My minimalist living room makeover on a budget

Since my budget bedroom makeover is complete, I felt like I might as well work on the rest of my little apartment. I can't really do anything with the kitchen, so that leaves the living room and dining area (they're not really separate rooms).

I shoved a bunch of furniture from the bedroom into the dining room during my bedroom makeover. Now it's time to reorganize and do a low-key minimalist makeover of my living room and dining room!

Here's what's in store in this post:

1. My current living and dining room layout
2. Prep and decluttering
3. Choosing a theme
4. My new floor plan
5. Decorating my space

If you don't have time to read the article now, you can save it to Pinterest for later.

1. My current living and dining room layout

In case you didn't catch my last post, I took my desk, chair, and a bookcase and put them in the living/dining room. The existing furniture included a futon I use as a sofa, a TV on a TV stand, and some miscellaneous items. Here's what it looked like before I moved furniture in from the bedroom.

I'm using that app that only has one template for drawing again. which is why the upper rooms (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen) are listed as "partial." At least half of them aren't visible.

Anyway, you can see how the main area has one big window and the entry is in the bottom right corner (the brown indicates the fake wood flooring). There's a half wall at the entry that I use to rest my keys, sunglasses, etc. To the left is the living room, and to the right is the dining room.

The kitchen is open to the dining room (no separating wall) and has a 2-level countertop. One level is taller, but the part that's in the dining room is table height. I think maybe you call it a breakfast bar? I have a couple of chairs there, and it's where I eat many of my meals. I have a little tray table too, and sometimes I eat in front of the TV as well.

When I moved into this apartment, I was using the futon as my bed and I didn't have any living room or dining room furniture. I had a roommate in my first apartment, and she brought all the furniture for the common area. When we went our separate ways, I got this place. Since it had that bar area already, I decided not to spend money on a dining room table. I upgraded my bed instead, plus I bought the TV stand, a TV, and the chairs. I do lots of arts and crafts stuff, so it's more important to me to have a place to do that than it is to have a dining set.

I don't have a coffee table either, because the futon opens up into a bed and it would have to get pushed out of the way if I had a table. Sometimes I use the futon for guests, but obviously not lately. Sometimes I lay it flat just for myself to lounge on while I watch a movie.

I didn't buy end tables in the living room because the arms of the futon are wooden and they're flat, so I can set a drink or the remotes on there.

When I was younger, I guess I was really into pine with a light-colored stain, because that's what color all my furniture is. So it all looks similar. It isn't really my favorite anymore, but there's no way I'm replacing everything anytime soon. So it'll work for now.

You could say this area is already sort of minimalist. But with the addition of the desk and bookcase, I feel the need to organize things better and make my space look nicer. I also hide my workout stuff and arts/crafts stuff in my bedroom closet when people come over because it looks messy to me. But I want to keep them out and also have everything look nice.

2. Prep and decluttering

As with my bedroom makeover, I did a declutter and deep cleaning of the living/dining space. There wasn't much to declutter, but I did take down all the artwork/photos from the walls. I didn't want what was already there to influence my decisions about what would come next, so I stacked them against the wall in my bedroom.

My main issue, as I mentioned, was the stuff in the dining area. I've thought for a while that I needed better storage for everything over there. I don't like how it's all just laying on the floor in plastic containers or not in any container at all.

3. Choosing a theme

As with my bedroom, I can't paint the walls or change the flooring. But there are a few things in my favor. First, all the furniture has similar wood grain and stain, so nothing looks mismatched. It's also neutral enough in color and design that it can sort of blend into the background.

Second, the futon has a zipper cover in forest green. I can't for the life of me remember why I loved dark green and pinewood when I was younger. But I can easily change out the cover.

So that just leaves deciding on an overall theme and colors. While the blue and white theme in my bedroom is soothing, I don't think it's exactly what I was looking for in the common area. I also don't like the way the paler blues look with the pine furniture. That's why I moved it out and stuck my pine dresser in the closet.

I researched what colors go well with pine, and the recommendation was for jewel tones, especially dark green (haha). But I just kept going back to blue. Not blue like my bedroom, but I found a teal blue cotton twill futon cover for only $30. I looked everywhere, and as usual, Amazon was the cheapest. Other places I looked at had similar options for $60-$150. Other colors in jewel tones were navy blue, purple, and burgundy. Two of those looked too dark, and the third (the purple) looked kinda weird to me. More red tones than I would like. So teal it is!

