DIY fan quoted £900 for trendy panelled staircase creates her own stunning version using B&Q bargains
THESE days, we can’t open Instagram without seeing countless pictures of people’s stunning panelled feature walls – but as we know all too well, they can cost a small fortune.
Earlier this year, mum-of-two Patricia Bradley, from Renfrewshire, looked into getting her stairway redone and was shocked when she was quoted a staggering £900 for the job.
The whole project took Patricia about four days to complete[/caption]Speaking to Latest Deals, the 43-year-old said: “I struggled to see how the cost matched what I thought about what was required in terms of materials and labour.
“I then Googled some info on how to panel a staircase. I enjoy DIY and decided that I would have a go at it myself.”
First things first, Patricia replaced her stripey old carpet with some wood-effect laminate on the riser and then a dark carpet on the tread.
Once this was done, the thrifty mum used picture rails and B&Q moulds to create the shape along the wall.
FABULOUS BINGO: GET A £5 FREE BONUS WITH NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED
She added: “I used a hack that I found on Pinterest for creating the required angles, which involved using cardboard as a template.
“This was inexpensive and worked very well. The only tool I used was a small handheld mitre saw for cutting the moulding to size, a strong adhesive for gluing the wood to the wall and a tube of wood filler to perfect the angles.”
Most read in FabulouS
Once she was happy with the effect, Patricia then painted her panelling light grey to offset her new green walls.
In total, the project took Patricia about four days to complete and mum spent £70 on materials – including 12 pine mouldings, two picture rails and new paint.
She added: “I am pleased with the result and that I was able to perform the job myself and made a huge saving in the process.
“It is also an achievement when you get the desired result and have saved money into the bargain.
“My tips would be to do your research into the work you want to have done, use YouTube and Pinterest to pick up handy hints and tips and have the confidence to have a go.
“However, it’s also important to understand when tradesmen are required for safety reasons!”
For more amazing home transformations, this mum couldn’t afford a posh TV stand so made a stunning fake fireplace for £4.50 – she had almost everything she needed.
And this savvy mum saved £100s transforming her daughter’s bedroom with bargain buys from Facebook Marketplace and Etsy.
Plus this woman transformed her boring bathroom from bleak to chic on just £2.20.