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Getting the best sofa

December 13, 2011 By

One of the most important pieces of furniture in a family home is undoubtedly the sofa. It gets used for relaxation, entertaining, it’s a place to sit while you make phone calls or browse the web on your laptop.  It can also serve as a dining table, if you’re having a TV dinner!

If you’re lucky enough to have two reception rooms then you can choose to have different style sofas in each of the rooms. One room can be more formal – the kind of room you’d entertain guests in.  People often choose the more traditional sofa shape for their formal reception room.

These come in a range of sizes – two, three or four seaters and in different finishes.  Some fabric sofas can be very smart and elegant-looking and suit this kind of room well.  Leather sofas always look smart and will stand the test of time as they keep their shape, with no need for cushion plumping.

The other room may be more of a den, in which case your choice of sofa might be a bit different. Dens are often the kind of room you have for the family to relax and watch TV together in – or play games.  A corner sofa works well in this kind of room as it allows space for the kids to play on the floor as well.  Recliner sofas are also great for relaxation.  You can get sofas that have two seats that recline, and the middle one that doesn’t or sometimes all three seat spaces have recliner positions.

Depending on the size of your room and the other furniture you have in it, you might look at sofas that have innovative storage solutions within them – either with seats that lift up to reveal space underneath or drawers that pull out without having to move the cushions.

The best way to make your choice is to go and try out different sofas in the showrooms. Make sure you take your room dimensions with you, so that you don’t buy anything that will look too large or too small.

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How to reduce your home’s CO2 emissions

December 6, 2011 By

When looking at how you can reduce your home’s carbon dioxide emissions there are plenty of places to do this.

Obviously, reducing your central heating and hot water temperature will cut down on emissions by your boiler.  Even a degree or two will make a big difference. Insulating your hot water heater will save another 454 kg of CO2 a year.

Put your washing machine’s temperature dial to cold – today’s detergents are designed to work well without heat.  You only really need heat if clothes have grease or really ingrained dirt on them. Using hot water instead of cold can save up to 228kg of CO2 in a year.

Staying with the laundry theme – stop using your tumble dryer unless it’s absolutely necessary. By line drying and making use of ambient heat in the house you can save 318kg of CO2 emissions over 6 months and of course, double that in a year.

Power off any electronic devices when not in use, and make sure not to forget items with ‘invisible’ switches – where plugs are located behind a display cabinet or your sofas.

As well as looking how to actively reduce CO2 emissions from your home, you can help in the absorption of CO2 on the planet by planting trees in your garden. As well as absorbing carbon dioxide they are attractive and provide welcome shade in the summer.

Choose a tree that is native to your area, and you can save a whopping 2,268kg of CO2 a year.  So, the more room you have, the more trees you can plant.  You can encourage friends and family to do the same, and why not offer to donate trees to your kids’ school for the same purpose?

By making these simple gestures, you can make sure your household is doing its part in reducing the earth’s CO2 emissions.

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Space saving ideas for small houses and apartments

December 5, 2011 By

If you live in a small apartment in a city, or a small modern house where the developers have been determined to make it three bedrooms two bathrooms, but should have added “as long as you don’t want to swing a cat”! – you’ll know just how important space can be.

You’re out shopping and see “sofas sale” signs or a beautiful kitchen table at a bargain price, only to get your tape measure out and realise you’re going to have to move house if you’re ever going to be able to house them.

Big furnishings are the main problem. There are ingenious ways around storage problems and various interior design tips to give the illusion of space. But space is what it is. There’s no getting around it.

The types of sofas UK customers seek out, for example, seem to have grown larger just as all the newly-built boxes during the construction boom up to 2007 were getting smaller. But there are furnishings out there for smaller homes – you just have to find them. Interior space limitation is a problem for millions of people and some manufacturers realise this.

Start by working out how to work within the space you have – including the furnishings you have or are intending to buy. Now draw up a floor-plan and pencil in what will fit where and how. You can think of hundreds of ingenious ways to fully use every nook and cranny in your house or apartment and there are some amazing ideas and examples on the web.

They may necessitate building in yourself, or having a carpenter do the work for you as you may need some weird-shaped storage solutions and shelves to use all the space.

Obviously, use your loft space to its full extent. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden shed, then make it damp proof, insulate it, heat it and make it secure and it’s as good as any interior space. A lot of companies specialise in making sheds that work as offices as more people work from home these days.

Good luck.

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Essential flooring accessories

November 30, 2011 By

If you’re trying to fit new flooring in your home, there are some things you definitely need to have to make the task easier for you.

 

Aside from the obvious need for the right tools to fit flooring, you’ll also need to get some underlay, particular if you’re going for wood or laminate materials. There are various different types of underlay, so you’ll be able to choose the one which is best for your flooring choice. There is acoustic underlay – best for under-floor heating, sound-proof underlay, which does exactly what you’d expect it to do, and even underlay which boasts great thermal properties, making sure your room doesn’t lose heat unnecessarily, due to your choice of flooring.

