Make your living space into a real home

Turn your house into a home
If you’re still living in the marital home, or even if you didn't get to stay there after your divorce settlement, you may be looking for a fresh look to celebrate your new life after divorce.

However, if you were born without the Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen gene for self agrandising creative flair, gorgeous flowing locks and find those shirt cuffs keep dangling in the paint pot then making the most from your home can be a daunting task.

Whatever style you aspire to, whether it is ultra modern minimalist or swagged and draped country house, the myriad of books and magazines dedicated to achieving the look you want means that you should never be short of inspiration or advice.

Lots of advice available
As for magazines, newsagents shelves are collapsing under the weight of popular favourites such as Country Living and World of Interiors.  There is more more than enough both here and on television to tell you eveything you wanted to know and now wish you had not asked.  The advice you probably really want is how to do this well but cheaply.   

How to do it inexpensively (well, cheaply, actually!)
The trouble with all this advice is that it can be difficult to know when to stop so keep it simple. For example, you don’t need to repaint every wall to give a room a new look.  Change accessories instead.  Lamp shades, picture frames, cushions etc. can make a dramatic change to the look and feel of a room, and a well placed light can completely transform the atmosphere.

Lots of supermarkets and clothes shops now stock ranges of inexpensive housewares that you can fling into your trolley along with your ready meal for one or pair of knickers to perk up your décor. 

As with people, houses need a little TLC now and again. Whether it’s general upkeep, a bit of DIY or a facelift for a tired room, if you look after your house, your house will look after you in the uncertainties of your life after divorce.