Please or to access all these features

Product tests

Here's where users test and review products and give their feedback. If you'd like to run a product test please email [email protected].

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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:
Londonseye · 19/05/2013 12:47

DP is painting our Tree of Life on the wall as we speak. I need to spend a day sifting through charity shops for small vintage looking photo frames so we can add family to the tree. We had to buy stuff like new bedding, furniture, so we have spent another £650. But it means our DS and DD can get rid of their rubbish little wardrobes and have the ones from our room when we get new ones. So everyone benefits. DP is using some of our left over voucher money to buy tester pots to paint murals on the kids walls, so we are almost doing a three room makeover out of this. And I am mlooking at new carpets tooBlush. I will post our before and after photos once complete which will be before the week is done!

I quite like the deadline pressure. I work to deadlines in my job, and it makes me do things. I always thought it was the 3rd of June too. Which is when our furnitue arrives, so it will be a race to build it and photo graph it. But might just take a photo with our old furniture in case flatpack makes me flappy.

FourLittleDudes · 19/05/2013 17:38

I have been to b&q today and done some shopping!

I bought:

Wall bracket for the tv
Shelf things to go under it
Paint pod paint x2 - that stuff is ££££
Filler and sand paper
Gloss
Big fat anchor screw things
2 rolls of wall paper
Paste and brush
Trunking

And then decided my feet were hurting to much and have up for today Smile B&Q isn't fun with a toddler and a baby!

I still have £125 left to get either curtains and cushions or wall lights and a floor lamp, I can't decide.

gazzalw · 20/05/2013 07:37

This is not going entirely to plan. DS and I went to our 'local' (about a 30 minute bus journey away) to order the list of items DW had chosen and to pick up the "click to collect" items she'd ordered on Friday - the guys couldn't do the order without the codes (which DW hadn't put on the paper having had to transfer from her 'trolley' list) and the items to be collected hadn't arrive Hmm. Now I've got the printed off trolley list I'm going to go into the branch near work and see if I can order/buy there and have delivered to our home sometime this week.

DS and I did however manage to carry home six rolls of rather heavy wallpaper so we can make a start sooner rather than later.... Grin

FourLittleDudes · 20/05/2013 08:23

m.diy.com/mt/www.diy.com/nav/decor/wallpaper-wall-stickers/wallpaper/blues/Sophie-Conran-Bohemia-Teal-Wallpaper-11547506?tab=rev&action=detail&un_jtt_v_r=52 This is the wallpaper that I've gone for, I'm worrying now that its to bright, its only for one wall though. The paint is a neutral colour, m.diy.com/mt/www.diy.com/nav/decor/paint/interior-paint/natural-brown-cream/dulux-paintpod-paints/Dulux-PaintPod-Matt-Emulsion-Natural-Wicker-5L-10299045?tab=rev&action=detail&un_jtt_v_r=53 but I'm not sure now that it goes. Its just a shade darker than magnolia.

I don't know whether to spend the rest of the money on curtains and cushions, or wall lights and floor lamp. At the moment the wall lights are gold coloured and old fashioned, the main light is silver and modern so they don't match. Ds3 and ds4 will climb a floor lamp though. The curtains are natural stone sort of colour but thin and cheap looking, we don't have any cushions at the moment, although they would probably just get thrown around by the boys. They would hide where the sofa is starting to look scruffy though.

FourLittleDudes · 20/05/2013 08:24

m.diy.com/mt/www.diy.com/nav/decor/wallpaper-wall-stickers/wallpaper/blues/Sophie-Conran-Bohemia-Teal-Wallpaper-11547506?tab=rev&action=detail&un_jtt_v_r=52 This is the wallpaper that I've gone for, I'm worrying now that its to bright, its only for one wall though. The paint is a neutral colour, m.diy.com/mt/www.diy.com/nav/decor/paint/interior-paint/natural-brown-cream/dulux-paintpod-paints/Dulux-PaintPod-Matt-Emulsion-Natural-Wicker-5L-10299045?tab=rev&action=detail&un_jtt_v_r=53 but I'm not sure now that it goes. Its just a shade darker than magnolia.

Bracketfungus · 20/05/2013 17:30

I think I've blown the free course then, because the guy asked if I had looked on the website, and I said I'd go away and look. I might have taken the phone number down, but I was having a very busy day at work so if I did I have lost the bit of paper.

I am now dithering which room to do..... I had planned on the extremely unloved spare room which requires roof insulation and built in shelving, but I fear the time/ budget won't stretch to that. Now I am wondering about my bedroom which is grey with a ghastly teddy bear border which I LOATHE. Is the point to transform a regularly used and vile room, or to sort out a neglected corner?

How are the rest of you managing combining this with work?

Bracketfungus · 20/05/2013 17:32

By the way, 4 little dudes, I love the wall paper and definately think it is not too much.

Bracketfungus · 20/05/2013 17:33

And it definately goes.

Bracketfungus · 20/05/2013 17:35

I really like this wallpaper
caicos

Londonseye · 20/05/2013 18:44

There is a feedback thread now open :)

Bracketfungus · 20/05/2013 23:10

Would you mind linking it on here? I've lost the insight section!
Ta

New posts on this thread. Refresh page