Remodel a Room as a Gift

I love watching those home makeover shows where the owners are shipped off for a few days while a room or their entire home is redesigned. I always thought it would be fun to be able to surprise someone with a beautiful new room.

A few years ago, I had my chance! My mom was trying to think of a special gift idea for my youngest brother’s sixteenth birthday. She had a limited budget and was struggling to come up with an idea that she felt was suitable for this important occasion. Knowing that my brother desperately wanted to remodel his bedroom, I suggested that we tackle the project ourselves as a surprise birthday gift to him.

My poor brother had been stuck with a Winnie-the-Pooh nursery theme that the previous owners of my parents home had done for their baby. My sister and I hadn’t minded it, but when my brother took over our room he couldn’t wait for a change!

(Excuse the lousy “before” pictures–I didn’t think to take photographs until we had already removed wallpaper border and made the room a mess.)

Mom and I set to work choosing a paint color, sourcing decor items and doing the work while he was in school. It was a challenge keeping my nosey brother out of the room. We didn’t manage a complete surprise (he guessed that we were redoing his bedroom), but he didn’t see the end result until his birthday. He was thrilled!

Total project cost: around $300. How did we do this on a dime? We used many of my frugal decorating tips, and:

– Made a big design impact with inexpensive paint in a bold color
– Scoped out clearance shelves for deals, including aluminum window blinds for $7 per window
– Spruced up existing furniture with paint and/or new hardware
– Made our own simple window treatments with $1 per yard fabric
– Created wall art by cutting out images from an old calendar featuring my brother’s favorite sports team

It may not be a typical gift idea, but a room remodel is a perfect solution for that person who “has everything”, or anyone who just needs a change of scenery. A new room can change a person’s whole perspective, and it’s a gift that lasts for years. If you don’t have the time to fit in the job during the hectic holiday season, wrap up a few decor items, cans of paint, or a collage of idea images, along with a note or homemade coupon promising the recipient that you will help with all the work.

Jennifer Roberts

is the founder, designer and author of Jen Spends Less. Formerly an architectural drafter and designer, Jen cut her spending and embraced a frugal lifestyle to be a stay at home mom.

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