If you fancy jazzing up your staircase, you can end up paying hundreds of pounds once you’ve added up labour and material costs.
However, a mum from Merseyside has managed to create her own “luxe” staircase for under £90 by doing the work herself and buying budget supplies from high street stores and online. Imogen Quirk, 27, who’s also an NHS student, bought wallpaper, carpet runners and spray paint from B&M, Amazon and eBay to complete the job.
As reported by LatestDeals.co.uk, Imogen told Facebook group DIY On A Budget UK: "I always try and freshen everywhere up every six months, even if it’s just with a new coat of paint. I always have so many design ideas and I just seem to go with it!
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"I recently wrapped my kitchen in a black and wood theme and loved the black, so I’ve spread that out across the house. I didn’t want the hall to be too dark because it’s quite big - I like to keep it bright and airy.
“I wanted to redo my staircase, but I needed to keep it as cheap as possible. It took me about three weeks after I got home from work after putting my daughter to bed. The original carpet was taken up, and all carpet grips, staples and tacks removed.
"The stairs were then sanded down and smoothed, then varnished in white. I measured the stairs myself and ordered normal carpet runners to the same length. I needed three long runners and one medium runner, however, there was a pattern at each end. I cut the patterned ends off each runner so the pattern would continue.
"I singed the edges with a lighter to stop any fraying and touched up with dye on any white bits after I’d cut, with the edges of each runner starting at the crease in the stair. Each step then has 12 to 16 carpet tacks hammered in keeping it firmly in place.
"Then I put the black varnish on the rail. I also sanded down a leaner mirror and sideboard I had in other rooms and spray painted them along with my radiator black to go with the black rail varnishing.”
The total staircase transformation cost Imogen under £90. She explained: “The wallpaper cost £39.98 from Amazon, the runners cost £62.97 from eBay, but I had a £20 voucher, so £42.97. The spray paint was £5 from B&M.
"The rest I already had in from all the other bits of DIY I do. I’ve been quoted £300 once for just all the glossing in the hall, stairs and landing, so I'm not sure how much it all would have cost. As an NHS student, it’s not an option to pay for something like that so I didn’t look into it.
"I'm really glad I did manage to do it for under £90, especially with all the cost of energy and things rising! I think my tips would be don’t be afraid to just have a go. They are only walls and if you don’t like it a lick of paint can transform a room easily enough... but you never know until you give it a go!”
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