Interior Design

When buying curtains or decorating materials take a cushion from the sofa shopping with you to ensure you get the right colour.

Use string covered with chalk to mark straight lines on walls for shelves, wallpaper etc.

When planning a child's room get down to their level to see if from a Childs' perspective.  This will prevent placing hooks etc. too high for them to reach.

Never get a tall person to hang pictures for you as this will result in them being fitted too high.

To make fittings such as radiators less obtrusive paint them in the same colour as the wall.

Create a mantle shelf by using two decorative brackets and a plank of wood.

Fabric paints can give old pieces of furniture a new look.

Inexpensive plastic garden urns can be painted and decorated for use as indoor flower planters.

Try using the same colour paint on walls, woodwork, skirting and ceilings for an "all over" look.

Colours - in a dark room go for bright not light.

• Terracotta (orange based) colours = warm

• Pink based colours = vibrant and dramatic

• Yellow for dull rooms which lack sunlight

• Green = calming

• Blue = cool and restful

Mix wall paint with clear varnish to use on woodwork.

Eggshell finish paint on woodwork does not show imperfections like gloss paint does.

Use car spray paint to revitalise light fittings.

To cut costs, use wallpaper on the top half of the walls then a border with a bold paint colour on the bottom half of the walls.

When painting corridors remember dark colours will shorten.

Music, newspaper or brown paper make a change to wallpaper.

To see how much room a piece of furniture will take up before buying, take a piece of newspaper and a tape measure and make a template the same size as the item in question.  Place paper on floor to give some idea as to the amount of space needed.

To save on costly trimming when finishing off a table cloth.  Cover table with a larger untrimmed cloth.  Put a decorative trim around the edge of a smaller cloth which is then placed over the top.

Hang decorative baskets from hooks to provide extra storage.

To liven up kitchen cupboard doors just change the knobs and handles.  Old cutlery can be bent and wired to the doors as handles.

To get more light into a room, replace the top of the door with glass.

Clever use of mirrors can give the illusion of more space.

Colourful sheeting fitted to broom handles make cheap and cheerful cafe style curtains.

Plain fabric trimmed with fringing make expensive looking curtains for doors or stairs.

Make an unusual and cheap shower curtain by using bubble wrap fitted on key rings.

Blankets and pieces of material can be made into attractive and unusual curtains without sewing by using special clips which can be purchased in most good haberdashery shops.

courtesy of http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/