Home improvement advisor | Home building and Property for Sale to Rent » Decorating

Tips on creating a white Christmas table setting

administrator — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:10:07 +0000

Stick to white accessories where possible, but varying textures helps to create depth. Combine your tableware with elegant glassware and finish the look with some snowy white flowers – roses or hydrangeas are ideal Select your Christmas decorations, including fairy lights, wreaths, card garlands and paper lanterns, all of which can be hung using the easy to apply, easy to remove Command Products from 3M Description: PippaJameson_Christmas2Command Decorating Clips are ideal for hanging your fairy lights. The best places to hang them are on a wall, over a mirror or around a window frame For your card garlands, place a Command Mini Hook at either end and for longer ones I would recommend placing another hook in the middle for extra support. For a ‘white Christmas’ look choose cards that are either silver, white or black and white.

For extra inspiration, Pippa and Hazel have created two step by step video guides showing how to create the above looks. To view these and other inspiring home transformations using Command Products from 3M please visit: www.facebook.com/inspiringtransformations

Why choose hardwood flooring?

administrator — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:41:50 +0000

Hardwood floors are a popular upgrade choice for adding value and sophistication to a home. There are many options for colour, width, finish, and species that open a virtually endless array of possibilities for a unique result. Colour choice might depend on the colours of other furnishings in the area such as existing wood furniture or cabinetry, although it is not necessarily the case that you must stick to just one wood colour in both your flooring and furniture.

Lighter colours make rooms feel larger and more expansive, and hide dust and some types of animal hair more easily. Darker colours can appear more dramatic and sophisticated. Width can range from very narrow to wide planks, with the price often increasing for larger widths. Wide planks do make a space look larger, although a budget-minded homeowner might choose to counter the narrowing effect of smaller planks by using a lighter colour. Finish is another choice point that presents opportunities to create a desired effect in a room.

Pre-finished hardwood flooring is less expensive than flooring that is sanded and stained after installation. Using pre-finished hardwood flooring also sidesteps the potential inconvenience and extra installation time associated with sanding and staining the wood after it is laid down in the room. However, hardwood flooring that is sanded and finished after installation can be more smooth across the seams between planks and the color is often more consistent. Some people prefer the variegated look of pre-finished hardwood, and this type of look does make it easier to use non-premium pieces of flooring. Species choices can be made based on cost, grain appearance, sustainability, durability, and personal preference.

Both exotic species and more traditional choices, such as oak, are easily available nowadays. Other considerations when planning a hardwood flooring project are the area to be covered (for instance, where to have borders to the hardwood installation in an open floor plan space and whether to include special spaces such as stairs), what type of moulding to use where the wall meets the new flooring, and what underlying material the floor will be set upon. Area rugs might be a wise choice for protecting brand-new hardwood floors in high traffic areas, spaces exposed to large amounts of sunlight that could fade the finish, or for safety on stairs.

Decorating Your Doors With Ironmongery

administrator — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:09:00 +0000

Picture this scenario, you’ve decided to decorate your home, you’ve started out in the kitchen and bought a new floor and new cabinets – the room looks great!

You’re dining room and living room have benefited greatly from new wallpaper and some new furniture scattered throughout. You’re downstairs is almost complete, apart from your hallway. You have a look at your old, tired front door and think to yourself, if that was replaced, it would complete the project.

So what do you do when it comes for looking for a new door? Obviously the door needs to fit with the rest of your decorating, otherwise it will look somewhat out of place. But once you have decided on the new door for you, have you considered the fact that you could enhance the look of it by accessorising?

You may not have been aware of that, but it is possible! For example, you could look at purchasing some popular ironmongery (a term used to describe a product that is either made entirely from, or contains fittings of iron) products to do so. For example, if you had a traditional look in your home, you could consider purchasing a Suffolk latch. Suffolk latches can really help to set a traditional look and feel for the area that they are placed in and even better, they are extremely durable as well!

Aside from the latch, you may also consider upgrading the hinges in which the doors in your home are using. Quality hinges, such as Tee Hinges can last a considerably longer time the standard hinges that are typically packaged with the doors that you purchase.

There are many places you can purchase ironmonger products online, so have a look around, you’ll be pleased with what you see!

