Home Electrics - Housewares DIY hints and tips

The immense popularity of the retro themes of the 1960

We all know that a home is not simply a place to rest our head at night but is actually an extension of who we are. With this in mind we should make sure that the impression they give to others is a true reflection of who we are. Trying to live in a show home twenty four hours a day for the sake of the neighbours just is not practical and is no way to live- if you can

You may have noticed over recent years that it is getting more and more difficult to keep up with trends in home living. Like most things today, design cycles are running at a much faster pace meaning we are decorating and redecorating with ever decreasing gaps in between. Now choice has never been a bad thing, but it is exactly this that is responsible for this DIY fever. With new forms of media creating new ways to advertise and old forms of media reaching a greater audience than ever before, consumers can

Now we are at the tail end of a not so Indian summer, it is only natural that we are bracing ourselves for another very English winter. Darker days and chilly evenings can really have an adverse affect on the spirit, so to help stave off the gloom, below are a collection of handy tips that

Nothing can add both comfort and richness to a room in quite the same that wood can. It seamlessly blends timeless quality and comfort with up-to-the-second style and adds a level of depth to a room with an ease no other material can match. The beauty of wood is found in the natural pattern of its grain. It is available in countless different varieties and can be treated, polished, waxed or varnished to suite your needs. The problem with wood lies not in finding uses for it but in having the discipline to stop your home becoming a winter wonderland!

Before deciding on what type of wood to go for, first you must decide how you want it to speak to visitors to home. A dark oak or mahogany will give a room classic stateliness. If this is the style for you, choose a more ornate cut for your furniture and pay close attention to period details such including a wooden dado rail or oversize oak display cabinet. Adding finishing touches such as heavy draped curtains and floral patterned fabrics on your settee and cushions will really complete the look for relatively little expense. For a lighter feel which brings alpine freshness into your home, stick to a blonde wood and use it more simply and robustly. Think wood veneer walls finished of with a sheep skin rug and an open fire. Keep patterns to a minimum and choose a pale green or winter white for your walls.

Wood is used to amazing effect if it is a little retro styling you looking for. Try having a look online or perhaps in a local antique store for some original Ercol furniture which was an ever present in British homes during the mid twentieth century. To strengthen the look add fabrics in classic orange and perhaps add a little plastic detailing in the shape of a clock or lamp then finish it off with an animal print rug or throw.

Wood can also be used to create a real ethnic or Moroccan vibe. Look for carved statuettes and ornaments and really layer up on your cushions and fabrics. To really finish off the look, substitute a coffee table for a large wooden chest.

If you have perhaps gone a little overboard in your quest for minimal perfect and your front room is now a little cold and lacking in atmosphere, wood is the perfect foil. A free form tree section used as a central contrast will contrast perfectly with a pure white backdrop full of sharp angles and clean edges. Alternatively, you could include similarly sharp cuts of wood which echo the theme of the room as accents in the form of lamps, picture frames or ornaments, which will all help break up the empty feel.

With wood there are so many possibilities, there is literally nothing it can

Making your home more energy efficient will not only save you hundreds of pounds over the long run, it will also give you the satisfaction of knowing you are playing your part in reducing the emissions that lead to global warming. Installing cavity insulation, double glazing and a new ultra efficient condensing boiler are obvious but expensive options. They may also be unnecessary if you use some or all of the design advice given in this very article!

The average U.K. home uses 44% of its energy on heating alone. Therefore by insulating your home sufficiently in key areas you could be reducing your energy costs quite drastically. Choosing carpets and a thick underlay in the bedrooms is a sensible first step and besides providing a little under-foot comfort on a cold morning, could actually help keep your ground-floor rooms a little warmer too. How can this be possible? Heat, as most of us are aware, rises so be covering the upstairs in carpet you are effectively trapping the heat below much in the way as your loft insulation does. If you prefer wooden flooring, you can still create sufficient insulation by laying mineral wool padding underneath.

