We can be DIY heroes ( just for one day)
From feature walls to Ikea ‘hacks’, Talib Choudary offers up swift bank holiday projects that can be done and dusted by Monday
Who says that the British love affair with DIY is on the wane? According to a recent survey, more than a third of UK homeowners regret ever starting a DIY project, and half of all millennials with their own place would rather hire a professional than get their hands dirty putting up a shelf.
But it’s a Bank Holiday weekend, when even the most reluctant of Diyers magically become have-a-go doer-uppers. Here, then, are a few ideas for projects that can be done and dusted by Monday, from easy updates to more radical revamps.
Become an Ikea hacker
In the world of home improvement, the hot trend is for “Ikea-hacking” – customising flat-pack furniture and sharing the results online. “I was browsing some home decorating sites and noticed how they each featured Ikea furniture that had been modified,” says Jules Yap, founder of the website Ikeahackers.net.
“I thought it would be useful to have them all on one site. That was my light bulb moment.”
Nine years later and Ikea-hacking has gone from a geeky, niche interest into a global craze, which has culminated in Yap’s new book, Ikeahackers.net (Century, £12.99), which contains 25 projects that people have submitted from all over the world – from turning Bumerang clothes hangers into a lampshade, to installing a hidden den beneath a child’s cabin bed.
Who would have imagined a coffee table could be crafted from four sets of magazine files? Or that it was possible to turn kitchen cabinets into a lofted bed with storage? The finished results of some hacks beg the question why on earth would you bother? But others are inspired – generally small tweaks that elevate the mundane into the magnificent, such as Ikea’s perforated Algot shelves turned into a nifty radiator cover.
Hacks to kitchen cabinets are also often particularly effective; Yap has done just that to her own kitchen.
“My advice for the newbie hacker is to start small,” she says. “Sometimes just a simple change in colour, fabric or embellishment will make a big difference to a piece of furniture. If you need to use tools, be sure you know what you are doing – cutting up a piece of furniture may modify the structural integrity of the product, so be clear of the risks.” Indeed. DIY disasters are never a good look.
If you have an Ikea kitchen but fancy a change, Swedish company Superfront will come to the rescue. It has an endless array of door fronts, handles, worktops and legs that fit Ikea cupboard carcasses, so you can transform a budget kitchen into a bespoke beauty (from £55 for a door; superfront.com).
Create a feature wall
Feature walls have made a comeback, with options ranging from bold photorealist murals to more subtle decorative displays.
They are a swift, budget-friendly way to transform a room; pick a wall that has no obstacles (windows, doors, radiators, etc) to make the job even easier.
For a streamlined alternative to a headboard, try hanging a dramatic wallpaper behind your bed.
Charlotte Cosby, creative head at Farrow & Ball, has cut the brand’s Silvergate damask wallpaper into a scalloped silhouette in her bedroom, as featured in her book, Farrow & Ball: How to Decorate (Mitchell Beazley, £30). Further inspiration comes from Rebel Walls, whose Misty Forest and Bellewood designs bring nature indoors (£33 per m2, rebelwalls.co.uk) and Woodchip & Magnolia, whose Botanical Nostalgia wallpaper is