Design on a Dime

Now that the holidays are over I want to get some projects going to make the winter seem just a teeny bit shorter. I have wanted to "cottage" up my living room and dining room for the longest time, and thought I would start by making curtains for these rooms. I am undecided between these two fabrics though I am leaning toward the check. I LOVE red gingham.

 I have a LOT of oak woodwork that I am absolutely forbidden to go near with a paintbrush that may or may not have white paint on it. (What is it with men and their love for natural wood?)  My house is old, and the woodwork, while it being original oak, blah blah blah, just eats up any light that wants to be in these rooms. So, I am going to use color and white to try to make things light, cozy and cottagey. I am really drawn to rooms that look like this and like this and this.

After I make the curtains, I really want to attempt to slipcover my sofa. During an episode of what could have only been insanity, I chose a red chenille sofa. Doggie claws are not kind to chenille, and the red I chose is more goth inspired rather than a cheerful cottage red. I have something like this in mind. Done in something machine washable since we are not a tidy family.

Since my budget is seriously close to being only a dime, I am going to have to do this in stages, but I have all winter. Right?