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COTTAGECORE interior design is all over our Instagram pages at the moment- from untreated wooden furniture, dried plants and panelled walls.

The chic and traditional interior design may look incredibly expensive but one thrifty couple, Els and Sebs decided to do it on their own and it cost them less than £50.

The new panelling is super chic and traditional
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The new panelling is super chic and traditionalCredit: Instagram/@homeatno.2

In the DIY tutorial shared on their home interiors account Els starts by measuring the MDF panels she is going to use on the walls.

In a Youtube video, Els goes into more depth about the process saying: “You want to start first by measuring the width and the height of your wall.”

As the Instagram video demonstrate, Els starts with the bottom panel and uses the no nail glue along the back of the panel and holds it in place for around a minute.

Next, do the two side panels and work your way into the middle, using the sprit level to make sure the panels are straight.

Glueing the panels to the wall
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Glueing the panels to the wallCredit: Instagram/@homeatno.2
Ensuring the side panels are straight with a spirit level
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Ensuring the side panels are straight with a spirit levelCredit: Instagram/@homeatno.2

Once you’ve done this and stuck your last MDF panels on top to create a border, Els says to leave it to dry for a few hours and then use filler either side of the panels to create joins.

Once the filler has dried you can then sand it down and use caulk to cover any small gaps.

Els says: “It’s optional but it makes it look far more seamless.”

Once you’ve again waited for it to dry, you can then add your wood primer, Els says she did two coats of this and all that is left to do is paint your panels in your desired colour.

She says: “This is the most satisfying part as it all brings it together.”

Applying filler between the panels
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Applying filler between the panelsCredit: Instagram/@homeatno.2
Sanding down the filler
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Sanding down the fillerCredit: Instagram/@homeatno.2

Els said she got most of the products at B&Q but because of lockdown they were only serving four sheets of MDF a person. Els went to her local timber merchant and got all of the 9mm width MDF panels for £20 and said the whole thing cost less than £50.

What you need:

  • 9mm width MDF panels
  • Measuring tape
  • Pencil to stencil on the wall where your panels will go
  • No more nails glue gun
  • Filler
  • Caulk
  • Sanding block
  • Decorators gun
  • Wood primer
  • B&Q brilliant white paint in matte for the walls and panelling
  • Spirit level
The final touch - painting
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The final touch - paintingCredit: Instagram/@homeatno.2

Viewers were in awe of just how incredible it looked and how easy it seemed to do!

One user wrote: “Wow what a difference it looks amazing.”

Another said: “Wow looks so good for so little money! Great transformation.”

 A third said: “This turned out so beautiful... looks amazing!”

Meanwhile this mum has spent 50k on turning her house into a pink paradise.

Plus this couple transformed their patio into their dream outdoor living space with Dunelm and B&M finds.

And this mum's incredible DIY hallway transformation that saved her £900.

Thrifty DIY fan recreates stylish £220 mirror she can’t afford for just £30 using budget Ikea panels


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