How to Redesign a Room on a Budget

Learn how to successfully redesign a room on a budget

Looking to redesign a room in your home but not sure where to begin? We’re here to help you reimagine your space and create a beautiful new space that works.

It’s a new year. The Christmas decorations are gone and you find yourself uninspired. Maybe your room is not meeting all your needs, or maybe you’re just bored looking at the same old space. Do not fear. We are here to help. We’re going to show you that with a little imagination, some help from Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart and with as little as $300 you can redesign, and reinvent your space. Let’s get to it!

 

Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart

Julie and I and part of The Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart Influencer Network. We love representing a brand that provides quality style at affordable prices. We are compensated for our efforts in creating this post. Our convenient shopping links help support our blog work but add no additional cost to you. All our opinions are authentically our own, and as always, we hope you enjoy. There are a lot more ideas available from the talented BHG Live Better Influencer Network.

Stylish & Affordable Decor Options

When looking for the best affordable, stylish decor choices, Julie and I always head to Walmart.com. The Better Homes & Gardens collection has such a wide variety of home decor, furniture and everything you need to transform a space in your home. Plus, you can shop their affordable home decor from the comfort of your home. When you’re crazy busy like Julie and I are, this is seriously a life-saver. Keep reading to learn how I transformed my empty great room space on a tight budget with Better Homes & Gardens furniture.

 

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How to Redesign a Room Step 1: Identify the Issues

When redesigning my great room area, I had to narrow down what the space would truly benefit from.

You know Julie and I are lovers of a good budget makeover, so this was the perfect project for us to tackle in the New Year. I’ve been wanting to redo the empty space in my kitchen/living room area. Originally, it was an empty space where my boys and dogs ran around and played.

Recently, I started to wonder how I might actually put this empty space to use. Luckily Julie was visiting so together we brainstormed the possibilities.

So, that’s exactly what I did. Better Homes & Gardens furniture collection at Walmart immediately came to my mind. I found the cutest farmhouse style table and chairs and for the first time started to imagine what this might look like the space. I knew I loved the look but still wasn’t sure if it would work in the space.

Guess what? The table and chairs are perfect. They add extra seating, another place for homework, and additional places to eat other than the kitchen counter. Instead of lacking any sort of function, the addition of a new eating area transforms the space entirely. Even my husband who was super skeptical is now loving the change.

Designer Tip: As you begin to redesign a room, focus on what’s not working in your space. Think style AND function. Do you have needs that aren’t being met in your current room? Are there ways to improve on the function and layout?

For example:

• Is there a need for additional seating?
• Do you need more work space, i.e. a place to do computer work or homework?
• Could the traffic flow be improved?
• Do you simply want to USE the space better?

Step 2: Take Inventory

• Clutter can sabotage the look and feel of any room. Now is a great time to weed out and give away.
• Take a second look at your decor items. Are there items you don’t LOVE or that are just there taking up space?
• Furniture that isn’t functional. Get rid of, giveaway or sell.
• Furniture that isn’t your style. Consider if there is any updating, painting, reupholstering that can salvage it.

Step 3: Evaluating Furniture Placement

Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself when deciding how to arrange or rearrange furniture:

• What is your focal point. Is there a TV, fireplace or feature wall? Arrange your furniture around your focal point.
• If there isn’t a focal point, you can create one with a feature wall, adding wallpaper or molding to a wall for interest.
• Is there a feeling of balance in the room? Creating symmetry with furniture can add balance.
• Are you getting the most out of the space? Reevaluate unused space (like I did.)
• Is there enough seating?
• Are there areas that provide comfortable conversational areas?
• Do you have corners of the room, like alcoves or overlooked areas that could function as useful task areas? For example…
  • An extra computer workstation or office
  • An extra homework spot
  • An area for crafting or hobby space
• Do you have enough storage?
• What are the storage needs for your family and are there areas where you could add shelves or furniture pieces that would provide extra storage?

Redesigning a Room: Making the Most of My Great Room

When trying to redesign a room in your home, it’s important to look at the space from a new perspective. Even if it’s functioned as one thing for a while, you can imagine the possibilities.

I had to look at this empty space in my great room area as a blank slate. We had deliberately left the area open for the boys and dogs to have space to run around. Now that the boys are older, we need the space to adapt to our family’s changing needs. That’s when I had a light bulb moment of adding a new area to enjoy meals, gather and sit.

The addition of the table and chairs I purchased from Better Home & Gardens will allow us to entertain and sit and talk with friends and family. Now, we have additional seating when family comes from out of town to visit. This area will also motivate us to sit down for meals as a family, and allow us to connect and catch up. I love that the boys are already using it for meals and to do their homework. The whole family is enjoying it.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When Should You Redesign a Room?

The best time to redesign a room is when you experience a change in your family.

• • Addition to the family, new baby, children go to college or move out, grandparents move in.
  • As children grow up their needs change. They need less open space to run around and play on the floor. Teens need less toy storage and more for clothes.
  • They need a homework station that is bigger and privacy so they can concentrate.
  • When children become teenagers they may want separate space.
  • If you take up a new hobby like scrapbooking or crafting this requires functional space.
  • A job change. For example, if you decide to work from home, you may need an office or an additional work space.

 

How Do You Reimagine or Redesign a Room?

It’s hard to think about redesigning a room when it has always been a certain way. For example, the couch has always been against that one wall and the chairs and table has always been across from them. It’s hard to break free from what “has always been” and imagine something new.

Solution #1:  Take everything out of the room.

Solution #2:  Another idea if you are having trouble imagining, just try it. Start moving the furniture around and trying some different configurations. Like the old saying, you don’t know until you try!

Solution #3:  Some people actually benefit from taking measurements and drawing the room out to scale on a piece of paper of by using an on-line app like RoomSketcher.com.

How Do You Redesign a Room Without Spending Too Much?

• Remember my first piece of advice? It pays to start by taking everything out of the room. This opens your mind to new possibilities that exist with the items you already own.
• Experiment with a fresh new paint color. Painting is always the cheapest and easiest way to update anything. Don’t think just about the walls. Consider painting furniture too.
• Try adding a new rug. Grab one from another room or just rotate the existing rug on a diagonal.
• When redesigning a room, you will most likely bring items back into the room. Be sure to only select items you really love.
• Try rearranging the furniture in a new way to create a cozy conversational area.

 

How Do You Put Unused Areas in Your Home to Use?

Get creative when redesigning a room:

• Hallways – Create a gallery wall for family photos or display a collection, i.e. plate wall.
• Corners- Add plants, corner tables or extra lighting. Consider a built-in bench or desk.
• Nooks – Spotlight a favorite artwork, sculpture or family heirloom. Consider built-in shelves.
• Closets – Create a built-in desk or create a little alcove for a day-bed.
• Landings- Create a reading nook with arm chairs and a side table or book shelf.
• Foyers– Add a console table against a wall with a simple vignette to create a welcoming feel in your entryway.

Final Thoughts: How To Redesign a Room

Getting the most out of a space, utilizing your home’s full potential doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, as we’ve shown you in this post, getting the most out of any space is more about creativity and thinking outside of the box. All you need to do is open up your mind. Creating a blank slate and moving furniture and clutter out of the room is the first step to a whole new world of possibilities. Don’t be afraid to try a new look, paint a wall or a piece of furniture as a starting point for new inspiration and let the rest of your decorative changes flow from there. And don’t forget to shop Better Homes & Gardens at Walmart for affordable pieces to redesign a room. Happy redesigning my friends!