On my HGTV show Splurge & Save today I revamped a living room and gave it the Colonial twist that the Vaccarino family was craving, on a budget of $4000. Yikes! Here’s my Inspiration Board for this Room Recipe…

Problems with the old room:
• First room upon entering home and no “wow” factor
• Earthy, muted colors
• No real focal point

Before My Design

SPLURGES:
Sofa: $1000 (Clubfurniture.com)
Chairs: $1300 for both (BallardDesigns.com Colefax Chairs in Ashford Paisley)
Balloon Shades: $850 (Smith and Noble)
Lamps: $300 for all three

After My Design

SAVES:
Book shelves: Tom Zemon, my amazing carpenter, created additional architecture to the space by handcrafting book shelves to flank the fireplace and give the room a focal point

Paint: Brightened up the space and used Benjamin Moore’s historical color palette

Chair Rail: Inexpensive molding and paint

Coffee Table: Free! Two tables put together, both stolen from the basement

Rug: $150 (IKEA.com)

Trunks: Free! Re-purposed

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Author: Krista Watterworth

Krista Watterworth considers herself a true multi-tasker: mom, author, television personality, and interior designer. Krista starred in four seasons of HGTV's Save My Bath as host-designer and her new HGTV show called Splurge & Save airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30pm EST. She has quickly gained celebrity for branding her unique aesthetic. "I like to find out your intimate secrets, and then create an entirely personal world around that."

Krista Watterworth has written 194 articles for us.