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Looking around your home and wondering how you can freshen things up a bit?
You’re not the only one. Here are some quick budget updates to give your rooms a revamp.
1. Play to the gallery
One of the quickest ways to stop your room from looking bare once the decs are down is to create a gallery wall. Buy some budget frames from IKEA, or scour charity shops for frames you can upcycle with a lick of paint from a tester pot, then use them to display your favourite posters, photos and postcards. If you need some affordable prints to add a splash of colour to your walls, check out Etsy for bargain print-at-home artwork or download free printable art from Unsplash, but make sure it’s copyright-free.
If you want to use your own photos on your walls, try using the Freeprints app, which gives you 45 free 6 x 4 photo prints every month.
Essentials gallery wall frames, £28 for a pack of 5
Wire bike ornament, £8
Happy Place plaque, £5
House Rules framed print 30x40cm, £10
Succulent in pacific pot, £3
70cm real touch variegated monstera, £30
London black framed planter, £12
Evelyn oak—effect folding desk, £49
Stannis chair, £89
Waters and Noble premium faux leather pencil case, £2
Waters and Noble premium faux leather A5 notebook, £5
Waters and Noble faux leather A4 black lever arch file, £4
all Dunelm
2. Inject some sunshine
You’d be amazed what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make to the look and feel of a room. White is a perennial favourite for making rooms look lighter and brighter, but this year consider being more creative with colour.
Use tester pots or leftover paints to paint simple shapes on your walls to add interest, or try painting window recesses with a golden yellow shade. This will add a feeling of extra warmth to the daylight as it streams through your windows, ideal if you have north-facing room.
Crown Walls and Ceilings matt emulsion paint in Mustard Jar and Cream White, both £21 for 2.5L, Homebase
3. Floor fillers
Laying new flooring can make a huge difference to the look and feel of a room. Although it’s still an investment purchase, by using vinyl tiles or planks you can recreate the look of more expensive flooring, such as solid wood, stone or tiles, at a fraction of the price. The beauty of vinyl is that it’s quick and straightforward to lay, plus it’s hardwearing and easy to clean, making it an ideal choice for busy family homes.
Moduleo Select Country Oak 24918 glue down vinyl flooring, £25.49 per sqm, best4flooring.co.uk.
4. Store and order
Cluttered shelving can make your kitchen look chaotic and messy. Beautifully styled open shelving a big kitchen trend right now, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on expensive storage jars to get the look. Wash and remove the labels on old glass jars and passata bottles and reuse them as stylish storage vessels. Simply decant your rice, cereals or pasta into them and add some pretty labels.
Self-adhesive reusable chalkboard labels are inexpensive, practical and super-stylish. Wilko sell a pack of 10 chalkboard labels for just 75p.
Waffle tea towel, £8
Amalfi black jug, £14
Elements acacia round paddle, £19.99
Walsted bottle vase, £50
Acacia gold spice rack, £12
Rust ceramic Serving platter, £14
Marble and wood serve board, £14
Mikasa Drift bowls, £15 for a set of three
Glass jar with acacia lid 710ml, £6
Artisan ceramic jar large, £12
Edited Life urban reactive canister with cork lid small, £8
Dipping bowl, £5.50
London ribbed glass lotion dispenser, £6
Maize natural storage basket, from £4
all Dunelm
5. Bathing beauties
If your bathroom is looking tired and dated, consider replacing your greying towels and grotty shower curtain with a new set of bathroom textiles in a fresh new colour way. It’s a quick. purse-friendly solution that can make a big difference to the look and feel of the room.
If your grouting has blackened over time with mould and grime, then never fear, you can buy ready-made grout cleaning solutions in hardware shops and DIY stores which will having your tiled walls looking clean and fresh in a few minutes. Alternatively, try using a grout whitening pen to restore your grout to its former glory.
Mirror £9
Bamboo bath tray £10
Eucalyptus ceramic vase, £17
Blue towels, from £6.50
Bamboo laundry basket, £20.50
Recycled round vase, £15.50
Grey basket, £15
Cork lid candle, £7
Drift hand towel, £7
White towels, from £6
Grey towels, from £6
all Matalan
6. It’s a cover up
If your sofa has seen better days, but you don’t want to splash out on a new one, then the throw is your new best friend. Inexpensive, versatile and available in a wealth of colours, textures and designs, throws are a super quick way to transform the look of your sofa in the blink of an eye. Look for machine-washable throws to help them keep their good looks for longer. If you choose a cotton throw in a pale colour, you can even dye it in the washing machine to give it a new look when you fancy a change. Alternatively, try making your own throw from cut-price fabric remnants.
Curtains and throw in Country Journal Dove fabric
Cushions on sofa (near to far) in Woodland Walk Dove, Sackville Stripe Dove, Fia Dove, Plain and
Chervil Dove fabrics
Throw in foreground in Fia Dove fabric
Cushion in foreground in Country Journal Dove fabric
all from £27 per m, Country Journal Collection, ILIV
7. On reflection
In rooms which are small, dark or north-facing, embrace the interior designers’ favourite trick of adding mirrors to the area, which will bounce daylight around the walls and help to make the space feel larger and brighter. In long or narrow spaces, such as hallways, a wall-mounted full-length mirror will create the illusion of more depth and width.
NORDBORG mirror, £99.99
VANDSTED bench, £49.99
both JYSK
8. Cushy numbers
We all know that cushions are a quick and easy way to give your sofa or bed a quick, colourful update. However, rather than buy a whole new cushion – pad and all, just buy new covers instead – it’s a much cheaper way of refreshing your colour scheme. If you’ve got a busy family home, with kids and dogs, make sure you choose machine-washable covers to keep them looking bright and fresh for longer. Add height and a sense of visual rhythm to the display with tall candlesticks, lanterns or even empty antique frames. Try to keep all the elements of your vignette within a calm, natural colour palette, so they work together as a group.
Issey velvet fringed cushions covers, £28 each, Oliver Bonas
9. Bed and bored?
If you’re tired of your bedroom look, but don’t want to splash out on a whole new set of bedding, dress up your existing bed linen with a gorgeous new throw, or head to the supermarket for bargain duvet sets. Look for reversible designs so you get two looks for the price of one! Alternatively, give your boring bed linen a new lease of life by dying it instead. These days, it’s so quick and easy dye a duvet set – you simply pop it in the washing machine with an all-in-one dye and, hey presto, you’ve got a brand new look for just a few quid!
Green leaf duvet set, from £9
Green waffle cushion, £13
Green bedspread, £45.50
Check cushion, £12.50
Basket, £18.50
Flowers in wooden trough, £21
all Matalan
10. On the move
One of the easiest ways to give your room a whole new look and feel is to rearrange the furniture. Over the winter months, use your fireplace as the focal point of the room and arrange your sofas and armchairs around it so you can bask in its warm glow and while away the evenings watching the flames dance and flicker. When the brighter days of spring and summer come around, consider focussing your furniture around the windows, or French doors if you have them, to create a connection with the outdoor space and make the most of the natural daylight.
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