1. Houzz

Houzz provides consumers access to over 70,000 home and landscape photographs. This application is perfect for hours and hours of endless ideas for the home and garden. While browsing, users can mark their favourites and return to the favourite photographs as needed.

To make the process somewhat easier, users may select to browse photographs based on style, room type and location. The photographs are high resolution and magazine quality. Local designers, architects and contractors are listed in the application for guidance and help with making ideas reality.

2. DreamHome

Dream Home helps to generate ideas from the latest interior design trends available. Professional designers share their ideas through this application to help people with their decorating challenges. The application includes hundreds of photographs of various rooms and styles.

The application is user-friendly and easy to navigate. People can filter photographs based upon style, colour and room. Photographs are added daily or weekly and can be viewed offline once the recent updates are downloaded from the Internet.

3. Ben Colour

CaptureSelecting a room colour can be difficult. With Ben Colour Capture, there are up to 3,300 different Benjamin Moore colours to peruse. The application allows users to instantly get a match from the database based upon a snapshot. After the colour is matched, the application will direct users to the nearest Benjamin Moore store with the paint colour selected. Custom colours may also be created based upon a photograph. Colours may be shared on Facebook or Twitter to get friends’ and colleagues’ opinions. Notes may be added as reminders for future reference.

4. Decomash

Decomash will help people find artwork for any living space. A photograph of a living space is required for the match. Decomash will do the rest of the work within seconds. Even if there are two different rooms with different décor, Decomash can find artwork that brings the two rooms together into one cohesive unit. Decomash will match artwork with furniture and other elements of the room with its visual search engine and advanced algorithms. The application will also search based upon the person’s budget.

Select the Idea-Generating Home Renovation That is Right for You

Select the idea generating application that is right for the given situation. All of them may be helpful. Since most applications are free or less than $5, it is affordable to buy all five for home renovation projects.

Isaac is a blogger and home improvements guru working for Cliq Studios, Cliq’ are a discount cabinets specialist who design, manufacture and sell the finest cherry, maple and oak kitchen cabinets. Cliqs’ easy to use website can help visualise your new kitchen!

These two roles are what doors were designed to do; however with a little bit of love and attention doors can be updated to room transforming pieces of art. What’s more is that you more than likely have 3, 4 or more in your home already, so can make the updates suggested within this article with little to no expense.

This article outlines some of the key techniques I use to turn boring interior doors in to pieces of furniture. All are relatively straight forward but results are pretty dramatic. Prepare to never look at an interior door in the same way again…

Stickers

Mention of stickers to me immediately conjures images of a child’s room and hundreds of small reflective types plastered everywhere. Nothing could be further from these door stickers. A number of different companies are now producing full size custom door stickers, covering the entire door area. More impressive than size are the scenes they portray; from castle turrets to ancient libraries there is a sticker out there suitable for any room.

Staining

Wood stain isn’t solely reserved for your exterior fence and does in fact come in a variety of shades other than brick red. There are actually a number of different wood stain companies that specialise in interior wood stains and as such have a large variety of colours. Wood stain is great if you have an older wooden door and want to change the colour whilst keeping the grain.

Stripping doors

Stripped doors are great for a couple of reasons. Firstly if you have a nice heavier piece of wood the natural finish can look amazing, secondly because a lot of the time you will need to strip the door prior to applying a different finish. Some doors look a lot nicer stripped than others, you may find that different doors in your house may require different finishes. My general rule of thumb is the older the door the better it will look stripped. Door manufacturers don’t use the same quality of wood as they once did, so if you really want the unfinished look you may need to buy a used door.

Distressing Doors

The distressed look for all furniture is one of my favourites. It typically only works however if the room into which the door is facing has that ‘shabby chic’ feel to it. Distressing a door is slightly more work than the other techniques as it requires both painting and ‘distressing’. Once you are happy with the paint layers (you can use more than one to get a layered effect) you can take sandpaper and tools to the door, how distressed you make it is up to you. It is a slightly addictive process though, so be prepared to never look at another piece of wood furniture in the same way.

Painting doors

In a similar way to staining the door needs to be stripped and sanded prior to being painted. Paint allows you to tie the door in directly with the colour scheme of the room it faces into. Paint also allows you to create a accent piece out of the door by using complimentary but bold colours. Consider also tying in the skirting board and the frame with the door to create a clever design angle.

