Not needing to replumb means extra cash for the entertaining stuff, as we noticed when we did our bath room. We couldn’t believe our misfortune when our shower broke only days before our wedding ceremony two summers ago. Amazingly, the timing wasn’t as bad as it sounded. The entire bath room required upgrading, and we didn’t think we’d enough money to pay for it all, but for a wedding gift friends got us money for our honeymoon so we had funds remaining to assist us with the costs. With a restricted budget, we made a decision to keep the style identical to avoid replumbing charges. Our key concern was also to obtain a shower that didn’t dominate the space as much as our old gold-framed one had. We discovered a semi-frameless enclosure and as it’s a smallish toilet we also wanted natural flooring on the walls. Eventually we opted for one big panel of colored tiles right behind the basin, too, because we were determined the restroom wasn’t going to end up being plain.We had the job done prretty swiftly so there was the very mínimum of interruption. All that was then needed was to obtain several accessories top ut our own personal seal of approval on the space. We choose a variety of scented candles , mainly because they were acvailable in a great range of colours to match our new bathroom – and also because they were pretty cheap if we are being honest! There are lots of different brands out there but we settled on candles made by yankee candles and true grace candles. We only found out later that they are two of the leading manufacturers of home fragrances, so it seems we mad a good choice. We also picked up some brightly coloured towels and bathmats which helped complete the look.
Give Your Hall A Makeover
Abide by our easy suggestions and keep on top of small items the hallway amasses. Sort through your keys. Are there any that you just no longer require? Work with vintage-style luggage labels to identify any spares and put out of sight. designate a spot for correspondence to be posted close to the door- if you leave your home with them in your hand instead of in your bag, you’ll remember to post them. Take care of any incoming post starightaway. If you always have lots of junk mail to reuse, put in a holder in the hallafter shredding anything with your details on. Have a handful of pound coins inside a lidded box or tin(not on display)ready for door-to-door collectors or to pay for the window cleaner. Choose a space for a pin board. stick up wedding invitations, tickets and discount vouchers, in a position to remind you of your committments. If you’re able to fit in a console table, choose one with drawers to hide any muddle. makes use of the room underneath with a load of smart storage containers. Put on top of the table a number of stunning scented candles, like the ones produced by true grace candles and yankee candles, to give an added comfy feeling to this part of the house. No room for a console? Try a side table or upholstered pouffe, perfect for popping your bag on as you come through the door. Update a tired radiator with a MDF cover. Choose an interesting fretwork design for a Moorish effect. paint your radiator the same colour as the wall to blend in. Hang a curtain. Block drafts at your front door with a heavy-weight curtain. add a velvet border for extra luxurious swish. Why not add a co-ordinating doorstop to each of the doors off your hallway or landing? Use a fabric one filled with rice or a large stone. And do not forget to check under your hall carpet. There might be original tiles, ready to be exposed again!
Decorate Your Home To Impress
This is the period of the year when we’re all pre-occupied. We’ll be seeing considerably more of relatives and buddies at this time of year so it’s crucial that you have your home lookinmg it bests. There are plenty of quick low-cost ways for you to give your house a vibrant fresh appeal for visitors as they drop by. Greet friends with a fantastic front door and entrance. Everybody knows that first perceptions count, therefore clean down your door with a moist wash cloth to remove dirt and grime, and buff any glazed window panes until eventually they stand out. A pleasant clean and tidy vestibule can make such a difference. Decorate your door with a beautiful hand crafted wreath. Keep your wreath looking fresh – coat vegetation with an anti-evaporation spray to stop moisture loss. Add more plants – a potted box tree plant by the front door can be quite sophisticated. Use a couple of doormats – place one outside the house for muddy wellies and the other inside, to cope with any residue. Create sparkle with solar-powered Holiday lights - no mains cabling or batteries necessary. Have a shot at the LED fairy lights, which come in white, yellow, blue or multicolours (for that real show!) Xmas wouldn’t be the same without having a cupful of hot steaming chocolate by the fireplace and lighting a number of scented candles to give your property a cosier feel. Candles are, certainly, available in a whole host of diverse smells, as well as shapes, sizes, and hues. You might have a specific much-loved perfume or maybe you like to stay with one particular brand name – Yankee candles and True Grace candles are two well liked manufacturers who have a lot of fans – but if not, you should have no trouble picking something eminently appropriate from the wide variety available both from your local store, grocery store or perhaps a specialist store, whether they are offline or web based.
