C&J Blog Article
06
Jun
2010
Some new tips!
Makeover on a budget - Here are some simple tricks you can do to improve your home without busting the budget:
Change the personality of a chest of drawers by changing the door handles - Crystal door handles will transform your doors with a touch of 40’s glamour - Chloe Alberry (www.chloealberry.com) has cut crystal cupboard door knobs from as little as £8 in clear, amber, red and purple.
To transform dated tiles - wash down with baking soda solution and refresh the grout with a grout pen. The Ronseal One Coat Grout Pen is a marker which you can use to ‘write’ over existing grout to rewhiten it. Easy to do, but the difference is outstanding. We LOVE this product. Available in white, black or silver - for more click on www.ronseal.co.uk
Lighten up your kitchen from the floor up to increase the feeling of space and cleanliness - Aquagrip 6171 vinyl flooring is a great buy at £17 a sqm from Forbo Nairn. It‘s easy to clean and maintain, comfortable underfoot, slip-resistant, durable and surprisingly cost effective. The trick with vinyl flooring is to leave fitting to the professionals as it can prove to be a difficult task for the layman. The look, after all, should be seamless. Do it yourself and you could end up with all manner of seams or lumps!
Lift a dull living room with an art attack! There’s nothing quite like a statement piece of art to add punch and personality to a room! And, with decorative art being so affordable these days, there’s no excuse for you not to express yourself! Ikea offer ready to hang art from as little as £3.99 with online galleries like All Posters offering Breakfast At Tiffany’s film posters for just £5 - www.allposters.co.uk
And here’s something that costs nothing - why not try rearranging your furniture to create a new look at home. A change of direction or weeding out items you’re not happy with can make a huge difference to a room, especially if your design problem is boredom…
New looks for Lighting
It’s time to shine a little light onto how to get the most from your home using clever illumination tricks. And it couldn’t be simpler if you follow our simple room by room guide…
In the kitchen, ‘under cabinet lighting’ illuminates your workspace, adds a lovely cosy mood and makes your space look very chic and expensive! And thankfully these days it’s no longer just for top end, pricey kitchens! Yup, if you can plug in a kettle then you can even install this system yourself; try Ikea’s Liest; a linkable counter top lighting range that starts at a very affordable £9.99 - www.ikea.com
Ceiling spotlights in a bathroom can look fabulous, but make sure you don’t have them positioned behind you. Why not? Well, with rear lit (when you stand in front of your mirror) all you’ll see is dark shadows - and nobody wants those! Wall lamps on either side of your vanity mirror will light up your face perfectly as well as being a nice symmetrical detail, if you opt for a pair! The Glass Tube 1 bathroom wall light is an excellent buy at just £16.78 from Litecraft - www.litecraft.co.uk NB - make sure that anything you buy is tagged as suitable for use in areas of moisture.
One of the most effective ways of changing the mood of a room is to change the lighting and one of the cheapest ways of doing this is to install a dimmer switch. B&Q have single dimmer switches for just over £10 or you could opt for a rather funky polished chrome or matt black dimmer switch for £19.98. For more info click on www.diy.com and you’ll soon be singing ‘dim all the lights sweet darling…’
- make sure that anything you buy is tagged as suitable for use in areas of moisture.Table lamps dotted around will look much cosier and much more intimate that one overhead pendent. Use table lamps to highlight features or areas of your room - try using a pair of matching lamps on either side of a sideboard for a designer look. Or try a single lamp on a side companion table to add to the welcoming look of your favourite chair. Try the Rohana table lamp or the Staten table lamp, both £60 each from John Lewis - www.johnlewis,com
And don’t forget that a clean lamp is a bright lamp - so shake out your shades and dust your bulbs regularly to get the most out of your lighting…
Windows
The latest ideas, trends and tips to make the most of your windows. from bay windows to dorma windows the boys have it covered and tell us what we should be doing to make the most of them.
For a change to conventional bathroom or kitchen window dressing why not try using frosted film panels. Brume offer a huge range of self adhesive frosted panels, some plain and some with cut out motifs or letters. We love the BO50 three leaf cut out, the CO22/BO10 bathroom lettering and the CO39 polka dots - all for approximately £30 each! For more click on www.brume.co.uk
If you’re bored with beige living but are scared of paint then why not add a splash of colour via your window blinds! Homestyle Blinds offer Venetian blinds in approx 130 shades so you’re sure to find a colour scheme that’s right for you. And hey; even better than that - they offer a no obligation home visit and a fabulous made to measure service! Hoorah! Call 0800 337700 or click on www.homestyleblinds.co.uk for your nearest advisor!
For a designer look without designer prices, co-ordinate your living room blinds with your sofas cushions. Invest in your chosen fabric - Hydrangea Aquamarine is beautiful and costs £26.95 a metre from Villa Nova (www.villanova.co.uk) - and either get out your trusty sewing machine and make a Roman blind and matching cushions or take the fabric to your local seamstress! Tracks and Poles (www.tracksandpoles.com) have Roman blind kits from £25.
Designers love using contrasting textures and here’s a great way of jazzing up plain curtains to create an expensive designer look - sew a contrasting fabric band to the bottom of plain drapes. A 12“ leather band (or opt for good quality leatherette - these days it’s hard to tell the difference) would look amazing at the bottom of a pair of cream faux suede drapes like the Cream Suedette Curtains, £34.97 from Argos - www.argos.co.uk.
When measuring for curtains, remember they’re generally ordered in pair widths that are twice to three times the window width - depending, that is, on your preference for fullness. Length fashions come and go but you can’t go wrong with floor length options if you have the drop space. Best to avoid sill or half height curtains or it‘ll look like you‘re in mourning for your budgie!