Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! It’s always exciting to move in and make the house your own space, and painting recycled furniture is a great way to save money – how kind of your friends.

Individualism is a big trend at the moment, matchy matchy is out and personalising your home is in!  Painting furniture is a fantastic way to revamp a much loved piece or to make a room more cohesive. Now more than ever people are looking at what they have already in their home instead of going out and buying something new. Paint is an inexpensive way to update existing furniture and match what you already have in your home.

Painting furniture does not have to be a complicated exercise and to make your life easier, Crown Paints has a great product called Grip Extreme which allows the top coat to adhere, as well as saving you time and effort as you do not need to sand down the surfaces. After the Grip Extreme is dry, apply a top coat paint in Satin, Gloss or Eggshell to your furniture, depending on the finish you wan to achieve.  You’ll love the new life a lick of paint will bring to the furniture!

Some great colours to work with are light creams and warm whites; try to stay away from bright whites as they will seem harsh against most painted walls and can mark easily. If you are feeling adventurous paint individual drawers in various colours, this will personalise your chest of drawers and complement your colour scheme. Remember you can also paint your kitchen and bathroom cupboards as well.

You can add appliqués to your furniture before you paint which will give great texture to a piece. I find this really works for vintage headboards when you paint them in a warm white; it transforms it to a classic French country style. You can find appliqués on www.thebellacottage.com or www.shabbysuite.com. Be daring and try a bold colour like bright blue, pink or purple on a book shelf or chair, it’s a simple way to add a splash of colour to a room.

Now that you have all your furniture painted and looking beautiful, it’s now time to tackle the rest of your home. Although you are on a limited budget that does not mean you have to limit the style of your home. Check out some of the high street retailers like Dunnes, Pennys, and Next who all stock great soft furnishings that are stylish and affordable.

Personalise your home with photographs and posters of friends, family and pieces that inspire you. To add warmth to a space add plenty of cushions and blankets staked high, these can make the room more inviting. If you have not already purchased a couch, take your time when choosing. Couches are big investments and are one of the most used items in a home so never rush.

The most important thing to remember when decorating your new home is to enjoy it! Decorating is a fantastic way to express your personality and who you are as well as making a house into a home.