How is it possible to spruce up the front of our home for Christmas without it looking very unattractive? Lighting is the most effective way to supply a bit of Christmas wonder to the exterior of your home, provided that you don’t go over the top. Make a comfortable welcome by just fixing white lights over the doorway, across the bottom part of the roofing or around a plant, on either the branches or trunk. A lot of high street stores have got a excellent collection of Xmas lights, for both interior and exterior. Lights used outside needs to be rainproof and reduced voltage.Use energy efficient LED lights, if it is possible, or solar-powered lights, that do not cost almost anything to run.Another great way of decorating your threshold is by hanging up a attractive wreatgh, There’s an plethora of hoice when it come to wreaths – browsw aroiu nd the retail stores and you’re certain to discover something to suit. If you love candles – and who doesn’t – then you may want to have some candles sitting illuminated on your porch. However you must be awae of both draughts as well as fire threats, which means if you wish to use candles in this manner make certain they are securely contained in a hurricane lantern. Of course,if you want to create a really cosy Christmasy atmosphere inside your home, as opposed to outside, then why not get some beautiful scented candles? The best ones we have found are those made by firms like yankee candles and true grace candles but there are plenty of companies to choose from. You can make your choice depending on the color or design you prefer or else base it solely on your favourite scent. Place them anywhere you like around your home, in the lounge, in the bathroom and, why not? …..in the kitchen. Then simply sit back and relax.
Lanterns, huge bowls and scented candles are all hallway must-haves in our book. As significant as how a residence looks, is how it smells so it makes sense to have some beautiful scented candles within the reception hall to greet guests with their lovely aromas. There are numerous businesses to select from but we in particular like the stunning candles made by brands like Yankee candles and True Grace candles, to name but two. And if you’re not comfy with the thought of leaving a lit candle unattended inside the hall for a lengthy time period, you may usually go for a reed diffuser which wants no light or power to operate. Basically open the bottle of scented oil, pop in the reeds and easily turn them over to begin filling the space with subtle fragrance. And there are lots of other ideas you might wish to take on board. Add a vase of flowers for a touch of greenery. Keep away from placing them too close to a radiator – or go for a fake 1. Have fun with a few signs directing to rooms. Vintage “Wash room” and “To the garden” ones will give your space character. As hallways are likely to have higher ceilings than other rooms, make the most in the space and hang a sparkling chandelier. For a hotel-lobby ambiance, go for an oversized drum pendant shade (60cm diameter or bigger). Select one with a diffuser circle for the bottom with the shade, so you do not see the flex and bulb once you look up. Add a table lamp to give your hallway a warm glow, making use of the primary light to highlight the stairs as and when necessary. Pick a slim style or go for a tall cylindrical ceramic 1. You can find an just about infinite assortment of shades to select from, so let your imagination run wild.
Are you bored with your outdated Christmas decorations? Do you want to consider something a little different this season? If that’s the case most likely, the simplest way to get started is with a different colour scheme. Make use of red and white for a traditional Christmas show. As I have said, this is a typical Christmas combination – harking back to Father christmas - and it’s ideal for getting stylish Scandi-meets-folk look. It is ideal for accessories and baubles, but try to use it on more than simply decorations – add a gingham or red-and-white striped runner on the table for Xmas lunch, and cosy up settees with tartan throws. Scented candles are really popular at this time of year and of course they also make an excellent and inexpensive Christmas present. Thankfully that along with a host of different fragrances it’s easy to find them in a huge range of shades too. For those who have decided on a red and White decorating design, then you wll have no hassle in any way in finding both red and White scented candles to match. Many key companies such as True Grace candles and Yankee candles produce a special collection of home fragrances intended for Christmas and not surprisingly red and White feature noticeably. Pick out both your home and tree accessories made from felt or wool with crocheted or padded aspects for that really warm home made feel that is so much modish. Hand-painted wooden items and lace styles have the crafted appearance, as well. Be natural, deck the halls using ivy, eucalyptus, berries and pine cones as opposed to the customary tinsel. Co-ordinate the gifts, gift wrap them in brown paper, or plain red or white, for a simple backdrop to stunning ribbons – pick from red and white gingham, stripes, white lace and ribbon stitched with Christmas messages. Put on labels with garden cord.
