My partner and I recently made the leap to move in together, and while it’s been fantastic, meshing two people’s belongings (or lack thereof) can be a weird situation to deal with.
We decided that it was time to upgrade the look of our kitchen, and since times are tough and rent in Toronto is expensive, we opted to do our shopping at Dollarama.
We initially stopped in at the Dollarama at Bloor and Dundas before going to the location at Bloor near Runnymede, which had a far superior selection of seasonal items and general merchandise.
Here’s everything we picked up for our kitchen redecoration project.
Before
Sarah’s kitchen table before the Dollarama makeover.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
I inherited this beautiful teak wood table from a friend of my grandma’s, and I really haven’t been treating it well, as you can tell by the stains on it.
It’s a fairly large table and we don’t tend to have guests over, so we’ve kind of started using it as a space to throw things that we don’t have a home for (or don’t feel like putting away, like that random box of Band-Aids).
Other than the fruit basket and coasters, nothing we had on the table really needed to be there and it definitely gives a “student” kind of vibe rather than two capable human beings in their thirties who are trying to build a home together.
After
Sarah’s table after the Dollarama makeover.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
After laying my haul from the two Dollaramas out, I was a bit blown away by how fancy and pleasing my kitchen table now looks.
My partner is a graphic designer, so he has an eye for how things come together, and I’m just so pleased that we now have a pretty space to share meals together without the chaos of random bits and bobs joining us at the dinner table.
Maybe this sounds silly, but being intentional about the space and honouring that it’s the spot where we come together after cooking for one another feels quite romantic.
Add in that all of this cost me $40 (minus the fruit basket, picture and Scrabble) and I’d say it was money well spent towards both my decor and relationship.
The place setting
A large bowl, plate and placemats from Dollarama.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
I mean, how pretty are these large bowls? We eat a lot of big salads and soups for lunch, so these are perfect as our smaller bowls weren’t cutting it.
I’m obsessed with the blue details and the gold accent, and since we don’t have a dishwasher I’m not worried about the print fading.
The plates are your standard-issue plain white kind, and the placemats aren’t anything super special — but by combining them all together, I feel like each piece elevates the other.
Placemat: $1.25 each
Plates: $1.50 each
Bowls: $4 each
The basket
A basket from Dollarama holding Scrabble and other things.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
I’ve seen these baskets featured on Dollarama TikTok hauls and was excited to get my hands on one of them. Unfortunately, the Dundas location didn’t seem to have them in stock but there were quite a few at the Runnymede location.
I opted for this coppery-rose gold option, but it also comes in silver and gold. Having a designated area for the things I want to keep on the table but don’t necessarily belong there just makes it feel less chaotic.
My partner loved the basket so much that he later went back and bought a few more to organize our utility closet, so they’re definitely a winner.
Basket: $4
The flowers
Flowers, a vase and a trivet from Dollarama.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
Dollarama has a surprising amount of faux flowers and it took me about 10 minutes to figure out which combo I wanted.
I opted for two bright pink dahlias and paired them with a stalk of white flowers. I trimmed the pink flowers down a bit and kept the white branch taller to add some height to the arrangement, and it’s just the most cheerful little corner on the table. I’m excited to swap the flowers out for something more seasonal in the fall.
I also picked up a pretty standard vase and tied some ribbon we had on hand around it and put it all on top of a trivet, which doubles as a pop of colour and as protection for the table when we have a hot dish.
Vase: $4
Pink flowers: $1.50 each
White flowers: $2.25
Trivet: $2.75
The tea lights and holders
Tea lights and sparkly holders from Dollarama.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
I love sparkly things and these pretty little candle holders immediately spoke to me.
I was worried they’d look a little cheap, but they’re really cute and in the evening it adds a really dreamy ambience with the glow it casts from the candlelight.
Candle holder: $4 each
Tea lights: $2.50 for a bag of 32
The before and after
Sarah’s before and after photos of her table.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
As you can see, there’s a pretty steep difference to my kitchen table after shopping at Dollarama.
I love how everything turned out and I’m a little embarrassed it took me so many months to make the effort.
For $40, I’m legit impressed by the glow-up the space received given that many of these products would cost much more at other retailers.
My little redecoration project was easy, affordable, fun and relatively low-effort; what more can you ask for?
Total before tax: $40
I 10/10 recommend shopping at Dollarama to spruce up your home — or pick up essentials, like bowls and plates and even groceries — as you truly can’t argue with the price.
As for what’s next on my list, I’m thinking my living room needs a little bit of love and I’m genuinely excited to spruce up that area with more Dollarama finds.
Stay tuned!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.