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Five tips to hire a professional cleaning service
Whether you are preparing your house to sell, of you, need an annual spring cleaning, or something on a regular basis, hiring a cleaning agency can facilitate this entire process.
However, bring someone into your home isn’t an easy decision and carries a lot of risks. That’s why you need a reputable company that will excel in this task. Many homeowners will say that hiring a cleaning lady under-the-table is cheaper, than contracting a company. But, are you ready to face the consequences?
So, before you consider a cleaning service, a house cleaning glendale has a couple of tips to share with you.
Get referral
Friends and family are the most trusted source of information, and the references they provide are 100% genuine. You can always search the company online, but companies can write anything. They can make themselves sound amazing, provide credentials and testimonials that sometimes can be false. So, are you ready to deal with that risk?
However, getting a referral from a friend or a family member can paint a different picture and carries more weight. For instance, your parents won’t lie about the poor cleaning service; they will tell you to avoid it and move on.
Read online reviews
Reviews can be a double edge sword, and what works for someone, doesn’t mean it will work for you. However, if some cleaning business has more than 80% of positive reviews., then you can trust their services. Also, you will find more negative than positive reviews online because customers want to share their experience and warn other people.
On the other hand, you should pay attention to a perfect score. There are numerous businesses out there who pay people to write positive reviews about them. It is best if you could find some balance can find a cleaning service that has consistent high scores.
Worker’s compensation, bonding, and insurance
What happens if a cleaning crew does some damage at your home, who will cover the costs? Or, want if someone gets injured on your property? If the company doesn’t have coverage, then you could be responsible for the injuries, or never compensated for the stolen items, money and property damage.
When hiring a cleaning service, pay attention to the cost of operating services. Do they charge more per hour, or per job? You should take precaution and protect yourself, after all, we live in a litigious world.
Experience and credentials
How much experience does company have? How long have they been in this industry? Do they have any awards of accomplishments? Some people like to look out for this because it provides them an assurance that the service is legit and reputable.
Services
Does the company you are planning to hire takes requests or offers fixed services? How detailed are they? Depending on your demands, make sure to ask what level of service do they provide. They might be able to make an exception or customize their services based on your needs.
Top three ways to improve the look of your home
House requires continuous investment, and you can spend a lot of money on home improvement projects without realizing it. Nowadays, many people, tend to perform DIY projects, thinking they can save money, which is not bad. But, you need to have a bit of skill to be able to complete everything. You should have in mind that even the slightest improvements can make a significant difference. So, here is what you can do to boost the appeal of your home and make your interior and exterior design more attractive.
Change the throw pillows
Throw pillows are very convenient, and they are an excellent accessory. With them, your room will look brighter and more cheerful. You can either buy pillows or make them your own. If you have old cushions, then you should get rid of them and go for brighter and fuller ones. On the other hand, if your pillows are in good shape, then you can just make new pillow covers. You should mix colors, textures, and patterns to get the desired results.
Add molding
If your walls are bare, then occasional artwork can add them more character. In this case, molding is an excellent choice to add some life to your empty walls. You don’t have to go crazy and start with Victorian-style decoration, a simple shape will do the trick. Just choose the appropriate pattern and color, and you will transform your walls in no time.
Make built-in structures
The key to making any piece of furniture look custom is to have them fit in your home perfectly. One of the easiest way to achieve this to extend them from floor to ceiling. A bookshelf that occupies the entire wall will look more expensive, than one that stands alone. With a bit of planning, you can complete this project in two weeks.
Home with the Haworths
World changes, people change, trends change, pretty much everything changes. In with the new, out with the old they say, and it is true. New trends are emerging every now and then, sometimes it can hard to keep up with them. Nevertheless, they exist for a reason. They make a change to someone or something and they can affect it a lot. It is the same with our home improvement trends, there are so many of them and it looks it will be that way in the future too. People keep discovering new ways of making their houses comfortable and pleasant to stay in. It is very important to feel happy while laying on the couch and looking around beautiful walls and decorations.
Know the trends
If you are someone who wants to change their home, no matter the reason, you should keep up with the trends. If you know what people like at the time, it will easier to redecorate it the right way. These can be quite helpful if you are planning to sell your house. That way the worth of it will improve and more people will be interested. Even if you simply want to do something new in your home, it wouldn’t hurt to know what is recommended.
