Seeing as the majority of items in my home & wardrobe are second-hand (or rescued from a skip), Recycle Week gives me a chance to shout about all the fab things you can make from unwanted furniture or waste materials – such as these fun upcycling DIYs…
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Through renovating my own home I’ve come to realise just how much value can be added to a property by decorating, remodelling and extending – in more ways than one…
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Hallways can be tricky spaces to decorate. Even though you only pass through them, they link all the other rooms together and the flooring needs to be hardwearing in such a hard traffic area. While working on my own hallway I pulled together some practical makeover ideas…
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If you’ve got old plastic seating – whether desk chairs, garden loungers or old school seats – it IS possible to refresh the faded & stained plastic rather than taking them to the tip. Here’s how I got on when I gave my plastic swivel chairs a makeover…
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Eeeee it’s so exciting! After many years of admiring the work of other Interior Blog Award winners – and even writing about some of their homes for Reclaim magazine – I’ve finally been nominated! Please can you help me get through to the shortlist by voting for me??
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While writing about home restorations for Reclaim magazine, I’ve heard many stories from homeowners who uncovered problems during their property renovation. Here are some handy tips for renovating a Victorian, Edwardian or Georgian home…
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If you fancy saving money on decking but still want to get a good result in your garden, I’ve shared a step-by-step guide to make this deck for yourself – using pallet wood…
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It’s been a while since I posted any updates on my little vintage caravan makeover but that doesn’t mean it’s been put on hold. While a lot of work has already been done, there’s still a lot more to do – some of it rather more practical than aesthetic. Here’s what I’ve been up to…
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If you’ve got a rusty old bicycle that has seen better days, don’t chuck it out just yet – you can renovate it to give it a new lease of life, or upcycle it to use as a pretty planter in your cottage garden. Here’s how to revamp your old bike…
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If you’re using a lap tray for your lunch or to hold snacks during film night, it’ll probably get sticky & icky quickly. Even after wiping them down regularly & being careful with spills, they still ended up with little stains & grease marks on the surface. Here’s how to give a lap tray a quick makeover with self-adhesive vinyl…
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I’ve been DIYing again and this time I’ve made some nightstands for the bedroom. It’s a simple project that makes use of old drawers from a broken chest to create bedside tables – here’s how…
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If you fancy giving your kitchen a new look, there’s no need to splash out on an entirely new installation. Even melamine cupboards can be revamped with spray paint! Here’s a step by step video to show you how to makeover your cabinets…
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We have a brick outbuilding that has seen better days so I wanted to spruce up the exterior a little to make it look a little nicer in our garden. Here are some photos of my quick DIY makeover…
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The original pallet bar project been repurposed – and for good reason. I’ve decided growing veg is more important than having an alfresco G&T, so I’ve given over my much-loved pallet bar to create a nursery space for my seedlings. Here’s how…
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We’ve been relying on online orders more over the past month so I thought it would be a good idea to build a parcel box and share the step-by-step project. But how do you build a delivery box without going shopping for DIY materials..?
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As a homeowner, you may be looking to do some improvements while you’re spending more time at home but lack the cash to dedicate to materials. The cost of a home renovation in 2020 averages at around £55 or $60 per square foot, according to findings by HomeAdvisor. Luckily, there are some trending home improvements that cost very little. Just like designing a low-cost garden, all you need is some spit, grit, and a little imagination..!
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If you’re spending more time in the garden and need a project to work on, here’s an easy DIY that you can complete in a day. And, if you’re anything like me, you probably already have all of the materials you need lying around on your wood pile, or perhaps you’ve got a pallet stowed behind the shed? Here’s how to turn that old timber into something useful…
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If you’ve got your mum coming to stay for Mother’s Day this year, why not give her the hotel experience with a mini makeover for your guest room? Plus, I’ve shared a DIY project to turn an old photo frame into a breakfast tray so that you can bring your mother breakfast in bed too…
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If you want to get a high-end look for your furniture but are on a flat-pack budget, don’t despair. It can be done! Today I’m sharing three of designer Melanie Lissack’s amazing IKEA transformations to inspire you…
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If you’ve spotted my pallet bar around the internet (and on the TV now, thanks to Kirstie Allsopp!) you may be interested to see today’s pallet project – a Spanish-style wine tavern pallet bar with summery stenciled pattern…
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When my pallet bar popped up on the TV last week, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It appeared on Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It show and I am chuffed to bits! Here’s a video of that exciting moment..!
