How to Spruce up a Bathroom to Give it a Posh Look

After a long workday, what can be better than relaxing in a hot bath or standing under a shower, letting the jets of water pummel away your stress? Yet, the bathroom is often the last room that people consider when redecorating a house. A plain bathroom can easily be spruced up to give it the posh look seen in home magazines.

If one wants to change just one thing in a bathroom, the lighting should be the first choice. The way a bathroom is lit can affect the entire mood and look. Decorative wall lamps can give it an elegant look. Overhead lights are available in stylish shapes and fittings and offer a plethora of choice. However, harsh overhead lights can make the bathroom look crude, so care should be taken when choosing them. Mirrors should be lit evenly from both sides so that one can see one's reflection without any shadows. For the ultimate opulence, light chandeliers can be opted for. Floor fittings are a comparatively new concept but can make a bathroom look stunning. Muted floor lights fitted around a tub imparts a romantic, iridescent glow, and are a modern twist on candles.

Tubs and showers are other ways to change the look of a bathroom. For an antique feel, rounded bathtubs on raised, beautifully carved legs can be used. Sunken tubs look more modern and are great if one wants a minimalistic decor. Bathtubs inlaid with pebbles or bricks on the outside are very popular for nature themed decorations. Showers can be easily worked into a theme. 'Rainfall', 'Jet' and 'Waterfall' showers are among the options available in the market and can be used for this purpose.

Particular colour schemes and highlights can complement the look of a bathroom. A bright, solid colour on the walls paired with black and white striped shower curtains look funky and modern. Muted cream walls with golden highlights can make one's bathroom look like something seen only in movies. Grey walls with glass and chrome fittings will look sleek and chic, while a pale turquoise and white combination looks delicate and pretty. As long as the fittings are coordinated with the wall colour, one can experiment with unlimited options.

The bathroom accessories give the final touch that makes your bathroom look as posh as can be imagined. Wrought iron towel racks, bronze basins, full-length gilded mirrors and glass and chrome cabinets are accessories that can be used to complement any theme. Adding some scented candles and fluffy soft towels are sure to spell luxury and relaxation. With so many options, the bathroom can easily become the poshest room in the house.

Why You Should Consider Conservatory Blinds

Adding a conservatory to your home enables you to create your ideal living environment and improve the look of your home. However, during summer there is always a risk of your conservatory becoming overheated if the structure is not well ventilated. One way of solving this problem is to install conservatory blinds.

Conservatory blinds provide the following advantages:

·         Keep your conservatory cool. Conservatory blinds will help to prevent your conservatory from becoming too hot during the summer. Summer is a time when people are most likely to make the most of their conservatory, so it is important to make sure that it is suitable for use. Those with a south-facing conservatory may wish to consider installing blinds, as structures built in this position have more access to sunlight, so there is an increased risk of them becoming overheated. Conservatory blinds will help to provide a cool and comfortable atmosphere in your conservatory during summer.

·         Sunlight control. Conservatory blinds can be easily adjusted, allowing you to fill your conservatory with as little or as much sunlight as you wish. Blinds will create a more comfortable working environment for conservatories being used as a home office and will also prevent equipment such as computers or laptops from becoming damaged by sunlight.

·         Privacy. Adding blinds to your conservatory will enable you to make your conservatory office or living area private and you can easily adjust them whenever you desire.

·         Insulation. In addition to keeping your conservatory cool, blinds also absorb heat, which will keep your conservatory warm in winter. This creates a more comfortable living area during the cooler months and will reduce the need for extra heating. Conservatory blinds are essential for north-facing conservatories, which do not have as much access to sunlight.

·         Easy to install, remove and clean. One of the main advantages of blinds is that they are easy to operate. Many designs are easy to remove and clean, with some only needing a damp cloth and water to remove dirt. Some types of fabric blinds are also machine washable.

·         Stylish. Another advantage of conservatory blinds is that there are many styles and colours available. You can choose from a selection of designs, including pleated blinds, wooden blinds, Roman blinds and roller blinds. The many styles available will enable you to easily find something that suits your conservatory decor.

·         Keeps furniture in good condition. In addition to protecting equipment such as computers and laptops in conservatory offices, blinds will also keep furniture in good condition. Furniture can become stained and lose its colour if exposed to too much sun and installing blinds in your conservatory will help to prevent this problem. There are now blinds that have a special type of fabric which reflects solar energy and prevents furniture from losing its colour.

·         Security. As well as enhancing your privacy, installing blinds in your conservatory will also enable you to keep expensive equipment such as computers, laptops or TVs hidden from view when you are away from home for a long period of time.

You can request a Brochure from Apropos Conservatories

Author: Philip Woods

How Ceiling Fans Can Improve Your Home

When the summer comes the heat comes too. Ceiling fans are a unique and interesting addition to any home. They do not only look good, but, they also have a functional use too.

