Bargain hunting is the spine of Bone Broke, but don't get ahead of yourself- before you start perusing the clearance aisles you need to have a few things in order:
Know the overall "theme" of the room you're about to work on
-Be able to confidently say to yourself "I want this room to feel like...." and stick to that theme, wether it's a cozy bed and breakfast, an island oasis, a tuscan villa, etc.
Know the furniture* items that you have for use in the room, what furniture you need, what pieces you need to get rid of, and how you're going to arrange the furniture before you start shopping
-Know how you want the furniture in your room to be laid out. Mimic the everyday activities that occur in this room a few times and be aware of things that throw off the flow of the everyday routine- Could this bathroom use a shelf to put your toothbrush? Would it be handy to have something to sit on while your guest is getting dressed in the guest room?
-Identify what your room is lacking, or what you want to change about the room you're working on. Key phrases you may say to yourself are "This bathroom needs more storage" or "this room needs something to warm it up". -Once you know what furniture/accessories you'll need you can start a list of what you're looking for when you shop
*Furniture is the movable articles (such as tables, chairs, desks, or cabinets) required for use or ornament in a house, office, or the like.
-Have a good idea of what colors you will use in the room
-The color is totally up to you, but I always try to pick colors that compliment and draw in the browns, greens, blues, and yellows of nature, especially if there's a window with an outside view. My rule is that if it goes with the theme, looks good in daylight and lamplight, isn't too gaudy, (probably) isn't a color I'd have to change if/when I sell the house, and makes me feel happy when I see it, then it's the right color.
-You don't need to purchase paint just yet, but have a pretty good idea of what you want.
Consignment shops, Craigslist, and garage sales are usually the first places I go when I'm looking for items to spruce up a room. Shopping at these places can be a little overwhelming if you don't go with at least an idea of what you're looking for, going in blindly can result in buying things you don't need, things that don't go with the room, or things that end up just sitting around. Now, searching for something specific at these places can be maddening, so when you're shopping if you find something interesting or something that is sort of what you're looking for but isn't exactly it, try thinking about what it could be. Repurposing is a huge part of getting what you want and saving money. I'll talk more about this when I get a project started to show.
When I'm not at any of the above I'm walking the clearance aisles where ever I go. And I really do mean where ever I go- wether you're at the super center, the hardware store, the furniture store, or the grocery, they ALL have clearance sections, even if it's just a shelf of the previous holiday's decorations. As an example of a little-known clearance dept I refer you to Lowe's and Wal-Mart. Sure they have clearance sections, the usual bathroom sink hardware, curtains, light fixtures, candles, etc... but one thing I hate paying full price for is paint. Something about taking a can of white paint and adding a few drops of coloring doesn't seem worth $20 to me. Yeah... $20 if you buy the cheap stuff, depending on the brand a gallon of paint can cost as much as $40! Well fear not, penny pinchers, even paint gets marked down to clearance pricing sometimes.
The clearance section may not always have the exact paint color you want in the exact finish you want, but that's why I say get a good idea of what colors you want to use- that way you can be flexible on the exact color you choose. When paint is marked down to clearance price it's usually because of a mis-tint or a return, so if you're buying clearance paint make sure you know EXACTLY how much you'll need before you buy- accidentally getting that perfect (but mis-tinted) tan may not happen if you need another gallon, so choose wisely. Wal-Mart's clearance paint is usually found in the paint dept (duh) and it's usually only one or two shelves, if that. I've found paint at Wal-Mart for as low as $3/gallon, and there's usually a pretty good selection as the gospel of clearance paint hasn't reached the masses yet. Lowe's has a fairly good selection of clearance paint as well, but I usually do have to check back every other week or so as they don't get as many returns when the paint is mixed by the professionals. Don't give up though, I've gotten many a $6 can of Valspar premium paint from them, you just have to be patient sometimes!
This might all seem a little vague for a first post but don't worry, I'll be walking you through a complete project after just a little while. I just want to get you thinking about the basics: brainstorming, bargain hunting, repurposing, and patience.
STAY TUNED!
I'm going to be starting a complete guest bedroom project on my next post, I'll take you through every step and I'll include pictures. And as an added bonus, since the holidays are upon us I might just throw in a holiday side project or two!
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