Mood-boosting DIY projects that won’t break the bank
As the days get shorter, we asked our friends at Roomix to give us tips on mood-boosting DIY projects that won’t break the bank.
The nights are getting longer and our hermit-like desires are settling in. We’re hunkering down, thinking about soup, and wondering how early we can get into our pyjamas. As we naturally spend more time at home, many of us start to get that decorating itch, or at least the urge to make our space feel cosy and calm. The hashtag #hyggehome, (inspired by the Scandinavian Hygge movement or the idea of ‘winter nesting”) has racked up 56M views on Tiktok in the last year alone.
The flipside is that the more time we spend cooped up indoors, the more we can turn a critical eye towards the existing imperfections in our home.
The scuffed paintwork in your bedroom, that was so easy to ignore when the sun was shining outside, is now a constant irritant. Your drab kitchen, that you forgot about in July because you never spent any time there anyway, is now the hub for evening hangouts. And you’re beginning to get really fed up of stepping over a pile of books every time you leave the room, because you *still* haven’t got round to hanging up that shelf.
The reality is that winter is just harder on our mental health. The other, perhaps surprising reality is that feeling in control of your home is one of the most profound drivers of happiness, accounting for 15% of our overall happiness.
The act of rolling up your sleeves and taking on a DIY project not only helps you to create a space you’re proud of, but also drives a sense of empowerment and self-sufficiency that permeates other areas of life.
Here are some of our favourite mood-boosting DIY projects to tackle this winter (which won’t break the bank):
1. Panel a bold feature wall:
For maximum impact and minimal effort (approximately 1.5 days worth of effort, to be precise) you can create a statement wall with panelling.
The popularity of this project on interiors Instagram accounts has stood the test of time because each panelling design allows for individual creativity. The design and pattern of the panels, the colour you paint them, and whether you pair it with a wallpaper or put a shelf on top, are all up for grabs. It can be a bold statement or a sophisticated backdrop to a bed or sofa.
It looks great in basically any room and it is the perfect project for a winter weekend well spent!
2. Up-cycle your IKEA:
For all their sleekness, simplicity and affordable practicality, it doesn’t take very long to become bored of white IKEA furniture. In fact, it’s generic enough that you probably know at least three mates with the same bedside table. Up-cycling an IKEA cabinet, chest of drawers or wardrobe is perfect for an affordable and entry-level DIY project.
Try choosing a cool pastel colour for the outside and then painting the inside of cabinets black for an industrial vibe. Replace the handles with something more stylish from Plank Hardware. Try adding pole wrap to the outside for a brand new look.
However, it’s worth noting that painting furniture requires some pre-work (such as sanding, degreasing and priming) before you slap on new paint.
3. Build in floating shelves:
It can be really hard to find the perfect set of shelves to fit an alcove, so we say: make your own!
This way, not only will they be exactly the right shape and size, but you can also make sure they’re painted in the same colour or a complimentary colour to your wall.
It’s a multi-stepped process involving building a timber frame, covering it with sheet MDF and then affixing it to the wall. Incredibly easy for a beginner (especially with our Roomix kit) and *so* satisfying to suddenly find a home for all those prints and books that had been shoved under the bed.
4. Revamp your kitchen without tearing it out:
It’s fair to say that many of us are not feeling particularly flush at the moment so this might not be the year for the brand new kitchen or big extension project.
That said, there are huge improvements that you can make to a tired or outdated kitchen without the need to rip it out and start again. As well as being far more cost-effective, these updates are far less wasteful too = win win!
Be prepared - doing a full kitchen refresh is a big job! It requires at least a weekend for a couple of people, and during this time your kitchen will be largely out of action… but it is oh so worth it!
The Roomix Kitchen Refresh kit takes you through the process of removing cabinet doors, preparing them, re-painting them and applying new fixtures/fittings. The impact of changing up the colour of cabinets and applying stylish new handles can turn a kitchen around and make it feel much more like ‘you’. This process can be done on both laminate or gloss kitchen cabinets.
Check out Roomix for a full range of complete DIY projects and use discount code ROOMIXLOVESTHEKNOW for 10% off.