Five Brisbane Instagram Mums give budget home design tips and tricks
DIY projects, Kmart crafts, kerbside collections and Brisbane bargain hunts — when it comes to cost savvy home styling, these ladies have done it all with stunning results. Here’s how.
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The art of styling the once humble abode has become a fast-growing trend in recent years, and these Brisbane mums have made it an art form.
Five Brisbane mums have shared their secrets to making a home look like a million bucks on a baby-sized budget.
From DIY projects, Kmart crafts, kerbside collections and bargain hunts, these ladies have done it all with amazing results — and this is how they did it.
SEE THE LIST:
AMY
North Brisbane mum, Amy, 38, said having so many stores accessible to her makes it easy to stick within a budget while making her home beautiful.
“So many stores these days have cheap decor and homewares: Kmart, Target, Big W, even the Reject Shop has some beautiful things,” Amy said.
She said the most important thing to do is research your ideas and picture in your mind how they will fit in your desired room.
“Do your research. I love looking on Instagram for styling ideas and there’s even pages that show you what’s new at different stores,” she said.
“So many times I’ve headed to Kmart to get the newest decor items that have been shown on Instagram.
“Also if you find something that you absolutely love but it’s a bit pricier, wait for a sale, keep an eye out.
“Many Instagram businesses will have influences who show you their products and often provide their followers with a discount code.
“Big stores always have sales, keep an eye on the website or join their email mailing list to hear about their sales first.”
Amy said one of her favourite rooms in her house is her daughter’s.
“It’s a giant pink explosion and I had so much fun decorating it,” she said.
“Ninety per cent of the decor was from Kmart and then I took my love (and business) of dried flowers and added her flower installation.”
Amy said there were two ways she shopped — either impulsively or planned.
“I usually have to ask myself, can I find a spot to put this in the house?” she said.
“If I’m after something in particular I’ll definitely browse online first to see who has it and then who has it the cheapest.”
Amy said her passion and her outlet went hand-in-hand, finding decorating and designing to bring her joy.
“It’s definitely a creative outlet for me,” Amy said.
“I also love seeing my thoughts and ideas come to life.
“Shopping is also a passion of mine so buying decor and then styling them combines two of my favourite things.
“I don’t think my kids take any notice of what I do around the house but my husband certainly appreciates the bargain shopper in me.
“He loves our home and when asked “who did the design and decor in the renovation”, he proudly tells them, ‘Amy did it! She did everything!’.”
Amy also has a decorative business selling dried flower arrangements and soy candles.
BREEZA TOLAN
Logan/Gold Coast mum, Breeza Tolan, 41, has shared her tips and tricks on creating a home to dazzle guests in just a few easy ways.
“I always plan my layout ahead, starting with inspecting different items online first and then working out my budget for the room or area,” Ms Tolan said.
“Also buying online or through click and collect makes it a lot easier for myself to plan as I can measure and see if it will fit in my space that I need or if it will match the decor that I’m wanting to go for.”
Ms Tolan said staying on a budget could be difficult and so it was always important to source second items or DIY.
“I will see what I have around the house that I can repurpose first, then will draw up a plan, measure and search online,” she said.
“Make sure to only buy your necessities which you need and source other items throughout your house that you can repurpose.
“Marketplace has some great bargains on it too.”
She said the most important thing to do was make a plan.
“Plan ahead with what you are trying to accomplish,” Ms Tolan said.
“Have a plan or idea and a budget before you start.
“I also do the larger items first then you can always add other items later to it.”
Ms Tolan said her home, which incorporates mixture of Balinese with vintage and antique, is her main passion project.
“I love antique or vintage items and depending on the condition of them decides whether I keep them original or try something different with them,” she said.
“I recently did my entrance hall stand which was very run down and tired.
“So when Kmart brought out this beautiful vintage green colour in the chalk paint I thought I would give it a go and see what it would turn out like.
“It was better than what I had pictured which was then that I moved onto my main bedroom.
“While I was doing my bedroom up I also decided that my toilet was tired and old and that I needed to replace the old toilet cistern which was large and needed something to cover the wall behind it.
“So I wallpapered it and gave a country vintage feel to it as well.”
ELIZABETH LOUISE AMAYA
Forestdale mum of four, Elizabeth Louise Amaya, 41, said it was easy to give your home a million-dollar makeover without having to spend the big bucks.
“Research and planning is essential when styling your home on a budget,” Ms Amaya said.
“I search the internet for inspiration/ magazines etc and create a folder.
“Then I measure, and more research is conducted to narrow down selections.
“Then the project commences.
“If you have an aesthetic in mind and shop around you can easily give your home a high end look without the exy price tag.
“When I am creating a new space at home, it tends to be on needs basis first.
“Sometimes something breaks or wears so then we are forced to fix the space.”
