Design Styles – Shabby Chic

For those whose homes were in need of a little tender loving care, shabby chic was the design style from heaven. Starting in the UK in the 1980s and spreading around the world, the style was pounced on by those who were looking for an alternative to minimalist white boxes. All of a sudden old furniture and scrubbed walls were in and we couldn’t get enough of it.

Unfortunately for those of us with decaying run down homes, the designers quickly pointed out that this new interior decorating craze had to be a fusion of shabby and chic and that mere shabby just wouldn’t do. There was a certain irony in this as the inspiration for the design came from the grand old houses of the aristocracy where items such as chintz chairs were expected not just to last for a lifetime but for several generations. In these homes faded materials and patches were signs of thrift and tradition.

The earliest shabby chic style was rather grand in manner, using large pieces of furniture to make a statement. Nowadays it has transformed, becoming softer and more feminine but still aiming to tell a history of the property or piece.

When decorating your home in this style the easiest place to start, particularly in an older home, is with the walls. Often you will find that they have had a succession of paints or papers. Carefully peeling layers of these back allows you to expose the history of the house and …

Decorating Your Home In Tudor Style

You can easily recognize the simple appeal and class of Tudor home exteriors. The Tudor style is integrated in different settings: from small cottages to majestic castles. This style does not have strict rules when it comes to decorating, yet there are certain trademarks and touches that impart its exquisite features.

You can add a Tudor flair to your home even though it wasn’t built entirely for this particular style by adding beams as your interior adornments. Tudor style nowadays can simply be conveyed by the paneling method: this is a simple way to introduce Tudor fashion to your home’s interior.

Generally, either brick or flagstone is being used in the flooring of Tudor homes. In recent years, most people are aiming to create a contemporary twist to this style by using stone tiles. Usually, small wool rugs cover these floors in average homes while fancy Oriental rugs make the look perfect in luxurious homes. The good news is that even an average homeowner can afford buying Oriental rugs in fine imitations on the market.

Beautiful wall tapestries further adds grace to the walls creating a rich, classy look in well-off homes. Most homeowners who attempt to get a world class Tudor home style stick with using these tapestries. You have to consider using them too if you want the best for your home.

The focal point of any bedroom is the bed. Although your home is just average, you can heighten the elegance by installing four post beds. The …

Various Types of Roofing Materials

Before doing a roofing project, one might not understand how wide the selection of roofing material. Only a part of shingles in a local home improvement warehouse can be enough to make an amateur head spin. Shingles is just the beginning; there are various kinds of materials to be decided between when starting a roof project. To begin with clarifying, the roofing material is the visible top layer of the roof. Roofing material is intended for the purpose of isolation and protection from external elements, with secondary functions as aesthetics.

There are several roofing materials made from natural elements. The thatched roof is made of overlapping plant material and can still be found throughout Europe and the UK. The thatched roof may look outdated but some can have a very long life expectancy and protect well against the elements. Most straw roof applications are currently in developing countries. But, there are many rich people who choose straw to make a rustic look or have a more environmentally conscious home. Slate is another natural material and many roofs around the world are still used. Slate is a type of stone that can be broken into tiles easily because of its fine grain. Slate is mostly used in Europe and England but can be found in several places in America as well. Slate roofs are very durable but can also be very expensive. Also, 90% of slate roofs in Europe come from slate found in Spain.

The type of roofing material that …

Front Yard Landscape And Home Improvement

Did you know that well-thought front yard landscapes are more valuable in terms of the value of your home than kitchen or bathroom renovations? This should be a good enough reason to start working on a comprehensive plan to fix what’s wrong in your yard.

Here are five top tips that are inexpensive and likely to improve the look of your property overnight.

