WIN: $250 from Kmart to makeover a room

by NATALIA HAWK AND LUCY ORMONDE

Take one boring living room and one outdated bedroom. Add a spoonful of creativity, a cup of handy-(wo)man and a huge dose of Kmart. What do you end up with? A room makeover that:

a) WILL rock your (Kmart purchased, we’re sure) socks; and

b) WON’T make your wallet pack up and head north to the European debt-crisis-riddled nation of its choice.

The two of us headed to Kmart over the weekend, hoping to snatch up a couple of things to spruce up our living spaces. And we walked out with full trolleys and plenty of new items to redecorate our rooms. Cushions, sheets, furniture, wall art – it’s all there.

And each room cost us only $250. That’s right – $500 all up, for two completely different rooms.

We know we sound ridiculous right now. We really do. And we promise we’re not going to offer your a free set of steak knives if you call in the next fifteen minutes but there really are bargains to be had.

Take a look:

Nat’s Bedroom Makeover

My bedroom was put together at the age of 12 and has not really changed since. It has the colour palette of a teenybopper obsessed with glitter and ponies. And although I am still fond of glitter and ponies (who isn’t?) – the room needed an overhaul and a healthy dose of about 10 years of maturity.

I knew I wanted something a little more sophisticated but also fun – so I went with the trusty colour combination of red, white and black. I grabbed some new sheets and cushions, as well as a new bedside table/shelf which looks about a thousand times better than the old one.

I removed my cluttered dressing table and replaced it with a coat rack and a full length-mirror. Add some accessories and – you know what? I’m quite proud of the result.

You can scroll down to the gallery below for further details about each item.

Lucy’s Living Room Makeover

Our living room used to be full of book cases and frames on the walls but when a roommate moved out a few months ago and took everything with him we just left things sparse and planned to do something “one day…” The living room is the central point of the house – it’s part of a big open-plan kitchen and dining area but the room’s been so dull and uninspired we’ve tended to stay in the dining room or courtyard over the last couple of months.

I couldn’t believe what could be done with just $250. When it comes to furniture, I naturally gravitate towards anything white and bright but decided to stick to the darker blacks and reds tones that were already in the room. I moved the coffee table the TV was sitting on to the centre of the room, and replaced it with a couple of cube shelves – filled with books and consoles. The couch was brightened with a couple of red throws and some new cushions. I also picked up a big round mirror which will hang on the wall above (when I move it from its current ‘resting’ place on the couch).

But the best thing was the gold stars I got from roommates who loved the makeover. (I’m hoping that means I don’t have to take the bins out for the foreseeable future….)

Flick through the gallery below for more details of the makeovers:

Our conclusion? Put Kmart on your destination list for homewares. Especially if you don’t have a lot of spare coin to spend.

Kmart is Australia’s home of irresistibly low prices on everything, every day. But behind the low prices you’ll also find amazing choice, giving you so much more to have fun with. For more surprises, and to see our products come to life, click here.

This post is sponsored by Kmart. Comments on this post are just for this post. If you want to talk about the IDEA of sponsored posts or the choice of advertisers please click here. We will be reading all those comments too for feedback.

Come and share what room you would love to makeover. The two comments with the most thumbs up will win one of two $250 Kmart gift vouchers to spend on transforming a room! You must be a Mamamia member to enter. Competition closes 19-10-12.