This maximalist hallway transformation proves you can make a big impact on a small budget

Using affordable buys and Facebook bargains to transform a room is easy when you know how – just ask Rachel Poolton from Cardiff, whose hallway is now dressed to impress after some thrifty shopping.

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Rachel, who owns a beauty clinic called Inch Go Lipo, was looking to make a change once lockdown lifted and she reopened. ‘I needed an appealing look for clients’ first impressions of my business, which is attached to my home,’ she told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.

Using spare items from other projects, along with low-cost items from Facebook Marketplace and affordable stores such as B&M and The Range, Rachel's hall was transformed into a monochrome area with pretty pink floral accents.

Maximalist hallway makeover

Before

As one of the first places that people see when they enter your home, the hallway was an important area for Rachel to make a good first impression for both visitors and clients. Stripping off the old wallpaper and taking up the tired stripy carpet was the first step, before the fun part – the decorating! – could begin.

Realising she’d need a budget for the project, Rachel got creative and bought a chair, dressing table and chest of drawers. ‘I spent £55 on the furniture and managed to upcycle it for a profit, selling it for £300,’ she says.

Replacing the carpet

Instead of paying out for a whole new carpet, Rachel racked her brain and came up with a cheaper option. ‘I got a runner instead of a proper carpet for the stairs and used panel pins to attach them,' she says. 'Then I painted the rest of the steps black.'

The monochrome pattern is certainly striking and makes a thrifty addition.

Adding a lick of paint

An old radiator was hidden with a radiator cover that Rachel bought for £30 on Facebook Marketplace. ‘I already had the shelf above it, so I upcycled it to match,' she says. 'I also bought a small unit for under the stairs for £5, and painted it the same colour. Then I had a professional tile the floor with tiles I purchased from Wickes – they were on sale for £20 (for a box of 10) instead of £28.'

Buy now: Dusky Blush Inside/Outside paint, £9.95 for 250ml, Frenchchic

Finishing touches

A gallery wall leading up the stairs draws the eye upwards, but instead of spending a fortune on new picture frames, Rachel collected them from online selling pages for a fraction of the price. 'They cost between £1 and £15 and I got several at a time for those prices,' she says. 'Then I just painted the frames in the same blush colour, and others in a dark black.'

Buy now: Blackjack Inside/Outside paint, £9.95 for 250ml, Frenchchic

‘The most expensive items were the blinds,' Rachel continues. 'I bought this blush-coloured Roman blind in the sale at Dunelm – it was half price at £32. The made-to-measure wooden-effect white blind underneath was £115. Finally, I bought some floral wallpaper from eBay for under £10 and applied it to the side of the stairs myself.’

After

Rachel bought a lot of accessories from Facebook Marketplace, B&M, The Range, Poundland and Wilkinson, including vases, fake plants and a rug and canvases. The end result is a scheme with plenty of interest and a feminine vibe to it.

‘Rachel’s transformation is truly stunning and is sure to impress anyone who enters her home,' says Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk. ‘Shopping smartly online and scouring seller pages is a great way to save money, and if you’ve got a talent such as upcycling furniture, why not use it to get some extra funds for your project?'

Related: Hallway colour schemes – the combinations that make an ideal first impression

Have you been inspired to give your hallway a glamorous revamp?