35 budget decorating ideas to transform your home

Easy tricks for wow-factor interiors

Whether you want to introduce new colours, experiment with pattern, cheat a look or maximise space, these smart decorating and styling ideas will have you looking at your home afresh.

Read on to discover how to work the latest trends, accessorise for maximum impact and customise what you have instead of buying new...

Lay statement kitchen tiles

Give your kitchen a wow factor with statement floor tiles. Keep walls and cabinets neutral so the scheme doesn't appear too busy or try picking out accent shades and paint cupboard doors to match.

If changing your flooring isn't practical or cost-effective, try stencilling existing tiles. Just remember to use suitable paint and add several coats of varnish to ensure your handiwork lasts.

Add a window film

If you want to increase your home's privacy without completely changing your windows, a low-cost window film is the perfect solution.

Simply peel and stick to an existing pane to obscure the glass without compromising on light. This fluted design is on trend and adds subtle detail.

Mismatch kitchen cupboards

Why settle on one shade when you can have them all? Bring an explosion of colour to your kitchen by painting wall and floor cabinets in different hues. Keep splashback tiles neutral and match top and bottom doors for a cohesive look. A palette of sherbert pastels makes for an uplifting scheme that's sure to brighten mealtimes whatever the season.

Highlight alcoves

It's official – borders are back! Pick a vibrant design to highlight dull alcoves or to punctuate a plain headboard. If you have a steady hand, you could even paint your own designs. Either way, remember to use a spirit level to make sure your borders aren't wonky – unless that's the look you're aiming for.

Spruce up a splashback

Rather than ripping out an old splashback, give it an update with a self-adhesive film. This contemporary triangle design is waterproof, heat and scratch-resistant and can easily be cut to size with scissors or craft knife. It's also magnetic, so could be used on other surfaces like fridges, bathtubs or in kids' bedrooms.

Paint woodwork

Whether it's a bold shade or soothing neutral, painting woodwork a colour rather than the usual white makes a refreshing twist. A green door to match a half-painted wall gives a white hallway a sense of identity. Leave door frames and skirting boards white for further contrast.

Zone a corner

Painted shapes are a fun way to zone an area without creating a physical divide. A simple triangle in a contrasting shade in the corner of this child's bedroom separates a sleep space from play or homework and a bright bedframe brings an extra pop of colour.

Paint the ceiling

If you think you've only got four walls to work with, then it's time to think again. The ceiling offers the perfect blank canvas for you to experiment with and is an easy way to inject some colour into an otherwise plain room. Try the two-tone trend to elongate any room and add depth to a small space.

Focus on the hardware

To give your home a bespoke edge without replacing your entire suite, upgrade your standard hardware with modern fixtures. For the bathroom, try matt black or brushed brass taps with sleek, minimalist shapes for a low-cost update that will freshen up your space.

Take colour up a wall

Create a visually interesting space by bleeding a vibrant floor colour up onto walls, skirting boards, architraves and doors. You don’t need a painted floor for this to work but this one has matched the wall paint colour to vinyl flooring.

Keep it well below dado height to open up the space. In this smart kitchen-diner the cerulean blue foregrounds dining furniture and the fireplace.

Add a layer of sheepskin

If you've gone a bit overboard with minimalist décor and some of your rooms have been left feeling a little empty and austere, faux sheepskin throws and rugs are an easy solution. Super affordable and a quick fix, they'll add texture and warmth to a plain room.

Clash with pink

Breathe warmth into a pale contemporary bedroom with bubblegum pink walls. What seems like a bold and drastic move is, in fact, versatile and practical. Choose an accent colour that conventionally conflicts in tone such as this ochre yellow and paint a feature for added character.

Paint furniture legs

You don’t have to buy new to upgrade. Work with what you have and spruce up a favourite piece with paint. Pick shades that work in your scheme and don’t feel obliged to paint a whole piece of furniture – very often less is more. You could even use tester pots to add shapes and patterns for a Bloomsbury-inspired design.

Looking for inspiration? These upcycling ideas are hard to resist.

Mismatch chairs for casual dining

Let rustic meet industrial with a mix of traditional and modern chair styles. This combination of a painted farmhouse table with exposed bulb pendant lighting and a natural tablescape makes for a truly individual feel. Just keep all the colours within the same tonal range to stop it from looking too busy.

Let blinds add pattern

Bi-fold doors and the sash window revival have increased the amount of glass we have in our living spaces. Embrace the design possibilities of this and let blinds function as a patterned feature wall. This Nordic floral design in vibrant chartreuse green picks up on the Scandi trend and works well with pale-toned wood furnishings.

Feature a mural

Take a feature wall to the next level with a full-scale wall mural. This abstract design in retro shades by Queer Eye interiors expert Bobbi Beck plays into the 1970s throwback trend perfectly teamed with mid-century furniture and lighting.

