* Please note this is a collaborative post
The thought of redecorating can sometimes be overwhelming. Especially if you start thinking about cost. As you might know we’re in the mist of a larger house renovating project, but I can’t wait to start the actual decorating. And it doesn’t have to be expensive. All you need is a little creativity and imagination and you can transform any room in your house.
Below are few of my favourite DIY hacks for affordable redecorating that will transform your house without a lot of time or effort invested.
GET PAINTING
You don’t always need to completely redo a room for it feel transformed. Sometimes all it takes is a new coat of paint in order for it to appear like new. Be creative with colours and patterns. The colour you choose will set the tone of the room. And often you can pick up paint very cheaply at your local charity shop, which is a great place to save.
You could create a feature wall, or think about painting each wall a different colour. The walls are your canvas so be imaginative.
Once you have painted the walls you can be creative with the décor. Have you tried stencils? These are fantastic for adding a bit of personality to a room, especially children’s rooms. They are easy to use and are generally inexpensive to buy. You can purchase them online for less than a tenner from websites like eBay and Amazon. Or maybe try washi tape? I’ve seen some amazing things created with this.
The same goes for wall stickers, which I used for decorating Caspian’s room. If you are not a fan of painting you can simply just buy these and easily transform a boring white wall. They are again particular great for children’s bedrooms but can create a fun and funky look in living rooms, kitchens and even bathrooms. Browse online for a fantastic and inexpensive selection.
You can also paint run down furniture to give it new life and other plain items such as vases and wicker baskets. I love the dip trend, where the bottom half is painted in pastel colours.
SECOND HAND FURNITURE
Fed up of the same old sofa? Your bed has seen better days? The wardrobe is too small? Buying new furniture is incredibly expensive and not to mention harsh on the environment. Instead of heading straight to the shops why not search for great second hand pieces. There are many ways to get your hands on great second hand pieces.
You can check local car boot sales, charity shops, social media, Freecycle, Gumtree and eBay. If you choose to buy from somewhere like eBay do keep the following in mind.
1. Take your measurements before you purchase anything.
2. Check the photos for any defects.
3. Ask the seller questions and negotiate the price.
4. Don’t forget to budget for delivery.
Once you found what you’re looking for check out a company like Shiply for inexpensive and easy delivery options. This website allows couriers to bid for your delivery job similar to eBay only in reverse and can save you a lot of money.
THROWS AND CUSHION COVERS
Sometimes a rundown looking sofa just needs a bit of sprucing up. Instead of buying a completely new one why not give it another lease of life with some new cushion covers and throws. If you are very thrifty you could even make your own. And once your kids are grown up you can always invest in a new one!
PLANTS AND FLOWERS
Lastly, a new plant or some fresh flowers can really liven up a room. Whether you embrace the Scandinavian trend of cacti and succulents in geometric glass containers or prefer a more classic arrangement it really does something for a room.
What are your best tips for redecorating without spending a fortune?
I love these ideas — you can upcycle so many things these days — I’ve made cushions out of cool tea-towels before!! I LOVE the pallet table — might like to have a go at making one of those myself!! 🙂 Caro x #HomeEtc
There is always room in my world for a cushion and a throw! Makes such a huge difference and can completely change the look of a room with just a few different pops of colour thrown in. Love all these ideas #HomeEtc
Great ideas 🙂 We have done lots of this and I agree that you don’t need to spend a lot to get stylish! xx #HomeEtc
Great tips. I find a bit of paint and some new art or changing the photos around makes it seem like the whole room has been changed.
#kcacols
Great tips, thanks for sharing with #HomeEtc. I love a wall sticker and wash tape too, so hard to go wrong with them! x
We are in the process of redecorating our living room and definitely not changing our tired old sofa’s. Much as I would love my home to look like a show home – it’s never going to happen with four kids and two dogs in it. New cushions and throws it is! Thanks for sharing on #fortheloveofBLOG
Brilliant tips! We’ve been decorating on a budget and found wiko’s reduced & our local charity shops a great help 🙂 x #KCACOLS
I always enjoyed redecorating and I really like the Scandinavian look in all your photos 🙂 Great ideas! #KCACOLS
Such beautiful images!
Totally agree with all of these. Nothing quite brings your house to life than plants in my opinion. And a lick of paint can completely transform the feel of a room. Great tips!
#HomeEtc
I have fairly neutral decor throughout my home so I just change the accessories i.e. cushions and throws. I put wall stickers up in my sons room as I didn’t want to decorate it until he’s a little older and he can help choose! #KCACOLS
I painted some of our old furniture earlier this year so it would fit in with our new decor. It was paint it or pay a fortune for new furniture.
#fortheloveofBLOG
love these ideas and second hand furniture is something that I’ve been buying since we moved home. I’ve been upcycling loads of pieces and I love how it makes my home unique – not just more IKEA cookie cutter stuff! and adding a splash of colour with a throw always makes a difference too 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday!
These are some really good tips! We moved house last year and it had been redecorated in neutral colours. It was like a blank canvas but also didn’t feel like ours. I am a massive succulent lover so have them everywhere. I also planned to decorate my daughter’s room but actually made it look awesome using stickers as you’ve suggested. The best thing about them is you can easily change them as they get older! Thanks for sharing your advice. #KCACOLS
My daughter keeps telling me she wants a cactus in her bedroom, we have just changed her bed for the daybed we had in the lounge, it looks more grown up for her. Looks like I’ll have to get her one lol.
#KCACOLS
popping over to read this again , a great post! #KCACOLS
We moved into our forever home a year ago and are in the process of going through each room and making it our own. We only have the spare room and landing to do now which will need a lick of paint and new carpets then our downstairs (which is open plan) needs painting. I was thinking of a few soft furnishings like cushions to brighten it up. #KCACOLS
We bought a gorgeously shaped kids wardrobe for the boys room, the only problem was the light grey colour was at odds with the brightly coloured walls and looked a bit depressing. So we bought some Peppa Pig wall stickers, which our eldest loves. We then dotted the stickers all over the doors and side that is visible, it makes the wardrobe look so cute and fun and it fits right in now as a kids room accessory! xx #fortheloveofblog
There are so many great finds second hand these days, you can transform a room quite easily on a limited budget, #fortheloveofBLOG
Those wall stickers are great – we are renting at the moment so limited in what we can do but I do love a grey wall. We will have to settle for grey accessories for now. #fortheloveofblog