In today’s fast-paced world, finding time for home improvements can be a challenge. This is leading people to look for interior DIY jobs that will transform their living space quickly. So, it isn’t a surprise that searches for #quickdiyprojects have reached 1.8M views on TikTok.
Whether it’s about refreshing old elements, adding a personal touch, or maximising organisation – Tapi Carpets have teamed up with interior experts Claire Douglas and Tim Warren to share seven hassle-free jobs that will allow you to refresh your space in only 60 minutes, and without breaking the bank.
Kitchen cabinet cleaning
With searches for ‘kitchen cabinet deep cleaning’ seeing a 100% increase in the past 12 months [2], – its clear people are looking for ways to refresh and reorganise their kitchen storage space.
Claire suggests starting with a cleanse to prep the surface. If painting is not an option, she recommends using contact paper. Kitchen cabinets get used a lot and need to be more resilient than other cupboards in your home. She therefore doesn’t recommend using wallpaper to jazz up the insides, unless it’s a scrubbable product. Contact paper is much more suited to this job as it has a vinyl coating making it very easy to clean and much more durable. It’s quick and easy to apply, has a low cost, and comes in a variety of designs, allowing you to upgrade old or damaged cabinets quickly.
In terms of storage, Tim suggests using kitchen organisers such as lazy Susan’s, drawer dividers and wire racks as they can help if you are low on space.
Refreshing floors
Refreshing your floors is also another great way to give a new look to your living space, There is however a quicker and budget-friendly way of restoring your floors, through peel-and-stick flooring.
The hashtag #peelandstickflooring has had 9.6M views on TikTok, indicating people are looking at this quicker alternative instead.
If you’re looking to refresh your floors within a short period of time, Tim suggests peel-and-stick tiles are a great option as they can be easily fitted together by locking pieces into place and do not require an underlay.
Changing door handles
Another job that can be done in under an hour but provides a new look is changing door handles. This change instantly elevates your space by adding colour, texture and style.
If your current handles have more than one hole, Claire suggests measuring the hole centres and only buying replacements with the same measurements to save having to drill new and fill any existing holes. Use an electric screwdriver or screwdriver drill-bit to ensure the speediest removal and installation.
If you need to drill new holes for your replacements, make a template from a card that gives the exact position of the required drill holes to save measuring each individual door or drawer. Hold the new handles or drawer pulls in place with painter’s tape to keep your hands free to hold the screws and screwdriver.
However, if you want an even quicker makeover, Tim recommends painting the door handles. Simply remove them from the door and place them on a protected surface. Spray the handle with primer before using a spray paint formulated for metal or plastic. Even though the paint will be dry to the touch within an hour, it is best to leave it for 24 hours to fully dry before reinstalling.
Covering radiators
With 14.9M views on TikTok for the hashtag #radiatorcover, Claire shares two ways to transform your old-looking and tired radiators quickly and effectively into almost brand-new pieces.
Firstly, through radiator shelves. A piece of rustic wood makes a great radiator shelf, this could be upcycled from an old floorboard to save money. You can attach the wood to the wall with brackets for a floating look. Alternatively, there are many styles of legs available to buy,
