How often do you decorate?

Must be about 18 years now...

That's a bit too often!!

How often decorating is done depends on how much wear the room gets e.g. spare bedroom wouldn't need doing much. In my house, we have had to have the walls plastered when we took paper off so do put off doing this as it is very expensive. My house is quite big and it doesn't get decorated as often as it needs. I think you're right about it looking tired after six or seven years. Most of my rooms have lasted nearly double this.

About every eight years looking back.We have all paint at the moment and re-do rooms a couple at a time.So the whole house is done in different years.I fancy some wallpaper in the hall this year for a change, there are some lovely ones around at the moment.

Same here, Ana I was just saying to DH that the bathroom's looking a bit tired, I might give it a lick of paint if we've any white emulsion in the cellar. If there is it'll probably be gunged up in a corroded tin.

We do a change round about every 5 -7 years, but do touch up the white paint in the hallway, and staircases every year - as it gets pretty grubby and doesn't take long to freshen up. I want to change the curtains, but it's a big expense and I do still like the ones I've got,

We decorated when we moved in here just over five years ago, except for the dining room, which was done just before Christmas. Nothing special - plain Matt finish walls in neutral colours. We don't do exciting. I have no idea when it will get done again.

When we get around to it....usually 8 or 9 years.

I have some brown velour curtains that we've had for around 20 years. DD1 mentioned about five years ago that they were back in fashion - I guess they're out again now!

At my reading group lately we were discussing whether we prioritised spending on our holidays over spending on our homes. I was the only one that does, and I've never regretted it. I do feel a small stab of guilt when it's my turn to host the group though

My DC all seem to spend half their lives planning which part of their houses to remodel next.

We, the decorator, painted walls, ceiings, and woodwork, everywhere last February. That will see us out.

We also decorated the house throughout when we moved in just over 5 years ago. I have an inkling that the kitchen will have a change of colour before too long but the rest of the house is fine. My DD2 is hopefully moving quite soon and her new place will need doing so we definitely will not be losing the "hang" (geddit?) of decorating.

lizzypopbottle *"I was wondering, how often do GNers decorate? What lengths do you go to?"

I freshen up with seasonal touches. We decorate every 5-6 years, or tiredness reigns.

Yes some areas need redecorating more often, kitchen, staircase etc. Darker paintwork gets shabby quickly as well. I love looking at magazines for ideas but that's as far as I get most of the time. I had a work colleague who decorated all through her house every year, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

We are about to decorate the lounge have the lounge redecorated.
The last time it was done was 1995 MrA has always done it but I have persuaded him life is too short. I loathe decorating.
However we have had the chairs reupholstered (after 18 years) and I made new curtains 3 years ago (after 27 years)

We have just finished decorating all of upstairs since my last child had left home and we had planned on using her room to store things, as we decorated each room in order. That was the plan. The carpets and beds were ordered with the proviso that they would come in a certain order. The carpets did arrive, but for the rooms which hadn't been emptied, the beds arrived in the wrong order, with the headboards missing. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown, as I am a very logical person. The two rooms with the computers, routers etc had to be emptied in a very short space of time, as the carpets for them arrived first instead of last. We ended up sleeping on a mattress in DD's old room, surrounded by boxes and boxes of things. if I have my way, upstairs will never be decorated again. To top it all, we were looking after GD, who is just beginning to walk. I had to resort to the Pinot Grigio midweek to dull the pain.My husband mentioned getting a new bathroom the other day.. It's very strange, but he hasn't mentioned it again! I wonder why.

If I won the lottery I'd just hire an interior designer and a fleet of decorators and stylists to blitz my brand new house and present it to me all bright and beautiful. Until then. well, it'll do

Having two bedrooms completely done top to bottom while we are away in oz now, haven't been done since we moved in 24 years ago apart from curtains. The thought of doing them when full of people was too much and husb not that handy, can afford to get someone in now so had new kitchen last year as well. Massive treat and the rest of house will follow after paid for daughters wedding I hope

do atleast a couple of rooms every year ,I like to keep it fresh so that means new wallpaper ,paint on the wood and new bedding and curtains in bedrooms ..oh new towels etc in bathrooms.Only buy new furniture evry 5 or 6 years ,we've been in this house 27 years and have had 6 suites for the sitting room and 3 new kitchens ,twice involving knocked down walls and so new wooden floors

When we do get it done, which isnt very often, we get most of the rooms done at the same time.
Only one lot of upheaval.

Not at all advocating that this is the best way to do it, but we find that once we start, it shows up other rooms.

Fortunately we both love decorating ( well, I love it and he likes it)
When we moved here 3 years ago everything had to be done, kitchen, bathrooms, windows, floor raised in conservatory, boiler moved to loft etc
We did it all with the help from a couple of friends. Some weeks ago I did our bedroom again while OH was in Spain. We have decorated daughters 3 bedrooms this year.

I'm considering doing away with curtains in the living room because we almost never draw them. I think it will make the room feel bigger and lighter. We have venetian blinds for privacy so I'll see how we get along without curtains when they come down for the decorating. I need a new CH system (boiler is limping on both legs and my fingers are crossed it will keep going until the warmer weather). I will also have a new kitchen, which is a good 10 years overdue. I plan to shut off the living room from the tiny dining room and knock through to form a kitchen-diner. I will reinstate the utility room that we knocked through into the kitchen 25 years ago. The back door, boiler, washing machine and dryer will be in there so that will lessen the impact on the kitchen and the dogs won't tread dirt into the kitchen any more. It's fairly exciting but scary too. ? I plan these things for years before I finally get round to doing it but now I'm determined! ? All our internal walls are stud partition so that makes things easier...for our builder!

I am in the process of having major work done inside and out. I was not too sure about the kitchen/diner work because of cost but when the builder said he would add painting the entire inside of the house for free, I agreed.

As little as possible now! We have lived in this house for 18 years now and in that time the Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Bathroom have all been decorated twice and the bedrooms and downstairs cloakroom have been done once.