B&Q unloved rooms revamp - review thread for MNers getting stuck in! NOW CLOSED

[TheOtherHelenMumsnet]

This thread is for the 20 MNers who have been chosen by B&Q to revamp an unloved room in their home.

Those selected have been sent a B&Q giftcard to buy the things they need to give their unloved room a makeover. They've undertaken to complete the makeover by 3rd June, and will be keeping us up-to-date on how their revamps are going on this thread as well as posting photos.

Please do follow their stories and add your own comments if you want to show some support!

Below are the questions we'd like testers to answer but please feel free to add your own comments too. Please give us a bit of info about the room you're revamping and what you plan to do with it in your response.

• Why is your unloved room unloved? What do you want to change about it? What has stopped you until now?
• Where did you get your inspiration for doing up the room from? What sort of style are you going for etc?
• Have you had much help along the way with the revamp? If so, who from? And what sort of help - practical or ideas-based?!
• How did you find your shopping experience at B&Q? Were the staff helpful? Did you find anything in store you maybe didn't expect to beforehand?
• Did you use any of the help and advice that B&Q offer? This includes their videos on YouTube, leaflets and classes in store etc. If so, how useful was that help and advice?
• If B&Q could do anything more to help you next time you visit, what would it be?
• Have you had any feedback on what you've done with the room from family/friends? Has the transformation had a big impact on you and/or your family?

If you're not an official tester but would like to be in with a chance of winning a £200 B&Q giftcard, please post on this thread to tell us about your own room revamp successes (or failures!) - we'd love to hear from all MNers who have a room makeover story to share!

Thanks very much
MNHQ

And we're done!

Our B&Q card bought us: emulsion paint for walls and ceiling, gloss for woodwork, satin for wardrobe revamp, curtains, curtain pole, cushions, pendant ceiling light (I was able to be extravagant for once and spent £80 on it ), sandpaper, wallpaper stripper, brushes, curtain hooks and extra rings and a few random DIY bits and bobs.

I LOVE it! So calming, bright and clean! Thank you B&Q and MN. The deadline caused a bit of stress at first but has actually been brilliant because we've 'done a room' in just over 2 weeks when it previously took us months and months! Pics to follow as a bit of a faff switching to desktop site.

I've also loved sharing the 'journey' with you MNers, it's been a fun few weeks! Thanks all.

Before 1

chippy I love that wallpaper, where's it from?

Before 2
No idea why these pics are on their side, sorry

During 1

During 2- wardrobe revamp

After: bed, walls, cushions

Light and wardrobes

Why is your unloved room unloved? What do you want to change about it? What has stopped you until now?

Well orginally it was my 18 year old son's room as it was well past it's sell by date and he is 6ft 3 and outgrown his bed. But Alas he could not tidy it in order to decorate and as my time was running out and he had interview and A-level to revise for so I decide not to chuck him out of his room this week. However he will benefit from this excercise as whilst me DP and the other kids were in B & Q buying paint and rugs and lamp shades we also got sidetracked by the wardrobes that had 20% off so have decided that they will be his treat as his current wardrobe is actually older than him!!!
Anyway my plan was to focus on changing around the kids bedrooms so my daughter has moved into the former spare room which was a neglected dumping groud (apart from nice wardrobes). My newest son also now has (sort of) a room. This will be a work in progress!!!! See pic below.
Anyway think that we took on a bit much and being half-term it has been manic and nearly sent me to tears!!!! Much needed wine last night.

Where did you get your inspiration for doing up the room from? What sort of style are you going for etc?

Daughter gave inspiration for her room - pink, red and hello kitty.

Have you had much help along the way with the revamp? If so, who from? And what sort of help - practical or ideas-based?!

DP is a bit of a whizz with a paint brush and gotta say he has done most of the work - but I have booked on course at local B & Q so I can be ready for son's room next.

How did you find your shopping experience at B&Q? Were the staff helpful? Did you find anything in store you maybe didn't expect to beforehand?

Shopping experience at B & Q was quite painless even with 2 youngest with us. Helpful and experienced staff.

