New Colour PaletteThe plan for the makeover was to change the feature wall paint colour from the sunny peach that we've had for the past three years (you can see the previous colour here) to a soft shade of grey with a tinge of icy blue that would brighten up the small room and add a beautiful Scandinavian vibe. In the end, I decided to go with Miller Mood from Dulux in a quarter strength, a hue that is pretty, serene and fresh!
I accentuated the soft colour palette with pops of mustard and shades of blush, petrol blue, moss green, charcoal grey, white and deep teal to create interesting accents and cosy corners. The use of natural timber, soft throws and linen blankets, a natural jute round rug and of course art in a similar colour palette completes the look.
FurnitureA new wall colour warrants new furniture and décor accessories! My go to website for buying home décor on a budget is Gumtree; a vibrant online community marketplace connecting buyers and sellers in the local community to buy, sell and find just about everything.
As an avid up-cycler and a firm believer in recycling, repurposing and reusing, Gumtree is a truly treasure trove of unique and interesting items both pre-loved or new, available at affordable prices, perfect for people like me who undertake spur of the moment room makeovers!
Did you know that Gumtree is the #1 shopping app in Australia?!!! There are more than 2.5 million listings on Gumtree across hundreds of categories, including Home & Garden, Cars, Jobs, Baby & Children, Sport & Fitness, Clothing and Jewellery, and 85,000 new ads are posted each day and on average, more than 7 million Australians visit Gumtree each month via desktop and mobile sites, as well as iPhone and Android apps! #Mindblown!
To top it all, you never know which piece of history you might find on Gumtree or maybe the perfect run down, fixer-upper, DIYers dream piece! I frequently use Gumtree to sell bits of furniture or shop for eclectic, vintage, truly one-of-a-kind décor pieces and even services like electricians, landscapers, packers and movers, arborists, plumbers, outdoor deck builders etc! It is a handy app to have on your phone since as well as cash you can even pay with Paypal! So convinient!
To keep this online community marketplace safe and relevant, there are a few tips to buy and sell on Gumtree.
Plan ahead: If you’re overhauling a whole room, or an entire house, make a list of all the key items you need and decide which ones you could save money on. Consider investing more in lounges and dining tables and save on home décor items like plants, throws and cushions
Set your budget: If you’re on a tight budget, research the average price of similar items on Gumtree and set your budget accordingly
Filter by price: If you do need to stick to a budget, Gumtree’s search results allow you to filter by price - so you’re not tempted buy any items out of your price range
Save your searches: If you’re after a specific item or brand, say a Scandinavian style sofa or a certain make of wine fridge, the saved searches tool is ideal. Each time you save a specific keyword and location search, you’ll receive an email update whenever a matching item is listed. You can decide how frequently you want to be informed; either immediately, daily or weekly
Expand your search region: If you can’t find the item you’re looking for in your immediate local area, try expanding your search to include a wider area. Instead of looking just in Newtown, search in Inner Sydney or Sydney region. You may have to travel to pick
up an item, but by expanding your search region you’re sure to find even more gems
Use your imagination: Sometimes it does take a little imagination to see an item’s full potential. There may be some signs of wear and tear on the outside, but with a touch up and a coat of paint, it could become a key piece in your home and you’ll forever be able to tell the tale of how you lovingly restored it
Ask questions: While most sellers will include key information, don’t be afraid to contact the seller to ask questions. It’s always worth asking about the condition of the item, why it’s for sale, the dimensions and if there are any receipts or warranties available. It’s easy to contact a seller via the Gumtree My Messages feature.
Negotiate: Don’t be afraid to negotiate a price you think is fair but don’t go too low - nobody likes an unrealistic offer!
Meet in person: Gumtree encourage face-to-face meetings with the seller so you can inspect the item, with an in-person payment made once the goods have been seen.
Tips for buying on gumtree:
Do your research: Dedicate time to researching what’s out there, what kind of style you’re looking for as well as the full retail price of similar items (so you can see the savings you can make by buying on Gumtree) Plan ahead: If you’re overhauling a whole room, or an entire house, make a list of all the key items you need and decide which ones you could save money on. Consider investing more in lounges and dining tables and save on home décor items like plants, throws and cushions
Set your budget: If you’re on a tight budget, research the average price of similar items on Gumtree and set your budget accordingly
Filter by price: If you do need to stick to a budget, Gumtree’s search results allow you to filter by price - so you’re not tempted buy any items out of your price range
Save your searches: If you’re after a specific item or brand, say a Scandinavian style sofa or a certain make of wine fridge, the saved searches tool is ideal. Each time you save a specific keyword and location search, you’ll receive an email update whenever a matching item is listed. You can decide how frequently you want to be informed; either immediately, daily or weekly
Expand your search region: If you can’t find the item you’re looking for in your immediate local area, try expanding your search to include a wider area. Instead of looking just in Newtown, search in Inner Sydney or Sydney region. You may have to travel to pick
up an item, but by expanding your search region you’re sure to find even more gems
Use your imagination: Sometimes it does take a little imagination to see an item’s full potential. There may be some signs of wear and tear on the outside, but with a touch up and a coat of paint, it could become a key piece in your home and you’ll forever be able to tell the tale of how you lovingly restored it
Ask questions: While most sellers will include key information, don’t be afraid to contact the seller to ask questions. It’s always worth asking about the condition of the item, why it’s for sale, the dimensions and if there are any receipts or warranties available. It’s easy to contact a seller via the Gumtree My Messages feature.
Negotiate: Don’t be afraid to negotiate a price you think is fair but don’t go too low - nobody likes an unrealistic offer!
Meet in person: Gumtree encourage face-to-face meetings with the seller so you can inspect the item, with an in-person payment made once the goods have been seen.
Tips for selling on gumtree:
Do your research: Dedicate time to researching what’s out there and the average price of similar items to make sure you’re setting a fair price.Be descriptive: Describe the product you’re selling, including its features, a brief history and reasons for selling the item. The more information you provide, the more likely you are to make a sale at the price you’re looking for.
Upload high quality photos: Upload high quality images to make sure your listing stands out from the rest.
Manage your listing: Ensure you keep on top of messages from potential buyers. Communicate quickly and directly through My Messages and download the Gumtree app on your phone so you can manage your ad on the go. You can even buy an upgrade for your listing, to help your ad stand out from others in that category
Always meet face to face: When buying or selling, it’s important to meet in person to see the item and exchange money. For personal ease and safety, have someone with you.
For Elie's room makeover, I bought a pretty vintage dresser (for literally a song!), a couple of cute wall hooks and a vintage cane basket for cushions and throws from Gumtree! All it takes is a bit of organisation, researching viable options, zeroing in on the one that best fits all your needs and negotiating a good price for it.I'm still on the hunt for the perfect light pendant and a low maintenance indoor plant for the room (and maybe even a vintage doll's house!). And I think I may have spotted just the thing!
So stay tuned here or on Instagram for the next update on Elie's room makeover since it is still a work-in-progress. However, in the meantime I would love to know if you too use Gumtree to sell or buy? Have you bought something interesting or fabulous recently? Share with us in the comments below.
Till next time... be sure to download the Gumtree app on your phone!
Till next time... be sure to download the Gumtree app on your phone!
xox
Rani
ALL IMAGES BY RANI ENGINEER, LA MAISON JOLIE
This post was created in collaboration with Gumtree Australia. As always, all design choices, thoughts and opinions are all mine and genuine and I only ever work with brands that I love and I think you will too.
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