What’s in trend
These days, eco-friendly materials are in a high demand and everyone wants find out more about them. They are good for the environment, so it is not surprising they are so popular. You can be also kind to the planet and have a decoration from your dreams. Other than that, people seem to like basement a lot, but not just any kind of basement. What I mean is a luxury basement that looks almost like another house. It can be used as any kind of room. Usually, people make that space into a room that everyone can gather in and have a lot of fun and quality time. Sometimes it is used for some alone time. Are you busy and want some peace and quiet while everyone else is at home? No problem, just make yourself a special place in the basement the way you want it to.
Most remodelled rooms
There are really a lot of options when it comes to remodelling and trends, nevertheless, the rooms that are remodelled the most stay the same. Those rooms are bathroom and kitchen. That is probably because they are used a lot, so it does make sense. What you want a room to be is warm, so have a foil insulation and don’t let that heat get away. To find out more about insulation, visit the Superfoil insulation facebook page. They can cover that part for you.
Enjoy the process
No matter what kind of changes you are wanting to make, know your priorities and have a plan for everything. It will make it so much easier. Do your remodeling with patience and love while keeping up with the trends and you will love your new home or your new room.
Minimalist Or Maximalist
That title’s a mouthful isn’t it? Bet you can’t say it 5 times fast!…. I could never ever be described as a minimalist, I love to fill my walls, pack my shelves and stuff my pillows, I love the stuff, its the stuff in my home that best shows my personality I am most definitely a Maximalist.A while back when Id just finished my Kitchen Makeover, my cousin/bestie came round for a nosey and as soon as she walked in she said “its beautiful Kelly, but it would drive me crazy, there’s just so much stuff! ” You’ve guessed it my cousin is a minimalist, she was still able to see the beauty in it, but wouldn’t be able to live with it, for her it represented chaos.
When you walk into my cousins home the first thing you’ll see is a small console table with a beautiful glass bowl on top, the bowl is NOT for decoration it is there because it serves a purpose, the bowl is for her Keys and why is the console table there ? Well because she needed a surface for the bowl, everything has to have a job a reason for being. Now I can also see the beauty in that bowl and table, however for me its too little, I am not a less is more kinda person, I have a go big or go home attitude when it comes to decorating, i’ve always been that way.
Different strokes for different folks!So whats the right way to go Minimalist or Maximalist? When my cousin goes home at the end of the day the fullness and stress of her day disappear. As she walks into her home she finds a calmness there, everything’s toned down, stripped bare and this allows her to de-clutter her head, being a Minimalist works for her. When I was doing the hallway makeover , I had a try at going down the minimal route, I wondered if could I live with less?
So I started with a radiator cabinet with a mirror above it, I stood back and looked down the length of the hallway and I couldn’t bare it, them white walls were mocking me! you know how a writer can be intimidated by a blank page, well that’s me, but with blank walls. Of course I did what I always do and got to work filling them, sighed and felt better instantly, the filling of them walls gave me that cosy, cheery feeling I love. Its a true example of how the environment you live in, the things you surround yourself with or not as the case may be, can have a positive effect on your emotional wellbeing.
After all I think that’s what decorating is all about ‘feeling’. You wouldn’t decorate a space in order to feel bad..would you? You want to feel good when you walk into a room, you want to feel like your home is your haven, your happy place, your escape from the drama that life sometimes brings. People are doing home improvements for a huge variety of reasons.
Some of them want to increase the value of their homes, others just want to feel good in their living space. Whatever your intention might be, if you feel like making a change, you should do it because obviously, you want it. Sometimes, a simple modification, like changing the position of your furniture can make your living room come alive. Adding a different light or a plant can do miracles too. Home improvement is about you making a statement, expressing your personality and being who you really are. So whether your about the stuff or not, I say just go with what makes you happy! Because why would you want to be anything else?
Flower Dyeing
In my house Teapots are not just for tea, ain’t it pretty! I thought id try my hand at dyeing some flowers, its a really simple process, all you need is food colouring and patience.Since experimenting is a part of my nature, I just love discovering new ways how to refresh things around me and find them a good use when their main function is done. So something simple as a teapot can be used for much more than just cooking tea. During this process, I have found out that natural dyes are absolutely great to work and experiment with.
They are so much better than any other artificial color that can be found in stores. In fact, I can say for a fact that the colors found in vegetables, plants, flowers and nature in general, are much more beautiful and vibrant than what you can buy in all those pain stores. If you are able to fully capture the full potential of such a color on any material that you work with, that can be extremely rewarding, you can take my word for it.Besides all this, I can also assure you that it is absolutely fun to do this but maybe that is just me since I really love what I do. So, in this particular case, instead of going out and buying a vase, I have decided to make it on my own.
