I Tried Furnishing My Empty Living Room For $500

In an attempt to save money AND limit waste, Rachel is furnishing her empty living room for under $500 using all second hand items.

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MUSIC
SFX Provided By AudioBlocks

Licensed via Audio Network

STILLS
Red empty marker, closeup thumbtack, needle with round tip, web vector icon for business, isolated illustration on white background.
Anhelina Lisna/Getty Images

VIDEO
CU PAN Stack of bulky waste in dump yard, Vrhnika, Slovenia
Simonkr/Getty Images
old chair
SaddamStock/Getty Images
Attractive guy with his girlfriend moved in a new apartment they carrying the sofa in the middle of living room and unwrapped it. They excited and sit on the sofa together embraced. Slow motion
Patramansky/Getty Images
SLO MO Woman tightening screws while assembling the furniture
SimonSkafar/Getty Images

[EtreTocsin]

You can get a pair of L brackets to fix that wobbly coffee table. Believe me, the $5 you spend will save you years of frustration dealing with a wonbly table

[dianeb]

There needs to be a "Furnish a room for $500" challenge". I would watch all of them!

[tessiemiller]

For future reference... When painting pieces like you bought you should lightly sand before painting and add something on top of the paint (poly, wax, etc) to protect your paint job so it will last longer.
As is, you may find scuffing and peeling to be an issue with normal use.

[eburns]

Girl my whole house is furnished with stuff we found in the trash. The only items we bought new were 2 couches!! Love this video. It's so unnecessary to spend money on new furniture these days. Just drive through a wealthier town and you'd be amazed what kind of gems people leave on their curb.

[joyceshang]

I love that Rachel made the effort not only to buy affordable, secondhand pieces but also to select pieces that go with her style. I furnished most of my furniture secondhand, but it looks like a college student's apartment. Definitely will use this as inspiration to make my next place feel more like a home!

[lizam]

I REALLY hope she cleaned thoroughly everything she bought especially furniture with fabric!

[amethystle]

I'm genuinely jealous of that TV stand. That looks exactly like something that would fit with my aesthetic, and I've been looking to buy a similar new one for $400. If I found it for $100, I would jump on that. Nicely done.

I did have a friend once who, after their divorce, furnished their whole new apartment using the free section of Craigslist and just paid the cost of the truck rental and gas. Yes, she did spend an entire day driving around the entire extended Portland Metro area, from Salem to Vancouver, WA, but in the end, she basically furnished her studio for $50. Which blew my mind.

[Noone]

For those of you afraid to buy used furniture because of bed bugs- remember that even library books can have bed bugs. They are all over, that’s why you inspect things before you bring them in the house (much like you look at a hat for lice before you try it on). Clean things well. Also look at the skin of the person you are buying from. Bed bugs leave marks on the skin, if they have nice clear arms and legs then you should be ok. 💖

[chloegregory-pendley]

Getting mismatched furniture and painting it the same color is what I did! It makes everything look like it goes together and is very cost-effective.

[markita.hardenhome]

The bookcase is super cute. I suggest buying some brushed gold legs to add to it. It'll tie to your gold lamp and gold handles on the side table plus give it a little more height. If you wanna go the extra mile to make it look even more custom...add a strip of reclaimed wood (have a friend cut to size) to the bottom then add the legs. Stain the wood a walnut color. $20 bucks max for a semi custom piece. Otherwise awesome job. DIY artwork next?🤔😬🤷🏾‍♀️

[prissilou]

Love your little challenge, and think you did great! My only caveat is one I learned the hard way...be careful, some of the stuff you might buy might be from a house infested with...bedbugs! Yes, bedbugs have made a major comeback. My best advice is for any smaller items like pillows or single chairs, put in a huge black trashbag and sit out in the sun for a few days. Bedbugs can't take the heat and will die if they are in 115 degrees. Or if its just a few pillows or some linens. throw them in the dryer. If its a couch, you might need a black tarp. But trust me, this technique works well! Of course, the best is if you don't buy anything infested....

[cathycoryell]

Really impressed with getting units, side table, and immediately painting. So many people are refusing to take a few hours and paint. Color - It's literally what can make your space feel pleasant to you. Well done to care for your home, and therefore you.

[MerleONeal]

THE BUDGETING QUEEN CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE STOPPED!

[calibby]

THIS WOMAN DESERVES A REGISTRY. We need to start celebrating more things in society that aren't just getting married and having a baby. Being a single woman and moving into your own apartment and not sharing bills is a big accomplishment, and not cheap. Getting a new job and moving to a new city, completing higher education, buyi g a home, , adopting a pet -why don't we celebrate and financially support these milestones?!

[studymate]

It's heartwarming to see how beautiful it turned out. It feels so homey and cozy. Great job there.

[charpnatl]

This was SO MUCH FUN to watch! This reminds me of the way HGTV used to be when they actually showed people how to do things. You did really well!

[justg]

Great challenge. One thing I would do is put legs on the book stand that are similar to the side table. I am astonished at how much you got for 500 dollars. GO YOU!

[TheSecretChateau]

One word for you Rachel: Freecycle.

I furnished my entire 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom, and 3 reception rooms with items I got for free on Freecycle. My budget was $500 and I spent $135. That $135 went on delivery fees because some items wouldn't have fit in my car, such as 3 large book cases, a vintage dining table and six chairs, 2x 3 seater sofas, a Smeg fridge-freezer (only 4 months old and free) and two large bed frames. I restored furniture items with paints (also free on Freecycle). With the left over cash I purchased a steam cleaner and some thrift store framed art.

[paulaprice]

Girl YES!! You understand my vibe. After I got married, and my husband moved into my place, I wanted everything updated. Well... I had to set a crazy low budget and did what you did! I am super excited you got creative to revamp your space on a budget!

[rosehughes]

Good job! Plus you don't get chemical off gassing from used stuff. I'm glad to see more people thinking ethically and frugally. I've found really great furniture, rugs, etc. the same way though a lot of the thrift shops in my city have disappeared due to development and rising costs. But there's still online and thanks for the reminder.