Keep reading to see how to update a laundry on a small budget. Yes you can do it yourself and make a big change for little dollars. SWIPE BELOW TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE…..

THE ISSUE

While our little house may be only 7 years old, it is amazing how your tastes and styles change in short periods. When we built the property I loved my simple laundry, however I never put enough thought into design and storage when we were in the planning stage. Instead, I thought I would just throw up some open shelves and leave it at that.

The problem with open shelves is they look great when fully styled and kept neat, however they look terrible when they are messy and over stacked as mine constantly ended up like. So the main goal was to add a new cabinet that I could hide my mess.

The room was quite dark and needed a general update and refresh with new artwork and decor.

THE PLAN

So I set about changing the storage issue and generally making the room lighter and more inviting to actually go in there and do my washing without dread. I sat down with my Room Project Planner Printable and my Project Action List Printable and worked out what I was going to do and how to bring my ideas to life.

These two printables are available in my Shop and an affordable way to get your ideas and plans out of your head and onto paper. You can print and reuse for every new project and I have found them invaluable to keep me on track and bring my plans to life.

Along with added new storage, the room needed a freshen up and I decided to paint the walls white and add a pop of colour to the existing Ikea Cabinets. I was never happy with the current Ikea benchtop as it was an orange shade so I knew I wanted to sand and stain it a lighter colour. Keeping the existing cabinetry and benchtop certainly keeps it budget friendly and its amazing what paint and stain can do.

THE STEPS

(More Detailed Steps on Painting of Ikea Cabinets are here)

• Remove all items off shelves, benches and walls. Unscrew shelves and artwork. Remove handles from cupboards.
• Fill holes and allow to dry ready for sanding.
• Sand bench ready for staining.
• Sand filled holes and wipe down all walls ready for painting of walls
• Apply 3 x coats of paint allowing drying time in between (a good tip is to use Glad Wrap to cover the paint in between so it doesn’t dry out).
• Wipe cabinetry down with a degreaser, give one coat of primer and within 2 hours while still tacky apply 2 x coast of acrylic enamel paint using foam roller.
• Hang cupboard using suitable bracing, we used pine screwed into the studs to ensure it had strong anchor points.
• Stain and varnish the benchtop.
• Reattach handles to cupboard.
• Add decor, hang frames and enjoy your new space.

THE PRODUCTS

Click on photo to find out more about the products I used.

THE FINAL RESULT

So as you can see I easily managed to transform my space and was able to update a laundry on a small budget. Why not sit down and plan how you can achieve a similar result and make sure you check out my Shop for all my helpful printables and affordable wall art.

THE ARTWORK

I created the wall art and you can purchase your own digital copy by clicking images below. Simply purchase, download and take file to a printer like Officeworks. I chose the standard colour A2 poster and they were $10 each. The frames were from Kmart and you can find them here, once again budget friendly of $12 each.

I picked up this round 4 seater dining table of Facebook Marketplace a few months ago for $80! I could overlook the beautiful 80’s orange pine and had a vision of creating a more light Coastal Hampton feel.

Check out the before and after and keep reading to see how it was done.

We have quite a small dining area and I had been looking at swapping out our 6 seater rectangle table, but I did not like the $500 + price tag to buy a new one. We had pushed this larger one up again the wall which was not ideal and had to store some chairs in the shed.

I took a gamble of painting and updating this table and for the original purchase price of $80 what is the worst that could happen?

I wanted to paint the bottom legs (as way too hard to sand) and sand the top and create a whitewash effect. So off to the local paint store for some advice and to buy what I needed.

The products I used were :

HOW TO PAINT A DINING TABLE – STEP BY STEP GUIDE

1.Prepare surface

I wiped down the whole table as it was dirty and had cobwebs on its legs. I wanted to whitewash the top only so I sanded that area to remove the old varnish.

Now the sander I used was way too small for the job, but it was all we had at the time. II had a lot of “digs” in the top where I did not hold it flat.

As such I highly recommend getting a decent quality and size sander. I ended up sending hubby down to Bunnings to get a new sander with a catcher which I instantly loved and it made the job so much easier.