When it comes to fashions in interior design, one of the most popular to emerge over recent times is what is sometimes known as salvage chic – the creative use of architectural salvage, involving you dramatically transforming ítems which you seek out or happen across into fantastic and charming ítems of furniture to be used in the home.We first came across this style in an ancient, small thirteen bedroom villa in the north of Italy. The building was around five hundred years old and the owners had decided that it would would not look or feel right to decorate or furnish it in the modern style so they decorated the entire building, room by room with carefully selected pieces of furniture, as well as original floor and wall tiles, which had been salvaged from similar old properties. All that then remained to be done to to complete the decorative process was to select a few luxury high end aromatic candles made by companies such as Yankee candles or True Grace candles and the look was complete. And you can do exactly the same in your own home , albeit on a more limited scale. You can easily transforman any old wooden door into an striking but attractive dining table by the simple addition of some table legs which your local carpenter or joiner could easily make for you. Or why not try a few ornate stone jars or other vessels from the garden centre as legs for your table?. Look around your local area and get to know the shopkeepers – our wooden door was given to us by a local door specialist. Skips are also an excellent source of treasure but remember that it is an offence to remove anything from a skip without the consent of the householder. If they are throwing things out, the chances are they will be happy to let you have it, but make sure to ask. Take your time looking around in places where you might come across something intersting, such as the garage or the attic – you will be truly amazed at what you might find. Old glass bottles and ceramic jars are quite often dug up when gardening, so be prepared to get your hands dirty. All these happy finds require is a thorough clean in some gentle detergent like Fairy Liquid and a rinse in warm wáter to which you have added a little vinegar to come up shining like new!
Have you just finished decorating your living room only to be bothered by the nagging feeling that while it looks good, it somehow lacks that feeling of comfort and warmth?. What is the best way of achieving that warm inviting atmosphere without giving yourself endless hours of work not to mention costing a fortune? Well, there are plenty of simple, inexpensive ideas you could try. For example, what about buying some gorgeous scented candles, maybe by manufacturers like Yankee candles or True Grace candles, around the room? There is a vast selection available but we suggest you get a few subtle fragrant ones if you really want to imbue your home with that warm, inviting atmosphere we all crave. Opt for a selection of different candles in different colours, shapes and sizes. Use your imagination when it comes to deciding which ones to group together. Create a display out of different shapes, colours and sizes to create more impact. Spend a little on some striking, fancy candle holders or some coloured glass plates to make your candles look even better . Some carefully chosen artwork is a must if we want our lounge to appear comfortable and warm but when it comes to hanging them up it is best to exercise a little caution. For example, a small picture looks lost on a large wall . If you have one single little picture, find a smaller space to hang it . Hanging pictures above furniture is a good idea . Rather than finding the midpoint of a wall, find the midpoint of a piece of furniture instead, like a sofa or a chest, to hang a picture. To make a better visual statement – which is after all the whole idea of hanging wall art in the first place – it is a good idea to group several smaller items together, rather than hang them separately. Hanging pieces of art work horizontally helps create the illusion that your living space is larger and wider, while vertically gives an impression of height. Mix different types of pictures to create a lively grouping, for example using photos together with prints and drawings. Display art work at eye level if you are able and do not make the mistake of arranging them too high up, or they will be uncomfortable to look at. Why not lay pictures on the floor to work out the grouping before hanging them? Make sure there is the same distance between each picture, about three inches is a good guide.
