[STORY] DIY home renovation on a budget—healing edition

You know those TikTok home renovation videos where everything looks easy? Yeah, I watched one too many of them.

It all started one Saturday morning when I looked around my tiny apartment and said out loud, “This place looks like a sad Pinterest fail.”

The walls were dull, the couch looked like it had survived a zombie apocalypse, and my kitchen shelf was one sneeze away from collapsing.

So, I did what any self-respecting Gen Z adult with WiFi and unrealistic confidence would do—I decided to start a full DIY home makeover.

The plan was simple: repaint the walls, add some floating shelves, maybe throw in some thrifted furniture and call it a “minimalist aesthetic.”

Except, nothing about it turned out minimal.

I started with budget-friendly home improvement supplies I found online: paint rollers, LED strip lights, and a drill I had no idea how to use. I even searched “how to use a power drill without losing a finger” on YouTube—twice.

By noon, the living room looked like a color explosion. Paint splattered everywhere, including on my cat, Oreo, who now looked like a modern art masterpiece.

My neighbor, Ada, knocked on my door just as I was standing on a stool, trying to hang a mirror.

She peeked inside and said, “Wow. Are you building or breaking down?”

“Both,” I sighed. “It’s called creative destruction.”

Ada laughed. “Need help? I used to work at a furniture store.”

That’s how Ada and I started what became a chaotic yet unforgettable weekend DIY renovation project.

We sanded, painted, drilled, and argued about colors. I wanted “calming beige.” She called it “funeral home cream” and insisted on “sage green.”

We compromised with a two-tone wall that somehow looked like something out of a Studio Ghibli film—soft, dreamy, and imperfectly beautiful.

By day two, we were installing smart home lights, crafting homemade candle holders from old glass jars, and upcycling an old table into a rustic desk. I felt like a budget Bob the Builder with Wi-Fi and emotional baggage.

Then came the twist.

While moving my old bookshelf, I found an envelope tucked behind it. It had my late dad’s handwriting. I froze.

Inside was a note:

“I always hoped you’d build a home that makes you smile. Keep creating.”

I sat on the floor for a long minute, eyes stinging, paintbrush still in hand.

Ada noticed. “Hey, you good?”

I nodded, barely whispering, “Yeah… I think I just found the reason I started this.”

That night, we sat in the newly transformed living room, fairy lights glowing softly, sipping cheap wine. The air smelled like fresh paint and lavender candles.

I looked around, really looked—and for the first time, it didn’t feel like just an apartment. It felt like mine.

I smiled and said, “You know what? Maybe home improvement isn’t just about fixing walls or painting cabinets. It’s about fixing what’s inside, too.”

Ada raised her glass. “To healing through DIY.”

“To healing,” I echoed.

When I posted the before-and-after video on TikTok with the caption “DIY home renovation on a budget—healing edition”, it went viral overnight.

People commented things like:

“This gave me chills.”

“I started crying at the note part”

“Home decor meets emotional therapy—iconic.”

I smiled reading them.

It wasn’t just a story about home improvement anymore—it was about self-improvement, DIY healing, and finding beauty in rebuilding what’s broken.

And every time I walk into that sage-green room, I remember:

Sometimes, you don’t just renovate a space.

You renovate your heart too.