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5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don’t Regret

Something you may not know about me, I can’t make decisions to save my life. I can pick a dinner spot with ease, but a paint color is a whole other story. I blame it on my generation. In case you’re wondering, it’s X. We were never taught that making mistakes was crucial to our self-esteem and that failure was a good thing. Can you relate?

Anyways fast forward to being an adult with a home and throw on top that limited funds. It’s a recipe for self-doubt. I weigh all my opinions before pulling the trigger on anything as big as a patio to as small as a chair. I’ve done this for as long as I’ve been a homeowner. Keeping decorating funds in mind, paint was always a safe bet after testing a gazillion colors. Contrary to what you may believe, I am not a big risk-taker when it comes to home design.

City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.

Okay, so now that you have the low-down, this post will hopefully resonate even more. As I was saying, I’ve never not been in a home where budget wasn’t a HUGE consideration. So now it’s a part of my decorating DNA. There have been many missteps and mistakes along the way, but these five budget-friendly projects are not one of them. Thye range from $20-$500.

1. Buiding Out My Kitchen Island and Painting it Green. The total cost with labor was under $500, not including the countertop. Before, it looked like any other island, and now it looks custom. My contractor used MDF instead of wood to keep the costs down since I was painting it. The green is earthy and warm and goes with anything. In case you’re wondering, it’s Cast Iron by Sherwin-Williams. The white kitchen cabinets are Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.

5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.

2. DIY Pea Gravel Patio. The total cost in 2015 was $500 for the supplies to create the patio space. I would say today, a pea gravel patio this size will run you double. But it’s still a huge savings compared to other materials. I still love it! My only wish was that it was bigger.

City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.

3. Gel Staining My Oak Stair Treads. The total cost of this project was under $20. I tackled this project two years ago and did a quick video about it. The wear and tear is not obvious. I am sure it’s there, but it still looks perfect. I literally wiped it onto the steps with a rag and wiped off the excess. It took a few days to completely set and took away the orange undertones nicely. A post is coming soon.

City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
Minwax Gel stain in Walnut. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.

4. Painting My French Doors Black. The total for this project was under $100. I felt like I was late to this trend because I pondered this for so long, but I’m glad I did. It is very Nancy Meyersesc. It’s classic and timeless, and I would do this again.

City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
5 Budget Friendly House Projects I Don't Regret. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.

5. Board and Batten Focal Wall. The total cost for this project with labor, supplies, and paint was about $400. The color is Desert Twilight by Benjamin Moore, and it’s perfect. You can find more about the focal wall HERE.

City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.
City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien. Ranging from $20-$500. Pea gravel patio, black painted French doors, built-up island painted Cast Iron green, gel stained staircase and batten board grid wall painted in Desert Twilight.

In case you missed the post where I narrowed down the colors in my family room, you can click HERE.

Favorite Earthy Blue-Greens. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien

Another recent post that readers seem to love is this house palette post below.

Earthy Coastal Color Palette. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O'Brien
Earthy Coastal Color Palette. City Farmhouse by Jennifer O’Brien

Have a happy day, friend!

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4 Comments

  2. Oh my gosh – I completely understand the inability to make a decision. Heaven forbid you make the wrong choice and waste your time and money on something you don’t like – it can be paralyzing! I guess you just have to learn to trust your instincts and remember that it’s not the end of the world if something goes wrong.

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