May 19, 2012

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Kitchen and dining room remodelling on a budget

April 30, 2012 By Jake

If your dining room and kitchen are in serious need of a makeover but you are also on a serious budget, do not despair, help is at hand. Here is some advice on how to do this without much hassle and without having to put a lot of money into it, or time or effort.

 

Giving your kitchen a much-needed makeover needn’t mean spending a small fortune or even spending a great deal of time and energy. Making a few small changes to your kitchen and dining room can leave it looking almost brand new. It’s all about knowing which changes to make and making the changes that will leave you feeling like you’ve truly made a significant change for the better.

 

One of the easiest ways to make your dining room look as good as new is to invest in new dining tables and chairs. Now, this needn’t mean splashing out on pricey new items. You can find some great bargains online, so take your time to browse the web and find some serious steals.

 

Another easy way to make your dining room appear fresh and new is to create space, or the illusion of space. How? Well one tried and trusted method is to invest in an extendable dining table. Extending dining tables are ideal if you have a few mouthfuls to feed but don’t want to take up unnecessary space when the table is not being used, as they can be folded back away neatly when not in use.Saving space in this way can allow room for other dining furniture and furnishings as well.

 

Once you’ve got the furniture in your dining room right it’s time to move on to the kitchen. The first step is to get the paintwork and wallpaper up to scratch, if you wallpaper in the kitchen is your thing of course. An big problem in the kitchen is clutter and it’s something a lot of families are dealing with and it’s even worse when you have a small kitchen. If you are in this situation then don’t panic, just make a plan of action and get tidying. You will feel so much better once you’ve tidied the place up and you’ll never again worry about what your guests think when they come over.

 

So get your overalls on and get a friend or family member to help you out; you’ll soon find that two pairs of hands are better than one and that decorating can actually be quite fun!

Filed Under: Decorating Tagged With: , ,

Choosing furniture for your home

April 12, 2012 By Jake

Buying new furniture for more than one room at a time can be quite an expensive business, but you can do it quite cheaply too. It depends on what kind of furniture you like, and whether you like to keep items for years and years, or are happy to have something for a few years and then change it for something new.

If you fall into the latter category, then it’s probably best not to spend a lot of money on each item you buy. Anything you want to change in a few years will either have to be given away, or if you plan on selling it second-hand, you have to accept that you won’t get much money for it. Second hand furniture doesn’t make much cash as there is so much cheap new furniture available.

The dining room is a case in point – you can spend a lot of money on new dining room sets. Whether you do depends on how much you’re going to use it though. Are you the kind of family that eats in the dining room every night or is it a five times a year ritual when you have big celebrations like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter? If you’ve got plenty of room in the rest of the house, then the dining room can be just that, but in some cases it might have to double up as a home office or even guest room now and then.

Cheap dining tables can still look good – and you can get ones that extend to. If you want the room to serve a dual purpose an extending dining table can be a great idea.

The living room is another room you can spend a great deal on, or not. Some sofas these days are available at incredibly low prices, while others seem ridiculously expensive. Again, it’s a question of your budget and how long you plan on keeping the sofa. Sometimes you can spend as much on accessories like glass coffee tables as you can on the sofa itself.

Before you start spending any money on furniture, take a look at what you have already, and decide what you’d like to change the most. It’s probably sensible not to try to change everything at once and spread the cost over a longer period.

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Make your own sofa bed

April 2, 2012 By Jake

There are lots of furniture suppliers these days that allow you to create your own sofa bed. In other words, you can choose the variables like size, colour and finish etc., to create your own design of sofa bed.

 

But if you’re feeling even more ambitious, you can literally make your own sofa bed from scratch. So before you head down to the sofa bed sale, have a think about it.

 

It can be a great way of creating very cheap furniture.

 

Of course, making a genuine sofa bed from scratch with springs and pulleys etc., is a little beyond most of us and isn’t a good use of our time. But if you can access a few pallets, you can do a pretty good makeshift job.

 

First off, sand down the pallets thoroughly to take any rough edges, then varnish or paint them according to your preference. Now lay out the pallets and cut them to size depending on the size of double mattress you desire.

