About a year ago, I started entertaining serious thoughts of moving away from San Francisco. Ever since, though I've tried to take good care of my apartment, my heart just hasn't been in it. Now it looks as if I'll be here at least another year, and I'd like to enjoy that time in my little home as much as possible. What improvements can I make for $100? What would you do?
The number one thing on my wish list is a deep clean. After six years here, this apartment could use a thorough cleaning by someone who sees it with fresh eyes and won't get depressed or distracted a fourth of the way through the project. I contacted Organic Breeze Eco-Cleaning in Oakland, CA, and they gave me a quote of $80 to deep clean my entire studio apartment. That seems like such a steal, but it does eat up a huge portion of my budget. I might look around a bit more. Have you ever had your house professionally cleaned before? I haven't, and I'm a bit shy to have it done. But oh, it sounds so lovely & luxurious.
Next, I think I might work on getting more art onto my walls. For my last birthday, I received two magical gifts of art: the Fantastic Mr. Fox print that I featured on Bad Dads 2011: A Celebration of Wes Anderson and my favorite diptych from my friend Leah Rosenberg's show "Time Will Tell". A little tip for those of you with artist friends: always mention which piece is your favorite, just in case. The gift of Mr. Fox generously included an antique frame, so I just need to cut a mat ($15 for a large piece of archival mat board). For the diptych, I'm thinking of getting something like the Ikea Ribba frame ($19.99, though of course I'd much rather find something at the thrift store) and again cutting my own mat from the same piece of board.
I'm already over budget (and let's face it, I'm not trekking to Ikea) but a few other things on my list might be a rugged floor cushion so I can sit out on my fire escape ($20ish), an illuminated flower garland like I recently made for a friend ($5 for the flowers at a dollar store, I already have lights), and new shelves for my Kitchen Pit Of Despair ($20ish).
How would you spruce up your not-going-to-be-here-forever home for only $100? What would you put up with if it's only for a year?
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I'd do a thorough cleaning myself, to save money, while dancing around to my favorite music to stay motivated. I've had pro's come in to clean, and it's fine if you can afford it, but having the bulk of that $100 to splurge on things you get to keep might make doing the cleaning worth it. It's also helpful to pack things away, when you're cleaning, and 'refurnish' your home afterward so it feels brand new.
I'd frame a couple of my favorite images with cheap frames (from IKEA or Goodwill... and I find lots of IKEA frames at Goodwill for $1 each) and unify them by painting the frames or mats the same color (a pot of sample paint from the paint store is only a couple bucks). Then I'd group them together so it has some impact. My latest favorite is to collect images of paths (walking paths, docks, stairs, anywhere that indicates movement forward or into the future) and frame those as a collection. I've gotten so into it now I take my camera everywhere I go and look for paths.
I'd buy orchids in a single color (they're cheap at the flower market at 6th and Brannan, Trader Joe's, and sometimes even at Whole Foods) and buy cute cheap pots at Goodwill. If you water them properly, which means not often and don't let them soak in water, the blooms can last for months. I mass 4-5 together on my mantel and easily have blooms for 3-4 months.
I really like Leah's work... lucky you!
Awesome suggestions, Rucy. I have been scouring the thrift stores for frames- wish me luck!
$100 for an entire year? That's not even $2.00 a week! Why don't you splurge on a wonderful pastry once a week :)
If you want to update your home, for $100 - I'd paint a wall...or two. Paint is cheap - it has a cleaning effect and it has the ability to change everything!
I feel your psyche would benefit hugely from that organicn deep clean company. Then, when you walk in the door after they have left, you will see and smell it with a wonderful and refreshed feeling...new and clean energy,done by someone else! This way, you will feel motivated to perhaps change some things, and want to have happy flowers in a happy vase weekly, to keep you up and going forward..while feeling good about yourself this upcoming year in order to make future plans..
@ TESS ---> LUCK!
As I was trimming my garden this morning it occurred to me that as an alternative to the orchids, you could buy a large potted geranium for your fire escape (or put 2 or 3 smaller plants in a larger pot), because they bloom so heavily you could clip blooms weekly to put in little bud vases in your home...
I would do the cleaning myself. With music on, I find that it's really not that bad. While cleaning, I would rearrange stuff, and get rid of things that I probably wouldn't want to I've. I like the potted plant ideas, both orchids and geraniums. I wouldn't buy stuff because it will just have to be moved. Good luck to u!
If you need help about cleaning the place yourself check out www.flylady.net. Marla is a brilliant coach and really taught me how to keep house and clean and have fun at the same time. If you follow the daily missions you'll save the money (BTW Flylady is a completely free of charge service) and have a clean house without crashing and burning. Have fun!
I'd just focus on moving away from San Francisco! Then you'd have more money AND be in a better mood. Kidding... but only sort of.... moving from SF to LA saved my sanity and my bank account. I'd do the deep clean myself and spend the money on getting the art up, fresh flowers, and maybe some nice candles. You sound like you need to cheer yourself up!
For me, $100 of mad money would go a long way. It could be used to paint one feature wall some bright color that would make my heart glad each and every day (the one behind the bed in the room shown would be an obvious choice of place) -- probably run about $18.00. Then a few pillows (including a large, tough leather one for the fire escape) to add color throughout. Figure $75.00 for them. And I'd use the $7.00 left over for an Ice Cream Sundae -- a treat for my inner child (corny but definitely a truism).
