Decorate your home on a budget - up date by up-cycling

Decorate your home on a budget - up date by up-cycling

When money is scarce, it is time to be more resourceful and creative. Updating your home interior need not be expensive - re-purposing objects in the home, displaying found objects or even adding a feature wall can breath new life to your home.

Here are some affordable ideas to injecting some new style to your home without breaking the bank!

• Vintage tea chests and crates (left) can become a personalised storage system with industrial-style character. Arrange heavier chests at the bottom for better balance. The entire display is held together with red, ratchet tie-downs.

• Fresh paint brightens anything, so salvage a seat with a new hue. Remember to spray-paint in a well-ventilated room and apply from a good distance, to avoid patchiness.

• Collect mismatching door handles to use as decorative coat hooks. It's a good idea to select handles with a similar size and shape, to balance the overall look.

• Open your mind to possibilities: frames don't just have to hold artworks, they can display almost anything you like. Particularly effective are pieces collected on traveling.

• A patterned panel will add glamour and the impression of an elongated space - a more affordable change than a renovation! You could use a panel of wall stickers or wallpaper to create the panel.

• Don't banish your kitchen paraphernalia to the back of the cupboard - a painted peg board allows your pots and pans to be out and proud. Ensure you hang your board on a frame away from the wall and use stainless steel S-hooks.