Turn Any Room Into a Dream Space – Easy & Practical Ideas

When it comes to transforming a room, even the smallest changes can make a big impact. Whether you’re looking to refresh your space or completely revamp it, the right approach can turn any room into a stylish and functional haven.

Odette Gibson, founder of Daisy’s Emporium London, has spent years curating beautiful, character-filled interiors that blend creativity with practicality. With her expert eye for design and passion for unique home styling, she shares her top tips on how to breathe new life into any space—without breaking the bank. From clever layout tricks to statement pieces that elevate a room, get ready to discover how you can give your home an effortless makeover.

There are two aspects to think about when planning the transformation of a room; there is the aesthetic (how you want it to look) and the practical (how you go about achieving the desired result). It’s always a good idea to understand the process even if somebody else is decorating for you. 

Get in the mood

The secret to achieving the aesthetic you want is to use a mood board.

The easy way to put together a mood board is just to get a piece of board—it doesn’t have to be an artist board; it can be a large-ish piece of cardboard—and just paint it white. You now have a clean canvas.

Once you have your board, go through as many lifestyle and home decorating magazines as possible and just tear out the pages that you like, be it colour or fabric, or anything that inspires you. Whittle down your pile until you are happy with your focus and potential overall look. Then pin those on your board.

Do the same thing with wallpapers to focus your look and colour.  Feature walls look great and can allow something bold without being overwhelming. 

Top Tip: Never buy wallpaper directly from the internet without having a physical sample, because there’s always a subtle difference in colour. When you’ve decided on the wallpaper you want, take that along to a hardware shop and they will mix the exact paint colour to match the paper. In this way you can get a coherent look with the colours you love.

Preparation

Make sure the room is properly prepped. Preparation is key; you cannot skimp on this. Without good preparation you will not achieve a beautiful finish. Here are three important preparation tips:

1. Remember to thoroughly sand any woodwork you are painting. It is also a good idea to give it an undercoat, but be sure to choose the correct undercoat for the top coat paint you will be using.

2. Get to know the difference between the types of paints that are available—for example, oil-based versus water-based paints—because the choice you make will affect the final finish.

The paint type you use will depend on the finish you require, how long you want the job to take, and so on. For example, oil-based paints are harder wearing, but cleaning your brushes is much quicker and easier with water-based paints.  For most walls, a water-based paint is ideal, but for woodwork you may want to think about oil-based. 

Also consider different finishes: matt, silk, satin, gloss, suede, etc. Which do you prefer? What’s right for the room being painted and your lifestyle? For example, washable, hard-wearing paints are good for high traffic areas or if you have children or pets. Silk and satin finishes reflect the light, and matt works well for richer colours.

3. If the walls are in a bad way, they will first need to be replastered by a professional. However, if they just have blemishes, a few cracks with small holes and dents, then you can probably get away with just filling in the blemishes.

If the wall has had water damage or black mould in the past, you may need to put a specialised undercoat on first. Your local hardware store should be able to advise you.

Decorating

Once your preparation is complete, the next step is something that all professionals follow – a mist coat. That’s 50% water and 50% emulsion paint. If you are painting straight onto the plaster, it’s imperative that you do a mist coat first which, when dried, will highlight the areas to be filled and sanded.

Alternatively, you can line the walls with lining paper to smooth them and avoid doing additional work on the wall. But always use a high-grade paper.

If you are using wallpaper, make sure to slightly overlap the edges. The last thing you need is to hang a really expensive paper then look at it the next morning and see a white line between the two sheets – shrinkage definitely happens. The paper needs to be pushed together enough to allow for movement as it dries. Otherwise, you will end up stripping all that paper off and doing it again.

When I decorate, I start from the top and then work down. Ceilings first and always two coats or a mist coat then filling and then another two coats. I also mist coat the walls before finishing them. Then I do woodwork and wallpapering my feature wall(s). Finally, I paint my remaining walls.

Furnishing

Before choosing your furniture and other decorative items, go back to your board and take another look now that your room is decorated. If necessary, look at more magazines or visit your favourite stores and snap pictures of the items that appeal to you. At Daisy’s Emporium, we encourage people to bring their mood board with them when they visit so we can help suggest ideal items. 

If you already have furniture items that you’d like to keep, but feel aren’t quite right for the new look, then it is always nice to upcycle a piece of furniture. Or perhaps you spot a piece that would be perfect, if it were just a little different. Then upcycle it. You might be surprised at the places where you can find good quality furniture at a fraction of the price of new items. Personally, I love auctions, junk shops and house clearances. 

Top Tip: Try to find furniture made of either mahogany or oak as these upcycled items look substantial and exude quality when finished.

To make your rooms look and feel as luxurious as possible, soft furnishings are important. This could be cushions, rugs, wall-hangings and/or curtains. They can give a luxurious, or utilitarian feel, depending on what you are aiming for.

What’s hot in upcycling right now?

My favourite current upcycling pursuit is converting old linen presses into kitchen pantries. It’s just old brown furniture but it upcycles wonderfully. You simply take an old linen press, sand it down, wipe it down with methylated spirits and paint it. It has to be painted inside and out.

Embellishment is the next stage of decoration. There are so many appliques and onlays available these days; you can go vintage, modern, gothic, chunky, or delicate – whatever takes your fancy.  There are also some beautiful gold and metallic paints on the market which can really make your piece pop. Always wax it, with two coats. 

Top Tip: If you need to wipe the item down at any stage, never use white spirit, only ever use methylated spirit.

The finishing touches are the handles. Put on the most expensive handles that you can afford and try to choose something different.

Finally, remember that lighting is also hugely important. Think about what the room will be used for, as this will influence your lighting decisions. Do you want bright light in a kitchen, or mood lighting in a lounge, or softer lighting in a bedroom with a brighter bedside table light for reading? Think about how you intend to live in the room. 

Top photo by Spacejoy on Unsplash