Any tips for the Bank Holiday, HuffPost UK & Homesense have asked me? Sit in the garden on a roasting hot May Day, with marinated deliciousness grilling on coals and sipping a glass of something cold? Ha! Chances are in the UK, the sky will cloud and the heavens will open.
In typical Moregeous fashion, my advice is don't waste it away and go back to work having created only a hangover. Why not transform something you like but no longer love in a fun mini project this weekend? With all the tutorials, on-line video how to's, DIY blog posts and amazing books out there, you seriously have no excuse at all not to create something wonderful, whether it's already sitting in your house or found at a car boot or local market.
So how do you work out what can be More Than Gorgeous?
- Try to see past the ropey colour, dated stain and grime - those things can be easily rectified.
- Fall in love with the shape of the furniture - the turned leg of an old chair, the sharp edges of some unloved flatpack and imagine it repainted, revarnished and revitalised.
- Had something for ages but have stopped noticing it, never mind loving it? You clearly like it, otherwise it'd be long gone but maybe it's time for a makeover!
Here are five easy projects to tackle and make Moregeous this Bank Holiday weekend. Obviously pick one, don't attempt all five. Unless you want my eternal respect ;-)
CHAIR : A shapely dining room chair can be easily repainted with chalk paint, which means no undercoat or sanding. If you're super confident, re-cover the pad with a gorgeous fabric (1m sq will easily cover this) using some extra padding and a DIY staple gun.
DRAWERS : Don't throw old drawers away but re-purpose them as wall shelving, funked up with coloured interiors to enhance your own interior scheme. These look fab in kitchens & bathrooms.
LIGHTING : Update with a 2014 twist that ever so slightly 90's chrome light fitting, which you already own or rescued from lighting bargain corner, using masking tape and a tin of gold metallic spray.
CANDLESTICK : A boring wooden candle stick is useable but uninspiring - why not try an ombre effect or painting different sections in different metallics. Steady hand alert - do this pre-Bank Holiday wine ;-)
MIRROR : What about an old mirror with a gorgeous frame shape but in a dated finish. Funk it up with water based eggshell in neon brights like acid yellow or fuchsia pink, protecting the glass with frog tape, i.e. the green stripe below. And yes, I do paint in my onesie, doesn't everyone? :-)
I'll be finishing off my neon mirror and painting a rocking chair to match, plus dressing our short stay rental with the glam bathroom bits and pieces I picked up in Homesense on our Inspiration Day. Get yourself out car booting, digging through the garage or buying new items to personalise - it's a Bank Holiday weekend, use it, don't lose it!