On a Small Budget, What Is the Most Effective Way to Change the Feel of My Home?

The most effective job is to renew the one wall you see first on entering the room: a feature wall in wallpaper or decorative paint makes a big change with far less work than renewing the whole home. In second place comes a clean coat of paint on all the walls.

Five jobs in order of effect

1. Feature wall: wallpaper or decorative paint on one wall.
2. Ceiling and wall paint: one light tone makes the home look both clean and spacious.
3. Lighting: wall lights and warm light make the same wall look quite different.
4. Wall mouldings: done together with the paint, they add depth to a flat wall.
5. Door and skirting paint: renewing yellowed joinery pulls the whole room together.

Which wall should be chosen?

• Living room: the TV wall or the wall behind the sofa.
• Bedroom: the wall behind the bed.
• Entrance: the wall facing you as you come in.

Where not to spend the money

On an expensive covering over an unprepared wall, and on a one-season fashion pattern throughout the home. If the preparation is skipped, even the most expensive covering looks bad.

How much material does one wall need?

Most feature walls take a few rolls; we explained the calculation in how many rolls of wallpaper you need.

Should I do it myself or use an installer?

Plain painting can be done yourself. With patterned wallpaper and decorative paint, spoiled material can cost more than the installer's fee. You can see designs at ithalduvarkagit.com and ask Erdağ Yapı for a quote for wallpaper installation.