After the gloom of winter, every aspect of our lives needs a little freshen up – especially our homes.
So this spring, throw open your windows, let some fresh air in and breathe new life into your pad with a bit of home improvement.
And in the spirit of change, B&Q are celebrating their 50th anniversary by launching an incredible competition to find the Home Improvement Rising Star of the Year. And the best bit? The winner will get a B&Q gift card worth a whopping £2,500 to bring their next home improvement dreams to life.
To get you in the mood for making your house over, we have come up with some simple, affordable and sustainable ways to zhoosh up your indoors.
Likes
No, we’re not talking about Instagram – although, B&Q’s Insta and Pinterest pages are packed with inspo for your interiors. We mean putting together a good ol’ fashioned list of how you want your room to look and make you feel. This will help you start envisioning the finished product as well as finding out what your priorities are – and that’s where B&Q come to the rescue, making home improvement simpler, affordable and accessible for everyone. A similar list of dislikes will help weed out what you definitely don’t want to hone down what you’re really after style-wise.
Try ideas
Before you are forced to live with something you regret, think about using samples and testers (GoodHome paint tester pots are just £1.30 at B&Q) to see your vision come to life. If there is furniture you’re keeping, it might help to see if colours or textures clash with these testers before wasting your precious time, money and energy. Testing it all out will also help you get your shopping list started and get things organised! The new GoodHome Paint Range, starting from £12 at B&Q, has special formulations that are perfectly designed for walls and ceilings, kitchens and bathrooms so you can try them all out before you commit to your new colour scheme. Unsure of what to opt for in 2019? This year sees a big rise in jewel combination colours; pairing toned down shades such as dark, dusky greens and darker teals will make your home feel opulent, rich and comforting – the GoodHome Walls & Ceilings Antibes Matt Emulsion Paint, £12 at B&Q is particularly relevant for bringing this style to life!
Storage
We all know that storage is vital. Can you ever have too much? Understanding how to make storage look effortless is the tough part as you have to incorporate it into the design seamlessly – or make a feature out of it. You have to ask yourself if you want your favourite items on display or would you prefer a minimalist vibe. Always try to avoid overloading your room with furniture and accessories because it will look cluttered and the space appear smaller. Do you really need the pasta containers on display? Will you promise to clean and wipe them down every week? Ask yourself the tough question so you can decide where to go next – there’s beyond loads of choice at B&Q so browse for your style and specifications here. Don’t know where to start when it comes to decluttering? B&Q have a straight forward guide to making the most of your space.
Work it with wallpaper
Wallpaper can instantly add a pop of colour, a playful pattern and a bit of texture to your space. And you needn’t worry if you’re still renting your home as many of B&Q’s great wallpaper styles come in Paste The Wall varieties. These types of wallpaper are simple to use and a doddle to remove as they can be lifted easily from walls without the need for steaming or soaking.
Kitchen refresh
We cook, clean, eat and party in the kitchen. It’s the heart of the home, and one of the rooms which suffer with wear and tear quicker than other places. You can give your kitchen a dramatic refresh in just a few hours. Switch the handles to something more contemporary for an immediate lift, or if you have wooden units, why not try a fresh new colour? The GoodHome Paint Range from B&Q includes renovation paint which is designed to be used on many different surfaces such as wood, melamine, plastic-coated cabinets and doors, metal and glass. If you’re renting and you’re grand kitchen plans are limited, you can give your cabinets a complete overhaul in moments with the D-C-Fix Wood effect White Self adhesive film, £6.50 for (L)2m (W)680mm from B&Q – which is easy to apply and remove. B&Q have tonnes of tips and hacks on how to cook up a home improvement project in your kitchen here.
Finishing touches
Don’t forget, flowers, lanterns, candles, cushions and pictures can really add an edge to your designs. A key trend at the minute is having plants EVERYWHERE around the house, whether you’re suspending them from the ceiling or having a statement plant in the corner, it really adds life to any room. Pick greenery – B&Q has an extensive and easily-affordable range – that suit the area you’re about to put them in (i.e moisture in a bathroom or kitchen for direct sunlight).
Create a vibe
You don’t need to knock down walls to change the look and feel of your home, whether it’s your name on the mortgage deed or if you’re renting. You can bring in just a few cheeky tricks to set the mood and it starts with lighting.
Ditch your dusty old shades and replace with something with a little brutalist charm like this Baici Wire Black Pendant ceiling light, £40 at B&Q. Lamps are also a great addition to create warm, cosy vibes and add chic decoration or create a statement by illuminating parts of the room. Even just updating your switches can be inexpensive, but can tie in metallics if you fancy to create lavish and well thought out design. Candles and lanterns will create drama and add a decorative flair to any space.
Texture
Whether it’s your new curtains or blinds, adding texture to your room can be done through throws, rugs and cushions as well to transform your house into a home. Try different colours and material, to give your design another dimension. It doesn’t have to be just fabrics you’re looking for, introducing marble, stone and wood can give your room a lavish feel. Check here for all of B&Q’s advice for what soft furnishing work in what rooms.
Raise your roof!
There’s a whole lot of unused space in every room of your home where you can unleash your creativity: the ceiling. 2019 is all about the statement ceiling – whether you wallpaper it or raise your roof by painting it a dramatic or bang-on-trend shade. Use bright, bold colours to bring rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom – which can sometimes be a little dull/white/clinical – to life. The amazingly gorgeous GoodHome Walls & Ceilings Paint from B&Q comes in a huge range of colours, shades and palettes which are perfect for perking up any area of your home. Go big AND go home with amazing colour combos like pink ceiling and grey walls – which is a huge trend on Pinterest.
How to enter B&Q’s Home Improvement Rising Star of the Year competition
Channelling your inner interior designer, B&Q is asking those new to home improvement to show off their skills and ingenuity.
You’ll do this by coming up with an inspired project to transform an area of the home, all for the chance to win a fantastic prize.
What’s involved?
Firstly, you will need to provide a minimum of one photo of one room you have already transformed to show off exactly what you’re capable of.
Then, you’ll need to write 200 words to support your entry, outlining how you developed the design, chose the aesthetics and what skills you used. For this first stage, you will be judged on the transformational impact of your project, aesthetics, design, innovation and use of your DIY skills.
If you’re chosen as one of the three finalists, you’ll be asked to put your skills to the test in an exclusive project day in London, where you’ll bring your designs to life with products that you have chosen from diy.com. You’ll have seven hours to make over a space in accordance to your plan and your chosen materials.
The final result will be judged by architectural and design historian and broadcaster, Tom Dyckhoff, B&Q Category Director, Surface and Décor, Iain McColgan, and Metro Home Editor, Liz Burcher, who will assess your home improvement skills and the creative flair you’ve demonstrated.
What’s the prize?
The winner will bag themselves a £2,500 B&Q gift card to create their next home improvement project. Two runners-up in the competition will receive £500 B&Q gift card each.
HOW TO ENTER
If you think you’ve got what it takes to become the B&Q Home Improvement Rising Star, follow these simple steps:
- 1. Write 200 words on why you believe you should be B&Q’s Home Improvement Rising Star.
- 2. Upload a picture of a room you have previously transformed.
- 3. Upload your entry along with your contact details at metro.co.uk/home-improver-of-the-year
Open to UK residents 18+ excluding professional decorators/ designer/influencers. Promotion opens 15/03/19, closes 07/04/19. Visit metro.co.uk/home-improver-of-the-year to enter. 1 first prize: £2,500 B&Q gift card; 2 runner up prizes, each a £500 B&Q gift card. Full T&Cs apply, for more information, please click HERE.
