Makeover your bedroom on a budget
Tuesday 20 March 2012
We have some handy tips for ways to spruce up your living space without breaking the bank. In fact, follow our advice and you could have a glamorous, serene new space for under £100!
First, deep clean the entire room
Get your Mr Muscle groove on and refresh your space! Lift up the bed, hoover, turn your mattress, shine windows and mirrors, take down old posters or pictures and put up new photos. Mop the floor if you have lino or rent a steam-cleaner for the day. It can cost about £20 to rent but will have a dramatic effect. See www.erento.co.uk/hire to rent a Carpet Cleaner for just £17.50 per day!
De-clutter and throw all the rubbish out
Getting rid of old clothes, CDs, magazines and paperwork is not only hugely satisfying, but dramatically streamlines your life and daily routines. Any clothes you haven’t worn for a month can go to the charity shop. (Other than expensive dresses or winter/summer coats that you have been storing for the season). And while you are clearing, make a list of key items you need to add to your wardrobe. Create a wish list, or mood board on Pinterest to gather your wardrobe inspiration and make sure you are investing in items you need rather than what grabs your attention.
www.pinterest.com
Paint
Once you have washed down walls and got rid of any nails that are sticking out, sand down any rough areas. You can get sand paper for £2.98 from B&Q. Wash down the walls again, hoover the room and apply a lick of paint. Look out for deals - B&Q are currently selling Dulux eggshell coloured emulsion 2.5L paint (£19.98 each) www.diy.com
Storage boxes
Do you have lots of make-up or hair accessories lying about? Are you a techno-fan and have lots of of iPhone, laptop or Kindle chargers to store? Buy some storage boxes. You can stack them up in a combo that fits the shape of your room or buy neat boxes to put under your bed. You could even stash old but still loved shoes or extra pairs of socks and tights. Ikea is hard to beat on practicality and price.
Mien, 3-tier storage box for hairslides, hairbands, jewellery etc: £6:99
Dilling, Bed storage box: £7.99
All available at www.ikea.com
Sell your unwanted items
The most common way to sell your unwanted possessions is Ebay - the online auction site where you can sell absolutely anything - www.ebay.co.uk
Some other websites are more subject specific:
www.musicmagpie.co.uk is a website that buys CDs from you although most CDs make less than a pound.
www.envirofone.com or www.mopay.co.uk buy your old phone for cash or vouchers.
If you have lots of baby clothes and toys that you want to get rid of in one go, consider local National Childbirth Trust sales – www.nct.co.uk
And for things you don’t manage to sell online, how about going to a car boot sale?
A car boot sale is a fun way to make extra cash. Beware being bombarded by experienced dealers as soon as you arrive though as they could well barter you down a little too much (and may even re-sell your goods!) Make sure everything is priced and labeled beforehand. You will have to pay around £10 for a pitch and you may need to book in advance. Go to www.carbootjunction.com for a list of those in your area or check your local newspaper.
Get furniture on the cheap
Community group, Freecycle, now has groups across the UK and is a brilliant way to get your hands on new furniture and electrical goods for free. You need a Yahoo account and then simply find your local group and browse through the ‘offered’ section to see what’s available in your area. Often, when people are moving house, they get rid of high cost and largely undamaged items – all you need to do is organise collection!
www.freecycle.org
Fresh sheets and pillows
Treating yourself to new bedlinen feels like a real luxury even if you do it on the cheap. We love Asda Living.
Asda Living, Embroidered Floral Duvet Set – Single: £7.50
Asda Print Duvet Set Quirky Trees – Double: £9.
Lighting changes tone of a room
Grab yourself an energy-efficient light bulb and a new lampshade and you are set for some calm, serene bedroom wind-down time. Do not plague your life with poor lighting and add some illuminating ambiance to that poorly lit abode. You can buy a Plain drum shade or printed one from www.BHS.co.uk for £10. There are others for £15 and £18 if you don’t mind spending a few extra pounds. Plus at the moment they have 50% off ceiling shades!
Try an auction
Find your local auction house at www.ukauctioneers.com. In London, Lots Road Gallery holds auctions every Sunday and there are between 500-600 lots. They provide contemporary and antique items for sale, which means there will definitely be something for you that no one else will have! www.lotsroad.com.
Antique Houses
If you prefer a more oldy-worldy feel, you can often pick up a bargain if you look hard enough in antique or junk shops. You’ll definitely find a one-of-a-kind piece. Visit www.homesandantiques.com for everything handmade and vintage. They cover everything from Antiques Roadshow listings to decorating ideas.
Art attack
If you can’t find any pictures you like for the walls, why not take and frame your own pictures? This way when people come to your house and they ask where you got that awesome picture from, you can say, ‘I took it.’ And they may even want one too.
Or try Hipstamatic - an iphone app that enables you to take pictures in a wealth of different tones and colours, giving them that artistic feel. ‘iphonography’ is all the rage, you know!
Craft Ideas
For those of you who like to preserve what you already have what do you say you to a spot of arts and craft? Grab some spare furnishing fabric, simply pin and stitch the rectangle ends together and you have just made yourself a storage bag for spare bedding or out-of-season clothes.
Looking for more craft tips? You can use large wooden boxes covered with flat square cushions to make a wonderful dressing table stool. This is also a good way to get rid of a few extra cubic feet of storage you want to keep hidden.
More storage tips? Head over to www.lovehome.co.uk - they have brilliant tips and idea’s for home making crafts to turn your house into a new home!
By Maria Vallahis