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NOW CLOSED Do you have an unloved room in your home? Sign up here to revamp it with B&Q and receive a £300 gift card

312 replies

TheOtherHelenMumsnet · 03/05/2013 11:25

As part of our partnership with B&Q, we're looking for 20 MNers who have an unloved room in their home that they'd like to revamp. Do you have a sad and tired spare room you'd like to make over? A living room in need of a spruce? Or a bedroom crying out for redecoration?

Here is what B&Q say about their unloved rooms initiative: "This summer, we're launching a new initiative to help Britain say goodbye to its unloved rooms. Most homes have one - a spare room that's more of a cupboard, a tired and broken bathroom from a different era, even an overgrown garden that's become a jungle. With our vast range of home decoration products and simple expert advice, we want more people to see that making a big difference doesn't need to be difficult or expensive. Whether it's picking the right look, choosing the right products, at the right price or simply finding out how to make it happen, we're making sure you'll find it all under one roof at B&Q."

If you're selected to take part you'll:

  • Be sent a £300 B&Q gift card to spend as you wish on materials to re-decorate/revamp your unloved room
  • Need to be available to complete your room revamp between 14 May and 3 June
  • Write feedback on how your revamp is going during that time on a thread on MN
  • Need to send in photos to MNHQ of before, during and after the revamp

10 of the 20 participants will also need to film their revamp process on their smartphone (via an app we'll need you to download). Those MNers will receive an additional £25 B&Q gift card as a thank you for doing filming.

B&Q would also like participants to attend a You Can Do It class in store if possible - this would be free of charge but they're only available in certain stores. This isn't essential to taking part but please indicate on the sign up form (link below) which store you could get to if you would like to attend.

If you'd like to take part, please sign up here.

Any queries, please post them here.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Visit B&Q's pages for more inspiration

OP posts:
ilikeyoursleeves · 14/05/2013 22:21

Congrats to those who were picked!

I wasn't :( but on the plus side I don't have to run about decorating this weekend :) got lots of ideas though thanks to this thread.

Looking forward to seeing all the results!

ouryve · 15/05/2013 10:39

No voucher, yet. :(

I WANT TO GO SHOPPING!

ChippyMinton · 15/05/2013 15:57

What room are you doing ouryve?

DH has offered to wallpaper while I'm away at half-term, so I have to get all the painting done this weekend. Hoping to go shopping on Friday.

FourLittleDudes · 15/05/2013 16:09

I got another email today, we get £25 extra as we are going to upload a video! I'm doing the living room - I want to get a bracket to put the tv on the wall and do a feature wall (yes, I know its frowned upon on Mn but I don't care!) new curtains and cushions, some photo frames to finally hang photos of the children and maybe a coffee table, floor lamp or rug depending on how far I can stretch the pennies Smile

FourLittleDudes · 15/05/2013 16:19

Oooh I just got a phone call from a man with a very sexy Scottish accent about the class, and it actually sounds fun, lots of different classes to choose from and plenty of times and dates available - plus he's even going to see if he can arrange facilities so I can take my baby !

SweetestThing · 15/05/2013 16:25

Extra £25 here too, yay! I am so excited about this, it's as if I had won the lottery :)

FourLittleDudes · 15/05/2013 19:09

Me too Grin why is the b&q mobile site so slow though!

NiniLegsInTheAir · 15/05/2013 21:49

I had a sexy Scottish guy too fourlittle, made my day! Grin

The class I want to do isn't until the 30th May though which is cutting things very fine indeed. I'm feeling pretty nervous about this project, the whole room needs doing (ceiling needs plastering, carpet needs taking up and floorboards resanding) before I can think about painting and sprucing the room up. I'll be doing this alone with no family or friends available to help so I'm not sure I can get it all done in time.

Today I found a lovely fireplace in a charity shop that would replace the one in that room perfectly, if I can make my own funds stretch to get it.

Think I'll be needing advice from fellow Mumsnetters as the room needs a different colour - had it painted when we moved in 4 years ago and never been truly happy with it. Blush

FourLittleDudes · 15/05/2013 22:18

Was it the lovely Robert? Grin

I'm doing it on my own too so its a bit of a challenge but I'm looking starting, bit overwhelmed by how much I'm going to have to tidy up first though! My class isn't until the end of June, he wasn't to rushed about the dates and deadlines and said not to worry about it Smile

ouryve · 15/05/2013 22:25

I'm doing the boys' room, Chippy - it's desperate. I've already made a start on the stripping - well the boys had already made a start on that, but I'm continuing with what they've started. 3 hours' work today and I haven't cleared one wall!

I'm doing the video, too - so long as I can prise my iPad out of DS2's sticky little hands!

And I was called by the Scottish guy. I thought he might have been at our store since we're in the NE, anyhow, but he's obviously national. DH is off to do a plastering course on Monday - he'd been considering it, anyhow. DH's cousin is a very good professional plasterer, but there's some jobs it would be handy to be able to do ourselves, since our house is quite crumbly.

LittleDudes - the B&Q site is always slow for me. And I'm used to slow, but the B&Q site is slowwwwwwwwww.

NiniLegsInTheAir · 15/05/2013 23:04

Yes it was the lovely Robert Grin

I totally get you about needing to tidy first - and relocate furniture!

I thought we only had till the 3rd June to complete? Or have I got that wrong? Confused now.