 

Most underlays require you to use specialist adhesives to fit them in place and this is definitely another essential flooring accessory that you need to have to hand. Whether, when you’re choosing your http://flooringanddoors.co.uk, you’re going for matching wood styles or not, you may need accessories to make the fitting process quick and easy.

 

There are so many handy accessories out there, such as flooring fitting kits, which will make life a whole lot easier for you. If you just head to your local DIY store, you should be able to find a kit including spacers – to get an even gap when you’re installing your flooring and probably even a pull bar, to help you ensure your wooden planks are pulled together at the end of every row. Fitting your own flooring can be difficult if you don’t have the right tools and accessories to help you out, so it’s worth doing some research before you get started on the task ahead of you.

 

There’s nothing worse than finding out after the shops have closed on a Sunday afternoon that you’re missing some essential flooring accessories, so be prepared!

 

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Fashion trendy home decorating tips

November 30, 2011 By

So your house is in dire need of a makeover and you want it to be one that’s fashion conscious? Well if you haven’t had enough of my fashionable and trendy home decorating tips then look no further cause I’ve got even more fashion trends that you can incorporate into your home design.

Love leather

One of the biggest trends this autumn is leather everywhere and if you’re a fan of leather or rock’n'roll then this is the time for you to bring your passion into your home and create a genuinely unique look that’ll leave all your friends gob-smacked. You could get leather cushions for your bedroom and brand new bedroom furniture like a new leather armchair or leather bed frames from Bensons For Beds. If you’re really keen you can get custom made leather curtains or even a leather rug and leather bed covers. To make it even more rock’n'roll get some band posters and frame them for a more sophisticated look.

Scottish Tartan with a twist

If you’re more of a classic print lover but don’t like playing safe then maybe tartan is for you. Whether you’re Scottish or not this is definitely one of the best trends this autumn and it would be a shame to not take advantage of it. If you want to go al the way with it think about tartan wallpaper or maybe big tartan curtains but if you don’t want to push it to far even a tartan print lamp will do or a few cushions here and there. Still, just think of how cute a tartan carpet would look in your living room. Now that would be irresistible!

Beautiful Bright Bold Blue

This is one of the easiest trends to follow actually because you only need 3 things: money, time and a passion for blue. And if you’ve got those three things you’re all set. When you think of blue you think of many things: sea, coastal, royal blue, luxury, so if you want your house to be related to one of those then you need to get moving. Start by repainting your walls, maybe your living room first. Then in your bedroom go for smart blue curtains and a cute blue rug, be daring and make it a fur rug.

Whichever trend you choose to follow, remember, it pays to take risks so don’t be afraid to go all the way and emulate your favourite designers this autumn by following the latest trends. Oh and don’t forget to have fun with it!

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Grown Up Dressing Up

November 28, 2011 By

More and more these days the master bedroom or even master suite in some homes has become a focal point for decadent interior design. Many people are living increasingly busy lives juggling work and family life, and the need for a relaxing retreat at home is of paramount importance. The desire for an en suite has long been present, and nearly all new houses of a certain size are now built automatically to include one. The latest trend following on from this is to incorporate a dressing room or dressing area in the bedroom to make the occupants feel even more special and pampered.

If you want to bring a dressing area into your bedroom then here are a few ideas which may help you achieve this goal. First of all unless you have an adjacent box room to convert into an actual dressing room, which is unusual, you will need to make some space within the bedroom itself. In order to do this have a good spring clean and clear out any unwanted or unused clothing, bedding and furniture. Store spare pillows and so on efficiently in the base of divan beds or move things to another room entirely. The ideal spot for a dressing area is somewhere well lit and with wall space for a full length mirror. As well as the essential mirror, set up the area with a dressing table and stool for make up etc and a chair to collect items as you try them on. For old fashioned charm how about a free –standing decorated screen to complete the look?

To complement your newly revamped bedroom how about adding to the romance in the air with a new bed. Bensons for Beds have beautiful metal framed beds which are perfect to create the ideal place to rejuvenate after a long hard day. Treat yourself and your partner to a master bedroom which is practical and pretty – the best ever combination!