 

Remember to create equal overall halves for the bed. This means you may have to re-edge the pallets using the off-cuts. You now have the base for the bed, which, doubled up, make the sofa base. But you need a back for the sofa. So use another two pallets, cut to the right length and desired height for the back of the sofa (and re-edged again), which you’ll need to attach to the sofa base. The easiest way I’ve found of doing this is by two simple drilled holes and two nuts and bolts – which take seconds to detach when need be as the sofa back acts as a bed headboard.

 

It’s a little more tricky than a “real” sofa bed, but very cheap, relatively easy and a lot more fun.

Filed Under: Decorating, DIY: Hobbies Tagged With: , , , ,

Bamboo decorating

February 28, 2012 By Jake

Looking for home improvement inspiration for the kitchen? Look no further! Bamboo is a fabulous choice of material to use both in the kitchen and all over the house!

 

The neutral colours and natural appearance of bamboo make it an ideal choice of material to use in any room of your home, and it can work particularly well in the kitchen when used alongside wooden kitchen units, for example.

 

If you are tackling the decorating yourself, there are a few tips that will help you when it comes to decorating with bamboo. Firstly, if you are considering using bamboo as a decorative accessory, make sure you have some nice vases and other receptacles that will make the most of this fabulous material.

 

Secondly, rather than cutting your own bamboo, buy pre-dried bamboo sticks. Bought bamboo sticks will have been dried using techniques to prevent warping and splitting, so you will get much more life out of them than if you buy your own bamboo plant to cut.

 

Use bamboo sparingly and alongside complimentary colours and shades, to create the look you want without overdoing it. To add more colour, you can paint your bamboo sticks and

give a room a more vibrant look!

 

As well as using bamboo as decoration in the same way as you would display flowers and other plants, you can use bamboo in furniture itself. Bamboo flooring is a great choice if you want an environmentally-friendly flooring option that also looks fantastic, and bamboo furniture such as chairs and small tables look wonderful in kitchens, living rooms, conservatories … anywhere you want them!

 

For a range of complementary pieces for the home and for further design inspiration, browse stockists online such as http://wrenkitchens.com, or visit them in person, and find the ideal pieces to finish off your fabulous new bamboo look!

Filed Under: Decorating, DIY: Household, Kitchen Tagged With: , , ,

How to sell your home

February 8, 2012 By Jake

If you’re the type of person who is really great at DIY, the likelihood is that you’re a really practically-minded, down to earth type of person for whom form usually comes before function.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this approach. In fact, you’re probably the ideal person from whom to buy a house as there are likely to be no leaking taps, faulty wiring, bodged decorative work – or any other practical problems as you’ve solved them all.

On the other hand, there’s a chance you may not be the, most artistic type of person in the world. And when it comes to actually shifting a property you need to sell – this can be a big problem.

You may be the type of person who sees the world purely in practical terms, but it often takes an artistic touch to make it more alluring. Perhaps for you, this is mere pointless frippery – but it helps sell a home rather than a house – in subliminal ways we can’t or don’t truly understand at a conscious level.

The more artistic sort of person about whom us practical types may be a little derisory from time to time – does know what it takes to really move someone else emotionally – thus letting you move house!

This is why the ideal interior designer is a person perfectly balanced between form and function – artistry and practicality. But if this really isn’t your thing – and you recognise it – then don’t be too proud to ask for help from someone who is great worth colours, textiles, décor and the feel of a place. After all, you can do the real donkey work!

One or two new items from the Harveys Furniture sale, for example, like a fabric sofa or a rug or a few cushions in complementary colours that pick out other colours in a room can completely transform the mood of an entire house.

Also – completely de-clutter a place, clean everything, and let the artist friend take complete control of the look and colours etc., and see what a real difference it makes to the prospective purchasers. You’ll be amazed.

