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?
Be Bold With Your Child’s Bedroom Design
When thinking about interior design for our homes we often forget to cover one important room – the kids’ bedroom! Providing children with a personal space in which they can thrive, learn and play is important and a real opportunity to unleash your repressed creativity.
When thinking about interior design for our homes we often forget to cover one important room – the kids’ bedroom! Providing children with a personal space in which they can thrive, learn and play is important and a real opportunity to unleash your repressed creativity.
Kids' bedrooms are the place to go big and bold. A little bit of imagination, some tins of paint and someone with a few rudimentary DIY skills and you can easily transform a plain room into an international space station, castle, jungle treehouse, pirate ship, fairy-tale land, circus, magical forest or homage to their favourite book or movie character.
Colour palette is one of the biggest decisions to make as you’ll want this design to last for a good few years, especially if it becomes a big project. Mix and match bright, bold colours to give vibrancy and energy to the room like lime greens and sky blues to give an outdoorsy feel. If your little one is old enough get them involved in the picking of colours as what might seem garish to you will ignite their imagination. Use softer, pastel tones for nurseries or pre-teens who are likely to have a huge change in taste over the next few years. Whatever colours you opt for it’s worth paying that little bit extra for the hard-wearing, washable paint or light reflective paint for small spaces.
An easy way to create your child’s dream bedroom is with a novelty or play bed which you can order online if you pick Bedstar for their wide range of good quality children’s beds. It doesn’t even have to be a novelty bed, there are so many options to choose from you just need to find one that fits your theme or can be tied in with some artwork.
The right bedding and curtains will set off the room nicely and tie everything together. This is a relatively cheap way of giving a room a new look.
Having the right sort of lighting can be the difference between a good room and an amazing one. If the windows aren’t letting in loads of natural light think about swapping your single bulb for a modern chandelier.
Sometimes the simplest way of giving your child’s bedroom a facelift is with funky storage to clear some space and open up the room. Different coloured drawers are fun and easy to change with your child’s tastes.
Practical items can be fun too like character wall clocks, desks built into play beds and nightlight-slash-thermometers like the Gro-egg which has a range of character shells.
Stencils and stickers are your budget-friendly pals. Gone are the days where murals were hand-painted by commissioned artists in over-sized expensive properties and so too are the days of tacky stencils and low-quality stickers that would peel off after a week. Nowadays you can pick up fantastic stencils and stickers that are long-lasting and cost-effective.
Lastly, artwork isn’t just for the grownups. Children love fun, humorous art and you have a world of choice for your child’s room. You can buy ready-made art or buy a few canvases and have fun together creating your own.
A style guide to selling your home
There’s an old saying that first impressions last and nothing could be truer when it comes to presenting your property for sale. That means ensuring the interior is tidy, presentable and as neutral as possible while the exterior needs to be attractive, well-maintained and as clean as possible.
There’s an old saying that first impressions last and nothing could be truer when it comes to presenting your property for sale. That means ensuring the interior is tidy, presentable and as neutral as possible while the exterior needs to be attractive, well-maintained and as clean as possible.
While the former is obvious, the latter can prove crucial as many potential investors are likely to drive or walk past your home before deciding whether or not to book an appointment to inspect it more thoroughly.
Your property is almost always just one in a very long list of properties a buyer will take a look at, making it even more vital that they see it in the best possible light with the best features shown off to maximum potential.
The more desirable your property appears on that first visit, the better your final price is likely to be and the faster you are likely to conclude a sale. What follows is a simple style guide, highlighting what potential buyers will want to see when they look around your home before thinking about making it theirs.
Most home sellers will identify three key presentation factors that will show your property at its best are to make sure that it is clean, tidy and well-maintained.
Decorating
When it comes to decoration, there is no doubting the fact that people have different tastes, different approaches and simply put the more neutral you can make your home appear the better it is once it goes on the market.
Paintings or mirrors can help fill blank walls, while vases filled with fresh flowers or well-kept plants add to a homely feel without appearing too personal. Items such as family photos or odd collections should be packed away, both to ensure the buyer can imagine themselves living there and to get a head start on your own move away.
One of the best pieces of advice we can give is to build a pinterest board of the colour and interior schemes you could have in your house before you start decorating.
Look at things such as pinterest style guides where you can break down each room into a colour choice and anything that can bring out the furnishings in a room; it’s also handy to have in mind that anything you purchase now can be used in your new home.
