After her roommate moved out, however, she decided it was time for a change and underwent a serious home-renovation project that took two weekends. But — here's the kicker — it only cost her $100 She started by priming and painting the cabinets and walls. In her post, she admits to taking some shortcuts with this step, like skipping grain filler on the wood, since her apartment was a rental and that would have added more work. Next, it was on to the floor. Here she hacked vinyl plank from Lowe's (only $1 a square foot!) to create a herringbone pattern.Finally, the old baseboards (which were vinyl, and a cozy home for "bugs") had to go. The end results, which she admits aren't quite perfect, are absolutely stunning — especially when you consider the budget.