My windowsill hack added character to my drab new build and saved me £440
A DIY-loving mum received compliments for her affordable windowsill makeover, which only required a lick of paint.
New-build homes always lack character: they are usually white, modern houses.
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One mother, Lauren Rose, recently moved into a new-build home and described her windowsills as “boring.”
Rather than replacing the wood with a fancy oak one, Lauren wanted to recreate the wood, but within her budget.
First she wiped the windowsill clean and then covered the area with masking tape to prevent the paint from dripping or transferring onto the walls.
Next, she took a small brush and dipped it into Frenchic’s Crème de la Crème Lazy range – a chalk and mineral paint – and applied a base coat.
This particular paint costs £10.25 for a 250ml tin, or £21.95 for a 750ml tin.
Lauren then used another brush and the second product, a Browning Wax from the same brand.
This small, affordable pot costs just £17.95 and is perfect for sealing paint and creating a rusty wood effect.
In the videowhich has been viewed almost 300,000 times, it saw the UK mother-of-one using a small brush to paint over the surface multiple times to achieve the perfect decorative finish and realistic wood feel.
To make the imitation wood look even more natural, Lauren moved the brush in circular motions over the renewed windowsills, creating ‘knots’.
When the paint finally dried, the DIYer removed the yellow tape around the windowsill and saw the stunning results.
The mother, who regularly shares content about parenting on her pagewas so happy with the results that she said she was “obsessed” with it.
”Brb [be right back[, off to do this everywhere in my house.”
She went on the comments, writing: ”It really is a trust the process kinda job but sooo worth the end result.”
Wooden oak windowsills can cost anywhere from £35 to £45 per plank.
If Lauren was to replace all the windowsills in her house with new oak beams, it could cost her £350-£450 if she had 10 windows.
So Lauren has saved herself a fortune by DIY-ing it.
The savvy mum, whose video has impressed many, added that for high traffic areas you will need to seal with a matt varnish to ensure the paint doesn’t wear away.
Replying to someone who said she could’ve opted for an easier option, the parent wrote: ”If I wanted to vinyl wrap I would have, for me personally it doesn’t look as good as it has a sheen and it’s much more difficult to do. This was fun, vinyl is stress.”
Four cheap home renovation tricks
YOU don’t have to spend loads to give a room a new look. Here are five other home renovation tricks you can try.
Kitchen cupboards
One way to give your kitchen a complete transformation for less is to change the look of the kitchen cupboards. There are loads of different vinyl coverings out there to choose from, and it’s a quick and easy way to update your home.
Handles
Another thing you can try that won’t break the bank is to change up the handles. You can pick up relatively cheap handles in DIY stores, or even in the charity shop. Adding new ones to your kitchen cupboards, or doors in your house, can be extremely effective.
Leftovers
Most of us have old half-used tins of paint in the garage, but they’re often forgotten about. However, there may be enough in the pot to paint a feature wall in another room, and you won’t have to spend a penny.
Freebies
It’s worth checking your local Facebook Marketplace, or Freecycle, to see what other people are getting rid of. As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And if someone’s planning to revamp a room, they might want to get rid of a sofa, or a coffee table, which you could use to give a lounge a new look.
Hundreds flocked to comments to share their thoughts, as many praised Lauren for the fabulous glow-up.
One mega fan of the transformation confessed: ”OK…I wasn’t trusting the process but omg.”
Someone else said: ”Love that! We wrapped ours, I prefer yours though, ours has a slight shine that irritates my soul. So I might have to try this.”
”That looks beautiful and I am a die hard all white house kind of gal!” a third added.
”I did this to my banisters and a couple of my upstairs doors, I love the cottage look,” a fellow TikTok user commented.
Someone else wrote: “Il be honest I was like why is she ruining them , then I saw the end…Amazing!! I’ll hush now.”
Another comment read: “Impressive. Wasn’t sure at first but wow. Looks really classy when finished and everything put together.”
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