Spring updates
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Floral wall stickers
With spring just around the corner, give your home a facelift with these simple and affordable ideas.
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By Charlotte Boyd and Samantha Trapp
Choose wallpaper
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Summer wallpaper in Apple from Graham and Brown
Contrast a floral paper on one wall - you\'ll usually need two rolls - with neutral paint on the rest. Perfect for a living room or bedroom, a design in fresh green maximises light and space.
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Cost: around £60
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Summer wallpaper in Apple, £30 a roll, the Eco collection, Graham and Brown
Bring the garden in
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Snowdrops from Bloom
A beautiful container of flowering bulbs, such as hyacinths or narcissi, will fill your home with the welcoming blooms of spring. Or, for a year-round display, choose faux flowers.
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Cost: Under £35
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Faux snowdrops in footed grey rattan, £32, Bloom
Revive an old favourite
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Chair covered in Laura Ashley fabric
Why buy a new armchair when, with a little sewing know-how, you can make a loose cover to transform an existing one? You\'ll need about five metres of fabric for a small armchair. For instructions, take a look at So Simple Slip Covers (£14.99, Cico Books).
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Cost: under £100
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Chair covered in Lilac Natural, £20 a metre, Laura Ashley
Change your soft furnishings
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Living room with matching cushions and curtains
Transform your living room with made-to-measure curtains, a Roman blind and coordinating cushions. Add matching accessories like throws and vases, and you\'ll have a bright, new room.
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Cost: under £100
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Curtains made up in Tavistock Spearmint Cream, £6.99 a metre; blinds made up in Duck Egg Silk, £13.99 a metre; throw, £12.99; Borsala and Floral cushions, all £11.99 each; blue cylinder vase, £6.99; round vase, £4.99; all Dunelm Mill
Create a gallery
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Three framed photos mounted on a wall
Sort out all your photos and, instead of keeping them in a box or on your computer, place them in simple frames and group three or four together above a chest of drawers or console. White frames look fabulous on dark walls. Try dark wood or black frames for impact on pale ones.
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Cost: £80
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One aperture frame, £30; four aperture frame, £30; long four aperture frame, £20; all The White Company
Light up every room
decorating tips,home inspiration,home lighting,soft furnishings
Table lamp from Sainsburys
A stylish new table lamp not only looks great but if you find just the right spot for it, you\'ll make your room look bigger and brighter.
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Cost: Under £20
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Two-tone table lamp, £19.99, Sainsbury\'s
Add embroidered detailing
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings,stylish bedrooms
Embroidered bed set from Next Home
An easy way to change the look of your bedroom is to invest in a new set of bedlinen. Look out for embroidered designs to add a subtle hint of colour and luxury.
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Cost: £60
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Honeysuckle plum duvet and pillowcase set, £50; cushion, £10; both Next Home
Choose a new-look pattern
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Silhouette patterned plates from Next
Another new trend this season is for outline drawings on fabrics and accessories. This is particularly effective on tableware for a subtle hint of pattern.
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Cost: £40
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Silhouette 12-piece dinner set, £40, Next Home
Embellish your wall
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Floral wall sticker from Next
Use wall stickers to add a decorative touch to living room and bedroom walls without having to redecorate. Circular designs look great as a focal point over a fireplace, or try two linear patterns either side of a doorway.
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Cost: £20
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Flower swirl wall sticker, £20, Next Home
Mix and match
decorating tips,home inspiration,soft furnishings
Bookcase decorated with wallpaper
Bring a bookcase or dresser to life by papering the back of each shelf with off-cuts of patterned wallpaper. Or, try Homebase for a great selection of patterned papers from £7.49 a roll, or search out end-of-line rolls in the sales. You can also use good-quality wrapping paper; try Paperchase\'s selection, from £2 a sheet.
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Cost: Under £15
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Shelves painted in Icelandic Blue matt emulsion, £14.99 for 2.5 litres, Crown
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