I used gel food colouring, all you do is add a couple of drops to fresh water, snip the stem of your flower at an angle and pop it in. White flowers are the best to use when doing this, the petals absorb the colour much better. The best colour’s to use are darker shades such as red and blue.This was the effect after only 2 days, its very subtle but very pretty, the longer you leave the flowers the more dramatic the colour change will be. These flowers are Chrysanthemums but I think next time i’ll try it with White Roses and leave them a while longer. If you decide to give it a go, please tag me via Instagram i’d love to see it.
How Interior Design Affects Mood
Your subconscious is influenced by your interior design without you being aware of it. Many people wrongly think that interior design is all about aesthetic aspects, about achieving a specific look but there is so much more to interior design than you know.While some people only think about new design trends to glimpse on or which decorating styles are in this year, many know that is just one piece of a much bigger picture. Interior design has another concept that involves psychology that is not always taken into consideration.In fact, it is rather constantly overlooked simply because people don’t understand it.
Such concept implicates that interior design has a psychological effect on the subconscious of the spectators. The looks of your home can largely affect your mood. Your perceptions and emotions can depend on how your home looks. The color of your walls or the couch brand can tell a lot about you or contribute to your feelings in a good or a bad way.
If you are experiencing anxiety, something simple as the color of your kitchen could make you feel more anxious than before. Each decor has its own psychological side to it and if you want to create a design that would really work for you and give off the right impression, it would be good to know about that psychological side.Inside or out, the principle is the same. Your color choice definitely affects your mood. The choice of color can tell a lot about someone’s personality. If you choose to adhere to this concept, your design will be psychologically and aesthetically pleasing.
The symbols of colors
In order to be able to explain further how color choice affects your mood, we need to emphasize what some of the colors actually symbolize. To some people, a color is just a color but to the others, colors are the main component of how they experience the world that surrounds them. Therefore, it is not surprising that colors have a definitive effect on our emotions and moods.
Most of the time, people fail to conceptualize the interior design of their homes. If you beg to differ, you need to make sure that the tone you want to create in your home fits the right color choice. Here is what marketing professionals, interior designers and researchers all agreed on. Red symbolizes passion, power, intimacy and warmth while orange offers the sense of innovation and energy.Yellow is mostly associated with creativity, creation and happiness as well as tranquility. Green has soothing qualities while blue brings the feeling of freshness and calmness. Purple connotes luxury and royalty while gray means serenity and relaxation.
Modern Gardens Feature
This happened this month, my little garden was featured in Modern Gardens magazine, it put a huge smile on a very tired mummy’s face. I love this Magazine (not only because I was featured in it) but because its great for all, whether your a professional or novice gardener its packed with achievable ways to make your outdoor space beautiful.
Doing simple things like planting seasonal flowers or making one of those amazingly looking vertical gardens can add so much freshness to your outdoor space and make it more comfortable than you could ever possibly imagine. It is simply amazing what people can do if they put their mind to it and with a bit of creativity and idea, there is no limit to what you can achieve. In my case, I just felt like my garden needed a new arrangement so I started planing big but doing small.
Eventually, it turned out that I absolutely have a feel for it and it turned out to be absolutely amazing. I love it, my family love it and now I can’t make my friends go home when they come to my place. Now, in order to make your garden flourish, you need to get some knowledge on what plants and flowers go with what season.
They don’t take a lot of work but seeing them withering away is really sad so the best thing to do is educate yourself about the seasonal plants and flowers. After that, it is all about what you want to do and how much time and effort as well as money you can invest.I especially loved the Laidback Garden Glamping feature, as you know I’m a little Glamping obsessed of late and I got some great fun ideas out of it, I’m definitely trying the floral washing line.
Another feature I enjoyed was the Everything you need to know about Clematis, now I love Clematis, however, it does not love me! I have tried to grow it in my garden but it never really took off…so I’m gonna take on board some of the tips I’ve read and hopefully welcome a new Climbing Clematis into my garden, fingers crossed.The August issue is out now if you haven’t read it yet, grab a cuppa and grab a copy, you’ll be glad you did!
Useful Tips On Exterior Design
If you want to make your home stand out from the rest, you need to make sure that you leave the best first impression possible. That is an essential aspect if you want to capture the attention of your neighbors or potential buyers. If you want to leave the best first impression you possibly can, the exterior is how you do it. The exterior is the first thing that the people will see.