Doubling up on your windows will also drastically improve the heat keeping powers of your home. By this I mean having Curtains and a blinds system. A set of horizontal Blinds correctly angled will help keep out the cold whilst allowing light from the high winter sun to enter the room. Then as the evening draws in you can close the curtains to really keep cosy. Whilst on this topic, don

When it comes to bedroom design, comfort and simplicity should always remain at the forefront of your mind. Computers and exercise equipment are a definite no no as they cloud the purpose of a bedroom and can actually affect the quality of your sleep. So too can a television, if you must have one then be sure to house it in a T.V. cabinet so when not in use it can be shut away.

The main focus of the bedroom should be on the bed. If you have enough room try to give it a central position rather than marginalize its importance by shoving it into a corner. Signify that this is the main focus of the room by concentrating all your design ideas on and around it. An oversize head board for example, not only makes a grand statement it is also very practical as it provides space for shelving above or on either side of the bed. It also provides a convenient spot to position reading lamps or spotlights- especially handy if your property is rented and drilling holes in the wall would upset your landlord. For a really luxurious feel, lavish your bed in decorative pillows and richly coloured throws. Not only are these affordable, they are the safest way to add a little colour to your bedroom without upsetting the tranquillity. When it comes to covering your walls and floors it is best to think neutral. This doesn

Though it is obviously a daunting proposition to take on any large scale DIY project, decorating your holiday home carries extra pitfalls. As holiday homes are generally rented out to guests for much of the year you need to be sure yours appeals to the largest number of holiday makers possible. You also therefore need to do your research when it comes to the surrounding area in order to know what type of people make up your biggest target market.

The most time and cost efficient way to do this is by using the internet. You could go for a few extra holidays with the perfect excuse of

With most forms of contemporary design currently taking their lead from 1960

Curtains are the traditional window dressing used in homes throughout the UK. They are either used on their own as a complete window treatment or combined with blinds to achieve different design concepts and styles. Windows of any size or shape can successfully dressed with a huge variety of different styles of curtain fabrics.

Fashionable design ideas incorporate the used of organza, silks and faux silks to provide a delicate and sheer window covering which are typically used to cover the window and beyond, being left to fall and cascade into gentle puddles of fabric folds on the floor. While these fabrics do not offer any heat insulation they do lend themselves to providing privacy during the daytime. When combined with a roller blind fitted inside of the window recess total privacy can be achieved. These delicate looking fabrics are available in many different colours and patterned designs. For a real sexy boudoir look black and silver voile curtains can transform a bedroom, the curtains can also be used to provide excellent drapes for a bed canopy, this not only looks sensuous by providing intimate privacy but is also the ideal way to keep unwanted insects way during the warm summer months.

Heavy weight curtains made from Damask and Jacquard provide elegant curtains to suit both traditional and modern homes. When made with goblet or deep pleated headings they fall into graceful folds which exude elegance and style. These fabrics are available in a wide range of colours in both plain and patterned designs, many stores offer a free samples on fabrics such as these to enable the right choices to be made before buying. Having samples enables not only colour matches to be made by also provides the opportunity to feel the quality and texture of the fabric.

Natural fabrics are a popular choice of curtains which are generally imported into the UK, they provide the most natural, neutral warm tones and textures offering exceptional quality at affordable prices which compliment both traditional and modern home interior design styles.

Ready made curtain offer the perfect solution in providing an immediate window dressing which merely needs to hung at the window. There are huge choices in plain and patterned ready made curtains and a wide variety of different weights, textures and headings to provide a ready made curtain to suit every room in a home.

Using a curtain lining can offer both extra heat insulation and prevent light penetration, lined curtains also hang more effectively as the lining helps them to retain their shape and folds. If total darkness is required blackout linings can be added to the majority of curtains.

The headings chosen will be dependant on personal choice and the weight of the curtain fabric. A modern and contemporary curtain heading is metal eye-lets or tab tops. Tab tops are ideal for curtains made from lightweight fabrics whereas eye-lets provide a robust heading for medium and heavyweight curtains. Modern curtains made from fabrics such as corduroy, faux leathers and faux suede look striking with an metal eye-let heading.