Dying to know if anyone else will be going to the Cribbs Causeway store for their class, want to know if I'll meet someone else from our little group Grin

FourLittleDudes · 16/05/2013 09:44

My email about the class definitely says that its on the 21st, so maybe they will be a bit flexible with the dates.

My class isn't at the Cribbs Causeway no idea where that is I'm quite looking forward to it!

C'on voucher!

ouryve · 16/05/2013 10:06

I was asked if I wanted to check for courses in June. Our local store happens to be the Durham one, which is handy because it's massive. (we sometimes take the boys there on wet days to look at all the lightswitches, door handles or whatever their obsession is for that week. It's ASD paradise!)

I have my giftcard in my extra grubby little mitts, anyhow. Guess where we're going, later! DS1 wants this paint. It's bright!
www.diy.com/nav/decor/paint/interior-paint/yellow-orange/emulsions/silk/Colours-Silk-Paint-Tangerine-Dream-2-5L-9596652?skuId=9957357

FourLittleDudes · 16/05/2013 10:27

Its here!! Oh I am excited Grin

I like that paint Our :-)

NiniLegsInTheAir · 16/05/2013 10:32

Gorgeous paint colour - my room when I was a kid was similar, I loved it Smile.

My voucher has also just arrived!

ouryve · 16/05/2013 12:14

It' pretty much B&Q orange!

I drew the line at a red ceiling, mind.

Londonseye · 16/05/2013 13:23

Voucher is here! Need to call to arrange a class too! Think we are going Moroccan with our bedroom. The voucher will buy paints and accessories. We need new doors so it might even stretch that far too! Need to learn how to hang them first. I thought we only had until the 3rd June too

ChippyMinton · 16/05/2013 16:04

Nini and Oryve - my bedroom was orange too. Has is scarred us for life when it comes to decorating? Grin

Londonseye - Moroccan sounds fab - what colours are you having?

I went to B&Q last night to pick up some wallpaper samples. Now I have six huge sheets pinned behind my bed ranging from black & yellow, red & grey, 3 variations of duck egg & metallic, and a grey & metallic.

Then I fell in love with a red-lined grey silk lampshade...and an acid yellow desk lamp...I want it all!

Anyone making Pinterest board for inspiration?

HappyHippyChick · 16/05/2013 16:57

I still haven't had my voucher yet and am now bricking it about getting everything done by the 3 June Shock! I am doing my boys room and I need to get the walls plastered (bil is a plasterer and can come this weekend) but I am supposed to be filming it too and don't know how much/what before footage they want...

Does anyone know how firm the 3rd June deadline is?

HappyHippyChick · 16/05/2013 17:13

Ok I've had my assignment about the videos etc so at least I can get started on that and hopefully I will get my voucher tomorrow!

ChippyMinton · 16/05/2013 18:28

My voucher came today recorded delivery, and a few others have had theirs so hopefully yours will come tomorrow.

Londonseye · 16/05/2013 19:19

We are going with deep blues and lighter orange terracotta tones. DP is going to paint a tree of life on one wall too and we are going to hang individual small photos of our family to make it a family tree. We are aiming bohemian I suppose. We are off shopping tomorrow and doing it this weekend!

gazzalw · 16/05/2013 21:47

I think mine came but we were out...rescheduled for delivery at the weekend.....Need to start loading my online trolley....not entirely sure I can spend £300.......

Anyone got any idea how to do stencil type effects - not sure that I've found those on the B&Q website and think a tweens bedroom should have some....

ouryve · 16/05/2013 21:51

I love those desk lamps, Chippy. DS1 chose the yellow lampshade with the buttons on from the same section. I had bright pink walls in my room when I was about DS1's age (along with Holly Hobby wallpaper on the back wall, because feature walls were trendy back then). They were the sort of pink that, if i looked at it for too long, the world turned green.

The orange we've chosen is going to be darker than my tastes, but the boy wants it, so that's what he's getting. It's the sunniest room in the house, so can take it.

That sounds pretty fab, Londonseye.

I'm hoping the deadline is flexible, too, particularly since we're only just getting our cards and destructions. Plus, there's half term to contend with - when i applied, I had it in my head that it was the week after. I won't be able to get any painting or anything particularly messy done that week since I have 2 boys who need 1:1 supervision. DH has a day and a half off work, next week, but the half day is for the boys' annual review for their statements!

I've made a head start stripping one wall - taken photos as I've gone along, but not videoed the process. It's taken me about an hour per square metre and I ache! I've got some smoothover (half price in wilko's, the other week!) to try out on the wall, but having read the reviews, I may just end up spending some more time with the filler and use up some old cream paint as undercoat.

ouryve · 16/05/2013 22:15

gazzalw, you just need to use a fairly thick paint, use masking tape to secure the stencil and roll or dab the paint over it.

We spent £210, tonight! A big proportion of that was on new shelves. There were Orange cushions on sale, to clash go with the red Poang chair and we couldn't resist the reduced £6 alphabetti spaghetti picture! DS1 also bought some new saws as we have a window surround to at least temporarily tidy up - there's been water coming in around the window (and we have the rotten door frames and crumbling plaster downstairs to show for it Hmm). The seal in the glass has gone and one of the windows is cracked - plus it's warped. We can't change it until we chip the render off the outside of the house.

Do you reckon it might just be cheaper and easier to move?