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January is probably the worst time of year to be without heating, right? It’s frosty outside today, I shivvered my way around the shops yesterday and the wind is whipping around the house. However, now that I’m indoors with the heating on, I’m nice and cosy despite the cold temperatures outside. But that was a completely different story last week when our boiler broke down…
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If you’re a big fan of house plants like me, here’s a quick and easy DIY plant nursery unit that you can make to keep all your cuttings, off-shoots and baby plants safe and cosy while they grow. You can choose a cabinet to suit the style of your home, and it looks pretty darn cool too! Here’s how to do it…
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Does your home smell a little foisty? Do you have condensation on your windows? Is there a little patch of mould in the corner of your room? At this time of year it’s easy for sealed, heated homes to become breeding grounds for mould but don’t worry, it’s a problem that you can solve yourself – here’s how…
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I was getting close to completing my DIY kitchen renovation but it all went spectacularly wrong last week. If you’ve read my blog, you’ll know that my kitchen ceiling now has about 60 holes in it! So it’s back to the drawing board for more kitchen inspo…
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Well, my year has got off to a cracking start..! If you detected a hint of sarcasm in that first sentence, you’d be right. A mysterious water problem quickly turned into a day of emergency repairs, with floorboards taken up, holes drilled and plumbing problems. Here’s what happened…
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Let’s kick off the new decade with the excitement of further home renovations (yes, I’m still at it!) and embracing new technology within the home…
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Over the years I’ve lived in some rather small homes and it’s been difficult to decorate for Christmas in such a compact space. However, that’s never stopped me from filling my home with festive decor each December and, in fact, I’ve quite enjoyed the challenge of making my own DIY space-saving Christmas trees. Here are three ways to upcycle pallets, pipes and paint to create your own unique festive decor that doesn’t take up too much space…
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I’ve been looking ahead to 2020 and making plans for our life and home. With plenty more renovation work on the horizon, I need to think ahead to make sure everything gets done! So, if like me you’re thinking of doing some work on your home in the New Year here are some thing you should consider before you get started…
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No festive party should be without a cocktail cabinet, which is precisely why I’ve DIY’d one this month! Turning this writing bureau into a drinks bar is a relatively easy upcycle (no power tools required!) and it’ll be the hub of all your gatherings over the festive period, so read on to find out more…
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You won’t believe it but, after months (okay, years) of complaining to you about my horrible hallway, the space has finally been decorated! We really knuckled-down this month and pulled-on our paint-spattered overalls for one last push to finish the renovating. You might have already got wind of the fact that we’ve been painting again […]
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When planning a kitchen makeover, it’s surprisingly easy to make aesthetic decisions that might actually be less cost-effective in the long run. So, if you’re researching a renovation project and need to make decisions about your appliances, here are three things to consider to help you save money going forward…
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Another day, another DIY! This time, it’s a classy coffee table that doubles up as handy storage. And would it even be a Cassie Fairy DIY if it didn’t include pallets?? The rustic-yet-cool chevron effect top is all refinished pallet wood – making this a money-saving project too. Read on to find out how to DIY a coffee table for yourself this autumn…
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As you might be able to tell from my previous blog post, I’ve been DIYing this week. With that in mind, I thought I would share some nuggets of DIY wisdom (or words of warning, perhaps..?!) that I’ve come across during my decorating…
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This staircase painting technique can be used either way – painting the centre or the sides of the steps – to give the effect of a runner on your stairs without you having to splash out for a rug, runner or carpet. Here’s how to DIY a staircase runner, the easy way!
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I’ve given my old teak display cabinet a bit of a makeover. Previously, all the messy items I was storing inside the unit were there for all to see – and you know how much I dislike clutter. So, what was the solution? Why, to paint the cabinet doors, of course! But the doors are made entirely of glass, so it’s not as easy as using a tin of paint and a roller (although I’ve never tried that – does it work?) so I’ve put together a little DIY video so guide you through the process…
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It’s been a busy couple of months and I’ve been lucky enough to write a couple of interiors feature for issue 42 and issue 43 of Reclaim magazine. Plus, I’ve also written some blog post elsewhere around the internet so here are the links if you want to check them out..!
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Old and stained double-glazed doors can make your entire home look tired, and no amount of cleaning can get them back to their box-fresh whiteness. PVC doors can be costly to replace so why not spruce them up with a coat of paint? Not possible? Here’s how I revamped my ugly kitchen door with a vibrant pop of colour to keep summery vibes in my home for longer..!
