Top Five Decorating Ideas & Useful Tips!

by DIY-Girl
(London , UK)

According to a recent survey, 1 in 10 of us tends to be spending each bank holiday weekend doing up the house with a spot of DIY. We may all have been excited about the recent royal wedding but that doesn’t mean a productive weekend can’t come out of it as well!.

If you are wondering what to do or most importantly where to start, here are top five decorating ideas to get you going.

Painting

Painting is one of the easiest jobs you can do to really transform the look of a room. Even if you’re painting the area the same color, a lick of paint can freshen up your dull, grimy walls and brighten up your home. If you do want to choose another color, "nudes" are very on trend this year as they complement the majority of color schemes.

If you would like to make an area look bigger, consider light colored paint as it will reflect light and allow it to bounce around the room giving it the appearance of being spacious.

Flooring

One of the most commonly undertaken jobs over the bank holiday is installing new flooring. There are so many choices on offer; from wood floors and laminate to tiles and carpet.

If you are lucky enough to have wood flooring underneath your carpet, you can pull up the old carpet, sand, polish and be left with a brand new floor! You will need rough, medium and fine sanding paper for a smooth finish and make sure you dust thoroughly before applying a floor finish.

If you are thinking about installing laminate flooring, the major choice factor will be your price range. You won’t only be purchasing the panels for the floors, but also the underlay for the panels, which is very important when it comes to fitting the flooring.

Laminate flooring usually includes only the planks. It does not come in a package with the underlay and the panels, so it’s worth choosing quality laminate panels as they have more durability. Laminate floors are normally easy to install as long as you make all the right measurements, have proper tools and a good instructions guide.

De-Clutter

A great way to create space and give your home a face lift is to de-clutter. Getting rid of unwanted and unused stuff like broken furniture, old magazines, toiletries and clothes can really make a difference. You’ll be surprised how much more space you’ll have once you’ve had a good clear out and are able to convert a once cluttered and messy space into one you can use.

Shelves

Shelves are a great way to create storage and extra space in your home. Putting up shelves is probably one of the easiest of DIY tasks and can completely transform a room. It’s probably worth sketching plans beforehand to make the best use of the space.

When putting up the shelves, adjust the spacing and width according to what you are going to store. (CD’s, books, magazines etc.) .This will also determine how strong the shelving material and fixings need to be.

Spare Bedroom

If you are thinking about converting an empty room into the spare bedroom or just feel the need to redecorate your existing one, this is the perfect weekend to tick it off your ‘to do list’. Beds tend to be the most important aspect of the spare bedroom but you could alternatively put in a sofa bed so it’s used as an extra living room/entertainment room.

Spare bedrooms aren’t always used just to sleep in so consider converting this space into an area that lets you work, rest and play all in one room. (e.g. a part-time office, playroom or gym) Another simple and cost effective way to reinvent your spare bedroom is to decorate with cushions and rugs.

Fabrics and cushions of all shapes and sizes can really brighten up a dull room and rugs are a great way to play with space in a room, provide a splash of color and keep your feet warm.

Top Five Decorating Ideas & Useful Tips!

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