Creative Home Renovation Ideas From a “Weekend Warrior” Who DIY’ed Her Entire House on a Budget

by
This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Looking to renovate your house but feel you don’t have a lot of time or money? Take inspiration from viewer Sam Raimondi! 

The side-hustling woodworker and self-proclaimed “weekend warrior” (@diyhuntress) DIY’d her 1950s Cape Cod-style house in Long Island on a budget while working full-time as a psychologist. Turns out, Saturday and Sunday is just enough time for you to create the home of your dreams. 

Check out Sam’s beautiful house! 

Entryway 

sam's living room1
Rachael Ray Show
sam's living room 2
Rachael Ray Show

Sam says she completely remodeled her entryway into what it is today. 

“This space used to look so different. When you walked through the front door, there actually used to be another door that led right on upstairs to our two bedrooms upstairs. There also was some laminate flooring that was covering the original hardware flooring that I was able to remove,” she says. 

Among its many features, Sam particularly loves the entryway’s bright modern accents. 

“So I really wanted to add this funky, geometric accent wall using some pine boards and some nails. This was a really fun project that only took me about one weekend to do, and it made a huge impact in the space.” (Be sure to check out Sam demonstrating this technique while making a board and batten wall!)

Additionally, Sam says she changed the front door to one that allowed in natural light. 

“This space just feels so warm and welcoming when you enter our home, and that's exactly what we were going for.” 

Pacific Entries 36in. x 80in. Contemporary Espresso Right Hand Inswing 5- Lite Mistlite Stained Mahogany Wood Prehung Front Door

Pacific Entries 36in. x 80in. Contemporary Espresso Right Hand Inswing 5- Lite Mistlite Stained Mahogany Wood Prehung Front Door

Home Depot
$1688.00

Living Room 

sam's living room before and after
Rachael Ray Show

Sam also completely re-did her living room. 

“There actually used to be a wall in-between the living room, the dining room and the kitchen. With the help of our contractor, we removed that load-bearing wall, opened up the space completely and brightened it up so much,” she says. 

Fireplace/Entertainment Center 

sam's fireplace
Rachael Ray Show

Sam says building her beautiful custom fireplace is her favorite DIY project to date. 

“I built this with 2 by 4 lumber from my local home improvement store, created a giant frame from floor to ceiling [and] made sure that it fit this beautiful electric fireplace insert. This piece just warms up the space, literally and figuratively.” 

Amantii SYM-60-BESPOKE Symmetry Series Bespoke 60-Inch Built-in Electric Fireplace with Remote, Ember Media, Black Steel Surround

Amantii SYM-60-BESPOKE Symmetry Series Bespoke 60-Inch Built-in Electric Fireplace with Remote, Ember Media, Black Steel Surround

Amazon
$2,649.00

Behr Premium Plus 1 qt. #PPU18-01 Cracked Pepper Flat Low Odor Interior Paint & Primer

Behr Premium Plus 1 qt. #PPU18-01 Cracked Pepper Flat Low Odor Interior Paint & Primer

Home Depot
$15.98

Dining Area 

sam's living room/dining area
Rachael Ray Show
sam's dining area
Rachael Ray Show

Next to the living room is the dining area which features personalized furniture that Sam built with her friends. 

“I built this custom table with the help of a friend using this gorgeous, gorgeous slab of wood. We also custom welded some legs so that we can fit it into this space,” she says. 

“I had another friend come and visit and help me build a matching bench for the table in one day of work, which made a huge difference. Now we are able to fit about six to eight people around this table.” 

Bathroom 

sam's bathroom
Rachael Ray Show

Before renovating her gorgeous, modernized bathroom, Sam and her dad completely demo’ed the space (down to the studs!) in just 1 weekend. 

“After adding drywall and fresh paint, I was able to come on in and install this tile floor all by myself,” she says. (Speaking of which, here’s how to make your own cement floor tiles.

“I also created this custom shelving using some 2 by 6 lumber and some shelving brackets. I added some fresh, modern matte black fixtures.” 

American Standard 1660527.243 Studio S 1-Spray 8 in. Single Wall Mount Fixed Rain Shower Head, Matte Black

American Standard 1660527.243 Studio S 1-Spray 8 in. Single Wall Mount Fixed Rain Shower Head, Matte Black

Amazon
$106.60

American Standard 1662609.243 Contemporary Water-Saving Single Function Hand Shower Kit, Matte Black

American Standard 1662609.243 Contemporary Water-Saving Single Function Hand Shower Kit, Matte Black

Amazon
$273.00

American Standard TU105740.243 Studio S 2-Handle Integrated Shower Diverter Trim Only, Matte Black

American Standard TU105740.243 Studio S 2-Handle Integrated Shower Diverter Trim Only, Matte Black

Amazon
$254.80

American Standard 7105801.243 Studio S Widespread Faucet with Lever Handles, High, Matte Black

American Standard 7105801.243 Studio S Widespread Faucet with Lever Handles, High, Matte Black

Amazon
$483.60 $458.29

2 in. x 6 in. x 16 ft. #2 and Better Prime Doug Fir Lumber

2 in. x 6 in. x 16 ft. #2 and Better Prime Doug Fir Lumber

Home Depot
$10.22/PIECE

Heavy Duty Shelf Brackets 8 inch (1/5") Thick, 6 Pack Floating Hidden Shelf Brackets, Rustic Industrial Shelf Brackets with Modern Iron Finish

Heavy Duty Shelf Brackets 8 inch (1/5") Thick, 6 Pack Floating Hidden Shelf Brackets, Rustic Industrial Shelf Brackets with Modern Iron Finish

$39.99 $34.99

Main Bedroom  

sam's main bedroom
Rachael Ray Show

In addition to working on her kitchen, Sam is also in the process of remodeling her main bedroom. However, she has completed a dark blue accent wall which gives the space a warm, rich texture. 

“Recently, I was able to paint this really delicious, yummy, dark blue color, and I was able to add this plywood accent wall in a long weekend. This was a really fun project that I was able to complete by cutting some quarter-inch sheets in plywood down to size and nailing them to my wall,” Sam says. 

Behr Marquee 1 gal. #PPU15-20 Poppy Seed One-Coat Hide Eggshell Enamel Interior Paint & Primer

Behr Marquee 1 gal. #PPU15-20 Poppy Seed One-Coat Hide Eggshell Enamel Interior Paint & Primer

Home Depot
$52.98

Columbia Forest Products 1/4 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. PureBond Birch Plywood

Columbia Forest Products 1/4 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. PureBond Birch Plywood

Home Depot
$47.78

Overall, Sam says she has had “so much fun learning and trying and creating things as a side-hustling DIY’er.” 

Inspired? Check out Sam’s easy + inexpensive DIY projects that you could do in 1, 2 + 3 days: a cement planter, scrap wood wall art + board and batten accent wall

You Might Like