Mum Of Three Transforms Four Bedrooms For Under £1500 Using £3 eBay Bargains
- Emily, 29, transformed four bedrooms for under £1500
- She sourced bargain supplies from Facebook Marketplace, eBay and B&M
- Bargains include £3 wall stickers and £2 cushions
- Emily has created a jungle room, a monochrome room, a gamer room and a floral room
Redecorating bedrooms can easily cost a small fortune, but one savvy mum has managed to complete not just one, but four makeovers on a budget for herself and her children.
Emily Watson, a 29 year old housekeeper from Harrogate, North Yorkshire who is a mum to Lewis, 11, Maisie, 9 and Hugo, 1, decided to embark on four projects - a bedroom revamp for herself, a new space for Lewis and a conversion of one room into two smaller ones for Maisie and Hugo.
Speaking to money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk, Emily said: ‘I got my ideas by collecting inspiration off home budget Instagram pages. They showed me where to buy cheap furniture and how to upcycle old items with Frenchic paint. I was able to put my own stamp on my home using bits and bobs I had collected over time.
‘We moved into a three bedroom house, so we halved the third bedroom in the back to give my one and nine year old children their own space. Our youngest accesses his bedroom from ours, so they both have privacy.’
After her design research, Emily came up with her themes. Her room would become a chic grey and white space, while eldest son Lewis would be getting a gamer-themed bedroom. The third and final bedroom in the house would have two designs - Maisie getting a floral polka dot color scheme and Hugo being treated to jungle decor.
Emily was mindful that she didn’t want to spend too much on the projects. ’For my bedroom, I wanted to model it using some Instagram homes as inspiration. However, they weren’t in the budget for me if I was to buy everything as listed. Instead, I tried to recreate the look by purchasing supplies from Facebook Marketplace, B&M and Home Bargains.
‘With my two eldest children, I wanted to try and keep their bedrooms grown-up so the makeovers would last. I used ideas from Instagram homes for these as well. As for my youngest, he has always loved the jungle so I wanted to give him a space where his imagination could run wild!’
‘Most of our supplies and furniture have been purchased second hand, from budget shops or sales where possible. We also had help from a friend in the building trade to put up some stud walls and fit the electrics.
‘We were lucky to pick up several items on the cheap. For example, I got wall stickers from eBay for between £3 and £5 a sheet, and while I was there I picked up a roll of wallpaper for just £10. Overall the walls of stickers in each room were just £30 each to create, and I also got some gamer cushions from this site for just £2 each.
‘By going to the local builders merchants we saved on the timber and plasterboard, paying £60 in total. When we got the paint we got two tubs for £20 each from Dulux and two Valspar tubs for £30 each.
‘The best bargain was both of my eldest childrens’ beds, as we actually got those for free off Facebook Marketplace! The third bed was just £50 off Marketplace. I’ve had a lot of people asking where it’s from - I got lucky with that find.
‘Marketplace turned out to be a great place for items on the cheap. I picked up a large stuffed giraffe for £45 and a pink chandelier for £20. There was a lovely hanging shelf with tassels that I got for just £5 and the grey lamps in my room cost just £25 for both. I also got my two mirrored bedside tables from Marketplace - £50 for both!
‘Overall I paid very little for the furniture in each of the rooms. I got the Malmo Bedside Cabinet for £15 from B&M for Lewis’ room, and my mirrors and furniture were all second hand. For the whole set in my bedroom I only paid £150 - and that includes two bedside tables, a set of drawers and a dressing table.
‘All of the smaller accessories are from either Home Bargains, B&M or The Range. In these stores I didn’t spend over £30 for any of the items. The most popular decorative piece among family and friends has been my Naomi Tripod Lamp, which cost just £20 from B&M.
‘The most expensive purchases were the jungle wallpaper, which cost £70 from eBay, and our bed - it was from a company called Bedz, Bedzz & Bedrooms and cost £500.
‘When we began renovating the rooms, the job which took the longest was preparing the walls. We hadn’t replastered anywhere except one wall, so it took a long time to sand everything and white mist the walls before getting the paint on.
‘The biggest challenge was moving into the house while it was a bare shell, as it wasn’t in very good condition, so we had to redo everything while we were living in the house. It took five long months, but the process was made easier because I’d been planning it for over six months before we moved in.
‘I had started buying budget items before we even had a house to move in, so this helped us to save money once we were in our new home. I knew we wouldn’t be able to afford a professional so we sourced everything ourselves and got the job done successfully on the cheap.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Completing just one bedroom makeover is an extensive task, so Emily’s achievement is truly impressive. Each of these bedrooms has been given a total overhaul and will no doubt be fantastic spaces for years to come.’
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I envy the imagination that people have. They are able to transform rooms magically