The staircase is arguably the centre of the house with it being seen by everyone who enters, so it’s important the space is welcoming.
Transforming your stairs can cost a lot of money, but one money-saving mum has managed to save herself hundreds of pounds by using bargains from B&Q, IKEA and car boot sales. Rachel Camsey, 31, decided to do the staircase herself with the help of a friend after being quoted £600 for just the panelling.
As reported by LatestDeals.co.uk, Rachel told Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: “I bought the house eight years ago but only had one wage coming in and once I was paying a mortgage, bills, for a car and so on, there was never much left over to do the nice things to the house that I always wanted. It was kind of just slapped together so it was liveable!
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“The house was very dated when I moved in as it was my grandparents' home that I bought. Over the years, I've saved a little each month here and there. I did my son's room a couple of months back and the bathroom, so as soon as they were finished I managed to finally get the stairs done.”
Rachel had plenty of inspiration for the staircase transformation. She explained: "I first started getting some ideas to redecorate my staircase from Pinterest, and also went on a couple of house viewings with my parents as they are looking to move, and randomly picked up some ideas from there, too!
"Instagram home interior pages have also helped pull the idea together as well. I had a friend come along and nail on the panelling for me. These were just 12mm MDF boards from B&Q at £32 per board and were already cut for me in the shop.
“Then I used decorators caulk to fill in the gaps, sanded those areas, then painted the walls white and panelling in Dulux Egyptian cotton paint from Amazon.I bought a metal black handrail for £72 from Amazon, as I wanted something a bit different and it definitely has made a good feature.”
The panelling, paint and fillers cost Rachel around £85 in total. She continued: "I was desperate for a new carpet so had to spend around £250 for the carpet and fitting. This made me want to find cheaper options to finish it off as I didn't have a huge budget.
"The prints I bought online for around £20, and frames were from IKEA for around £15. The biggest bargain was the blind I bought from a local car boot sale for 50p. The upcycled case was only £10 from Facebook Marketplace. I was also able to cut some pampas from my neighbour's garden, who was getting rid of a huge pampas tree.”
In total, the staircase transformation cost roughly £450. Rachel explained: "I had received quotes to have a professional company come and do the panelling and they wanted £600 alone, so getting a friend to do it and just pay them a labour fee helped massively with keeping the cost low.
"I'm so pleased I've saved money as it will help me do other things because I do have other rooms in the house that could do with a little makeover. My tips would be to look out for bargains when it comes to the décor. A lot of items can be upcycled to give them life again. Just search for the item, shape and size you want or places like Marketplace or Gumtree, then spray it the colour you're after to make a statement piece.
“Also, try and give things a go yourself. I'm in love with it now, and feel it's a lot warmer and welcoming, as it's the first thing you see as you come in the front door!"
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