What Makes a Great Garden Office

A garden room could be the ideal home improvement you were looking for. It creates an extra space away from the house, ideal for a home office or studio. The people at Gembuild Garden Offices have sent us this interesting Infographic. It makes people aware that not all garden rooms/offices are built to the same specifications and you could be paying more than you should for an inferior quality building.

Brighten up Your Home From the Outside in

With spring just around the corner, or so we hope with the dyer, cold and gloomy weather still hanging over most of us, many home owners will see the change in seasons as a convenient and timely opportunity to brighten up the home. Whilst a spring clean is planned, decisions are also made on which area of the home to decorate – whether it’s going to be new laminated flooring, a change in wall decorations or a new kitchen, a change is needed somewhere after we have endured the dull, long winter season stuck inside ours home!

But for many of us our focus remains in and only within the house! Many fear the garden at the best of times – but it’s time to move past this fear and get those hands dirty. A makeover for your home’s only garden should be your priority for 2013! Gardening really isn’t that hard, with solid, easy to follow advice widely available across the internet, top tips provided from retailers and specific choice plants now recommended for ease of growing, reasons to not brave the garden are running out. By simply adding some colour to your garden, you’ll find yourself much happier spending time there in the summer.

One basic fundamental aspect of gardening for newbies is to understand is ‘longevity’. Before you head to your local garden centre or laptop to shop online, know that plants typically conform to either being an ‘annual’ or perennial. A plant which blooms for one year only and dies is an annual, whilst a perennial will have an extended life cycle allowing it to come back year after year, if treated with care over the cold winter period.

If your garden is only a patch of grass from top to bottom, then consider creating some new borders to grow your plants in. If you wanted to create a border with good water retention to it, dig out 30cms of soil and if you have any old wood flooring or plastic lining, install it in your dug out area, ensuing you cut some drainage holes, and then add your soil back in. Use garden bricks for edging in order to contain your soil, or alternatively try starting with just some large pots. Get a good, multi-purpose compost to top-up your soil. Generally, look for a mid-range priced compost bag as its contents will sit fitter with your tender plants, providing important nutrients from the start.

For simpler and quick impact, typically head for anything labelled as an annual and which is supplied in small plant trays in garden centres or labelled as plug plants online. Growing from seed is much cheaper, but something to consider as your experience grows. For summer colour in your garden borders or pots, look to grow a selection of either bedding petunias, begonias or busy lizzies. These are three varieties known particularly for quick growth, bright bold colours and impact! Packs of 10 to 20 plants can often be purchased for five to ten pounds each, so buy and plant in abundance.

Once the last frost passes, typically dig a small hole 5 to 7cms deep, planting each plant 10 to 15cms apart on the soil floor. Be reasonably gentile but don’t be afraid. Press down firmly on the soil surrounding the roots and provide a good watering first time around.

Around June onwards you should begin to see blooms appearing on your plants. For a summer of vibrant colour ensure you water lightly every 2 to 3 days for annuals, but in exceptional heat, check daily. Any signs of dry soil then provide a top up.

Gardening has many levels of interest and knowledge to suit us all. Not only is it good to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, but its therapeutic and a great stress relief for our hectic, modern day lives. It can be educational to young children and great exercise for the elderly too. Consider brightening up your garden this coming summer now – you’ll impress your friends and family when they head over for those eagerly anticipated summer BBQs!

Making The Most Of Space: The Sanctuary Walk-In Bath

Walk-in baths are difficult to define from a design perspective, yet there use and purpose is clear for all to see. The right walk-in bath can not only make bathing easy and independent, it can maintain a relaxing and joyful experience at the same time.

This is, of course, provided you have the right choice of bath. Case in point is the sanctuary bath. This walk-in bath has similar dimensions to regular baths, but uses creative and intelligent design to maximise on this space.

A case in point would be a low entrance and an inward-opening door, which save on space and still offer a safe way to enter and exit the bath. Whereas an outward facing door can cause further problems with your bathroom space and layout, the inward door shows some smart thinking and careful consideration for the rest of your bathroom.

Space and Size

As already stated, the sanctuary has similar dimensions to a normal bath. Whilst this offers that little extra leg room that you wouldn't find on smaller options, the Sanctuary still offers plenty of depth. Since this is a seated bath, the depth is something that is necessary for any decent walk-in bath. Combined with the easy and adjustable water controls, this allows for a very relaxed bathing experience. There's no fuss; it works just like you would expect a bath would and should.