If it is captivating enough, it will make them think about it, even put themselves in your shoes and think about how good it would be if they could live there. If you manage to do that, you will capture the attention of anyone who walks by your house. A good looking exterior is a concept that involves blending in while still being unique. Not too flashy and not too common, just enough to make you stand out from the rest.If you want to accomplish this, you need to make sure that your house has something that other houses don’t. It has to be one of a kind but still belong to the neighborhood. Something simple as a shiny entryway or a garden full of seasonal flowers will help you to accomplish that. The trick is to bring your house to life with everything that you have at your disposal.
The third color and seasonal flowers
If we are talking about the entryway, think about good lighting, plants, amazingly looking porch, rugs and door knobs. One of the most important things you should ask yourself is what color to choose for your front door. The door color shouldn’t match the overall exterior but rather have a treatment of its own. If there are two colors in your overall exterior, add the third one.
If your entire house is in brighter tones, think about adding a darker shade, for that diversity effect. It will look good and it will definitely make your house stand out from the rest. If you plan on planting flowers in your garden, knowing which plants are the best for the given season could be really helpful.That way, you will get the most of your garden and you will be able to brighten up the exterior of your house. Adding wooden furniture is always a good thing to do and it will add the touch of warmth to your home.
The Curious Department
The life of a Butterfly is sadly a short one and though in life they grace us with their presence for only a short while The Curious Department, an Independent Interiors Brand and studio in London, find a way to preserve their beauty for evermore. The Curious Departments latest collection Metamorphosis showcases their fascination with Nature, the founders Chris and Ross design and produces limited edition art prints, hand-crafted taxidermy Butterflies, fine bone china and decorative home accessories.
The passion and dedication they both have for their brand are truly evident in the distinctive quality of their designs. The Butterfly above is a Purple Spotted Swallowtail and is only found in the Highlands of New Guinea, having something in my home that I would of likely otherwise never seen is pretty special. My kiddies are fascinated by it, so much so it prompted a little lesson on the life cycle of a butterfly…educational too! It’s worth mentioning that the many different breeds of butterflies are sourced from ethical farms across Europe, Central and South America, Asia and Africa, where they live out their full adult lives, and in death provide local employment, fund schools and healthcare schemes, and generate environmental sustainability.
Now, this is where I draw my inspiration from. I think that everything we need can be found in nature around us. Especially when it comes to any form of art. To me, interior and exterior design is a form of art. To find the necessary inspiration, all I have to do is look around. That is how I realized that butterflies are the best and the only inspiration I need. I can apply it to anything I do.Recently, I have found out that I love making and decorating teapots. Something as simple as a teapot can bring a lot of joy into your home without you even being aware of it. People get a lot of different ideas from what they see around them or on the Internet but not all of them really take their time to stop and think if that is what they really want.
Therefore, I just love to work with people who are having their own genuine ideas. Better yet if they let me work on their ideas as that is the perfect opportunity to take my natural approach and make their home a place of love and warmth. All it takes is a bit of passion and love.So if you’re looking for something a little different, something away from the norm, something that’s sure to get people talking then The Curious Department is the place for you.
The Hottest Home Improvement Trends This Year
When we talk about the best and hottest ideas to remodel your home in the year of 2018, the options are simply endless. While it all depends on the reason why you want to improve your home, knowing the latest trends is always a good and useful thing. If your plan is to sell your home, you will be more likely to do so if you remodel it to the latest trends.That way, people who have an eye for such things, and there are a lot of people with such preferences, will be able to notice your home more easily.
By knowing the latest trends, you are staying in touch with what potential buyers are looking for. That is how you can easily prioritize your remodeling approach. Each year, these trends change, as well as the preferences of the potential buyers so coping with those changes, can only do you good.
Remodeling trends are emerging on every corner so planning your home improvement projects upfront might be a really good way to go. Most of the time, people are improving their homes simply because they want to increase the value of their properties. That is why the hottest remodeling and home improvement trends this year are luxury finished basements, eco-friendly materials, mudroom additions, master bedroom suites and accessibility remodeling.
Adjust your remodeling to your needs
No matter what the trend is, the two most popular home improvement trends are bathroom and kitchen remodeling. It is probably because people tend to spend the most time in those premises as well as the bedroom. When it comes to 2018, people are looking for accessibility accommodations and a universal design. So, wide doorways and hallways are absolutely in this year.Since we mentioned the bedroom, most people are looking for luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms with increased storage and reserved space for a master bath. Still, such a luxury upgrade is costly and it might mean that you will have to remodel more than just your bedroom. It is always the most recommended thing to carefully plan your improvements and adjust your remodeling projects to your current needs.
