I’m one of those people who love to rearrange furniture constantly and do room makeovers. I even collect paint decks. My friends sometimes call me Martha Stewart but trust me, I am way too lazy to be Martha Stewart. I also don’t have Martha’s deep pockets, and updating your rooms can be expensive – especially if you’re addicted to it. But I’ve found out that (as usual), if you approach it from the environmental route, you can renovate without spending huge amounts of money in the process.

Fresh from the Ottawa Home Renovations Show, I thought I’d share the latest renovation in my house: turning the sunroom into an office. The goal was to spend as little money as possible but still achieve a complete transformation of this room. Using freecycled items, things we already owned, and even curbside finds, this room got a major update for cheap and it was super environmentally friendly because we reused old things instead of buying new. Even the flooring was free!

The sunroom before. The early 80s linoleum felt permanently sticky and this room was unused except to kill the occasional plant in.

The sunroom after. This room is so bright and warm, perfect for an office. The house got a significant upgrade and this room now gets regular use.

How cheap was this renovation? Well, except for shelling out for paint, new blinds, and a laminate flooring installation kit, everything else was either something we already owned or something we scored for free. This room has gone from complete disuse to being my favourite room in the house!

Check out the source list:

laminate flooring (free on UsedOttawa.com)
mini chandeliers (already owned)
couch (free on UsedOttawa.com)
retro TV (free on UsedOttawa.com)
chair (found on a curb)
retro radio (already owned)
plant stand (already owned)
desk (already owned)
houseplants (free from Ottawa Plantcycle)
blinds (purchased from Ikea)