How To Fragrance Your Home
We are all no doubt familiar with the saying home is where the heart is. Our home is the place we spend most time, so it is makes sense that it is inviting and welcoming. We all want or homes to be well cared for and well kept , but a attractive aroma is vital to create a greater mood of comfort. That is why we have selected a number of of our favourite tips to help make you home look fantastic and feel as welcoming an environment as possible , without needing to use chemicals or artificial fragrances.
1. It may come as a surprise to find out that you can actually lend your home an attractive aroma at the same time as you attend to some of your basic everyday chores such as the vacuuming. We are not talking here about those artificial fragrance “pearls” which you put in your vacuum cleaner, but rather something a lot more natural and wholesome. When you are next using the vacuum , place inside the bag a cotton ball saturated in a natural essence for example vanilla or even something like orange flower water, or some of your favourite perfume or toilet water. The minute you press the start button on and it starts to work , it will start to release a very smooth and pleasant scent.
2. If your home has a beautiful fireplace , make the most of it! When it is cold and miserable outside, light it and put a little citrus peel on top of the flame. Dried citrus peel gives a better, more concentrated aromathan fresh peel. If all you have available is fresh peel, place it in a low oven for several hours and it will soon dry out. After you have put the citrus peel on the open fire, let it roast and soon you will enjoy| savour a wonderful citrus aroma throughout the room. Citrus peel is full of essential oils which are exactly what luxury candle making companies like true grace candles and yankee candles use to give their scented candles their fantastic fragrances .
3. To give the kitchen a fantastic smell , nothing beats filling a bowl a bowl with cinnamon sticks, branches of rosemary or a few leaves of basil. Alternatively you try a few natural vanilla pods. Irrespective of what you choose, you will find it lends your kitchen a soothing and very refreshing aroma, in much the same way as if you had lit some beautiful scented candles!
4. To scent any room in a very simple way , spray the light bulbs used for table lamps and floor lamps with a few drops of perfume. When you turn the light on, you will very quickly notice a nice aroma in the air.
5. Last but not least, to give your wardrobes and cupboards a pleasant scent, and to remove any lingering musty smells that they can occasionally have, there is nothing better than orange or lemon peels, again dried out for preference . You can put them inside boxes or little cotton bags beside some other items such as cinnamon sticks. You wardrobes and cupboards will smell fresh and will be delightful
Handy Hits For A Beautiful Kitchen
If the kitchen in your home is of the open plan variety, as so many are these days, it is a good idea to pick simple appliances when the times comes when you need to face facts and buy replacements – the lower the decibels, the quieter they will be. But check before you part with your hard earned cash. Remember, we are not talking about the same thing here – what someone might consider quiet for a washing machine may be quite different to what they think of as quiet in a dishwasher or other appliance And also bear in mind that appliances do not need to be purely functional, they can be stylish too – take for instance some of the amazing cooker hoods to be found these days. You can get some pretty sexy ones, both wall and ceiling mounted, and even ones that retract. Go for built-in appliances for a a modern contemporary look, or go for silver, black or colourful ones if you want them out on show . Clean your kitchen units both inside and out from time to time, to prevent the build up of marks and greasy stains, checking that handles are not loose – give them a quick tighten if they are. If you want to ring the changes exchange the handles for something different. Unify your dining and kitchen area with matching window treatment.
Candles and home fragrances in general work really well around the kitchen. Perhaps it is because they create such a warm welcoming aroma that people like to use them there so much, or maybe it is because they mask the smell from that fish you were cooking or the carry out curry! It doesn’t really matter why you choose them , just indulge your love for scented candles in the kitchen. If funds are not an issue, try to choose high end candles such as the ones made by companies like True Grace or yankee candles. Their quality easily justifies the additional cost .
When it comes to brightening up your kitchen decor, do not forget the windows. Choose from a range of different types of blinds for your windows and patio doors either in matching or contrasting material. Carefully chosen and displayed glassware, such as tumblers and jugs, can have realm visual impact. Cake stands imply that you are a domestic goddess, while mix-and-match tumblers on a shelf or some scented candles placed here and there say you are adventurous when it comes to style and not afraid to buy things that catch the eye.
