With summer approaching, it is the perfect time to tackle DIY projects and give your living spaces a new lease of life without breaking the bank. Experts share their advice on low-cost ways to upgrade your home’s interiors.
Georgina Burnett, upcycling and interiors expert on ITV’s This Morning, suggests painting kitchen units. She recommends removing doors, cleaning surfaces with sugar soap or methylated spirit, and using a multi-surface primer. For cabinets, she suggests hard-wearing paints such as Zinsser AllCoat, costing £18 per litre, which covers around 10 square metres. Apply at least two coats of top coat.
Sophie Clemson, co-founder of affordable interior design company the Living House, says changing cupboard handles can dramatically alter a kitchen. She recommends B&Q's Chervil brass handles (£7 for a pack of two) for a shaker-style kitchen, or Plank Hardware's Mercury curved lip pull handle (£9.95) and Bobbin single T handle (£12.95).
For bathrooms, Clemson advises painting dated tiles with Rust-Oleum bathroom tile paint (£24.99 a tin) to modernise the space. She also suggests using self-adhesive floor tiles like Floorpops, costing around £16 for a pack of ten tiles covering about 10 square feet. These can be cut with a Stanley knife and are ideal for renters wanting temporary changes.
