A woman has explained how she saved a fortune transforming her home by upcycling second-hand furniture.
Deborah Stubbington, 40, from Essex, wanted to spruce up her two-bed detached house without spending money on brand new furnishings.
Instead, she scours charity shops and Facebook Marketplace to find pre-loved items that she brings back to life.
In one of her best bargains, Deborah found a TV cabinet on Facebook for £5 and spruced it up with black paint and rattan doors that cost just £1.
She has also redesigned her bedside tables, a chest of drawers and bedroom furniture by upcycling them with sprays, paint and stick-on vinyl to create a geometrical style.
Deborah estimates she spent around £150 on these pieces.
The thrifty spender also upcycled an old IKEA dining table by using old parquet floor taken from a theatre building she used to work in.
Deborah started planning her home makeover by creating mood boards on Pinterest.
With a background in theatre, she spent years building sets and stages and now puts her skills to good use.
Deborah, who lives with her Jack Russell dog Gus, said: “I love Pinterest, I'm always pinning ideas on there.“
She added: “I scour Facebook Marketplace several times a day. It is such a great place for picking up bargains.
“I've found so many great bits like small pieces of furniture and small decor items too.
“I also love a charity shop and have lots of items from both in my home.”
If you’re not great with DIY, Deborah says even the smallest of changes can also transform an old piece of furniture - for example, changing its handles.
While most of her furniture is upcycled DIY, Deborah has also purchased a few bits from cheap high street chains such as B&M and Matalan.
She says her top advice is to check out Facebook Marketplace and eBay but also mix in new items from budget stores.
She said: “I made a lot of mistakes that I learnt from but I love the result and I'm so proud of it.
“It was a long and hard project but I think once you have finished and you can enjoy an item you have created and that's unique to your home, that's the rewarding part.”
She added: “I always think the best way is to think how you can repurpose what you already have.
“There are so many great products on the market now like sprays, paint and sticky vinyl that mean you can upcycle items on a budget.”
If you're planning on upcycling your old furniture, make sure you're confident in taking on a DIY project before you get started.
Taking on more than you planned could end up in you wasting money or ruining what you already have - but when it goes right, the results can be spectacular.
For example, we recently reported on how one couple built their own DIY mirror wall panel in their dining room for just £79.
