When we first started this makeover project, Kelley and I decided that we needed a budget to work with to even see if it was worth our while. After doing some research, we discovered that renting an apartment in London runs from around $600 up to $2000 (!!!) a week, and we're planning on staying for at least two weeks. With that in mind and factoring in what Kelley could afford, the max amount we decided to spend for the makeover was $550, excluding what Kelley had bought months before like the credenza and the chairs. Did we meet the budget? Tally up the expenses with us after the jump...
We started earnestly planning a few days before I arrived to San Francisco over iChat and email. Since our budget was so limited, we created a wishlist of things that we both felt the apartment needed and then ranked them in order of importance (i.e., "New Sitting Area - Curtains, New Rug to Replace Mangy One, Floor Lamp.")
From that list, we started to take a closer look at what was already in the apartment. A lot of our conversations went something like this:
Me: "What do you think of the rug?"
Kelley: "Well, I kind of hate it. I got it for cheap, and I'm tired of the beige. Everything in that area looks so blah and beige."
"OK, well, then maybe we should get a new one."
"But it's got to be affordable, right? Like $100-$150?"
"Hmm, let's look online."
To say that we did all the planning online is a bit of an understatement: We practically pre-shopped online--and exclusively at Ikea. However, all this planning really did help. Remember when Jenny mused about angry Ikea shoppers? It goes without saying that Ikea is best avoided on the weekends for that very reason; but sometimes, it can't be helped. Thanks to our diligent planning sessions, Kelley and I managed to keep the Saturday Ikea rush chaos to a minimum because we stuck vigilantly to our meticulous lists.
Here's the breakdown of costs by different areas:
The Bay Window Sitting Area
• Ofelia Curtain Set (2 x $49.99): $99.98
• Alvine Triangel Rug: $129.00
• Felicia Throw Pillow Cover (2 x $7.99): $15.98
• Barometer Floor Lamp, Nickel: $49.99
• Granat Cushions (2 x $3.99): $7.98
• Groggy Coaster Set: $5.99
• Vagen Curtain Rod Set (3 x $6.99): $20.97
Total: $329.89
The Radiator Corner
• Lack Shelf: $19.99
• Salong Vase (12"): $9.99
• Salong Vase (17"): $14.99
• Rustoleum High Heat Spraypaint (2 x $4.99): $9.98
• Dust Masks: $7.00
Total: $61.95
Credenza / Reading Nook
• Cabinet Pulls, 7: $15.00
• Vivan Curtain Set: $9.99
• Vagen Curtain Rod Set: $6.99
Total: $31.98
The Kitchen
Interesting factoid about Kelley: She's allergic to wine and beer, which explains why she didn't have a single wine glass. So, when we were making our kitchen list, Kelley thoughtfully pointed out that a potential guest might like to enjoy a glass of wine, especially since a visit to Napa Valley is practically mandatory. (We also picked the kitchen mat solely on the fact that it would match the linoleum color and the design is similar to the black and white rug in the living area).
• Hessum Floor Mat: $9.99
• White Dinnerware Set (to replace the mismatched oddball dinner service): $29.99
• Svalka wine glasses: $4.99
• Svalka champagne flutes: $4.99
• Stockholm Figur Curtain Set: $29.99
• Vagen Curtain Rods (2 x $6.99): $13.98
Total: $93.93
The Bathroom
We had plans for the bathroom...oh yes. Lots of plans, like fashioning a sink skirt with leftover curtain fabric to hide the exposed pipes; replacing the hinges on the cabinets, sanding down the paint blobs inside the cabinet face so it would shut properly. But the fact is that we simply ran out of time and money. So what we opted to do instead is just fix up what's already there.
Like the kitchen cabinets, the antique hinges and glass cabinet knobs were covered in layers upon layers of paint. Kelley managed to pry off three of the four hinges to clean them properly, but the fourth one (last on the bottom) had rusted in and wouldn't come loose. So, she did the best she could to clean them all, and it actually turned out pretty well despite all the cursing and doubt ("Aarrrgghh! Why did I even think this was a good idea to do this? Damn these hinges! Damn them!").
So what was our grand total? After tabulating and tacking on the sales tax, we came in at $560.46...about $10 over budget, which isn't too terrible...We'll make up for it by cooking dinner one night in our swapped flat in London instead of going out for a curry.