Did you use any of the help and advice that B&Q offer? This includes their videos on YouTube, leaflets and classes in store etc. If so, how useful was that help and advice?

No but have booked course. Oh did ask about glitter paint and drying of other paint and they were very informative.

If B&Q could do anything more to help you next time you visit, what would it be?

As explained aboe we have decided to make purchase of wardrobes for DS1's bedroom we went back to store on Saturday evening (it was 6pm) but lack to staff to discuss wardrobes and have to leave before purchase as DS2 was hungry and wanting his bottle! Will see on next visit.

Have you had any feedback on what you've done with the room from family/friends? Has the transformation had a big impact on you and/or your family?

Have inspired brother and sister-in-law to hurry up and decorate their nursery for their new arrival due in September - gave advice re our experience.

This is DD new room(you may need sunglasses)!

Photos on wall

Another view of sparkly princess palace

We have finished....hurrah :)

After pictures taken, just need to upload to this thread.

We ended up with a pink and purple butterfly room for our girls and looking to decorate our box room for our boy at a later date (after a break and a well deserved g&t). We still have things to do in this room which couldn't be done due to timescales...I will be sewing an fabric den on the bottom bunk for the girls to play in and some glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. But the room works without these things.

DD1 is so excited and can't wait to go to bed tonight...Thanks so much Mumsnet and B&Q :)

Before Sparkly pink walls

Wow all of these makeovers look fabulous

Rooms swapped but DS2's room still needs work - have curtains up from other room but not dark enough - hence we have compromised

I've gotta say reading through the posts - there are some real success stories - well done! Nothing like a bit of urgency to get us all going!

Reastie - wallpaper is this one in blue. I did try several from B&Q but they didn't float my boat. I managed to pick up a couple of rolls much more cheaply on eBay though.

chippy reminds me a bit of [http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=laura+ashley+summer+palace+duck+egg+wallpaper&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=EI6rUbqZM4PXPcz_gfAN&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=617 this which is what we are doing the spare room in this summer :)

Nuts, try linking again

Yawn! So near and yet so far...Cracked on with a vengeance today and made significant progress.

We've semi-solved the crackled walls disaster - we've sealed in the 'crackle' with the PVA/water mix - it's created rather an interesting distressed, antiqued beadboard effect. Not entirely as intended but it gives the room a rather quirky look and is certainly a 500% improvement on how it looked last Monday. We also decided to use Dulux's Light-and-Space-Paint in Coastal-Glow rather than the eco-paint (which looks nice on the ceiling anyway).

Used buttermilk satinwood, which I must say we've found much easier to work with than gloss. But as the sun shines onto DS's built in wooden wardrobes in the late afternoon, we decided that we might actually leave them white to brighten and reflect light back into the room rather than being absorbed by the buttermilk colour. Another coat to the door and the skirting boards and that's done and dusted.

DS is getting excited and I'm hoping we've created a better chillax and study space for DS. There will certainly be more space for him as he grows into young adulthood!

Sorry will put all pics up tomorrow evening if we haven't expired thro' over-exertion by then. It's certainly been challenging and enjoyable despite the significant setback.

Everyone's completed rooms look fab! Well done!

The boys painting the 1st wall green

green walls. paint was very easy to apply, only needed 1 coat. my partner david and my 3year old son Micah did most of the painting. I did a bit, but im currently 34weeks pregnant, so couldnt do too much

grey, lined curtains up. in place of the discoloured, unlined brown curtains we had previously

All finished! Phew - nothing like a tight deadline to get you off your butt and moving! I was worried that we wouldn't make it as we had walls that needed plastering.

The room looks great, we have cleared out enough room to get ds4 out of our room and into the boys bedroom so that's an added bonus . I will upload some more photos when I get to my laptop.

Good to see everyone doing some great things, it's quite inspiring.

revamp so far. green walls, lampshade up, new grey curtains up. green and grey cushions and green throw on the bed (excuse the blue duvet covers, which dont match, they are just what we have on the bed at the moment)