HOW TO HAVE AN ECLECTIC MODERN ROOM FOR $100

Learn how you can achieve an eclectic modern living room style that oozes a relaxed and gathered vibe for around $100 with simple DIY projects.

Hallelujah, I finally finished – My eclectic modern living room is now a reality! Y’all, January has been a long month. Like many of you, we’ve had:

• More snow days this month than we usually have in an entire year
• A child with the flu
• A child transitioning to a new school
• The whole family (including the momma) coming down with norovirus
• A birthday we planned for but had to cancel due to the norovirus
• A child’s first travel dance competition
• Enteryourchoiceofnaturaldisasterhere

BUT on the happy side, I’ve been participating in my second $100 Room Challenge, hosted by the lovely Erin of lemonslavendarandlaundry.com!  The first time I participated we made over our powder room, but this time I took on a little bigger project.  Myself and 38-other bloggers took part this go-round, and there is more before and after eye candy than you can even imagine – all for under $100! Be sure to check out all of the other participants completed projects at the end of this post.

On an even happier note, I’m giving away FREE printable art! This Line Art is quirky, fun, and free to you for download!

But, I digress. Let’s take a quick look at “the before” before we move onto the afters, okay?

And now, the AFTER!

Are you screaming right now? Because I AM!

HOW YOU CAN HAVE AN ECLECTIC MODERN LIVING ROOM FOR UNDER $100

My living room make-over took a little more than a month to complete and all in total I spent $99.50 – how is THAT for sneaking in under the wire?!

Here are all the things I’d hoped to accomplish – and by some miracle of miracles, I completed them ALL! I haven’t blogged about them all yet, but we’ll get there. ☺

• Update the coffee table
• Give the lamps a make-over
• Replace the end tables
• Replace the large painting over the sofa with something more contemporary
• Update the fireplace 
• “Build-in” the shelving
• Update or add new accents and artwork throughout the room

It looks like a lot, but in reality, not one project took any longer than a weekend. Below are the steps you can follow to bring about your Eclectic modern makeover and the costs associated – both mine and what your’s would be, assuming you are not the DIY material hoarder that I am.

MAKE A PLAN

Cost: $0
Time involved: A few hours

Think of your design plan as your visual to-do list. Even if you aren’t a list maker, this will help you to visualize how you want your room to function and look. Planning saves you in many ways by helping you to focus your time, energy and money on the things that are most important to you. In a budget make-over, it’s especially important, as it allows you to visualize your existing furniture and accessories in new ways and different combinations. I use Olioboard.com (no affiliation) to create my design plans – you can sign up for a free account.

ADD SHELVING

My cost: $69.50 – details to come
Your cost: About $120 for materials
Time involved: A weekend

The shelving was by far my most significant expense, but it also has such an impact that it was worth the $70! Our room is very long and narrow. Having shelving at one end helps to balance the space – when the shelving is ample enough to do the job. The existing shelving was dark, too small, too short and overall, just wasn’t working. Not to mention, it was falling apart! My good friend April of Uncookiecutter.com and I collaborated to put together a set of plans for this shelving made almost entirely of plywood. It is open, streamlined and the perfect scale for the room. You’ll be amazed how easy they were to make – click here for the tutorial! For information on how I painted the faux metal finish onto the sides of the shelves, click here.

UPDATE YOUR COFFEE TABLE

My Cost: $30 for hairpin legs
Your Cost: Around $46 for all materials (not including the coffee table)
Time involved: A few days to remove and apply a new finish and for dry time.

For under $30 can bring an old, dated coffee table back to life. Any table in excellent shape and a removable top is a good candidate for this project. This particular table had a  fun inlay that wasn’t even visible because of all of the dark stain.

The new coffee table is stunning! It’s sleek and modern, and the color is perfect for highlighting that inlay I love so much!

How to Make a Modern Hairpin Leg Coffee Table for under $50

DIY SOME ARTWORK

My cost: $0
Your cost: $10-$30
Time involved: An afternoon or two

There are two significant art focal points in this room – a large print above the sofa and a gallery style display above the loveseat.

In both cases, the art displays were the perfect size for the room, but the art itself was dated and not in line with our current style. I’ll be sharing the details on both of these DIY art projects in the next week or so.

In addition, we added some fun, quirky printable art for interest. This print comes in a set and is available for free download in our freebies library, or, you can get it by clicking on this link.

GET FREE PRINTABLE LINE ART

ADD COLOR TO YOUR FIREPLACE

My cost: $0
Your cost: $4 for a sample size of paint
Time involved: A half-day

I took a big chance on updating this fireplace with a bold and unexpected paint color but am SO glad I did! Sometimes you just have to go with your gut!

colorful tray

GIVE YOUR LAMPS A MAKE-OVER

My Cost: $0 – I am a spray paint hoarder
Your cost: $7 for two cans of spray paint
Time involved: A few hours

I didn’t spend a lot of time outlining the lamp make-overs as I had a pretty long to-do list, but the long and short of it, you can completely transform a set of lamps with spray paint. This one looks brand new, even when placed in the same spot on the same console table! Never underestimate the power of spray paint.

FIX UP YOUR END TABLES

My cost: $0 – I had the chalk paint on hand
Your cost: $20 for paint, $25 for a thrifted console table
Time involved: A day

I decided to move my existing end tables in favor of something more functional – a console table that has lived many lives in my home.

With a new finish and painted door hardware, the console table is a much better scale for the room, and it has hidden storage! Sometimes what you have in a room isn’t working. Be open to moving things around your home to get the best fit and function.  Do you spy the puppy in the corner? #Titophotobomb

The other end table I replaced with a ceramic garden stool that’s been floating around my house looking for a permanent home. It is red, but I decided not to change it – I like that it’s a little unexpected and not so matchy-match.

SHOP YOUR HOME FOR ACCENTS

My cost: $0
Your cost: $0
Time involved: As long as you’d like

Chances are you have some very eclectic things in your collection of all-the-things. Sometimes just moving a knick-knack a new location in your home can update the look of your room – for absolutely nothing!

Somehow a project that is met with all kinds of resistance and mayhem is that more satisfying when it’s completed. Such is the case with this $100 Eclectic Modern Living Room Make-over. It’s taken 10-years and many almost-make-overs to make this living room one I love – Now I never want to leave!

Ready to see that before and after one more time? Me too!

For a week by week recap, check out these links!

1-The Plan | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4| Reveal

Again, huge thanks to Erin of lemonslavendarandlaundry.com for creating this challenge and including all of us participants. That’s a wrap, January!

*This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through a link, I receive a small commission at no expense to you. Thanks for supporting KnockitOff Kim!

Be sure to check out all of the other participants for January for budget make-0ver ideas for every room in your home!

Enter your email address to get new post notification by email! It’s non-stop Knock it Off Kim fun!

* indicates required

First Name

Email Address *

Email Format

• html
• text