Making Home Improvements

Making Home Improvements

We moved six weeks ago and so naturally I am already dedicated to making home improvements. I’ve spent many hours (many) on Pinterest and similar interior design sites and have come up with some great ideas for our home. Here are a few ideas which might suit you if you are looking for a way to make better use of a space or ramp up the design aspect. Not all of these are suitable to our situation (we have a bungalow) but might be of use to you!

Create a Drawing Room and Re-Design Your Staircase

Move over Downton Abbey, the drawing room is making a modern comeback. A drawing room is a place of entertainment and relaxation. When you have guests around this is usually the room everyone will spend their time in. Because of this, homeowners take much more pride and care when it comes to the interior design of their drawing room.

Of course, there are lots of things that come together in order to determine the look of a room. When it comes to a room like this one, people tend to have one aspect that is the main attraction. This gives the room a striking and dazzling effect – the show-stopping edge most people are looking for.

There are many different ways you can achieve this. Some people like to invest in an extremely large canvas and therefore they let art take centre stage. Other people like to have pillars or other architectural structures put up. Some like to go for a really large television and thus have an almost cinema-like effect. And then there are others who opt for a beautiful staircase and this is their central point.

If your chosen drawing room has a staircase then it is recommended you think about how to make a feature of it carefully. You can use this opportunity to add a wealth of character, style and glamour to the room in question. After all, you need your staircase, so you may as well make it a beautiful one. You will be able to get a staircase specially designed for you. This means it will suit your drawing room perfectly, it will match your own personal taste and personality, and you can make sure that you stay within your budget as well. When deciding on the type of staircase you wish to go for you will, of course, need to consult with a professional who will use their expertise to give you advice.

Add a Roof Lantern or Rooflight

Is your home feeling a bit dark and dreary? This is an issue many homeowners face. No matter why your home has this issue, there are two good options for dealing with it when making home improvements. We had a house like this and the darkness drove me batty!

Roof Lanterns

A roof lantern, a glass roof elevated with side frames, is a spectacular home addition. Aluminium roof lanterns, in particular, are a wise choice. They add a touch of extravagance and grandeur to any property, whilst also bringing that much-needed dose of natural light. Additionally, roof lanterns often include vents, for improved airflow and temperature control.

Rooflight

Alternatively, why not go for a rooflight? This is a stylish window feature that will sit flat against the roof surface. A rooflight is the ideal option for those who require more sunlight but do not want such a drastic change.

Buy a New Shower Enclosure

When buying any product, it goes without saying that there are a lot of things which need to be considered. This is even more so the case when it comes to buying things such as shower enclosures, because once the enclosure has been fitted, it is very difficult and costly for it to be replaced again. This article aims to provide tips and guidance for those who are looking to buy a walk in shower enclosure for their bathroom.

A lot of people do not realise it, but one of the most important components of a shower enclosure is the actual tray. Some showers do not come with a tray; however this is inadvisable because one may experience trouble trying to find a tray which actually fits their enclosure. Therefore, take the time and effort to seek out an enclosure with a high quality and durable shower tray, otherwise individuals will find themselves having to buy a replacement product every so often. 

Aside from the shower tray, it is also important to consider the size of the shower enclosure. This is something which is obviously determined by the size of the bathroom in question. It is important to measure the space set out for the enclosure before one begins their shopping spree. Bear in mind that shower enclosures are available in a number of different shapes, and thus try and think creatively and efficiently when deciding where to place the enclosure. Speak to professionals and trusted friends you know who have had a new shower/bathroom fitted when making home improvements. Their advice and recommendations might be just what you need.

One last thing which is important is the style of the shower enclosure. Make sure that it is in keeping with the rest of the bathroom’s look. And remember that this is something people will not want to be replacing often, thus looking for something with a timeless trend is advisable.

Making Home Improvements: Ramp Up The Light

I touched on this before but it isn’t just your roof areas that need to let in the light. Choose your curtains or window coverings carefully as while you need privacy, you also need light. Use mirrors and lighter paints to maximise the light in small spaces.

 

What about you? When it comes to making home improvements what top tips do you have? Do you have a project or maybe just an upcycle task planned

 

Spice Up Your Home

Spice Up Your Home

Living in a home is more than just having a place to stay. We’re moving shortly (10 days and we still haven’t packed) but the new place already feels like home. Your home is somewhere you feel at home, somewhere you love and somewhere you are proud of. We’re there already with the new spot!

We have grand plans for the new place and you’ll no doubt hear all about these soon enough! I’ll be posting about adding a new look to each room and so have put together these ideas for you to get started with thinking about what you can do with your home.

The Driveway

We are so grateful to have a driveway where we are moving. On street parking is an absolute pain. We’re determined to make the most of the driveway though as it’s one of the first things you see when you approach the home. First impressions are important so you’ll want to make sure that everything is tidy if your focus will be on making the most of your driveway too. It’s easy for the drive to become a little messed up with various bits of dirt and stone making its way onto it.

It’s wise to give the tarmac a little sweep every now and again to avoid the neglected look. You can also give the drive a spray with a pressure washer if you want to go one step further. After years of the floor taking a beating from the elements, it can slowly become very dirty over time – so slow that you don’t even realise it is happening. A blast with a pressure washer will show you the difference that was made.  

Your Garden, Your Home

When you think about making your living space better looking, what you do to your garden will be near the top of your list of priorities, surely? You’re going to want it to be either as close to flawlessness as possible – you’ll be looking at it a lot, or wonderfully wild (in a deliberate kind of way). The first thing you’ll want to do is to clean it and clear it. If it’s a bit of a mess, make sure everything vanishes – a tidy garden is very comforting. In terms of additions, things like potted plants, ornaments, and fish ponds are very lovely looking and add to the comfort of being sat out there.  We’re going with simply but with seasonal surprises. More on this later!

Get A Conversion

A popular thing to do nowadays is to take a certain part of the house and convert it into something more practical. The most popular choice is to take the loft and turn it into an extra bedroom or office. Obviously, your loft is going to be full of stuff, but if they’re no longer hold any value or you can find another area to store it all, then you could turn that attic into something beautiful. Another good idea would be to take your garage and make it into something other than a place to store old stuff – if you don’t use it for your car, that is. But who parks their car in a garage anymore?  

Our grand plans for the garage are very much steeped in geekery, which won’t surprise you if you know us or have read many of my other blog posts.

Get An Extension

If you need more room or just want to add an extra part to change the style up a bit, you could apply for permission to get an extension built onto the house. You might need an extra bedroom or an office space. You could even put a lovely conservatory out the back. This isn’t something we’ve planned but is a great idea if you are looking to add value and space to your home.

Move To A New Home

If you fancy a big change, you could just up sticks and move to somewhere new, like we have. Sometimes you need to pick a whole new place and carry on from there. A good idea to freshen things up would be to have a little look at some new homes that are being built. There are tonnes of companies that are creating new places every day, so if you wanted to check out some Redrow new builds, you could just head online and see what’s available from the likes of them and others. When you buy an entirely new place, you get to decide almost everything, so a personalised design would come as part of the purchase. If, like ours, your home is a little older, places like Rightmove can be great for having a nosy inside people’s homes for inspiration!

There is no wrong way to breathe new life int your home but if you are looking to make changes, this is a good place to start!