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calan sadie cone started her blog, splendid-spaces.com, as a project to meet a requirement for her university of florida master’s degree in mass communication and has since turned it into her very own event planning and interior design business.
As a classic broke college student, Sadie didn’t have a whole lot of wiggle room in the budget department, so she quickly learned how to thrift shop, garage sale hop and repurpose furniture like a pro. She started out decorating her own college apartment, then her best friend’s and now she plans events like baby and wedding showers and other parties. She even decorates the private room at Mark’s Prime Steakhouse for the away football teams when they come to town to play the Gators. Sadie agreed to share with us some of her best tips for planning a fabulous soirée without breaking the bank.
sPrAy itt
“Spray paint is my No. 1 thing. Anything can be spray-painted. It’s cheap, and if it gets messed up, you can just paint it again!” says Sadie. She also says you don’t have to spend a lot of money on paint, as places like Lowe’s and Home Depot sell samples for discounted prices.
junkin’
Sadie’s first tip is to shop at thrift stores. “My mom and I call it ‘junkin’.’ I’ve been known to jump in a dumpster or two. I tried to fit an entire table in my Volvo the other day,” Sadie says. She recommends websites like Garagesalefinder.com and Estatefinder.com for local sales going on in your area and says to never underestimate the power of making friends with the salespeople at thrift stores. She’s gotten to the point where the sales associates will contact her when a new shipment arrives. “Thrift stores are the best. The Salvation Army has red and yellow dot sales, and there’s always a 50-percent-off bin,” she says. According to Sadie, the Humane Society thrift store always has great finds, as well as Goodwill, the White Elephant and many other local stores. Be sure to hit the remnants bins at Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts and Hobby Lobby for cheap scrap fabric for napkins and table runners, too.
highs And Lows
Sadie says one great budgeting technique is to buy certain investment pieces and mix them in with inexpensive pieces. “I love working with highs and lows. It’s kind of like when you wear really nice shoes with a Target dress,” she says. “For one party, I used my grandmother’s china and paired it with $2 chargers.”
PinsPirAtion
Pinterest is a bottomless pit of inspiration. Sadie constantly makes pin boards and finds do-it-yourself projects on this social media site dedicated to all things beautiful, creative and note-worthy. Long gone are the days of pasting together magazine clippings in messy folders, now it just takes a few clicks to create a plethora of ideas all in one place.
Want To See More? to see more of Sadie’s work or to hire her for your next event, visit her website at splendid-spaces.com.
20
Dec’12
ocalastyle.com