13 Reflect some glory
A spectacular mirror will add instant glamour as well as being a great light enhancer. Go for a full-on statement piece such as a retro sunburst design – the bigger the better for maximum impact. Christopher Guy (www.christopherguy.com) does something similar to this one for £1,359 or Graham & Green (www.grahamandgreen.co.uk) has a striking Sunburst piece with convex mirror and long gold metal spikes for £239.

14 Splash out
Bring your kitchen bang up to date with a coloured or shiny black glass splashback. Not only do they look fabulous, they’re practical and hygienic, with no grubby tile grout to contend with. Kitchen Calm (www.kitchencalm.co.uk) offers a template and installation service for bespoke splashbacks. A simple 600 x 700mm splashback costs £115, while a 1200 x 800mm example will set you back £225.

15 Net yourself a bargain
A set of new dining chairs is a big-ticket item, but in these days of live/cook/dine open-plan spaces, an interesting chair will lift your decorating scheme significantly. Think outside the box by trawling eBay, auction-room websites and newspaper small ads for designer classics or just plain fabulous designs. Keep your eyes peeled when driving past junk shops: bargains are still to be found if you’re prepared to put in a little leg work. This set of eight Fifties chairs costs £650 from Les Couilles du Chien in Golborne Road in London (020-8968 0099).

16 Light fantastic
You’ll see your space in a new light by introducing a scene-stealing chandelier. Even if the designated space is bijou, that’s all the more reason to add an outsized light fitting: playing around with scale adds to the drama. The sky’s the limit when it comes to cost, but there are plenty of good-looking lights on the high street – Habitat is an especially good source. This dandelion-clock-like Maskros light is from Ikea, £65 (www.ikea.co.uk).

17 Have a hearth
Snazzy, futuristic, gas-powered fireplaces are all very well, but an old-fashioned open hearth crackling with logs is impossible to beat. You can’t go far wrong by pulling out that nasty repro fireplace, exposing and painting the original brickwork and adding a simple grate. Chesney’s (www.chesneys.co.uk) has opened a factory outlet in its North London shop, where discontinued and ex-display fire baskets and grates are up for grabs at 50 per cent off.

18 Visit your local dump
Some household recycling centres have opened up shops, selling off unwanted “rubbish”. All kinds of treasures await: faded Union Jacks are having a particularly cool design moment and this original Coronation model cost a mere £1 from a dump in Hampshire. Some are better than others: the one in Wareham, Dorset, is a commercial triumph. Check with your council for your nearest dump with shop attached.

19 It's a stick-up
Wall graphics, decals and stickers are a nifty way to transform a wall in a hurry, and the fact that they peel off when you fancy something new is a flexible advantage. Check out the fabulous designs on offer at www.supernice.co.uk. For around £40 you’ll get enough stickers for a substantial design. Or make your own, like designer Clarissa Hulse (www.clarissahulse.com), who used samples from her own wallpaper collections to create this visually exciting, inexpensive and colourful frieze for her daughter’s bedroom.

20 Shelf life
Back in the day, alcoves were uniformly filled with built-in cupboards with nasty beading and faux brass doorknobs. If you still have these, read on… Floating shelves with hidden brackets are the way to go these days. Artfully populated with a few Penguin classics, the odd family photo and objets d’art, these simple shelves promote an uncluttered, stylish vibe. The Shelving Company (www.floatingshelves.uk.com) provides unpainted MDF shelves at £40.72 per metre or painted at £58.72.

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