Shower

Given its size, it should be no surprise that the Sanctuary also offers a shower option. This is something you don't always find, but is useful none the less. Some bathrooms simply can't fit both a bath and a shower in the same space. This often leads people to choose over the other whilst the best baths, including the Sanctuary, offer both.

This is perfect for busy houses, where some people appreciate showers and others prefer a soak in the bath. The adjustable height, again, also ensures that the shower can be used as an actual shower, compete with shower curtain, rather than just a quick addition to a typical bath. It may be a walk-in bath, but it considers all the possibilities and uses any home may have for it, which is always useful.

Modern Shaggy Rugs and what they bring to the table

You probably think that we’re over the worst of the bitter winter weather but there is still a cold chill in the air! Are you fed up of the ridiculous heating bills or are your slippers simply not doing the job? Could your favourite room be a lot more inviting and warm? Well let me introduce the glamorous and affectionate alternative  – Modern Shaggy Rugs.

These rugs are a very rare breed; they look to bring a contemporary guise to the well-adored Shaggy rugs range. Shaggy Wool rugs are renowned for their super soft sentiments and luxurious textures. They have been a popular doughy floor decoration for many years and have prevailed within the rug market, and just like trends have changed over the years, Shaggy Wool rugs have had to accommodate the common cultural climate and contemporary fashionable moves. 

Unlike average Shaggy Cream rugs, which are still rife movers in the market, Modern Shaggy rugs seem to bring a whole different outlook to Shaggy Wool rugs that have helped pave the way. Not only do Modern Shaggy rugs enjoy the squashy and cushioned dense piling found in standard Shaggy rugs, but they also compliment these textures with innovative and wicked designs. As technology has advanced, so has the designer’s eye for creative glory. Fringes Rugs see more and more Modern Shaggy rugs being supplied to their showroom by the best rug artisans in the world! There are even Modern Shaggy rugs for sale on discount prices. 

So why should you think about installing one?      

                                                          

Well, I put it to you - Why buy a rug with amazing colourful designs and imaginative flare when all of these attractive design methods can be implemented onto a much more absorbent piled rug? Modern Shaggy rugs are a state of the art acquisition and are the perfect choice if you seek to bring both warmth and style to your interiors. Modern Shaggy rugs have the ability to display multi coloured stripes, soothing swirls, floral decorations, chequered designs and even mystical tint changes which can be demonstrated in the Large Modern Shaggy Haze Rugs range.

Comforting, fashionable and affordable. That is all I need to say. Modern Shaggy rugs have been created by using the highest quality materials and are guaranteed to serve both your floors and your cold feet extremely well for many years to come.

Written by Thomas Bray.

Granite Off Cuts

There are virtually unlimited uses for granite off cuts, especially for individuals who are creative. Off cuts are the pieces of granite, marble, quartz or other similar materials left over after a large job is completed. These smaller pieces can be used in homes, yards or even places of business in many different ways.

Deep Discounts for Some Off Cuts

Companies with off cuts left over after big installment of quartz worktops  or granite kitchen worktops for example often sell them at deeply discounted prices. Some companies will even cut the material down to the required size for customers. Additional fabrication work and edge profiling that is needed may cost extra, but the off cuts can be so inexpensive that it makes the extra work more affordable. Many small jobs in homes, businesses or yards can be done using granite, marble, quartz or stone off cuts.

Creative Uses for Off Cuts

Off cuts are ideal for remodeling items like coffee tables, vanity tops, hearths, window sills, bookends, cutting boards  and speaker stands, just to name a few. Creative uses for granite off cuts are limited only by the designer’s or decorator’s imagination. Very small pieces may be used simply as decorative items. For instance, small decorative tiles can be made from stone off cuts and interspersed among other tiles on a kitchen backsplash to provide a punch of color.

Decorative Uses in the Yard

Granite off cuts can be easily made into stepping stones that lead, for example, from a back porch to a gazebo or swimming pool. The off cuts do not even have to be the same size or color to make a decorative path from one place to another in a back yard. They can also be used as trim around flower beds or islands in the yard. Homeowners who are exceptionally creative may be able to break up different types and colors of stone off cuts and use them to create a piece of art to hang on a deck or front porch.

Mosaic Creations from Off Cuts

Small pieces from various types and colors of granite off cuts can be used to create beautiful mosaics at a very low cost. The mosaic creations are perfect for embellishing fireplaces or walls in kitchens and bathrooms. The small pieces can even be used to make creative paving on driveways or sidewalks. They can decorate picture frames, plant pots or bookshelves. There is no end to what can be done with colorful off cuts when people access their artsy sides.

