Colin & Justin's design on a dime!
Credit crunch? Let us help. Remember that everyone has a budget and, although yours might be lower than you’d prefer, it doesn’t mean your dream home can’t become a reality. When we moved into our first apartment — a £26,000 tiny fixer-upper in Glasgow — we remodelled the dated kitchen by changing countertops and rejigging cabinetry. What’s more, our “new” fridge freezer cost just £5 as we bought it from builders ripping out a nearby restaurant. The entire reno, believe it or not, cost just a few hundred pounds. But of course it still looked fabulous!
Jump forward two years and we sold the same apartment for £50,000. Yup, we almost doubled our money and began a vertiginous ascent upon our own property ladder. Thanks to auspicious flipping, we worked our way towards a Georgian Glasgow townhouse, a 1930s apartment in London and our beloved pad in Toronto. As Noël Coward once said: “We’re all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars!”
Where to start
The first thing to do is renovate your thinking. Creating a wonderful home should be a joyous undertaking (regardless of budget) but never think that small funds can’t make a big difference. Good style isn’t about being cheap and cutting corners; it’s about planning realistic requirements and matching these with available spend.
Next, look at your subject room. We advise creating mood boards or tear sheets (assembled from magazines, etc.) to tie down your ideas. Doing this costs nothing and problem solving at this early stage means you can address anything that’s not right. Do you have enough storage, for example, is your project room too dark and will there be enough seating? Analysis undertaken, let’s move on.
Now it’s time to consider that which you already have. Does that old timber floor simply need refinishing to bring it back to life? Or maybe your credenza could be reborn with a change of colour and some new handles? Remember, too, that a lick of paint can change the identity of any piece so let your imagination run wild.
Time to purge?
Be ruthless about what’s staying and what’s going. It just doesn’t make sense to bring a gorgeous sofa back to the ranch only to position it on that tired old carpet. Avoiding important aspects of your reno may mean spending less on the overall project . . . but will you actually achieve the fabulous new look you hope for?
Set your budget
At the back of every fantasy reno there’s a “paying for it” reality — so be realistic about how much you have to spend before starting work. Scrutinize monthly income and outgoings and include any monies ferreted away to help with the costs of the scheme. The last thing you want is your new purchase to scream “costly regret” every time you walk into the room.
That said, don’t completely bottle out; at least do something which will give you — at least part of — the look you hope to achieve. Imagine fancy white timber shutters, for example, to help elicit a dreamy Cape Cod feel. Pricey, eh? Are there options? Give up or find less expensive window treatments that will provide that elusive Cape flavour. Would white timber Venetians, for example, create a similar look? Of course they would.
New for old
How about selling off things you no longer require to augment available funds? Online auctions or yard sales will free your home from clutter while bolstering total funds. When we re bought our Toronto kitchen, we sold the existing cabinetry and appliances on Craigslist. Employing true entrepreneurial spirit we didn’t simply stick it online with a few notes of description and an out of focus snap. First we cleaned it, then we dressed it up with shiny accessories and then finally photographed it with a real lifestyle slant. Next we costed out all the appliances before positioning an online ad describing the kitchen in detail. Nothing was left to the imagination. Our other option was to rip it all out and pay for a truck to take it away. And the result of our efforts? We sold the kitchen for $5,000 and had our buyer removed it! Ka-ching!
Shop smart
First price out practical elements. How much will rewiring or wallpaper hanging cost? Calculate these aspects before shopping to ensure you’re not stuck with a $2,000 dishwasher and no available funds to plumb it in. Next, shop around. Hit stores, browse catalogues and scan the Internet to research — and price compare — everything. Prioritize your spend by starting off with room finishes — such as walls and flooring — move onto larger items (like sofas and beds) then spend the rest on accessories. Don’t buy a $300 vase if you only have $1,000 to furnish your entire room or you’ll end up sitting on milk crates.
Splash out on visible spending
Items that will last — such as new flooring or classically styled furniture — will all provide wow factor. And if significant pieces look expensive you can scrimp on other layers without losing visual quality.
Seven ways to do more ... for less
• Do it yourself, but do it properly: Do what you can but don‘t be a “have a go hero” if you‘re simply not up to the job. Think how much you’d save if you could actually paint, tile or make curtains ... and then estimate how much wasted time and cash there’d be if your home became a series of botched jobs. If DIY is not your thing, then try DFY: Done For You. Or, in other words, call in the pros!
• Move things around: Sometimes a good clear up and a change of orientation are all that’s required to freshen and provide a whole new look. With this in mind, move your sofa to the other side of the room, try your bed on another wall or simply clear clutter and rearrange accessories to re dress your space.
• Swap skills: Okay, so you’re handy with a sewing machine but know nothing about electricity. So what you gonna do about your terrible kitchen lighting? Hmm. Hold on a sec ... is your next-door neighbour a friendly electrician, but does he or she have terrible curtains? No brainer. Offer to make them new drapery in exchange for fitting your overhead lighting! Think about swapping skills with friends, family and neighbours as a way of “paying” for home improvements. Or get the gang round for a painting party in return for music, pizza and beer!
• Search out “scratch and dent:” Snoop around larger furniture stores to discover whether they offer discounts on damaged items, customer returns or even last season’s stock. Some department stores have dedicated clearance centres so it’s well worth scouting around. Remember our maxim: “It’s not HOW MUCH money you spend but HOW YOU SPEND IT that makes all the difference.”
• Buy off the shelf: Custom items generally cost a little more so stick to stock product whenever possible even if that means adapting readily available product as required. Buy off-the-shelf picture frames but use card mount to create apertures to fit your images. Jazz up store bought curtains by sewing in linings to provide extra weight, or attach buttons, trims or beading onto plain cushions and throws to add a low cost, personal touch.
• Use the Internet: Swap, sell or search; get onto the web and sniff out those bargains. Not only is there a world of opportunity at your fingertips, but you’ll also save money avoiding the petrol costs associated with driving around trying to find what you’re after. Bear in mind, however, that there may be postage costs when you total up spend.
• Seasonal Adjustment: Designing with a neutral backdrop means you can adjust your overall look with cleverly selected accessories. Remember it’s cheaper to change “decorative jewellery” rather than start from scratch so, if you’re a habitual decorator and constantly redesigning, go for seasonal “tweaks” instead of full-scale decorative assault.
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