3 instant room updates with no DIY skills needed. I lack some basic DIY skills - everything I touch with a drill or hammer seems to go wrong, so I thought it might be good to share some ideas for how to give your room a lift without needing to be 'handy'. So, here are my no-mess no-fuss tips to style up your home:

1 – Colour code bookshelves

This is a controversial tip and not for those who like things to be orderly, numbered, alphabetised and so on. However, if you (like me) favour choosing a book for its cover and often keep them for a long time after reading, then this is a great way to give your shelves a lift.

Image from Rue Magazine

A colour-coded bookshelf gives a room a focus, injects some pattern and colour and helps the shelves to look tidy too – a nice bonus!

2 – Create collections 

Group together objects based on:

• similarity of purpose - collect old cameras? Great, line them up on a shelf
• colour matches - huge fan of mint green? gather all your pieces together and group them in a display on a sideboard
• to tell a story - just got married? Create a little vignette of a photo, your guest book, a dried flower from your bouquet and any other little personal mementoes

Image from Martha Stewart site

Remember that groups look better in odd numbers and go for 3, 5, 7 items. Play around with the layout until you really feel it works, snapping pictures on your phone of each variation along the way in case you want to go back to an earlier version. These little displays can be a fun way to show off your things and can be rotated frequently to shake things up.

Vintage vase collection, image by me, Becky Morris Knight

3 – Move your furniture around

This seems like a faff, but once you’ve done it you’ll feel great. Changing the layout of a room can help you rediscover pieces of furniture you love and will make it clear if there’s an element which just doesn’t work - functionally or stylistically - within the space. It helps you to look at your space with fresh eyes and can create a better layout for how you live.

Image from Ikea

If you’re feeling really motivated you can get the music on loud, sing along and have a spring clean at the same time. Tips to remember – consider items which can’t be moved before you start (plug sockets etc), symmetry is a quick way to a stylish look for a room and a well-designed room puts functionality first.

So, there are three quick projects to help you style a room in your home, without having to get out the toolkit! What would you suggest for a quick no-mess update?

Becky