There are many ideas online and in magazines for using inexpensive off cuts in creative ways to enhance homes, businesses and yards. All it takes is a bit of work and a little imagination.

Why LED Lights are a Great Choice for the Home

LEDs are a super energy efficient and increasingly popular form of lighting. An LED or Light Emitting Diode is a kind of electronic circuit that sends out rays of light when an electric current is passed through it. They are commonly known as ‘cold lighting’ as they produce little to no heat, unlike the filament bulbs you may have in your lights at home.

LEDs are already keeping our nights bright; you’ll find them all around in street lamps, spot lights and in floodlights. But they are also becoming an affordable and eco-friendly option for the home, and you’ll already find them in your digital alarm clock or remote control. Here are some of the benefits of making your house an LED haven:

• A traditional filament bulb, the rounded kind commonly used in lamps, only uses about one fifth of its energy to make light. The rest is wasted on heat. An LED light uses up to 90% of its energy to make light and stays cold to the touch. They’re non-toxic as well, and won’t break when dropped, which is a real bonus if you have young, and curious, kids running around the house. This energy efficiency will also save you plenty of money on your electricity bills.
• LED lights may cost a little more to buy, but they will run for up to 10 years. That’s about 50 times longer than filament bulbs and more than three times longer than fluorescent ones, so you’ll certainly save money in the long run and won’t need to have a constant supply of bulbs for changing.
• An LED is made up of a chip on a circuit board so there is nothing to break if you drop them, making them a popular choice for any kind of outdoor lighting. They are super durable in cold weather, so it’s not so surprising that they were invented in Russia in the 1920’s.
• LED lights come in a rainbow of colours. They are already commonly used in Christmas trees and garden lighting, but you can find different shades to suit your front room, bedroom or kitchen. The brightness of the light can vary according to the colour so it’s easy to find the right mood lighting with an LED.

The brightness of an LED also varies according to the power source supplying it and the frequency of current. You can maintain the brightness of your LED by using an LED Driver – an electrical device that regulates the amount of power that goes to single or multiple lights. A driver will ensure that a constant amount of power is going to each light to stop them flashing or dimming, for instance if the temperature around them drops, but you can also buy ones that work as dimmers to control brightness. It’s important to use the correct voltage driver for your lights and always check that you are not overloading the power supply with too many lights.

Top 5 ways to add warmth to your bed

Being cold in bed is a horrible feeling. Warmth and comfort are the two things we need most to ensure a decent night’s sleep so a lack of either could result in disturbed slumber, leaving you tired and ill-prepared for the day ahead. One of the easiest ways to ensure warmth is to leave your heating on through the night but this can be very costly so here are a few alternative (cheaper) suggestions:

1. 1. Use a higher TOG duvet
The TOG rating of a duvet relates to its thermal insulation properties - the more heat the duvet is able to stop escaping out of the bed, the higher the TOG rating. In the UK we generally consider anything with a TOG rating over 10 to be a winter duvet – this is great starting point for keeping warm in bed.
2. 2. Add a mattress topper
In addition to adding comfort due to padding, mattress toppers can also help to keep you warm while you sleep. While most of the heat we lose in bed escapes through your top covers, you also lose heat through your mattress. Adding a topper reduces the amount of heat escaping thereby keeping you warmer. As with duvets, the more thermally insulating the topper is the more heat will be retained.
3. 3. Flannelette bedding
Flannelette (or brushed cotton) bedding is made from 100% cotton and is exceptionally warm. The cotton itself is fluffed up using a process of brushing, giving it a fleecy texture, which adds warmth. Using flannelette sheets and a flannelette duvet cover will give you significantly more comfort and warmth as you sleep.
4. 4. Buy an electric blanket
Electric blankets have been around for years and are an obvious addition to this list. Modern electric blankets are very efficient meaning they don’t cost a lot to run. The most efficient way to use an electric blanket is to heat up your bed before you get in and use some of the ideas above to ensure that heat remains in your bed for as long as possible.
5. 5. Layers
Lots of layers does a similar job to a higher TOG duvet – providing a thermal insulating barrier that stops heat escaping. If you don’t want to invest in a new duvet add blankets, bedspreads and throws to your top layer instead. There is a downside to this option however - it can get quite heavy meaning you could feel claustrophobic, so if you are prone to claustrophobia we’d recommend the new duvet option.

http://www.yorkshirelinen.com

Be a DIY Pro

If you have dreams of reclaiming your house with a DIY project, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re part of a growing surge of homeowners who take a hands-on approach to renovations. However, you should also verse yourself in the potential mishaps that come along with these kinds of projects. Here’s a list of helpful tips that can help you avoid everything from mesothelioma claims to putting out your back while you work on your home. Afterward, you’ll be a DIY pro.