 

Filed Under: DIY: Household Tagged With: , , , ,

Best Bedroom Ever

January 30, 2012 By Jake

If you are looking to update your interior design upstairs then there are some key elements to modern bedroom decorating which you probably need to know about… here are a few to get you started:

 

  1. White bed linen. Timeless and classic, white cotton bedding is the perfect backdrop to any decorating scheme and will accessorise with any other colours. Go for a high thread count for added luxury and look out for textured fabrics for added interest.

  2. Stylish lighting. One big ceiling light just won’t cut it any more! Try functional lighting for the dressing table, mood lighting by the bed and perhaps a reading lamp by your chair. Chandeliers and candelabra are also making a bedroom come back.

  3. Clever storage solutions. Deep drawers under memory foam mattresses, floor to ceiling fitted cupboards or just a great deal of wardrobe space – it all helps to tidy away clutter and keep things looking neat.

  4. Personal touches. Delightful photos of the kids, romantic shots of you and your loved one, found objects from trips abroad or treasures from Grandmas old house all add a little bit of unique personality to the room.

  5. Centre stage. The bed is of course the vital piece of furniture in every bedroom. Head to Sleepmasters.co.uk and treat yourself to a brand new dream bed to get the best nights sleep ever.

  6. Reflections of beauty. Don’t forget to include a mirror in your decorating plans. Mirrors look stunning with ornate frames and can help to give the illusion of a larger room too.

  7. Experiment with floor coverings. Whether you have carpet, laminate or wood floorboards try a rug out for size. Contemporary or classic in design an area or even room sized rug will add a cosy touch and soften sharp lines.

Filed Under: Decorating Tagged With: , ,

Your Curtain Call

January 30, 2012 By Jake

By the time we got our first place together, I knew a couple of things about home décor. I knew that a good mattress was worth spending money on and I knew “cheap tiles, expensive taps” applied to bathrooms and kitchens. What I didn’t think about was curtains.

 

Perhaps because our bedroom windows had been covered with newspaper for several months while we painted our walls (yellow, I confess…well it WAS 2000), any kind of curtains seemed like a real bonus. Once we had bought a double bed, chest of drawers, fitted storage and so on, there wasn’t a lot of cash left for curtains. We bought the cheapest we could find. Overlong, draping, cream coloured muslin-type material – you get the picture.

 

We may as well not have bothered to hang curtains at all. The sunlight streamed straight through them in the mornings and at night, my husband realised on arriving home after closing time, it was possible to observe the well-defined shadow of anyone getting undressed in the bedroom. A lovely spectacle for the neighbours opposite. Just as we went to an expert retailer like http://www.sleepmasters.co.uk for our mattress, we really should have saved up and bought decent curtains from a specialist company. Instead, we foolishly bought a yellow roller blind which was supposedly made of black-out material. The light still sneaked through the edges and it all looked very utilitarian.

 

Much older and wiser, a decade later, we splashed out and bought triple-lined curtains for our bedroom. The difference was incredible. Not only was the room completely dark at night, the curtains kept the heat in and even seemed to make a difference to the levels of sound we could hear on the street outside. Our quality of sleep was vastly improved. Never again will I skimp on curtains!

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Ten Ways With Red in Your Kitchen

January 30, 2012 By Jake

Red kitchens are a love it or hate it affair; some people find them exciting, vibrant and stylish while others think red is best left on pillar boxes and old fashioned telephone booths. If you want to go whole heartedly for a red kitchen, or even just dip your toe in the water – here are ten ways to give it a go:

 

  1. High gloss units. A fashionable, contemporary kitchen design featuring luscious red doors and drawer fronts will make a real statement.

  2. Ultra cool bar stools. For your breakfast bar or island unit the best bar stools can look great in red: padded leather finish, painted wood or moulded plastic the choice is yours.

  3. Stylish tiling. Splash-back or floor, red tiles will lend a great touch to an otherwise neutral kitchen design. Visit Wrenkitchens.com to view white, black or wooden models which will all work well with red.

  4. Accessories galore. Draw attention to that designer toaster or kettle by choosing the red version, or simply display red tea and coffee canisters or a fantastic red fruit bowl.

