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Archive for the ‘Decor ideas’ Category

Planning a Room Makeover Part 2

Friday, May 28th, 2010

By Penny Johnson

How Much Paint or Wallpaper To Buy?

For carpets and flooring, it is best to have the professional fitters come to measure up your room. For paper or paint, you need to start by working out the area of your room. Do this by measuring the width of each wall and adding all the widths together. Multiply this by the height of the room, to give the total area. Strictly, you should then work out the area of each window and door, and take these areas off your wall area. However most stores will give you a refund if you take back any unused rolls of wallpaper or unopened tins of paint – so by not subtracting the areas of the windows and doors you make sure you have plenty of paint or paper for the job.

Take a note of this area and a calculator with you when you go to look for paper or paint. Divide the area of your walls by the area covered by each roll of paper or tin of paint (see the label!) to find out how many you need to buy. It is best to buy all you need at the same time, and if you are buying wallpaper make sure that they all carry the same batch number, as different batches may have slight differences in colour.

Which Order to Do The Work?

The big things in a room makeover are decorating the walls and ceiling, and having new flooring. Anything else can be done bit by bit, but for those big tasks you need to empty the room.  If you are doing all the work yourself, then a sensible order of work is as follows.

1) Empty the room as far as you can. For painting and papering, you can get away with stacking any big items of furniture in the middle of the room and covering them in plastic or old sheets, but you will need to move them out when flooring is being fitted.

2) Strip old paper off the walls. This is easier if you hire a wallpaper stripper, which steams the paper off. This will be messy, with bits of damp paper all over the floor, so if you are not replacing your flooring, make sure it is covered up well.

3) Fill any holes or cracks in the wall with filler. Sand it down when it is dry.

4) After you have finished sanding and filling, clean the room and vacuum up as much dust as you can. Now it is time for putting the gloss paint on skirting boards, window and door frames, and doors. Each coat of gloss takes around 16 hours before it can be recoated. If you are just refreshing white paint, you may only need one coat, but if you are changing the colour you may need two or more coats, particularly if you are putting a light coloured paint over a dark surface.

5) Paint the ceiling. You can use a long-handled roller for this, or use a couple of step ladders with a plank. You will need to use a brush to get paint into the edges and corners.

6) Paint or paper the walls. If you are painting, put masking tape over your newly-painted skirting and frames. The emulsion paint used for walls dries much faster than gloss paint, so you might manage two coats in a day.

7) Get the flooring down. Now your room looks like a new place!

You might have other things to do, like new putting up new curtains or shelves, or buying new furniture, but all that can be planned once you have sorted out the basics. Planning your room makeover helps the process go more smoothly and ensures you know exactly what needs to be achieved from the start. 

Plan carefully, complete the work and then enjoy your new room!

Planning a Room Makeover Part 1

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Planning a Room Makeover Part 1

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Planning a Room Makeover: Part 1

By Penny Johnson

Making over a room can be great fun, and can really improve your home when it is complete. However it can also be hard work and cost a lot of money – so you want to be sure you get it right. What do you need to think about before you start? Planning can seem a bit of a bore if you just want to get on with it, but it is usually worth the bother in the long run.

What Do You Want To Achieve?

Spend a bit of time thinking about the room you are going to make over. What do you like about it? Which features do you want to keep? What don’t you like about it?

What do you want the room to do? Do you need it to have more storage space, less clutter, more light, a more relaxing mood? When you have given this some thought, number your list in order of importance. Which change will make the most difference?

How Much Can You Spend?

Budget is important – it’s not much use having a wonderful new room if you can’t enjoy it because you are worrying about your credit card bills! Be realistic here, and think about other things you might want to spend your money on.

How important is your makeover compared to your next family holiday? Compared to the money you want to spend next Christmas? If your new room really is the most important thing you want to spend on, fair enough, but do think about it first.

What Work Needs to Be Done?

This is where you need to look at your priority list and your budget together. For example, you want the walls to be a different colour. Are you going to paint them or put up new wallpaper? How much paint or paper do you need, and how much is it going to cost?

Or if you want new carpets, what quality of carpet do you need? How many square feet is your room, so how much will the carpet cost?

Work through your priority list like this, adding up the total until you reach your budget limit. This is how much you can do.

Who and When?

Who is going to do the work? Doing it yourself can be great fun, but be wary of trying your hand at wallpapering for the first time with expensive paper or on a room with lots of corners, windows or doors. If you want to do it yourself, consider painting rather than papering.

If you need furniture made to measure, can you do it or do you need to find a handyman to do it?  If you have having a new carpet or other flooring, it is probably best to get it fitted professionally unless you already have experience in that kind of DIY. If your partner is going to do the work, does he know about it yet?