Now, most of the time, people are doing home improvements because of two things. First one is because they want to sell their home and move on or they are expecting a new family member and therefore they need more room. That is where our next trend for the year 2018 comes into play. Mudroom addition seems to get accepted more and more.These small rooms provide space for a huge variety of things and they can be used as the additional storage rooms for most of the year. Unfortunately, 2018 is a year of increased pollution and global warming as well. Therefore, the latest trend are eco-friendly remodeling materials. Going with such materials, installing various smart home features and upgrading insulation is a good way to go. There are a lot of good eco-friendly home improvement ideas.
Victorian Hallway Makeover
I Love me a makeover! If I was to describe my home in one word I would say it was Cheery. All the white walls and pops of colour lift my spirit and make me smile, I want to live in a home where sad cant survive which is why I surround myself with as much colour and light as possible, Everybody needs a happy place don’t they?Our hallway was desperately due an update mostly thanks to our adorable Poochon Reggie.
Here he is, now don’t let the fluff fool ya, he may be cute and teddy bear like, but he has the spirit of a lion and the destructive capabilities of a Grizzly Bear and our once carpeted hall did not stand a chance against him, though I must say he may have done me a favour, ive been trying to talk the hubby into wood flooring in there for a while and the demise of the carpet really helped, good boy Reg!
This was my hallway at its worst , my hubby here is busy re routing the radiator from the right wall over to the left, as you can see our hallway is long and narrow which is pretty typical of Victorian Terrace Houses, so not much room to get creative…but you work with what you have.The new floor is Richmond Oak laminate it has a Floor Board effect and even has little imperfections that you would expect to see from a restored floor board the flooring can be bought from Screwfix im so happy with it.I really didn’t want the radiator to be on show so I decided on a Radiator Cover from B&Q , the cover is expandable and will fit most larger size Radiators, the lamps on top were made by me see Super Easy Non Electric Lamp
With it being the first area I step into when I come home I wanted the hallway to be cheery and welcoming. I needed some sort of storage for coats and bags etc. So I had a shop about but I couldnt find anything I particularly loved, Ive found If I dont LOVE something straight away then I never will, So I thought, Ill just make my own. I found these amazing Victorian style coat hooks at Lavender White , the colours are gorgeous and on a white backdrop they really stand out.
The wood flooring had been delivered on a wooden pallet and well I hate to throw anything away so the pallet was taken apart and I used 2 of the boards as the mount for the hooks, a quick sand and paint later and I really love the finished coat rack, its fun and quirky and adds some colour to the space. The artwork above the hooks was done by me see Easy Water colour Blotch Art and the feltball garland was from Stone and CoI upcycled an old bench as a place for the kiddies to sit when putting their shoes on(im trying to introduce a no shoes in the house beyond the hall rule, we’ll see how long that lasts!) The suitcase under the bench has the kids school shoes in. It is all about how you use the space that is at your disposal.
I myself personally love simple things and I find simplicity to be the best when you need to work something out really quick. Since I love bright colors and spacious design, I thought to myself that it would be really great to put the two together and see how it goes. I took me a while to completely figure out what I wanted to do with the place but after a while, it simply came to me and I saw clearly the things that need to be done.It all turned out how I hoped and I’m really happy with it, but no rest for the wicked, my 2 year old is now ready to leave his cot and go into a big boys bed, which means Boys Bedroom Makeover coming soon!
The Fine Cotton Company
Sometimes the little details make all the difference when you start designing a room, when my bathroom was finished I struggled to find any Towels I liked, I wanted something different from the norm and something that reflected my style, these gorgeous Star Towels are made exclusively for The Fine Cotton Company, they are unique, fun and very good quality and as you can see my favourite colours!
I take this entire decorating thing very seriously and I want my home to be a place of style and class. In order to achieve that goal, each room must be in tone with the rest of the house. I love harmony, tranquility, creativity, productivity, freshness, innovation, warmth, calmness and the colors you choose for your home can bring all these feelings at once.Therefore, each room is equally important especially the kitchen, living room and bathroom. Someone would add the bedroom as well but I can tell you right away, nothing bothers me when I go to sleep so it is not that important like these three aforementioned. So, when my bathroom was done, I knew right away that I will have to pick the appropriate towels that will match the color of the bathroom and go well with the rest of the house.
That was not an easy task as I presumed in the first place but fortunately for me, The Fine Cotton Company has so many towels in their offer that I took my time to find the most suitable ones. I love things to be in the same tone as a designer and I am pretty much passionate about it so that is why this was so much trouble.Eventually, I am more than pleased with the results as well as the rest of my family. I decided to use the products for the rest of my home as well as they have pretty much everything that one home could possibly need or want.