I just had a true professional spring cleaning done, and as luxurious as it was, to me it was not worth the money. I get the same results (in 3x the time) every week, and it still had to be done again a week later. I say: go for the extra shelf or seat cushion for your fire escape! I just bought a food processor (something I had been lusting for), and it was so much more worth it! Oh, and @MARIE516, I'm with you fresh flowers and candles can make any home more homey!
I host "trade-a-thons" at my house. We bring household what-nots, paint misses and furniture. Then everyone can trade and make a change with no cost! I always repaint a wall when I have something on my mind. But if I had to spend $100 I'd buy the California coast print from Orange and Park and a nice frame from Ikea. I'd still have money left for a coffee and a sweet roll!
1. Take the bed covers and dye them. The bottom should be a rich dark brown along with the bolster back pillow(s) cover. The top I would dye a lighter shade, probably light taupe. You will not be able to dye them towards the yellow orange spectrum because they will turn muddy. You won't like that resulting dye-color if you like orange.
2. Spray paint the frames of the black & white images orange.
3. Get another table to replace the floor lamp or get another similar floor lamp. Do some curb shopping. The tables don't have to be the same. One could even be a little dresser with a drawer.
4. Whatever, then paint them a darker shade of taupe. If the new table has a drawer, paint it orange and change the knobs to crystal balls.
5. Now about that tuquoise lamp. Do you absolutely love it? Well then paint the headboard the same taupe color as the tables. Wait don't get depressed yet.
6. Go buy some tiles, whatever strikes your fancy, different sizes and shapes, just make sure you are repeating turquoise (even number of tiles) (if you keep the lamp) and orange (odd number of tiles). Now take those tiles and all your images on the wall, lay them out on the floor and spread them further apart. Work on a grid and at every intersection place a tile. Keep changing it until you like it. You can use painters tape on both the floor and then the wall to get the effect you want. Remember, the framed images don't have to be in the center of each open grid. The tiles do have to be on crossing intersections though.
7. Oh, I forgot to tell you that you should dye some pillow cases orange if you can't find orange ones. They are for the pillows in the front row.
8. For those candle lights. Go to a yardage store and buy some wide (at least 1" wide) dark brown grosgrain ribbon, some 1/2" orange grosgrain ribbon, and some 1/8" turquoise ribbon. Use double sided tape or a hot glue gun. Measuse the 'candle and divide by 2. In the top of the measurement at the center, wrap the dark brown ribbon full circle. Next, in the center of the dark brown ribbon wrap the orange. Finally, in the center of the orange wrap the turquiose. Just make sure the cut ends are too the back.
9. While you were out curb shopping for another table did you also chance upon a lamp you had to have? Is it about the same size as the turquiose lamp? Good! If it is not turquiose then paint it turquoise unless it is clear glass. If it is clear glass, find something to put in, making sure that you repeat turquoise alot.
10. Spray paint, lightly, the shade of both lamps so that they are a lighter version of the 'candle' colors. Just don't go too much lighter. You goal is to make them look like you chose them to match one another and they just happen to pick up the tone of 'candles'. Now, one inch from the bottom of each shade, wrap the ribbons like you did on the candle sconces.
11. I hope you found some type of objet d'intérêt to place on the back of the headboard. A doll, a sculpture, found art, heck you could even have a hub cap there if it has orange or turquoise in it.
I'm a big fan of new paint like some other posters, but if you're moving soon, or the landlord won't like it, I understand why you don't want to. (I recently painted my bedroom Dynamic Blue-Sherwin Williams. Love.) The last few weeks I have been doing a major purge and clean in my house. I got rid of so much stuff. I feel like I can breathe now. I rearranged my living room (it's the everything room--a real living room) for a day. It's completely different, and it's wonderful! Although my back really hurt for about a day, I'm so glad I did it. Also, I recommend Flor carpet tiles. You can go to the outlet section of their site and get them pretty cheaply. They would be easy to move, if you move. I have them in several rooms.
If the #1 thing on your list is a deep clean, I would do that. You'll enjoy it for quite some time.
When I last owned a house, we had it cleaned every other Monday. It sounds crazy, but it actually helped with my Sunday blues mood to know that the house would look great when I came home and that I could look forward to Monday.
Rucy, I adore the idea of pathways to the future! Definitely going to have to steal that idea and get out my camera. I would get a cushion for the balcony and inexpensive flowers every couple of weeks....they always make me smile.
Need some cool artwork? Free, you say? Yes! http://indiefixx.com/Feed_your_soul/
Feed Your Soul is a free art project. Each month artists are invited to participate and to contribute a print which is totally free and available for download.
They have great prints to download and decorate your pad... good luck & have fun...
Deep clean your apartment yourself (maybe with a little help from your friends). Box up all the things that are taking up space and not giving you comfort. Take down all the pictures over the bed and box up. Paint walls same color (unless Landlord approves something else). Less is more. Buy a happy coverlet for the bed. Stand back and BREATHE!
Deep clean by yourself. Purge while you're at it. Then have a yard sale or Craigslist those things you aren't crazy for anymore. And voila! You've added $ to your $100 budget!
Then yes, I would paint a wall (you can buy mis-mixed paints for cheap at the hardware store)... Maybe check out the roadside for any good finds (head to a great neighborhood the evening before garbage day or the morning of)... Buy some great fabric to stretch over a huge frame (very dramatic chage to a room)... You can always pick greenery, flowers and branches from the outdoors (free!)... Many ways to stretch those dollars!
Why not swap with a friend and do a "deep clean" of each other's spaces?