Many of us don't have the luxury of spending more than a few dollars on our living spaces. Silly things like bills, food and doctor's appointments always seem more important. But who can resist adding a little spunk to your space for under 7 dollars. All of the items after the jump were found at a local discount retailer for less than $5, add spray paint, and you have yourself a new found treasure. Click through to see what we found...
All of these items were found at a major discount retailer in Independence, Missouri. They were all $5 or less (most were under that price) and with the addition of spray paint (Store brands are a buck, Name brands are $3-5) you can splurge a little on your space. See what we found below...
A plain old cookie sheet ($2) can be used as part of a table setting, turned into a table top, or used to hold breakfast in bed. Look for spray paints that are meant for metal and be sure to read if they require a primer first. Some do and some don't. If you have to buy two cans, don't forget about the extra cost!
These mirrors ($1.50) would be fantastic in an array of colors, or all one color. If you're feeling frisky you can etch a design on each one (maybe a bird? or the almost-tired mustache shape?). Either way, grouped together in a space, they are sure to be a hit.
This giant wall mirror ($5) feels a bit overwhelming in it's original color/stain. A nice white will make the scroll work feel lighter and will do wonders for taking the visual weight out of the piece. Or go the opposite and make it bright pink; just make sure to do light thin coats. Remember, you can always add more, but smoothing out drips on a piece like this can be more than you bargained for.
These pillar stands (?) were an interesting find ($2-3). They were solid on both ends, but with the help of a Dremel tool, you could turn them into floor vases or table vases in a jiffy (if you're super handy with the dremel, eliminating the middle of each circle is also a possibility). Mask off the spots if you wish to paint them a separate color, or paint them a solid color to bring some texture into your space. Be sure to wear a mask when dremel-ing!
This branch bowl ($4) isn't unfortunate the way it is. It could use a good cleaning. We would love to see the ends of this piece dipped in plastic-coat ($5-10 at your local hardware store) to give them a rubbery effect. The same look can be achieved by masking off the ends of each limb and hitting them with spray paint instead. Giving it a two-toned effect can coordinate with art and accessories already in your space.
Don't forget to look past the ghastly colors of finds you come across while bargain hunting. There's no need to be scared of gold trim or the wrong shade for your room. It's all in your hands now!
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Cool stuff! The pillars would also make a funky lamp.
view modernguy's profile
What store was all this stuff in?
view littlemt's profile
Awesome post! I wish AT would do more of these.
Now, who's gonna ship me 10 of those tacky mirrors so I can go on a paint bender? :)
view I Love Upstate's profile
yeah what store was this!? some great ideas here!
view Bobbycat5's profile
Decorating on a budget. Very hot! Thanks for the suggestions.
view MoJonson's profile
there's tons of bargain shops in my neighborhood in brooklyn and i often see (really bad) takes on fancy design stuff...
national wholesale liquidators, bargain hunters, and amazing savings (all in my neighborhood) always have good stuff rotating through...
view kdkaboom's profile
The store is listed above in the tags: Cargo Largo.
It was omitted from the article because they don't always have the best deals (they just happened too this day, it's always worth a look), since they started selling many of the items they get in on Ebay instead of in the store.
view sarahrae's profile
*to this day....
(silly spelling Trix are for Kids)
view sarahrae's profile
hmmm i might try the cookie sheet thing. were getting an ottoman to replace our coffee table because they're more baby friendly, but we've been wanting some trays for snacking/drinks but i don't want to spend a lot- this way we can get the exact colors we want on the cheap!
view eribear12's profile
..great Mirrors...someThiNG i HAVE lOOKed FOr..But can not Find
view Zika's profile
At times like these I wish Budget Living magazine was still in circulation...this would be right up their alley! :) Thanks AT for the post!
view devlo's profile
THANK YOU for keep those of us who can't afford to dish out $200 on a lamp in mind.
It's really nice to know AT hasn't forgotten that not everyone who loves a beautiful home has money to spare. I wish there were a few more articles in this vein...maybe a couple of times a week?
view Mrs.Mack's profile
I love finding awesome things in dollar stores. I found this vase in the Dollar General a year ago for only a buck:
http://img183.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p6081073br6.jpg
view Cheryl K's profile
thanks for posting this article! i live in kansas city and i always love finding out about the "cheap" spots around the city from your posts.
view cafesociety's profile
Devlo...i hear you about Budget Living...RIP.
My sister insisted on keeping the back issues and re-reads them regularly :)
view karazy's profile
I just love the picture of the spray paint cans!!
view Marcee-ah's profile
I like the idea of this, but not the selected items. It's just not very practical, though, since I don't have an apartment building with an area where I could spray paint, and it's not that easy to find spray paint in Chicago. It's so much more effort to do that than to keep looking for the right elements and accessories (and the sales that make them affordable!) to bring into my apartment.
view Susanna's profile
I don't get why you would want to coat the ends of that bowl in rubber. It looks fine as-is.
view Griffin's profile
Susanna- Having lived in an apartment for many years, you're correct, spray painting isn't exactly easy when you don't have a backyard to take things out into. Many times I have used a cardboard box to hold my items and then took them down to the sidewalk to paint. I would let things sit outside for 5 minutes or so to let them air and then take them back up to my apartment to dry fully. Best of luck!
view sarahrae's profile
i have some old cookie sheets that are waiting to be painted. my landlord did not install any backsplashes in our apartment and the walls above the oven and countertops are suffering. i was thinking of painting an old cookie sheet and hanging it backwards on the wall space above my oven - i think it would be easy to either hang it directly over a couple nails, or glue some sort of hardware under the lip to hang from. the only trouble is that the countertops/floor/cubboards in my kitchen are all so hideously ugly/neutral that I can't think of a color that would look good :(
view akostalas's profile
Ugh. Independence, MO is not local to Chicago. Thanks for getting my hopes up.
view any such name's profile
Thank you! I like this post very much
view john m's profile
Can't find spray paint in Chicago? What are you talking about?
Go to a hardware store. Or, if you go just outside of the city limits, places like Walmart have lots of spray paint.
view Mrs.Mack's profile
Actually, spray paint isn't sold in Chicago. Quite a pain if you don't have a car - I always found myself stocking up every time I took a trip out of town, but it's hard to anticipate all your color needs in advance. A whole section of the hall closet was eventually devoted to spray paint storage so that we could keep a good palette.
view kiddo katsu's profile
I live in Largo. You'd think it only fair that we have a Cargo Largo. C'mon, seems a match made in heaven.
view quiltmaster's profile
Spray paint hasn't been sold in Chicago for at least the last ten years. It actually went to the US Supreme Court, and the court decided that Chicago had the right to ban sales.
It's supposed to curb graffiti.
Also, if you live in Chicago and someone paints graffiti on your property, you can call 311 and the city will clean it up, usually within a day or so.
view ohjodi's profile