Tag Archives: home

5 Inexpensive Ways To Brighten Up Your Home

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Home is where the heart is, a safe haven from the world and a place to call your own. So here are some tips to add your personal touch.

brighten up the home, 5 ways to brighten up the home, home decor, home decoration, DIY

Shades of Blue, Paul Smith LA, Painting, John Tierney,,United Kingdom

Decoration

Renting? Can’t paint or redecorate? Well I have the answer: decorations! You don’t even have to spend too much money. A bright lamp, a bookshelf, some heirlooms or even just a rug can personalise a house and make it look like a home.

If you own your home you can buy as much as you want, space permitting. But this is supposed to be an article on inexpensive ways to do up your home so why am I saying buy lots? Well, read below. You can get a beautiful piece of furniture for the price of a trip to the cinema.

Charity shops

Charity shops are treasure troves. While you might not want to wear second-hand clothes, second-hand furniture is a different matter. There is a Trinity Hospice quite near my flat and the furniture in there is of good quality and very reasonably priced. You can get a recently upholstered pre-war chair for £25. Modern chairs cost quadruple that and are not as good quality.

Art

While some art is incredibly expensive you can still get an art print for sale at Saatchi for a reasonable price.

Another favourite is Spineless Classics. Spineless Classics are art that you can read: entire books on one page along with an illustration of the book. Clever and stunning. I love them.

Spineless classics, the great gatsby, art, books, style

Paint

A lick of paint makes all the different. Different colours affect our moods. Some blue colours can make you feel, well, blue, but it is hard to be depressed around sunshine yellow. If you don’t want to paint an entire room then just do one wall or even just a fireplace.

Bedding

New bedding always makes life better and immediately brightens up the bedroom. Get some sheets in a bright colour or throw some colourful cushions on. You will be surprised how much some bright colours here and there add to a room. If you are renting and everything is white, add some colour with beautiful, bright bedding.

There you go. Some tips for your home. What home ideas do you have?

5 Ways to Make Your House a Home

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heart-home-rugGetting a house of your very own is an exciting experience and you will want to start putting your stamp on it straight away. Turning a house into a home is a great way of making it yours in a special way and so here are the top five ways you can make your new house into a personal, warm home for you and your family.

Personal Touches

It is the people who live in a house that make it into a home and so make the most of the people around you. Photographs and mementos hung in stylish frames make great wall art and you can put them in any room of the house. You can even get your friends and family to help you decorate your home thus create new memories and a familiar feeling every time you enter.

Make It Yours

When you are looking to decorate your house, you will probably look through hundreds of brochures, trawl the internet and speak to everyone you know about what they think but, in the end, this is your house and you need to make the final decision. Go with your instincts, even if it’s not in the latest decorating magazines and you will find your home has a personal, meaningful look that is all you.

Invite Me In

A house becomes a home when the people you love feel conformable and welcomed when they visit. A bright and warm home will put them immediately at ease and you should always make sure you have plenty of seating to accommodate everyone. Of course, an emergency tin of biscuits in the cupboard and lots of mugs for tea and coffee are essential too. A cold, draughty house is one way to put people off visiting so it is worth taking a look at your heating system and seeing if it needs an update. There are so many beautiful fireplace suites to choose from on the market and it will keep your home warm and toasty – perfect for when visitors drop by unexpectedly.

A Finishing Touch

Although it can’t always be helped, people will feel more comfortable in a home that isn’t halfway through a renovation. A half-finished bathroom or bare walls in the lounge don’t exactly scream ‘come on in!’ and you will feel less than pleased that guests are seeing your work half-done. Try to get things finished once you begin and don’t let DIY jobs over-run into weeks instead of days. The bigger jobs, such as changing your heating works may take a little longer but they are worth getting done in one go if you can – especially when there are plenty of fires & stoves at Homebase to choose from!

A Group Effort

If you live with others, it is important that they have a say in how your home should look. A spouse may have ideas of their own about what style to choose for a particular room and with the rush of getting things done; sometimes we can ignore their requests by accident. Make sure you have discussions about what you both want for your home before you begin. The same goes for children too – let them have an input into what their room will look like so that they feel that their own personal space has their very own stamp of approval on it.

