Nate Berkus Redecorates on a Budget
Decorator Nate Berkus Inspires Low-Cost Home Makeovers on 'Oprah'
Apr 27, 2009
Nate Berkus is given a challenge – he must show Oprah viewers how he can redecorate their homes by swapping furniture, painting rooms, changing furniture arrangements and spending less than $500 for each home at Target.
Five neighbours participate in the challenge by selecting items they are willing to part with and adding them to a swap meet. Nate uses the free items and a lot of creativity to get great results on a budget. His ideas can inspire other homeowners to decorate on a budget.
Redecorate – Using the Neighbour’s Furniture!
Homeowners are under financial pressure and high-end decor may not fit the bill, so Nate teaches them the secret to decorating on a budget – swapping! Friends, neighbours and family can find new uses for other people’s unwanted items – without spending a dime!
On the April 2 episode of Oprah, Nate shows how to reuse furniture by swapping a vintage style cabinet that was taking up too much space in one neighbour’s kitchen and repurposing it as a collection holder in another couple’s living room. One family received a new-to-them couch from the swap, while down the street a beautiful bureau moved from a child’s bedroom in one home, to a more prominent location in another house.
Nate also recommends shopping at home. You may have what you need in another room of the house, or stored away. The key is to look at everything with a fresh eye and with the goal of making the home a sanctuary. How do you use your space? Is a better layout possible? What else can work in that space?
Nate's Budget Decorating Ideas
Although he was given a $500 budget for each home, Nate created each look for under $300. Creating a slipcover from a purchased drapery panel gave new life to an old futon. Another sofa received a facelift with a stretch slipcover Nate nicknames “Spanx for furniture”.
A new look may only be as far away as a can of paint. Nate used deeper, richer shades because they add more impact with a tight decorating budget. In the challenge he used a deep, woodsy green to transform a brick fireplace while a shade called ‘burnt caramel’ revamped a home office.
Purging Tips from Organizer Peter Walsh
Professional organizer Peter Walsh, who helped freshen cluttered homes on the TLC program Clean Sweep, was on hand to help declutter one couple’s home on the show.
A cluttered home is stressful and inefficient. Peter claims that decluttering and cleaning creates a better quality of life. To get organized he recommends making five piles: trash, keep, donate, swap and sell.
- Money-making Tip: Sell online – Peter says selling items online brings in four or five times as much money as at a yard sale.
Donations can also be used as a tax write off, but Peter claims that the good you do for others will pay you back in many other ways. During a time when many are struggling, it's a great time to consider a redecoration that benefits others!
 |