Know what permits you need. For small projects, you won’t need any permits, but if you plan to tackle a job that requires demolition or building an addition, you should check with your local planning authority to make sure you’re within the legal guidelines for building. This will include a planning permit, but you’ll also need regulation approval to make sure that your project meets safety guidelines.

Get a home inspection to find hidden dangers. Even if you’ve been in your home for a decade or more, you should get an inspection to find out what you will be facing once you begin knocking down walls and ripping out insulation. Dangers such as asbestos, faulty electrical wiring or corroded plumbing could end up multiplying the time and money that it takes you to complete your project, not to mention putting your life in danger. Hiring a contractor with experience in dealing with asbestos can be especially helpful. It may cost more than a regular contractor, but paying £1,000 now can keep your from having to hire mesothelioma lawyers later.

Make sure you have the tools the get the job done. You should find out what specialty tools, if any, you’ll need to complete your project. Trying to build when you don’t have the tools that you need could mean that your project doesn’t look the way you imagined it would by the time you finish. In addition, using the right tools is also the best way to keep yourself safe while you realise your home improvement goals.

Don’t take ‘DIY’ literally. For some projects--or for parts of some projects--you’ll need an extra set of hands to help you finish. If you’re installing cabinets, putting together a kitchen table or transporting old housing material after demolition, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It could keep you from hurting yourself or someone else.

Make your timeline flexible. This may be the most important DIY tip, and it has everything to do with planning. Before you begin your project, you should think of all the scenarios that could alter your plan, from a delay in planning permits to the discovery of an underlying problem once you begin demo work. You should also add an extra ten percent to your original budget to cover unexpected costs. Mishaps and surprises are inevitable in most DIY projects, but knowing what to do when they arise can help you pull off your home improvement project like a pro.

SOUTHPORT COMPANY LAUNCHES NEW DIY PRODUCT

Southport Company RADWRAPS has a genius new product due to be launched shortly. This product will change the way we design our homes. After 5 years in development and a long patent process this company have developed what seemed impossible. A radiator cover with no heat loss what so ever, that can be fitted in seconds without any DIY knowledge, being child and elderly friendly and best of all with any pattern or image you prefer, even a favourite photograph, and it gets better RADWRAPS costs less than the wooden box type alternatives.

RADWRAPS is based in Birkdale Southport, today a spokesman for the company revealed RADWRAPS is made from a specially formulated magnetic sheet; it is then treated with printing technique that can be cleaned with a damp cloth. At last Radiators are set for a whole new makeover, no longer will that bland white space spoil our rooms, and the variations are endless, from sunsets to city sky lines or a Leonardo da Vinci in the bathroom, to your own customised design. RADWRAPS is set to cause quite a storm in the DIY world and with orders coming in from across the UK the Birkdale based company is looking to DIY markets overseas.

http://www.radwraps.co.uk

How to Warm up Your Home

The first day of spring is getting closer every day – it's the 20th March for anyone who isn't aware – but for now the weather in the UK is fickle, and largely chilly.

If you don't have the luxury of double-glazing, roof insulation, and central heating in every room, you might be finding the inside of your home isn't really a whole lot warmer than the outside at the moment.

Sure, four walls prevent wind, rain, and snow from getting at you, but having to wear several layers in front of the TV to avoid losing toes to frostbite can stop you from being comfortable during the colder months.

So, what to do? Well, if your heating isn't brilliant, the best way of retaining warmth in your home is to stop the cold from getting in and prevent what little heat you have from getting out. Furthermore, you shouldn't underestimate the power that making a room seem warmer can have.

Your three main weapons against the cold – draft excluders, cosy cushions, and sofa throws.

A jolly sausage dog draft excluder, for example, can stop drafts from sneaking in under your doors, and a union jack cushion could really brighten up the place. Not feeling patriotic? How about a stripe cushion? Pick whatever you like – just make it colourful!

There are a variety of places you could go to locate these items – but to find them all in one place, visit Pure Home Designs. If you're feeling extra fancy, you can even buy a fragrance lamp from this place – they've got it all!