Perfect projects for a weekend: how to give your home a mini-makeover

Spring is the time for renewal, as well as for a series of long bank holiday weekends — making it the perfect time for a mini home makeover. And, yes, you can paint a room in a day, says serial decorator Marianne Shillingford of Dulux.

Choose a neutral colour and use a roller, she says. Buy about 10 litres of good-quality paint for a front room. On-trend Dulux shades include Heart Wood, Coastal Grey, Warm Pewter and Pebble Shore.

First wash down very dirty or greasy walls with sugar soap solution — which dries in about an hour. Smooth out holes/small cracks with quick-dry flexible filler. Brighter colours may need two coats. Touch up with a small radiator roller not a brush.

Download the Dulux Visualiser app and experiment on screen. Paint prices vary hugely from £16 for 2.5 litres own-brand to £45 for a designer label. Australian firm Bunnings, which bought Homebase, is cheapest.

“Warm greys are indeed the preferred neutrals,” agrees Melanie Adams of Brewers, with 28 branches within the M25. Compare/buy all leading décor brands on its one-stop websites designerpaint.com and wallpaperdirect.com, with 30 per cent off Easter offers.

Order an A4 box of leading-brand paint cards. Cut-off for next day delivery is typically 3pm.

GO GREEN

Green is also strong this season. Do an alcove in on-trend palm leaves or a cactus print.

Add a bank of plants with perhaps metallic touches of rose gold, copper or brass. Stone and concrete pots look good linked to an outside view.

SOFT FURNISHINGS

Fabric is fail-safe for a room refresh. Fold away heavy curtains, and hang sheers or voiles. Immediately your room is lighter.

Minimise seams with super-wide designs. In Finchley, N12, the Curtain Factory Outlet always offers “clearance” rolls, with designer brands, at big reductions. Now all stock is being cleared at 269 Ballards Lane at £2.99 and £4.99 a metre.

More fabric is at 12A Hutton Grove, round the corner. Plus all hardware, tapes etc, and design advice.

In the West End, explore MacCulloch & Wallis in Poland Street, W1. Or buy your curtains ready-made, with good selections at most stores - Ikea is cheapest.

Be sure to measure carefully before you shop, and snap pictures of your rail/poles to check in store that that styles/headings will suit.

Adding cushions is a style cliché but still cuts the mustard (another key colour for spring). Here’s the trick: have two or three high-end specials, then fill in the gaps with chain-store basics. Replace synthetic fillings with feather pads.

Designers Guild in the King’s Road, SW3, is decorating heaven with cushions galore. More cushions off the shelf are at Osborne & Little, across the road.

Cushions by designer Martha Coates are 30 per cent off in the Habitat sale, starts tomorrow. Browse welovecushions.co.uk for gallery and museum offers.

A small chair or footstool in a statement fabric peps up your seating — see new coverings by young designers at sofa.com (SW10; N1 and SE1).

Cover up what can’t be changed. A fabulous big rug makes a huge difference. Cast a throw over a scruffy couch.

Cover tired bedlinen with a heavy throw or quilt — Anthropologie has the artiest edit (Regent Street, King’s Road, Marylebone and Brent Cross).

CLEAR CLUTTER AND MAKE A DISPLAY

A personal “gallery wall” of framed photographs, prints and/or paintings will hide shabby paint/paper — see oka.com.

Sets of frames at Ikea come with a paper template. Habitat has classy takeaway frames and mounts, in wood, aluminium, plastic, acrylic and glass.

Clear clutter into storage boxes (Muji has a great selection) and lovely woven baskets and buy some leaning shelves to put storage boxes on for a neat display (see the oak storage range at the Futon Company)

A pretty table draws attention from dingier surroundings — then throw a supper for your friends, cover the table with new china and napkins in summer colours and enjoy the new look.