The summer is usually too busy to tackle big DIY jobs. There is plenty to do in the garden and many of us are off to sunnier climes. There are still a few easy updates you can make to your home that will take just a few hours or a long weekend to complete.

Painting alcoves

I love the transformative power of a tin of paint. We tend to shy away from bright colours in our homes, but a child’s room is the perfect place to explore fun interior design ideas. Here, we built in a bed with alcove shelving.  I then painted the alcoves in bright colours to showcase books, toys and treasured objects. You can paint the alcoves in more subtle colours for a prettier effect or use blackboard paint if you want to give your children somewhere to be creative.

You could also use wallpaper, which is is a great way to give personality to a child’s room. Many design companies have wallpaper and fabric in the same design for a coordinated look.

Painting a bath panel

Painting the side of your bath can transform the whole look of your  bathroom. If you have a built-in bath, it’s easy to repaint the bath panel using an oil based eggshell paint. Choose a dark colour like Farrow & Ball Railings to contrast with an all-white bathroom for an industrial look or go for a bright colour to make your bath a stand-out feature. I think this works especially well with free standing baths which are a design feature in themselves. Here this enamel bath has been painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and finished with Matt Lacquer to make it waterproof. The ombre walls really make it zing.

Gilding old picture frames

I have an art background and love to collect artwork from art fairs and flea markets. A simple postcard or sketch can look wonderful if it is framed beautifully with a carefully chosen mount. I use Bath Framers on London Road for big pieces, but I also scour markets for old frames which I paint and gild to transform them.

Gilding Wax is a brilliant product for adding that antique look to an old frame. Simply paint your frame and the Wax on top to give an aged effect. For a more traditional look, try gilding with loose or transfer leaf – brass, silver or copper all look wonderful.

You can also use Gold Leaf on furniture, candlesticks and even tiles as seen on this stunning kitchen.

Use fabric imaginatively

Fabric shouldn’t just be used for curtains and cushions. Plan your soft furnishings early on in your design to create a wonderfully harmonious and textured effect. In this room, I painted the walls in a strong mid-tone blue and then used fabrics in warm jewel shades on the headboard, on the cushions and on the lampshade. Use the colour wheel to help you choose shades that will work together and stick to colours in the same tonal range for a cohesive look that is pleasing to the eye. Mixing textures – the soft velvet, the smooth silk and the tufted ombre – provide interest.

I hope I have inspired you to get out the paintbrushes and fabric this summer.