When someone challenges me to create something on a budget, I get very serious about it. People often think that decorating a space is very costly, so they make do with what they have, even though they really don’t like the way it makes them feel. I got my creative juices flowing recently, when I was tasked to spend only $150 to redecorate a space for the New Year.
One of the things I do every morning is get ready (think makeup and finishing touches on my hair) for the day ahead. Having a space that makes me feel beautiful, inspired, and excited for what lies ahead is exactly what I was going for with the vanity I redecorated on a budget. I shopped at Coquitlam Centre during their Best-Dressed-for-Less event, which takes place between January 9th and 18th, and found tons of great deals in home décor throughout the shopping centre.
How do you want the space to feel? Cozy? Glamorous? Rustic? This is the first question you should ask yourself before you decide what specific pieces you’ll want and need for your look. For my vanity, I knew I wanted a vintage glam look and decided to keep things simple by seeking out white, silver and glass elements.
Because of my tight budget, I created a quick list of the essentials I wanted for my vanity:
-containers for makeup brushes, sponges and bracelets
-a jewelry tree to hold my necklaces
-a few scented things to make the space feel warm
-a picture frame
With my list in hand, I took a look at the map of Coquitlam Centre and plotted a course for my first walk-through. I checked out Target, Urban Barn, London Drugs, The Bay, Sears, and several other smaller stores to see what I could find. I wrote down some prices and made mental note of the pieces I came across. While looking through the stores, I made sure to look beyond typical pieces meant for a vanity. For instance, in Target, I looked at the kitchen section, and ended up picking up a sugar bowl to house my bracelets in.
On my second round, I purchased the tree-bark textured silver tray from Urban Barn, which sits under the jewelry tree I found at Target. I love the rustic beauty of the jewelry tree, don’t you?
The dull silver of the tray and the jewelry tree are nicely contrasted with the shiny vintage-looking glasses I picked up from Urban Barn. They work really well to hold and seperate my makeup brushes and pencils. I love that they were on clearance and exactly what I was looking for! I had really good luck at Urban Barn, because I also found this white tree vase there:
The ceramic photo frame I mentioned finding at Target is above. I found that little white bowl at T and T Supermarket, of all places! Talk about thinking outside the box!
Put a ring on it!
This sweet little ring holder was on sale for $5 at London Drugs!
I went to London Drugs’ kitchen section for a container to house my makeup sponges, and also picked up a little whale-shaped ring holder at the same time. They were having a great sale on jewelry stands and other items in their beauty department.
I bought myself some scented candles from Saje (50% off!) and a “Yoga” scented oil and reed set from Escents Aromatherapy. My bedroom smells heavenly!
If you’re wondering how I was able to put together this look on such a small budget, here are a few tips for you (note that the two mirrors were pre-purchased, but everything else on top of my vintage desk-turned-vanity was purchased during the Best-Dressed-for-Less sale):
Tips for redecorating on a budget
1. Have an idea for the look you want but be open to inspiration Once you’ve decided on the overall look and feel you want for your space, it’ll be easier to pick out specific items when you’re out shopping. But, what if you’re out and you see something that you absolutely love, but that doesn’t necessarily fit with your theme? What’s stopping you from changing things up a bit? Home décor is all about creativity, so see how the things you love can work together to help you achieve a look that feels right for you. I was originally looking for a silver tray with no pattern on it, but when I saw the square one with the tree bark textured design on it at Urban Barn, I knew it was the right tray for my space.
2. Go to the clearance section first One misconception people have is that the items in a clearance section (or things that have been marked down, generally) are rejects that no one wanted to buy. Items go on clearance for many different reasons, one of them is because they’re from a previous season. These items could also be one of the last remaining of their kind. The ceramic picture frame I picked up at Target was the last one remaining and was only around $7!
3. Think outside the box There were several vanity organizers available that had sections for makeup brushes and other things built-in. I didn’t really want to be limited in the way my vanity could look and also how it could be organized, so I searched out things that were meant to serve other purposes to put together my own unique vanity look. I used things like glass sugar bowls, square dessert plates and crystal glassware for my vanity.
Looking to redecorate a space in your home or get a new outfit for yourself or your whole family? Coquitlam Centre’s Best-Dressed-for-Less event continues until the 18th of January. Check out the deals going on for Best-Dressed-for-Less right here.
I was able to majorly update my vanity thanks to Coquitlam Centre’s generosity. I know my readers love to find out about money-saving events like Best-Dressed-for-Less and learn more decorating tips, so I’m happy to have been able to participate in this campaign, which I have been compensated for.
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