DIY Mum Transforms Living Room For £20 With Dramatic Black Paint
- Clare Jordan, 44, was determined for a dramatic new look for her living room
- She stripped off her old wallpaper and went for a strong black feature wall
- The transformation cost Clare just £20
A dramatic feature wall can make all the difference when it comes to transforming a room, but many of us are reluctant to take the plunge.
Clare Jordan, 44, a housekeeping manager and married mum of one from Liverpool, decided to take a risk and paint her living room wall black to give the space a new lease of life.
Best of all, the Pinterest-worthy transformation cost Clare just £20.
Clare told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: “I came up with the idea of the black wall as in lockdown I started to do a DIY in the house and the living room was the last room I had to tackle.
“After following lots of home decor pages on Instagram, I decided to take the plunge.
"I always liked the plain but bold decor and colours and I've always had wallpaper in the past, so at 6am I stripped the old wallpaper and went in with the black.
"I wasn't that nervous as I knew I wanted a dark bold look for sure, and if I wasn't happy with it, I was going to put a dark green over it for another look.
"I used a water spray gun and a scraper to remove the old wallpaper, and masking tape is a must for achieving the straight and perfect lines.
“I also used a sponge roller, a good cutting in brush and lots of dust sheets.
"The paint cost £11 and was a well-known brand, Johnstone’s Paint, in a matte base, as I didn't want a shine or gloss look.
"So there’s no need to spend a stupid amount on expensive paint as to me it all looks the same.
“Creating this look is really easy - if I can do it, anyone can!
“You’ll need a good masking tape and a good cutting in brush - and patience.
“The step-by-step way to achieve this matte wall effect is to firstly make sure that after stripping the old paper the wall has to be sanded down and filler used in any holes in the wall.
“The masking tape around the ends of the wall has to be perfect (this did take a few attempts) to achieve the perfect lines.
“I painted the black matte paint around the ends of the wall first, then used a large roller.
"The roller has to be used in an up and down motion, otherwise you will see different stroke marks.
"The whole wall took two coats to achieve this look, and was then left to dry. Once it was dry, it was touched up in areas where it needed it.
"Then the scary part is taking off the masking tape to have that perfect line and to make sure that no paint is bleeding on the white walls.
“The total transformation cost £20 for the paint and masking tape and roller set."
Clare was delighted with the dramatic new look of her room, and surprised herself with her DIY prowess during the lockdown.
"Projects like this helped me a great deal as I was furloughed for four months from my job,” Clare adds.
“Being sat at home on my own, I was determined not to waste time sitting around and being bored.
"I've actually shocked myself with my DIY skills, to be honest.
"I tackled every room in my house and all on a very low budget using either paints and buying second-hand furniture and upcycling.
"All the supplies were ordered online from retailers such as ebay, or bought in-store from B&M.
"Now it's done I totally love it. I can't believe the difference a simple black wall makes and it now makes my room look much bigger."
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “There’s a misconception that dark paint can make a room feel smaller, but Clare has proven that going for a bold paint adds character and depth to a space.
“Best of all, her transformation cost just £20. If you want to make like Clare, inspire yourself on Pinterest and then stock up on affordable supplies from ebay, B&M or Amazon.”
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