You also need to think about how long it will take. Don’t forget to allow for time to empty the room (which may involve sorting out loads of stuff you forgot you owned), and then putting it all back again when the makeover is finished. If you are papering a room, it could take a couple of days for the wallpapering, and you also need to allow time for paint to dry, and so on. 

All of this is not a problem if you can manage without the room for a week or so, and also put up with the furniture and other stuff from the room being stored in other places in the house, but if you are doing a bathroom or kitchen you may not have that luxury and you may need to call in a few favours and invite some friends round for the weekend to help you.

If you are having new carpets or flooring, you will need to co-ordinate your decorating with the delivery time and fitting of the flooring. You don’t want to still be painting or papering when the new carpet is down, so you need to make sure you have finished that part of the job before the flooring arrives.

You don’t want to delay the flooring for too long either, or you may end up putting your furniture back into the room and then having to take it all out again when the flooring arrives.

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Cut out mirrored butterfly wall stickers

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Dainty butterfly wall stickers

Dainty butterfly wall stickers

These have got to be some of the daintiest wall stickers we’ve found. The picture doesn’t really do  them justice, but it’s a very affordable set of five adhesive butterfly wall stickers from Laura Ashley.

The butterflies have a nice cut-out effect, which enhances their wings, and they’ve been given a mirror finish, which helps them shine in the light when they’re on the wall.

Ready to use and easy to adhere, this simple set could transform a wall of your home in minutes.

Best of all, they’re remarkably only £5 from Laura Ashley, so you could afford to buy more than one set.

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Lovely homeware finds at House of Fraser

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

House of Fraser

House of Fraser

When I’m buying home accessories, I must admit that House of Fraser isn’t the first place I’d think of looking. But having stumbled across some of their homeware items, I’m really impressed.

All the items in the picture are available from House of Fraser and, used individually or together, they add a touch of charm and interest to your home.

The lilac bird keepsake box, near the front of the photo, is by Linea and the top comes off to reveal a secret hidey-hole for all your treasures and keepsakes. The box is £12.

The pink Linea butterfly vase is really unusual, as it’s decorated with 3D images of butterflies that look like they’ve just landed or about to fly off. It’s perfect for displaying a single rose or flower stem and is also priced at £12.

I love the ornate Varsailles cream mirror at the back, with its classical styling. Now is currently a good time to snap it up, as the price  has been reduced by £20 in the sale, making it a great bargain.

The watercolour glass photo frame is adorned with handpainted pink and blue floral and buttefly designs and fits really well with the other pieces.

The flowers draped around the ouside of the mirror are lovely as decoration, but they also function as lights too, so you can light up your mirror or dressing table area. The pink peony fabric lights are fitted with 20 bulbs and are ideal for creating a summery feel in a room.

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14 Types of Wall Décor To Use in Your Home

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

octaganol-wall-mirror  

Walls are not just for painting or wallpapering – they can be decorated and enhanced in numerous ways. If you’d like to become more creative with what you put on your walls, then here are 14 different types of wall décor that you can use to pep up your home, add individuality and make it a cosy, welcoming space.

1. Wall Art

 blue-mist-triptych

 

Is your home space lacking something?  Why not try and pull your room together with finesse by using wall art. 

Home decor has gone beyond just having a few pictures hung on the wall.  Savvy decorators are now using interesting sculpture type art, wall art with moving parts and pieces that match other components in the room. In fact, wall art can be like another piece of furniture. 

Ideally, wall art should be interesting, colourful and well made and something that you’ll enjoy. A good piece of art will keep you happy for years to come.

Product idea: Blue mist triptych from John Lewis.

2. Metal Wall Decor

daisy-bunch-bronzed-wall-art

Metal wall decor is not just for neutral coloured rooms.  Newer metal wall decor features bright splashes of colour and makes a statement.

Other types of metal wall decor are made into interesting shapes or panels.  Hammering the surface of the metal or treating the metal with different chemicals gives it texture. 

When used appropriately, metal can make a room look warm and inviting.  Rectangular and square metal wall pieces can be mixed and matched throughout your living space to create a uniform look. Circular shapes grouped together bring a feeling of peace to any room.

Product idea: Daisy bunch bronze wall art from Artisanti.

3. Wall Sconces

candle-wall-sconce

A well placed wall sconce can lighten the layout of your living space.  Federal style and Asian influenced wall sconces will make your home sizzle with style.  You can have your wall sconce wired for electricity or use pillared candles to brighten any wall with warm light.

Product idea: Pair of candle wall sconces from Cox and Cox.

4. Wall Mirrors

octaganol-wall-mirror

Mirror tricks are important to know!  Wall mirrors can brighten dark corners, make a room seem bigger or a hallway seem longer.  Add a wall mirror next to a piece of art or let it hang by itself. 