Lay a kitchen runner

Strike a colourful note in the kitchen with a patterned runner. This traditional design complements classic shaker cabinetry while echoing the navy accent shade. Be sure to add an underlay grip underneath each rug to minimise slippage around hot appliances.

Stick up delightful details

Looking for a quick and easy cover-up? Instead of hanging a decorative wallpaper or getting out the paint pots, cheat by using self-adhesive wall stickers to create fun motifs. Either choose individual stickers to cover a large area with a bespoke pattern or opt for one big decal featuring a motivational word or phrase.

Style a mantel for different seasons

Continue styling your mantelpiece after the Christmas decorations have been packed away. The central focal point makes an ideal surface to create stylish themed displays for every season.

This summery arrangement layers framed artwork and collected postcards with quirky vases and seasonal florals.

Use stripes to maximise

Use stripes to visually expand a room. Go for rich neutrals on the walls to make a space feel extra special. This contemporary dining room features a smart striped loop-pile carpet that picks up the blue-grey tones of the upholstered bench.

Wallpaper small rooms

Hang colourful retro-print wallpaper to draw the eye in a small room or unusually-shaped wall. Some awkward spaces can be turned into characterful features with the right treatment. An invigorating yet traditional design suits this cloakroom and makes a feature out of what could have been a poky and awkward space.

Highlight shelving

Turn display shelves into a main feature in a living room or bedroom. Arches and curves are the shapes of the moment, so use paint to 'frame' asymmetrical rows of floating shelves. Opt for tonal colours like earthy terracotta and grubby greens for an on-trend look.

Utilise walls with chalkboard paint

Blackboard walls can make a useful backdrop in any room. Use specialist chalkboard paint for a dedicated spot for scribbling recipes and lists in the kitchen. Some formulas are even magnetic, so you can pin up photos and memos.

Make ripples with kitchen tiles

Create an eye-catching design with a signature pattern that becomes the motif for the room scheme. Here scallop-shaped, fish-scale kitchen tiles appear in a crackle-glazed finish to create a smart splashback that bridges traditional and contemporary.

Bounce light with mirrors

Use reflections to visually enlarge a space, create the impression of extra windows and duplicate accent shades. This tall arched mirror with a narrow black frame manages all three in this sleek bedroom.

Accent with black

Love pale, unpatterned interiors but worry your room’s a little dull? Lift the scheme from potential blandness with a concentrated hit of contrast. This compact living room looks smart and contemporary with black furniture, wall art and sofa cushions. The bold shade anchors the room allowing the rest of the space to bask in contrasting coolness.

Brighten a room with shutters

Add character to your windows and doors with colourful shutters. Use full-size versions for the best effect. These royal blue shutter doors bring out the accent hue in the bathroom beyond. If bright blue is too brave, try muted colours like lemon, grey or duck egg blue to make a subtle change.

Monochrome a look

Pick a shade you love – and run with it. There’s nothing like a soothing shade to bring out the best in an interior so choose your favourite and apply it to walls, panelling, fireplace, windows and coving. Then match up the colour to furniture and accessories – this is a new take on minimalism that's so much warmer.

Divide the room

If your open-plan room lacks zones, position an open shelving unit so it can be used on both sides, while also functioning as a clever partition for two living areas. Style with trailing greenery to soften the hard lines of the furniture.

Add a statement headboard

Rework your bedroom by fitting a new headboard. It will create the look and feel of a brand-new bed for a fraction of the price. An oversized upholstered design with ornate curves is on-trend and you could easily make your own using MDF, foam and a staple gun. Go for a plain fabric or really make a statement with a bold pattern.

Give florals a modern twist

Don’t be afraid of flower and leaf designs on a grand scale. Use them big and blowsy on walls for a modern take on chintzy classics. In this opulent scheme, an Arts and Crafts-inspired botanical print has been given a vibrant makeover teamed with a jewel-toned velvet sofa and floor lamp.

Round off with curves

Rounded shapes feel more naturally restful and comfortable than linear designs that look harder by contrast. Start with a round or oval coffee table in a living room and see where it takes you. This seating area features a plush corner suite with a textured boucle fabric pouffe and curvaceous lighting and accessories.

Experiment with tiling

Let the beauty of tiles shine by fitting them more unusually. These white metro tiles are laid in a herringbone design and instead of being squared off horizontally, they rise to a run of startling peaks. The tiles still provide all the functions of a splashback, but in a way that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Black grout highlights the effect.

Contrast dark tones

Navy painted walls and furnishings are everywhere and they are gloriously luxurious. Go for a flat matt paint finish and velvet upholstery, then show them off with contrasting accessories in rich gold, emerald and dusky pink. Introduce further luxury with brushed gold and even black accents.

Exhibit a gallery wall

Don’t overlook the decorative potential of coordinating art. For a streamlined gallery wall go for matching frames, colourways and a series of prints. Alternatively mix and match sizes, styles and artwork for an eclectic feel. It's a good idea to map your gallery out on the floor before mounting it to the wall.

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