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Home decoration
Original poster

Argh...help me fall in love with my house!

46 replies

Apaleviewofnothing · 01/02/2018 20:42

We moved 2 years ago. Only house I could (just about) afford in area of DCs schools. Sturdy 1969 build not decorated (or even cleaned I think) since 1985ish. Sun in front, dark cold north facing back.
House is small for me and 4DC but have managed to squeeze us in. Made it watertight, insulated and replaced bathroom eventually. Now flat broke but HAVE to do something to help me...my house makes me depressed.

North facing dark kitchen.....what could I do to improve?
North facing dark and dingy and smelly dining room...horrid wallpaper...very hard to remove.

Only me and small DC.

Thankyou!!!!

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Womensplaceisintherevolution · 01/02/2018 20:48

You could paint the walls white just to brighten them up. Wilco's does some really good wall paint that's around £12 a tin. If the wallpaper's hard to get off I'd paint over it. If you have horrid carpet you could always pull it up and paint the floor boards white or a light grey. Good luck :)

Original poster
Apaleviewofnothing · 01/02/2018 20:49

thankyou. I've lost my way...white would give a blank canvas.

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Original poster
Apaleviewofnothing · 01/02/2018 20:51

...no boards...concrete floors...unfortunately (and very chilly)

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wheresmyphone · 01/02/2018 20:53

I would be tempted to do
One room at a time. Being faced with House and lots of rooms can feel overwhelming. Hit one room, really hard, pictures, candles, rugs...make it look
Lovely: hopefully that will inspire you and give you hope all is not lost. And make sure your own bedroom is nice😀. At least if you have one nice room at end of day it may help too.

Charismam · 01/02/2018 20:54

Yes, I was the same, saved and saved and saved and got help too and bought the cheapest house in my town (very nearly !!)
It had shit wall paper over wallpaper over wallpaper. I had the kitchen and sitting room stripped and re-plastered, new skirting boards. I painted the newly plastered walls white despite the man that did the work explaining to me that I wouldn't be able to paint right because you had to put up a layer of glue first. Anyway, I managed the painting myself and it hasn't fallen off the wall. I painted the kitchen cupboards as well. That's all I've done for now but it has brightened the place a lot.

Bluntness100 · 01/02/2018 20:57

I'd paint kitchen white and the other room a sunny yellow...

TattyFrench · 01/02/2018 20:59

Paint the walls white, over the wallpaper. Pull up the carpet and either varnish the concrete, give it a white wash (very cheap and quick), then seal/varnish or just paint it. The best, cheapest floor paint (I learnt the hard way!) is B&Q floor paint, really hardy, cheap and no need to seal - when it gets grubby beyond cleaning - re-paint. Get some cheap mirrors from charity shops and pictures, lots of fairy lights. Get a great big paper lantern type lightshade and a high watt bulb. Cheap rag rug, charity shop dining table and mid-matched chairs, paint with chalk paint if too dark: one sample pot will do one chair, two if watered down, no need to prune. You could just paint the table legs and leave the top. It could all be done for £50-£100. If I lived near you (and had the time!) I'd come and help you.

QuiteLikely5 · 01/02/2018 20:59

I agree with painting it white

The wallpaper - get a flannel some warm/hot water then wash the wall - absolutely amazing - will bring the paper off no bother

Buy some sandpaper to get your walls smooth if they need it

Floors - can you not look for free rugs on free cycle etc

TattyFrench · 01/02/2018 21:00

That was all in relation to the dark dining room.

Wauden · 01/02/2018 21:01

New or second hand curtains might give it a lift, to go with your new paint. Am still redecorating my 1930s house with its 1970s floral wallpaper...

canthavethenameiwant · 01/02/2018 21:02

Pinterest is your friend!! Lots of ideas

BlossomRussoAndSixLemeure · 01/02/2018 21:03

www.amara.com/luxpad/hygge/
^ try this.
At first it seems a bit Hmm
I live in a rental house and I don’t have much cash to spend and I resent doing lots on it anyway (our landlord does nothing). I did give it a go and it works.
For example I bought old furniture and painted it with colours I love, I found old paintings and put them up - it’s worked for me.

CoperCabana · 01/02/2018 21:04

Paint your walls white. Get a load of cheap frames from Wilkos or The Range or similar. Put photos and nice cards in and do a couple of gallery walls. Just start in one area. Those nice photos will make you smile and inspire you. Buy some nice cushions. Order from China on Amazon and nice, bright covers cost about £1.50. Lights are important. Look on freecycle or local selling sites. Lamps are the sort of thing people get rid of when they change their decor.

Original poster
Apaleviewofnothing · 01/02/2018 21:04

Thank you all so much...you are giving me hope...and ideas.
I think I am overwhelmed and tired and couldn't see what to do...I painted the DC bedrooms (of course) and they look ok then stalled completely.

Onwards and upwards

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pileoflaundry · 01/02/2018 21:04

Do you have large 1960s windows? I move my curtains as completely off to the side of the windows as I can, during the day; do you have tie-backs or similar to keep them out of the way of any light? Or tuck behind furniture? No net curtains. Light colours on the walls, there is special light-reflecting paint that you can get which I have in my hallway. If the rooms are small, then light curtains, cushions, floors if you can afford it.

