Try a speedy STYLE UPDATE

Streamline your home with some new season updates and organisational ideas

- LAURA HIGGINS

1 Stencil a new floor

For a new-look floor without the price tag try stencilling. Wooden floors will need sanding, vacuuming, wiping and drying first. Use chalk paint and a brush to cut in a few inches around the edges, then a large roller with an extending handle on the rest, working from the furthest corner, back towards the door.

Don't be tempted to apply the paint too thickly - a thinner coat will actually dry harder. Once dry, find the centre of the room and secure your stencil with masking tape.

Apply chalk paint in a second colour with a small foam roller, using a small amount to prevent bleeding. Remove the stencil and reposition until the whole floor is covered.

2 UPDATE A KITCHEN ISLAND

Is your kitchen island pulling its weight? These easy additions will make sure it's working as hard as it possibly can. Add a rail to the end of the unit with S hooks for hanging tea towels and other essentials. Attach shallow spice rack shelves, or removable rails for storing clingfilm and kitchen paper, inside cupboard doors. And include a stool that can be stowed away to give you a space to sit and meal-plan.

3 CREATE STYLISH OMBRE SHELVING

Hang an eye-catching set of shelves. Work out how wide you want the largest shelf (the bottom one) to be. Draw a semicircle on a piece of plywood using your measurements, then cut out using a jigsaw or circular saw, ensuring the sheet is clamped securely. Next, work out the width of each shelf and cut from plywood.

Sand the edges. Paint the backing in your chosen colour, using three different shades to create an ombre effect. Either paint the shelves white or in keeping with your chosen shades. Once dry, attach the shelves to the backing board with 2in nails.

4 Panel walls using guttering tubes

Add detail to walls with DIY panels made using simple guttering tubes to create a ribbed effect.