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If you’re looking for some home improvement inspiration, you’ve come to the right place…
With Christmas festivities right around the corner, many of us are turning to DIY to make sure our homes provide the picture perfect setting for evenings of celebrations.
Since we could all do with a helping hand, we’ve teamed up with
B&Q and
DIY expert Shauna O’Connor to answer all your questions on getting your home spruced up in time for Christmas.
A finalist on RTÉ’s Big DIY Challenge, Shauna is sharing her insider knowledge with us on everything from optimising your box room to managing Christmas trees with little ones running around.
Here’s some advice from a DIY expert…
Top tips to make a box room look bigger
According to Shauna, a neutral palette is the key to optimising your space. Use a white shade on the walls, paint your skirting boards and for flooring, you’re going to want to go light as well. If you have timber or timber effect flooring, go for wider planks to give the illusion that the floor is wider than it actually is.
Also, you’ll want to get as much light into the rooms as possible, so you should avoid any thick or heavy drapes. Don’t have any low hanging lights, because this will only encroach on the space. For furniture, it’s better off to have fewer larger items than lots of little items that make the room look cluttered. Go for multi-purpose furniture that has visible, sleek legs rather than boxy furniture.
How can you safely burn candles with young kids at home?
With little children running around, it’s so important to burn candles up high and out of their reach, but for mother of two Shauna, battery operated LED lights work wonders. They look exactly the same and have a nice little flicker, giving all the ambiance while being totally safe with when there are little ones to think of.
Hiding or temporarily changing ugly tiles in a rental
While you could use an area rug or try removable peel and stick tiles, Shauna advises that there’s no harm in asking your landlord for permission to stencil the tiles. You could be surprised! Stencilling is an amazing way of upgrading tiles quite cheaply.
The best way to revamp your sitting room on a budget
Shauna is adamant that you should never underestimate the power of paint. A quick and easy way to spice up any room, think outside the box a little bit and you might just come up with a really cool feature wall. Pinterest is always a great source of inspiration. Alternatively, paneling is a really straightforward way to elevate a room. It can be super simple, like vertical strips of MDF or you can go for really fancy moldings - again, Pinterest has loads of ideas.
Any tips for managing the Christmas tree with pets and toddlers?
One year, Shauna gathered some cardboard boxes and wrapped them in Christmas paper so they looked like presents and put them along the base of the tree. They were big enough to act as a deterrent to keep the kids and the pets at bay. A good tip is to anchor the tree to the wall using command strips and then wrap a piece of string around the tree to help it from falling over. Peace of mind is worth its weight in gold!
If you’re feeling inspired and want to get started on a DIY project of your own, B&Q have everything you need to create the living space you’ve always dreamed of. Visit in store or shop online today.
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