  • Do a major clean up in the yard. Call in a rubble remover and get rid of the old rusted hosepipe and the broken-down washing machine and lawnmower. Pull out the weeds at the side of the house. Rake and de-weed the lawn. Sweep the paths and driveway. Fix or replace rattling windows and doors. Apply varnish to window frames to brighten them up. Clean the gutters. Go up on the roof and rid it of debris and give the roof a good sweep. Paint the trim of the house. Pick up the dog poop once or twice a day.
  • Get a hose reel so that the water hose is not always tangled up in a heap in the yard. Replace the old mailbox with one that is large and sturdy.
  • Take a close look at the front door. Does it need to be varnished? Do you need a peephole so you can check first before you open the door? Clean the glass portions of the door. Sweep the porch and rid it of unnecessary items. Give away the birdcage that’s been gathering dust on the porch.

Did You Know That Vinyl Siding Costs Much Less Than Other Siding Materials?

Are you one of those who plan to build your dream house, or may be needs to do a major renovation on your home but is on a limited budget? If you are someone who is looking for ways on how to cost-cut yet have a beautiful home, searching for the most affordable materials for your home is one major factor to keep expenses within the budget. Prices on almost everything have been increasing nonstop, so you would want to make the best deals in building or renovating your home. Starting off with the exterior of your home, choosing which siding to use is important. There are vinyl siding, aluminum siding, masonite siding, brick or stone siding, Stucco, cedar shakes, synthetic siding, clapboard siding, and a lot more. But if you are particularly on a tight budget and would want something durable and yet affordable, choosing a vinyl siding may be the best choice. It has become a popular choice by many home owners because of its known price. Vinyl siding costs have allured majority of those who are building homes today.

It is true that vinyl siding costs cheaper than other siding materials. A typical siding costs as low as $4/sq. ft. This is when the job is done by the homeowner himself. If let’s say a contractor is hired to do the job, it can increase to about $7/square foot. There are times when home owners find fabulous deals of $1/square foot. Although, the quality may be questionable …

Remodeling Your Home – Give Your Conservatory Style, With New Furnishings

Making our homes as lovely as we can, has become a national past-time and every weekend Brits everywhere are hitting the DIY centers and looking for the next way to improve their homes. It had been the case that some people were thinking purely in terms of how much this would benefit them when it comes to the valuation of their homes, but even in the slow market when house prices have fallen so dramatically, we know this will not be forever. Making your home somewhere to be proud of and to enjoy, is more than just simply adding value, it is also not losing value and it is having a home you love to live in, which is the most important thing.

If you have been lucky enough to add a conservatory to your dwellings in the last few years then maybe you know, like with all home spaces that need a bit of sprucing up. If you are thinking of remodeling your conservatory, this doesn’t have to mean, the whole builders in and total mess everywhere, that you may think it does when you think about such a project. It would be a much cheaper alternative to simply restyle your space just like you would anywhere else in your home. A conservatory is always extra space that your home did not begin with, so having one means more room for you. This is always something that improves a home, extra space, but you should keep in mind the …

Beautifying Your House With Outside Garden Figurines

Redesigning your own yard as well as the garden decoration is the most notable property remodeling zones. Home suppliers inventory a lot of outside furniture, outside lamps as well as lights, heating system and no finish of other activities to transform a brand new model outside area. You will need to choose your personal “look” for your outdoor space. It is best to take a look at publications and on internet sites for ideas and details on what may be both accomplished and acquired for the backyard.

Your yard or deck creates a great area by which to amuse people, however, you should be sure that this area is actually appropriately outfitted along with appealing backyard highlights. The outside yard decor consists of each outdoor furnishings and several additional accessories such as statues, fire bowls, BBQs, outdoor lighting in addition to heaters; additionally flowers, drinking water features as well as almost everything you can possibly imagine. The record which is readily available for your yard and backyard decor really is limitless. So long as you make sure to pick the correct decor for your region, you will value the outcome because some of this particular yard, as well as patio decor, may cost quite a bit, consequently buying the proper decorations is important.

I found an excellent set of garden storage shed plans on the internet, and at which moment thanked personally for not attempting to do this by myself. No one really realizes just how much you need to …