Decorating your home can be really costly, and can often feel like a task that's out of reach, especially if you're on a tight budget.
When Laura Mair's daughter started to be picked on because her room was 'too babyish' she decided to take matters into her own hands and invest in some cheap wallpaper from Amazon, rather than getting decorators in which can be a totally unaffordable process.
The cleaner revamped her daughter's room with a 3D panelling effect wallpaper, and was really impressed with the final outcome. She also decided to rejuvenate her drawers by purchasing a £16 paint.
Laura said: "I redecorated my six-year-old daughters' bedroom because she was getting a lot of stick from people saying she needed to grow up.
"I wanted her room to be a little more sophisticated, and when I found some wallpaper that I thought would be perfect, the idea for the overall theme grew from there. I have created a warm, pastel-pink room with lots of pretty decorative touches.
"The wallpaper was £22 from Amazon, and I got two rolls. I love the 3D panelling effect - it looks really realistic. I know that getting the real deal would easily cost hundreds of pounds, so when I found this wallpaper I knew it was the next best thing.
"I also painted her drawers using Frenchic paint in the shade Dusky Blush. This paint is £16 for a small tin, but it goes a long way. I love Frenchic, and I wouldn't use gloss again."
The thrifty mum also upcycled the chest of drawers by getting some new handles for just £11 for a pack of ten. She also got a mirror for £65, and opted to put a flower garland over the top of it for a chic new look.
Laura continued: "While browsing the site, I saw a chair for £135 which I also picked up. I got a cast iron fireplace from Marketplace at a fraction of the original price, painted it with the Frenchic paint, and then bought a fire poster from Amazon to give it a real fire effect."
To make the room look bigger she bought some mirrors from The Range and used some leftover carpet to keep prices down. She also purchased a TV cabinet for £40, shelves from Amazon for £16, and some accessories that completed the room that her daughter's friends will now be envious of.
She said: "My daughter's room looks great now and we are really pleased with the results."
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: "Laura has found a great money-saving hack with this wallpaper. It looks so realistic, I thought it was real panelling and wouldn't have known if she hadn't pointed it out!
"According to CheckATrade, the average cost of wall panelling is over £200, so getting £22 wallpaper is a great workaround! Plus, cast iron fireplaces can cost as much as £500 and I have seen pink tub chairs like the one used in this room for hundreds more than Laura paid, so the overall savings here are incredible."
Have you ever done DIY on a budget? Let us know by emailing danielle.wroe@reachplc.com