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All photos of Ju’s home by Alexandra Joseph If you’ve been hooked on the new BBC TV show Interior Design Masters since it started in August, you won’t have been able to miss designer Ju de Paula. Her colourful designs and pattern clashing style are taking the show by storm. I was lucky enough to […]
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Last week I mentioned that I’m currently working on renovating my kitchen and that I’d already revamped a few retro kitchen chairs. I’ve since been asked how I restored these junk-shop finds to their former glory so I thought I’d put together a little video to show you how to upholster a kitchen chair and renovate the wooden frame…
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So your family is expanding (congratulations!) and you need to upsize from your current home. Moving house is an exciting time, but it can also be a complicated and stressful process. Adding this on top of your already-busy family life can create frustration for parents so I want to help make the process as easy as possible with these handy house-selling tips…
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I don’t know why hostess trolleys ever went out of fashion. They’re so handy for gathering everything you need together, and wheeling it right where you need it to be. So, when I spotted this old wooden trolley in a skip, I was keen to rescue it. Here’s how to upcycle a retro trolley into a vintage style bar cart for bank holiday parties…
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Home is a place to relax however, sometimes that well-deserved rest becomes elusive & the most common hindrance is noise. Or maybe YOU are making noise & want to be a more considerate neighbour – so here’s how reduce noise the thrifty way…
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To be honest with you, the kitchen was one of the most disgusting rooms in our fixer-upper home. So it was kind-of the room we tackled first. It got a coat of fresh white paint (to cover up the oil-and-nicotine stained walls eww) on the day we got the keys. We’ve since painted the existing cabinets. which has freshened up the units. But there’s still plenty more to do…
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When I found a few brick pallets in a building site skip (and asked if it would be okay to re-use them!) my mind starting whirring at the possible projects they could be used for. The result is this kids’ mud kitchen and I thought I’d share the step-by-step project with you today…
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You may have spotted a sneaky peek of my scaffold board table in my blog post about building rustic benches for my garden but today I’m sharing the step-by-step tutorial with you so that you can have a go at making a DIY scaffolding table for yourself…
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It’s finally happened! I have my very own finished home office! I’m sat at my wall-to-wall DIY desk as we speak, uploading tons of photos to this blog post and I can’t wait to show you everything in this room tour of my home office…
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I know it seems crazy to be talking about heating when the weather is like this – but it won’t always quite as delightful as it is right now! That’s why I wanted to help you plan ahead for the autumn and get most of your heating maintenance out of the way during the summer months. That way, you won’t have any surprises when the cooler weather comes around. Here’s 8 tricks to help you to reduce your heating bills…
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If you’ve just moved into a new home and are struggling to find space for all the possessions you’re unpacking, today’s blog post is for you. I’ve done my research and found 5 clever storage hacks that’ll help you to make the most of the space in your new apartment…
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If you want to create an outdoor kitchen in your garden, it’s easy to DIY it with just a few pallets, a scaffold board & a ceramic sink. Here’s how I made a handy kitchen cabinet & worktop for my deck from scrap wood…
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I’ve been DIYing in the garden again and this time I’ve made an outdoor coffee table using an old wooden cable reel that I found in a skip. Plus, I’ve created a cosy corner for drinks and chatting outside on my deck (featuring my ‘new’ coffee table, so here’s how I did it…
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When it comes to home improvements, you’ll probably want to prioritise projects that will add more value to your home—especially if you are planning to sell your property and move on in the future. Today I’m sharing some ideas for getting your home ship-shape so that you can enjoy living in it AND boost it’s resale value…
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Good windows are essential in keeping a home cosy, which is why it’s important to care for your windows and occasionally carry out some maintenance. But how do you know if your windows need repairing? Natural causes such as the weather can have an effect on your home, but windows are more susceptible as they are the thinnest barriers between you and the outside world. How will you know when it is time to repair your wooden windows? Below is a list of six tell-tale signs…
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If you’ve always wanted to grow your own veggies and pick fresh herbs from your back garden, I’m here to show you that it can be done in just a small space. Here’s how to grow your own herbs (and stop the weeds from making a comeback!) in a raised bed…
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We’ve had a busy week of garden-based DIYing here, which all began when we got hold of some low-cost scaffold boards from the local timber yard. My mind went into overdrive about all the things I could build with the 13ft-long boards but we decided to start small with some rustic garden benches. Here’s how to make them…
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No one wants to live in a damp house. It can be very uncomfortable, especially during the winter months as it will only make your place feel colder so why not tackle it now, before it becomes a bigger problem? You might think that you’ll need to call professionals in order to get rid of dampness in your home but the good news is that there are budget-friendly ways you can solve your damp and mold problems yourself. Here’s how…
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How much do you know about home break-ins? If you believe the cartoons, you may think that burglaries only happen at night, with a criminal sneaking around in a black mask with a swag bag! In reality, the majority of break ins happen in broad daylight. They even are committed by burglars who live nearby. Plus, despite our misconception that these crimes are well thought-out and highly planned, most homes are burgled in less than 10 minutes. That means it’s more essential than ever that you take your home security seriously with these 5 low cost (and free!) security tips.
