40 easy style updates
Clever tricks and smart buys
1 Paint nautical stripes
UPDATE A WHITE BEDROOM BY ADDING A JAUNTY SPLASH OF COLOUR. INTRODUCE ACCENTS OF NAVY AND RED WITH A BORDER OF STRIPES AT PICTURE RAIL HEIGHT. USE NAVY PAINT TO FILL IN THE AREA ABOVE THE RAIL, THEN PAINT THE RAIL BOLD RED – OR PAINT A NEAT STRIPE USING FROGTAPE IF THERE ISN’T A RAIL. Escape Denim double duvet set,
£120, Christy
2 Make hanging shelves
PUT TOGETHER A SET OF SHELVES USING STRONG ROPE AND SHORT, LIGHTWEIGHT PLANKS OF WOOD. KNOT
THE ROPE TO CREATE LOOPS (ONE SET FOR EACH END), THEN SIMPLY SLOT IN YOUR SHELVES. SUSPEND THE ROPE USING STURDY SCREW-IN HOOKS.
3
KEEP SUMMER NIGHTS BUG FREE
Ensure you’re not plagued by mozzies when you’re outside after dark. Citronella will keep bugs at bay – this candle also has notes of coriander, thyme, lemon and mint so won’t overpower when you’re eating alfresco.
TRIM A CURTAIN 4
WITH SHELLS
Make an easy curtain tie-back using shells collected at the beach.
Use a short length of string for the tie-back, twist with natural raffia then knot shells on for decoration.
5 SMARTEN UP YOUR DOOR MAT
Update a plain coir door mat by painting on your own design. Create simple patterns using masking tape or try a stencil to create house numbers or lettering. Use a stiff bristled brush and acrylic paint.
SALVAGE OLD 6
KNITWEAR
If you’ve got knitted jumpers or stripy sweaters with holes or marks you can’t remove, salvage the good bits and re-use to make woollen cushion covers. Go for cable or Aran knits or Breton stripes to add a nautical flavour and finish with chunky wooden buttons and toggles to trim.
7 MAKE A STORM LANTERN
Coil rope around a glass vase, taking it 5-7cm up from the base and glue in place. Pour sand into the base and add a candle.
8
LET GUESTS KNOW YOUR HASHTAG
If you’re hosting a summer party, make sure you get to see all your guests’ photos with this cute Instagram sign. Chalk on your hashtag so you can keep track of all the snaps.
9 Pitch up in style
MAKE SURE YOUR TENT STANDS OUT ON THE CAMPSITE, SO YOU’LL HAVE NO TROUBLE LOCATING IT. STRING COLOURED BUNTING FROM THE TENTPOLE AND KIT IT OUT WITH PLENTY OF RUGS AND COMFY CUSHIONS.
10 Frame a gorgeous view
CARVE OUT A SPOT WHERE YOU CAN TAKE TIME TO RELAX AND ENJOY THE VIEW. TAKE OVER A BAY WINDOW, UNDER-USED LANDING OR AWKWARD CORNER AND FILL THE SPACE WITH BANQUETTE SEATING TOPPED WITH PLENTY OF CUSHIONS AND THROWS.
11 MAKE BEACH MEMORY JARS
Keep kids amused in the summer break by making holiday memory jars. Start with a layer of sand in the base and pop in photos, shells and mini mementos, plus a label recording the date and location.
12
DISPLAY ART BY THEME
Give wall art impact by picking a theme – try vintage travel posters or black and white photography. Group prints in rows of three or five or arrange in blocks of four or six.
13 Pot up your own herbs
USE ENAMELWARE MUGS, TEAPOTS AND JUGS TO GROW HERBS ON A WINDOWSILL. ADD A LAYER OF GRIT AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH FOR DRAINAGE AND LABEL WITH CARD AND STRING.
14 PLANT IN A PATHWAY
Fill gaps and cracks in a garden path with aromatic plants that’ll release a scent. Go for plants that grow dense and short, like fragrant thyme or camomile.
15 Paint cabinets a moody blue
REVAMP KITCHEN UNITS BY PAINTING THEM A BOLD SHADE – TRY NAVY, BOTTLE GREEN OR CHARCOAL. CONTRAST DIFFERENT TEXTURES TO MAKE THE COLOUR STAND OUT, SUCH AS MARBLE WORKTOPS, COPPER TAPS AND LINEN BLINDS.
16 Make a sun canopy
TRY YOUR HAND AT CREATING A DIPDYED SUN CANOPY TO ADD A SPLASH OF COLOUR TO THE PATIO. USE COTTON MUSLIN, SUBMERGING IT BIT-BY-BIT INTO A BOWL OF FABRIC DYE SOLUTION TO CREATE THE GRADUATED EFFECT.
17 PUT ON A SPREAD
Serve tapas or picnic nibbles without worrying about breakages. This stylish plate set is made of durable melamine and features four witty phrases.
