Love your home

While the credit crunch batters our budgets and our spirits, it seems we're determined to be happy and comfortable behind closed doors.

There's not just been a surge in DIY and home improvements, according to research by B&Q, but also a trend for people to experiment more with colour and pattern.

Says B&Q's decorative director David Haydon, 'We're seeing real evidence that people are using their homes as extensions to their personalities, and are far less timid about their choices.'

But giving your home a facelift, or just making small changes, can be a challenge if you've lived with safe neutrals for years or don't find DIY easy.

Builders Julian Cassell and Peter Parham have come to the rescue by pooling their knowledge and revealing trade secrets, short cuts and solutions in a new book, ASK.

It gives the answers to the 1,000 most asked questions about the home.

'We're aware that DIY can be the most infuriating of pastimes when things aren't going to plan, but when it all comes good, it's a very satisfying place to be,' Julian says.

'So we've put together all the advice we've given out over the years, which has helped people succeed with around the home jobs.

'Occasionally, it's also saved a marriage, saved an injury or at the very least saved someone from more years of frustration and generally devaluing their home!'

Be inspired

It can be hard to know where to start when you want to revamp.

'Create a theme board and pin on fabric swatches, including different textures and patterns, and magazine clippings of room features and furniture that you like,' Julian suggests.

Trawling through paint charts can be confusing, but if you find a colour you love on something, maybe a piece of clothing or home product, some companies will scan it and produce a paint to match.

Top tips: Choose a cushion in a colour or fabric pattern that you love and use it as a starting point.

Still struggling over a scheme? Dulux's new Design Service isn't cheap at 250 but a professional interior designer will visit your home and devise a room scheme suggesting colour, fabric and furnishing choices.

Decorating

Make the most of your walls by following the fashion for wallpaper. Papering one feature wall is becoming increasingly popular.

'Swatches supplied by painting and decorating stores are so small it's hard to tell what the finished effect will be like,' Julian says.

'Buy tester pots and paint pieces of lining paper, which can be moved around the room to check how colours will look in certain lights.

'Also, it's probably worth buying a roll of paper you're keen on and pinning up a large piece to see if it really suits your taste.'

He advises DIYers to always prepare surfaces and prime wood, then work from the top down: ceilings, walls, then woodwork.

Don't be floored by wear and tear. For instance, fill cracks between the wall and the skirting board by rolling up some newspaper and wedging it in the gaps to provide a base for some filler.

Clean a ceiling with a squeegee mop before you paint, and secure dustsheets to the floor to stop them creeping across the floor as you work.

Finishing touches

"There are a host of small things that will make rooms look special, from finishing those small DIY jobs through to giving a new look to old pieces of furniture and displaying treasures," Julian says, adding that it's easy to give new life to old things.

He suggests freshening up an old roller blind with fabric paint and using stencils to help create a simple design.

"Paint picture frames with emulsion to either match a new scheme, or in a toning shade so they stand out. Mask off the glass edges to get a crisp finish."

A large bed can dominate a room. Soften its effect by fixing a hook in a joist above the centre of the bed head. Knot some fabric on the hook, draping it back to the bed head on either side.

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