Why are Ceiling Fans For Me?

Their rotating blades can circulate cool air around your home and, equally, in the cold winters they can spin in the opposite direction to help distribute warm air, to heat the room. They also come fitted with lights which can be switched off with a pull of a string, the lights come in many designs for you to consider.

For example, globe, which is a thrifty and easy to replace design, there is also Bowl lights which house the bulb in a simple hanging bowl-like receptacle or you can choose to have lights which are more floral and decorative designs

Also, as an addition, you can purchase a handy remote which can operate your ceiling fan with a simple push of a button. It also comes with its own holster which fits onto the wall, so that you don’t lose it or gets in the way.

Which One Should I Choose?                   

If you’re looking to purchase on a budget, a cheap option is the 42 inch Richmond five blade ceiling fan. This can be supplied in an oak design to match the use of wooden flooring or wooden upholstered fixtures in your room, this can lend to a rustic or natural look. Alternatively, the blades come coloured white, this is a good choice if your room has a contemporary theme, as it will fit right in, it will also look great in a room designed with monochrome colour. It also comes with sixty wattage lights designed in a beautiful floral design.

A more expensive choice is the 42 inch San Francisco ceiling fan. It is a fan with a sleek and modern look, its dark oak blades contrast well with satin nickel body frame. Its lights are unlike most others and are a unique and impressive design. If you are willing to pay extra this ceiling fan is a wonderful choice for you.

For a multitude of ceiling fans, ceiling fans with lights, Total Warehouse has a wide range of all designs and prices for you to research. These fans aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, but, their ability to cool or help heat a home are a must have.  

How to Improve Your Staircase

Renovating a staircase may sound like a daunting prospect, but we’re here to help. When you’re thinking about improving your staircase, don’t think about it as one goliath project, because whilst in the end it does need to look like a seamless production, the act of deciding and constructing your staircase is made up of 4 keys elements.

Staircases, along with the steps themselves, feature 4 components: newels, spindles, base rails and handrails. If you don’t know what any of these components are, fear not, here is a guide to what you need to know and how you should decide upon your staircase renovation.

Newels

At the top and bottom of a staircase stand newel posts, which are then topped with newel caps. Newels provide the main structural stability to a stair case and also act as a bold design feature of your staircase. Many finely crafted designs are available for the newel post, with a chunky newel post a particularly popular design feature. If nothing else, newel posts are a particularly handy feature as they are a great place to hang your coat (or many coats) over!

Spindles

Lining the side of the staircase, spindles are the slim vertical posts that fit between the handrail and base rail. Primarily a safety feature of the staircase, spindles not only provide support and stability to the handrail, but they also prevent falls from between the base rail and handrail, which is particularly reassuring if you have children.

Base Rails

A fairly self-explanatory item, the base rail runs along the base of your staircase with grooves in them for spindles to sit in, which then provides support to your handrails.

Handrails

Handrails could well be considered the ‘celebrity’ of the staircase world. Needing no introduction, they are an essential safety and style feature of the staircase, and invariably play a big part on the overall look of your staircase as a whole.

If you are looking for either a staircase kit, or individual parts for renovating a staircase, All Your Stairs are a leading stair parts provider with a range designs and kits available from leading staircase designer, Richard Burbidge.

Improve your Garden with Home Improvements

A person’s garden is their sanctuary, their own canvas of creativity. With the right use of home improvements it can be a link between nature and you. 

What should I do with my garden?

There are many things a gardener can do to beautify their own plot of land outside their homes and here is just a few handy tips for your consideration:

 
Think about taking a seat

A good amount of paving or stone can house a select number of chairs and even a table, so that you can have outdoor meal with your family, or perhaps even host a BBQ with some invited friends or maybe you just want to sit alone and relax in your own beautiful garden.

Top tip: You can continue your garden activities into the night with the addition of a stove, which not only creates heat and light, but it is also built with fine craftsmanship and therefore makes an essential patio installation. (But, make sure it burns in a smoke controlled area.) Also, stove are great for indoors home improvement too.

 
Simple yet effective

Sometimes you don’t need lay down huge slabs of concrete to transform your garden. Gravel can used to spruce up any drive, path or water feature. What’s more is that gravel comes in many different colours to paint your garden the way you want it. The benefits of gravel are many, it is durable, not mention how low maintenance it is, it’s also versatile in that it can be spread almost anywhere and looks great come rain or shine. 

Gravel tip: Gravel comes in many different types. You can always substitute plain stone gravel for wood chippings, granite chippings or even gravel which contains quartz and flint for a decorative and charismatic look.

 
Helping them bloom

Flowers are a key addition to any glamorous garden and it is known that great flowers bloom from great soil. If you’ve been digging up the weeds it’s always best to lay down some top soil which will replenish the ground which is already there. Soil can also be used to fill holes, say you’ve removed a pond or pool from your garden and you want to return it to being a lawn again, you’re going to need to use fill soil (otherwise named fill dirt) with is a rough type of soil filled with such things as clay, decomposed sod, stone and is usually devoid of any real organic matter.