Wall mirrors can come in a variety of frames.  Beautiful wood grains or even painted wood makes a lovely finish to a mirror.  Mirrors can be framed with ornate metal workings.  Pairing mirrors together, even small wall mirrors creates a reflective mood throughout your room.

Product idea: Octaganol wall mirror from Graham and Green.

5. Wall Clocks

black-gallery-clock

No matter what style your home is, a wall clock will fit in to your decor.  Traditional train station clocks, whimsical noise making clocks or odd shaped wall clocks are a beautiful necessity. 

Most wall clocks run on batteries and will last you forever.  Metal wall clocks are beautiful when they feature unique cut-outs along the frame. 

Product idea: Black gallery wall clock fromDebenhams

6. Wall Fireplaces

Mercury-fireplace 

A wall fireplace is perfect for creating drama in a room.  These fireplaces reflect the flames off the metal and bounce light and warm feelings throughout the room. 

Varying in size but equal in the ‘wow’ factor, wall fireplaces are a great choice for any decorator.

Product idea: Mercury wall fireplace from West Country Fires.

7. Architectural Elements

oak-waxed-floral-panels 

Looking to spark some interest in a drab room?  Add architectural elements to your decor. 

Antique pieces or faux antique pieces are a fabulous choice. Whether you choose medallions, wood panelling or crown molding, they can work together to bring a traditional feel into a room.  Just add one or two of these touches for instant home transformation.

Product idea: Oak waxed floral panels from Antiques, Furniture, Collectables and Interiors.

8. Bookcases

shabby-chic-white-bookcase

Big or small, wall mounted or free-standing, a bookcase is something you just can’t live without.  Bookcases with glass doors or even open faced bookcases are a smart, thoughtful touch to a room.

Wood finishes in a variety of stains bring richness and depth.  Go shabby chic with painted wood bookcases.  Keep your books and knick knacks safe in your bookcase.

Product idea: Shabby chic white painted bookcase with drawers, from Dooleys Furniture.

9. Wall Cabinets

display-cabinet

Tuck your goodies into your cabinets.  A cabinet hanging on a wall or standing alone could be just the space solution you are looking for.

This dual purpose home furnishing can be used as a table as well as storage.  Hanging cabinets give a room a feeling of cosiness.

Product idea: Monterey display cabinet from John Lewis.

10. Tapestries and Cross Stitch Samplers

 keep-calm-carry-on-sampler

Tapestries and cross stitch samplers have made a comeback!  Tapestries from around the globe vary from ornate pieces with hundreds of different coloured threads to simple two toned pieces and memorable statements. 

Tapestries and cross stitch samplers come in a variety of sizes and are a great alternative to a plain hanging picture. If you feel creative, you could even make your own!

Product idea: Keep Calm and Carry On cross stitch sampler from Miso Funky.

11. Picture Vignettes

antiqued-photo-frames

Personalize your home with a grouping of picture vignettes.  Portraits of your family placed in matching or similar frames will make your wall interesting. 

Mix different frame shapes, like round, oval, square and rectangular ones.  Also add a collage of frames that allow you to pull several pictures into one large frame.  Picture vignettes make a room personal and bring your loved ones to a place of honour on your walls.

Product idea: Set of three antiqued photo frames from Cox and Cox.

12. Wall Stickers

lush-swirl-wall-sticker

Wall stickers are a fantastic invention that allows you to put intricate or funky designs on your wall, with minimum effort.

A wide variety of design ideas are available, suitable for all styles and rooms. Be creative and choose a stunning bold design, or add subtle touches here and there.

Best of all, if you change your mind, colour scheme or style of decor, the sticker can be easily removed and you can start again.

Product idea: Lush swirl wall sticker from Aijographics on Not On The High Street.

13. Wall Fountains

flower-wall-fountain

Nothing says tranquillity quite like the sound of tinkling water.  A wall fountain could quickly become your favourite piece of luxury.  Some wall fountains also come with their own light. On an interior wall or an exterior one, it doesn’t matter.  Either way it’s a soothing addition. 

Product idea: Bronze effect flower wall fountain from Crocus.

14. Wreaths, Swags and Garlands

rose-flower-garland 

Bring the feeling of elegance to your home with a wreath, swag or garland.  Bay leaf swags or garlands, magnolia swags and even roses make a lovely way to accent the corner of a picture.  Or simply lay a swag on a shelf or double it up and hang it on your wall. 

Wreaths are the perfect way to greet guests.  Hang one in your entryway or on a front door.  Stay seasonal and use a wreath that celebrates whatever time of year it may be! 

Product idea: Rose flower garland from Anusha on Not On The High Street.

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