Maximise space
Single beds will maximise the space in smaller bedrooms, while items such as outdoor furniture show a potential investor how they might use the area. Be sure to cut the grass and clean any path ways in order to create the best possible first impression.
Use storage solutions such as any space available under the stairs or even the garage to remove larger items and make the rooms really stand out for the space available. Sometimes, taking down large pictures can actually work against you, so you may want to scope each room individually and itemise what is being stored or kept in a room.
Keep it clean
Give the property a good clean both inside and out to make it appear like an ideal place to like, and don’t forget to clear away any clutter that has accumulated in living spaces in order to showcase them properly.
A clean home was ranked in the top 5 selling factors in 2014 in a national poll. It goes to show how important it is to keep things well maintained and clean in your home for a sale.
DIY
A property that appears well looked after has far more appeal than one that has been allowed to fall into disrepair, so take care of any minor issue like leaking taps or broken door handles before opening your home to potential buyers.
Simple fixes such as a lick of paint on the skirting board to even replacing bulbs can make the home stand out, even if marginally against other homes in the area.
For more information on the style needed for a smooth selling process, visit the Jet Homes website.
A style guide to selling your home
There’s an old saying that first impressions last and nothing could be truer when it comes to presenting your property for sale. That means ensuring the interior is tidy, presentable and as neutral as possible while the exterior needs to be attractive, well-maintained and as clean as possible.
While the former is obvious, the latter can prove crucial as many potential investors are likely to drive or walk past your home before deciding whether or not to book an appointment to inspect it more thoroughly.
Your property is almost always just one in a very long list of properties a buyer will take a look at, making it even more vital that they see it in the best possible light with the best features shown off to maximum potential.
The more desirable your property appears on that first visit, the better your final price is likely to be and the faster you are likely to conclude a sale. What follows is a simple style guide, highlighting what potential buyers will want to see when they look around your home before thinking about making it theirs.
Most home sellers will identify three key presentation factors that will show your property at its best are to make sure that it is clean, tidy and well-maintained.
Decorating
When it comes to decoration, there is no doubting the fact that people have different tastes, different approaches and simply put the more neutral you can make your home appear the better it is once it goes on the market.
Paintings or mirrors can help fill blank walls, while vases filled with fresh flowers or well-kept plants add to a homely feel without appearing too personal. Items such as family photos or odd collections should be packed away, both to ensure the buyer can imagine themselves living there and to get a head start on your own move away.
One of the best pieces of advice we can give is to build a pinterest board of the colour and interior schemes you could have in your house before you start decorating.
Look at things such as pinterest style guides where you can break down each room into a colour choice and anything that can bring out the furnishings in a room; it’s also handy to have in mind that anything you purchase now can be used in your new home.
Maximise space
Single beds will maximise the space in smaller bedrooms, while items such as outdoor furniture show a potential investor how they might use the area. Be sure to cut the grass and clean any path ways in order to create the best possible first impression.
Use storage solutions such as any space available under the stairs or even the garage to remove larger items and make the rooms really stand out for the space available. Sometimes, taking down large pictures can actually work against you, so you may want to scope each room individually and itemise what is being stored or kept in a room.
Keep it clean
Give the property a good clean both inside and out to make it appear like an ideal place to like, and don’t forget to clear away any clutter that has accumulated in living spaces in order to showcase them properly.
A clean home was ranked in the top 5 selling factors in 2014 in a national poll. It goes to show how important it is to keep things well maintained and clean in your home for a sale.
DIY
A property that appears well looked after has far more appeal than one that has been allowed to fall into disrepair, so take care of any minor issue like leaking taps or broken door handles before opening your home to potential buyers.
Simple fixes such as a lick of paint on the skirting board to even replacing bulbs can make the home stand out, even if marginally against other homes in the area.
For more information on the style needed for a smooth selling process, visit the Jet Homes website.
Dream Kitchen Worktops
We had our new kitchen fitted two years ago, it was meant to be our dream kitchen, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a nightmare - we learnt a very important lesson, do not pay friends to fit your kitchen for you. In the end, we had to pay another tradesman to refit our kitchen - units had to be taken down to be put back up, and we had to replace damaged new worktops - it ended up costings us double. It's still has issues, but these can only be solved if we were to rip the whole kitchen out and start again - hopefully one day we will be able too.