All in all, this experience has been really challenging, but also a lot of fun as well. When we finally finished Kelley's apartment, the first thing she said to me was, "Great! Now what about Evan's loft?" (Actually, that was the second thing she said to me. The first thing she said was, "I think we need a drink now. Tequila?"). There's a lot of things I've learned from this project, such as "Just because it's Ikea doesn't mean it's all crap--choose wisely" and "Do your homework and plan it out" and "Wow, so this is what an owl would feel like." For those of you who are feeling discouraged or unmotivated with the decor and arrangement of your home, I hope this series of posts inspires you to get started.
Missed the older posts? Catch up here:
Redecorating on a Budget, Part I: Rearranging the Space
Redecorating on a Budget, Part II: The Credenza DIY Project
Redecorating on a Budget, Part III: Repainting the Radiator
Redecorating on a Budget, Part IV: Making a House a Home
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
These have been some of my favorite AT posts EVER. I am very inspired and plan to do some serious rearranging in my apartment soon!
Thank you for including all of the thought that went in to planning the makeover. And making it affordable and time friendly. I especially love that you tackled the whole apartment and not just one little project - but the whole thing is still completely assessable for me in my little budget-driven, time-crunched world.
~korin
The apartment is lovely. What a great reminder that you don't have to spend gobs of money to refresh and renew a space.
More posts like this please! This has inspired me to rearrange my own home. Thanks for the inspiration.
I really enjoyed this series of posts, especially with the challenge of trying to stay on a small budget.
Loved redecorating with ya'll. This series was definitely the best of AT. I'm sad it's over!
Fantastic series of posts. More like this, please!
I agree, a lot of good ideas, well-written and thoughtfully explained. Good work!
While I too have enjoyed this series, I am a bit confused. I understand that you want to freshen up the place before swapping it...however, I don't really see how some of the things were necessary to achieve this goal. Like painting the radiator or adding the shelf, uncovering the glass knobs in the kitchen, vases, and stuff like that. I mean, I understand wanting the place to be nice for others but I'd suspect they'd be happy with a clean, comfortable place and not really care about the radiator color or the kitchen knobs. I guess I'd just rather have that money to spend on my vacation. Am I missing something?
Enamorada, I think very often unless you have some motivating factor, like a swap, you put off a lot of these types of things. And, without planning and figuring out what you can do yourself with some elbow grease, and using what you already have and making the most of it, you tend to rush in and overspend.
I think all of these small changes, though some might have been more work than others, combine for a fresh and inviting space.
Yeah, KateMick...I was thinking maybe this was more about the swap and the budget being the motivation rather than it purely being for the swap. Maybe I can use this as motivation (read excuse) to plan a swap and go somewhere fantastic and whip my place into shape haha.
yes I would like to echo more like these posts please =)
I really really loved these posts! I dream of someday seeing more like them in the future.... le sigh.
I agree, this series was fantastic! I can relate to a whole apartment budget of $550!
I loved the series, however I issues with the use of the word "factoid". See what American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says about it.
Usage Note: The -oid suffix normally imparts the meaning "resembling, having the appearance of" to the words it attaches to. Thus the anthropoid apes are the apes that are most like humans (from Greek anthrōpos, "human being"). In some words -oid has a slightly extended meaning—"having characteristics of, but not the same as," as in humanoid, a being that has human characteristics but is not really human. Similarly, factoid originally referred to a piece of information that appears to be reliable or accurate, as from being repeated so often that people assume it is true. The word still has this meaning in standard usage. Seventy-three percent of the Usage Panel accepts it in the sentence It would be easy to condemn the book as a concession to the television age, as a McLuhanish melange of pictures and factoids which give the illusion of learning without the substance. · Factoid has since developed a second meaning, that of a brief, somewhat interesting fact, that might better have been called a factette. The Panelists have less enthusiasm for this usage, however, perhaps because they believe it to be confusing. Only 43 percent of the panel accepts it in Each issue of the magazine begins with a list of factoids, like how many pounds of hamburger were consumed in Texas last month. Many Panelists prefer terms such as statistics, trivia, useless facts, and just plain facts in this sentence.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
When I was little, I thought that anything ending with "-oid" came from outer space.
Anyway, more posts like these, it was fun to read and inspiring! So nice to see how good ideas and a bit of work can change a room cheaply.
You guys have done a great job on Kelley's studio! I agree with everyone else: I've enjoyed this series of posts a lot.
Have fun in England!
I am in dire need of that magazine rack (by the window area). Where is it from!?
I've loved these posts as well. I usually stay in apartment rentals when I travel overseas, and yours looks lovely. I would have not hesitation in renting it.