Colours, looks and styles go in and out of fashion – it can be hard to keep up. If you want your home to look up to date and beautiful, it’s important you keep ahead of the trends. For people who are currently redecorating, here are some of the most popular colour schemes to use:

• Grey. This is an increasingly popular colour for walls and carpets, especially lighter greys and dove greys which will help spaces to look more spacious. You can also choose grey furniture pieces, like bedside tables and wardrobes.
• Duck egg. People often use this as a bedroom or living room colour scheme. It is light and airy but also adds a touch of colour and interest, so may be used for a single wall or a feature like a duvet cover.
• Pastel colours. Blues, purples and pinks in pastel shades have been popular for a while now. If you want something a little different, why not try yellow?

Fires and stoves look beautiful in homes of all shapes and sizes, but they need something decorative to help them along. An oak mantel is the perfect fireplace surround, giving you a stylish centrepiece for your fireplace, and also a practical shelf space that you can make use of. It is a largely decorative feature that will go a long way towards improving the appearance of your room, drawing your fireplace into focus and making sure that people look at your lovely stove or fire. (more…)

We all want to impress the neighbours – whether we want to admit to it or not. Homes should look good from the outside, as well as from the inside, and this can be achieved in a number of different ways. Think about the following things when carrying out external home improvements:

Make sure your garden is neat and tidy. If you can’t carry out all the work yourself, hire a gardener. A blooming garden will really help improve the appearance of your property.

Get a new garage door. Whether you choose timber, metal or another material like fibreglass, the newness of a garage door really affects the overall appearance of your home.

Get a new fence, garden gate or side gate. A new fence looks good and also adds to the security of your home. A gate will look good from the outside and also help to give you more privacy.

Think about installing a new driveway. This gives your home much more kerb appeal and will make it look refreshed.

Now is the perfect time of year to begin thinking about home improvements ready for summer? Do you know anything about glass verandas? If not, this could be the perfect option for you, if you are hoping to gain more outdoor space, make better use of the garden or patio area you have and spend time outside. (more…)

Wooden gates are a great choice for UK homes. Stylish, practical and secure, they will add value to a home and improve aesthetic appearance, as well as deterring potential burglars. If you have a large space to cover, you may want to consider using double wooden gates. This is where two gates are used instead of one, creating more of n entrance than a single wooden gate. It adds more security and more privacy to your property and will look incredibly stylish from the inside and the outside.

If you choose to install wooden gates, make sure you choose the right design for you. There are lots of different styles, including:

• Garden gates
• Driveway gates
• Entry gates
• Side gates

The one you choose will depend not just on where you are going to put the gate, but also on how large the opening is. This will dictate the kind of gate you will be able to install.

There are also lots of different kinds of wood you can choose. Often a hardwood gate will last longer and be more durable, though it might also be more expensive. If you choose something like oak, this is going to be one of the most premium gates on the market. A hardwood like ash, beech or sapele, this still gives a great appearance, but will also be cheaper than oak. Some people decide to paint wooden gates, in which case it may not be as beneficial to have a wooden gate that is made of a really premium material. Think about having a softwood gate, or using a lower cost hardwood like ash.

If you are going to install double wooden gates, think about security as one of your main concerns. The gates should be tall enough that they will make it hard to burgle your property. There should be the option to fasten down one gate, or to open up both of them, depending on how you are entering through the gate – if you are driving a vehicle onto a driveway, then you need to flexibility to be able to open both gates at once. Some gates have automatic opening systems, but this is less common in wooden gates. They tend to be chosen more for the appearance than for the technology behind them.

If you choose wooden gates, make sure you also think about quality. Wood can deteriorate a lot if it isn’t looked after, and it bear in mind that it won’t usually be as hardy as materials like metal and wrought iron. However, it looks beautiful, and the main reason people are happy to invest in wooden gates is the appearance. They want the look of wood outside their property, and the look of real wood is the only way to do this.

You should always buy from a good supplier. If you have an awkwardly-shaped gate opening, choose a service that offers made to measure gates, so you can get your wooden gates made bespoke for your property.