Six easy DIY challenges for the Bank Holiday weekend:

There's no better time to kick off the DIY season than May, with two bank holiday weekends stretching out before us.
Paint is one of the easiest ways to transform your home. Just a few hours a day over the weekend could see you upcycle an old chest of drawers, tackle scuffed skirting boards or show bravery with colour on a feature wall.

Here are six ways to make an impact.

1. Revamp tired garden furniture with paint

To repaint a garden bench, look for a tough, weather-resistant colour that won’t peel, flake or stain. You can also make your garden appear bigger by repainting a mirror frame and placing it among the shrubs or against a fence, using the reflection to trick the eye. Customise plant pots with lime or red shades to give zing to summer flowers and add brightness in winter.

2. Paint halfway up the wall

Adding a colour wrap around the lower part of a room not only covers wear and tear but also looks striking and creates an illusion of height.
 “It works brilliantly if your room is painted a pale shade and has started to look a bit worn in the body-height areas that get rubbed and scuffed most,” says Marianne Shillingford, the creative director of Dulux. 
Clean the walls, then chalk out a line using a spirit level and masking tape before applying your coats of paint. A wall painted two thirds of the way up in a dusky pink is an elegant backdrop for mid-century furniture in a period home.

3. Zone an alcove

Turn an alcove into a feature or create a zone in an open-plan living area by painting a block of colour on a wall. Mark out a panel with masking tape and get creative with lines or contrasting shades. Brighten up a child’s bedroom with a zig-zag or puzzle pattern. Shillingford recommends using string and chalk to create simple geometric patterns, using masking tape and different colours. It’s a great opportunity to try out blues, yellows or pinks.

4. Go big in small spaces

Feeling brave but not ready to spend on a shade you’re not confident about? Small rooms need less paint so get experimental in a cloakroom. Try rich combinations such as inky-blue walls and blush pink on the ceiling.

5. Paint your front door

 “It will take roughly an hour each day of a long weekend and will be the most satisfying decorating you’ve done for years,” says Shillingford. Use inky blues or cranberry on period homes while cool greys complement a modern look. 
Prime your door, sand it back and apply a couple of coats. The neighbours will soon be following suit.

6. Match mismatched pieces

If your home has old furniture in different styles, painting them colours that complement each other will tie them together. Wrap tape around chair legs to mask the ends, then paint in contrasting colours for a dipped effect. 

Painting the insides of kitchen cupboards adds a fun pop of colour. For cupboard exteriors use a small roller and a quick-dry paint. Not even bank holidays are long enough to watch paint dry.