage.  And I was hoping that they could flank the two shorter dressers, making a nice little entertainment center (Aneboda Wardrobe from Ikea – $80 each).

Sidenote: I didn’t put a price on the flowers because I already have a set of mercury vases and flowers aren’t a permanent fixture

3) I think for some artwork I would take black and white landscapes that should have some yellow in them if they were full color and replace the yellow.  Since I’ll probably take the pictures myself, I’ll price these guys out at $8 total for the cost of printing.  All in all I’ll probably make four of them since I have four picture frames in this room right now, and I’ll go ahead and paint those frames white or gray, I haven’t decided yet.  Additionally, I have a mirror set into a window frame and I’ll paint that frame the same color as the picture frames.  Total cost for project – $15

4) We would need some kind of curtains for our sliding door, and these would work great!  Plus the price can’t be beat (Lill Pair of Curtains from Ikea – $5).

5) I’d really like some pillows (I’m a sucker for soft things) for the new couch I’d like to get.  I’d probably make about 5, so I’d need 5 of these pillow forms.  I might throw in some different shapes for kicks though.  Pillow forms run at about $7 each at Joanns, so the total cost of 4 pillows for the couch and 1 for the chair would be $35.

6) And now for the piece de resistance – a sleeper sofa!  We got rid of our futon (hooray) which means though that we have no place to put guests who stay the night.  But then I found this lovely little sleeper sofa for a pretty meager price – at least for a sleeper sofa.  Plus it has storage!  Is there anything more you could ask for from a couch?  And some pillows will really punch this couch’s personality up a whole lot! (Hagalund Sofa Bed from Ikea – $440).

7) Back to the pillows for the couch – I found this set of half yard fabrics on etsy by Amy Butler.  I really do love her designs.  Plus these guys have the same colors and complimentary patterns (Amy Butler set of Half Yard Fabrics from iCraftSupplies at Etsy – $11.25)

8 ) With such a nice new couch I would want to add a nice new chair.  Right now we have two loveseats in our living room, and its just a tad crowded, so I’d like to try to add just a chair this time. I have to admit that I’m pretty tempted to paint the legs white, gray, or yellow (Nils Armchair from Ikea – $80).

9) We’d definitely need some kind of table in the room as well.  And the infamous $8 table from Ikea just happens to come in yellow.  Coincidence…?  It’s a bit short, so I’d probably add some small gray/silver bun feet to the bottom of the table to jack it up a couple more inches.  (Lack Table from Ikea – $8 + $24 in bun feet = $32 table)

10) The other reason I’d like to make the table higher is so that I could fit this basket underneath it for blanket storage.  Although this basket comes in white, I was reading Martha Stewart and she spray-painted wicker gray and it was GORGEOUS!  So of course now I’m dying to try.  Plus, with such a constrained pallette, I don’t think that adding another texture or two will really hurt (Woven Willow Storage Trunk from Target – $50)

11 & 12) Now that we know what will go under the table, what will go on top of it?  Lighting of course!  We actually don’t have any overhead lighting in that room, so lighting is a pretty key issue.  I’m planning on taking a plain lamp from Target, painting the bottom silver/gray, and putting yellow trim on the white shade.  Isn’t it nice when all those colors come together? (Ceramic Table Lamp from Target – $25, Ric Rac Yellow Ribbon from Beautiful Addition at Etsty – $5)

So how did we come out money wise?  When you add it all up it comes to $998.25!  Under $1000!!!

Later today I’m planning on posting a $1,000 bedroom makeover – I’m excited to get started on that!!!