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Five Ways To Beautify Your Kitchen

Giving your kitchen a makeover takes time and effort and it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that a little attention to detail can go a very long way. Once you understand that, you can understand that you don’t necessarily have to rip out and replace all of your counters and cabinets just to have a beautiful kitchen.


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Giving your kitchen a makeover takes time and effort and it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that a little attention to detail can go a very long way. Once you understand that, you can understand that you don’t necessarily have to rip out and replace all of your counters and cabinets just to have a beautiful kitchen.

 

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A beautiful kitchen is about maximising the space you have with your taste. So, if you are a lover of rustic antiques like the ones shown here, then you’ll be fairly likely to have wooden kitchen worktops and make use of scrubbed wooden dining tables. If you prefer something a little sharper and sleeker in looks, go for black marble or granite worktops instead. Your kitchen’s look is all about you and what you like, so you can enjoy the room as you see fit. Beautifying this space is about the little details, not the huge changes. So, how can you beautify your kitchen?

  1. Update your cabinet handles. Draws and doors often come with handles when you have a kitchen installed or you move into a new home. A simple change from chrome handles to wooden knobs can make such a difference, especially if you are going for a warm, rustic charm in your kitchen.

  2. Use light colours. Dark colours can shrink a room right down and if your current kitchen is on the dark side, swap for something pastel. A lick of paint can give a room a freshness it needs and when the natural light floods through, everything brightens up.

  3. Metallic is in! Switch out your dated plastic sink and drainer and replace them from a variety of stainless steel sinks. Sleek and modern, metals in the kitchen can match beautifully. Your appliances and oven can all be in sync – no pun intended – and your sinks can match them, too!

  4. Kitchen lighting is known to be quite harsh and bright. Strip lights are very fluorescent and of course, in a place you need to be able to see clearly while chopping and preparing food, it’s helpful. However, by changing over your lighting you are changing the mood of the space. Spotlights over the cooking area and low-hanging drop lights or chandeliers over the eating area give the entire room two entirely different looks.

  5. Flowers are a beautiful way to change the look of your kitchen. It’s not just the colours, but the shape of the vases you use. Use several different types of vases for a different look wherever you place the blooms.

Beautifying your kitchen space isn’t about total replacement. It’s all about making it look homely, welcoming and perfect for your family. Put your stamp on it, as when children take over other rooms in the house you need a solace. Sure, it’s a place to cook, clean and eat, but it’s nice to be able to go into the kitchen to find your zen while you witness the stampede from there!

 

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Plastic Coloured Splashbacks for the Bathroom

We've very nearly finished the extension work, with just a few bits and pieces to finish and to complete the play-room.  Then later in 2017 I hope to renovate the bathroom and the en-suite - this is our next rooms on the list for renovation.

On my dream list, is to fit the walk-in shower with acrylic splashback - a green coloured splashback. With it being plastic, it's much cheaper than the glass splashbacks, but still gives you a stylish and high gloss finished appearance. Adding a splash of colour to the bathroom.

We've very nearly finished the extension work, with just a few bits and pieces to finish and to complete the play-room.  Then later in 2017 I hope to renovate the bathroom and the en-suite - this is our next rooms on the list for renovation.

On my dream list, is to fit the walk-in shower with acrylic splashback - a green coloured splashback. With it being plastic, it's much cheaper than the glass splashbacks, but still gives you a stylish and high gloss finished appearance. Adding a splash of colour to the bathroom.

Plastic splashbacks are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to other wall coverings as plastic can be formed and moulded into just about any shape. They offer a more vibrant and bold finish, with an array of colours and/or patterns to choose from.

Splashbacks offer a more modern, sleek and unique finish.

As well as their appearance, the other benefits plastic splashbacks offer:

  • Fully shatterproof
  • Quick and easy installation - either screwed or glued to the walls (as long as the wall is prepped beforehand)
  • They are stain resistant
  • They offer a non-stick surface so will not harbour mould, calcium build up or soap

Plastic Splashbacks are a great option for kitchens and bathrooms.

