Weekend Makeover

So it is Thursday night and you have decided that this weekend is perfect for sprucing up the living room. It's a last minute decision, but you can get it done. Right? Well, there is no reason why not. All it will take is a little bit of planning, preparation and some elbow grease. As long as you have the whole weekend to yourself, nothing special to do and some motivation, you could be sitting down to a cup of tea in your new living room, come Sunday night.

Thursday evening

OK, so this isn't strictly the weekend, but you need some thinking time. Take this evening to decide on colours for your new living room. Use the internet to try out some new combinations and make a list of everything you need to buy from your DIY store. If you are really organised and can get an order in on time, you may be able to get a delivery arranged for Friday afternoon.

What you will need:

• Paint for walls
• Paint for ceilings
• Paint for trims such as doors, woodwork and skirtings.
• Wall/wood filler
• Plenty of sandpaper
• A small brush for detailing, a larger brush for cutting in and a couple of rollers
• A pack of disposable roller trays
• Some old sheets to cover furniture
• Masking tape

Friday evening

Before you go to bed, move all of your furniture ready for the next day. Try to move it out of the room or if you have to, into the centre and cover it all. Take some time to lay down sheets on the floor to protect your carpets. By now you will have all of your supplies ready to go.

Saturday

The morning needs to be spent on preparation.

• Sand down the woodwork, strip wallpaper and fill any holes or dents in the walls. Sand this down once it has dried. After all the sanding has been done you need to wash the walls with water to remove the dust. Clean all surfaces carefully.
• Apply the masking tape to areas which might be tricky to avoid with a paint brush.
• Remove your door if you will be painting that as well
• Remove the facing plates of your light switches and electrical sockets. Turn off the electricity before you do this.

Once all prepis done you can apply your first coat to the ceiling. You can also apply the first coat of paint to the walls.

Sunday

Finish the ceiling with its final coat. Two coats should be plenty, but you can always add a third in the afternoon if required.

Now do the second coat on your walls in your chosen colour. It is perfectly possible to get two coats done in just a few hours, so you should be finished before lunch. Don't forget to take your time when cutting in to avoid ruining your hard work on the ceiling.

In the afternoon you can start the woodwork. Because you took the time to prepare it carefully, you should be able to use just one coat of a good acrylic paint. This will take some time to do and you will need to be careful. The drying time for the trim will also be longer, so wait for 24 hours before replacing your facing plates and putting the door back on.

By Sunday evening you should be enjoying your hard work and wondering why you waited so long.