The above ideas on transforming interior doors were brought to you by Yale composite doors. Yale Door manufactures period style doors including Georgian and Victorian front doors. All doors adhere to strict energy guidelines and are police approved.

Step 1: Don’t ask for qualifications.

Cowboy builders don’t train or get the necessary certification in important areas like Health & Safety. They wake up one day and decide to be a builder. That’s it.

In the UK, Quality builders join associations like the Federation of Master Builders, showing they’ve met strict guidelines like passing credit checks and a minimum of twelve months trading. These builders gladly show their certificates, no questions asked.

Step 2: Don’t ask for experience.

Cowboys don’t have good experience. Why not? Because their past jobs are bad. Really bad. If you saw them, there’s no way on earth you’d even think of hiring them.

Quality builders show proof of past projects including pictures, testimonials with contact details, references from reputable, unbiased sources, and even a high rating on review websites.

Step 3: Get an estimate, not a quote.

Cowboy builders offer estimates. This means the cost can rise and rise. You can complain, but it’s too late. It was a flexible estimate, not a fixed quote.

Quality builders give quotes with no hidden extras. They don’t have tiny small print or charge for what you’d expect for free. What you see is what you pay.

Step 4: Fall for the hard sell.

Cowboys are tough. They push and push and push until you sign on the dotted line. They won’t come back tomorrow because you’ll have time to change your mind. They must sell today. They’ll push all your buttons to get your cash, even if it means escorting you to the cashpoint.

Quality builders are under your control. You ask them to call back, and they do. You ask for time to think, and they give it. You say no, and they leave. You stay in control at all times.

Step 5: Pay everything now.

Cowboy builders demand 100% payment upfront. They don’t do instalments or deposits. They get paid everything now because they won’t show up again. When you finally realise what’s going on, they’ll be long gone with your money.

Quality builders have no problem with a deposit and instalments as the project is completed. It’s the fairest option to all. They get paid for the work they’ve done and you won’t pay a lump sum you can’t afford.

Those are the 5 easy steps to hire cowboy builders. Follow these tips and you’re almost guaranteed to lose thousands with no hope of being repaid. As a bonus, most cowboys won’t even start the work, let alone do a bad job. Without quotes and contracts, not even the police and courts can help you against bad builders. It’ll just be you versus them.

5 Tips towards an Affordable, Eco-Friendly Bathroom

When starting a bathroom remodeling project, often fancy fixtures and designer vanities are the first considerations. However, renovating a bathroom does not have to break the bank. In order to save both your wallet and the environment, consider the following tips:

1. Invest in Energy Efficient Appliances

When renovating a bathroom, a major portion of the budget goes into purchasing appliances, bathtubs, vanities, sinks and so on. Luckily, for the sustainable homeowner, there are a number of options built with sustainability in mind. There are a wide range of appliances designed to save water and energy, ranging from eco-friendly bathroom vanities to low flow shower heads. While certain appliances may have a high initial cost, they can help the homeowner save money in the long run.

2. Look for Sustainable Materials

A variety of components within the bathroom can be rebuilt with sustainable and reclaimed materials, allowing homeowners to reduce their ecological footprint without sacrificing look or feel. For example, bathroom cabinets can be made with bamboo or wheatboard, a material that is made from a combination of wheat straw and binder. But if you prefer the look of wood-like materials, reclaimed lumber is a viable option that allows homeowners to have a positive effect on the environment.

3. Flooring Options

Vanities and furniture are not the only components in the bathroom that can be made with sustainable materials. Replacing flooring materials with sustainable alternatives are another way to save costs as well as the environment. For example, bamboo flooring is made from a fast growing, renewable material that is water-resistant and durable. If your bathroom possesses tile flooring, then choosing tiles made from clay or glass made from recycled materials is another viable option.

4. Save Water

Water is a finite resource and should be conserved as much as possible. Luckily, there are a wide variety of options that can help you save money in the long term through lower water usage. For example, low-flow faucets, shower heads, and toilets are items that use significantly less water than their full-flow counterparts. In the long run, these appliances can help you save gallons of water.