The Towels are 480gsm Cotton, have a supreme plush and are extremely soft, they come in Blue and Pink, Prices start at just £12.00. They stock Hand Towels, Bath Towels and Bath Sheets. My son as you can see here, is making good use of one of the bath sheets after his bath. The Fine Cotton Company not only provide High Quality towels, they have a vast range of luxury bed linens, childrens and Nursery bedding, personalised blankets and dressing gowns. They also have this star design on the most adorable Childrens Hooded Bathrobes, age range from 2-12yrs check it out here
The Fine Cotton Company deliver to most countries, please check their website for more info.
Styling Your Kitchen Shelves
I do love a good selfie! The above picture is of the open shelves I have in my kitchen, Id like to say that each piece was meticulously chosen to create this look….but I’m not that organised, in truth, the first thing I decided was, which colours would I like to see in my kitchen? that was easy…i’m a pastel kinda girl so pinks, blues and pale green was top of the list with pops of red and of course polka dots, I can’t lie polka dots make me happy!I will not hide that this year the hottest trend is pastel and it is taking over the entire design industry by storm.
Well, that is only to my delight as I absolutely adore such bright tones and I love how vibrant they are. Since I will be spending some time in my kitchen, it might as well be colored the way I like it as that would make me really happy. The colors and tones in your home affect your mood greatly so the more bright tones, the better. I take this styling job absolutely seriously but still, I get to have fun too.
I wanted my kitchen to make me smile, I wanted it to be a cheery place where I could cook and bake with the kids and dance away to the radio. I have figured out while renovating our house that I actually need colour around me, I have noticed that when I’m in dark surroundings I feel very uncomfortable but put me in a light bright environment and my mood completely changes, my favourite colour is Pink ( I know…big shock, right?) I read up a little on this and I came across something called Colour Psychology and did you know that studies have shown that Pink calms and reassures our emotional energies and alleviates anger and anxiety…..true story! If there was ever a reason to go Pink then that should be it!
When you have a small kitchen like mine, adding cupboards can add bulk and make the whole area feel much smaller and constricted, open shelves do the opposite. I’ve done a little research on whats available on the market right know for those of you who want to create a similar kitchen shelfie with the colour palette I’ve used.I’m such a sucker for Pretty! all the above are right up my street and if your reading my Blog then I’m guessing you are too, lucky for us Pretty Pastels are quite big at the moment and most of the big and small stores are stocking them. I could have searched online for hours and hours but at some point, I do have to eat, so I’m off to my very girly kitchen to do just that!
Real Life Fairytale Houses
Fairytales, magic, princesses and fairies is what most little girls love and not just little girls, grown women with 4 children do too…ahem. When I was small I loved to get lost in fairytales, but as much as I loved the stories I loved the houses and Castles too, who wouldn’t want to live in the 7 Dwarfs cottage! As we all know it was the imagination of many a gifted illustrator who created these magical abodes and surely they don’t really exist, do they? As it turns out, yes they do! Ive found the daydreamers alternative to the fairytale versions we all know and love.
Whimsical and wonky houses with marshmallow like walls and milk and chocolate colored tiles, stained glass and leaded windows, hand plastered walls that give a feel like being in a cave, cedar beams, spacious enough, you name it. It is like watching a movie and seeing a home that you really like and saying I want to live in that one. Real life fairytale houses are about living your dream, making your fantasy come true and embarking on an adventure that will last forever. If you can see yourself living in such a house than you can consider yourself lucky.
Home With The Haworths
Around this time last year, we started on our Kitchen makeover, I had waited a long time for my pretty kitchen and when the time came to finally get started ..I was beyond happy! Below are the different stages and how we did it.This is before, as you can see all the tiles are missing, my hubby had gone to work and took his tools with him and I’m certain that he would have thought ‘no tools=no wife dismantling the kitchen’….wrong! You’d be amazed how much DIY I can get done with determination a bread knife and a toffee hammer.
First up was getting rid of all the wood chip off the ceiling, let me tell you that stuff is the devil’s wall covering and it very nearly broke my spirit! I decided not to buy new kitchen cabinets but work with what I had, it was originally an Ikea kitchen, it was still in good shape I just didn’t like the colour or handles anymore, which for me is not a good enough reason to throw it out, plus the money I saved on doing it myself could go on pretty things…you see a method to the madness!!
So first up clean, clean, clean any grime will show up even after you’ve painted so preparation is key. I then sanded each piece, it’s not necessary to sand to bare wood you just want a little grip so the paint can stick to it. I used Wickes waterbased Undercoat, 2/3 coats, then Farrow and Ball Wimborne White estate eggshell for my final colour, 2 coats. I used a small roller instead of a brush, you get a much more even finish.
