First thing you need to understand is the scope of the project and what your abilities and experience will cover. Do you have any experience managing a construction project? Have you ever scheduled a construction project? Have you drawn up a trades (i.e. framing, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, etc., etc..) contract? Have you ever dealt with the permitting office in pulling permits? Have you ever inspected any construction for quality and compliance to the design documents? Have you ever dealt with inspections or construction deficiencies and had to resolve them with the sub-contractors? If you can't answer yes to all these questions, then you're venturing into a field you know little or nothing about. Any mistakes or stumbles you make in your learning curve are most likely going to be costly in both time and your budget. There are some projects that are DIY level.......there are some that would best be left to those of us already having the background and experience. Let me give you an example. I have an oak tree beside the house I'm renovating. It sits about 12' from the end of the house and has at least a 30' radius drip line which means it extends out over the roof of the house. Having spent a number of years of my young life on a ranch and farm, I know how to drop trees. I know how to operate a chain saw safely without loosing a limb or making a quick trip to the ER. From years in the construction / design field, I know how to operate a high lift ......... but even I know that the task of removing this tree is beyond my level in spite of my willingness and wish to save the $3500 I've been quoted. There are some things best left to the pros. Besides, If I drop a 14" diameter limb on the roof, I would never hear the end of it from my wife. Based solely on the questions you asked, I would highly recommend that you hire an Architect to help you with the design and your budget. Then I would find a well recommended GC to do the job......I'm betting you'll make the most of your limited budget going this route.

Hi. It's looking really good and you've done well with the bookshelves! ! I love the new sofa! I would say just a tad more yellow if your husband can bear it, doesn't have to be solid yellow. I'd add something else on the left shelves (I'd move one shelf of photos to the right hand shelving and swap for some books), maybe a ginger jar if you can get an old one. Maybe a patterned throw or cushion for your wooden chair and a small yellow throw for the bench just draped over the corner. Table idea sounds great. Are you happy with it? I think it's made such a big difference

Artificial turf! The green (they come in different colours, too, if you'd like to be psychedelic) adds a lively pop of colour to a blah space, and they're designed in easy-to-install tile-style units that have some built-in drainage for minimal maintenance. Absolut Outdoors and Green Turf can tell you more :) And I'd hang an outdoor art piece or a screen for air plants on that blank wall, too, to enliven your balcony.

I'm not a pro (and I hope a real designer answers your question), but here's how my family does it in Singapore: 1. Get rid of things. Don't fall prey to sunk cost fallacies. Just because you bought a piece of furniture or a bunch of clothing or books or toys or whatever, doesn't mean you need to keep them if they are no longer working for you. You can sell stuff on Carousell or donate them to needy people. Sometimes not having those things will provide more value, by freeing up space, than the false belief that you need to keep things around because you paid for them. 2. Everything should be multi-function. Especially here in Singapore, everything should have multiple uses. Your bed can lift up to provide storage. Your book shelf can also be your entertainment stand. Your coffee table can double as a breakfast nook or homework table. No tool in your kitchen should be a one-job tool (for example, if you have a blender, a food processor, a spice grinder, an immersion blender, a coffee grinder and a mortar and pestle - maybe it's time to clean out the kitchen cabinets). 3. Rotate toys We have a baby at home and try really hard not to accumulate too many toys. To do that we have two toy bins. Every two weeks we switch the bin that's in rotation, so every two weeks our baby gets "new" toys that he hasn't seen for a few weeks. That allows us to keep the total number of toys to a minimum and he seems to be pretty happy (and hasn't caught on to this trick yet). Hope that helps some. Google around for "small apartment" blogs and ideas - there is a ton out there. Andrew