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This thoughtful renovation project lightens and brightens a dated interior.
The project
I moved into my home after I had been renting it out. It needed some love.
I removed the wall near the entrance and ripped out tiles, carpet and slate, but the big project was my feature fireplace.
Whitewashing the brickwork turned it into the real feature piece of my home.
I used Dulux 1Step Prep primer and watered it down 50:50. I whitewashed the brickwork by painting onto the brick and mortar and then using a rag to wipe off the paint to show the colours of the bricks underneath.
I'm finally enjoying my living room renovation.
The whole renovation took about two to three months as I have a full-time job and only worked on this on my days off. I didn't move back in until the living room was finished.
My son-in-law helped me remove the wall near the entrance, so that didn't cost me anything. I just needed a few bits of plasterboard to patch up the gap and the materials to flush the joins.
I hired a tile remover to get rid of the tiles and slate. That cost about $150 for two days.
The flooring is Australian Spotted Gum laminate. It cost $1700 but I didn't have to pay for laying as I have a friend who does this. It did cost me about $350 to prep the floor with a leveller product.
The electric fireplace cost $2500. The painting cost around $1700 in product: three coats of Dulux 1Step Prep with Dulux Vivid White for the top coat.
The new roller blind is a Markisol 240cm x 240cm Portofino indoor blockout roller blind in the Pepper colour.
The total spend was around $6000, doing it all myself except for the laying of the floor and hiring an electrician to put in the downlights.
This is the single biggest job I have ever attempted and I'm pretty proud of the results. Never think that D.I.Y. is something to be scared of. I have enjoyed the journey and the results.
More inspiration for your living room
As trends change, furniture can become dated or might no longer match the style of other pieces in your home. Lime washing with stain and varnish is a simple and affordable option to completely change the look. Check out our step-by-step guide How to lime wash timber furniture by experienced member prettyliving.
You can also learn how to upcycle anything with paint in a step-by-step guide from the Bunnings team.
You can also check out these step-by-step guides for more great ideas:
Let us know if you need a hand with your project. We're here to help.
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