OS Home Decorating?

bramble1

I want to spruce up my house and make it feel more like home. It's rented so there is a limit to what i can do/ what money i do want to put into it, as i won't see a return on it.

Anyone got any ideas? Where can i get some good wall art and general soft furnishings?

pinkteapot

Dunelm Mill is a great shop to browse - lots of cheap homewares and soft furnishings, and they also sell lots of fabrics so if something takes your fancy you could try your hand at crafting.

Worth seeing if there's a branch near you - http://www.dunelm-mill.com/

You can buy large blank canvasses from shops like The Range - you could make collages with photos or paint your own pictures (most modern art looks pretty easy to replicate at home )...

bramble1

Thanks we have a Dunelm here and The Range, will need to have a gander and see what i can find. Ideally while i am off i'd like to spruce up the kitchen and the living room.

Avocado

With the cost of curtains and cushions and pictures you may find it far cheaper to just paint a wall and change the feel of the room. A 2.5L tin of paint is usually about £15 without special offers, you can get 1.25L tins too which might be enough for a feature wall. I noticed this 2.5L tin of lilac coloured paint for £7.93 when I looked online to check prices. Don't rule out a splash of paint to alter a room, it goes a long way.

You can alsp paint your furniture (but probably not the landlords unless you get permission first) and throw table cloths and throws over things. Old duvet covers, sheets and curtains can often be re-purposed as throws too, depending on how they look when you try it. You should be able to cover a sofa for £20, throws don't have to be expensive. The Range is good for plastic table cloth fabric straight off the rail.

candygirl

Home Bargains have tons of lovely ornaments n stuff:DWe painted our living room magnolia, and added red cushions n accessories, and it looks lovely.The bedroom is magnolia with purple stuff, as it's my fave colour:D;)

picklepick

Have you got a poundstretcher near you?

They sell all sorts. I got new cushions from there. They sell pictures, mirrors and loads of other decorating bits.

flowertotmum

Hi there. now this is my trick..i get samples of very expensive wallpaper..the nice stuff and put it in frames..its amazing how it changes a wall especially if you theme it..at the moment i have flowers..but last week i had the Hampstead Heath collection from Little greene..5 samples for free..
Also dunelms have got lots on offer at the moment..try the charity shops too,you often find a bargain for pennies.
ftm

Rummer

Primark and B&M have lots of things for homes as well as supermarkets and TKmaxx

Mind you loads of our pics have come from local charity shops

SailorSam

For wall art you should just get some MDF and a few odd pots of paint and do your own modern art.
If you don't think you can do it yourself get the kids to do it.

There are loads of websites to give you ideas

DIY ART Paint by Pixel - Upload

Wall Art - DIY & On The Cheap

esmf73

Can I suggest that you pick three toning colours and stick to them throughout the house? Just that I saw this in a show home and it looked FAB.

Aarons_mummy

I do mines bit by bit to be honest. I get a colour scheme and have the basics so mine is cream and brown but then I add colour with cushions, make your own covers if you're handy with a needle and thread, knit a throw or wait until after Christmas and pick them up dirt cheap in the sales. Coloured candles and a vase with some coloured stones in or artificial flowers are nice.

A plain glass bowl with floating candles is nice in the middle of a coffee table and a new lamp shade (£5 from Poundstretcher) can change a lamp into something new.

I can't put things on the wall so I stick to picture frames which I bought in the pound shop along with the coasters to match the room. A wax tart burner is cheap and also makes the room smell lovely.

Hunt around charity shops and car boot sales for things you could add. I also like to put a picture of my little boy in the corner of my mirrors. That's more a choice but it looks lovely, especially if you have limited surfaces to add decoration to.

Also Savers have a lot of lovely candle duo's that are less than £1 each and as they are in glass holders they go really well and look more expensive than they are. I picked up a trio of tealight holders for 75p in asda reduced. A new rug if you can find one cheaply would change a room too.

I always think it's the little decorations you add that make it homely and also sensible to spend on as you can take them with you when you leave. My full house is magnolia but it's cosy with added splashes of colour and little finishing touches.