This Homeowner Gives Their Hallway A Panelled Makeover For Just 70 Pounds With Tongue And Groove Cladding Plus Four More Cheap Decor Tricks

Most of us have a hallway that does nothing but get us from one room to another. It is the part of the house we walk through without looking at it. Then along comes a homeowner named Charlotte, who shares home projects on TikTok as @holman_home, with a hallway panelling makeover that cost just 70 pounds.

Hallway cladding makeover video cover beside a stock photo of a bright hallway with a staircase and framed art.

That is not a typo. Charlotte put together a quick rundown of five favorite decor ideas from around their home, with the promise that anyone can do them too. The hallway panelling is the headliner, but the other four are just as handy for anyone who wants a fresher look without a big renovation bill.

@holman_home

The 70 Pound Hallway

The star of the show is the hallway panelling. Charlotte says the whole project came in on a budget and cost 70 pounds. The secret is the material: tongue and groove cladding from B&Q, the big British home improvement chain. Tongue and groove boards are the kind that slot together edge to edge, which is why they go up quickly and look so tidy once they are finished.

For readers on this side of the Atlantic, think of it as wood paneling or wainscoting made from simple planks. A panelled wall adds depth and a cozy, finished feel, and it also happens to be tough on the bottom half of a wall, where scuffs from shoes, bags and little hands tend to collect in a busy hallway.

Four More Ideas From the Same Home

The hallway is only idea number one. Here is what else Charlotte shared.

Window framing. Charlotte used architrave around the window, plus a decorative trim under the window sill. Architrave is the British word for the molding that frames a window or door, what many Americans call casing. Everything was attached with grab adhesive, a strong construction glue that holds trim in place. Charlotte liked the look enough to say they now want to do all of their windows.

Painted stripes. This one takes decorators tape and some paint. Charlotte has done it a few times now and loves the effect. Decorators tape is simply painter’s tape by another name, and stripes are one of the cheapest ways to change a room, since the only real cost is a tin of paint and a roll of tape.

Scallop trim. Charlotte bought MDF scallop trim from eBay and attached it with the same grab adhesive. There is a bonus tip, too. If you want it to stand out more, paint the trim in a more contrasting colour. MDF is a smooth, paintable wood-fiber board, so it takes paint nicely and is easy to cut to length.

The kitchen corner. Charlotte used MDF panels and some hooks from Amazon to turn an awkward kitchen corner into something far more usable. Aprons and towels now hang there, right where they are needed. It is a good reminder that a decor project can also solve a real problem, not just look pretty.

What Makes These Projects Work

Look closely at all five ideas and you will see a pattern. Charlotte says these are ideas anyone can do, and each one relies on everyday materials such as boards, trim, tape, paint, adhesive and hooks. That is exactly why they make such a good starting point for beginners.

If you want to try something similar, a few general pointers can save you frustration.

Measure twice before you buy. Cladding, trim and panels are sold by length, so know your wall measurements and add a little extra for mistakes and awkward cuts.
Keep your boards level. On a long hallway wall, a small tilt at one end becomes very obvious by the other, so check each board as you go.
Give adhesive time to hold. Grab adhesive grips quickly but not instantly, so follow the directions on the tube and be ready to support the trim for a short while.
Press tape edges down firmly before painting stripes. A smooth seal along the tape is what keeps your lines crisp.
Test your colours first. A small sample patch on the wall will show you how a shade looks in your own light before you commit to a whole stripe or panel.

Why Budget Decor Is Having a Moment

Home decor has a reputation for being expensive, and plenty of people assume a makeover means a big project. Charlotte’s rundown flips that idea around. A hallway panelled for 70 pounds, a window frame built from trim and glue, a stripe made from tape and paint: these are the kind of changes that make a house feel new without a huge bill.

They are also forgiving. Paint can be redone. Trim can be repainted in a different colour. A hook rail in a kitchen corner can be moved if you change your mind. For a first-time decorator, that freedom to experiment is worth a lot.

Charlotte invited viewers to ask questions in the comments if they want to know more, so anyone curious about the details of a specific project knows where to go. If you have a plain hallway, a bare window or an awkward corner that has been bothering you, this list gives you five places to start. Pick the easiest one, gather your supplies and give it a weekend. You may be surprised by how much a few boards, a roll of tape and a tube of adhesive can change the feel of your home.

Willow and Hearth