Mom's TV Room - Part 2 {How we kept it Under $500}

Today I'm going to give you a break down of what we did in Mom's TV Room and how much each thing cost to create this lovely budget-friendly space.  While this cost break down will give you creative DIYers an idea of what you can do on a budget, it excludes the cost of the design services which brought ideas and items together and as well as the labor it took to get it done (since we did it ourselves).

We started off by doing some major organizing which I talked about here.  In order to get everything organized into the closet, I found a filing cabinet on craigslist for $60.  Craigslist is one of the first places I look when I'm on a budget.

Next, we painted the room.  We chose the color "Toasted Wheat" by Behr as a neutral backdrop that would make the space feel warm and cozy and coordinate with mom's rug.  2 gallons - $60

When we brought furniture back in the room, we utilized some of mom's existing furniture from other rooms.  Shopping your house is a great way to stay under budget, so keep an open mind when looking at the items in your house. They may find a new use you never thought of before!  The mirror and Asian cabinet were the perfect pieces to fit where the bookcase used to be and the mirror brightens up the room by reflecting light into the space.  Mom's furniture - Free

Then we brought in an Ikea Ektorp sofa that I found on craigslist for $120.  Since a lot of Ikea stuff has been available for quite a while, it seems that you can often find items like this from people who have moved or upgraded and are making changes.  Simply search craigslist for the Ikea name of the piece you're looking for. (This is also how I found Dad's rug which I showed you here.)

Next we brought a bunch of mom's art collection into the room to create a gallery wall. We determined a layout on the floor and then used paper cut to the size of the frames to locate their position on the wall.  Gallery wall - Free

I picked up two throw pillows for the sofa from a local fabric store ($75)...

...and white Ikea tab top curtain panels (LENDA), which we customized with a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils. Since we couldn't find any ready made curtains that we wanted and custom drapes are quite expensive, this was the perfect way to get the look we wanted for less.  Read more about that project here.  Curtains $20; Stencil $40; Paint, fabric medium, and foam rollers - $13; Total = $73.  Drapery rod (Target) - $10.

Mom bought these lamps from JCPenney online for $90 (which are now look to be on sale for $70).  Great deal right!  They seem to have quite a nice lighting selection. I discovered this when I bought my bedroom lamps there a while back.

Finally, for Christmas I made my mom the ever-so-popular Ikea Lack Side Table ottomans to work as a coffee table and a place to put your feet up.
     2 Lack Side Tables - $16 ($8 each)
     2 yards (I think) Ikea Sofia Fabric - $16
     Foam Camping Pad (Home Depot) - $20
     Batting - $10
     Total = $62

That finishing touch pulled the room together to what it is today...

So how does that tally up?

We completed the whole room for under $500!

If you haven't already, check out the rest of the photos from yesterday's post.