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DIY Or Use A Professional - When To Choose Which

Whether you’re a seasoned expert or new to DIY, it’s a hobby that can be both enjoyable and rewarding at the same time. Not only do you learn new skills, but you get to reap the rewards too. But sometimes, being able to do it all yourself just isn’t an option.

Whether you’re a seasoned expert or new to DIY, it’s a hobby that can be both enjoyable and rewarding at the same time. Not only do you learn new skills, but you get to reap the rewards too. But sometimes, being able to do it all yourself just isn’t an option.

Depending on your skills, time and experience, you may or may not be able to choose the DIY card every single time. If not, it might be time to call in the professionals. If you’re not sure which option is best, take a look at these top tips on when to choose which.

Designing

If you’re planning on decorating an entire room, you might want to get your design in mind first. Maybe you’re just doing a colour change, or perhaps you’re looking forwards to completely redoing it all. Either way, there’s one tell all sign that you can look out for when deciding on doing it yourself or asking for help.

Do you need to draw anything to scale? If so, you might need to rope in a designer to get you started. But if not, if you can work with a rough idea on build on it as you go, stick to your guns and DIY!

Painting

When it comes to painting, it can be a breeze or an absolute nightmare. Do you have a steady hand? Have you put in enough practice? Or, maybe you’ve never done it before, but you can handle the mess if it comes down to it? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then do it yourself.

But, if you might mess up the cutting in, or leave marks on the wall, or even if you just don’t have the time to commit to painting an entire house, call in the professionals. In this instance, you might be glad you did!

Exterior

Outdoor renovations and improvements can be tricky. Unless of course, you’re a skilled professional, then you’ve got it covered. Whether your outdoor work is to repair a fence or build a roof, you might need advice if you’re deciding not to call in the experts this time.

If you’re going to give it a go, get measuring, planning and buying. Head to building and outdoors specialists, such as Timber Merchants, to stock up on the right materials, find what you need and get your specifications sorted.

Interior

Some of the most obvious areas to opt for DIY come under the interiors category. More often than not, you’ll find that you don’t need a designer. If you have a vision for how the rooms should look, you can consider trends and find inspiration in magazines or online to guide you. Pinterest has some really interesting ideas for DIY that might make a huge difference to the way you design your interior space.

Specialisms

The category that might be best left to the professionals - the specialisms. Things like electric and plumbing should really be left to those in the know. Make sure you save your budget for these areas. Unless you know someone in the trade. If you have a friend or family member that’s happy to lend a hand, even better. If not, it’s best to let the professionals get it right first time, then make a mess of it yourself.

Finally, don’t forget the hire the Skips, otherwise, the rubbish soon builds up. Thus, hiring a 10 Yard Skip will allow you and/or the professionals to keep on top of the mess caused by building works / renovations, in a much more easier and hassle-free way.

 

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Tips For DIY IN 2017

2016 for us has been all about the new extension and renovations on our home. The extension is done and we are happily using the room and enjoying the new space. But, all the renovations on the other parts of our home is not done; we still have quite a bit to do. 

2016 for us has been all about the new extension and renovations on our home. The extension is done and we are happily using the room and enjoying the new space. But, all the renovations on the other parts of our home is not done; we still have quite a bit to do. 

Currently, we are renovating our new dining room - The dining room was our old living room, we've put a partitioned wall in, thus, we need the rooms wiring to be separated, as well as new pendant lights, new spotlights, and some new sockets.  

All this inevitably means that in 2017 we’ll be knocking some sizable holes in walls or having to replace sections altogether. While doing some research for our exciting renovations, I came across a lot of talk about asbestos in walls, ceilings and even sticking down tiles - it’s all rather scary. I know our home is safe because of checks we’ve has carried out, but it got me thinking about all my fellow DIYers and how I could help them with their new year’s decorating.

Slater and Gordon, who are specialist mesothelioma lawyers (asbestos causes mesothelioma if you didn’t know), seem to be thinking about 2017 DIY plans and have made this guide about keeping safe. It even talks about dangers while cutting MDF, which I hadn’t even known about.

