Programmes such as “Room to Improve” and “Love it or List It” that highlight the transformation of entire dwellings or individual rooms captivate us all. We’re thrilled to witness the seemingly magical process where professionals armed with paintbrushes, toolboxes, and building materials breathe new life into worn-out spaces, making them vibrant, rejuvenated, and welcoming.
However, our dreams of grand designs for our homes are often dashed due to the prohibitive costs of hiring pros to revamp our living spaces. Indeed, these trained experts possess an advantage over us ordinary enthusiasts with an appreciation for colour and high-flying concepts. Yet, there are numerous tasks we can undertake ourselves and potentially excel at.
Keeping this in mind, we spoke to two women skilled in decoration and DIY, who generously shared their experiences and guidance to help the rest of us sharpen our abilities or make a first stab at sprucing up and decorating our living areas.
Patrick Freyne presented a humorous perspective on how some of the Celebrity Big Brother participants might have booked beds on Airbnb, which the producers assumed was satisfactory. Additionally, a critique of Guy Ritchie’s, “The Gentlemen”, described it as a riotous mix of intense violence and homely humour, which is absurdly entertaining.
If you’re considering selling your home, avoid interior design mistakes like clutter, over-the-top colours and patterns in carpets, as these could deter potential buyers.
Alison Banton, CEO of Booke & Shoals Fragrances and no stranger to creating soothing environments, took matters into her hands when she grew weary of waiting for her husband to complete minor DIY projects around their home. As an entrepreneur who has built a business from the ground up, Alison is accustomed to executing tasks swiftly. Her professional life demands driving things forward, making her naturally impatient with unresolved DIY matters at home. Consequently, she encourages tackling tasks ourselves instead of delaying until a professional is available.
Whilst her husband is undeniably a master in the kitchen, his aptitude for DIY tasks was proven to be dire, leading to an abundance of unevenly hung curtains and bungled attempts at repairs. However, Mrs. Banton, a self-proclaimed enthusiast for wall drilling and straightening items, fittingly took over home repair duties. The division of labour was so efficient that she has developed a repertoire of tools in her bag, inclusive of an electric drill, a spirit level, multiple hammers, allen keys, and a plethora of screws and panel pins.
The Wicklow residing mother of two detailed her strict home repair boundary, disallowing her husband from the tools. Recently, she managed to successfully tile a floor on her own, and her next goal is to own a pneumatic nail gun, a testament to her ongoing effort to perfect her skills.
She describes a past experience of dropping a display unit on floor tiles, leading to a damage too minor for a professional to fix. Mrs. Banton, tapping into her past familiarity with mosaics and tile cutting, decided to undertake the repair herself.
To prepare for this, she looked up online videos and procured the necessary tile adhesive and grout from a neighbourhood DIY store. She detailed that her perfectionistic approach helped produce a satisfactory end result, encouraging her to undertake further tasks like retiling areas in her bathroom. Despite the area being small, the impact was significant and it effectively resolved her long-standing discontent with the look of the room.
As a business founder, Alison Banton is accustomed to taking care of matters promptly and staying focused on work progress, leading to an inherent impatience regarding tackling do-it-yourself (DIY) tasks at home. She argues that everyone possesses the capability to handle such minor jobs and maintains that schooling should include teaching DIY skills to boys and girls along with culinary abilities.
During her high school years, Alison had a desire to learn woodworking, but she was persuaded to study German instead. The head nun believed that woodworking was more suited to less academic males, a view Aliosn found outrageous. She ended up studying German for three years, an experience she disliked; she still harbours a longing to learn woodworking skills.
Aileen Hogan, who began as an amateur furniture restorer twelve years ago after two decades with British Airways’ cabin crew, shares Alison’s feelings. Aileen transformed her pastime into a successful business venture. Honoured as the Upcycler of the Year in 2019, she was selected to participate in the DCU High Fliers Academy for women entrepreneurs.
In addition, Aileen scooped the Croke Park All Star Design Leader in Upcycling award back-to-back and now holds the status of a social entrepreneur, advocating for the refurbishing and reusing of old furniture, thereby aiding in preserving both the wallet and the environment.
Throughout the Covid-19 outbreak, Aileen has been a source of motivation for female homeowners, urging them to undertake DIY tasks themselves. Amid the pandemic, moving house and without professional assistance, Aileen had to transform her new house into a home for her family, showcasing her endeavors on social media one room, one project at a time.
/”In my younger years, I was fortunate enough to observe my dad as he painstakingly explained the process of installing curtain rods and hanging heavy paintings, although at the time I had little interest. Yet, those experiences must have left an imprint since I unsurprisingly found myself adept at do-it-yourself tasks,” shares the mother of two. Initially, she sought help online to understand and finish tasks, but she soon received a boost in self-assurance.
“In the beginning, I was heavily reliant on YouTube for assistance, however, the platform can be overwhelming since everyone seems to be an expert on there,” she admits. Purchasing tools gradually became imperative for her DIY journey, opting for budget-friendly options from Lidl and Aldi. “Despite numerous blunders, I remained determined and began to see improvement with constant practice. Each mistake was a valuable lesson. Analyzing the projects I engaged in three years ago, I recognize the room for enhancement now,” she says.
According to her, the most significant barrier that prevents women from indulging in DIY activities is fear and self-doubt. Hence, she took it upon herself to eradicate this mindset and instill confidence in them. Witnessing the remarkable transformation in the women attending her beginner DIY courses and being inspired by her Instagram project explanations is a testament that they are indeed skillful, self-reliant and self-assured.
The woman, who has her own colour collection with Fleetwood Paints, an Irish paint manufacturing company, now traverses the nation, training people how to refurbish their dwellings. The popularity of these tutorials is so high that they get reserved before she can announce them on her site.
“I predominantly instruct beginners in DIY through my projects, repeating instructions until it is well understood by my followers,” says the DIY enthusiast, who will be a speaker at the Ideal Homes Exhibition this year. “My followers appreciate that I can breakdown complex information into relatable and understandable concepts,” she adds.
In my lessons, among other things, I instruct on the proper usage of a drill, including drilling into materials such as plasterboard and masonry. I help them understand the different types of drill bits, wall anchors, their uses and appropriate application times. I also give lessons on power tools, demonstrating how to handle and use each one. I guide them on how to purchase, correctly measure, and cut timber for projects around their house.
Lately, there has been a surge in the interest of wall panelling installation, and Hogan, therefore, includes this in his curriculum.
Are you feeling hindered from stepping up?
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