5. Buy Used

Instead of buying new appliances and furniture, consider purchasing used ones instead. Oftentimes, retailers sell refurbished items, which are used goods which have been restored and reworked to working order. Bathtubs are a common item that are refurbished and made to look new. Additional items that can be purchased include appliances, fixtures, and discount bathroom vanities. Not only will you save time and money, but you’re also taking part in recycling appliances and other precious materials.

Sara Fletcher is a writer for Premiere Vanities, an online shop with unique bathroom vanities. One day, she hopes to renovate and build her own dream bathroom. 

Guttering

Your gutters and downpipes will have worked extra hard over the autumn and winter months, so you need to make sure they are clear to deal with the spring showers. Walk round your property to look for any clear signs of damage, or any obvious points of blockage.

Guttering is designed to steer water away from the structure of your home – if it fails, then water will pour directly on to your walls and windows, potentially causing issues with damp. The main cause of these problems is blocked gutters; check them when it’s raining and you’ll be able to see whether the water is correctly flowing down the pipes, rather than over the edge. To unblock the gutter, use a trowel to scoop out any of the debris, while carefully avoiding pushing any of it into the downpipe. Once your gutters are clear, flush them with water.

If the downpipe is blocked, then don’t attempt to clear it by pushing water through – this could just ram the blockage further down. Instead, use stiff wire or a cane to try and break up the matter; keep a bucket at the bottom to catch the waste before it goes into the drain.

If any of your guttering is broken it should be fairly simple to repair. As guttering comes in fixed sections, you can easily replace a damaged section for a new one – especially if you can get replacement parts from the same manufacturer. To remove plastic gutters, the joints and support brackets must be undipped before unscrewing and discarding the fittings. Joints to the downpipe shouldn’t be permanently bonded together, but if they are stuck, cut the sections out.

Take the opportunity to check the fascia board, too. If the timber has any defects, such as holes from screws or nails, they should be cleaned before applying suitable wood filler. It’s also a good idea to strip back the wood and treat it with preservative. Any sections of rotten wood should be cut out and replaced.

The Roof

As your home’s crowning glory, you need to regularly assess the condition of your roof. Start by checking the ceiling inside your attic. If you observe any signs of water damage, such as water spots, check the roof directly above it, as this could signal cracked roof tiles or, potentially, more serious problems (which you should enlist a professional to check it out). Carry out this task at around midday, so that it’s bright enough outside for you to see if any light is peeking through where felt or tiles should be.

Outside, inspect the roof for any obvious damage – such as openings caused by missing or shifted tiles – and replace anything that is broken or cracked. Look at the edges of the roof and the sections where it meets the walls and joins a chimney or dormer. Make sure the cement is not cracked and that joints are not pulling apart.

Light patches of moss shouldn’t cause any physical harm to your roof, but a dense growth could damage the tiles underneath, or slip off and block gutters. You can remove moss manually using a short hard bristle brush – it’s fairly easy to dislodge. Don’t use a pressure washer as this could displace or damage the tiles.

Windows And Doors

You want your windows and doors to be in pristine condition for the summer months. If you have PVCu units, they should only require a good clean with warm soapy water. Never use abrasive materials to clean PVCu as this may scratch the surface, which will dull it and boost the appearance of dirt and stains. If your locks and hinges are stiff they will benefit from a squirt of WD40 to aid smooth operation.

Assess the condition of your timber doors and windows, and repair any small cracks with wood filler. Prod gently around the frame with a screwdriver to locate any soft woodwork under the paint surface – any soft spongy sections are likely to be rotten and in need of repair. Chop out the rotten timber, in addition to the 20mm of sound timber surrounding it. Try to angle the edges of the cut as this will make the repair less noticeable. The new piece of timber should be glued into place and sanded it until it’s flush with the rest of the frame.

Timber units should be painted or varnished every three years or so – the best time to do this is when the weather is fine and dry. Lightly sand the wood to clean and smooth it before applying two coats of your chosen treatment – you’ll need to remove doors for this.

Author Bio:

Guest post by Kashif Raza. Presently working for Aqua Protection which provide a roof coating service for all types of roofs with concrete and clay tiles.

