Home - colourful, simple and budget friendly room updates

Let's talk simple home DIY's today. The turquoise cabinet has taken on a life of its own since posting here. I thought it's only fair to share its story along side another of my favourite ways to get colour into your home without spending a fortune. Starting with the cabinet...

Here it is, all sad in the secondhand furniture shop but with a bargain price tag of £35, I couldn't resist. I fell for its curvy details large shelves and handy drawers - it's perfect for housing my best china (yes that's what a grown up I am) and tablecloths.

The walls in the dining room are a soft turquoise (Farrow and Ball - Pavilion Blue) so I wanted something with a bit of life to sit along side. After much deliberation I went with Little Greene - Greene Vertider . I outsourced the painting to my mum as I was busy ripping up carpets. Her tips for painting are; prep the surface with a thorough but gentle sanding and apply thin coats, she did three. I have since used a Little Greene to paint a wardrobe and can verify that it is gorgeous to work with and the colours are really vibrant. I used a small roller which gives a really smooth finish so will only use rollers in the future.

The second DIY is this framed vintage Uzbekistani wall hanging I picked up in Turkey for about £10. I only ever buy pieces that I love so this is where you have to use your own taste and judgement. I know what colours get me all a flutter (yellow, pink, turquoise...) so bought knowing I'd find a place for it one day and it just happened to work perfectly with the wall and cabinet.

To frame I purchased a standard Ribba frame from Ikea, after much searching this was the best price and quality I could afford. I cut a piece of foam board the exactly the same size and the fabric, stuck it to the frame mount with as much double sided tape as I could use and then pinned the fabric to the board. I love how the metal discs and edging hang free.

To stop everything look so borrowed I found this great light from Habitat with 25% off, which made it under £20! I think the yellow ties everything together perfectly. If you're looking for well priced modern lighting then head straight to Habitat they have some great pieces at great prices ( I can't wait to show you my kitchen lights).

I know painting furniture is nothing new but when you're on a budget it's such a great way to get a bit of life into a room without spending a fortune. The same goes for framing fabric, I have framed a really pretty silk hanky in my bedroom it's totally unique and adds colour and texture for under £20 which is amazing.

All the details 

Cabinet - secondhand - try Gumtree 

Frame - Ikea

Textile - vintage Uzbekistani bought in Turkey but try this place online

Lamp - Habitat

Soda bottle - found in a flea market Barcelona

Basket - gift from South Africa

Fabric bobbin - India via Anthropologie (last Christmas)

Vase - Anthropologie

Wall paint - Farrow and Ball - Pavilion Blue

Cabinet paint - Little Greene - Green Verditer

PS - The chair and fringed shawl are both charity shop finds. The chair was £45 and shawl about £12.