Given that the futon is the only piece of upholstered furniture in these rooms, the theme became "teal and pine" or something along those lines.

The color of my new cover on a futon frame similar to mine

4. My new floor plan

Other than changing the color of my futon cover, there wasn't much to do. I just needed to arrange any new furniture brought into the room and think about decorating the walls. 

The only other issue was what to do with the mess in my dining room. While I would love to get a fancy arts and crafts organizer system from a place like Ikea or The Container Store, that's just not in the budget right now.

However, I did need a better setup in that area so I ended up adding a few pieces that I found for free on Craigslist. There were a lot of options, but I was limited to what would fit in my car and that I could carry myself. I settled on two things: 

I think this used to be a game table. I left the chairs behind for someone else.

This dresser fits all my miscellaneous crafts and exercise items.

The table isn't in the best shape, but that's fine because I'm using it as my sewing table and for art projects, so it will only get worse from here! Based on what I'm using it for, I saw no reason to search for something more aesthetically pleasing or to try to fix it up. It could be a good place to place food, and I have a white table cloth I can throw over it for when friends come by. The rest of the time, it's just me and I don't mind how the table looks.

The dresser just needed a quick cleaning and it was good to go. It's close enough in color to my existing furniture and far enough away from the other pieces that I'm satisfied with it "matching." The tall door on the right side is the perfect height to store my yoga mat and other workout equipment. Meanwhile, the drawers are great for fabric, art supplies, yarn, and whatever else I need to get creative.

After I moved things around a few times, I came up new floor plan I'm happy about. Here it is.

I emptied the contents of the storage totes into the new dresser and put them on the top shelf of my closet for now. I'll keep them for a while and give them away if I don't end up using them for something.

I'm very happy with how things are. When I'm painting, I can set up my paints on the new table (I was using the tray table before) and have plenty of room. My sewing machine now has a permanent spot on the back corner of the table (unless I'm using it) and I still have enough space to work on other things. If I need to sit down either in front of the easel or the craft table, I can grab either my balance ball chair or one of the chairs from my breakfast bar.

The futon and TV setup stayed almost the same. I just moved the futon back a little so there was better traffic flow now that the desk is there. The balance ball doesn't quite fit under the desk when it's on its stand, so when I want it completely out of the way, I can move it in front of the craft table.

I like having my desk under the window. I take more breaks from working to look outside. But I read that's better for your eyes anyway to move your eyes away from the screen when you're staring at a computer all day. I can tilt my blinds just right so I can see out but nobody can see back in, and it's nice to have the option of a breeze and some fresh air while I work too.

5. Decorating my new space

I thought about getting some throw pillows for the futon but decided I don't want to spend the money right now. Ditto for the meditation cushion I was eyeing. If/when I splurge on that, it will probably go in the top left corner of the living room, behind the futon. I probably get the purple color (I bet you thought I was going to say teal!).

I may also switch out my white table cloth for one that matches the slipcover (or coordinating color). Anything but white, because that's just asking for trouble if I put any food on it.

As for the artwork, I didn't really theme my choices. My decisions were informed more by the sizes and placement, plus what I want to look at. I put a few pics on the back wall where my bedroom door is. I decided the dining room (AKA the craft space) will be used to display past and future artwork that I make myself. I put up a few pieces and may add some more as I create them.

There are still some blank walls: the one next to the futon and the one behind the TV. I think I will leave the TV wall blank, and leave the other wall as more real estate for my own work as I make it.

In total, I spent ~$30 for the new futon cover plus whatever it cost in gas to pick up the 2 pieces of furniture.

I have some final thoughts I wanted to share about the bedroom and living/dining room makeovers. 

• None of these changes were a necessity. I just thought it would be nice to do something different, and an interesting experience to share in blog posts.
• If you're wondering why I didn't include pictures of the rooms, it's because I'm a private person, and it feels invasive to me to share pictures of my home with strangers on the internet. Also, my current phone camera is garbage when it comes to high-quality images. I tried to take pics. No matter what angles and lighting I used, I wasn't happy with the results. You probably won't see too many pictures I took myself on this blog.
• I could have done these makeovers with less money. For even cheaper makeovers, I could have gotten a bedsheet from the thrift store and used that to make my bed skirt. I could have used a thrift store-bought comforter, throw, or pillows to change the look of my futon (although $30 is pretty darn good for a cotton cover). 
• This could have been a free makeover. I could have simply moved around my furniture and/or added the free stuff I found on Craigslist. There are often decorative items for free on there too; if you're patient and persistent, you can find the right stuff.