We had our new kitchen fitted two years ago, it was meant to be our dream kitchen, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a nightmare - we learnt a very important lesson, do not pay friends to fit your kitchen for you. In the end, we had to pay another tradesman to refit our kitchen - units had to be taken down to be put back up, and we had to replace damaged new worktops - it ended up costings us double. It's still has issues, but these can only be solved if we were to rip the whole kitchen out and start again - hopefully one day we will be able too.
When we had our new kitchen fitted the one good thing was, we had underfloor heating installed and that was the best thing we got. I love the convenience of the underfloor heating. When you get up in the dark cold mornings, you step downstairs to turn the kettle on and walk on a nice warm floor, and our cats love lounging around when the floor is warm.
So I got my dream floor, but I've always wanted my dream worktops, Granite - worktops that are simply unique, stunning and will stay with you for years to come.
Granite worktops was once part of my dream kitchen, and still is, which is also echoed by many other people as discovered in a recent survey carried out by granite worktop manufacturer Mayfair Granite.
Mayfair Granite reached out to 1,000 people to carry out a survey on what would be their dream kitchen. 26% of people said they'd have a modern kitchen, while 21% said traditional and 20% said country cottage. Granite surfaces were named the most popular worktop with 39% of the vote, followed closely by quartz with 32%. Smart fridge freezers came second with 22%, while a boiling water tap garnered 18% of the vote.
If I was to get the opportunity to redo my kitchen again (we have other projects to complete in the house first before we even think to redo the kitchen again) - my dream kitchen would be a large one with lots of cupboards, I would go for a modern kitchen, with black granite worktops, an Aga cooker, with glass tiles on the wall, white large floor tiles and a boiling water tap. I would probably go for black appliances, with a big double American style fridge.
Mayfair Granite is one of the premier producers of granite worktops in the UK. They specialise in granite worktops for Kitchens, Restaurants & Bars, and only use the finest quality granite. Granite worktops offer a classic sheen look that is unique, and as it is sourced via natural means it means it doesn't have a uniform pattern or colour - each one is unique.
National Wallpaper Week
Did you know it was National Wallpaper Week? - 5th - 11th
In celebration of National Wallpaper Week, each day
Did you know it was National Wallpaper Week? - 5th - 11th
In celebration of National Wallpaper Week, each day
have dedicated a theme:
- Monday – ‘Date Night’
- Tuesday – Calm
- Wednesday – Inspired
- Thursday – Nostalgic
- Friday – Funky
- Saturday – Glamorous
- Sunday – Social
The themes celebrate the versatility of wallpaper and what it can bring to your room/home.
If you're one of those people who thinks that wallpaper is so yesterday, then you are missing out! Recent years wallpaper has made a comeback and this is due to all the wonderful designs available. Wallpaper can offer a
unique pattern and bring a whole lot of character, texture and warmth to any room.
Graham & Brown features wallpaper with big name designers as well as their own designs, they offer a huge range - there is something for everyone, no matter what you taste is.
As it is Friday, I thought I would share with you the funky wallpaper designs I have my eye on for our home:
Funky means -
something artistic, modern, unconventional or cool.
- takes you back to the 1960s and 1970s. Super funky and very stylish. This would be great fun and brighten up any room - but I am thinking for the dining room it would be perfect.
Deco Diamond Green by Hemingway
- A deco design, beautiful colours of a subtle green, taking you back to the 1030s, perfect for most rooms, but I would have it in my living room as a feature wall.
- Fascinating and funky, a contemporary graphic design with a bold print. This would be perfect for my teenage sons bedroom, adding character to his room.
Do The Stretch Mustard by Hemingway
- 1970s glam rock with a slight hint of space odyssey. unusual and fun, but perfectly subtle and welcoming for the hall way.
What is your favourite design?
Boy's Shared Bedroom Ideas
Kid’s Room by Roselind Wilson Design/ homify
We are currently in the process of moving our two youngest boys together into a shared bedroom. The bedroom is a large one as it runs the length of the garage below, and we've explored many options; for example we've considered putting a partition wall up, but Jacob will only move into the room if we don't put the partition up. Lewis, being older and he is pretty laid back, isn't too bothered. So we are opting for no partition for the time being, although, as Lewis gets older and he finds he wants his own space, then a partition with a pocket door separating the room, is something we will consider.
