First-time buyers convert house for £4,000 – including £100 living room makeover

Graphic designer Megan Cameron, 27, transformed her Durham home into a “maximum dream” – with an impressive living room makeover on a tight budget.

A first time buyer completely remodeled her home for less than £4,000 – including a £100 living room refurbishment.

Megan Cameron, 27, bought her first home in Durham two years ago with her fiancé John.

Since then, the graphic designer has transformed the space into an atmospheric, maximalist dream – with the living room being one impressive makeover on a budget of £100.

Unhappy with the tired, boring space, she decided to breathe new life into it with new furniture and shelving, a fresh coat of paint, and used decor.

“The units and shelving that we built didn’t cost much more than £100 and once they were painted the space has really changed so dramatically for the better,” Megan told Jam Press.

“I feel like it looks more like an expensive home and I was able to add more decoration and plants to achieve that dramatic, maximalist finish.”

Megan shopped second-hand to keep the budget to a minimum, including a reclaimed old chair from her father that she painted black, along with her grandmother’s knitted throws and homemade pillows.

She also used color to revitalize old furniture, including a wooden bureau and a wicker chair.

She added: “I bought most of my furniture from thrift stores and made it up myself, I’ve painted some of my furniture, gold leafed it and even papered it!

“I’ve recently started making my own prints to put on the walls save money even!

“When I know I can do something myself, I tend to because I love a challenge and how rewarding it feels to know you made something rather than buy it.

“I’ve been obsessed with interiors since I bought my house, I’ve always been creative and loved designing, so decorating my own home has been a dream of mine.”

The property is now unrecognizable as a result of their efforts.

Megan said: “It was very dated so we had to have the ceilings and walls smoothed out when our house was built in the 1920s.

“We had a few nasty surprises, including uneven floors, random holes in the walls taped up with cereal boxes, and dodgy plumbing.”

As well as using her own DIY skills, Megan had some help from her father-in-law to renovate every room in the house without breaking the bank.

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She added: “We renovated every room on a budget by doing 90% of the things ourselves, including ripping out closets, building the units and shelves in the living room, ripping up and installing floors and replacing doors and baseboards.”

It took them about six months to get everything done before they could move in.

Megan said: “It’s been a lot of long nights and arduous tasks but it was worth it in the end and knowing that we made it ourselves makes you feel like the house is more your own!”

Due to her love of adventurous colors, Megan also decided to paint the guest bedroom ceiling pink, making it one of her favorite rooms.

She added: “Painting the ceiling pink was the scariest but also the best thing I’ve ever done. I remember sitting with the paint for about an hour thinking should I do this?

“I think if someone wants to instantly transform a room and make it more exciting, painting the ceiling with a pop of color will add a pop of color to any room and will definitely get people talking!

“Every time we have guests over, we get comments about how great the room is.”

The couple spent between £3,000 and £4,000 to refurbish the whole house, which included adding new doors, baseboards, paint, plastered ceilings, new flooring throughout the house and carpeting.

Megan said: “We spent next to nothing on the guest bedroom as we ripped out the fitted wardrobes ourselves and painted it ourselves so I’d say it probably cost £150 including flooring and paint.

“The master bedroom was probably the most expensive as our fitted wardrobes were £800 but otherwise we probably spent around £200 on the flooring and paint.

“I would definitely describe my tastes as eclectic, moody and maximalist. I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, but it’s mine and I love it.

“I don’t understand why everyone wants their house to look like everyone else’s, it should be personal and reflect who you are.”