Lorraine Kelly shares her secret to creating a beautiful home on a budget as she launches new homeware range
Lorraine Kelly gives her exclusive tips to improve your home without breaking the bank
TV favourite and Sun columnist Lorraine Kelly knows how to create beautiful interiors on a budget.
Raised in a single room in Glasgow with her teenage parents and younger brother, she still uses tips from her mum to create her own homeware range.
Lorraine says: “I didn’t have a bedroom until I was 12, but my mum Anne taught me you don’t need money to make a home welcoming.
“She made her own cushions, and painted mismatched pieces of furniture to make the single room we shared look bright and jolly.
"She taught me to change small things like covering a tatty sofa with cushions, changing the bed covers or putting wild flowers in a vase.
“When I launched my own homeware range, I wanted it to be affordable, because life is tough especially with a young family.
"There is no point charging big money for things which can’t be replaced. I wanted value, quality – and comfort.”
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Here Lorraine, who lives with husband Steve near Dundee, Scotland while daughter Rosie, 21, works as a journalist abroad, introduces her new range and gives her exclusive tips to improve your home without breaking the bank.
Five fast tips to transform your home on a budget
Make small changes
Just change one thing at a time, as you can afford it. If this means one scented candle, a new cushion or a fresh lick of paint in one room, it will give you a lift without the worry of how you are going to pay for it.
Remember that your local paint shop can copy any designer paint for a fraction of the price.
Sprigs for Spring
I love brightening my house up with flowers, but they can be so expensive. You can get greenery and sprigs from the garden which will look just as effective.
If you are considering spending money on a bunch of flowers, think about buying a scented candle or cushion instead as a longer-lasting investment which will still brighten your room in months to come.
Keep your sofa comfy and neutral
Keep your sofa simple and comfy. You can cover it with cushions – which are far cheaper to update as the yeas go by than buying a new sofa.
Remember your bottom is going to be on it for years – so comfort is more important than style.
I’ve had the two old sofas in my living room for so long that they have been recovered twice, and are covered with throws.
I couldn’t get rid of them – they still have scratch marks from our beloved dog Rocky who is no longer with us.
Don't fall for trends
I have the ultimate pick and mix house – which is filled with bits and pieces that I like regardless of whether they are trendy or not.
Trends tend to fall out of fashion very quickly – and you don’t want to have to re-do a whole room within 18 months because style has moved on. Just create your own with things that make you smile or feel comfortable.
Display your memories
Favourite snapshots, postcards of places you have been and hand-written cards are things which make you feel good – so share them.
I have a pinboard in the kitchen which is like a living memory board. If we’ve had a special meal, I pin the restaurant card onto the board to remind me.
It is filled with the people and places which make me happy – and creates a lovely visual display.
Lorraine Kelly's new homeware range
Flamingo cushion - £16
Don’t be a slave to trends, or you will end up with a showhouse and not a real home. My own house, near Dundee, is filled with books, magazines and newspapers and pictures of my family.
I add bits and pieces as I need them, so things don’t co-ordinate perfectly. I love this flamingo cushion because the clash of colours sums up a sense of fun and my desire to do my own thing.
It also reminds me of Florida – and memories of the lovely flamingos I saw there.
Dunmore pineapple lamp - £39
When I was growing up, my really cool Auntie Lena (the first to have a beehive haircut and wear a mini skirt) had a bar in her house in Glasgow.
On the top was her pride and joy - a plastic pineapple ice bucket. I remember gazing up at the age of five and thinking: "One day I am going to have a plastic pineapple in my house!"
Now kitsch is back in style, and this lamp is my own tribute to Auntie Lena. It is going in my own house with pride.
Summer berries candle - £16
I always have scented candles at home and I light them every evening for an instant cosy effect or to set the mood for friends coming over.
I had a really fun couple of days choosing the scent for this one. I wanted something fresh and fruity and not too subtle – there’s no point in paying for a scented candle if you can’t smell it!
My friends and I adore the spring/summer smell of this candle – and I light one each evening at home now. It’s my evening treat!
Renee reversible print duvet set - £20 for a double
The quickest and cheapest way to breathe life into your bedroom is by changing to a crisp, freshly-ironed duvet.
Good quality bedding is the one thing you can’t scrimp on – because the way the cotton feels against your skin at night makes such a difference.
To make sure this duvet was value for money, I insisted it was reversible so the simplest room makeover is to simply turn it over for a fresh new look.
Isla glass table lamp - £35
Lamps are a really affordable way to change an entire room. They can be moved around to change the mood or look, and if you can’t afford a dimmer switch, you can simply pop a lower watt bulb or one with a different shade like a more orange hint inside your lamp.
Some people pay thousands of pounds for specialist lighting experts to create effects inside their homes.
One lamp, and a couple of £3.50 bulbs can give you the chance to do the same at a fraction of the price!
Dunmore pineapple cushion - £12
Retro pineapples are back on trend and I’d like to pretend I was being fashionable by including them. But the truth is they make me smile, which is why they are in this range.
I love cushions – probably because I remember my mum making her own when I was little. My sofas are really old so I cover them with cushions but they baffle my husband Steve, who can never understand why I need so many!
Skara lambs wool throw - £35
Throws are an instant way to freshen a room and transform an old sofa. I always buy neutral sofas – and then introduce colour with lovely throws.
We all love snuggling up under a soft throw in front of the TV in winter. My husband calls them rugs! This one is so soft you can bury your face in it.
Lorraine at Home is available via .
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