How Renovating Your Home Can Improve Your Living Space

Renovating your house from time to time is necessary to keep it as good as new. The process also helps you eliminate unwanted variables such as mould or roof debris. Therefore, you must consider renovating your house periodically. Below are some tips that may enlighten you on renovation areas of your house.

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Interior Design Trends That Work in Every Home

If you’re buying a home of a particular kind, then you might have to carefully consider your plans for redecoration before you put them into motion. The character of a period property, like a Georgian townhouse, might be ruined by the installation of the wrong modern features. 

On the other hand, there are certain styles and principles that work across every kind of home. These dependable go-to methods might help to elevate a specific space in a way that isn’t dependent on the qualities of the surrounding building. 

The Influence of Art Movements On Furniture Design

Furniture design has long been shaped by major art movements, which reflect cultural, social, and aesthetic shifts over time. From the ornate, gilded designs of the Baroque period to the sleek minimalism of Bauhaus, each movement has left a distinct mark on furniture styles. This post will explore how different artistic eras have influenced furniture design. Keep reading to find out more.

Baroque & Rococo: The Age of Ornate Elegance

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Baroque style was dominant with grand, opulent, and visually striking looks. In terms of furniture, this meant extravagant carvings, gold leaf finishes, and dramatic detailing on items like chairs, dressers, and wardrobes.

The beauty of striped wallpaper

Stripes are a versatile and classic pattern. In fact stripes are a staple, reliable pattern that are extraordinarily versatile and attractive. As stripes are one of the most iconic patterns, they have weathered changing styles and trends over the decades and been used in different settings. Familiar stripes have been predominant in the fashion world, showcased in architecture, seen in modern advertising and incorporated into interior design.

Not only do stripes adapt beautifully to soft furnishings such as bedspreads, curtains, cushions and settees they are also a wonderful pattern to decorate walls with.

Striped wallpaper is a great wallpaper design to adorn walls. Decorating with striped wallpaper is an easy way to get a crisp and pleasant ‘decorator’ look, being ideal for home improvements. In fact striped wallpaper can help achieve a fresh, captivating room.  It is a popular design choice as stripes can either provide a subtle look or be attention grabbing. 

Transforming a room on a budget

When we first moved into our current home we went all out on decorating the children’s bedroom. Apart from finding a home for our furniture and other worldly possessions the other rooms in our house got neglected.

Fast forward a few years and nothing much has changed. Busy lives and lack of money has meant we haven’t got around to decorating any of the other rooms which look rather drab, boring and uninspiring.

Recently we redecorated the children’s bedrooms - lucky boys getting their room transformed again whilst our bedroom has never been touched. We painted their room, moved around furniture, upcycled a few pieces of tired looking furniture, decluttered and added some new eye catching accessories such as modern rugs. Even though we did not do much and no radical changes such as flooring or new furniture it was amazing how the room was transformed.

The beauty of brick tiles

Over the years the trend for exposed brickwork within the home has gained popularity. Exposed bricks are beautiful and make a strong visual impact. Bare brickwork creates a raw contemporary look that perfectly suits an industrial, loft or rustic style.

Achieving exposed brickwork can be tricky. You could remove the plaster on your walls and hope that behind it is a treasure of beautiful bricks. Whilst many older homes boast gems of beautiful bricks behind plaster, the reality is that most homes have breeze blocks or timber frame rather than a solid wall of beautiful bricks. Another downside of renovating your home and exposing brickwork is that it is hard work, messy and time consuming!

Thankfully there is a way to get the exposed brickwork look another way. Brick tiles can be installed on walls to achieve a faux exposed brick wall.

Wallpaper murals from Wallsauce - children’s bedroom decoration ideas

Over the years we have decorated the children’s rooms in various designs to suit their age and interest. We have had themed rooms, hand painted murals, rooms adorned with their favourite characters, rooms with splashes of colour and rooms decorated with removable stickers.

But inevitably even though each design has been loved the children have outgrown them. Favourite characters from films and TV shows have been knocked from the favourite characters list and been replaced by other character. The children have grown quickly bored of rooms decorated in a simple fashion with painted walls of colour. Removable stickers have never been a great success, whilst they have added a touch of character and colour to a room we have found they usually end up peeling off the walls which looks cheap and tacky.

Brilliant bedroom for happy kids with Dulux

When we found out we were expecting our first child one of the things we were most excited about was decorating the nursery for our little bundle of love. As both Lee and I are artistic we let our creative juices flow and designed and decorated a jungle theme nursery with the walls adorned with a hand-painted mural.

Bug loved his jungle bedroom and was sad to say goodbye to it when we moved. For a long time in our new home his bedroom was dull and very magnolia! When we found out we were expecting our second child we decided to help Bug get used to the idea of a new baby in the house and make him feel like the big boy he has beautifully grown into by decorating and revamping his room to be a fun and colourful room fit for a big brother.

Home Improvements

Whilst I often dream about winning the lottery and being able to buy or build from scratch the perfect house for us, the reality is that until the day that my numbers come in (I live in hope) we are stuck with our lot and have to make do with the home that we have.

