Our house was a repo when we first bought it.
Naturally, it had alot of “character” in the form of missing light fixtures, stained carpet, damaged window coverings, and lots of bad bad bad wall colors. My scrap room started out hot pink and peach. Matthew's room was a lovely shade of “Painter's Tape Blue”. Katie had a sickly Lavender room. The halls and master bedroom were odd shades of pink and peach. Avocado Green was splashed throughout the kitchen. We set to painting and painting and painting and more painting. Two, then three, then four, then SIX coats of Kilz to cover all those wonderfully dark colors the previous owners had painted. By the time we got to our master bath, which was painted a splotchy single coat of ghastly red, we had run out of steam. Fast forward 3.5 years and my hubby finally painted 4 coats of Kilz to cover the bloody boudoir walls. Another 2 months and he painted the rest. I wanted stripes for a focal wall and he did it — an awesome job given the wonky walls and knockdown finish which he was not used to as an East Coast native.
In my head I had a vision of what I wanted on that focal wall and finding those items for little money was gonna be a challenge. I found a framed print at Marshall's last summer that had a terrible peach frame. It was $19.99. I used acrylic craft paint in gold and a 1″ flat brush to cover the frame with 4 coats. It came out perfect!! The trick was a little patience as I waited for each to coat to dry thoroughly before adding the next.
The next step was adding towel racks. We originally got some at Lowe's and they were $50 each! That was like $3 an inch. A stop at Target solved that issue–I believe this rack was $18.99. The folding wrought-iron bookcase was a purchase I made in Monterey from Pier One when I was 18 years old. It has stayed with me because it folds up, making it easy to move, and it is perfect for towels.
The way I shop Target is I hit all the end caps on the backs of the aisles first to look for clearance deals and on my way, I grab the items I came for. Any awesome deals I put in my cart. Then I stop before I get to the registers to assess what I am getting and if I have a plan or need for it. If I don't have a need but I know someone who might, then I call them or text them right then and there. Most of the time, I walk out with only a fraction of the things I had in my cart. If the line is long, I reassess again while I am standing in line. The checkers know I always seem to find the best deals!! And I will ask them for hints and tips about what is marked down in other parts of the store that I might have missed. Also, if something is damaged and it is not marked down, ask them to take 10% off. They can usually do that at the register.
The way I shop Target is I hit all the end caps on the backs of the aisles first to look for clearance deals and on my way, I grab the items I came for. Any awesome deals I put in my cart. Then I stop before I get to the registers to assess what I am getting and if I have a plan or need for it. If I don't have a need but I know someone who might, then I call them or text them right then and there. Most of the time, I walk out with only a fraction of the things I had in my cart. If the line is long, I reassess again while I am standing in line. The checkers know I always seem to find the best deals!! And I will ask them for hints and tips about what is marked down in other parts of the store that I might have missed. Also, if something is damaged and it is not marked down, ask them to take 10% off. They can usually do that at the register.
I found some candle holders and candles from Target with gold glitter, perfect for my new bathroom. The holders were $16.99 regular price, marked down to $8 each. The candles were $7.99 regular price, marked down to $3.24 each. After the Christmas holidays, most stores have fancy candles on clearance so this is a great time to get a deal on elegant, decorative candles.
And there it is, my focal wall in my bathroom. I will be adding some sconces most likely in the future but with CHA around the corner, this is how it will be for at least another week!
Supplies:
- Framed Art from Marshall's = $19.99
- Acrylic Paint in Gold = $1.49
- Candle Holders, $8 each = $16
- Candles, $3.24 each = $6.48
- Towel Rack = $18.99
I hope this helps you see the possibilities in items you already have, are on clearance, or you love the shape of. You can always change the color!
Happy Creating :)
– Jennifer