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Making the most of your bathroom

Whether you have a large, luxurious bathroom or a cosy and small one - bathrooms are one of the most important rooms in the house. They are used for everything from part of your everyday getting ready routine in the morning to a long, relaxing soak at the end of the day; therefore it’s vitally important that your bathroom is fit for purpose. If your bathroom is on the smaller side, here are some helpful tips to allow you to utilise all of its space.

Whether you have a large, luxurious bathroom or a cosy and small one - bathrooms are one of the most important rooms in the house. They are used for everything from part of your everyday getting ready routine in the morning to a long, relaxing soak at the end of the day; therefore it’s vitally important that your bathroom is fit for purpose. If your bathroom is on the smaller side, here are some helpful tips to allow you to utilise all of its space.

Clever positioning

To make the most of the room you have, you need to take a look at the space as a blank canvas. You don’t need to gut your bathroom for this, simply draw or use an online tool like Room Styler to map it out. Play around with your layout and see if you could add some extra inches by trying out a corner sink or positioning your shower over the bathtub. This will give you a good idea of where the room is being taken up. Bigger prints on walls or tiles on the floor will give the illusion of more space in a small room so if you can fully redesign then this is a great option.

If you don’t have the budget or the option to completely redecorate, there are some other things you can do. Adding a bigger mirror on the wall will add more light in and allow the room to seem more spacious. Opting for a shower curtain over a glass shower screen will also allow for more space. A glass shower door open out into the room so need to be positioned in specific places. A curtain will just slide across and won’t need to expand. Placing a towel rail onto the back of the door or some hooks will mean that you won’t need a big rail taking up wallspace.

Storage

If you have lots of toiletries or like to stock up on bathroom supplies, it's easy to start running out of space. Having bottles of shampoo, your favourite bath bombs and packs of loo roll crowding up your bathroom can make the room look extremely cramped and cluttered. Keep these items stored away in cupboards and wardrobes where possible or, alternatively, invest in some new bathroom cabinets to keep the essentials in. For a cheaper option, pick up some decorative wicker baskets to add a stylish storage touch to your bathroom and keep your toiletries neatly tucked away but within easy reach.

Finishing touches

Now you have your bathroom perfectly staged, your new mirrors or cabinets fixed onto the walls and your shampoo nicely stored away - it's time to add some finishing touches. Investing in some luxurious bath mats and towels will give your newly designed bathroom a hotel feel. Other popular accessories include a scented candle or reed diffuser to help you unwind after a long day. Sticking to simple but striking touches will make sure your bathroom looks stylish and inviting but without feeling cluttered.

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Skirting Board

Earlier this year we embarked on having an extension built for what will become our new living room. And this week it is finally done (well nearly, just a few bits and pieces to touch up). The final piece of the puzzle was the skirting board and architrave and we had it fitted yesterday.

Earlier this year we embarked on having an extension built for what will become our new living room. And this week it is finally done (well nearly, just a few bits and pieces to touch up). The final piece of the puzzle was the skirting board and architrave and we had it fitted yesterday.

Fed up with carpets (4 kids, 2 dogs and 2 cats, trying to keep the carpet nice, is near on impossible) thus, we decided to go for the luxury vinyl flooring, which I hope will be much easier for us to maintain. We had to wait for this to be fitted first, but after being delayed for a while, it finally went down on the weekend, and I am pleased with it. Then the final piece for our new living room was the skirting board.

As we are going for plain white walls, I wanted a wood effect skirting board, not white. I don't want white skirting board, as no matter what type of white paint we varnished them with, they would, in the end,  turn the horrid yellowy white.  I also wanted a skirting board that didn't have any grooves (which can be a pain to clean). I wanted a nice smooth rounded finish - hoping that it would make it so much easier to keep clean.

The Skirting Board Shop very kindly sent me enough rounded one edge light oak veneer skirting board and matching architrave for our new living room, and it is just perfect! It's fully finished, which means we don't have to stain it - so much easier.

It's better than I was expecting. It's finished our living room off perfectly, giving the room a nice border/frame.  

The skirting board and architrave arrived well packed, wrapped in plenty of bubble wrap, so it didn't get damaged.  I also liked how it comes in long lengthed planks (although that was a challenge for us to store) it was perfect for our 24ft long living room.