We have plain white kitchen cabinets, plastered with children's drawings, and light surfaces; if you can't replace or paint any dark cupboards, children's bright splodgy paintings on white paper will go a long way. Actually just lots of their art everywhere should help to cheer the place up!

Are your doors, skirtings, etc dark or light? The ones in our house were very dark, I ummed a lot before forking out to have them stripped and painted white but I am glad I did.

Are your neighbours living in similar houses? Could you visit them to get ideas? I brazenly did this

I'll come back if I can think of anything else...

CoperCabana · 01/02/2018 21:05

A couple of cheap plants make a difference. There seems to be a bit of a 70s vibe in decor. Spider plants and ivy brighten a room considerably.

AdaColeman · 01/02/2018 21:22

I agree about painting the walls white, but in the kitchen I'd do the woodwork a sunny yellow, with white and yellow curtains if you have them in the kitchen.

In the dining room I'd do the wall that the window is on a warm red or terracotta, with the other walls white. If you have a large mirror, put it on the wall opposite the window to increase your light and make the room seem bigger.

I had a very gloomy kitchen that brightened up a lot with a Dulux paint that had light reflecting particles in it. It was more expensive than the standard stuff, but I undercoated with ordinary paint and top coated only with the reflecting paint.

CoperCabana · 01/02/2018 21:25

Mirrors can also go for a song on eBay or at salvage places and make a huge difference.

AdaColeman · 01/02/2018 21:33

Posted too soon. The light reflecting paint was only used on the ceiling but it still made a difference.

Bright cushion covers on old cushions will add some splashes of colour too, look out for remnants in the local market, or curtains in charity shops.

And a bunch of dafs will bring instant sunshine and lift your heart! Wine

CoperCabana · 01/02/2018 21:47

Oh gosh totally agree on the daffs! Need some now!

I am into charity shop blue and white crockery vases and cheap crystal glasses. I also really like the Mandala throws you can get, but that totally depends on the vibe you want.

I am very excited for you. Can you share any photos?

CoperCabana · 01/02/2018 21:49

I got a fab secondhand box of postcards from Amazon. Some missing but it didn’t matter. They were really nice prints and I chucked some into cheap frames in the kitchen. They looked fab.

Original poster
Apaleviewofnothing · 01/02/2018 22:00

Youare all amazing.
So much positivity and so many ideas!
Yes big windows currently have the ex owners curtains (heavy and dark) I was trying to keep the heat in but perhaps the light would be better!
I can sew but have no budget....would coloured sheeting work?

Neighbours are lovely but richer and elderly...all beige and magnolia or plush! Love them though....they make the days a bit brighter.

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AdaColeman · 01/02/2018 22:10

Instead of taking down those heavy warm curtains, you could brighten them up by adding a border down the centre edges and along the bottom. Neatly hem the strips of fabric for your border then hemstitch it firmly on top of the existing curtain fabric. It doesn't change the size of the curtains it just adds some colour.

GingerKitCat · 02/02/2018 22:50

If the current heavy curtains have decent linings you could separate them and use them in conjunction with new, cheaper curtains. Argos often have bargains. If they're a bit on the thin side your heavy linings will beef them up. Alternatively thermal linings aren't too expensive and they're easy to attach. Love the tie-backs suggestion to fully lighten the space!

I've bought excellent secondhand curtains before from ebay (measure width and length carefully per curtain and don't be afraid to ask the seller questions!). If there's a particular shop you like you can search e.g. 'Next curtains' (tick description too) and loads come up! You can generally tell from the description what condition they're in, if in doubt ask! You start to suss out which ones are practically new and the seller is only after a change of decor. Factor in postage.

Do you have radiators under windows?There's always a debate on here about floor length curtains over radiators. I'm in the camp of curtains that cover the windowsill and not too much longer Grin
I don't like my radiator heat disappearing up the back of the curtains! I have some at the moment that are a smidge long and I tuck them down the back at night.

Love the ideas suggested! Do you use your dining room as a dining room? Is it big enough to have a mixed use? Any photos of the space? Just thinking of ways to make it really appeal to you. Love the idea of mirrors to bounce some light around (ebay is my go to for giant mirrors bargains in a 5 mile radius - avoids postage costs. Dunelm has quite a good selection too) and cosy lighting in the evening (again, depends if you intend to spend much time in there or whether everyone retreats to the living room instead).

Can you fit a dining table in your kitchen or is that a no go? Just thinking of different uses for the unloved dining room. Depending on the age of your DC - playroom, homework space, gaming/ chill room separate from your main living room.

Sounds like you've done loads already!

GingerKitCat · 02/02/2018 22:59

*meant to add the added benefit of shorter curtains is the reduced cost Grin

I'm a member of one or two DIY/ home decor groups on Facebook and people seem to be doing amazing things to their floors with laminate (or vinyl?) tiles/ wood effect planks etc for not a lot of money. The results look surprisingly good but I have no idea of the process sorry! I'm sure it started from a concrete floor. Changed the whole look of the room, especially with a rug.