Personalised and unique photo blinds to make a house a home!

administrator — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:02:22 +0000

The saying ‘home is where the heart is’ is true of many people and their homes.Today, a home is not simply a building to take shelter or residence in; it is an expression of one’s way of life, their personality, their preferences. A person’s personality is reflected throughout their home. It is thought that a lot can be gleaned about a person simply by looking at their home. That is why, it’s very important to most people that their home look the very best that it can possibly look. A home is not only representative of you and your family it can be a place that you can retreat to. A home is a great place to seek sanctuary and solace after a hard day at work and shut out the stresses of everyday life.

There are lots of ways people try to make their house a home. Many people choose to decorate, using either paint or wallpaper. Many will choose home furniture that they like. Some choose the minimalist look whereas others choose to go for a more chaotic look. Everyone is different and will opt for a different approach to making their house a home. Yet, regardless of what your personal preference is, there is one method that we all use to make our home more appealing, and that is through window decoration! Curtains can make a home appear more cosy, whereas people may choose blinds for the modern approach, whatever our preference they’re an essential element to making a home look complete.

To add the personal touch to your windows, you should think of a photo blind! Whether it is a photo or a picture that you love, you could have it reproduced on a blind, this really will be a unique touch to your decor. If you are an artist, this could be the perfect way to showcase your work, or perhaps a photo that has much meaning to you, or holds special memories, this will enable you to share this with guests to your home. Photo blinds can also make the perfect present if you know of someone who would appreciate their own unique and special piece of decoration for his or her home.

Photo Blinds could be used to liven up your living room, or transform your office into somewhere
homely, or possibly just to create your own personal space in a bedroom, a photo blind is perfect for virtually every room . Having this unique home decoration within your house will make your home into an even more attractive place to come home to at the end of a hard day. So if you want a unique, personalised decorative yet practical piece for your home, treat your house to a photo blind today!

Living Room Decoration Project

administrator — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:38:18 +0000

We have all seen the home improvement shows on Channel Four in the UK and marvelled at the fantastic homes they show buyers around. I don’t know about you but I am always impressed at how light and airy these homes feel, but the price tag of these homes is always a little to high for me! So I got to thinking about how I could create this light and airy feeling in my own home. So as a project I decided to re-decorate my living room as it a very dark room in my home and often felt smaller than it really is.

The first thing I did was to strip the dark varnish off the wooden furniture in the room, once this varnish was stripped off, I sanded the furniture down and covered in a light beeswax to preserve the wood but produce furniture which was lighter and not as austere as it had previously been.

The walls in the room were wallpapered in a floral pattern so I stripped off the paper and had the room re-plastered, this left me with a fantastic blank canvas which I painted in a pale yellow, and painted all the skirting boards and doors in a pure brilliant white. Already the room was feeling brighter but I wanted to complete the effect, so I moved the leather sofa into the study and bought a smaller chez lounge, which I had re-upholstered in light coloured cotton.

I knew that if I added to many decorations to the room it would start to feel cluttered and small again so I had to choose carefully, I bought a fantastic large overmantle mirror which I hung above the fireplace and it reflected the morning sunlight throughout the room to stunning effect.

Finally I really wanted a family portrait up on the wall but I didn’t want a formal photograph in a dark wooden frame on the wall, so I did a little research on line and found these great tips on creating a family portrait, and so I got a friend to take a photo of my family in our local park which I had printed on a canvas which now takes pride of place on the wall in my living room.

The finished room looks fantastic, light, airy and on a sunny day it seems to glitter in the sun – a great home improvement project which I am sure has added value to my home as well as producing a great room to enjoy.

Environmental Friendly Cork Flooring

administrator — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:18:41 +0000

As it comes to surface or flooring, the cork floorings are actually considered as the green option. This kind of surface is seen as an elegant option for the home and can make for the practical kitchen area. Cork flooring is also have become one of the favorite choice of some of the commercial enterprises in many places of the world, with business owners benefiting from the fact it is simple to maintain and easy to clean. Maybe the environmental friendly factor is the most significant feature, particularly as governments across the globe are doing their greatest in order to encourage eco-friendliness and sustainability.

Strip Wallpaper

administrator — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 06:05:53 +0000

Wallpaper Steamer Stripping Technique: This technique works on the following principle: a kettle sends steam to a plate of distribution along a crack. The steam is pushed through to dissolve the adhesive by holding the paper for some seconds. The paper then becomes easy to strip. Care should be taken that the steam does not work on a particular area for long as it may blow up the upper plaster-layer.

Also, be careful as steam can cause burns. Ensure adequate ventilation in the room if you work using a steamer. Too much steam in the room could possibly soften the ceiling plaster if it is in bad condition to an extent that it might fall.

