EASY STYLE UPDATES
CLEVER TRICKS TO MINI DECOR PROJECTS… WE ROUND UP THE SIMPLEST, QUICKEST WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE BEAUTIFUL NOW
FEATURE LAURIE DAVIDSON
1 GET ORGANISED WITH STORAGE
The start of a new year is a great time to have a declutter and put some good storage options in place. Start by looking at how you can make the best of an under stairs area, with hooks for coats and bags, baskets for shoes and a handy bench seat. Make it more attractive by wallpapering or painting the back wall, giving this mini space its own identity and turning it into an area you’ll want to show off.
2 UPDATE AN OFFICE
Whether it’s wallpaper or a mural, give your home office a new on-trend backdrop and set up a creative space. 1970s-style patterns are set to be big news this year, as are nature-inspired designs and bold, curvy shapes.
STYLE TIP
Tape favourite photos, prints and fabric samples to your wall for inspiration
WALLPAPER CHEAT SHEET
FABRICS TO WOW
3 Update a bathroom by tiling your bath panel. Use tiles that match your walls to make the space feel bigger.
4 HANG A DOOR CURTAIN
Ward off draughts and make a feature of a door with a beautiful curtain hung from a rail above. Choose to have it pooling on the floor slightly and opt for a ruffled header to add a sense of luxury with oodles of fabric.
5 HOW TO MAKE A PICTURE LEDGE WALL
Unsure what to do with a small area of blank wall? Create your own art gallery with a bank of shelves and decorative pieces.
■ Start by measuring the wall and working out how many shelves you’d like – do you want them starting from a low level, or just midway up? How long do they need to be?
■ Factor in the items you’re likely to put on your shelves – if you’re going for prints or tall vases, you may need more space in between each one.
■ Opt for either floating shelves, or ones with brackets. The chunky floating shelves above have been butted up against the wall on one side and painted in the same colour to make them blend seamlessly with the background, for a calming and cohesive feel.
6 HOW TO WALLPAPER DRAWER FRONTS
Add some pizzazz to an old chest of drawers by wallpapering the fronts in a statement design.
■ Remove the drawers and lay them out in front of you in a line, then take off any knobs. Mix up wallpap