Bark chips are also handy when you’re laying down the soil.  The chips will help suppress weed growth, provides insulation for your roots of your plants and is reliable for mulching  

Compost tip: Compost is made of decayed plant life and recyclable materials. It is filled with nutrients which encourages the growth of plant life. If you want to see your flowers grow strong, pick up a pack of this stuff.

You can find supplies for all of these tips for home improvements at Corfe Stone, a company which has supplied their wide range of products to many customers both commercial and domestic for many years.

How to Secure your Home: Top Tips

At Home Secure Shop we stock a wide range of high quality high security replacement locks, chains, peep holes and letterbox cowl visor guards in order for home owners to further protect their homes from potential burglars.

Across the UK hundreds of home owners are burgled every single day.  Now whilst it is very difficult to completely seal your home from potential thieves there are a number of things of which you as a home owner can do in order to minimise any possibility of being burgled in the first place. Today, we are going to offer up our top tips on how to secure your home so that hopefully you will never have to experience the horrible feeling of having an intruder in your house.

Essential steps to prevent a burglary

• Always lock up your home when not in use
• If you move in to a new house always change the locks with high security locks
• If you lose your keys always change your locks immediately after
• Never store a spare key outside in obvious places such as under a door mat
• Never leave notes surrounding the location of a key to family member on the door
• Locate potential hiding areas for burglars outside of your home such as trees blocking windows. Consider having these cut back.
• If asked to use the telephone by a stranger at your door, make the call yourself; never let a stranger in to your home.

Now that we have covered the essential steps that you as a home owner should carry out in order to prevent a burglary as well as best practices should you just so happen to lose your keys, there are a number of key things that you can utilize inside and outside your home which will further deter potential burglars from even attempting a break in. These include:

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•  An obvious CCTV system watching all entrances to your home
• A high quality alarm system which only goes off upon a break in
• Double glazed windows to deter a smash entry
• Use light timers in order to create the illusion that your home is always occupied
• Consider adopting a dog for added security to your home. Even if your dog is not big, any extra loud sounds will deter a burglar from entering your home in the fear they will be caught

Think like a burglar

Whilst high-profile houses and mansions may be burgled by professionals the majority of homes across the UK are burgled by complete amateurs. What this means is that in most cases of break-ins the offender will make mistakes which can be capitalized upon by the home owner, often leading to a conviction or the identification of the criminal at least.

Utilizing the top tips above, you should be able to minimize the chances of being burgled massively and sleep better at night knowing that no burglar will want to try it on with your home.

How to Choose the Correct Engineered Flooring for you

At All Your Floors we stock a wide range of high quality and cost effective engineered flooring solutions.  Renowned for our high quality products and accessible range, we are confident that we can help you choose the perfect engineered flooring for your home.

When shopping for new flooring to be placed within a home there are many options available to you. Carpet, Vinyl, Hard Wood and Engineered Wood Flooring are all available to home owners with each of them having their own upsides. The truth of the matter is however that when it comes to selling a home or making it look more modern wooden flooring is the number one choice across the UK and when one takes the time to admire a perfectly laid wooden floor it makes little wonder why.

Today we are going to help you on your way to choosing the perfect engineered flooring for your home with some key areas that you will need to look out for. All in all, All Your Floors hope that we can help you discover the perfect flooring for you. Enjoy!

Choose your budget                                                

When it comes to purchasing something new one should always consider what their maximum spend can be and what their ideal minimum spend would be. In the case of engineered flooring, you can essentially manage your budget easily with thanks to all flooring coming in square metres. This makes not only budgeting easy but also fitting easy, as all you will need to do is get an accurate measurement of the dimensions of the room you plan on having new flooring implemented.

Pricing for engineered flooring can range from as little as £15.50 per square metre to as high as £30 per square metre.

If you have a maximum budget per square metre of flooring in mind you can then quite happily move on to the next stage to choosing the correct engineered flooring for you.

Decide on a colour and effect preference

Now that you have your flooring budget sussed out it is time to shop around and look for the perfect engineered flooring colour and effect for your home. If you are renovating your whole home or the majority of the rooms in your house, it would probably be best to stick to one finish and colour to create fluidity to your house. If you are renovating one to two rooms however, light or dark effects both look great however for living spaces lighter shades always create a more airy feel.

At All Your Floors we stock a wide range of effects from engineered Walnut to engineered White oak.

Contact an expert

As with all home-changing products it is always best to seek expert advice before your purchase. Seeking expert advice will ensure that the products you are buying have been tried and tested within homes and also that your choice of flooring can be used within the rooms of your house.

At All Your Floors we can help make your engineered flooring dreams come true. If you would like to find out how we can help you and your home, simply contact us.