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

[JParkson]

thanks thecat :)

We've only done this much as DH had the past 2 weeks off, and I spent the last week thinking about my ideal room! He's very driven when pushed like this, so to be honest, most of the credit is his! I just picked the colours/wallpaper, and he did the rest!

I'm inclined to agree with you on the duvet front; plain is better. I'll have a google round, and see what I can come up with before canvassing more opinions!

As for your colours, I'd personally prefer the lighter one, but only because my room is so small. I think the larger the room, the better it could cope with a darker colour. (I nearly picked a midnight blue paper for the end wall - thankfully DH talked me out of it!)

I don't know that painting some walls one colour and others the other is always such a good idea. One of the houses we rented had this (strong purple on the two end walls and medium lilac on the side walls) and at the time I loved it but now I think about it, I cringe!

We did a subtle version in our main room, as all the walls were magnolia, and it's so large. So DH chose a very pale coffee colour (Dulux natural hessian) and painted the accent walls with that. It's not immediately noticable except in strong light. But it's nice enough to add a little depth to some tricky spaces.

[gazzalw]

Right, the saga is ongoing and not entirely helpful to the cause of those of us without a car..... I went to go to the one near work only it's now turned into a Wickes so couldn't order and pay there...... In the end in order to hurry things up, I've used my own card to order and buy most of the stuff (excluding the pictures and cushions which have to be collected in-store and will have to wait until half-term) on-line. However, it looks as if the delivery is going to happen in several stages with the first things coming later this week....

Just to point out that we used to have two B&Q stores within walking distance and spent much time and money in there. It was easy because it was simple to do several trips. Now it is less so. However there hasn't been a local one for about five years or so....

Our experience this far with this room revamp, is probably a salutory lesson to those at B&Q HQ to help out those who don't have cars...and a lot of people in London don't....And also to update your online ordering system to encompass gift cards - DW ordered stuff from John Lewis' earlier this week using multiple gift vouchers. It's not ideal customer service not to be as enabling as possible to all your potential clients!

Sorry don't mean to be negative but we could have started by now and seem to be being thwarted by a) payment options and b) not having a branch of B&Q on our doorstep!

[Babieseverywhere]

I went to our local B&Q today and picked up tester pots of paint in icecream shades of pink, purple and yellowly cream to try on the walls. Plus sugar soap and sandpaper to clean and prep the gloss work.

I have a week to prep the room...strip wallpaper, do gloss work etc...I hope I'll do an ok job, as I haven't done stuff like this on my own. I'll be doing it in small bits when I can fit it in around my four kids and whilst looking after the toddler and baby.

My husband will be helping with moving furniture and has booked a couple of days off nearer the deadline to do papering, painting and any drilling needed.

[WibbleBoy]

Well; as OurYve mentioned earlier, I spent a large portion of today getting plastered at the Durham B&Q store. It's a course I'd actually been interested for a while, but never got around to trying. The Monday-morning session wasn't massively popular (I was the only "student" there), but this meant that I got a load of one-to-one time.

The tutor (Ged) was an enthusiastic long-term DIYer, was open to questions and very easy to talk to. We quickly flew through the opening section on patching a stud partition wall, which begun by smashing a hole in a fake wall with a hammer, which everyone should try at least once :) this section recapped stuff I'd read the theory about, but never actually applied before.

The main section, covered actually plastering a couple of walls. After a brief theory discussion about tool selection, and how these would be used, we jumped in to the messy stuff.

We alternated between working over existing plaster, and on fresh plasterboard, splitting this way allowed time for the various layers to "set" before continuing. We went through a typical plastering process; applying two layers of plaster to the test areas, then finishing with two "wet trowel" passes to get a smoother finish.

I definitely learned a lot from the session; my first attempts at loading the tools and applying to the wall were very messy and left an awful finish. However by the end of the session, my confidence had grown and I'd begun to develop a workable technique with an almost-acceptable result. While I wouldn't feel confident enough yet to attempt any large-scale plastering job, I think that I could get there with a little practice.

It was even suggested that if I wanted to practice, I could set up a "test zone" in the garage by attaching a simple timber frame to the wall and screwing a sheet of plasterboard to it. This is something I would consider in the future, it would make as a novel alternative to "hiding in my shed" :)

Seriously though, the session was very useful and I would thoroughly recommend it based on my experience. I'm now considering signing up for another course (the one about tiling looks interesting). DS1 is also interesting in the Kids courses, so we'll probably sign him up for one of the "Daddy & Me Toolboxes" courses around Fathers' Day weekend.

