As spring is often associated with fresh starts, it makes sense that the change of season calls for one thing inside an interior enthusiast's head: a home makeover. However, what a lot of people don't know is that you don't necessarily need to buy new to refresh a space at all.
It's no secret that sustainability has long been a topic of contention within the interior world. With people debating back and forth about the impact of our fast homeware habits and instead encouraging sourcing furniture secondhand, it can leave you feeling a little overwhelmed with where to even begin decorating.
With this in mind, eBay has partnered with interior stylist and author, Lisa Dawson, to transform homes with pre-loved furniture and vintage home accessories – bringing life back into a tired-looking bedroom without breaking the bank. Better yet, there's a thing or two you can certainly adopt to refresh your own boudoir.
eBay pre-loved bedroom makeover
Last year, eBay launched the Slow Styling Service with interior designer, Lisa Dawson – a limited competition to help people navigate the often daunting (yet exciting) journey of finding non-new furniture pieces and home decor.
The lucky winners of the Slow Styling Service received £1,500 of eBay pre-loved products, styled and chosen by Lisa in line with the winners' personal home decor trend interests – and we're obsessed with the final result.
Before
Although passable, Gwawr's bedroom in North Wales lacked nods to her character and style, simply being a place to rest rather than feel inspired in.
As we all know, the ambience of a bedroom is so important. Being the first place you see when you wake up and the last thing before you go to sleep, it pays to have a bedroom colour scheme and design that you're head over heels for – and that's exactly what Lisa helped Gwawr to achieve in this bedroom makeover.
After
Instantly, you can see a difference. Lisa incorporated more colour and texture to add character while still keeping to Gwawr's personal style. The biggest changes to the space include a fresh lick of pale pink paint to the walls, bedroom wall panelling, lush forest green curtains and rich, colourful bedding.
Lisa chose a solid cherry wood wardrobe as a key defining feature of the space, adding that touch of uniqueness and demonstrating the beauty of upcycling as she had Gwawr paint it her colour of choice. The colour of the wardrobe matches the panelling perfectly, tying the whole scheme together.
Lisa also added bedroom wall decor by hanging paintings to add personality to the room by combining a modern typography print with a vintage oil painting from 1997 of a famous seascape in North Wales, as a nod to Gwawr's heritage.
Lisa notes that this idea of mixing and matching modern and vintage items is one of her 'favourite ways to help a room appear timeless and more cohesive', creating what she describes as a 'blend of stories throughout the space.'
'When it came to working with each winner of eBay's Slow Styling Service, I really wanted each room to be a true reflection of the individual's home style,' comments Lisa. 'We looked at how they used the rooms currently, plus their own style and what inspired them when they were planning how to decorate their home.'
'We sourced items that would last the course, timeless pieces that they could move around and repurpose as their homes developed. We also ensured that we had some stand-out items in each space – for example, in the bedroom space we incorporated beautiful Welsh blankets which added colour and character and aligned with the heritage of the homeowner.'
'As we're heading into Spring, it's the perfect time for a home makeover, and I really want to get the message out there that you don't need to start from scratch to create a space that you can't wait to show off to friends and family,' affirms Lisa.
So, rest assured that shopping secondhand or simply getting a little crafty in the many ways you can refresh your home for free is a surefire way to instantly rejuvenate your space for springtime.
Lisa concludes, 'Making small changes with pre-loved items can bring a home to life.'
