A Home Renovation on a Budget

by Amanda Greene | Comments

The New York Times recently featured a Brooklyn couple who renovated a Catskills cottage on a budget of $10,000. They've never renovated a house before, and spent weekends doing all of the home improvements themselves (aside from re-roofing), and spent only $2,352 on furnishings. The result is amazing: they installed retro appliances in the kitchen, like this lime green Philco fridge, and a stove from Craigslist.


In the dining room, they used mismatched chairs that they found on the street and painted them white.


They stacked vintage suitcases and the end of a hallway to create a table.

Suitcases Hallway

Home renovations seem intimidating, but seeing how this couple made it happen is really inspiring. Plus, how much more accomplished would you feel spending your weekends creating a home instead of just going to the movies or out to dinner?

What are your tips for decorating on the cheap?

—Amanda Greene, Associate Fashion Editor

(photo credits: Phil Mansfield for The New York Times)