What's best way to redo my 14yr old daughters room on a tight budget?

Misty Chamlee
by Misty Chamlee

She wants to paint the top 1/2 of the wall & put paneling/barn wood on the bottom 1/2 wt trim to separate the 2 she wants to replace the carpet wt plank flooring all while keeping her current furniture (full bed 6 drawer dresser & chest of drawers); in a 10x12 room she's an honors student whose never missed a day of school & since she's becoming a young lady who's starting high school after just lost her grandmother & her best friend since kindergarten announced she's moving away she deserves a fresh room for a fresh start any advice or help you could give would be greatly appreciated

  4 answers
  • Cathy Soukup Cathy Soukup on Jul 29, 2018

    How about stages? Tear out the carpet, and live with whatever flooring or underlayment is underneath - or paint it! - for awhile. Paint the walls, and then save up for the rest, according to priorities. If her room is on cement, consider a laminate, floating floor. You can often get that for $1 a sf, the padding is inexpensive, and there are styles to match any taste. Easy DIY, and durable.

  • Savvy shopping will be all it takes to accomplish this goal. She is not asking for much! Shop sales to get the best deals. You can do this project together. Google to find the best deals in your area, and peruse the Internet and Pinterest to develop a design plan. Labor Day weekend is rapidly approaching and fall fix up along with it - which means sales on all home improvement projects. Do the project in phases if need be if it helps the budget. Or gather the supplies over the next few months, then tackle all the projects in a couple of weekends. Hop in the car on a Saturday morning together with a clipboard. After googling, set out your route and visit all the flooring, paint, hardware and home improvement centers and make note of styles, quantities and prices. Pick up paint chips and tape to walls. Then decide on your game plan. This will get her excited, and teach her how to budget, plan and execute a small renovation project. Teach her to paint and have her help out. Every girl should know basic home renovation, now is your time to impart great knowledge that she can build on over the course of her life. Go mom!

  • Zest it Up Zest it Up on Jul 29, 2018

    So sorry to hear the bad news. A cheap alternative to the wood paneling on the wall is purchasing some wallpaper that matches the look she wants while still separating it with the trim. You should check Restore (the Habitat for Humanity store) for paint! They usually have cheap wood. I hope this helps!

  • Defrazzled418 Defrazzled418 on Jul 30, 2018

    You can find quality paint at the paint stores - ask if they have any miss matched paints. Sometimes you find brand new gallon cans for $5.00! I do all the time. Look for materials on Craigslist or go to local Habitat for Humanity store!