Design On A Dime With PAD Hawaii's Lauren Makk

Inside a $2,000 makeover.

Design on a dime, in Hawaii? Believe it or not, it's possible to transform a space from boring to bomb-tastic without spending a lot of money.

I'd been watching my instagram feed with fascination as Titus Nakagawa posted shots of his living space, and the gradual transformation as PAD Hawaii owner Lauren Makk used her design skills to upgrade the look.

When I found out that the whole budget was just $2,000, I had to see it for myself so you, too, can use some of the tips and tricks that Makk shared. She's no stranger to design challenges, as she was a host and interior designer on TLC's Trading Spaces and A&E's Drill Team before moving to Hawaii in 2012. Here's what Nakagawa's living room looked like when she first got to it:

And here's what it looks like now:

The walls were barren, so she spruced it up with some urban art:

The master bedroom, transformed:

The second bedroom was a bigger challenge. You can't tell in this photo, but the space is small and a strange shape — it was probably created as an afterthought when the owner made it. Here's how she made it liveable:

I walked through the place with Makk as she explained what she did and why. You can see what she did in better detail, in this video:

If you want to see some of the items shown in today's blog, Makk's store, PAD Hawaii, is located at 685 Auahi St. Click here for more information.