COVER ALL YOUR BASES

MAKEOVERS NEED NOT COST THE EARTH IF YOU FOLLOW RECYCLE, RENEW, RESTORE AND REPAIR RULES ON INTERIORS

You shouldn’t need to take out a second mortgage to give your home a makeover. Focus on the four Rs: recycle, renew, restore and repair, then devote a small budget to versatile, quality new pieces to refresh interiors for a small investment.

First stop: your local op shop, eBay or Gumtree for timber furniture pieces like dining tables, coffee tables, side tables and buffets that you sand, paint, repair and rejuvenate. Recycling is a smart approach because if your style changes, you can restore these pieces time and time again. Next, it is time to up your upholstery game.

Find a second-hand chair, couch, bedhead or ottoman that just needs re- covering.

But upholstering furniture isn’t cheap and much of the cost is in the labour.

I think it is well worth taking an upholstery course as a future investment.

A simple way to fill a wall is to create a picture gallery with budget frames.

Fill them with your own photos, print homemade artworks, or fill them with textiles you love. The best way to rejuvenate your bedroom on a budget is to invest in versatile bed linen, cushions and doona covers.

Choose doona covers that are reversible so you get two looks from each piece, then choose two different colours of bed linen that match your doona cover so you can create four looks from three pieces.