There are many reasons why I love our house. It is in a great location for us, is a great size, has character with rustic slanted beams in the bedrooms and quaint farmhouse style doors with beautiful latches.

However there are a few things that I don't love about our house. The issues I have with our house are for the most part cosmetic and have not really bothered me too much since we have lived here as I am grateful that we have a roof over our head and the benefits and other lovely things about the house outweigh the bad. Whilst they do not make me hate the house or make daily life difficult, I would love to change a few things about our house.

Is Your Bedroom Feeling A Little Outdated? Here's How to Update It Fast.

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When it comes to decorating our home, I feel that the bedroom can be a little forgotten. We don’t mean to of course, but it happens to be the room that not many people see. So it heads further down your priority list. But your bedroom can be updated quickly and easily, with minimum fuss. You won’t believe the difference it could make to your mood. Sleeping in a fresh, clean and tidy space will help you relax more in an evening. So what are you waiting for? Here are a few tips to get your bedroom updated fast.

Stickertastic decorating – Ten Stickers.

I’ve written before about how we are slowly decorating Bug’s bedroom and making it into a cool bedroom decorated in a style inspired by the things he loves such as superheroes, cars, Minecraft, lego and animals.

Unfortunately though as we rent we are limited with how we can decorate. To add some colour and character to his walls to go along with the colourful accessories we have for the room such as themed bedding, eye-catching ornaments and vibrant storage, we have been looking at the cool stickers on Ten Stickers.

As Ten Stickers have a vast range of sticker designs and their stickers are created using the latest technology for cutting and printing on high quality vinyl material we have been looking at what awesome stickers we can get to liven up Bug’s bedroom walls.

With a HUGE love of superheroes these superhero themed wall stickers would be a huge hit with Bug who would love to have his favourite heroes watch over and protect him and his room.

A new bedroom for a new big brother.

Whilst Bug is not moving rooms since we moved to this house we have not done much to his bedroom, partly due to being restricted decorating wise as we rent as well as not needing to buy new furniture and bedroom accessories as he was happy with what he already had.

But with the impending arrival of Jelly Bean and the fact that Bug is growing up so fast, being unwavering with his tastes and likes we have decided to revive his bedroom and make it into a new bedroom perfect for a new big brother.

It may not be a 60-minute makeover, instead being a slow burner of a makeover thanks to the hecticness of family and getting ready for Jelly Bean’s arrival but below is my wishlist of furniture and bedroom accessories that I would love to get to transform Bug’s bedroom into the big boy bedroom he deserves.

Bed

As Bug is going through yet another growth spurt and is a tall boy the time has come for him to move from his cot bed to a big boy bed.

Top of our bed wishlist for Bug is the Malibu Cabin Bed Frame in Pine available from Homebase or Argos. With a plush and comfortable mattress I am sure this bed would help give Bug a peaceful night’s sleep. Plus a big bonus of the bed is the storage space underneath.

Bookworm reading corner

As Bug is a little bookworm I would love to have a lovely bookcase in his bedroom so his extensive book collection could be showcased. I would love to create a bookworm reading corner with a gorgeous Tidy Book bookcase.

I would also love an uber comfy chair from Worlds Apart such as the Ultimate Spider-Man Flocked Chair (perfect for superhero mad Bug) or a Ninja Turtles Flip Out Sofa to be in his bookworm reading corner.

Lighting

Whilst we are restricted on changing the ceiling lights I would love to add some fun and funky lighting to Bug’s new bedroom. Satisfying Bug’s admiration of Superheroes I would love to get a few Superhero themed night lights from The Glow Company such as their amazing 3D FX Marvel Lights.

Bedding

As we are restricted on decorating as well as adding colour and character to the room with furniture, lighting and posters/wall stickers I want to add a splash of colour to the room with some Superhero themed bedding. I hope to get a couple of different Superhero bedding sets to bring Bug’s new big boy bed to life, with this marvellous Marvel Avengers Duvet Cover Bedding Set with 3D Glasses from Universal Textiles.

Now all I need is some superhero powers to transform Bug’s bedroom to a superhero themed big boy bedroom perfect for the new big brother he will soon be.

Updating a bathroom on a budget.

Giving your bathroom a new lease of life doesn’t have to cost a fortune or mean gutting out the bathroom and fitting a completely new bathroom suite. Whilst I am sure the idea of having a completely new bathroom suite is appealing unfortunately sometimes money cannot stretch that far, but fear not you can still update your bathroom and give it a new look without breaking your budget.

You can update your bathroom and revive a tired bathroom by simply changing a few elements of the bathroom to give your bathroom a refreshing new look.

Decorating Bug's bedroom Disney style.

When we found out we were expecting Bug we were excited about creating a unique nursery for our little baba. As both Lee and I love animals we soon settled on an animal theme for the nursery which we thought would be a great unisex design.

As Bug grew inside of me and my bump got bigger and bigger Lee worked hard on the nursery, pouring his love into creating the perfect room for his first born.  After hours and hours of painting by hand with love, sweat and tears being shed (plus a little help from mama-to-be too) Lee had created a wondrous animal themed nursery ready for when we lovingly welcomed Bug into the world.