You really need to prepare for such an adventure as it takes a lot of work to take care of everything before I can start redecorating but the fact is that I absolutely love doing this so I don’t take it too hard to take off everything I need to do before I can go on with the real work. However, what I really do mind is all that necessary cleaning as such redecoration asks for such efforts.
Still, I know that it will give more than amazing results so I plan to work on my walls.For the walls I went with White Metro tiles, you can pick them up for as little as £0.18 per tile. The worktop needed replacing, my old one was speckled black…not pretty! I liked the idea of a chunky wood oak worktop but after reading some reviews I realized a real wood surface would not work with my family and I really didn’t want the upkeep. So I went for an Oak block laminate, its pretty inexpensive, mine was £75 for a 3-metre length.
I originally had dark grey slate floor tiles but what I wanted was pretty rose covered tiles, all I had to do was talk my hubby into it! So a few heavy home cooked meals and lots of persuasion…he finally caved. I don’t mind telling you the day the tiles arrived I did a little dance in front of the courier man, he looked at me like I had gone completely mad. Unfortunately, I believe the English Rose tiles that I have are now discontinued, but an alternative I’ve found which are just as delicious are Cath Kidston’s, Rose Sprig vinyl tiles.
Details
The Ceramic sink was bought off Ebay for £90 which is much less than the big names were selling it for. The shelving unit for my cups was an eBay bargain at just £6.00, I painted it the same colour as the units. The large white shelves and wall cubes were from Ikea. The Microwave, Toaster, Kettle, Bunting and Blind were from Dunelm.All my cookware was from a variety of places, would be happy to answer any questions x.The whole Kitchen including appliances cost just under £1000, I was happy because I finally had a pretty Kitchen and my hubby was happy that I hadn’t completely emptied his wallet!
Pastel Takeover In Home Improvements Techniques
It seems that this particular year has brought us a new trend and pastel tones are what’s hot and in today. When it comes to home improvements, especially interior and exterior design, professionals, experts and specialists are recommending pastel tones rather than anything else.It’s more than clear that these tones are the rage this year and a lot of designers are already showcasing how soft tones like these can be used to refresh your home, brighten it up a bit and give you a sense of something new but still familiar.
For a couple of years, interior and exterior designers have been stepping out of their comfort zone and experimenting with this masculine approach to accent bright colors in order to allow your living and working space to breathe. Well, it worked as more and more people are getting into the trend, asking for pastel tones in their homes and offices.
Many experts have agreed that pastel tones are so far the hottest interior design trend this year. Pastel takeover is not only happening in interior and exterior design industry but more or less in every industry that includes design. The fashion industry and designer clothing are also in the middle of it and while other trends come and go, this one seems to remain.
So far, every season has brought same changes with it in the sense of materials, colors and styles. Well, this year, everyone seems to love pastel furniture and walls and it is absolutely safe to say that it is the hottest color trend of the season. Interior design, home linen, clothing, pastel is literally everywhere.Usually, a combination the hottest colors of the season are mixed with vibrant colors, for diversity. Well, not this year. Pastel over pastel is the new black and pastel home decor and walls is what people want. If you are into the latest trend in interior design, take your fair share of the pastel takeover as it
Everything You Need To Know About Home Improvement
If you are an owner of your home, you know how each and every day you notice something new that could be rearranged, done better or improved in any way. No matter what you own, a fixer-upper, a condo or a house, there is always room for some good adjustments and home improvements. Maintenance tasks or necessary repairs, everything can be viewed as a home improvement.
Home improvements can bring you a lot of good things so let us review some of these things that could help you to get the best of your home. Your dwelling place doesn’t have to be just that, it can become so much more if you just put your mind to it and use your imagination in the combination with some of these useful tips. The trick is to turn your place into a better home, a place that you will feel comfortable spending time in.
On the other hand, if there is a need to sell your place, these home improvements can add more value to your home. Now, the first and the most important tip is to always choose only those home improvements that will increase the value of your home. Besides the things that you simply must do, if there is any need for home improvements of any kind, choose those that will add value to your place.
Each improvement is like a little investment
Before you do anything, think about it as an investment that will return when you sell the house. Adding a new bathroom or refinishing the hardwood floors, these are improvements that will increase the home value most definitely. Determine the most necessary improvements that you simply can’t do without. Depending on the level of urgency, you can do some home improvements that are absolutely necessary while you can leave the others for another season.