18 Give your bedroom a coastal vibe
RE-CREATE A LAID-BACK HOLIDAY MOOD BY REWORKING YOUR SCHEME WITH A COASTAL EDGE. KEEP IT SIMPLE WITH A NEUTRAL BACKDROP OF WHITE WALLS, THEN LAYER UP THE BED WITH RED AND WHITE CHECKS, AND HITS OF BLUE.
19
REARRANGE THE FURNITURE
Rather than huddling furniture around the fireplace, shift the focus of the room towards the garden, positioning seats towards windows or French doors so you can take in the view.
20
UPCYCLE AN OLD LADDER
Repurpose a shabby stepladder into a plant stand. Leave it natural or spruce up with garden paint then prop against a wall. Stand pots on the rungs or use S-hooks to suspend them.
DON’T GO 21
OVERBOARD
Go for a paredback approach if you’re channelling coastal style, with just a few well-chosen accessories here and there rather than a ‘themed’ look.
22 HANG A SUMMER GARLAND ON THE DOOR
Tuck in-season blooms and foliage into the weave of a willow wreath. Decorate two thirds of the ring, leaving some of the willow bare for an undone rustic look.
23 Make a hanging garden
TURN AN OLD SHOE CADDY INTO A HANGING HERB GARDEN. PUT EACH PLANT INTO A PLASTIC SANDWICH BAG (WITH HOLES FOR DRAINAGE) AND POP ONE IN EACH POCKET, LABELLING THEM WITH PAPER TAGS.
24
STORE KIT IN A CADDY
Save endless trips back and forth to the garden when you’re eating outside by storing all your dining musthaves in an easy-to-carry caddy, containing cutlery, condiments, serving spoons, napkins and a bottle opener.
25 COOL DOWN THE HOUSE
On hot days, open lower windows on the shady side and upstairs on the sunny side to get a through draught. Open the loft hatch, too, if you have one.
26 Be inspired by nature
MAKE A BRANCH INTO A PIECE OF HANGING WALL ART. PAINT IT WHITE, LEAVING SOME WOOD EXPOSED, THEN MOUNT ON THE WALL USING HOOKS AND TWINE. KNOT ON ORNAMENTS AND GREENERY WITH MORE TWINE.
27 Keep a casual set-up
MAKE THE MOST OF LONG, LAZY DAYS WITH A RELAXED TABLE SET-UP THAT’LL SEE YOU FROM BREAKFAST TO SUPPER. SWAP CHAIRS FOR A WOODEN BENCH, PILED WITH CUSHIONS AND THROWS, PLUS CASUAL, CHUNKY TABLEWARE.
28 UPCYCLE A PLAIN WICKER BASKET
Add a painted stripe to give a plain wicker basket a decorative edge. Mask off the area to be painted with tape and use a stiff brush and pale, chalky paint.
29
SERVE UP A PARTY TREAT
Save on post-party tidying with disposable paper tubs for serving ice cream. If you’re super-organised, save time beforehand by putting a scoop of ice cream in each the night before and storing in the freezer in a muffin tin.
30
HIDE AN UGLY DRAINPIPE
Disguise an unsightly drainpipe by wrapping a length of semicircular trellis around the pipe and using it as a support for a flowering climber. Try Greenfingers’ Gardman tube trellis, £10.99 for two
91cm lengths.
31 Try a tile display
CREATE AN EYE-CATCHING SPLASHBACK BY ARRANGING DIFFERENT TILE DESIGNS IN A PATCHWORK FORMAT. CHOOSE TILES IN THE SAME COLOURS, OR PICK UP DESIGNS FROM THE SAME RANGE.
32 MAKE A CONDIMENT TRAY
Save on table space when you’re hosting a barbecue by decanting condiments into a muffin tin, with space for ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles and more – it’ll be easier to carry than jars and bottles.
33
DOUBLE UP WITH A TRAY TABLE
Make the drinks run easier with an outdoor butler’s tray table. The lift-off top makes it easier to transport food and drinks in and out of the house, while the folding base means it can be stashed flat in the shed when it’s not carrying ice-frosted hi-balls. Verdi garden butler table, £59, Cuckooland
34 Keep food covered up
MAKE SURE BUGS DON’T SPOIL AN OUTDOOR FEAST BY MAKING FOOD COVERS USING TERRACOTTA FLOWER POTS. CLEAN POTS THOROUGHLY AND ONCE DRY, PAINT WITH WATERBASED EGGSHELL. POKE KNOTTED ROPE THROUGH THE BOTTOMS FOR HANDLES.
35
ADD SOME EXTRA SPARKLE
Take twinkling night lights into the garden after dusk to create a magical mood on summer evenings. Dot them around on tables and windowsills, or hang from branches using wire or lengths of coloured ribbon.
36
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Arrange flowers the easy way. These clever screw-topped jars feature a wire mesh in the lid, so you can push stems through the holes and the arrangement will stay in place.