Johannesburg Woman’s Budget Kitchen Makeover Video With Decofurn Furniture Wins Hearts Online
- A Joburg woman upgraded her shack kitchen with affordable Decofurn pieces, and gave her followers front row seats to the makeover
- The video showing earthy tones, wood finishes, and budget buys was posted on her TikTok account
- Mzansi lit up her comments, cheering the impressive before-and-after and dropping lots of compliments
- Briefly News spoke to an interior decor expert, and she shared helpful tips about small home renovations
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Source: TikTok
There is something magical about watching a space glow up, especially when it’s done with love. A woman from Johannesburg demonstrated that you don’t need a fancy house or a big budget to have a beautiful home. Living in a shack didn’t stop her from serving pure interior-decor goals with her stylish kitchen upgrade, and she ate.
The content creator @sparkle_zandile shared the transformation in a TikTok video on 25 July, and it has since been resurfacing on For You Pages (FYP). She selected affordable furniture and decor items, all from Decofurn. The lady chose warm neutrals and light wood pieces that make the open-plan space feel cosy and inviting.
And she did it without emptying her bank account. Her Durban rug cost R699, the chic Elia Wood dining chairs were R599 each, and the stunning Drew Dining Table came in at R2,659 for a six-to-eight seater. Even a simple mirror tray at R179 added a touch of elegance.
She couldn’t hide her joy. In the clip, she gushes about how emotional her mom was to see the new look. In South Africa, living in a shack is often spoken about with stigma, but her makeover challenges those perceptions. @sparkle_zandile served good taste, good energy, even without the bricks and mortar.
Speaking about the whole experience, she shared how the kitchen has become a space she never wants to leave.
"What a dreamy kitchen! I love every beautiful item, but my favourite has to be the Drew Dining table furniture. It just turned my kitchen into a room I never wanna leave."
Source: TikTok
Does your home affect your happiness?
There’s a bigger lesson in the SA TikToker @sparkle_zandile's story, proving that your home has a real impact on your well-being.
To unpack that, Briefly News spoke to Marlize Jacobs, Creative Director and founder of Pigs Can Fly Interiors. She explained that you don’t need to live in a mansion for your space to make you happy. A happy home, she noted:
"It’s a place where you feel safe, where you can relax and be yourself, where your space mirrors who you are and your family, and, most importantly, where you feel proud to call it home."
Marlize pointed to the World Happiness Report, which shows how much our home environment affects our well-being. The research found that a happy home makes up 15% of a person’s overall happiness. That is almost as important as mental health (17%) and, based on the study, even more significant than physical health (14%).
Focus areas when renovating on a budget
Her expert advice for tackling home upgrades on a budget is to start in the heart of the home, like the kitchen:
"You don't need a big budget to make a big difference. Little upgrades like organising shelves, adding a fresh coat of paint, or hanging a new curtain can make a big difference. A cleaner, tidier kitchen also boosts the whole mood of the home."
She also suggested focusing on refreshing the bathroom space because we use it so often:
"The bathroom is the second most important space for happiness. Since we use it so frequently, keeping it clean, fresh, and organised can turn it into a little private retreat. A new soap dispenser or a brightly coloured mat can work wonders!"
Another takeaway from her insight is that bigger is not always better. Many people believe happiness comes from more square metres, more bedrooms, or a massive kitchen island. A well-organised, personalised, cosy two-room home can bring more joy than a sprawling house that feels cold and chaotic.
Source: TikTok
The comments section on @sparkle_zandile's video was buzzing with people hyping up her gorgeous new kitchen:
@ingrid.mphoentle said:
"Can you please share where you bought your kitchen unit? 🥰"
@Lammiecakes_ mentioned:
"It’s so beautiful, I wanna move in. 😭🔥❤️"
@khanyisilemkhabela asked:
"Can we have a tour of the whole room, please? This looks gorgeous. 😊"
@naledimaisa commented:
"This just made the kitchen extra extra nice. OMG, I love it. 😍😍😍😍"
@sir_Dru1 joked:
"Wow! 😍 I can't find that place on bookings.com. I want to book it soon. 🔥🔥🔥"
@dzonga2 gushed:
"Baby girl, I am super proud of you. ♥️♥️♥️"
@niniseptember typed:
"Definitely getting this, thank you for the plug."
@beauty.girls.naile added:
"Congratulations on your new kitchen look. 🔥"
Watch the TikTok video here:
3 other shack transformations featured on Briefly News
- A post on Facebook unveiled a trendy shack that looked nothing like its modest exterior suggested.
- A Mzansi gent wowed social media after transforming his bare shack into a cosy home using his R350 SASSA grant.
- A woman served Pinterest inspo after showing off her stunning shack with a chic bedroom and open-plan lounge.
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Source: Briefly News
