Sugar and Spice

Go Custom On A DIY Budget

Small, shared rooms can be tricky to furnish since every inch counts, and so does every dollar usually! While the vertical efficiency of bunk beds is appealing, I find the extra height dominates the room and overpowers the space, so I devised an alternate built-in bed that would accommodate two kids on one even plane, while giving each their own space to cozy up. Have no fear; you can still execute a successful DIY project without a full suite of power tools. If you measure thrice (twice is never enough), and plan out your installation, you can have your materials precut at your local big box store, then simply install them at home with a drill (okay, it also helps to have a saw in case your measures need a bit of adjusting). I used shelves on edge as the supports for the underside of the bed (at 12 by 36 inches there was no trimming needed), then had two slabs of plywood cut to fit the standard size of a twin mattress, attached two-by-four boards to the outside wall to support the bed platform, and dressed the cut edge of the plywood and shelves with pre-primed window casing profiles. For $200 in supplies I was able to create one cool bed to fit two cool kids.

Get Online For Innovative Art

Forget pounding the pavement in search of the right art to dress up your little ones’ room. Let your fingers do the walking and enjoy the online adventure. I discovered animal cutouts made from vintage wallpaper. Eliminate the need to invest additional dollars in framing, and celebrate the fact that these exotic critters simply require a bit of wallpaper paste (included with the purchase) to affix them to the wall. From elephant to giraffe, lion to alligator, there’s an animal to appeal to your little tiger!

The Save

Kids are little beings, but boy, they’ve got a lot of stuff to store! By the time they start asserting their independence, the amount and variety of possessions grows exponentially, so I think it’s important to get as much storage as you can out of every piece. On a regular jaunt to one of my standby sources for all things used and inexpensive, I discovered a pair of French Provincial style side tables for a mere $65. With a deep drawer and a large tabletop, they make ideal bedside tables. If the original finish of your found item doesn’t suit your colour palette, it’s time to get out the paint and embrace my favourite R word … Reimagine!

The Splurge

If you’re spending money on new broadloom, you need to think about how you can get more from your floor. Forget about standard solids and classic cut pile and look to your floor covering as a way to introduce colour and pattern to the mix. Lucky for me, I landed on pure wool, striped broadloom with a rainbow of colours that tied perfectly to the schemes in the two bedrooms. The upside of wool broadloom is that it’s made from a renewable resource and it won’t let off gas in the same way that petroleum-based products will. Patterned options will run at least $2 more per square foot than solids, but if you’re covering a small area, it’s a small up charge to achieve a great overall look.

The Signature Sarah

Paint it, paint it, and paint it! Some leave no stone unturned, and I leave no surface unpainted. Every wall, ceiling, and piece of furniture opens the door to the possibility of utilizing yet another beautiful colour. Whether your look is tone-on-tone muted or high contrast colour, layering different hues is an effective way to tie all the elements together, especially if you’re looking for style solutions on a budget!