Despite these caveats, I'm glad I did these makeovers. I think my apartment is much more functional and pleasing to the eye than how I had things before. Even though the old floor plan was fine, I didn't put much thought into it when I moved in.  Looking at everything with a critical eye after using the space for some time allowed me to come up with alternatives to what existed.

If you will do/have done your own makeover on a budget, comment below about what you changed and how you like it!

How to create a minimalist bedroom on a budget

After downsizing my clothing and creating a capsule wardrobe, I decided I wanted the rest of my bedroom to feel as organized and comfortable as my closet. So I started searching for how to create a minimalist bedroom on a budget. I'm going to share my favorite tips with you and how I used them in my bedroom.

1. Preparing the bedroom for a makeover

2. Deciding on a minimalist theme

3. Picking a furniture layout

4. Setting up and decorating my bedroom

If you don't have time to read the article now, you can save it to Pinterest for later.

I wouldn't mind that view from my bedroom!

1. Preparing the bedroom for a makeover

So you know where I started from, my bedroom initially had no particular style to it. It was just a collection of furniture that sort of matched and various pieces of artwork that I liked. The first thing I needed to do was cut down on miscellaneous items in my bedroom. I went around the room and re-homed things that didn't need to be in my bedroom, like my keys, a stack of mail, etc. 

I also wanted to do a different furniture layout (more about that later), so I figured I might as well remove everything from the walls. But before working on that, I decided to pare down my possessions further by using the steps listed in our decluttering article.

After that was done, I moved out all the furniture except for my bed and did a deep cleaning. I even washed all the walls.

This portion of the project took me all day, and I ended up sleeping with just my bed in the middle of my bedroom. I was tempted to keep just the bed and ditch all the other furniture. But I decided that was a bit extreme for now, so I went on to do research about what overall theme I wanted for the bedroom.

2. Deciding on a minimalist theme

I wanted something simple and peaceful. I'm not allowed to paint my walls, hang any window coverings, or put holes in the walls (it's a rental), so I was limited in how far I could take any theme. The walls are white-ish (let's call them off-white), the carpet is beige, the furniture is a natural pine, and I wanted to keep my blue bedding. I thought if I switched out or removed the pine furniture, I could have a blue-and-white theme.

I'm not sure if you can call this a "minimalist" theme per se. When I looked up minimalist bedroom styles, some of the suggestions I found were Japanese, Scandinavian, Zen, Boho, neutral, black-and-white, and all-white. None of those really matched my personal tastes very well.

Bohemian bedroom

But I really love the color blue and find it very relaxing. I think it pairs well with white, too. To make it more interesting, I wanted different shades of blue. So I decided to take this concept and make it minimalist. I'm not much for knick-knacks anyway, so I figured I could easily create the look I wanted without over-decorating. My color palette was inspired by this look:

3. Picking a furniture layout

My bedroom used to have my bed, a small dresser, a bookcase, my desk, and a balance ball chair in it. In case you didn't catch that, I did not have any bedside tables. My bed was against one wall in the corner with my desk next to it, so I used that as a sort of nightstand. Here's how my furniture was arranged.

The blue line above the bed indicates the window.

Pretty crowded, right? Yep, my place is small.

I didn't want my desk in my bedroom any longer, and I didn't want the bookcase in there either. During the purging and cleaning process, you may remember I had already moved out everything except for my bed from the room. So those pieces stayed out (I'll figure out what to do with them later). 

I wanted to keep the dresser, but I had this idea to put it in my closet. I got rid of so many clothes that this was easy to do. Now, most of my clothes are folded up in the dresser and the rest are hanging up on one side of the closet.

It was annoying to make the bed when it was in the corner because two sides were against the wall. Since I was taking a bunch of other furniture out, I decided to center the bed along the back wall so I could walk on both sides of it.

Next on my list was finding bedside tables (two of them, for visual balance), lamps, and something I always wanted--a chest to put at the foot of the bed. I figured if I could find a good deal, then I'd get it. If not, then it would wait.

I did a quick sketch of my bedroom and how I wanted the furniture placed so you can visualize what I'm talking about.

I should mention the drawing isn't to scale. It looks like the door might hit the chest, but there's actually a foot or two of room there. I'm using a free program to draw this, and it only makes square drawings. The room is more like a vertical rectangle. So no worries there.

Either way, it's a small room, so removing that additional furniture will help with how cramped it felt and definitely make it more minimalist.

