Pimp your pad

Transferable skills
Lazertran transfer paper (www.lazertran.com) allows you to reproduce any image onto almost any surface, including wood, glass, metal, ceramics and even textiles. This leads to all sorts of creative possibilities. You could create instant art for your walls by applying your favourite images to canvas, make bespoke tiles, or produce a personalised set of coasters and placemats for your dining table (ask your builders merchants to cut out pieces of wood in the sizes and shapes you want).

Your choice of imagery is important here. The kind of retro advertising or old fashion photography that you find in vintage magazines can make particularly stylish prints, or why not use your own photographs for a more personal touch?

Patch it up
You'll be surprised how easily a few judiciously applied buttons, patches or pieces of fabric can give your cushions a facelift. Choose fabrics with colours that go well with the cushion covers, sew them in place with chunky, contrasting thread, or just use a glue gun if you're feeling really lazy.

Keep your colour palette limited and don't go overboard with how many bits and pieces you attach. As ever, with this type of exercise, less is definitely more.

Easy upholstery
Transform simple wooden cafe chairs with detachable seats (you can pick these up in any flea market) with a funky new seat covering. Charity shops and auction sites like eBay are good sources of fabulously retro fabrics. Take a look at this step-by-step guide. It couldn't be simpler.

Bedroom bling
Wallpaper doesn't just belong on walls, you can use it to transform the dowdiest wardrobe or chest of drawers into pieces that will bring a touch of glamour to any contemporary boudoir.

Remove any knobs or handles, give the front of your drawers or doors a light sanding and apply the wallpaper (you'll need to take the drawers out of the chest and cut out the paper accurately to give you a professional, continuous finish).

Paint the sides of the chest or the wardrobe in a colour that matches at least one of the shades in your wallpaper. For the most stylish results, use a wallpaper with bold, graphic patterns. Check out www.osborneandlittle.com and www.neishacrosland.com for inspiration.