How To Overhaul Your Home In 14 Days

Ola Zwolenki (@thistimeincolour) transformed her dining room using bright paint shades and graphic shapes. 'Be brave with your colour choices and you can fill a room with fun and personality without spending much time, money or effort,' she says. 'This room has gone from white and boring to the most liked room on my Instagram page.'

A statement light makes a room feel special but now you don't need an electrician to make a difference. The trend for easy-fit lampshades has seen an increase in stylish designs, so now it takes just minutes to revamp a room.

The rich, warm glow of gold lifts a space and you don't need a lot to create impact. In this kitchen, just the metal brackets of the shelving have been turned gold using brass or gold leaf, which sounds tricky but isn't – simply coat with the special glue (Gold Size) and apply the leaf, which is made for metal. Use it to revamp metal door and drawer handles, candlesticks and picture frames.

You don't have to paint an entire room to update it. Stylist Emma Jane Palin painted scallops and stripes above the cornicing of her bedroom. 'This was a way of adding personality without spending much money,' she says. 'And, as I'm a renter, without having to do too much at the end of the tenancy.' Emma used paint by Earthborn in Freckle and Flower Pot. For her full how-to, visit emmajanepalin.com.

A fabulous frame elevates a piece of art – and the space it's in. 'When choosing a frame, think about colour, tone, picture mount and the weight of it, so that it complements your piece,' says Jasmine Rosten-Edwards of online gallery Oneoffto25. 'Also try juxtaposing different textures and genres, such as using a bright acrylic frame with a traditional piece of art.' If you are DIY-ing, 'Make sure there's a gap between the artwork and the glass to avoid the build-up of moisture and use non-glare glass to lessen reflections and enhance the overall look,' says Jasmine.

Bespoke fitted wardrobes can be very costly but interior designer Emilie Fournet, of Emilie Fournet Interiors, created a chic built-in look using an Ikea Pax wardrobe and wallpaper. 'It's simple but transformational,' she says. 'We used fun terrazzo wallpaper (Ferm Living) and, using a mix of standard wallpaper paste and PVA glue, wallpapered the doors and sides of the wardrobe so it blends in with the wall. We then added some leather strap handles, et voilà!'

Hate your cupboard doors? Stylist Lisa Dawson quickly and easily updated hers without blowing the budget. 'I took the measurements of my current doors and asked my local DIY store to cut moisture resistant MDF to size. I also asked them to have the edges slightly rounded off for a smart finish,' she says. 'Back home, I carefully spaced the hinges, then primed the doors before painting them and adding the handles.'

Go beyond pictures and photos by layering in two and three-dimensional objects. 'Think about what you already have,' says interior designer Mel Massey (@interiors_by_mel). 'Trays, plates, wall hangings, tiles, vintage pieces, metal signs... these look fantastic when grouped with the art you have. In this space I've mixed textures, heights and materials to create depth and interest. To work out where everything goes, place all the items on the floor to see how to group and space them. Your wall doesn't have to be white – just make sure it works tonally.'

A simple way to inject pattern is with a rug, which instantly adds character and transforms a space,' says interior designer Bhavin Taylor, of Bhavin Taylor Design. 'To create a rug that is individual, I piece together carpet tiles in a variety of designs, colours and patterns. The furniture in this room was quite plain, so I selected tiles in various patterns (from Flor) that had similar colour tones to create a custom rug that is bursting with personality, while elevating the look of the interior.

Emily and Victoria Ceraudo kicked off the trend for 'chairscaping' – styling a chair to liven up a dull corner. 'The possibilities are endless,' say the founders of Ceraudo. 'In the living room or hall we like to add books, objet and even an artful houseplant; in the bathroom a tray of lotions and potions works well and, in the bedroom, pile it with magazines and finish with velvet Venetian slippers.

Rattan is on-trend and looks great with plants, as can be seen in this chic plant display by @green.pau. Start with a larger plant for height and then add in smaller ones, including those that will trail over the edges. Variegated plants that have leaves with patches or streaks add extra visual interest.

Stylist Dee Campling attaches flowers to her wall using tape to create a pretty, albeit temporary, decoration. 'It's an interesting way of adding seasonal changes or colour to your room without committing to paint,' she says. 'It's best to use small, dainty flowers, as they're lighter in weight and will stick on the wall longer. Obviously the flowers won't last long out of water, but you can extend their life by inserting each stem into a tiny plastic florist's tube of water before attaching to the wall. You could also recreate this look with dried or faux flowers.'

Scent is a powerful way to create a mood and enhance a room. Loewe's new home scent range features candles in stylish ceramic holders but also cool wax candle-holders that melt down to give an evocative mood and styled still-life. The 11-scent range is inspired by gardens and plants and includes honeysuckle, tomato leaves and even marijuana. 'These are olfactory sketches that remind me of my childhood, of different journeys I have taken,' says creative director Jonathan Anderson.

OK, this will take you more than a day, but the effort is worth it as stencilling a pattern on decking or concrete tiles completely changes an outside space. Jayne Davies (@jayne.s.advies) used a stencil by Dizzy Duck Designs (see its website for a tutorial) to paint her wooden decking. 'For the base coat I used white Ronseal Decking Stain. As it was new decking, it took four to five coats,' she says. 'For the stencil I used Rust-Olem Painter's Touch Black Spray Paint (matt), which made the process quick and the paint went into the grooves. I protected the area around the stencil with cardboard. The result was worth the effort as it adds character and style.'