4. Setting up and decorating my bedroom

My bed is just a simple metal frame with a memory foam mattress (and plywood to support the memory foam). I thought about getting rid of the frame and putting the mattress on the floor, but I like the look of it elevated. I think the room would be too bottom-heavy if the largest piece of furniture is low to the ground.

Putting my mattress on the floor isn't the look I want.

However, the metal frame is ugly. I didn't want to buy a new bed frame, so I looked into ideas to make it more attractive. This project looked interesting, but it felt intimidating for me to do on my own. Another suggestion was to wrap the legs and rails in overlapping ribbons, maybe with cotton batting underneath. I would have to pull the mattress and plywood off to do that, so that was a hard pass.

I wanted to try making my own pleated bed skirt. I don't want a traditional ruffly skirt--that's not my style. Except when I priced out fabric, it was going to be way more expensive to make one myself than to just buy one. So I bought this one from Bed Bath & Beyond in ivory. It has good reviews and is relatively affordable, plus I didn't have to take the whole mattress off to attach it--I just slid the mattress side to side and attached in to the plywood. The fabric quality is just okay, but it will work for now. It hides those ugly metal corners and wheels well enough.

I already have a sheet set in a soft grayish-blue, and last year I got myself a weighted blanket to see if it would improve my sleep. I chose the brand Luna because the blankets themselves are eco-friendly, but was very disappointed when the duvet covers that came with mine were 100% polyester. It took two washes to get the chemical smell to go away. However, it looks like now they have duvet covers in 100% cotton. Here's the color I got for my duvet if you want to see it. They sell their products on Amazon as well, but I bought them straight from the manufacturer's website because they have much better prices there.

Since I already had the bedding in the colors I wanted, once I added the bed skirt, my bed's makeover was complete. On to find the rest of my furniture.

First things first, I needed bedside tables. New ones were more than I wanted to spend, so I started looking at used pieces. I found two of these bar stools at a thrift store, for $5 each:

The stools are about 13" around on the top. All I need space for is a lamp, water bottle, phone, and a book. So far, everything fits. I thought that if it starts to feel too small I could add larger glass tops to increase the surface area.  I really like the minimalist aesthetic that these stools brought to the room, and they can be extra seating whenever I have people over!

I also needed small table lamps to go on each table. At first, I fell in love with a set of these:

But I'm way too frugal to spend $60 on a couple of lamps. So I decided it was time for an easy project. I bought 66 feet of fairy lights. I put one end of the lights into a mason jar I already had. A quick tip: it helps to turn them on while you're putting them in the jar to see if you have enough lights inside. Then I ran the lights up over my window (they sit on top of the blinds), down the other side, and put more lights into a second jar on top of the other table. Since the jars were free, I spent about $10 on new bedside lighting! This is similar to what my "lamps" look like.

Last on my list was a storage chest. Wow, they are expensive. I didn't find an affordable option. It isn't like I really need it. I just thought it would be a nice place to sit down while getting ready, and a place I can store my off-season clothes and extra blankets. I'll keep looking, but it's fine if I don't get one.

The last thing I wanted to do was add some artwork to the walls. I put back up some pictures of family and friends. I also used some pictures of the ocean and sky I took over the years. I printed them out on photo paper and put them in frames I already had. Here's a beach picture I took during a trip several years ago:

Oh, and here's a tip for renters who can't put nails in the walls like me: I use 3M Command Strips. In fact, I'd probably use them even if I could use a hammer and nail instead, because they allow me to place things exactly where I want. With a nail, you have to figure out where to put the hole, which is not the same place as where you want the frame to sit. This is way less complicated.

Overall, things worked out well. I started off with one design and ended with a different result, but that's OK too. I think when you have a small budget (I spent about $65 total), you have to be willing to change your plans. Also, if I'd researched furniture costs ahead of time, I might have gotten discouraged and decided it was too expensive to even try. Improvising along the way allowed me to come up with satisfying alternatives to my original ideas.

I love how airy and soothing my bedroom feels now. I have just slightly more furniture than I need (with the extra bedside table and lamp), but I like the symmetry of the two tables. 

I think this is also the first time ever that I've had a fully coordinated room where everything matched and there was a theme. I always thought something like that would be more time-consuming and take a lot more money. Another win for minimalism!

Next, I'll have to work on my living and dining room, because it's suddenly very crowded in there. But it doesn't seem so intimidating now that I've handled the bedroom.