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Refresh A Room On A Budget:
Quick Tips to update home decor with just
a small amount of money!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ICantEven #BigLots #CollectiveBias
We’ve lived in our house for 8 years, and for some reason, our boys’ playroom has been very neglected. It’s ironic since they spend the most time in that room! Over the years, it has gone through mismatched furniture, random decor items, and pieces that didn’t really fit the room but were “make do” pieces. As the boys got bigger and literally took up more space, we purchased a few larger pieces. We upgraded them to a sofa and two chairs. They are happy about the soft seating, but the flow of the room was not working out.
The room has an odd shape. It’s really long, but not very wide. It has windows on one side, and french doors on the other. On one long wall is a door, and on the other wall is another door---right in the middle. Essentially this divides the long room into 2 separate areas. We had the room arranged this way, but the flow was not working. All the heavy feeling furniture was in the middle. The coffee table was a bargain through a garage sale, but it was too oversized for the room. All the furniture huddled in the middle, and there was nothing anchoring it, like a rug.
The window coverings were sad. We had simply left the builder blinds and we had no drapes. There was nothing to soften the look of the windows. The room lacked warmth and coziness. I’m sure the boys didn’t mind that much. Since they are older now, I wanted to give the room a more sophisticated look.
I also didn’t want to spend a lot of money, or drive from store to store to store to figure out what I might want. I decided to sit down and make a list of things that I knew I wanted for the space.
I came up with the following, which you can use when sprucing up a room in your own home:
Like I mentioned before, I didn’t want to drive all around the town. After I reviewed my list, I went to Big Lots Website. After looking around the site, I knew that they had all my wishlist items at a price I liked. I didn’t know which specific items I wanted, but I knew that I could find all the items in one place. So the next morning, I headed out for my local Big Lots store.
I pop into Big Lots fairly often (it’s right next to Starbucks), but I often just go in and browse around. This time I was on a mission! I was determined to find what I wanted, and to do it in 1 hour. I was amazed at the selection my store offered - mainly because I live in a town with a HUGE university. The students had just moved back to town, so I couldn’t believe that there were still so many items available. Big Lots has rows of home decor items featuring candles, artwork, mirrors, decorative pillows and even seasonal decor. In addition, they have a furniture section where you might find things like couches and beds. There is plenty of accent furniture as well! Styles and selection vary by store so make sure you shop around for what you’re looking for at all of your local Big Lots stores before hitting any other stores in your area!
The storage ottoman makes a great place for my kiddos to store their toys!
The ottoman’s lid flips over to create a serving tray. Perfect for a cup of coffee!
Once I had decided on the ottomans, I went for my next big item - the area rug. I knew I wanted a fairly large sized rug. I also knew it might be a challenge since I have blue and grey furniture. I thought I was most likely going to get a solid colored rug, but luckily for me, they had a patterned rug which colors matched perfectly with both my existing furniture and the new ottomans!
It turns out Buckley thinks the new rug is the best place to take a nap!
After I picked out the rug, it was smooth sailing. I headed over to the pillow aisle and found a few options. I went to the other side of the aisle and compared them with the window treatments. While I was there, I met two lovely ladies who were also decorating a room, so we exchanged ideas and opinions. Don’t you love it when that happens?
I love the thickness of these window panels. They have a more modern look to them with the grommets at the top, which works well since this room has more contemporary furniture.
I was pleasantly surprised that the curtain rods were so inexpensive. I had budgeted for triple the price, so with my savings, I went back to the pillow section to grab some more pillows! While I was there, I also picked up a fun, furry throw for the couch.
Here you can see 2 of the pillows I selected. A more neutral Greek key design, and a fun crochet style multicolored pillow with contrasting piping.
I had my items loaded and in the car at right under an hour. I couldn’t believe my luck! The next day, after sending the kiddos to school I started the room refresh!
I started by moving the furniture in the basic area that I wanted it. When I was happy with how it looked, I hung the curtains. I needed a drill for that part, but it took less than an hour to get them both hanging (and I even ironed all 4 panels!). The curtain rod came with anchors for our walls which are so helpful in making sure they are sturdy!
While I had my step stool out, I went ahead and hung 2 large photo frames I had laying around that never seemed to get put up!
I rolled out the rug, and took a few tries figuring out the placement of the chairs and the ottomans.
I placed the pillows on the chairs and the couch and added the furry blanket so I can curl up with it while on my laptop.
Once I decided I liked it, I promptly sat down and drank that latte!
Wouldn’t you?
The kiddos came home from school and couldn’t believe the transformation!
From this:
I’m so excited with how quickly and inexpensively this room came together. I love how grown up the room looks now, and how pulled together. It’s amazing how just a few things can really make a room feel warm and cozy. I’ve already started browsing the Big Lots website again to see which room I’m going to redo next! I have no excuse now that I know how easy it is to refresh a room! I love that I got such a high end look for an unbeatable value! Have you ever shopped Big Lots for home decor or furniture? I’d love to hear about your experience!
inkhappi says
This looks great Sara! I love the results and it looks like that adorable dog does too!!
Atta Girl Amy says
I love what you've done with the room. It looks like a great hangout space for the boys and mom, too!
Atta Girl Amy says
I love what you've done with the room. It looks like a great hangout space for the boys and mom, too!
Stephanie Paxman says
Looks so great! Come do mine next 🙂 And I love those pillows 🙂
Kaysi @ Keeping it Simple says
It looks so good!!! I love the little ottomans
Jess says
Everything looks so great!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Lisa Silfwerbrand says
Lovely update! The room looks so inviting and cozy 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up at the Bewitchin' Projects Block Party! Hugs, Lisa