Once it was all sanded (including the sides) I wiped it all down again in preparation for painting the base.

2. Painting

Chalk paint seemed the best choice for the base as it was difficult to paint with different angles and corners. I felt it was going to be the most forgiving paint and give a soft finish. It was applied with a standard angled brush and made sure to keep an even coverage with no drips/lumps.

After 2 coats, I wasn’t super happy with it and did another coat to try and even up coverage. It turns out you have to be a little careful with chalk paint as I could see some lines and uneven areas. In hindsight, I think I would next time spray paint the base with enamel-based paint. But overall it was quick to apply and looks fine.

3. Whitewash Top

I wanted a soft coastal look top, with hints of white but still showing the wood grain.

After ensuring the top was nice and clean and free of dust, I applied the wood stain in Liming Wood. I used an old rag and simply rubbed it over lightly, let it sit for a minute, and then wiped it off again. If you want it to be more white and less wood grain, you can just apply it more liberally and let sit for longer.

Once this first coat dried, I quickly realised that I did a terrible job of sanding with our little sander and made the choice to redo with the new orbital sander. It made a massive difference and I am glad I took the time to re-do.

So I tried again and was happy with only appling one coat of the Liming Wood again.

4. Apply Varnish

Once I was happy with the whitewash, I applied the Interior Varnish in Satin. Using a soft mini roller, I ensure it had a good amount of product on it as it absorbed quickly. It was important to go slow and purposefully so there were no lines or thicker parts.

I ended up doing 3 coats and allow ample drying time in between as per product instructions.

Here is the final result!

Follow me on Tiktok to see more projects and time lapses of our home projects and renovations.

@amoreliveablelife

#linkinbio #furnitureflipping #makeoverfurniture #coastaldecor #hamptonsdecor #affordabledecor #homeimprovements #homemakeovers #paintingfurniture

♬ original sound – Kelly – A More Liveable Life

If you loved this makeover make sure to check out our other updates and makeovers here.

Are you wanting to update your bathroom or ensuite on a budget? Keep reading to find out how I refreshed our bathroom on a small budget (under $500) and did it all by myself over 3 days!

We built this house over 6 years ago and I originally loved the wall colour, tile, and style. But fast forward to 2021 and to be frank, I was getting sick of looking at it. I wanted a freshen up and to go in a different direction with style and colour, however, I didn’t have a lot to spend or want to make structural changes. And considering everything was still reasonably new and in great condition, it seems extremely wasteful to rip it all out and start again.

So what did I do? I made small, easy to manage changes and totally transformed the room from a bland, lackluster space to something bright and fun. It has certainly become somewhere I am happy to get ready in every morning.

Make sure you read to the end to see all the final photos and watch my Tiktoks at the end ……..

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Where to start?

When planning a makeover or reno project, there are a couple of options you can choose from. You can keep it basic and straightforward with just a visual guide and some notes with measurements and what you need to buy. Or you can delve into more depth and write down all the information that is needed to successfully complete the project, including a to-do list, create mood boards, and list exact products required and costs. Either one of these options is recommended before you make a start as otherwise, you may find you are going off in all different directions. You then tend to lose momentum and usually spend a lot more than you originally wanted to or make costly mistakes as you didn’t spend enough time planning it all out.

OPTION 1 – VISUAL – CREATE A MOOD BOARD

I often find so many images on Pinterest and Instagram that I love but I end up getting totally overwhelmed with options and mash-up too many styles as I want it all!!! So I find creating a mood board, no matter how basic is a great way to gather your thoughts and see what works well together.

You can make mood boards in so many ways. You can start a Pinterest Board just for that project (be careful not to add too many pins as you will be back to square one). Or, you could print out images and cut and paste onto paper. You could also try my preferred way which is a digital mood board. I use a combo of Canva (click on link for a coupon), StyleSourceBook and even Microsoft Word if I just want to do it quickly.

Canva is great because it has an option for a background remover (for Pro users) and I find this the quickest way to create a professional looking mood board.

