A savvy DIY lover has shared how he saved thousands on his bedroom renovation by taking on the job himself with the help of supplies from eBay and Home Bargains
After being quoted up to £6,500 for new furniture, 50-year-old sprayshop manager Jonathan Barnes decided to take matters into his own hands and tackle the project himself. Telling Latest Deals how he pulled off the transformation, Jonathan said: "I recently completed renovating my master bedroom on a home I bought back in November 2021.
"My idea came from over 30 years of experience working as a wood finisher within the furniture manufacturing industry. I've used many different coloured paints and wood stains over the years, so I have good insight into which colours work well together.
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"I share a fondness for both painted and wood grain furniture, so I decided to combine the two together; this also worked out as being the most cost-effective solution. The end result is aesthetically pleasing, too.
"I obtained several quotes ranging from £5,500 - £6,500. However, as the existing cupboards were in good condition, albeit old fashioned, I decided the most cost-effective option was to refurbish them."
To save money, Jonathan, from Rochdale, tried to keep to budget stores such as Home Bargains when shopping for supplies. He said: "I shopped online to get 22 brushed nickel finger pull handles for £49 from eBay.
"Home Bargains was the next stop, where I picked up two rolls of 50mm masking tape for £2.60 and two rolls of linking paper for masking-up for £5.80. I then went to Roebuck & Holmes in Huddersfield and got doors and drawer fronts in Light Rockford Hickery woodgrain and 30mm MDF worktops for £580, plus five litres of matte white sprayable wood paint for £55 from Symphony Coatings. The total cost was £692.40, which is much better than the £6,500 I was quoted."
After sourcing the supplies he needed, it was time for Jonathan to get to work. He added: "First, I unscrewed and removed the corner shelf sections that were located above the bedside cabinets as I did not want to keep these because they were no longer fashionable.
"I also removed the arches below the bridging unit and from the dressing table as I wanted my makeover to have a streamlined, sleek appearance; this process took about half an hour.
"I then removed all of the doors, draws and worktops. Again, this process was pretty straightforward as they were also attached with screws and took around one hour to complete.
"Next, I masked-up the cabinets using the lining paper and tape that I had bought earlier from Home Bargains. This was quite time-consuming and took roughly two and a half hours.
"Once I had finished masking-up, I proceeded to spray the outside of the cabinets matte white using an air compressor and a spray gun that I had borrowed from my workplace. Being an experienced sprayer, this process only took me twenty minutes.
"Once the paint had dried, it was then time to denib the cabinets and apply a second coat. All-in-all, painting the cabinets and replacement worktops from start to finish took just over two hours.
"The next step was to attach the new doors, draw fronts and worktops that had been manufactured by Roebuck and Holmes as per specification. Fitting these was the most time-consuming part of the renovations and took six hours to complete.
This project was relatively straightforward. By using neutral colours, the palette will be a consistent background for changing colour trends. They are also gentle and calming on the eye, which is what I was aiming for with my makeover.
"I believe any future makeover should only require replacing the doors and drawer fronts - unless of course I decide on a complete redesign."
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