DIY influencer Kristen Coutts’ home makeover show is about getting it done on a ‘beer budget.’Supplied
The pretense of so many home renovation shows is that money is no object. Not so for Kristen Coutts. The Toronto-based DIY influencer and TV personality is all about getting it done on a tiny budget.
Her own home makeover show, aptly named Beer Budget Reno, which ran in the U.S. earlier this year, premieres in Canada on Sept. 4 on Home Network and streaming on STACKTV. Here’s an e-mail Q&A I did recently with Ms. Coutts:
Q: Kristen, let’s start with your origin story. You got into DIY by renovating your own home on a budget. How did you get started?
A: I always had an interest in DIY and interior design but zero experience. I spent the first year of COVID endlessly scrolling before and after posts on social media and saving them. I thought that one day I could do this too.
At the time, we were living in a suburb outside of Toronto and I just had my first baby. We decided to move into the city so that my husband, Ash, could be closer to work, and therefore spend less time commuting and more time with our newborn.
All we could afford was a fixer-upper one-third of the size of our suburb home for three times the price. The cost of real estate in Toronto is staggering, so a renovation budget was completely out of the question after we sunk all of our savings, and then some, into this house.
I had an opportunity in front of me – to finally stop just saving social media posts and truly do it myself. So I spent the remainder of my maternity leave figuring out how to design and renovate my home, and I did it. I documented the process on social media and the rest is history.
Q: What’s your advice for newbies trying their hand at small repairs or a budget-friendly design upgrade for the first time?
A: Finding the confidence to get started is the hardest part. You just have to start – either it will go well, or you’ll learn from a mistake.
So start with small things that are easy to fix if the situation goes awry – perhaps hanging a picture or painting a wall. Each time you complete a project you realize “that wasn’t so bad!” and you get the confidence to try something slightly more complicated.
I would also say to use resources at your disposal – social media and the internet have a wealth of information to give you the tips and tricks on how to do it yourself.
Q: What are your favourite social media resources for both picking up practical DIY skills and finding design inspiration?
A: Find some DIYers on Instagram or YouTube! They often have step-by-step guides on how they did things, accompanied by blog posts that share their exact materials, cut lists and so on. There is a ton of free information out there if you look for it. I also love Pinterest for design inspiration.
Before and after photos of a room during a home makeover. ‘I believe that everyone deserves to live in a beautiful space that feels like home regardless of the budget,’ Coutts says.Supplied
Q: What are some tips for avoiding DIY mistakes?
A: Mistakes are truly a part of the process – it’s how we learn and know not to make that mistake again. Most often, there’s a simple path to remedy the error.
It doesn’t matter if you use the wrong paint colour, or make an extra hole in the wall because those can be easily fixed.
My tip would be to avoid mistakes out of your scope of expertise – do not try anything electrical or plumbing-related if that’s not your background, and do not knock down any walls without having an engineer check if they’re load-bearing. Those are costly, and sometimes, very unsafe mistakes to make and it’s better to err on the side of caution.
But don’t let fear stop you altogether. Worried about making a mess? Spend time prepping with painter’s tape and a drop sheet.
Worried about using a nail gun and maybe hitting electrical or a pipe? Use a stud finder or avoid nails and use construction adhesive instead.
Not sure how to use a tool? There are lots of videos online that can show you how, or go to your local home improvement store, and a sales associate will likely be able to give you a tutorial.
Q: How do you help your clients keep a lid on their reno budgets? Can you give us some examples?
A: Staying on budget is a core value of my business. So much so, that if I go over budget, I will personally pay for the overage.
To keep my clients on budget, I create design that will fit within their budget, only present options for materials that fit within that budget, and I have a contingency of around 15 per cent in case there’s an unexpected hiccup in the reno (i.e. opening up a wall and finding something that needs to be repaired before proceeding).
Q: Tell us about your show, Beer Budget Reno – including how you came up with the name.
A: Beer Budget Reno is a television show that is truly an extension of what I do for clients everyday – providing glamorous renovations on modest budgets. I believe that everyone deserves to live in a beautiful space that feels like home regardless of the budget.
Whether it’s a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars, there are always changes that can be made to make a space beautiful and functional. And they’re changes that don’t have to look like you’re on a tight budget.
My tagline on social media has always been “delivering champagne renos on a beer budget” and that’s how the show was born.
Q: What are the things worth spending on when giving your home a facelift?
A: I think it depends on your end goal. A lot of people design for resale, and if that’s the case, the biggest returns come from updating kitchens and bathrooms.
I like designing for everyday life and functionality. This will include things like budget built-ins that provide storage, a fun kids bedroom that your child will actually want to spend time in other than to sleep, or a closet that has been repurposed into a home office.
I think it comes down to how you use the space in your home everyday and optimizing those spaces to enjoy.
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