j and l projects: November 2009

The following are the before and after pictures of our new apartment in Montreal. I was "allowed" to decorate but given a budget of $0. Having both a house and an apartment was only a temporary situation so we did not want to invest a lot of money in the apartment. Most of what I used was either not being used at our house or given to us by our family members. Not all of the items are what I would have chosen myself but how much can you complain when they are free. In the end, I obviously I spent a little more than $0 but not much. I will break down my spending for the main living space.

FYI- Major Cost Saver- The landlord primed all the walls, trim and doors prior to us moving in. We agreed to do the painting if she paid for the paint and supplies and let us choose the colours.

The Living Room- Before

The Living Room- After

Living Room Budget Breakdown:

Furniture-

The love-seat, chair, end tables and lamps (2 table and 1 floor) were all given to us by other family members. $0

The small dining table with 2 chairs, electric fireplace and bar cart (not shown) we already had but were not necessary to keep at our house. $0

The desk was our biggest purchase which we found on Kijiji. $100

The 2 faux leather storage ottomans we found at XSCargo for a steal. $39 each

The desk chair was a curbside find. $0

The 6 x 9" carpet was a remnant which I bought at Walmart. $39

Accessories-

The large frame behind the sofa we already had but updated the print inside the frame with some black and white photography from Michaels. $4 (after 40% off coupon)

I bought 2 of the pillows on the sofa from JYSK and the other ones (including the 2 pillows on the chair) we already had but weren't using. $3 (cushion covers) & $3.99 (cushion inserts)

The 4 smaller frames above the dining table were bought on clearance at Michaels. The larger of the 2 matts was also purchased at Michaels and the smaller matts were purchased at the Dollar Giant. The pictures within the frames were photos we took and printed off at home. $6.99 each (frames), $2.99 each (11 x 14 matts- after 40% off coupon), $1/pair (4 x 6 matts)

The blanket I bought on sale at JYSK. $9.99

The curtains and curtain rod I found (on sale) at JYSK for a steal. $10/pair (curtains) & $9 (rod, brackets & finials)

The black wood bowl on the dining table was bought at Walmart. $9.99

Most, if not all, the smaller accessories (pots, magazines, books, candles, Buddha statue, etc.) we took from our house. $0

The Front Entryway- Before

The Front Entryway- After

Front Entryway Budget Breakdown:

The 4 frames on the right of the door were bought on clearance at Michaels. The larger of the 2 matts was also purchased at Michaels and the smaller matts were purchased at Dollar Giant. The pictures within the frames were photos we took and printed off at home. $6.99 each (frames), $2.99 each (11 x 14 matts- after 40% off coupon), $1/pair (4 x 6 matts)

The carpet at the front door was bought at IKEA. $49

I bought the full length mirror and the boot tray (on sale) at Walmart. $8 (mirror) & $3 (boot tray)

I purchased the coat hooks at Michaels. $3 (after 40% off coupon)

The 2 smaller frames above the coat hooks we already had. The pictures within the frames were photos we took and printed off at home. $0

The Hallway- Before

The Hallway- After

The Kitchen- Before

The Kitchen- After

The Bedroom- Before

The Bedroom- After

The Bathroom- Before

The Bathroom- After

The key to this apartment makeover was paint. A fresh coat of paint on virtually everything (including the kitchen counter) cleaned and updated it. To tie together all our miscellaneous furniture pieces we painted everything Swiss Coffee (CIL paints). Now even though the pieces are very different styles they all have something in common that unifies them.

Total makeover cost: $422.00