Here's my dining room on a budget with interior design tips and tricks on how to save money. You'll find upcycled furniture ideas and more.
After finishing the majority of our newly decorated hall and dining room in less than 24 hours, I felt a blog post coming on as I cannot believe how transformed it looks since my last YouTube video tour.
I've started to realise that because thrifty living is something I live, breath and enjoy, it may very well benefit others by sharing it with you on my 2nd blog page right here. You can also find my healthy food blog here too.
I was brought to find and shop at Jumble Sales as a kid and rightly so, because children's toys can be bought for pennies while we never looked after them anyway; this meant my parents could spend on more important things, buying and renovating houses for a living. However, here is a blog post of the first ever home my fiance and I have been renovating and it's going to take quite some time to get it how we want it. We bartered for this house (you'd see why if you saw it properly) because it needs a fair amount of money spending on it and has some design flaws but thankfully none are structural.
Absolutely all of the furniture you see have been bought for pennies or gifted to us somewhere down the line (apart from the carpet tiles which were from B&M). I do prefer a English or French Country look but in minimalist fashion, because deep down, I have not been a minimalist for a long time. I still haven't quite finished as I'm looking for a large house plant and perhaps a feature wall of wallpaper and maybe a rug; the latter two I haven't decided yet.
We have been in our home for just over a year and because so much work needs doing, we have only the bathroom and this room now complete, but bare in mind, these stairs will be removed within in a year. They were originally brown sawn cut unattractive mahogany and unfortunately they are the first thing you see when you enter the house, so it was about time for a makeover.
Once you enter the house and turn right, you enter an open plan hall and dining room featuring furniture which I hand painted in chalk paint and shabby chic-ed.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
£20 Sideboard from Local Recycling Shop: I utilised my antique sideboard as a secret shoe storage. This was a last minute decision for what I think is a fantastic home organising trick. I love this minimalist idea and it also is the focal point when you enter, displaying some contrasting vintage finds to break up the brightness. I painted in Wickes' chalk paint and used an Annie Sloan dark wax glaze technique which can be seen on my YouTube Tutorial.
£9 Wickes Paint and Annie Sloan Wax Used Supplies
£3 Charity Shop Oil Painting: I am always buying paintings I love and repainting the frames. It instantly updates a picture, brightens it and gives it sharper focus.
20p Wooden Bowl from Jumble Sale: I have a vintage ebay shop and I cannot get enough wooden hand-carved vintage bowls. I always find them for pennies at jumble sales, yet buying a similar one in John Lewis would cost you £40+ as it's a luxury item. They can be painted cheaply to quickly compliment your home but being a carpenter's daughter, I love a little bit of natural wood showing.
£1 Fake Flowers from Table Top: I am always using these for blogging and add colour. I love how you can easily change a colour scheme depending on what you pick.
Reusing Old Vase from Argos: Silver matches the door handles and contrasts against the sideboard whereas gold/ neutral would look too wishy-washy.
Free: Recycled Fortnum & Mason Reused Hamper Wicker Basket: This hides all of the ugly plugs and adapter for the wifi etc.
50p Picture in IKEA frame from Jumble Sale: I love the simplicity of this picture featuring a shabby chic chippy window to compliment my paintwork. The minimal frame brightens up the wall and cannot wait to find similar ones to this.
£5 Cottage Painting Purchased on eBay: Another frame painted.
Free Table & Chairs from my parents: I nearly died of shock to when I priced up a Laura Ashley set at £1000 with four chairs so I turned to what I had for the same look and painted, distressed and clear waxed in Wickes' Chalky Matt paint (now discontinued). I sealed with Annie Sloan clear wax which has distressed a little over time and also stripped the varnish off the top as it looked very yellow and clear waxed in Annie Sloan.
50p IKEA Vase from Jumble Sale: I bought two of these again for blogging but have been great bedside table touches and I find them travelling from room to room for photo shots.
50p IKEA Lazy Susan from Charity Shop: I wasn't looking for one but love Lazy Susans as it reminds me of visiting my in-laws in France and having big family meals so insisted on picked it up. It also matches the table yet constrasts with the runner.
20p Textured Cotton Dining Table Runner from Jumble Sale: This is perfectly fresh and neutral and has featured in numerous food blogging pictures already.
Free Old Dunelm Seat Cushion Covers: I nearly threw these out several times because I wanted a change but it is pure luck that they team well with the carpet.
50p Wicker Teapot Plant Pot: A breakup of colour and am currently looking for the right size plant on my travels to dangle over.
£15 Corner Unit from Recycling Shop: Painted white and varnished. This perfect bright coastal feel unit which will take any colour and will display many of my small vintage finds.
10p Italian Glass Karaff from Jumble Sale inside corner unit: Painted in Original Annie Sloan, distressed and clear waxed. I have a growing collection of these perfect as vases for bedside tables and blogging photos.
£63.75 (£1.25 per Green Carpet Tile) from B&M: Green wasn't our first choice and originally I had bought samples to match some furniture, we lost time trying to decide. By the time we returned, the majority of what we wanted had been picked up by someone else. This is a lesson for all as they were the cheapest carpet tiles, so you need to be fairly quick. We found ebay shops were the same price, but in B&M you can look and touch before you purchase and not be fooled by the trick of a camera. Also, it is worth noting that we have kept the samples for our steps and the rougher the weave, her harder it is to hoover. I took on the green as an interior design challenge being the best out of the situation I had as it was the right level of darkness to hide paw prints if needed (I don't want to be on my hands and knees forever scrubbing) and it is a dream to hoover. The carpet tiles took half a day to measure out, cut and spray down. The carpet is again only temporary as the little room will be a bedroom once again soon which is why I refused to pay a fortune in to a carpet shop. Outside our house is fairly muddy as we have been working on the drive and backgarden so the carpet cut offs that we laid down were an embarrassing filthy black.
£7.94 for 2 Spray Cans of Adhesive from B&M: This is the very competitive price as I shopped around and so far have had no problems.
My Total Spend: £127.19
Yes, you have to spend time looking for key pieces, but I generally head for Jumble Sales the most for the best buys and only pick things that I love. Try to keep an eye out for textured pieces and things you could paint and make it work for you. If you don't know how to find Jumble Sales, then I feel another blog post coming on for my tricks.
I hope you find this useful and don't know why I didn't create this blog years ago. I'm still pinching myself of what we achieved in less than 24 hours but of course, add on a day per painted piece of furniture.
Please let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions!
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