How to Create a Harry Potter Themed Bedroom.

Despite the final book being released in 2007, Harry Potter is still massively popular and it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon with new films and short stories planned for the future. If your child is mad about the boy wizard then you could try making them a Harry Potter themed bedroom that will make them feel like they’re at Hogwarts.

Here’s how…

Wall Murals

Whilst you could go for Harry Potter wallpaper, it would be that little bit more special if you went for wall murals instead. You can buy stick on pieces and stencils to draw around to help create more of a theme for the room. You could even use a projector to project images on the wall to draw around. For example, you could have the famous images of the Hogwarts Express going over the bridge, a Quidditch match or even Hogwarts itself.

My #shelfie

I am a borderline hoarder.  I am very sentimental and keep anything and everything that has a sentimental memory or emotion attached to it.  I have boxes filled with old letters, cards and stubs from days out and have lots of knick-knacks and ornaments that have a personal sentimental attachment.  In our old house I had lots of shelves where I could display my sentimental ornaments along with lots of candles, vases filled with fresh flowers and my art; but alas since moving I now have very limited space to showcase my sentimental wares.

Until we get around to putting up some shelves (which Lee seems to be dragging his feet about as he has a minimalist style which clashes with my eclectic, hoarder style) I am limited to showcasing my favourite ornaments on my beautiful dresser in our bedroom and the one shelf in our house, the mantle-piece.

On my #shelfie I have some my most treasured and sentimental knick-knacks.  The shelf is adorned with a mismatch of ornaments and knick-knacks, all of which mean remind me of a cherished memory and a dear loved one.

Tips for Decorating a Foster Child’s Bedroom.

I have always admired people who foster children, having read true life books about fostering and heard stories from friends who foster I imagine that fostering can be at times very difficult and challenging but very worthwhile and rewarding.

I remember when my best friend was beginning her journey to become a foster carer she often confided in me her worry about making any foster children they had feel welcome and comfortable in their home.  One of the tasks she had was making the bedrooms she had for foster children into rooms that children would feel happy and comfortable in whilst keeping them suitable for both girls and boys and for children of different ages.

Unlike with her own children whose tastes and likes she knew so well she had to create welcoming bedrooms that would become the foster children’s own space without really knowing their likes and dislikes.  I often sympathised with the tricky matter of delicately balancing the need for a lovely, welcoming and homely room for foster children without it being restrictive in regards of gender or age and also making sure it was not too overwhelming with over-the-top decorating as some of the foster children she would take it would sadly not be used to having their own room or a personally decorated haven for them to enjoy. 

When welcoming a foster child into your home, regardless of the amount of time they will spend with you, it’s of course imperative that they feel happy, safe and secure.  Even if they are only with you for a short time, they will need their own room in which they can have some privacy in a comfortable and happy space.

Creating this refuge for your foster child can seem like quite a daunting task as you will no doubt want to get it just right but may not know much about the child yet.  Therefore we thought we’d put some tips together to help you achieve that safe haven that they will love.

Silk or velvet: Which is the best for a luxurious bedroom?

Your bedroom should be the most relaxing room in the house. This is the room where you should be able to shut out the rest of the world and devote some time to yourself, so why not give your bedroom a glamorous makeover with the most luxurious materials?

Luxury bedroom.

Both silk and velvet are synonymous with luxury and any room decorated with these fabrics will look very stylish. Beautiful fabrics can really add to a room: not only will they look lovely but they’ll also feel wonderfully sumptuous. These fabrics can be used in a variety of ways; you could simply use them as bed throws or you could have velvet curtains complemented by silk bedding. Some people have a sofa or chair in their bedrooms and there’s nothing more elegant than relaxing on a velvet covered chaise lounge at the end of a hectic day.

Bedroom inhabitants.

If younger family members invade your bedroom, make sure that they are aware that grubby fingers and velvet curtains don’t mix. A silk throw is relatively easy to clean and it will also give your bedroom a distinctive touch. If you are going for a neutral effect rather than a room with palpably feminine overtones you could always have a light coloured throw over a darker coloured duvet cover. If your room is decorated in light colours then try to achieve a contrasting look with a dark coloured velvet chair or sofa. Velvet curtains can look beautiful but they will dominate a smaller room, so silk curtains may be a better option.

Five suggestions for decorating the nursery when preparing for a new arrival.

During the exciting time of expecting a baby there comes the time to decorate the nursery ready for your new arrival.  Whilst creating a beautiful nursery for your little baby, why not revamp your own room to create a place to relax and sleep (on those rare occasions when you get the chance that is!).

Here we look at five top suggestions.

1. Be “different” with colour

The usual pinks and blues aren’t the only choices when decorating a nursery.  Neutrals, pale yellows, mint greens all work well if you don’t yet know whether it’s a boy or a girl and you can extend the colour to your own room too if it’s in need of a facelift.  Make it stand out with a bright pop of colour on a “feature wall” and pick up the same bright colour in curtains or bedding for something truly special.