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  3. Interiors & Decorating
  4. Budget-friendly Home Transformations

Interiors & Decorating

Inspiration and advice on interior design, decorating styles, colour schemes and home aesthetics.

Interiors & Decorating

Budget-friendly Home Transformations

If your home is looking tired or untidy and needs a little work, here are a few quick fixes that you can do without breaking the bank.

As the sun starts to make an occasional appearance, homeowners are greeted first with relief of the warmer days to come, and second the realisation that the winter has taken its toll and that the home and garden now look tired and unloved.

Many of these problems are quick fixes: mowing the lawn, having a tidy of the garden or cleaning windows can make a huge difference. But if your home needs a little more work, there are a few quick fixes that you can do without breaking the bank.

Front door upgrade

First impressions last and the front door gives you and your visitors a clear idea of the warmth within. If your front door paint is dull, scuffed, cracked or peeling, an upgrade or glow up could be just the ticket. If the fundamentals are there, but the door looks a little tired, elevating your curb appeal and welcome could cost well under £100. If you need to replace the door, the budget will be higher, but the impact will be significant.

Bring back your fireplace

Open fires and wood burning stoves have made a resurgence in the last few years, and for good reason: they keep the home warm and add a wonderful touch of light and life to the home. If your fireplace is redundant or has been covered up, look into reinstating it. As a focal point, old fireplaces work well with candles or flower arrangements in them; if you would like a working fireplace, contact a professional to ensure that your chimney is safe to use.

Invest in storage

Nothing makes a home feel chaotic like copious amounts of clutter. If your home is slowly being overtaken by clutter, from fridge magnets to ever-growing collections of shoes and coats, consider your storage options. Is your coat rack too small to handle a family’s worth of coats for a year? Consider thinning them out and placing in a storage box when they are not needed. If shoes in the hallway are getting you down, a local carpenter will be able to advise you on clever shoe storage solutions. If you just like ornaments, consider some bespoke shelving so that you can display your mementoes without them taking over the home.

Revamp your furniture

If you believe that furniture is for life, a quick revamp could be the answer to your problems. Getting a sofa reupholstered may cost a few hundred pounds, but will still be cheaper than getting a new one, and involves significantly less waste. Similarly, tables and chairs can be sanded, rewaxed, varnished or painted and new chair pads can make a huge difference.

If you want to breathe a fresh style into your home without spending a fortune or making structural changes, get in touch with a local carpenter or interior designer. They should be able to give you advice and quotes so that you can make an informed decision.

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Looking for more interiors & decorating advice?

Find clear, practical answers to common interiors & decorating questions, helping homeowners understand everyday issues, know what checks they can carry out safely, and when it is best to contact a qualified professional.

  • What is the difference between a painter and a decorator?

    A painter focuses on applying paint - walls, ceilings, woodwork. A decorator does all of that but also handles wallpaper, specialist finishes, surface prep, and can advise on colours and materials. Many professionals do both and call themselves painters and decorators. For a straightforward repaint, a painter is fine. If you want wallpaper, something specialist, or someone to help you make decisions about the finish, go with a decorator.

  • How many coats of paint does a professional decorator apply?

    For most walls, it's a primer or mist coat, then two topcoats. New plaster, bare surfaces, or a big colour change might need more preparation or extra coats. Cutting corners on coats or using cheap paint are the most common ways to get a finish that looks fine at first and starts showing its age within a year. A trusted decorator always prepares the surface properly and won't rush between coats.

  • How do I prepare my home before a decorator arrives?

    Move furniture away from the walls and take down pictures, mirrors, and anything fixed to the walls. If you can strip old wallpaper yourself beforehand, it'll save time on site. Make sure every part of the room is accessible and well-lit. Talk through surface prep with the decorator in advance - a good one will tell you exactly what they need before they can start.

  • How do I know if my walls need replastering before decorating?

    If there are significant cracks, areas that sound hollow when you tap them, persistent damp, or large patches that are flaking or badly uneven - replastering first will give a much better result. Decorating over problem plaster looks fine initially but every imperfection tends to show through, especially with modern matt paints. A decorator can assess whether full replastering or careful preparation and skim coating will get you where you want to be.

  • What are the most popular interior design styles right now?

    There's been a pretty clear shift away from the all-grey, everything-neutral look of the 2010s. Warmer tones are dominating - clay, terracotta, stone, off-white - with natural materials like linen, rattan, and solid timber replacing high-gloss finishes. Biophilic design (plants, natural light, organic shapes) has gone from trend to standard practice. There's also a real appetite for spaces that feel personal and collected rather than showroom-ready - bold wallpaper, layered textiles, and period features being celebrated rather than painted over.

  • How long does a full home decorating project typically take?

    A single room in good condition typically takes a professional two to three days. A full house - particularly an older property that needs a little more care beforehand - can take several weeks. The part that often catches people off guard is the preparation: stripping wallpaper, filling, sanding, and priming all take a good amount of time, and doing them properly really does make all the difference to the finished result.

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