 

Style Your Living Room With Feng Shui

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A cluttered room can make you feel disorganised. Ever had a piece of work to do but just haven’t been able to until the mess surrounding you has been cleared? That’s exactly it! Creating the perfect feng shui in your home is so important, particularly for your peace of mind. This infographic from Furnishing Homes explains just how important the placement of items are in terms of creating the perfect zen area for your front room!

Furnishing Homes
Furnishing Homes

How to Create a Clutter-Free Modern Living Room

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HK_Government_House_Living_RoomIt is imperative that you keep a tidy, neat living room in your home. The living room is where you’ll entertain guests and where you’ll want to hang out after a hard day at work. Inviting guests over to a cluttered living room is embarrassing, and coming home to one after work will only stress you out instead of calming you down.

 

If you’re really stumped about why your living room is in a constant state of clutter, you should probably think about re-organising it into the room of beauty and comfort that it’s meant to be.

 

Restructure your entertainment system

 

If you have a large television, or a nice audio entertainment system, or both, it probably takes up a lot of space in your living room. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are a number of solutions. You could get a TV cabinet that neatly stores your sound system as well as your TV in one compact area.

 

Alternatively, if you really want to save space, TV wall brackets are the best way forward. Your TV will no longer take up any ground space whatsoever, and will be neatly and beautifully displayed on your wall.

 

Display your books in an efficient manner

 

Instead of having small piles of books and magazines all over the place, you should probably invest in a sleek-looking bookcase to neatly stack all your books and other items there. Put the big classics that you’ve already read at the top, with everything else that you read often on the lower levels for easier access.

 

What you could also do is invest in a coffee table that has storage cabinets beneath it, where you can store some of your other magazines and books for curling up on the sofa with.

 

Impose laws

 

This is essential if you’re a family with kids. You have to understand that your living room is never going to be uncluttered unless you enforce rules about keeping it tidy. The first thing to get through to your kids is that they need to respect their own house, and all the rooms in it.

 

Next, you need to lay down specific rules about them leaving their toys and belongings all over the place. Adults should be able to follow rules too – there should be no dumping of jackets, shoes and hats when you come in from work – use the coat hooks!

 

Bar Keepers Friend Review

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Bar Keepers FriendI am not keen on chemicals. I believe there is too many chemicals in the stuff we use today, especially cleaning products. When I got sent Bar Keepers Friend to review, I was very pleased that there wasn’t a lot of ingredients. Two in fact: citric acid and oxalic acid. I immediately like the cleaner. Let’s see if it works.

I used the products on different areas of the house. They came in a spray (used on surfaces and the bathroom) a cream (used on the cooker and harder areas) and a stain remover.

The natural ingredients do much better than their chemical loaded counterparts. The stain remover gets rid of any stain and I even use the power spray on my bike. I am impressed and I am also converted. Top marks. Will use again.

 

New Bar Keepers Friend is a traditional, quirky,niche cleaning product first launched in America in 1882 but now being relaunched with two new cleaning ‘friends’ – a NEW Power Cream and NEW Power Spray.

 

BKF is great for specific jobs that require something a little more specialist and works a treat on stainless steel, glass, chrome, brass, copper, aluminium, porcelain, tiles etc and can be used in the kitchen, bathroom, garage, shed, on bikes, cars and boats plus many other applications!
The presence of Oxalic Acid found in rhubarb gives Bar Keepers Friend the edge and it is this unique formulation that can cut through rust grease and oil, mineral deposits and stains.

 

First launched in 1882, the BKF range is being enhanced and extended, and aims to fully

capitalise on its claim of “Once Tried Always Used.”

 

Bar Keepers Friend Stain Remover Powder (250g, RSP: £2.79) will be complimented by two

exciting, new products from the US:

 

NEW Bar Keepers Friend Power Cream – a superior cream formulation that “cleans where

others fail”. Formulated for cookware, kitchens and bathrooms (350ml, RSP: £2.99).

 

NEW Bar Keepers Friend Power Spray – this easy-to-use format delivers BKF cleaning

power for use in everyday cleaning situations, from kitchen and bathroom to stainless steel

and glass (500ml RSP: £2.99).