Designers Guild Machines

There are some amazingly modern and stylish washing machines available today, and some are priced very economically. This one is by the Designers Guild and is part of a limited series. You can even get hot and fun decals for your walls to make the space more interesting.

Upgrade a room quickly and easily with a colourful tiled backsplash! And add some extra storage with easily installed mounted shelves. Move upmarket with framed prints and art, and even wall sconces – a mini-gallery in your laundry space!

If you are tight for space, and even have only a large sink, you can incorporate storage around the area in a clever way for a great utility zone. A few high shelves and a wall-mounted cabinet can shift laundry powders and other chemicals away from your work surfaces, and a free-standing unit can help as well.

Keep organised with a great bookcase or shelving unit for cleaning supplies, sheets and towels.

Mini-appliances can also help if you are extremely limited for space, such as the ones shown here which tuck away in a corner.

You can transform a space such as this 6 ft x 10 ft one into a craft room which doubles for laundry. Built-in cabinets, fold-away hidden ironing board, stacked washer-dryer combo unit, and a drop down drying rack complete this economical and space-saving laundry area.  A lacy adhesive appliqué can make glass doors more classy and more private. Wall paper on the ceiling offers an endless variation of interesting spaces.

Wallpaper with a pink damask design transforms this old laundry room into a whole new experience.

The use of shiny metal and/or glass, such as crystal knobs, a chandelier and great wallpaper make a mere laundry room into a palace!

Modern takes on interior design are about clean lines, splashes of colour and a minimalist approach to furnishings. However, the classic stately home look remains very popular among those who want to create a traditional home. Here, the key theme should be luxury. The lived-in look can still work – it doesn’t have to look like Buckingham Palace – but maintaining a high standard of finish is important.

Before you start redecorating, you need to decide on an overall theme. While mixing flamboyant Rococo-style pieces with Art Deco bits may occasionally work, it can often look muddled and damage the overall impact of the room. If you already have a choice piece of furniture you want to retain, work out from this. Alternatively start a blank canvas with a colour scheme for the walls and ceiling.

Certain fixtures remain fairly consistent throughout period property – especially when it comes to lighting. Wayfair chandeliers and ceiling lights are good options, but there are others – should be complemented by table lamps, and look for a balance between small sofas and chairs for seating needs.

When it comes to colour, the tone you choose should depend on what mood you want to create in the room. Blue is a calming colour, but is often considered too cold for the living room. Oranges and reds can create a more energy, but remember to add those luxurious touches for the period look. The classic Rococo style is to lavishly decorate walls and ceilings with a combination of pastel colours and gold.

As for the furniture, the period look requires wooden pieces, usually polished mahogany or gilded, upholstered in leather or velour. Once you have your look, you can bring in Italian, Greek or even Chinese motifs to add a little extra twist.

Overall, be prepared to take your time and get the look right – especially when it comes to accessories. Be patient and build your look over time by trawling antique shops and you will eventually have your ideal period living room.

Contracting Your Project

Painting contractors do much more than simply apply paint to the walls of a home.  Professional contractors must first prepare the walls.  This involves removing any problematic paint, finishes, or other blemishes.  The wall must then be sanded until it is flat.  Depending on the type of wall, putty or another material can then be pushed into depressions and holes, and the entire wall sanded again to achieve a perfectly flat surface.  After allowing the walls to cure, they are then washed and permitted to dry.  It is only at this point that a contractor will start to paint interior walls.

Painting Procedures

When painting contractors are hired to paint the outside of a home, a long list of procedures are first done to ensure that the exterior surface of the home will accept the paint smoothly, will hold up under different weather conditions, and will not be harmed by the paint.  Sometimes, this process can involve other types of contractors, especially in situations where the house cannot be painted without first fixing damage or replacing parts of the outer walls.  Exterior painting can also require special equipment for application, and is best done by a professional since many aspects are weather dependent.  A poorly done exterior paint job will peel or flake away over time.

Research is Key

Choosing the right painting contractors can be difficult.  There are a few professional associations and trade unions that the painters can belong to that can help to determine their qualifications.  In some areas, professional painters are required to hold a license in order to perform contract work.  The best way to judge whether a contractor is right for a specific paint job is to look at the work that they have done previously.  Checking references about work habits as well as looking at how well their work has stood up over time can differentiate one contractor from another when considering different paint services.  It is also important to look at more than one contractor at first and to get a variety of quotes for the cost of the work to help get an idea of what the price range should be.