[eteo]

Bought these bright colour cushions from B&Q! Loving them!

[nevergoogle]

The B&Q Club means you get discount on interior paints if you spend over £30 at the moment.

And if you take an oldie with you on a wednesday they get something like 10% off everything too.

[nevergoogle]

oooh pretty! eteo.

i want to be at the cushion buying stage.

[eteo]

Using B&Q app to measure the amount of wall paper i need

[Nehru]

thecat

MAKE YOUR HUSBAND

[Nehru]

i am admiring Jparkinson's husbands arse atm

[eteo]

Bought these stuffs for my wallpaper project

[eteo]

Putting up wallpaper. First time doing it by watching B&Q diy video

[eteo]

The finish project!

[thecatcamebacktheverynextday]

Nehru - not that simple. He hates any DIY and isn't any good at it either.

Eteo love the stripy wallpaper!

nevergoogle The 15% interior paint runs out today I think, or it does at our local store.Shame I'm not ready to buy mine yet!

gazzalw Sorry to hear you're having problems . I didn't realise the B&Q website doesn't take gift cards. I was intending to purchase a new door for our room but that may be a problem as I drive a very small car. What a nightmare for you!

Wibble, glad your class went well! I can't wait for mine next week, I'm learning all about how to paint! hoping someone will teach me how to paint in a straight line.

Still undecided about colour...

[ChippyMinton]

eteo - I have the lime green cushions! And some plain pink with green piping from the clearance bin. If I don't use them in the bedroom they will go on my garden chairs

[gazzalw]

Wow - you are all getting on really well...Eteo your wall looks very good! Well done...

Yes, Thecatcamebacktheverynextday, it's a pain. I have ordered the stuff with my own money and will buy the click and collect things on the card next week when I happen (happily) to be in the close vicinity of one of the big stores about 30 minutes from us. I think the rest of the gift card will be used for another room at some later stage.

When we were having the conversation last night about the local B&Q stores closing down in recent years, we realised that it's since they've closed, and we haven't had convenient local access, that our DIY projects have all but dried up. Take note B&Q!!!

[Londonseye]

Gazza a b&q just opened up near us. Next closest was 30 min drive away! Though there is a huge warehouse trade one 40 mins away too. We used to have a focus, but they closed down. Thankfully b&q bought the store and opened a shop almost on my doorstep. But we have been mostly shopping at the big one.

My only issue is they are lacking a bit of wall art. We like "stuff" and had to go elsewhere to get most of it. I suppose that mixed with personal taste, would have meant we needed to shop around anyway. The way we have decorated is probably a bit like marmite anyway. Some people will not like it!! Pictures this evening when I get a minute.

[gazzalw]

That's good for you Londonseye!

You are all getting on at a rate...we will be doing it mostly next week I think.....

Yes, DW was saying that she was looking for quirky clocks etc... and there was not of that type of stuff online - any more in store anyone?

[HappyHippyChick]

So, I finally have found time to post, it has been crazy in my house! Really want to say thanks for picking me, my unloved room is my boys bedroom and it is truely unloved. Foolishly in my haste to get started I took a great before video but not any good photos

But here is what I have....

[JParkson]

Avert your eyes nehru!

[thecatcamebacktheverynextday]

I've discovered that my local B&Q is only a mini-warehouse (despite being quite large). And other local stores are either a 'warehouse' or 'supercentre'.

Can anyone tell me what the difference is and which is bigger?

[ChippyMinton]

I had a complete change of theme after waking at 6am is a half-decorated room and realising I didn't want a boring boutique hotel vibe, I want colour. Check out this wallpaper in light blue for the wall behind my bed - got a bargain on ebay which should arrive in time for the weekend. It was twice the price and 3 week delivery everywhere else

I'm going to return a load of stuff to B&Q and re-buy the soft furnishings in different colours. Eteo's bright cushions have inspired me!

[katiewalters]

my bedroom which we will be getting the revamp. excuse the mess, everything that has no place to go ends up in our room and were currently moving things about and around, as trying to sort stuff for the baby which is due in july. boring magnolia walls, dark brown, unlined curtains. nothing exciting, needs brightening up

[nevergoogle]

eteo, your wallpapering looks fab!

[thecatcamebacktheverynextday]

I've started a job I've been meaning to do for ages - DD has a little wooden table and 2 chairs from Ikea that I've been meaning to paint for ages. I've bought two (more) tester pots, one bright red, one bright blue and have primed them all tonight. Will paint them tomorrow.

I've got someone coming out tomorrow night to give me advice about the ceiling and the floor. Hoping to finally get a move on this weekend.