Looking to give your home a facelift without spending a fortune? Whether it is for your own enjoyment or to stage your home to sell it, there are easy tricks you can use to make your house amazing in no time. Here are some top tips to easily and affordably improve your home decor. From choosing the right colors to adding the right accents, you can make a big impact without breaking the bank. So let's get started!
- Paint
Paint is a great way to change the look of any room in your home. You can paint a wall, ceiling, floor, furniture, or even a lamp shade! There are many different types of paints out there, including latex, oil-based, acrylic, water-based, enamel, and spray paint. When choosing a type of paint, consider what kind of finish you want. A matte finish gives off a clean, modern vibe while a glossy finish adds depth and dimension. If you’re looking to give a room a fresh coat of paint, try using a primer first. Primers seal the surface of the wall and prevent the paint from peeling or chipping. Let’s say you wanted to paint a single feature wall, you will pay about £10 for brushes, and you could get paint from £10 a pot. If you paint the wall yourself, you total cost could be £20 if you don’t use a primer.
These days there are many apps available to visualize the change in color. You aim at a room with your phone’s camera and you change the colors to give you an idea of the outcome. One that we find particularly easy to use if the Dulux App:
https://www.dulux.co.uk/en/articles/dulux-visualizer-app
Some of the best paints are https://www.farrow-ball.com/paint-colours, https://www.littlegreene.com/ or https://www.paintandpaperlibrary.com/.
Magazines like Ideal Home will help you keep up with this year’s trendy colors. https://www.idealhome.co.uk/all-rooms-ideas/paint-trends-255611
And finally, you can of course hire a professional painter decorator to do the job for you. Check a Trade is a very reliable source of safe pairs of hands: https://www.checkatrade.com/
And if you decide to Do It Yourself (DIY painting) there are endless tutorials and training on You Tube, like this one for instance. https://youtu.be/l2_kmWm3P1I. Painting rooms yourself will feel scary at first but you will soon realize it isn't that difficult and you will get a huge sense of accomplishment when you are done!
- Wallpaper
Wallpaper is a fun way to add color and pattern to any room in your house. Choose from a variety of patterns, colors, and textures to create a unique look. To make sure your wallpaper looks good over time, choose a durable material. Vinyl wallpaper is often recommended because it can withstand high temperatures and humidity without fading. You can find wallpaper from £5 a roll. A 4 meter long wall will require 3 rolls for instance. That’s £15, add the glue, £5. If you hang it yourself, you could get a band new wall for £20. Not a bad going!
https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/ has endless options available. If you can’t find it here, it is unlikely you will find it anywhere. Pinterest.com is a great place to get inspiration on what wallpaper to buy. Another trendy wallpaper option is to use a mural. These were fashionable in the 80s and they came back. Murals can totally make a room. Not only do they add color to a room, they also make a statement about you. A good place to have Murals printed on demand is: https://www.photowall.co.uk/. Wallpaper is really fun to hang. It requires a bit of method. Our suggestion is simple; measure the height of your wall, and roughly estimate the number of lays you will require. Then find the pattern in the wall paper. Cut the first lay with an extra 5% length. Write 1 on the back of it. You can do that on the floor for instance. They you lay the wall paper for the second lay next to the first one so you can match the patterns. You use the length of the first one to estimate the length of the second. Once you have cut the second lay at the right length (too long isn’t an issue, only too short), you can write number 2 on the back and repeat with the third lay etc…
Once all your lays are ready you can proceed to applying the glue on them. Usually we would suggest applying the glue and folding them “glued site against glued side” so that the paper can absorb the glue and stop the glue drying out. Then to hang it, start with lay number one, you can use the first corner as your guide to make sure the lay is vertical. Once you have applied the first lay, you can match the pattern of the second one, and hang it. You should only cut out the extra paper at the top and the bottom of the lay once the glue has dried out. If you do this while the paper is still wet, you will likely damage it. Et voila. It will usually take about 90 minutes for a 4 meter long wall. Not too bad considering the huge difference wallpaper makes in a room!
We find this video pretty helpful to learn how to hang wall paper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zdrt1N8VQY
- Flooring
Flooring is a great way to add texture and style to any room in your home, especially if you have hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are beautiful and timeless, but they do require some maintenance. To keep them looking their best, sweep and mop regularly. Use a soft brush to remove dirt and debris. Wipe down the floor with a damp cloth after mopping to help dry the wood faster. There are also artificial floorings which are a much cheaper option, much easier to lay down and maintain too. We suggest going to vinyl, as it is the easiest to lay down yourself. Tapi has a good selection in the UK: https://www.tapi.co.uk/vinyl. They even have luxury vinyl floor tiles. https://www.tapi.co.uk/luxury-vinyl-tiles. And of course you can learn how to do this yourself on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KEthELQfro
Carpet is also a good value way to change your flooring however, it is rather difficult to source and laydown, so unless you want to use a professional, we would suggest sticking to Vinyl Tiles. Let’s say you used Victorian Vinyl Tiles from Tapi, at £17 a square meter, and let’s say you are laying the new flooring in a 5 square meter bathroom, your total including glue and tools would come to about £100. Not bad for a change that would be totally transformational.
Lighting is a great way of adding drama and ambiance to any room in your household. From table lamps to sconces, lighting fixtures come in a wide range of styles and sizes. Consider how much light you need in each area of your home before purchasing lights. Too little light can cause eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. Too much light can lead to glare and shadows. We particularly love this Italian lamp on the Nauradika website: https://www.nauradika.com/products/60s-italy-designer-mushroom-table-lamp. It will liven up the room both with its bright orange color and the light it diffuses through its translucent shade. A nice easy way to change a room with one purchase!
- Furniture
Furniture is a great way to bring personality and style to any room. Whether you’re looking for something simple and classic or something bold and colorful, there are plenty of options to choose from. Before buying furniture, think about where you plan to place it in your home. Is it going to be in front of a window? Do you plan to use it frequently? Will it get lots of traffic? These questions will help you determine whether certain pieces of furniture are right for your space. There are many options to buy furniture of course both on the high street and online. If you are on a budget, one of the best places to start is the British Heart Foundation Home Stores across the UK: https://www.bhf.org.uk/shop/home-stores. You can buy an old sideboard and paint it to match the decor in your house for instance. That takes no time, it is fun and cheap. And we guarantee you will get endless comments on how amazing and different your furniture is! Enjoy the process.
- Decorations
Decorations are a great way to add character and style to any room of your home. Add a few decorations to your rooms to brighten things up. Hang pictures, mirrors, art, and artwork around your home to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. We have a lovely collection of Posters here, https://www.nauradika.com/collections/posters. They are premium quality poster that are still affordable. Check the collection out.
Accessories are a great way to personalize any room in your home and add a pop of color. Try hanging pouches, vases, baskets, and trays on shelves, tables, and windowsills. You can also hang decorative items like scarves, pillows, and rugs to create a cozy feel.
We have a nice collection of diverse objects to decorate the home with a reasonable budget here: https://www.nauradika.com/collections/trendy_curated_decoration however you can also visit the Nauradika gift shop (https://www.nauradika.com/collections/gifts-under-25) as it is organized by price points which will help you stay within your budget. Nauradika specializes in curated objects that have a great impact and yet do not cost the earth. And, to preserve the earth we plant trees for each purchase you make!
