A thrifty designer who transformed her own Melbourne home has shared her crafty hack for making a $25 Kmart stool look a million dollars.
Lisa McInnes-Nelson, the founder of Leilah and Lyla Home, created a stunning look in her kitchen – simply by sandblasting the legs of her Kmart stools and then buying some gold paint from Bunnings.
While she found a factory to sandblast the edges of the Kmart ‘White Industrial’ stools, she bought the paint for $10 a tin – and sprayed them herself.
The seats were then painted the same white as the kitchen.
The result is gorgeous white and gold bar stools that blend seamlessly into her home’s colour scheme – for the total cost of around $150 per stool.
And Lisa’s knack for creating a luxe look for less doesn’t end there.
She shared some of her top tips with New Idea.
‘Paint is your best friend,’ Lisa says.
‘Anything can be restored to look new with a fresh coat of paint. The tip is to know your paints and select the right finish. For furniture an ultra enamel oil base paint is key,’ she adds.
Coffee table books can look great, but they don’t necessarily come cheap.
‘To fill a space head to your local op shop to source hardcover books in the colour scheme of the room you are styling,’ Lisa suggests.
‘My tip is to peel back the cardboard cover. Underneath each cover is a world of beautiful plain books with stunning text along the spine.
‘Find a number of books all in the same colour and you have an instant stack of books to add to a bookshelf or mantle.’
If you’re a pet-owner you’ll know that whilst your furry friend is a crucial part of your home, it doesn’t necessarily make the place look neat.
‘No-one wants to see a pet litter tray in a glamorous house,’ Lisa – a cat owner – admits.
‘Think outside the box and try incorporating the litter into a hidden cupboard,’ she suggests.
‘A perfect position is under the laundry tub.
‘Pick up a pet door from your local pet store and insert into the cupboard below the tub. Then you can say goodbye to smelly pet moments.’
To see more from Lisa visit her Instagram page here
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