It’s never easy to make decisions about homes and flooring. Should you choose a carpet? Will laminate look as good as wood? Who will fit it? Can you do it yourself? With so many questions and so much conflicting advice out there, it’s little wonder it’s so hard to make a decision.

If your question is relating to real, solid wood flooring, then you will want to understand the benefits before you make a decision. Solid wood is undoubtedly going to look wonderful, with a unique grain running through it – so nobody’s flooring will be quite the same as yours. Wood is very strong as well, so your flooring isn’t going to get scratched and dented as soon as you have fitted it.

The main thing to remember about your flooring is that solid wood cannot be used in humid conditions, as it can expand and contract. You will need to leave some space around the edges for it to do this.

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…)