There are three reasons people don’t do DIY: it’s too hard, it ends up costing more than just getting a tradesman in and it takes up time that you simply don’t have. When done right, though, DIY can be the opposite of all of those things. All it takes is a little planning, a little know-how and a little ingenuity.
Breathe Life Into Old Furniture
More often than not, when people don’t like their living room, it’s because they don’t like their furniture. And, more often than not, when people want new furniture, it’s because they don’t like the design or colour of their furniture.
So rather than starting all over again, work with what you’ve got. Reupholstering furniture can be a fairly quick and easy task. Sanding down and revarnishing old tables goes a long way, too — and, when all else fails, there’s always paint. Speaking of which…
New Walls = New Room!
A living room is a simple thing really — it’s a place to sit, talk, read and maybe watch TV. So making it a nicer place can be as easy as adding a lick of paint. If nothing in your living room “goes” together, a paint job can change all that. To save even more time, money and effort, you don’t even have to paint the whole room. A lot can be achieved by giving just one wall a bold new colour or design.
Do More With Your Floor
It’s easy to forget about the floor. We don’t tend to look down all that much, so floors often get stepped over (literally!) in favour of other jobs. But floors have a bigger impact on the overall feel of a room than you might think. After all, a pub isn’t a pub without its 70s-era carpet design.
If you don’t want to work too hard tearing up an old carpet and sanding down the floors, or laying a new carpet down on bare floors, you don’t have to. A modest rug can do wonders for an otherwise bland-looking floor.
Door Handle Packs & Details
A rug isn’t the only accessory that can make a difference. Pillow cushions, footrests, or a new coffee table: all of these things add up when planned right. If you’ve got a solid idea of what “look” you’re going for in your living room, then something as innocuous as a framed photograph can make all the difference.
Door handle packs are great for this. A lot of people don’t consider the fact that a door handle is the first thing they see before they enter a room and the last thing they see as they walk out. With that in mind, choosing the right door handle pack is a cheap and cheerful way of tying together your living room. If you’re going for something a bit 1920s, an art deco door handle pack is the way forward. If you prefer minimalism, consider a more modern door handle pack. Or, if you want something classical and cosy, maybe go for a polished brass door handle pack.
Get The Kids Involved
Giving your child a power tool is probably not the best of ideas. However, giving them a paintbrush, asking them to help you hold something, or even just getting them to cut up some fabric for reupholstering is a great idea for a few reasons. Firstly, it means that your children are doing something productive, helpful and creative. It gets them away from the TV, keeps them entertained and might even mean less work for you.
Secondly, it’s something that they can be proud of. It’s easier to feel happier about a room if you know that your children like it, too. If they helped to make it, then they are much more likely to feel that way.
Finally, studies show that giving children responsibilities is a great way to make them happier, healthier and more likely to take on responsibilities in adulthood. So while it might sound scary to let your child loose with a paintbrush in your living room, you might find that the benefits are much more than a nicely-coloured wall.
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*This is a collaborative post*