Making the right decision will prevent further damage and save money, time and effort while leaving you enough room to concentrate on the things that really matter. Sometimes, the simplest of changes are the best changes and you can boost your living space in less than 10 minutes, depending on what you want to do. Since there are a lot of really good and useful do it yourself home improvement solutions, you can do some of these on your own.
However, keep in mind that some things are better left to the professionals. Making a decision to do it yourself or not can also become a determining factor when it comes to the selling your house. Knowing your limits can be really helpful in such situations. Not all projects are suitable for such a manner and there is a reason why there are home improvement specialists, professionals and experts.Think big but start small is the best way. That way, you can build your own home improvement and repair skills and learn from the best people who are skilled and trained to do such work.
Lamp Shade Garland Lights
Ah the summer holidays when every parent has to master the ability to keep their children entertained from the minute they open their eyes till the moment they go to sleep, failing to do so will most certainly result in the 2 words which every parent dreads to hear ‘I’m Bored’ and they will continue to repeat it until you… the parent, does something about it.As someone who is passionately into the design, it is not hard for me to come up with numerous ideas how to put a smile back on those beautiful faces and I really do love to experiment.
These homemade handcrafts are always the best solution and they are the best exercise for kids as well.By making things such as these, the kids can practice their creativity and productivity, learning how to use everything at their disposal and stand out from other people who would simply go to the store and buy a finished product.
Not only that but this is also one of the best ways how to provide fun for the whole family as anyone can participate in the process of making. When you have little kids, there is so much depending on you and you have to make them occupied for the whole day because that is what you do.At these times of despair, I turn to the craft box and desperately try to think of a fun project to keep my little angels amused. Above was today’s project, my daughter calls it the Pom Pom Light shade Garland. I always have lots of left over scrap fabric and it came in very useful for this project.
What you will need
Plastic Cups
Scissors
Scrap fabric or alternatively napkins
Pom Pom Trim
PVA glue
Glue gun
Battery operated fairy lights
First up, roughly cut your fabric to size
Now take your fabric and paste pva glue all over ,line your fabric up with the top of the cup, next gently roll your cup in the fabric, smoothing any wrinkles out with your hands as you go.You will end up with overhang at the bottom of your cup, trim off with scissors
Leave to dry
Now pom pom time! Wrap your pom pom trim around the cup and cut to size, use a glue gun to add drops of glue around the top of the cup, then attach the pom poms.The final part is attaching the lights, poke a small hole in the base of your cup and push through the lights. Its a fun little project to do with the kids or without them. As always if you decide to give it a go please tag me on Instagram I would love to see it x
Christmas Ice Skates Decoration
How fun are these,I had sooo much of a good time decorating these, I had to use polka dots… everything is better with polka dots. These boots would be great hung on a mirror, fireplace even a front door.It’s so much fun to turn an old pair of ice skates into a Christmas decoration using simple materials. It felt like doing a project for school which brought me back to my childhood. It’s probably where I decided to do what I do now. Everything about design has been my passion for as long as I can remember. So, this is nothing new and I love having fun while doing what I love. The color doesn’t matter as most ice skates are white or black.
They rarely come in a different color. You can make special and cute decorations for any occasions using nothing but a glue gun, some fur or stickers or any kind of fabric. There is a lot you can do with these. You can pair it with other toys or use the combination of Christmas tree decorations that go perfectly with the ice skates. Of course, you can go to the store and simply by ones that are already done but I prefer doing things my way simply because I find a lot of pleasure in doing things that way and people love the fact that someone spent some time to make a present for them.
The Ice Skates were a second hand bargain for £5.00 off Ebay , If you fancy giving it a go your gonna need
Ribbon
Polkadot stickers
Red Fabric
Faux fur
Glue gun
At first I thought I would hand paint the polkadots on the boots, but I really wanted a solid circle so I had a little search online and found Polkadot stickers on ebay for £1.99 , for all the materials above including the cost of the boots it was all less than £10.00 , which I think is a pretty good price for something as unique and quirky as this!
First I placed all the polkadot stickers on the boots, I then cut a long length of red fabric around 3 inches wide and created a kind of cuff on the top of the boot, I used the glue gun to fix it in place. Next up I cut a long length of Faux fur at 1 inch wide and glued it to the top of the cuff.Lastly I attached the two boots together with Candy stripe Ribbon, as a finishing touch I popped some faux plant sprays in the top of the boot. Super easy! Of course there’s a thousand different ways you could decorate your own Ice skate boots and If you do decide to give it a go, please tag me on Instagram Id love to see it.