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Spruce up your home

November 10, 2011 By

Sprucing up your home with a few new pieces of furniture can give your house a fresh new look, without costing the earth.
If you’re looking to give your home a bit of a makeover, but don’t have much time or money, or simply don’t know where to start, investing in a few key pieces of furniture for each room can often prove the simplest way to  give your home a fresh new feel.
Of course, if there are obvious jobs that need doing such as sorting out chipped paint or fixing peeling wallpaper, then get these problems tackled first. Once you have addressed any pushing interior décor issues, you can consider your furnishings.
There is no point in your living room having beautiful wallpaper but a shabby old couch, or a prefect paint job just for the battered old coffee table to ruin the whole look.
The great news is that investing in new items of furniture really needn’t break the bank. These days, you can find fabulous pieces of furniture for extremely reasonable prices. You just have to know where to look.
Recently, I picked up some fantastic bargains at a sofa bed sale, and was able to give my poor, neglected guest room a real boost with a beautiful new sofa bed that hadn’t cost an arm and a leg!
You can create the same effect in any room in your house with a well-chosen item of furniture. Would your bedroom benefit from a new dressing table? Perhaps a new set of dining furniture could be just what you kitchen needs? Or maybe a modern coffee table is just the thing to bring your living room to life.
From sofas and chairs, to modern coffee tables and dining furniture, these days you can find reasonably priced furniture in such a range of colours, materials, shapes and sizes, that you’re spoiled for choice!
Spruce up your home
Sprucing up your home with a few new pieces of furniture can give your house a fresh new look, without costing the earth.
If you’re looking to give your home a bit of a makeover, but don’t have much time or money, or simply don’t know where to start, investing in a few key pieces of furniture for each room can often prove the simplest way to  give your home a fresh new feel.
Of course, if there are obvious jobs that need doing such as sorting out chipped paint or fixing peeling wallpaper, then get these problems tackled first. Once you have addressed any pushing interior décor issues, you can consider your furnishings.
There is no point in your living room having beautiful wallpaper but a shabby old couch, or a prefect paint job just for the battered old coffee table to ruin the whole look.
The great news is that investing in new items of furniture really needn’t break the bank. These days, you can find fabulous pieces of furniture for extremely reasonable prices. You just have to know where to look.
Recently, I picked up some fantastic bargains at a sofa bed sale, and was able to give my poor, neglected guest room a real boost with a beautiful new sofa bed that hadn’t cost an arm and a leg!
You can create the same effect in any room in your house with a well-chosen item of furniture. Would your bedroom benefit from a new dressing table? Perhaps a new set of dining furniture could be just what you kitchen needs? Or maybe a modern coffee table is just the thing to bring your living room to life.
From sofas and chairs, to modern coffee tables and dining furniture, these days you can find reasonably priced furniture in such a range of colours, materials, shapes and sizes, that you’re spoiled for choice!

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Must haves for a new kitchen

October 26, 2011 By

I had a new kitchen fitted last year, this being the 7th kitchen of my experience, so I feel I have some idea about what are must haves for a kitchen for me. You need to think about and plan a kitchen before you go ahead and have someone who is not going to have to live with it make a design for you.

Firstly, SPACE – make the most of the floor space you have. No island installations unless you have a kitchen the size of a barn. Islands may look fine but you keep walking into them and no-one ever eats their meal sitting somewhere with no leg room. If you want something in the middle of the kitchen make sure it’s on casters and will move. If space is pretty limited but you do have dining space have an adjustable table that either folds up or converts to seat more people when you need it.

Secondly, CUPBOARDS – keep your cupboard space flexible – those corner cupboards with shelves that are attached to the door can be useless if you have a couple of tall pieces of equipment you want to store. Mine used to end up like a jumble sale anyway. Also don’t think that cupboard space up to the roof is necessarily a good idea. Unless you are a giant even steps will not help you see into the back and things will die there and you will forget you have them. There are some excellent ideas for in-cupboard storage, flexible and adjustable shelving, tiered storage for plates etc. If things are easy to get out you will use them, if not, they won’t! Your DIY store will be full of storage ideas,

Thirdly, APPLIANCES – don’t try and fit every known appliance into your kitchen. I have decided that my kitchen appliance must have is my dishwasher (I only succumbed last year and now wouldn’t be without it). I also need my cooker, microwave and fridge freezer. My fridge freezer is relatively modest, but I have a small chest freezer in the garage to boost frozen food storage. I have my washer and dryer in the porch: few kitchens can take the dampness generated by these without turning mouldy. Even so with the steam from the cooker and dishwasher another must have is a decent sized extractor fan. I do have to say that this is my third kitchen with washing stuff in a porch and a large porch was a must-have when buying this house.

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Transform your home by de-cluttering

September 13, 2011 By

Recently our next door neighbours decided they wanted to move to give them more space for their two children. The estate agent seems to have been quite subtle about it but the outcome was “you will have to de-clutter your home to make it look bigger and more attractive to buyers.” I know about de-cluttering;  after an old aunt died recently leaving a lifetime of clutter for us to dispose of I learnt a valuable lesson. Our mementoes and treasures are only our loved one’s nightmare of clutter – and then there was the mountain of stuff nobody could make a decision about: papers, clothes, little and larger snigs of all descriptions aka junk. De-cluttering is not about tidying up – we all have done this by stuffing all extraneous material into cupboards and on shelves, into bags we suck the air out of and put in the loft, push into the garage or shed, or even put under the bed. This often requires buying more storage which is often acquired ad-hoc and ends up matching nothing. De-cluttering involves THROWING THINGS AWAY –   ideally by re-cycling every item. I am not an A rated re-cycler. I have taken 10 years to get a grip of my need to keep every book I buy. However, I have become pretty good about getting rid of a lot of stuff.

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