Bargains and patterns have become the tools of choice for an enterprising amateur interior designer in southern Beijing, Huang Yuli discovers

Zhang Jie's flat might not be minimalist or chic, but it is wall-to-wall in rustic charm. The home of the 40-something woman and her chemical engineer husband is a regular two-bedroom apartment on the ground floor of a compound located in Yizhuang, Daxing district.

Hidden underneath though is a veritable treasure trove, a spacious cave mirroring the flat above and raising the total area of the apartment to 230 square meters.

It is unusual then that, while the space is great, there is a strong sense of compactness, largely as a result of an intense use of patterned wallpaper.

Few plain objects escape the attention of Zhang, such as her fridge - covered in a black and white flowered plastic print and topped with a matching cloth.

"It's old," she said, "I've had it for more than 10 years."

The fridge makeover is made possible with the aid of a large sticker and the effect is intense.

Most of Zhang's interior creations are overwhelming, though prices are far from through the roof. The fridge sticker, for example, has been on display for five years but cost only 20 yuan.

According to Zhang, most of their savings were used to cover the practical side of decoration when they moved in - installing facilities for water, electricity and gas in the basement - which left limited funds for furniture and styling.

As a result, Zhang has taken unspectacular items and involved them in discrete ways. A good example of this is a standard black TV table, used underneath a slab of marble in the bathroom that works as a sink. The cabinet's original intention is expertly disguised.

The renovation of normal objects is a running theme. There is a set of table and chairs, repainted with white lacquer that has purposefully cracked to look aged. On it is spread a tablecloth, sporting an intricate white flower pattern that was made by Zhang herself.

Elsewhere in the flat is a plastic chair that has been wrapped in numerous layers of cloth for comfort, as well as a sofa with a new fabric cover.

"My secret is to go to markets that sell goods to interior designers," Zhang said. "They inspire many new ideas."

In particular, she often visits the classical furniture market in Gaobeidian near the East Fifth Ring Road and Jinwuxing market near Dazhongsi in Haidian district.

Among the many treats Zhang has discovered, finding A.S. Cration wallpaper at 1/10th of its original price was a memorable event.

"There were some rolls left from a hotel decoration project," she said.

"I compared mine with my neighbor's, who paid the full price, and the only difference was the price."

Finding fortune quickly became a habit and Zhang amassed enough discounted wallpaper to re-decorate her whole apartment, which she plans to do soon.

"My advice is not to buy things just before you need them, but get them in advance," she said.

Though technically finished, Zhang said the flat is a constant work in progress. She is now thinking about how to incorporate a salon into her basement, to serve as a comfortable meeting place for her friends.

"Many women at my age feel lost because they find that their social circle is no longer there after years of family life," she said. "My salon will get it back."