  5. Get comfy. For larger kitchens or open plan living spaces it is common to include a sofa area. A smart red sofa with funky cushions is a fun piece of furniture for the kitchen which you wouldn’t necessarily choose for the lounge.

  6. Smart art. Red paintings and art can look great on plain white walls in the kitchen; or how about a feature wall with over-sized red printed wall paper or vinyl graphics.

  7. Light it up. Lighting in the kitchen is usually practical rather than attention-seeking but if you have a dining area then a light fitting suspended over the table will look stunning. Have a look at modern takes on the traditional chandelier, available in red glass or plastic for a real wow factor.

  8. Beautiful granite. Solid stone worktops are an expensive investment but are also extremely practical, hygienic and almost indestructible. For a step away from bright red towards dark maroon or brown have a look at natural reddish granite.

  9. Iconic fridges. We all love a nice appliance! How about a fifties inspired American sized fridge in bright shiny red? Delicious.

  10. Get cooking. Pop on a red apron and some red oven gloves and get baking – it’s all the rage you know!
Filed Under: DIY: Household, Kitchen Tagged With: , , , ,

How to make your stairlift match the rest of your house

January 30, 2012 By Jake

If you are becoming less steady on your feet or have a relative who is experiencing mobility issues, stairlifts can provide a fantastic solution.

 

Stairlifts give you the freedom to move between the levels of your home with the ease and safety that you used to experience and without worrying about slips and falls or experiencing the pain and discomfort that can come with climbing the stairs at an older age.

 

For anyone who is house-proud, it is important to ensure that your starlifts match the look and feel of the rest of your home and don’t stick out like a sore thumb. The good news is that, these days, there are plenty of starlifts out there in a range of different designs, styles, and colours, so you can pick something that really complements the style of your home.

 

Start by looking at the range of stairlifts available from stockists such as Homelifestairlifts.co.uk. Consider the size of stairlift you will need, as well as the model, colour, design and style you prefer the look off. Think about what will work well in your home and complement any existing décor.

 

Once you have decided upon a stairlift that will meet your requirements and look good in your home, you will need to decide whether you wish to have it professionally installed.

 

Having your stairlifts professionally installed is recommended, as botched DIY jobs can not only mean more money spent correcting mistakes in the long run, they can be unsafe and dangerous. The last thing you want to do is risk your safety or the safety of a relative by getting a new stairlift fitted incorrectly. It is also worth choosing products that have a decent guarantee on them, so that any issues can be fixed for free within a certain period of time.

Filed Under: Decorating, DIY: Hobbies Tagged With: , , ,

Doing up old wooden furniture

January 24, 2012 By Jake

If you go shopping in a furniture sale these days – what’s the true underlying quality of what you’re buying?

Most pre-made flat-pack furniture is perfectly acceptable f you only want a basic piece to last you a few years before you redecorate and remodel your home. It’s cheap, it’s cheerful, it’s often colourful and the designs are quirky. So there’s really nothing wrong with that approach – as long as you’re happy with it.

If, on the other hand, your soul is telling you to reach for something a little deeper, then it would be wise to follow this “advice”. To many human beings, our home is truly part and parcel of our very being as long as we live – it helps define who we are, we fill it with things we love and only really feel truly contended in and around its space.

Now I would submit that it’s not impossible, but it’s far more difficult, to feel this sense of true ownership and belonging with cheap plastic-coated chipboard moulded into various shapes by machinery than it is with an old piece of solid oak furniture that you’ve done a lot of work on yourself renovating and restoring.

And there’s so much old and beautiful solid wooden furniture available cheaply that if you have the time, it’s definitely worth the renovation effort.

There’s also a whole world of advice out there on how to do it up. But if it’s really tired and old and dirty, simply rub it down with ever finer grained sandpapers, then varnish or wax it (using a colour or clear wax / varnish). You won’t be disappointed in the results.

Concentrate your cheaper spending on things that aren’t really built to last forever. It’s far wiser to update your lounging around furniture in the sofa sales, for example, whilst keeping the quality wooden pieces forever.

 

Filed Under: DIY: Household Tagged With: , , , ,
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