Quick and easy decorating

Want to give your home a whole new look on a budget? Try out these ideas - they’re quick, easy and effective.

You needn’t be into craft to get creative - simply taking a few of your favourite but tired pieces, such as bedspreads or cushion covers - and dyeing them in the washing machine, can give a room a whole new look for just a few pounds. Ensure you follow the instructions on the dye packet to the letter to get the best results.

Using blocks of colour is a hot trend for the year, and for the price of a tester pot or two, you can turn a plain wall into a very fashionable one in under an hour. Choose a colour that tones with the existing wall colour and highlights accent colours already within the room, and use decorator’s masking tape to create a neat, even shape.

There are so many to create a feature wall - from the complicated (routed, painted mdf blocks stuck to the wall) to the very simple (hanging a collection of eye-catching mirrors will do the trick, too).

If you want to make a room feel more formal - or just more interesting - painting stripes on to an existing plain wall colour in a contrasting shade is an easy and cheap way to do this. You’ll need less than a litre to create this look on a chimney breast.

Wall stickers are brilliant because they a) go up quickly and b) make you look arty and trendy without any real skill involved and c) won’t break the bank.

Why is it that we all automatically paint our woodwork - doors, skirting boards and all the bits in between - brilliant white? Sure, it looks good when it’s first done, but it’s never long before it’s smudged and grubby. So, why not repaint yours, but this time choose a colour? We’re not suggesting bright pink - natural or soothing tones definitely work best, and one colour throughout the home is a better idea than lots of different shades in different rooms. But, if your home is quite plainly decorated, it will make a real impact. Experiment first with tester pots, and for a contemporary feel, go for a satin, not a gloss, finish.

Have you ever thought that if you were able to effectively display everything from pictures to glassware, your house would look so much more chic? And why do we love this tip? It won’t cost you a thing. Pictures also have a big impact on a room. Rethinking how you arrange existing pictures and framing your favourite family photos costs nothing but time and gives them a new lease of life.

Sort out your storage. We’re just not talking about the boring stuff - although really sorting out your bedroom storage, the kids’ storage problems and your living room storage, not to mention the kitchen storage, will make a massive impact on the house as a whole. We recommend you take a look at your shelving units, bookcases and artfully arranged piles of shoes in the hall. Tackle them, sort them. You’ll feel so much better.

Fed up with being peered at by the neighbours? Or perhaps you want to block an ugly view. Sticking window film to your windows won’t just give you more privacy, it’s also good to look at, lets in lots of light and is much quicker and cheaper (from around £25 per sq metre) than making or hanging new curtains.

Want to inject some character and colour into your kitchen (or bedroom, living room or home office)? Then why not revamp some of your furniture - such as dining chairs - by giving it a lick of paint? Choose a bright contrasting colour for a ‘notice me’ look, or one that tones with your current scheme for a smart update. And, for a relaxed look, paint them different colours. So, maybe you can only afford cheap pieces? So, who will ever know if you paint them? The key is to clean the furniture thoroughly first and to choose the right paint (trawl your local DIY store for one with a satin - not gloss - finish that is both top and undercoat in one and that is made to paint on melamine or veneers - failing that, use an under topcoat that suit wood). You should remove the old handles before painting, then once you’ve neatly coated your furniture, replace them with new handles. Again, these needn’t cost a fortune, but they give old pieces new life.