It would be very easy to just decorate our homes and then leave them be, but you might find yourself growing tired of your original design scheme. Sound about right? How about taking some time this weekend to give your house a design update, there's plenty of quick things you can do.
Spruce up your kitchen
Updating your kitchen doesn't mean you have to go the whole hog. In just a few days a kitchen can be immediately revived by changing the floor, doors and handles. A new kitchen floor will change the atmosphere and look of a room immediately - laminate flooring is an easy and cheaper option.
Give cupboards a lift
One of the speediest way to give a dresser or chest of drawers a new lease of life is to treat it to a set of fancy knobs.
Get papering
Use wallpaper to line drawers or transform unattractive or unloved furniture into a unique, statement piece with decorative wallpaper panels. You could paper a room divider, a table top, wardrobe, sideboard or chest of drawers. As you won't be using very much, this is a great way to incorporate some high-end wallpaper into your scheme.
Features of the future
Inject some colour and design inspiration with a new generation of feature wall - hanging alternate drops of plain and patterned wallpaper in coordinating colours.
Create a gallery space
Hang lots of pictures together for a display that's all about adding personality. Random grouping works well with an eclectic collection, grids work best with frames of the same style and size, and rows draw the eye along a transitional space, such as a hallway. A bold background will add to the effect.
Work that woodwork
Paint your windowsills, door frames or the back of a door in a shade other than traditional white. It's a good way to add colour to a neutral room without having to commit to entire walls of a strong hue. Or give drab furniture two coats of emulsion, then sand away the bits that wear naturally for a worn, vintage look.
Do it 'your-shelf'
Putting up shelves should be the simplest of DIY tasks and, while it may sound boring, shelves can transform a room. Staggered shelving looks unusual and make a great focal point with candles and vases.
A weekend for re-covering
Reupholster simple items, such as wooden-armed chairs, stools or pouffes, using stretchy fabric and a staple gun. Knitted fabrics in particular are very easy to work with as they will stretch easily around a piece.
Plant life
Get your home looking bloomin' lovely with some bright vases and flowers. And get the kids involved by growing cuttings from the garden and nurturing them on the windowsill.
Making a raised flower bed
Creating a raised flower bed should just take one day and offers a nice additional element to any garden. Once you have decided on the size of your patch, mark out an area and remove the turf. Creating a raised bed simply requires preparing a bracketed rectangular framework from four deck boards. The whole family can get involved adding the compost and then planting the chosen seeds or bulbs.
Get the garden BBQ ready
Clearing out winter's dead leaves and taming overgrown plants will go a long way to getting the garden back to its best for summer.
A basic garden shed is straightforward to assemble, and will give you lots of extra storage space for tools, seeds and pots, garden furniture and your BBQ.
Outdoor lighting will add extra atmosphere to your summer socialising, and help you make the most of your garden all year round. Solar powered lights don't need any wiring, as they store sunlight energy in a battery. However, they're not a powerful light source, if you want to light a large area then there are lots of different low-voltage options to consider.
For more decorating ideas and equipment, please visit www.diy.com