Ms Amaya said the favourite room of her home is her master bedroom.
“It was our first major renovation project in this home as we converted the garage into a parents’ retreat with ensuite,” she said.
“It was a huge job but definitely added a lot of value to our home.
Ms Amaya said they also transformed their pool deck space last summer.
“It was a fun DIY project,” she said.
“We changed the fencing, added more shade and gave the decking a fresh coat of white paint.
“The memo was; create a Maldives vibe.
“We did it all ourselves and it was definitely worth the time, money and sweat.”
Ms Amaya said having a vision for a particular room or the overall design of your home is key.
“Nowadays we are so lucky there is so much inspiration at our fingertips,” she said.
“Through Instagram, Pinterest and general searches I am inspired daily.
“I have my favourite styles and I try to incorporate them in our home and of course being practical and functional at the same time.”
She said renovation could be rewarding but also quite stressful.
“These are the things I have learnt throughout some of our renovations: plan and research well during the design phase; allow for budget increases; along with unexpected findings and delays,” Ms Amaya said.
“Project management and communication is vital, make sure to always check in with trades twice a day.
“Be thorough with products and stock checks before installation.
“And finally, be patient.
“With careful planning, research and shopping around, you can have a beautiful home on a budget.”
MICHELLE RHODES
Redlands mum, Michelle Rhodes, 55, said recreating and modernising older pieces around the house is a great way to style on a budget.
“There are a lot of inexpensive ways to style your home if you’re on a budget,” Ms Rhodes said.
“Use what you already have laying around the house.
“You’ll be surprised how easy and inexpensive it can be to change a piece of decor with a bit of paint, covering or modification.”
Ms Rhodes said she often searched online for bargains, including clearance or end of season sales, Facebook Marketplace, eBay or even thrift shops.
“Because I’ve been a bargain shopper on Instagram for a long time now I know my stores really well,” she said.
“I’m not afraid to check out the cheaper stores for cheaper versions of the latest trends, places like Kmart, BigW and Target always have fantastic options and always check out the clearance tables – I’ve found so many bargains.
“My next step is having a good look at that piece and determine if it’s value for money or whether I can create something similar using my creative skills.
“If there’s something I really want like a new coffee table, I’ll try to make it myself first.
“For example, I wanted a round rattan coffee table and found that they were too expensive to buy so I turned an Ikea basket upside down and added a timber table top that I already had.
“The other trick is to buy a multipurpose piece that can be used in a variety ways, like a glass diffuser that can also be used as a candle holder or vase or reversible quilt covers and cushions so that you get two different looks – I often turn my quilts over or even inside out to change things up.”
Ms Rhodes said her projects and styling were a way to manage her mental health and enabled her to pursue her creative side.
“I love to create a sense of feeling in a room — finding the right spaces for things gives me a lot of satisfaction,” she said.
“You spend a lot of time at home so styling it the way you want it can bring a lot of happiness.
“I also love design — I love the creative process.
“The behind the scenes can be quite frustrating.
“My family have learnt to put up with my mess, especially when I’m in the middle of a project and I just have to stop halfway and leave it all sitting on the floor until the next day.
“My husband is very supportive and knows that the creative process is like therapy for me – I need an outlet as my son has cerebral palsy and requires a lot of care.”
Ms Rhodes said her secret weapon is her Cricut machine.
“I invested in a Cricut machine years ago and it’s changed my life,” she said.
“The world is your oyster when it comes to designing your own homewares.
“I’ve been able to create some amazing original designs like artwork and cushions and in the long term can save you money.”
SUSAN DJANIKIAN
Moreton mum, Susan Djanikian, who volunteers for the Salvation Army at Burpengary East, said her thrift shops were the best places to find fixer-uppers.
“Thrift stores are a very lucrative place to start,” Ms Djanikian said.
“The other volunteers they are like my family now, it’s my little community now.”
Ms Djanikian often finds items at the thrift store and transforms them into fantastic pieces, including an urn that she revamped recently.
“That urn that I did would’ve ended up in the bin or another store, and I had to save it,” she said.
Ms Djanikian also picks up pieces at kerbside collections to refurbish them.
One of her favourite projects is a cabinet she found, which she revamped.
“I told my husband if I can flip this and sell it then I’ll continue doing it,” she said.
“All I had to buy was a hinge and swap out the handles for crystal hinges.
“It was nightmare to park but it was one that I had to be patient with.”
She said she hopes her passion for DIY and design will encourage other mums to do the same.
“You don’t need all the fantastic tools to get started,” Ms Djanikian said.
“You don’t what something you’re doing will take you.
“I just love the treasure hunting side of it.
“And at the end, it’s like wow I did that.”
Ms Djanikian has a Facebook page called, SD. Crayon Creations which she used to show her creativity and DIY products.
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