SPENDING a lot of time at home can be a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, you can relax being away from the stress of the outside world, but on the other, you’re starting to remember the last time you gave your home a little makeover – and how many birthdays ago it was!

Giving your home a spruce up doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. There are simple ways to refresh the look and feel of every room in your home on a budget and of course, without taking up too much of your valuable time.

We’re going to start with the two rooms that you may think are the most expensive to update. But fear not, you can give your bathroom and kitchen an entire makeover that doesn’t involve hiring tradesmen or huge amounts of cash. A lot of our tips are easy enough for you to do yourself.

Glasgow Times:

Bathroom

Depending on how your bathroom is currently decorated, there are a few ways you can give it a lift. Retiling your floor can be an expensive option, but have you thought about sticky vinyl tiles? They’ve come a long way in recent times, so don’t be put off. You can buy these in a variety of colours and patterns and even the DIY novice can handle them. They can be cut to size with a Stanley knife or scissors and you simply peel off the paper on the back and stick on to the tiled floor. When it comes to wall tiles, paint for these is easy to come by and you can even buy stencils to create your own pattern effect. Is the grout looking a bit grubby? You can buy grout pens that are a bit like marker pens in different colours. You can choose to return the white grout to its original glory or change it up a bit with grey or black – very on trend right now.

Another way to bring your bathroom into modern times is to swap out your old shower curtain and replace with a glass screen. You can pick one up from a hardware shop or online for less than £100. You may need some help to install it but by adding a screen you’ll make the room look so much bigger and brighter.

Add some colour to your bathroom by changing up the towels and even adding some art to the walls or some slim shelves with candles. If you have a window, why not add a nice bright roller blind to match the towels or if you’re looking for some more privacy, you can buy window vinyls that have a frosted effect or nice patterns that can be cut to size and stick easily on the glass. This prevents anyone from seeing in but still allows light to shine through.

Kitchen

Like the bathroom, an expensive room to upgrade fully, but there are low cost options if you are handy with your DIY. Remember sticky back plastic? It’s back in fashion and a great way to give your worktops a makeover. This is basically rolls of thin, sticky plastic that you can buy in a variety of colours and patterns. Swap out your dated and scuffed worktops for sleek white marble or warm wood finish. Simply peel and stick to the worktop, cutting around the sink and hob. You can do the same for your cupboard doors and even your appliances. A great way to freshen up your white goods without the expense of replacing them altogether. We’d recommend watching a few how-to videos on YouTube before you start! If you’d rather paint your cupboard doors, just give them a sand down and paint with your choice of colour. Any woodwork or furniture paint would do, and the choice of colours is endless. Once you’ve upgraded the cupboard doors, it’s time to swap out the handles or paint the existing ones. Remember the tile paint and sticky floor vinyls from the bathroom? You can use these in the kitchen too.

For accessories, why not treat yourself to a new kettle and toaster set and new dinnerware too for all your hard work?

Come back next week for some makeover tips for your bedroom, living room and hallway.