DIY mom creates stunning paneled wall for just £46 – saving her £100

Tanya O’Kane spent just £46 creating a trendy slatted wall in her hallway and will use the money saved to take her family on holiday for the first time since Covid

One mum who didn’t want to spend hundreds of pounds to spruce up her hallway has explained how she remodeled the space on a budget.

Tanya O’Kane, 47, mum of three and visual merchandiser from Derry City, spent just £46 to create an on-trend slatted wall for her home.

To keep costs down, she stocked up on supplies at home improvement retailer B&Q and made it herself.

Tanya estimates it would have cost hundreds of dollars to have her hallway professionally finished.

She was inspired to refresh her wallpaper after seeing stylish designs online on Instagram and is thrilled with how it turned out.

She told the DIY On A Budget UK money-saving Facebook group: “I came up with the idea of ​​building a slatted wall in my hallway as I’ve seen quite a few companies doing it and I liked it.

“It was super easy to make yourself as I love DIY and would try anything.

“I used planed smooth softwood battens from B&Q and No More Nails glue.”

Have you remodeled your home on a budget and want to share how you did it? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

Tanya began gluing the slats before letting them dry. After that she could paint them.

“I cut the strips around the mirror so the mirror is recessed as I just wanted it to overlap the mirror,” she said.

“I also used black paint under the slats to make the wood pop.

“My miter saw and jigsaw made it easier. I had all the materials at home like paint and saws so I only spent £46 on wood and glue and saved a fortune doing it myself.”

Tanya bought the wood from B&Q for £18 per pack of 8 and needed two packs total for her project.

She said she wants to save money as her family plans to go on holiday this year for the first time since the Covid pandemic.

“I have an Instagram page @59bytheriver that I started when I was unemployed with breast cancer,” she said.

“It gave me something to keep me busy. I love interiors so it gave me a little boost to keep going and engaging.

“I definitely saved a lot doing this on my own because if you get someone to do it it would cost a few hundred pounds.”