September 21, 2016
3 minute read
Unless you’re a super saver or have recently happened on a windfall, no-one has any money left for furniture after buying a new home these days. Well, with the costs of moving now at £11,000, it’s no wonder.
If that’s you, don’t despair – this article lists lots of ways you can create a beautiful ‘new’ish’ interior, without the boredom and nutritional dilemma of having to live on baked beans for the next six months or so…
You’ve probably heard the term banded around from time to time and maybe more so in recent years, because this past-time is becoming increasingly popular.
Those who love the shabby chic décor style have been doing it for years (i.e. getting old pieces of furniture then sandpapering and painting them to look deliberately aged and full of character). You can adopt the shabby chic style if you like, but you can also give second hand furniture a modern twist by, for instance, getting a chair upholstered in a contemporary fabric (get someone to do it for you or take a course at night school).
Other wooden furniture such as tables, bookcases and TV units can also be sandpapered down and repainted/varnished too. Not only will you save a fortune but it can be fun doing a crafting project like this and you’ll get huge satisfaction once you’ve completed it (and kudos after the neighbours admire it!).
Making your own furniture can be easier than you think – and it’ll have that mark of individuality too.
There are lots of DIY sites focused solely on creating your own headboard. Some of the finished articles are pretty spectacular. Take the following ‘statement’ headboard which involved covering a piece of wood in fabric using glue and stapes then running a sewing machine around the edge of the wood. It doesn’t have to be this large, of course, unless you’re after a showstopper.
Image via HGTV.com
The following involves some discarded wooden planks cut to size at a local timber yard then painted to match the rest of the bedroom.
Image via homestyleaustin.wordpress.com
And what’s stopping you creating your own unusual shelves? There are some pretty fabulous ideas out there involving step ladders, old rope and even a pair of crutches with some cut down planks of wood.
Image via Positivre.fr
Or even blocks of wood glued on top of each other to form corner shelving (great for small bathrooms/bedrooms)
Image via stylizedliving.com
And you might want to think twice about throwing those old crates out…