While speaking to the painting service that will be used, time can be saved by making a plan on how to prepare the target areas for the contractors.  This might involve moving furniture in a certain way, clearing out a backyard area, or having some simple rags and other supplies ready.  Being prepared for the contractors can make the entire process easier and less stressful for both parties.

This article was provided by Toronto painters – If your home is in need for a fresh paint job, get the job done fast by hiring painting contractors Toronto.  At The Fresh Coat Painting our professional Toronto painters can provide a free quote on your next project. 

Times have changed. Where buyers may once have been impressed by the addition of a swimming pool, tennis court or jacuzzi to a house, you would be unwise nowadays to invest good money in any of these in the hope that they will increase the value of your home.

According to a recent study, in financially challenging times the primary motivator for the modern house buyer is space; we want as much useable living-space for our money as possible. Additionally, the best space will be naturally light, uncluttered and practical. Next most important on the list of house-buying criteria after living spaces is the quality of the kitchen and bathroom; getting these right will add both value and appeal to your home.

Increased space adds value to your home

There are a number of ways to increase the floor space and add value to your home. A separate kitchen and dining room no longer hold the appeal that they once did. Safely removing an internal and non-supporting wall between the two rooms to create an airy, light and open-plan kitchen-diner is a relatively inexpensive way to add practical living space.

If your loft is of an adequate size and height, the creation of an additional bedroom (and en-suite bathroom if possible) following a loft conversion is one of the best ways of adding value to your home. A survey of more than one hundred estate agents concluded that a sympathetic and practical loft conversion can increase the value of your home by an average of around 12%.

Even if a loft conversion cannot be achieved, increasing the number of bedrooms can add enormous value to your home with the conversion of a three-bedroomed home into four bedrooms adding the most value. Since adding space is the key objective here, avoid at all costs the temptation to convert a single large bedroom into two smaller ones by installing a partition wall. Consider instead adding an extension to your home; you may be able to build over an existing garage, for example. Whilst this may appear an expensive option, the opinion of estate agents is that an additional bedroom will more than recoup its building costs in terms of the increased value of your home.

Conservatories still add value to your home

If adding bedrooms is not possible, consider adding a conservatory to your home. In many cases a conservatory does not require planning permission as long as it is internally separate from the rest of the house and is not connected to your home’s central heating (these factors distinguish a conservatory from a ‘glazed extension’ which would require planning permission and must adhere to building regulations). A conservatory will undoubtedly add value to your home and can provide an attractive extra reception room. A conservatory that is well-constructed and integrates well with the style of your home could potentially double your investment in it.

Does your garage really add value to your home?

Finally, if your home features an attached or integrated garage and you already have a driveway, think about converting your garage into living space. It’s estimated that only 10% of garages are actually used regularly for housing a car. If your garage is merely a storeroom for junk, it’s not adding value to your home. Since it’s already pre-built, transforming your garage into a new kitchen or living area is a cost-effective way of adding desireable and practical floor space and significantly increasing the value of your home.

If all else fails, renovate and update

If you’ve maximised every inch of available space in your home, take a look at your kitchen and bathroom. These areas are of primary interest to prospective house buyers. Cracked and dirty bathroom tiles and a scratched plastic bathroom suite in avocado do you no favours in terms of house value. The same applies to dated kitchens with worn work surfaces and inlaid grime. The modern kitchen has become more than somewhere simply used for cooking. Turning your kitchen into an attractive, functional, modern and light living space can add an estimated 5% to the value of your home. Similarly, refurbishing your bathroom doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but the choice of a light suite, fresh tiles and gleaming chrome fittings can increase the value of your home by up to a further 3%.

John is a guest blogger from SkipandBin.com which provides a skip hire comparison service to help you find the cheapest skip hire in your area. Also use their handy free tool to find out the cost of skip permits in your town.

Creating A Pinterest Scrapbook

Effectively, one could create a scrapbook of ideas using the thousands of images which users ‘pin’ from around the world. By categorising these into rooms using boards (e.g. bedroom ideas, lounge ideas, etc), ‘pinners’ could build out a virtual house of ideas and redesign every room in their property.

