In our homes, as with anything really, it’s the little things that count. Small jobs done efficiently can save you money in the future and clever decorating ideas can enhance your home’s value – as well as make it a fun place to live. Here is a selection of inexpensive tips and tricks to inspire you!
**1. Get a great garage
**For the price of some simple industrial shelving and a few handy plastic storage crates, you can have the garage of your dreams – perfectly tidy with all your tools and other paraphernalia easily accessible. Get the family involved and make sure you throw out anything that’s old, broken or simply isn’t used any more.
**2. Good as new
**Breathe new life into an old or battered piece of furniture by applying a fresh coat of colour. You could have fun using various contrasting knobs for a drawer set, but having them all the same colour, such as these red drawers, looks sleek and sophisticated too.
**3. Cherry chairs
**Brighten up ordinary wooden chairs with a lick of paint and some bright, beautiful tie-on cushions for extra comfort. The fabric needn’t be expensive – check out your local craft superstore for a selection of budget materials and let your imagination do the rest of the work.
**4. On the tiles
**If your bathroom tiles are looking dull and shabby it may just be a case of getting a grout pen and freshening up all the lines between them. This is the type of project you can do for next to nothing while achieving a stunning result that’s truly satisfying. Dull tiles may benefit from a good clean with ceramic cook-top cleaner, which removes grime without excessive scouring.
**5. The head of the bed
**Even a relatively inexperienced DIYer could tackle this clever headboard – it can be as simple or as involved as you like. Imagine it embellished with wall stickers or stencils, or painted in black and white stripes or multi-coloured squares. This piece has the potential to be a veritable work of art, so get out those tools and get going!
**6. On deck
**Spring’s almost here so why not give that old favourite deckchair a new lease on life using a pretty, romantic fabric. Team it with an equally floral cushion for a garden tableau that’s ready and waiting for the sun to arrive.
**7. Spruce up the spare room
**Just because a bedroom isn’t in everyday use, that doesn’t mean it should become a dumping place for excess furniture and other bits and bobs. If you give yours a lovely makeover you might be more inspired to keep it tidy and ready at any time for unexpected arrivals. Spare rooms can be a great place for experimenting with colour schemes that are a little too bold or exotic for other parts of the house.
**8. Window wonders
**Repainting window frames can be a pesky and painful job but in the long run it contributes to the overall condition of your house so it does need to be addressed. Even if you spend a weekend a month doing one window or set of windows, you’ll get to the end eventually – albeit just in time to start again!
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