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Why is it that the vast majority of the time we neglect our bedrooms the most out of all of the rooms in the house? Sure, we are probably the only ones to actually see our bedrooms, and we’re mostly asleep when we’re in there – but that doesn’t mean they can’t become a tranquil space for some much-needed ‘me time’ – here’s how…
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Making improvements to your home is never going to be cheap, and amid all the home renovation programmes and YouTube DIYs you can often feel pressured to keep up with the Joneses when it comes to sprucing up your home. However, home improvement doesn’t have to be as expensive as it’s made out to be, and today’s blog post offers a few different methods of creating some easy improvements on the cheap, without going overboard with the power tools…
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I’ve been working on landscaping my garden this year and the steep slope needed to be terraced, which left me with a design that created ‘rooms’ within the garden. And since finishing the deck over the weekend, it’s got me thinking about the ways that I want to use the terrace that’s closest to the house…
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If you’ve been reading my blog over the past couple of years you’ll probably have noticed that many of my posts are about my own home renovation project. When we moved into our fixer-upper home over two years ago, we had no idea just how much work it was going to be – and I’m […]
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The roof of a house is a perilous place so I wouldn’t even begin to suggest you take on a roofing DIY task yourself as it takes time, skill and specialist safety equipment to perform necessary repairs. That said, there’s no reason why you can’t assess the current state of the roof and spot any minor fixes that can solves problems before they become bigger jobs. At the very least, if you’re capable of assessing the damage you can call in a roofer and explain what needs fixing. Here are some roofing tips to help you get started…
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Do you feel like suddenly everything is in bloom? Finally, my garden is looking better than it ever has before and I can actually go outside and enjoy the space a little. Here’s what I’ve been up to over the past month…
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All good bank holiday weekends should be spent DIYing, right? The project I had earmarked for the May bank holiday has been long overdue and I can’t believe it’s finally happened! Here’s how I DIYed a wall-to-wall desk for my home office…
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After decades of use and sun exposure in a conservatory many classic Lloyd Loom chairs are faded or damaged. While it’s still possible to buy the originals (I picked these up at a car boot sale) it’s likely that they’ll need a little care and attention to bring them back to life. Here’s some simple tricks to renovate vintage woven chairs and bring a touch of retro design onto your patio this summer…
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You might think that your family home is already full to bursting point, with kids, pets and all the things that come with them. Then you get a call, and your friends are coming to stay! How will you accommodate them? And what about when a parent or grandparent can no longer live independently? Can you fit them in too? Let’s find extra space in your home that you’re not already using…
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I’ve been working on another pallet upcycling project and this month I’ve been creating much-needed storage for my bathroom. Pallet wood is my favourite material to make furniture from – it’s sturdy, looks much better with just a little TLC and, best of all, it’s free! Here’s how I DIYed a bathroom laundry hamper and sink caddy from a pallet…
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Spring has sprung, and summer is on its way! You’ve probably already gotten started on your spring renovation projects, but have you considered those less-than-glamorous home maintenance jobs that need to be done as well? Summer is the best time to take care of a few quick fixes and clean-ups so you don’t have to worry about them later in the summer or when the weather turns cold again. Let’s go..!
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If you need a bed but are on a budget, why not make one yourself? Today’s blog post shows you how to build a platform bed on wheels using pallets, with step-by-step photos of the whole process. If, like me, you’re a fan of upcycling and like to build things with pallet wood, the newly published book Pallet Style by Nikkita Palmer and Billy Barker is the one for you. And the great news is that I’ve got a copy of the book to give away to one lucky winner so read on to enter..!
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If you’ve got a fixer upper home like me, you’ll inevitably have to invest in some tools to complete your DIY tasks. But it doesn’t have to be expensive to stock up on the tools you need. Plus, if you get the equipment to do most home improvement tasks yourself, it means that you won’t be spending too much on labour costs of getting a pro in.
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