Following Interior Design Pinners

Pinterest has a wide variety of interior designers using the pins. The wonderfully clear layout of the pins and the fact they can create such an attractive image, means they really can offer some great ideas for those looking for interior design inspiration.

There are a number of inspiring Pinterest boards out there that offer you images and also advice below in the comments box. You should look to follow these high profile designers to gain access to their pins and truly inspirational boards.

The fact pinboards can be made up of any particular niche, or of any broad sphere means it is possible to meet a wide range of design tastes and create pins of a certain style. These can then be shared across communities and social media in an easy manner, meaning great ideas have the opportunity to travel fast and reach many people.

Pinterest For Companies

Most companies that have sites which are largely orientated towards visuals, such as those in the interior design realm, or ecommerce fashion and home websites, will have Pinterest boards, to ensure they can make the most of the products they are selling, or designing (and of course, the link building benefits which they gain from using the application). The visual element can pair items beside each other, which complement each other as well as show whole ideas for rooms and areas, all on one board.

Ideas can be added to the images that are ‘pinned’ via comments and people can link to and pin certain pictures to their board, creating a collaborative environment and inspiration for their own interior design from the boards. All of this means it is a 21st century way of engaging, getting great ideas and making the most of your home.

Pinterest not only can be utilised as a great source of inspiration for home interior design, but also as a place to find suppliers of materials, along with guidance from those top interior designers and bloggers whose ideas can become part of your own via this valuable new tool.

Pinterest is still a ‘by invitation only’ website which makes it seem all the more special – look out for your invite and grab it to get access to all that it has to offer.

All hail Pinterest!

Dawn Anderson enjoys Pinterest, interior design and blogging and is currently working with Top Tradespeople, website where you can compare quotes for home improvement from local tradesmen.

When you get people to view your home it’s important to think about how you are going to ensure it makes the best possible impression on the people looking around. What you need to recognize as the homeowner hoping to make a sale, is that selling your property is a very psychological process that has a range of factors. Often this isn’t a logical decision they make, but rather an emotional one – a ‘gut feeling’ as to whether they want to move in there or not. In all likelihood you will probably have had a similar gut feeling when you first moved into your property.

So the question is – how can you manipulate this gut feeling, or at least make people more likely to feel that way when they’re looking around your home? Here are a few methods you can use.

Make it Look Bigger: Most of us feel relaxed when we’re in wide open spaces, and this is something we register on a very basic level. The good news is that it’s possible to make a room feel much more spacious. For instance if you add some more white then this will reflect more light and create a feeling of openness. Adding whiter paint to your skirting boards then, or changing a blue wall for a beige one can make a lot of difference.

Likewise if you have clutter on your floor and surfaces this too can create a more claustrophobic feel. You can combat this by just removing those items. Things like a rug in the middle of the floor might look nice, but they also make your home look busier – so just remove it to create a feeling of more space. Using mirrors you can also reflect light in the room and make it feel much more spacious again.

Be Presentable: Obviously that means making your house presentable, but it also means making sure that you look presentable. If you look smart and well dressed when you meet with your potential buyers they will associate that with the property and they will assume that the property has been well looked after. Likewise you should be as warm and friendly as possible.

Make it a ‘Blank Slate’: You probably have lots of ornaments and pictures and other items that all look great in your home. This is all very well for you, and your guests might approve of them as well, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be to everyone’s tastes. If your property has a very ‘you’ feel to it, then this can actually get in the way of their imagining the property was theirs. You need to remove some of your items in order that they can imagine what the place would look like with their items in there.

But Make it Warm: However you don’t want it to look too much of a blank slate or it will look a little cold and empty. You want there to be some signs of life but you want those to be inoffensive and subtle. One great strategy is to place a picture of you and your family/partner/friends in the property having a great time with big smiles. It’s slight, but this can create an image of a happy home.

Cater to Your Audience: If you are really savvy then you can cater to the audience who is going to see your house. In other words, if you have an elderly couple looking around your home then you might want to leave out the nice cushions and ornaments; but if you have a young professional you might want to make a more minimalist and modern look. Just a few items can make the place look ready to live in for your particular market, so think about it logically and plan ahead.

