Home Innovations Display Centre

Planning to Decorate

Avoid a home improvement nightmare by following our essential guide to DIY preparation. Follow these easy tips to ensure you achieve the best possible improvements, while saving both time and money.

Planning

Planning sounds boring but it saves time and money in the long run. It also helps you think the job through, make all those difficult decisions about colour scheming and get together everything you need before you start the project. Remember, you can always change design plans throughout your projects.

Budget

If you're going to redecorate a room begin by deciding how far you're going to go. Will you just repaint the walls, ceiling and woodwork? Is there any structural changes that you would like to make? And how about changing the carpet and curtains or even the upholstery and the lighting? These decisions will often depend on the size of your budget.

You can probably do a quick room repaint for $150, but add some new wallpaper and you'll at least double the costs. More extensive changes, such as structural alterations will definitely have you dipping deep into your savings a little more. The choice is yours of course but be sure you know what you're in for before you start.

Only spend what you can afford. You don't want to make a room with expensives you struggle to attain. You don't want to enter your new bedroom and be overwhelmed with stress by focusing on the cost of the space and forget about the relaxation and enjoyment that room was meant to bring.

Start a File

Unless you like white rooms you'll need paint colour charts, wallpaper and even fabric samples to help you decide which products to use. Be sure to buy a folder or a scrapbook to keep all of your ideas and inspirations in. Dont be shy, it's what all of the top designers do also!

• Pickup free colour charts from the DIY stores
• Go to Home Innovations where you can request brochures for all of our exhibitors
• Ask for samples of unwrapped rolls of wallpaper and borders on display
• For fabric samples, try the curtain shops
• Local markets can be an excellent source of cheap fabrics
• Search the net, especially the Exhibitor section of hidc.com.au
• Tear pages out of monthly home magazines for colour-scheme ideas
• Many magazines have separate stockists lists at the back for all the relevant product details
• Visit local op-shops or bargin basements for used furniture or decorations. Used furniture/decorations can add originality to your home at a cheap price.

Plan Your Time

Your time is the free ingredient of any project but you still have to workout how much of it is needed for the job. Don't under estimate how long each task can take. Just preparing a room for redecorating - clearing the furniture, taking everything off the walls, washing down surfaces, patching up any damage, covering up the carpet or stripping it and so on - could take a day at least.

Don't take on any tasks during a busy period in your life. You want your project to run smoothly and to be completed by a specific time. Living in the middle of clutter, mess or confusion for too long can cause you to loose motivation or cause distress when coming home after a long day at work! Be reasonable. Perhaps start one task, such as flooring. Get that completed then move onto walls. This will stop you from becoming distracted, keep you focused on what needs to be done and also help keep your budget under control.