I got my brother to install it in the evening (he's a carpenter), he used Gorilla glue and his nail gun (even though it is a new extension, it wasn't as straight as we would have liked). We will cover the tacks with wax that matches the colour of the skirting board, so you can't see the nails.

If you are looking for skirting board, then take a look at The Skirting Board Shop - they offer a wide range of products – sizes and finishes, which makes life so much easier, as they are a one stop shop for your skirting board and architrave needs.

We are currently renovating the dining room, which used to be the living room, and I will be ordering the same skirting board and architrave from The Skirting Board Shop to continue in these rooms.

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Four questions to ask yourself when buying a bathroom suite

When it comes to furnishing your home, you usually approach it in the same way you would with anything else. From sofas to lighting, you begin with an online search and after a few clicks you’ve found what you wanted and it will arrive in 3 to 5 working days. Although this approach is hugely convenient, there are some areas where it just doesn’t apply, and bathroom furnishing is one of them. If you’re on the hunt for a new bathroom suite, these four questions should ensure you stay on track.

When it comes to furnishing your home, you usually approach it in the same way you would with anything else. From sofas to lighting, you begin with an online search and after a few clicks you’ve found what you wanted and it will arrive in 3 to 5 working days. Although this approach is hugely convenient, there are some areas where it just doesn’t apply, and bathroom furnishing is one of them. If you’re on the hunt for a new bathroom suite, these four questions should ensure you stay on track.

1.     What space do you have to work with?

First of all, you need to measure up the space you have available, and put together some rough estimates of what you can accommodate. This will help you when you start to look online at different styles; there’s no point in falling in love with a huge, ornate roll-top bath if you can’t accommodate it. Use the sizes to guide you, and you shouldn’t have to face this problem. When conducting your searches, narrow them down with measurements to discount anything you can’t fit into the space.

2.     What’s your style?

Now that you’re armed with the facts and figures, it’s time to look around online for the design ideas and colour schemes that will make your bathroom unique. From clean and contemporary porcelain to rustic wood or traditional, once you know the style you’d like, you can then start browsing between bathroom suppliers and companies for the suites you prefer. You’ll be able to get a good idea of what trends are around and what kind of looks are better value than others.

3.     Where’s your nearest showroom?

Of course, it wouldn’t be a wise move at this stage to buy a suite without checking it out first. On the one hand, if you’ve found something you love you can do a search for stockists close to where you live. However, what I’d recommend is visiting a bathroom showroom, such as the ones www.betterbathrooms.com have throughout the UK. Stores like this stock thousands of products, and even if they don’t have the specific product you’re looking for, you’re more likely to find ones of a similar nature set up for you to see in the flesh. You’ll get a far better idea of how it will work in your home, as well as being able to see the quality.

4.     What’s your budget?

Now that you know exactly what you want, look around online for the best deals. There are tonnes of seasonal offers and end-of-line discounts to be had, but you can also look on sites like eBay for high-end designer names at cheaper prices. Of course, the best approach is always to buy from a reputable retailer, who lists genuine reviews on their site. Look for people who have reviewed the suite you want, and check whether they came across any faults.

Did you find this post useful? Let me know in the comments section.

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Design Ideas for Bathrooms Big and Small

Bathrooms don’t always scream “Update me!!” in the same way other rooms in your house do. Or, rather, they do; we just don’t spend long enough in the bathroom to hear that voice. The bathroom isn’t like, say, the living room. We spend large amounts of time in the living room. Enough time to realise that we don’t like the wallpaper or the TV isn’t very efficiently placed.

With the bathroom, we tend to go in, do what we need to do, get out.But your bathroom needs some love too! It may not call itself to your attention that much, but guests will certainly be judging it. Giving your bathroom a design update will impress you and your guests! You could also end up bumping up the resale value of your home.

Here are some of the design world’s favourite tips for bathroom updating!

Plants

Let more of nature into your bathroom! When I say ‘nature’, I mean natural light, air and plants. The latter of those is the easiest to deal with. A plant can just be carried in and placed somewhere, after all. The other two are slightly trickier!

