Family homes: Renovating on a small budget with a family

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Family home renovation ideas- Image credit: Garden Trading

Family homes are a beautiful thing. Not just because of the wholesome design cues but also because of what a family home means. Shared meals, growth charts on the hallway wall and drawings on the fridge.

But we understand that it can be difficult to renovate a home with a family, especially a growing one on a tight budget. Where do you find the time for renovating?

In this post, we cover some superstar renovation ideas for families on a budget, small wins for those with little time. Plus, with a little bit of creativity and patience, you can even get some of the smaller members of the family in on the reno action.

Read on for family renovation ideas on a small budget…

  1. Transform your chimney breast

As a family, you’ll probably be spending the most time in the living room, whether it’s post-school chilling or some after-homework TV time (or you and your partner kicking back when everyone else is in bed). Giving your chimney breast a makeover can make a huge change aesthetically and you can do it for pretty cheap. Think of a statement wallpaper or pop shelving up in the alcoves on either side for extra storage. You could even tile inside or around the fireplace for a weekend project which is easier than you might think.

Get more chimney breast ideas here.

Our living room chimney breast

2. Fit your own stair runner

Stair carpet tends to be one of the most worn areas in a family home and we wouldn’t advise opting for bare boards with little ones dashing up and down. Nowadays, plenty of high street retailers sell stair runners that you can fit yourself like this one from Wayfair. All you’ll need is either rods to match your staircase style or a staple fun. Keep the young ones out of the way for safety but they can absolutely help you place it on the stairs.

3. Update your hallway

With a family rambling in and out of the house, it could be a really smart move to make your hallway more family-friendly. If you can afford new flooring, look at wipe-clean tiling or a runner that you can lift and throw in the washing machine.

Definitely prioritise finding space for a unit that will hold shoes and space for baskets to contain smaller objects in the body of it and a bowl or hooks for keys and all the bits and bobs we often misplace on the top. This can be really handy for keeping the mud and mess in the hallway so you’re not constantly cleaning the rest of the house.

Family hallway idea - Image credit: Garden Trading

4. Fit your own wall panelling

If there’s any one single way to make a room look far more expensive than it actually is, it’s with panelling. You can go for wide square panels or thin strips in line with the wall edges, but either way, it’s so much easier than you’d think. You’ll need to measure where you want it to go and get your local hardware store to cut timber to size. From there, it’s just glueing the strips into your wall and covering it all with a layer of fresh paint. What a result!

You can also take a look at another of our posts on tongue and groove panelling

This tongue and groove panelling can be purchased from homebase

5. Hang a staircase gallery wall

We absolutely love to see this idea in any home and especially so in family homes. These days, you can print off your prized memories online and get them sent to you for the price of a family takeaway and grab some budget frames from IKEA. Get the whole family involved and hang them with adhesive strips, something you can all appreciate as they grow (and can’t be knocked off as easily as with hooks).

We’ve written all about fantastic staircase decor ideas.

Staircase gallery wall - Image credit: Benjamin Moore

6. Apply film or paint your kitchen backsplash

One of the biggest focal points in a kitchen is your splashback and they tend to show age the fastest. You don’t have to go for a full re-tile to give yours a makeover. Instead, consider either painting over what you’ve got with specialist paint or using a tile-specific printed film for an easy win and big update.

Patterned tiled splashback - Image credit: Original Style

7. Paint internal doors

This idea has a big impact for the small price of a tin of paint. Pick a feature colour or elevate your room with a coordinating neutral to really level up your home colour scheme. Let the kids get stuck into the detailing with a small brush and give them something to be proud of. You shouldn’t have to plane the door after either so long you’re not too thick with the paint layers.

Our colourful office door

8. Improve your lighting

Lighting is one of the most important factors in any home and especially so when you have the practical requirements of a family house. It can really pay off to get an electrician to update your pendant lights to dimmers or multi-directional light fittings so you can have your peaceful corner as well as focusing brighter light in the areas you need to work or set aside as a homework space.

9. Add shelving

This idea is more general but applies to the whole home. Families need both storage and space to show off their favourite books and cherished items. You can fit either narrow or deep shelving in any room to achieve this and turn it into a focal point with some coordinating baskets, framed drawings and space for nik naks. Bathrooms tend to have plenty of space higher up, as do spare kitchen walls. Make a feature wall in the living room or put sturdy shelving in bedrooms to hold all the paraphernalia that ends up on the floor so it’s clear and tidy.

Open kitchen shelving - Image credit: Original Style

10. Get into the garden

This might seem like an obvious idea but it can work out so well both for the family and for the curb appeal of your home. Reseeding the lawn and redoing the beds is something that the whole family can get involved in and, with a little encouragement, it’s a great ongoing project for the little ones to get into so they can plant, water and watch their project grow. Family homes often have the least time to work on things like gardens but you can make a big transformation with a few summer weekends. You could even relandscape if you’re up to it!

Which of these ideas will you try for a weekend project? Would your family get in on the action? Let us know what you think of these ideas, we’d love to hear from you!

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