Sal Induisi is a real estate advisor for condos in fort lauderdale florida. Through his blog he likes to inform people about finding the right condos in fort lauderdale florida.

The following photographs are examples of how painting and decorating with warm or cool colours (or a combination of both elements) create different emotions.

Using COOL colours for Painting and Decorating

The cool earth tones of blue and tan in this bedroom affect a calming and mellow mood. The brown is a grounding colour while the sky blue and white open the space, promoting a positive outlook. As it is a bedroom, if you want a space where you and your partner can have a space to relax and reconnect, choosing cool colours is optimal.

Pink: Decorating and Painting a nurturing room for your child

Pink is a soothing colour reminiscent of maternal comforts. This bedroom is lovely space for a little girl, with the light shades of pink, sheer floral curtains, and plenty of sunlight during the day. Painting and decorating with pink does not have to be limited to a girl’s bedroom, but accents of pink in the living room give it a soothing touch.

Red for a Passionate Bedroom

Red is a colour associated with passion, and generally has a bolder and more stimulating emotional effect. It’s a strong colour choice, but if you are looking for your bedroom to be a place of energy and stimulation, then red may be right.

Balancing bedroom emotion with WARM colours

Mixing warm colours in painting and decorating a bedroom often create a joyful atmosphere conducive to conversation. There is a balance of emotional colour elements in this bedroom, with a red chair, burnt orange blanket and wooden furniture against cool white walls.

Let the yellow shine

Stepping outside and feeling the sunshine on your face might make you smile and feel optimistic about life. In the same way, painting and decorating your bedroom with yellow hues can induce a feeling of wellbeing. Not only do the cream-coloured walls help make the room feel more inviting, the sunny photograph decorating the back wall evokes a sense of joy.

Carol is not the type of personality to give up and throw her hopes and dreams out of the window, rather she discussed with her children at length what she had accomplished in her life and created a “bucket list” of sorts of things she wanted to achieve in the coming few years.

She explained to her daughter that her primary focus in life was to give security to her children so they could live happily and not have to worry about financial problems, mortgages and the other stresses which come with life. One of the items on her list was her dream of creating a home which her children and their children could call their own.

As a working mother she had spent over 35 years investing in a property in Enfield, working double jobs at times to pay off her mortgage. Now that the home was hers she had hoped to expand it with a new home extension which would stretch out 9 metres (about 30 ft) into the good-sized garden.

Carol and her son decided to go to Colorado (USA) to see a cancer specialist and to visit family. She left the UK with a plan to return at Christmas 2011.

Unbeknownst to Carol, her daughter Sara who remained in the UK, contacted Innovate Builders London to discuss the house extension project. The budget was tight and the planning looked arduous. The circumstances of the situation were also explained to the site manager of Innovate Builders London and the goals were set:

1. The house extension needed to be completed by Christmas 2011.
2. Planning would need to be sped through faster than ever.
3. The London building company would have to do extra hours to get the project done on time.
4. The budget was tight and would have to be monitored to the penny

Overcoming Planning Permission Time

Fortunately planning for this home extension had been in discussion for several years. Carol had given up on it due to getting lost in red tape and planning lingo she was not familiar with.

Innovate Builders London took the reigns and contacted the local authority. The production manager had recently completed the planning for a loft conversion in Enfield so was familiar with the local planning officer.

Again, Carol’s story was told to the planning authority. He was so touched by it that he viewed it as a priority planning application. Time was saved by direct conversation with the planning authority on points which needed modification. plans were being turned around, corrected and resubmitted within a few hours.

The House Extension

Works began in August 2011. Innovate Builders London organized the surgical demolition of the now empty home rear to make way for foundations.

By September the steel structures were going up and the 60 sq metre home extension was taking form.

By November the project hit a stop when the internal walls were going up. The home extension was a bare shell of breeze block and bricks. Funds were not available until the end of the month and the work materials could not be covered as planned. Innovate Builders London met with Sara to work out a solution. Every member of the building company was onboard with one purpose – to get it done before Carol returned from the USA. There was no question of failure.