The best plants for your bathroom are simple ones. Keep it clean and green! Some colourful, eccentric flower arrangement will just look odd. Many people suggest the Peace Lily as the perfect household plant. And the Peace Lily is a pretty plant, for sure. But if you have a cat or a dog, you may want to avoid it. The Peace Lily is poisonous to cats and dogs, so think twice! A nice Boston Fern or a Spider Plant (which, no, does not contain spiders) are better bets.

As for the light, what room couldn’t be improved with more natural light? A lot of bathrooms have really small windows that were installed quickly and cheaply to meet building laws. Some of these may only open a tiny bit! If your window is too small, consider getting a bigger one installed. Speak to a builder or architect about this possibility.

Make a small bathroom look bigger

Small bathrooms can leave one feeling claustrophobic. There are a lot of facilities in your average bathroom, so it’s a real bother to have them all crammed into too small a room. Increasing the size of your bathroom is usually not that feasible.

Assess the facilities in your bathroom. Are they bigger than you need them to be? Are they oddly placed? A great way of saving room is to have a corner sink installed. Places like Serene Bathrooms also do room-saving bathtubs, too.

If you want more floor space, consider having things mounted on the wall! Sinks and bathroom vanities can be mounted to the wall, saving floor space in the room proper and the shower. Every bathroom needs a small bin; putting a bin underneath a wall-mounted sink looks classy and saves a ton of room!

 There are other tricks you can employ to make your bathroom seem bigger. Natural light will help make any room seem more free and open. Another common trick is to keep the colour scheme consistent. When colour clash is occurring in the room’s materials, you become highly aware of where space ends. Keeping everything at a similar shade will help!

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Tips To Find The Right Appliances For Your Kitchen

Kitchen appliances in our home define our lifestyle. So we need to choose the right appliances that suit our needs. Moreover, remember that you don’t have to buy an appliance that your friend has, as your needs will be different from theirs. Many a time, people end up buying, only to later realize that they have brought something that doesn’t suit their needs.

Photo by Nancy Hugo Albumarium

Photo by Nancy Hugo Albumarium

Kitchen appliances in our home define our lifestyle. So we need to choose the right appliances that suit our needs. Moreover, remember that you don’t have to buy an appliance that your friend has, as your needs will be different from theirs. Many a time, people end up buying, only to later realize that they have brought something that doesn’t suit their needs.

So here in this post, I have discussed some points that will help you to choose the correct appliance for your home.

Refrigerator

Now the need of buying a fridge or a freezer will be justified by the size of your family. Do you need more fridge space or freezer space, depends on your requirements. Understand one thing that your fridge consumes energy so leaving empty space is like wasting money. So better buy fridge according to your usage. With changing technology, fridge and freezers come with new features. So make sure you need them or not before you buy one. For example, if you stay alone and end up spending most of the time outdoors, you don’t need a big fridge that too with added features.

Oven

There are two types of ovens - gas and electric one. So you can choose the one that you want depending on your needs. Some people buy electric one while other go for the gas option. In case you have kids at home, who may open the knob and let the gas escape, then it would be better to avoid that the gas ovens. While if you want to cook the juiciest meat in the best way, gas ovens are ideal. So, you can choose whether you want to have a tasty meal or a meal prepared with utmost safety.

Washing machine

One of the good investment that you will do on home appliances is buying a washing machine. We all have to wash clothes daily and if you have a big family especially with a number of kids, washing becomes a terrible business. So it would be a better idea to buy one for your home. For a bigger family, you can go for a washing machine with the larger load. If you go for the larger options, make sure that you have enough space to accommodate them.

Having a larger machine means you can get your clothes done in just a single wash. This will reduce the effort you have to exert to put in and remove clothes. Moreover, electricity and water consumption is also less. This will indirectly save you money. In case you are living alone or there are fewer members in your family, going for a smaller model makes sense.

Another important thing that you need to look for is that consider the cost of the machine. Most of the time cheaper models are disposable and seldom can be repaired if things go wrong. Such models can be a better option for you is you are low on budget or have plans to stay at a rented place for a short time. So if you don’t have money constraint, better invest a bit more and get a good model for your home. In case of a problem, they can be easily repaired too.

