The bulk of our furniture was purchased five years ago. It was 5 years ago to the month I think, when my husband and I sat down on the lone place to sit in our house besides the toilet and decided it was time to think about furnishing our home. At the time we were able to set aside some money every month to put towards furniture and such. My goal was to focus on one room at a time so we could see progress and so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. My other goal was to pay cash for everything.

My first priority was places to sit. So we started in the living room. I had a yard sale and sold our old furniture and we had no where to sit for a few weeks while we waited for our sofa.

1. Window Mistreatments: the fabric was $7 per yard {purchased at 1502 Fabrics in Thomasville, NC, 5 years ago} each panel is about 3 yards so each panel was $21 plus the trim at $3ish per yard so that is another $9 per panel. Each panel was about $30 completed. I bought the rod at Target for $30 and have used it in 4 houses so far. We’ve got another window that cost the same on the other side of the room. {See how to make them here.} Total for both windows: $180 These are my most expensive windows and have been used for 5 years in 5 different houses! And I wish I would have bought one more foot of fabric–then I could hang my rods even higher.


2. Sofa Table and stuff: Table $109 at a crazy unfinished furniture place that has since gone out of business. I bought it already painted black 5 years ago. Changed out the knob: $4. Ottoman was included in a set I’ll tell you about on down. Lamps, TJ Maxx, $39 each, 5 years ago–I moved them from my boy’s room. On the table there’s some red stuff I pulled out of this wreath and a box thing that I had in college sitting on a candle holder that is chipped that was $1. I painted the box blue last month. Pointy thing on the wall, Goodwill, a few months ago, $7. Total: $199 not including the ottoman.


3. Armiore: Purchased used from a friend for $75 –again, 5 years ago. I painted it last month with Behr Paint Plus Primer all in one stuff that was ??? Maybe $30ish. I’ll tell you more about painting it soon but here’s the before. It was super easy. I still need to find 3 knobs for it. Plates; the middle blue one was a gift to myself back when I had that big tassel sale I bought this plate for $13 at HomeGoods. I had the red ones {part of a set from Target 5 years ago 4 for $10} big green ones were $2 each from the rich Goodwill and the square one was $3 from HomeGoods. Total: $130


4. Fireplace Wall: Well, it already looks different up there. I’ll list what you see in the original photo and I’m still not happy with it at all so just so you know, it will keep looking different.

  • mirror: $50 Garden Ridge 2 years ago
  • white urn: $20 Hobby Lobby 6 years ago
  • red plate: $2.50 part of that set
  • white crock: wedding gift {one of my favorite things}
  • books: .75 cents yard sale
  • wood thing on the fireplace front $13 TJ Maxx 6 years ago {hiding an ugly little scroll thing}

Total: $86.25

Now:

  • urn: $20 with free branches from my yard
  • books: .75 cents
  • shutters: $10
  • wood thing: $13
  • starfish: ?? I have no idea how that appeared in my house

Total: $43.75 and I like it better

So far we are at $552.75 and we don’t even have a place to sit yet. And if you want to see the photos closer in, you should be able to click them to enlarge. Go here for part 2.