Here is my bathroom mood board :

Now remember a mood board is simply that, a way of creating a image of what you would like. It does not need to be followed to the letter of the law, it does not need to be exact and it certainly does not need to look perfect. Just add things until you get a good feel that you are on the right track and then you can narrow it down and start making decisions.

OPTION 2 – DETAILED PLANNING – USE A ROOM MAKEOVER PLANNER

Being a procrastinator and often overwhelmed with so many ideas, I needed something to ground me and help me focus. So I created a printable ROOM MAKEOVER PLANNER. This planner covers most things you need to decide on and plan in order to complete a successful room makeover.

Now, you can keep it basic and use a notebook and pen and just take some notes, however, I tend to misplace those or write about other things on the pages and it becomes a hot mess! So I like to keep it in one document that is easy to use and focus on. It’s also great to keep in a home binder in case you need to refer back to items for warrenties, instructions, or paint colours and brands.

Some of the things to consider taking note of if you are just writing it down in a basic form are, the room measurements, paint colours and flooring details and your budget and estimated costs.

You can purchase my printable Room Makeover Planner here.

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How I Did It

After finalising my plan, I set to work. Here is a step by step overview of what I completed.

Step 1 – Prepare and Paint Walls

• Removed all items attached to walls including hooks, screws and I also remove the surround plates of powerpoints and lights to ensure a neat finish
• Wiped down everything with hot water and sugar soap (very important if you want a good finish) and let fully dry
• Taped edges where needed (I use Bear Green Painters Tape) This is a place where spending money and getting a good product is important for a crisp edge, trust me, you will regret going cheap on this
• As our wall panels are pine we did have some areas bleeding thru so I covered those specific areas with B.I.N Primer as an undercoat
• Painted three coats of paint using Haymes Ultra Premium Expressions Interior in the colour Dulux Lexicon Quarter

Step 2 – Prepare and Paint Cabinetry

• Remove draws and knobs
• Wipe down with a good Degreaser (this is important especially for shiny surfaces, our cabinets are from Ikea and have a sheen and you want paint to adhere to it well)
• Tape where needed to keep crisp edges
• Undercoat using B.I.N Primer (I used a small brush for corners and a high-density foam roller for the flat areas). Wait 45 minutes before applying the first coat of paint. Don’t wait any longer as you need it to be a little tacky and help adhere the paint colour.
• Apply 2 – 3 coats of paint. I used Haymes UltraTrim Acrylic Enamel in the colour Haymes Native Essence . Wait the listed time on paint between coats and ensure a roller is used to achieve a smooth finish. Enamel hardens more than standard interior paint so it is best to use it to achieve longevity of the finish.
• Wait 24 hours until you return draws to ensure they have dried and add knobs or pulls. I choose these beautiful wood and crystal ones from Etsy.

Step 3 – Finishing Touches and Extras

• We had existing silver wall lights but wanted them black so we got out the trusty Matt Black Spray Paint and it made a massive difference. Don’t forget to spray screws to match, I punch them thru some thick cardboard so they stand upright and give them a quick light spray to get good coverage
• We also added some wall art in a large A1 frame and a smaller 5 x 7. The prints are my own creation and available to purchase. The large Hello Sweet Cheeks and smaller No Selfies. I got the frames from Officeworks. Don’t be afraid to add art to a bathroom or toilet

Last Step – Stand Back and Enjoy Your Hard Work!

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@amoreliveablelife

Sneek Peek at the Ensuite Update. I have just about finished. #bathroomdecor #bathroomrefresh #bathroommakeover #aussiemum #updatebathroom #budget

♬ Level Up – Ciara

@amoreliveablelife

Ensuite Bathroom Makeover for under $500 details on blog! #bathroomdecor #bathroommakeover #homeimprovements #aussiemum #paintikeacabinets #realhomes

♬ My House (Challenge Version) – Flo Rida

So what is your next room makeover or project? I would love to hear about it and feel free to reach out on social media to let me know or share you page as I love seeing home improvement and projects!