“$500 Room Makeovers” (Clarkson Potter, 2006)
Lisa Quinn has a knack for transforming drab into fab, and she does it all on a Wal-Mart budget. The designer made a name for herself doing sets for San Francisco’s CBS affiliate, as well as by working as a spokeswoman for the likes of IKEA and Mercedes-Benz. But her design work isn’t nearly as highfalutin as all that.
Do-it-yourselfers can look to Quinn’s book, “$500 Room Makeovers,” for inspiration to redecorate any type of room in two days. In Quinn’s hands, for instance, a young professional’s spacious but sloppy bedroom blossoms into an alluring boudoir in which rich color accents sexy animal prints. Her advice is easy to follow, and all of the projects are construction-free. Some of Quinn’s other inspired ideas: Tutus make great lamp shades, artwork can double as a mouse pad, place mats take on new life as wallpaper, and rugs draw people to a dining table when used instead of linens. “Don’t think of a budget as a restriction,” Quinn writes. “Consider it a challenge.”
Elana Ashanti Jefferson