Innovate’s Production Manager came up with a solution. The firm had recently acquired 2 new trucks and were willing to sell them to gather the funds for the project. The trucks were sold and the building works continued with only one week delay.

Just Days Before the Deadline

It was the 19th of December 2011 and the home extension was looking great, but it was 2 weeks away from completion at the pace things were going. Carol was due back on the 23rd and it was looking tight for time. The place was packed with 16 members of Innovate’s building teams. Carpenters were finishing off the kitchen while making way for the electricians who were testing the new wiring and fitting sockets and switch plates. The decorators were working evening shifts and had to use extensive protective measures not to damage or spill paint on anything.

On the 21st of December it was still a week behind schedule. To resolve this, Innovate Builders London organised a night shift team to run until 7am and then turn over to the day shift. This continued for 2 nights with tradesmen in the new home extension 24 hours a day. Neighbors were talked to by Sara and were happy to have works continue for this exciting cause.

Carol Arrives

On the eve of the 23rd, Carol and her son were picked up at the airport by Sara and her husband. Meanwhile, back at the property a clean up crew was busy making the place spotless for Carol’s arrival. A few tradesmen were completing a “snag list” and a couple of touch ups. Innovate needed to get the vans out of the driveway before Carol arrived.

Sara greets her mother at the airport and tells nothing of the past 6 months. Carol had been given some good news about her cancer, it was treatable with an 85% chance of full recovery. The news brought joy to everyone at which point Sara told her mother that she wanted to show her something.

It took 1 1/2 hours to drive from Heathrow airport to Enfield, London and they finally arrived at their home. Carol points out that she sees a bunch of white vans just down the road with decorators dressed in overalls. She says, “it’s a bit late for decorators to be working now, it’s almost 9:30!”. Sara smiles as she escorts her mother to the front door which was newly painted. “Oh! You had some decorating done!” Carol says. Sara tells her that she had “a few touch ups done around the house.”

Carol walks into her home an notices something is very different but can’t place her finger on it. She gets shown to the kitchen and her reaction is stunning. Inside her new kitchen extension is her whole family and the production manager of Innovate Builders London. The cheer sends Carol into tears of joy as she gazes around at her new dream home. She is overwhelmed with happiness and completely bewildered as to how it was all done.

Her joy was worth the effort.

Gallery

Fearing the future? The Apocalypse of 2012? End of the World? Or maybe just down-right paranoid?

This “safe house” design by KWK Promes is a home for the anyone who wants ultimate security and perhaps needs to see someone to talk about their issues.

Regardless of the reason for the design, the fact that such a building exists is an architectural feat worth mentioning. It’s clean, modernistic and minimalistic exterior, flush with ample open space created by 70% of the the building having windows would be a beautiful country home for anyone who could afford it.

Below you will see, what appears to be protruding wall additions that are “just part of the home design. Instead, these are massive slabs of reinforced concrete mechanically attached to the walls for… wait for it…  lock down.

Massive steel shutters are used to cover the front entrance of the home.

A drawbridge? Now we have seen it all. If you don’t want your mother in-law coming in, this house is for you.

So, if it is the end of the world and all looks grim. Just set your GPS coordinates to this home and here you will find planet earth making its last stand against the heaviest of all enemy forces.

That being said, this structure is amazing.

Here’s a few economic tips for your after-move decorating:

• Put paint cans in old plastic containers. This will prevent paint spills and give you somewhere to rest your brush.
• Need a quick wallpaper solvent? You can try vinegar! It is also useful for cleaning sponges, brushes and other paint tools. Avoid coloured vinegars, of course
• When using gloss paint, cover your hands with Vaseline or oil. It’ll make cleaning a lot easier. Buttery spreads will also work.
• If your gloss paint becomes too thick, add a squirt of washing up liquid to free things up.
• Use wire wool instead of sandpaper on window frames to prevent scratching the glass.
• Put a rubber band under the bristles of a paint brush to prevent the paint from sliding down.
• Don’t throw away used turpentine – leave it in a tightly screwed jar and the paint will eventually sink to the bottom, making the liquid re-useable.
• Adding vanilla essence or perfume to paint can take away the horrible smell.
• House sponges can be used to paint walls with emulsion.
• Tie rollers in an old plastic bag if they are going to be used the next day.