When it comes time to start redecorating the rooms in your house, there are several ways you can go about it. You can hire the services of a professional to help you with a little home styling, for instance, or you can choose to go the DIY route. If opting for the latter, we often put it off for as long as possible, but with a little planning and the following handy hints and tips, the whole process will go a lot smoother.
Planning is key
Get yourself organised and follow through a planned timetable of work, and it will save you time in the long run. Go through each of the rooms that you are planning to redecorate, and make a list of the jobs you have to do. If the woodwork is still looking good and will fit in with the new colour scheme, then keep it. Make a decision on what needs repainting, and whether you plan to repaper walls or not, as well as decisions on flooring, lighting and soft furnishings.
Organise your time
Ensure that you know exactly what you have to do in each room, because even though your time is the only free element in redecorating, you don’t want to waste it. Make a list of what needs to be done prior to redecorating, including the following:
- Moving or covering up furniture
- Stripping down wallpaper
- Cleaning down paintwork and surfaces
- Mending any holes or cracks in the walls and ceilings
- Covering up carpets or removing them, depending on the new design
All of this can take at least a day so if you are planning on carrying out the redecorating over a weekend, then factor in this time first.
Get your design file organised
Unless you are going for the minimalist all-white look, you will need to start pulling together colour swatches, fabric samples and flooring ideas. This does not have to be expensive, as you can get hold of free colour charts from retailers and suppliers to keep in a scrapbook or cardboard file. Talk to wallpaper stores and ask for samples of wrapped wallpaper rolls or borders, and you can also buy paint samples to check how the colour looks on your walls at home. (Keeping the names and numbers of any paints used is very useful for when you need to order more in the same shade for future touch-ups.)
Fabric wholesalers and local market stalls are a great source of cheaper fabric so you can mix and match ideas and keep them in your file until you have a clear idea of what you like. Tear pages out of magazines for ideas, and check the back pages as they often list all the stockists there, which is very useful. Then ensure that you measure up and order or buy the correct amount of paint, paper, fabric and so on, prior to starting the redecoration.
Set time aside for the redecoration project
Finally, once you have completed all of the above steps, you can then write down in order the jobs that need doing, with a timeframe next to them. If you have a house full of young children or pets, choose a time when they won’t be running in and out, marking up a newly painted wall or tripping over stepladders. Then start working methodically through the list, with all the correct equipment and redecorating tools in hand, and in next to no time, the job will be finished, leaving you with beautifully decorated and coordinated rooms.