 

Bar Keepers Friend is a premium, specialist cleaner with a non-bleach formula that can

be used in the kitchen, bathroom, garage and shed! It removes stubborn stains and cuts

through mineral deposits, oil and grease, rust stains and everyday grime giving great results

on stainless steel, tile, porcelain, fibreglass, aluminium, copper, brass, chrome and glass. It

cleans work surfaces (is recommended by Corian), cookers, cookware, sinks, toilets as well

as cars, bicycles and golf clubs..

 

Other top-selling cleansers containing chlorine bleach which are not recommended for use

on stainless steel. BKF benefits from the unique cleaning power of Oxalic Acid (found in

rhubarb, parsley and chives) and when combined with its unique mineral base and surfactant

blend, delivers a unique cleaning performance.

 

BKF owes its existence to rhubarb! Back in 1882 a chemist from Indianapolis noticed how

clean and shiny his tarnished pot was after cooking rhubarb.

 

Using an active ingredient that’s found in the plant he made a talcum smooth cleaner and sold it to the city’s taverns. It

worked so well that it was called ‘Bar Keepers Friend’! BKF boasts a long and successful

heritage that few modern day equivalent products can match.

 

BKF is available in Robert Dyas, Lakeland, John Lewis, Waitrose, independent homeware/

hardware stores or online at www.barkeepersfriend.co.uk. It is distributed in the UK by

Kilrock Products Ltd.

 

The Benefits of Playing Bingo

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Ah, the game of Bingo; we all know someone who plays it regularly, whether it be our mums or our grandmas, and although we all know how to play it ourselves, none of us do. Why? Because, I bet we all believe the stereotype that the game of Bingo is only for the elderly generations, right?

Well, it’s time to quash the stereotype, because playing Bingo isn’t just for the over 65’s. In fact, the game holds many benefits for all, and more and more of the younger generations in Britain are enjoying the game because of them.

Still don’t believe me? Well, here’s a rundown of some of the benefits that playing bingo could bring you:

1. Money, Money, Money!

So, although this benefit may be pretty obvious, it often baffles me that people shun the benefit of being able to win money just because they feel the game’s for the older generation. Whether you choose to play at your local bingo hall, or whether you choose to join an online bingo website, join up fees cost next to nothing, when you consider that you have the chance to win up to thousands of pounds!

However, aside from also helping you to make money, playing bingo can also help you to save money – particularly if you choose to play online. Many bingo sites offer promotional incentives, either in the form of voucher discounts for all your favourite stores, or even the chance to earn points which can be accumulated over time to be spent or exchanged at some of the nation’s biggest stores. 

2. Play From The Comfort of Your Own Home

As I’ve mentioned, bingo can be played online – there are thousands of sites, such as this online bingo voted best site, designed specifically to let you do so. So, if you’re desperate to play and start winning but are a little conscious of popping down to your local hall on your own, then you can play from the comfort of your own home!

The huge benefit of this is that the traditional game of bingo can be played in a much more contemporary way. And, this is one of the main reasons that the game has seen as huge rise in popularity in recent years amongst the younger generations.

Signing up to an online bingo site is quick and easy and you can be on your way to playing bingo against thousands of others up and down the country in a matter of minutes. And, what’s more, the thrill and excitement of getting a full house is just as fun if you were to play it in a bingo hall.

3. Social Aspect

Bingo, whether played virtually or for real, is a great social game. Traditionally, it was the thrill of playing in a packed, buzzing bingo hall that lured in players, but now, with online chat facilities and forums, you can meet and play other bingo fanatics over the web. So, whether you’re looking to grab some new bingo tips from someone who’s been playing a lot longer, or whether you just want to have a good old natter with a regular you play against often, then online bingo is the perfect way to do so

New Year, New You – Part 3: Transform Your Home

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In the first installment of my ‘New Year, New You’ series, I wrote about how the start of a new year was the perfect time to change all those things that perhaps bugged you a little in the previous year – such as your job, your wage and your home.

But, on later reflection upon the latter subject, I realized that for many, moving home probably wasn’t the most financially viable option when it comes to starting 2013 afresh. After all, given the current economic climate and the situation of the housing market, this prospect is totally unrealistic for many.