Controlling Noise with Replacement Windows

administrator — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:34:45 +0000

The best house is or apartment is the one that allows you to enjoy some private moments without having to deal with noises from the outside. When you live in big cities such as New York City or Washington DC, being able to have a quiet living space used to be a luxury. Thanks to affordable replacement windows, you no longer have to worry about blocking outside noises at all.

Choosing the right material is key when it comes to controlling noise with replacement windows. You need to choose the right material and use the perfect replacement window design in order to block noise effectively. Most homeowners choose installing vinyl replacement windows right away, but aluminum is actually the best material to use if the purpose of installing replacement windows is to control noises.

As mentioned earlier, design is also important. There are a lot of replacement window designs you can choose in order to get maximum effects, in this case superb noise blocking capabilities, so make sure you use the right resources and consult with experts to determine the perfect design to use. Take your time and evaluate your options before making the purchase decision; with so many online resources related to replacement windows available, you will have no trouble at all finding the perfect one to help you control noise and get that quiet living space you have always wanted.

One last thing to consider when choosing replacement windows to control noise is the glass itself. Always opt for double-glazed glass placement if you are serious about keeping your house quite and block outside noise completely. Double-glazed replacement windows have to layers of glasses sandwiched together to create better buffer in the middle, which is perfect for blocking noise as well as heat.

Now that you know the basics of controlling noise with replacement windows, you can get started right away and make your house even more comfortable with no noise disturbing your rests. Don’t forget to seek for the best replacement windows online and get amazing deals in a matter of minutes using the right online tool to help you.

Decorating your Living Room

administrator — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:27:55 +0000

When asked to pick your favourite room in your home many people very quickly answer with kitchen, but my favourite room has always been the living room. This is the room furnished and decorated with the simple objective of “comfort and relaxation”. When decorating your living room think about rich colours, luxurious fabrics and plump cushions, for this is the room where you can wind down at the end of the day and settle down in front of a roaring fire, create a wonderful feature point in the living room with Victorian cast fireplaces, they are available in a range of styles but look particularly great in period-style rooms. You can also buy some gorgeous looking radiators in the Victorian style, and you can extend this theme to the whole house with a cast iron central heating radiator in each room. While I love the period feel of Victorian style décor and furniture some find it too austere and look for something brighter and contemporary. Oak furniture used to be predominantly associated with rustic farm kitchens but many of the modern producers of Oak furniture have begun to produce modern and sleek oak furniture for living rooms, furniture which looks great in a modern room which is painted white with one feature wall and bold patterns and colours used in the fabrics and upholstery.
Fabrics and upholstery for your living room should not be an after thought when you are decorating as it the attention to detail with these items which can help transform a room! I believe there is nothing comfier than a leather sofa and now a days you can find huge sofas (room for all the family!) at a great price and they look fantastic in any room, brighten up the sofa with over-size cushions too.
We’ve all seen the music videos were the stars wander from their living room out onto a decked area and slip into a hot tub, this looks great and while it may not be attainable to all of us you should now that comfort and enjoyment can be reached in any living room just prepare a plan of what design and décor you want to achieve, shop within your budget and remember to do things right and not cheap and you will have a beautiful room.

Simple ways to clean your carpets

administrator — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:03:07 +0000

Living with small children and a variety of animals can be hazardous for your carpets. Keeping carpets clean and fresh looking can be a mission of epic proportions. The first step in the fight against dirty looking carpets is to choose your carpet wisely. Speak to the salesperson in the shop, they know best which carpet will hide everyday life. If you do choose a carpet that will show dirt then be prepared to work hard if you want it to look clean.
There are a variety of electrical cleaners available on the market, designed specifically for maintaining your carpet. These range from upright vacuum cleaners down to handheld cleaners, with a range of suction powers. Many appliances now have different power settings, which can be adjust for the type of carpet and amount of dust to be picked up. These cleaners can also be used on different floor types and even on kitchen worktops (with the correct nozzle attachment). In addition to a vacuum cleaner it may be useful to invest in (or rent) a carpet cleaner to refresh your carpet. This is only suitable for occasional use as the carpet needs time to dry.

As well as using a good electrical appliance to clean your carpet, it is worth investing in a few cleaning products. A carpet stain remover is a must for any accidental spills. If you use a stain remover not designed for carpet then you may end up with a stain on top of the original stain. A powder deodoriser is also essential for a carpet as the fibres can soak up smells from the environment (like cooking smells or wine spills) and retain them.