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Strategies to transform a room in half a day

It is possible to transform a room in half a day. Really. Just think of a room as a set - a space for acting out your life. Dressing a set is nowhere near as daunting as making over a room. Small changes can make a big impact. Choose one of the following seven strategies. Just don't try to do too much. There's always tomorrow

• De-Clutter
  Clutter draws the eye and shrinks a room. Arm yourself with some sturdy rubbish bags and be ruthless. Take newspapers and magazines to be recycled. Cull your bookshelves and CDs. Some books, like some music are meant to be kept, only the best deserve your shelf room. Unwanted gifts have to go. Charity shops will love you for it
• Create your own mood board
  Discover your own taste. Start collecting anything that catches your eye - a scrap of fabric, photos, postcards, pictures from magazines. Get a pin board and stick it all up there. Keep adding to it. This way you can find your own unique style, eliminating the layers that other people have impressed upon you. Art deco. Minimalist. Or country cottage. Just don't mix them up - too much
• In the frame
  Pretty pictures hung badly look ugly. The most common mistake is to hang them too high and spread them too thinly round a room. A single wall covered with pictures has far more impact. Use the right sort of picture hooks: 'X' Picture Accessories sell foolproof white nylon plastic ones (89p for 3). Avoid annoyingly fragile brass pins - they snap if not hit straight on with a hammer. You can't beat professional framing but it is expensive. Still, a frame is better than no frame at all. Especially for poster art. Pop to Muji or Habitat and pick up budget frames that you can fill yourself. Tate: online sell some great posters from £7.00 and paint-it-yourself kits from £25 which include everything you need to create your own art work. Another good source for original art is your local art college - snap up a bargain from the next Picasso at the end of term shows
• Mirror, mirror on your wall
  They make any room seem bigger, improve proportions and sparkle nicely. To maximise the reflective qualities place a mirror between two windows. Two or three large mirrors used either horizontally or vertically widen and add interest to long narrow hallways. Create the 'Hollywood Effect' in your bathroom with the biggest mirror you can fit in there. Instant glamour. Getting it on the wall is another thing. Most of us can't face the wielding a drill so just lean it against the wall or prop on a sturdy chair to add a touch of careless artistry

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