If you have a day or two to spare, or are looking to make the most of your long weekend, DIY can be a rewarding way of being productive while making your home more attractive.
Whether you’re brand new to the world of DIY or are a seasoned tinkerer, there are lots of different ways you can give your home some TLC. Below, we’ve listed ten of our favourite easy DIY projects to get you started on improving your home!
1. Painting the walls, doors & skirting boards
Let’s start with one of the easiest and most popular methods of changing things up in your home. A fresh, clean white coat of paint on your skirting boards can freshen up a room and make the colours you’ve chosen for your walls really pop!
While white has been the standard, we’re seeing an increase in jazzy alternatives, with neutral walls contrasting well with jade greens and dramatic blacks. Whatever you do, be sure to tape up those walls for maximum neatness.
Of course, great skirting boards are only as good as their accompanying walls. When choosing wall paint, it’s important to consider how colours can change the shape and feel of a room.
With lighter colours, the room will be better suited as a neutral, brighter space – perfect for the comings and goings in a living room or kitchen. With a bedroom or study, darker colours can make a room feel smaller, but cosier too.
And since you’ve gone to the trouble of painting your walls and skirting boards, why not paint your doors too? Doors are particularly susceptible to wear and discolouration due to frequent use (especially in homes with kids!).
Painting doors can add that final touch to your space, making your vision for a room feel complete. To make sure your doors look their best for longer, be sure to get high-quality paint designed to withstand wear and tear.
All of this can be done alone with paint and a good quality stepladder (unless you or the person you live with is on the taller side) – wear old clothes and let your creativity loose!
2. Update the doorknobs around your home
It might not seem like much, but a fresh doorknob or door handle can completely change the look of a door.
Whether you’re going for something with a cleaner, stainless steel look, or something a little more classic and quirkier like some brushed brass or copper, there are lots of ways you can transform the feel of your home with this simple switch-up.
Changing doorknobs and door handles is a very straightforward process, and is accessible to those with even a limited experience with DIY!
3. Add a colourful glass splashback
If you’re looking to do some DIY in the kitchen, glass splashbacks are a neat way to update the room with a burst of colour, and spruce up even the most unassuming worktops and cupboards.
They’re easy to fit yourself, but may take some time to complete when factoring in time to allow the adhesive to set, as well as time for cleaning, grouting, and sealing. At Forsyth, we have a range of great colours to choose from, which can be found here.
If colour isn’t your thing, tinted mirror splashbacks are also available for a more subtle, but equally attractive aesthetic.
4. Install wall panelling
Wall panelling is a suitable DIY project for those who want dramatic results without much work.
While colour is a fantastic way to add some visual flair, adding wall panelling can add some much-needed texture to larger, bare walls.
Whether you’re looking to cover half a wall or a whole wall, this can be an effective means of breaking up spaces and can be altered even further with contrasting colours. Wall panelling can be effective anywhere in the home, from the living room to the kitchen.
5. Add some art to your walls
It doesn’t get any easier than this! Hanging art of all kinds has to be one of the simplest methods of transforming the aesthetic of your home and can be used in all sorts of effective ways.
Whether you have larger prints in your cupboard or many smaller pieces, both can be used to effectively fill up space.
When choosing art to suit your home, consider what will match well with the wall colour, carpet colour, and upholstery. This allows your larger statement pieces to really stand out as a focal point in any room; you may wish to buy multiple pieces of a similar theme, artist, or art style to create a conjoined aesthetic throughout the room, multiple rooms, or your entire home.
For the more sentimental DIY enthusiasts or those less interested in art pieces, family pictures can also make for an attractive living room or kitchen focal point. By using many smaller frames, it’s easy to get creative by trying multiple configurations, positions, and frame types.
Whatever solution you choose, this kind of DIY is a breeze – just make sure you have enough wall hooks!
6. Paint the kitchen cabinets & shelves
Painting kitchen cabinets and shelves is another great way to level up your kitchen. A room often filled with plenty of commotion and activity, the kitchen is a great place to enjoy more out there colours – so get creative!
This is an ideal job for a lazy Sunday afternoon, with the only hard part being able to pick your favourite colour and putting in the time.
7. Upgrade your front door
Your front door can be a sneak preview of what visitors can expect as they step inside. No matter your taste, picking the right front door for your home shouldn’t be missed when it comes to prioritising DIY projects.
While this is a little trickier than some of the projects we’ve listed here, don’t be put off – with the right tools and knowledge (and maybe a helper to assist with the heavy lifting), this is a very manageable project for DIYers of all levels.
When it comes to picking the right door, whether you want a patterned frosted glass or vibrant colours, don’t be afraid to get creative. They’re supposed to be inviting, after all!
8. Install some floating shelves
If you’re a maximalist (or just live with one), you’re going to need somewhere to display your trinkets, trophies, mementos, and other bits and bobs.
While this could add up to a lot of clutter if placed on top of cupboards or tables, floating shelves are a simple way to make maximum use of wall space, while giving you plenty of room to manoeuvre beneath.
While you’re sorting storage, don’t forget about your wardrobes. A few well-placed shelves can transform a messy wardrobe into something rather special. If you’re feeling ambitious, adding drawer units is a brilliant way to keep everything sorted – no more hunting for that missing sock!
9. Add a custom mirror to your space
When it comes to making a room feel larger than it is, mirrors are number one on the cheat sheet, making them a great DIY project for all levels, and they’re as accessible as they are customisable.
Whether you’re opting for a funky-shaped mirror, a cluster of smaller mirrors, or even just looking to freshen things up with a bespoke frame, there are an infinite amount of options to choose from that can bring much greater depth to even the most mundane or small space.
At Forsyth, we can even supply top quality gym mirrors, cut-to-size to meet your exact measurements. These are great if you have a spare room you want to construct into your very own home gym.
If you’re not too keen on doing the work yourself, you can check out our gorgeous cut to size mirrors – they’re a perfect way to make your space unique.
10. Introduce greenery to your home
As the final touch on this list, we have an option that also makes for a great final touch in your DIY process. Plants freshen the air around them but with so many colours, textures, shapes, and sizes on offer. They can also make the room they inhabit feel truly unique
Not only are the plants themselves unique, but how you pot and display them can add levels and depth to a room. While this is by far the easiest method of DIY on this list, one doesn’t need to routinely maintain and water a floating shelf or wall panelling, so this is one best left to the green-fingered DIY enthusiast!
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