This year's hottest (and cheap) DIY decorating ideas

Looking for some inspiration to dial up the style of your home? We’ve got this year’s hottest home décor trends, together with the latest tips so you can design beautiful rooms without breaking the bank. 

The first rule of design for any area is to decide your colour palette – you don’t need to use the same colours throughout the house but it’s a good idea to maintain some consistency that will tie everything together. Choose soft pastel, dramatic monochromes or splash out with bold colour – now’s the time to try some new colours and textures. Put them all together on a mood board to evoke the style you’re going for before you kick your redecorating project off. 

The bedroom 

These bedroom design ideas will give you an impeccably styled room on a budget. 

1. If your bedroom is a little challenged for space, sticking to one colour will make it feel a lot less claustrophobic. Monochrome really works in small spaces so blend lots of white with a soft grey or brown to make your space feel more open and airy. 

2. The key to luxe up your bed is to start layering – it’ll give your space an instantly glam upgrade and makes it super cosy for winter too. Use a classic throw, embroidered sheet and faux fur blanket to create your new look. 

3. Add some cleverly disguised storage to maximise the wow factor and increase the functionality of your room. Check out your local op shops, second hand furniture stores or online retailers for a vintage chest or old-fashioned clothing trunk that can fit perfectly at the end of your bed. 

4. Create a new headboard to give your bedroom a chic new update. We love the ideas from The Spruce – make sure you check out these 25 stylish DIY headboards you can make in a few hours or a few days! 

The living room 

If your living room needs a facelift there are plenty of things you can do to modernise your look and cosy-up your room! 

1. To add some opulence to your living room, a great place to start is with the curtains. Nothing shouts luxe like the floor to ceiling variety – you’ll probably need to go custom-made but in our opinion it’s worth every penny. And don’t forget to check out the off-the-shelf options from stores like Spotlight – you might not reach the ceiling but there are ready made possibilities just waiting for you that will come pretty close. 

2. If a new lounge suite is out of the question, re-upholstering your existing one can give your room a whole new look. Try using dramatically different colours for the chairs to add some interest to the setting and don’t forget those cushions and throws to jazz things up. 

3. Add a new rug to deliver some drama and texture to the floor or to tone down a busy carpet. 

4. If your home has a fireplace, turn it into a real focal point by beefing up the entire wall based on the colour of the fireplace – think metallic blacks, charcoals and deep browns for some serious wow. 

The bathroom 

If you’re tired of walking into your out-dated bathroom these simple and inexpensive bathroom décor ideas will update your look in next to no time. 

1. Paint is the quickest way to update your bathroom, and it’s easy to paint over existing tiles – just make sure you prep well and use a good quality tile paint. Go for light colours on your wall surfaces and bolder colours for accents. 

2. Updating your lighting is next on the list so head down to your local lighting outlet to check out the options for your new look. 

3. Upgrade the vanity - replace your vanity top with a new one, give the cabinetry some new paint and pop on some new handles. Voila, a new vanity for a fraction of the price! 

4. Lay down some new flooring. There are loads of DIY-friendly flooring options available today that are modern and easy to work with. Vinyl planking is one design idea that’s durable, functional and simple to install – and it’s easy on the pocket and easy on the eye as well!  

Can’t quite stretch the budget? 

If you want to update the look of your home but the budget won’t quite stretch to accommodate everything you want to do, we can help.  Take a look at our flexible mini-loans up to $5K to find out how quick and easy it is to get your hands on some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, we can usually get a payment into your bank account within 24 hours - so you can start developing your project mood board right now.