Dishwasher

Just like the refrigerator, your dishwasher needs also depends on the lifestyle. Buy the dishwasher depending on your family needs. If you opt for lower end models, they will have simplified controls, while if you go for higher models, you will find energy efficient appliances that too with noise reduction features. They also have small drawers which consumes less water when you don’t have more load in the machine.

We hope this article will help you to choose your kitchen appliances properly and in the best way so that you don’t end up spending more.

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Putting Your Garage Space to Better Use

Did you know, nine in ten garages in the UK don’t actually house a car? If you don’t own a car or you do but you prefer to store it on your driveway, could you be making better use of those precious square inches on your premises? Today, we’re taking a look at some possible ideas for putting your garage to better use.

Did you know, nine in ten garages in the UK don’t actually house a car? If you don’t own a car or you do but you prefer to store it on your driveway, could you be making better use of those precious square inches on your premises? Today, we’re taking a look at some possible ideas for putting your garage to better use.

A granny flat

While you probably wouldn’t want yours to come with added extras like Gail Platt’s new pad in Corrie but a granny flat housed within a garage conversion can be a cost-effective addition to your property. A garage to granny flat conversion might cost you around £10,000 but you’ll boost the price of your property for every square foot added. Whether you use the extra room to house an elderly relative or a teen craving their own space, make sure you consider your lighting options well to avoid things getting dark and dingy, Vufold has some beautiful outdoor and indoor bi-fold doors that will let you welcome in the light and stop the space looking cramped.
 

A walk in wardrobe

What’s better than an extra room? A whole extra room dedicated to housing your wardrobe, of course. Make floordrobe moments and over-stuffed shoe racks a thing of the past by converting your garage space into your very own walk-in wardrobe. This kind of upgrade will allow you to bring in a level of organisation befitting your collection. Walk-in wardrobes aren’t just about keeping things pristine and in their right place though, there’s also the added benefit of having plenty of room to sashay down your own personal catwalk when it’s time to decide what to wear for a special occasion. Take a peek at this for some seriously stylish inspiration.

A hobby hub

Forget the garden shed, if you want a private space where you can indulge the hobbies closest to your heart, you should set yourself up in your integrated garage complete with electricity! Model aeroplanes, jewellery making, carpentry, furniture renovation – hobbies can help you de-stress and could earn you some extra cash too! If you plan on spending a fair amount of time in your new hobby hub, don’t forget to consider your heating options in along with sources of light and air – cold hands are less productive, after all.

A kitchen

Make cooking more than just a hobby by turning your garage into an additional kitchen where you can host cookery lessons or prepare food for your own catering business. With foodies running restaurants in their living room and the popularity of street food at an all time high you could tap up the extra space in your garage to launch your own culinary company. Failing that, you could use the garage as it was originally intended and store your own ice cream van in there. Doesn’t that sound tasty?

A gym

Do you exercise less when the weather is bad? Can’t seem to motivate yourself to head to the gym when it’s cold outside? Building your own home gym can seem like an expensive option but if you shop second hand you could kit out your own garage gym for a few thousand pounds only. To put this in perspective, the average price for a gym membership even at council owned gyms is £368 here in the in the UK, so you could have recouped your money in just a few years. Plus, there’s no waiting for machines or breathing in other people’s stinky sweat while you work out!

A games room

If toys crunching underfoot are a familiar noise in your house, perhaps it’s time to give the kids and you the ultimate luxury in the form of their own self contained games room? Along with plenty of space to store all of the toys that are currently cluttering up your living room, you could f discover some welcome quiet time for yourself too. Kitting out the space with a seating area complete with bean bags will mean children have somewhere to hang out when the British weather makes playing outdoors less than appealing. Of course, there will likely be a fair amount of work involved in kid-proofing your garage space but the positive impact on the rest of your home and your own downtime could well be worth the effort!

Do you have a garage? Do you use it to park a car in or has it become a hoarding point for gadgets and junk? Would you like to give it a new lease of life and if so, would a walk-in wardrobe or games room for the kids by more up your street?

 

 

 

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