So, if my suggestion of changing your home did you get thinking, but you just can’t afford to uproot completely, then here are a few ways you can transform your home, so you can start 2013 in a beautiful fresh new home:

The Living Room

The living room should be a place all the family can go to, to relax, unwind and put their feet up after a hard day at work or school. But, for some reason, you just can’t stand spending time in yours. You can’t quite figure out if it’s because of that laminate flooring you put down, or if it’s because of the old sofa that’s long passed it’s time, or whether it’s just everything combined.

Well, if this is you and you’re looking for ways to change your living room without spending a fortune, then believe it or not, there are a few simple ways you can transform it beyond recognition, whilst still keep those all important pennies in the piggy-bank.

If your living room is a little on the small side and you long for a bigger living room, then purchase a mirror – yes, that’s right; It really is as simple as that. Buy a frame-less mirror and pop it above your fireplace and it’ll instantly open up the room and create the illusion of a much bigger space.

If you’re sick of your old sofa, then the New Year is the perfect time to purchase a new one – big furniture giants often have their biggest sales at the end of the year, just after Christmas. So, if you’ve had your eye on a gorgeous corner piece all year, then now’s the perfect time to buy it!

The Bedrooms

We all like our bedrooms to look nice – after all, they’re the first rooms we see when we wake up and the last ones we see before we go to bed. But, you’ve had that plain magnolia on the walls for years now and quite frankly, you’re getting a bit tired of it. You’d love to decorate it with that gorgeous wallpaper you’ve seen, but you’re terrified about what the final price would be.

Well, you can decorate it with that lovely wallpaper and you can afford to do it – with a feature wall. Feature walls have become increasingly popular in recent times, simply because of their affordability and their ability to make a room look effortlessly sophisticated.  Classic feature walls normally consist of ones backing the bed or at the foot of a room.

Bathroom

From having a bath or shower, to brushing our teeth or putting on make-up, we spend an astonishing amount of time in our bathrooms on a day-to-day basis. So, it’s important that they get a little sprucing up from time to time, too.

But, splashing out on a brand new bathroom suite can get pricey – after all, the old one has to be completely ripped out, and you can end up spending a fortune on a new one to be fitted in its place.

But, there’s a much cheaper way to changing the whole dimension of your bathroom completely; a bathroom TV. Now, I know you probably only ever really see bathroom TVs on programs that spy on the homes of the rich and famous, but believe it or not, they really are affordable.

Simply mount one on the wall facing your bath or shower, and you can enjoy your favourite programs whilst you’re winding down in the bath, or catch up on the morning news when you jump in for your shower. And, what’s more, when they’re switched off, they standby-by screen changes itself into a fully functional mirror, so you can prune yourself in it once you’ve finished bathing!

 

62 Per Cent Increase in Rent During Games in London

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LONDONERS RACE TO CASH IN ON THE GAMES

· 62 per cent increase in short term property rentals listed on Gumtree.com

· Average rental price drops as homeowners look to fill their properties over July and August

Gumtree.com has seen a 62 per cent increase in adverts posted by Londoners looking to cash in on their homes and spare rooms in prime Olympic hotspots.

The average asking price for London short-term rentals has actually dropped by 24 per cent between May – June 2012, as homeowners become more realistic in their price expectations and the Games draw closer.

From studios to five-bedroom houses, Gumtree has seen more than 10,500 replies for London properties for rent during the Olympic period. According to the latest Gumtree.com site data, the average asking price for a 4-bedroom family home during the Olympics period is currently £2,377 per week and for a 1-bedroom apartment or room, it is £892 per week.

Gumtree.com has seen hundreds of savvy Londoners advertising spare rooms or sofas, renting their property out in its entirety, while other advertisers are trying to secure themselves a holiday by swapping their property for a week with those living overseas or in other parts of the UK.

Current ads live on the site include:

·         3-bedroom apartment, Euston £995 pw

·         2-bedroom apartment, Wapping £700 pw

·         2-bedroom apartment, Shoreditch £2,495 pw

·         1-bedroom apartment, Stratford £1,000 pw

 

 

Hamish Stone from Gumtree.com said: “With the Olympics starting this week we are seeing more and more Londoners looking to capitalise on their prime locations and get in on the Olympic fever sweeping the country. For anyone interested in renting out a room or home at the last minute, make sure that you highlight how close you are to the Olympic venues, flag transport links, and talk about any local events that visitors might be interested in in your area.”