This Pinay Shares How Giving Her Room A *Pretty* Makeover Has Helped Her Mental Health

Now more than ever, it's important to keep your mental health in check. We all have our own ways on how to do this. For some, it could be through discovering new hobbies, taking care of plants, and even alotting some time away from a screen. Whatever it may be, you do you bb!

For Pinay medical doctor Agnes Solidor, she found comfort in working on her DIY room makeover. In an exclusive interview with Cosmopolitan Philippines, she shared, "When I'm not on duty, I'm always tinkering [with] something. I love to DIY! I always enjoy the challenge of replicating something I find nice but super expensive (or not available in the stores) by learning how to do it myself and save a thousand bucks in the process. I get to learn a lot. Plus, there's the satisfaction I get when I finally achieve what I want to achieve." Keep reading to know more about her experience when she finally decided to give her bedroom a *new look.* 

What made you decide to do this room makeover?

Agnes: "It was actually more of a necessity! I left my room for quite a long time when I started college then med school. I would come home only for short vacations. It was quite messy, the paints were chipped, and the wallpaper on my ceiling began to peel off. When I came back home after graduating and while reviewing for the boards, I decided that my room needed some TLC. Wala pa kong pera noon, so imagine na lang muna. A few months after I started to work, and noong nagka-budget na ng konti, I decided to give it a go."

What were some changes you made to your room?

A: "The first step was to paint it white. Since my room is in the attic and it has very limited space, painting it white would make it look bigger. Plus, it's a very versatile color. I can add accents to the room without making it feel cluttered. I learned from watching makeover videos na dapat hindi raw glossy yung finish ng walls 'cause it would somehow look cheap kasi nagba-bounce yung light. Ideally, dapat satin yung finish. The paint I used was Boysen's Flatwall Enemel (white). It cost me around P500 per gallon (I used three gallons in total). The problem lang with Flatwall is that madali siyang madumihan and medyo mahirap tanggalin yung dumi. Tip: I suggest that you have white satin mixed at the paint center. Puwede mo rin i-mix semi gloss at flat white. It doesn't look shiny but at the same time, madali siyang i-maintain.

Next, I invested on a good bed. 'Yan ata pinakamahal na nabili ko sa makeover na 'to. I wanted to achieve that *coming home to a hotel feels*. Instead of buying a good mattress at around P5,000 to P6,000, I bought a queen-sized bed with mattress na that was on sale at a little over P9,000. Konti lang yung difference pero spring bed na siya, 'di lang mattress."

COURTESY OF AGNES

COURTESY OF AGNES

"I also bought a comforter set (with fitted sheet and pillow cases) na on sale noon sa Robinsons Department Store, from P5,000 to P2,500. Nakabili ako ng throw pillows sa local department store at P100 each, and throw pillow cases at P60 each. I got pillows at P250 each and a body pillow at P750. Sa ukay-ukay, nakabili ako ng maganga at malaking rug (five feet by four feet) at P700. Yung color and texture niya talaga yung nagustohan ko which I couldn't find anywhere sa mga department stores. Pre-pandemic, mahilig ako mag thrift shop but recently, I found some alternatives online."

COURTESY OF AGNES

As for the lighting, I DIY-ed my pendant light using a store bought ready-to-attach cord with receptacle which cost me around P200 and a basket (bukag) which I bought for P75. I also bought an Edison light bulb for around P100. My total project cost was around P400 only. Yung nasa bedside bookshelf ko naman, I just placed an LED rope in warm white sa edges and sa back ng cabinet which I bought at P200 per meter sa AllHome."

COURTESY OF AGNES

"The table was my old study table na pininturahan ko rin ng white. Bumili lang din ako ng bagong white Scandi chair at P2,000 kasi ang ganda, haha! I got paintings at P300 (buy one, take one) and yung plants are from my Mama''s garden!

The final touch was the mirror. I've always wanted a free standing body mirror with a wooden frame. One time, I saw the exact same thing at a mall kaso tig P5,000. I didn't wanna spend that much on a mirror so ayun, DIY! I bought a mirror at P700 and pina-cut ko sa local glass supplier. Moulding was from Citi Hardware, and that cost around P200 each. First carpentry project ko 'to! Ako naglagare nung moulding tapos nilagyan ko lang ng liquid nails para dumikit siya dun sa plywood na nilagay ko sa likod ng mirror."

COURTESY OF AGNES

COURTESY OF AGNES

Around how much did you spend for this room makeover?

A: "To give you an idea, here's a cost breakdown:

• Paint + paraphernalia =P2,000
• Bed = P9,500
• Comforter set = P2,500
• Pillows = P500
• Body pillow = P750
• Throw pillows = P500
• Throw pillow cases = P300
• Rug + laundry = P1,000
• Pendant light = P400
• Led rope = P200
• Scandi chair = P2,000
• Artwork = P300
• Mirror = P1,200

So overall, I spent around P21,000. The bed though was really just extra. Without it, around P11,000 lang. Note: I didn't spend it all at once naman. Una yung paint, tapos nung nagkapera ulit, yung comforter naman. Tapos nung may nakita akong magandang rug, ayun binili ko na rin. The magic of budol: Pakonti-konti lang tapos ang gastos na pala, haha!"

How did the room makeover affect your mental health?

A: "In my line of work, we really value rest and sleep. We often go on straight 24 to 48-hour shifts everytime (sometimes more), so I really wanted to have a good rest in between duty. Alam mo yung feeling na natulog ka na pero pag gising mo parang pagod ka pa rin? That's how I felt before. But after giving my room a makeover, sobrang naging relaxed ako. With some gentle music and a diffuser from my sister, solved na! I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else. Iniisip ko pa lang yung room ko, nare-relax na ako. Best feeling ever! Sobrang nakaka-happy siya. Sobrang fulfilling knowing I did the makeover myself."

COURTESY OF AGNES

What are your tips for people who also want to do their own room makeover?

A: "Plan it out first. Decide on the 'must-haves' for your room. Find inspiration! You can check Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Google, and YouTube. Do your research (especially kung paano gawin ang isang project if ever you'll DIY). Canvass kung saan makakamura. Buy only what you need after thorough planning. Less is more! Most importantly, enjoy the process."

***

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Source: Cosmo PH