Fine Furnishings
 
Just because you are working with a budget, it does not mean your home will look cheap and nasty. The trick is to find the right place to buy your furniture.

Stay clear of those fancy showrooms. Try brands like @ Home, The Living Room, Style Spa or Lifestyle. These stores have furniture that can fit most budgets and decor styles.

You can get a sofa set complete with a two or three-seater sofa and two single-seaters, along with a coffee table for about Rs.22, 000.

A wall unit should cost you about Rs.6000 to Rs.8000, depending on what you choose. When buying readymade furniture, rubber wood, cherry wood, rosewood and cheaper variations of teak are the best options.

If this is still too steep, your local carpenter could come to the rescue. You might want to check out his previous work before you assign the job to him. Fix the cost for all the furniture upfront. Then go along with him and select the kind of wood and laminate you want.

The only hitch; you will need to supervise the carpenter 24×7!

Deck the Place

And now for the most interesting part of any renovation… the accessories! Don't worry about budgeting too much now. You still have about Rs.30, 000 left.

A fancy vase, a couple of interesting paintings and curios should do the trick. But since there are so many options, here's a list you could choose from.

• Paintings
• Dolls
• Masks
• Sculptures
• Vases
• Plates
• Curios

What's the Damage?

Ideal Choices	Estimated Cost
Flooring (Marbonite/ Vitrified tiles)	Rs.24, 000
False Ceiling	Rs.8000
Lighting/ Electricals	Rs.7000
Paint + Textured Wall	Rs.8000
Furniture	Rs.30,000
Accessories	Rs.15,000
Total Renovation	Rs.90,000

There you have it. If you stick to this plan, you can refurbish your home within Rs.90,000.

But don't you worry because you still have Rs.10,000 to spare from your Rs.1,00,000 budget. So if you really must, splurge a little. After all, you don't do up your home everyday.

Watch out for a guide to Setting Up the Master Bedroom next week!