There is quite a big age gap between my two youngest boys, nearly 7 years between them, thus, their tastes are very different; Lewis wants plain cream walls, whereas Jacob wants bright orange walls. So we compromised. We will keep it cream walls, bar the end wall on Jacob's side where we will paint it orange and it will become his feature wall.
Lewis's new double bed is arriving today, and we are ordering Jacob his cabin bed, with orange bedding and some wall-stickers of his choice to stick around his area of the bedroom. At Lewis's end of the bedroom is a bay-window, and my carpenter brother is building Lewis a fitted desk within the bay-area and Jacob would like a desk so he can put his TV and Xbox on.
So all being well, they will be fine for the next couple of years, then as Lewis approaches his mid-teen years, I have a feeling he may want his own space.
I shared a bedroom with my younger sister, it was quite a small bedroom, we had bunkbed, I was on top, she was on the bottom. While I can remember a few territorial squabbles, or me keeping her awake with my teeth grinding, or with me pushing her on to her side as she was snoring - we get on fine now.
can be a challenge for many parents, especially when there is an age gap between the children - do you go for a open plan share environment or do you try to give each child their own bit of space, however it does depend on the size of the room which will dictate the approach you can take.
Things to consider when creating a kitchen from scratch
Garage Conversion into a Playroom
Playrooms can be magical havens where kids dream, learn, imagine, grow, chill and socialise. I would love to give me kids a sanctuary that's all their own.
When we bought our home, the previous owners had completed a part garage conversion, with half the garage left as a garage - we would now like to convert the rest of the garage and make it into a play room for the kids.
What I have in mind when we make my children’s play room is that it should be well-lit, easy to maintain, it should look a clean space and most of all, it should stimulate their learning, development and the quality of their play time. This is a space that will be filled with toys, books, games, crafts and more; thus, adequate storage is key, as well as having the right sofa.
The playroom will be quite a small space, enough to place a 3 seater sofa in, along with storage, and then a TV and other electronics, like their Xbox.
We have a lot of bulky toys that I would like to keep in closed storage, rather than having it on display. To make it a tidier area, I will be attempting to make use of every inch by choosing furniture with hidden storage. A trunk that can be used to store the toys and also used for the kids to play on, a platform for them to use to draw pictures etc. As well as wall storage and shelving.
Bathroom Proud
UK Bathrooms recently carried out research and polled 3,248 people across the UK and found the average Briton spends approximately £300 per year cleaning their bathroom. With the average Briton spending approx. In addition, over a third of respondents clean their bathroom more than any other room in the house, as they feel others judge them by the state of their bathroom.
UK Bathrooms recently carried out research and polled 3,248 people across the UK and found the average Briton spends approximately £300 per year cleaning their bathroom. With the average Briton spending approx. In addition, over a third of respondents clean their bathroom more than any other room in the house, as they feel others judge them by the state of their bathroom.
I can relate to this, my downstairs toilet and the bathroom upstairs are the two rooms I clean first by habit. They are the rooms I clean the most often. With a large family, the bathrooms need daily cleans, and it doesn't help that we live in a hard water area, thus, limescale is an issue.
Limescale, it is a household nuisance and the bane of my life. It's important to keep on top of the limescale so it doesn't build up, I do this by regularly tackling my bathroom with a limescale removal which will prevent the build up where it becomes harder to remove in the future. It isn’t as impossible to remove as is commonly thought, even the hardest water deposits can be vanquished with the right cleaning agent and a lot of elbow grease, but it is best to keep on top of it.
Please remember to read the label of any product and to test it in a small area first, and don't make the mistake I made last month, where I decided to clean the merlyn shower in the en suite, closing myself in, and stupidly spraying far too much all over. After a couple of minutes my eyes were stinging and watering (streaming), I started to taste it in my throat, so I came out - I had to lie down, I felt incredibly sick and very dizzy for a few hours, hubby nearly took me to A&E. Anyhow, I won't be doing that again, spraying too much household chemical cleaner in a small space is not a good idea.
I will however, continue to clean my bathroom, trying new products to find the one that works the best, smells the best and gives the best result. So, I can confidently sit back and not worry if we have any unexpected guests turn up, my bathroom will be clean and ready.
What's the one room you clean the most often?
Roof Window in a Child's Bedroom
Lewis and Jacob's bedroom is on top of and the length of the garage, which is a large sized room; with a bay window one end of the room, and a roof window at the other end of the room. It also is the coldest room in the house in winter, or the warmest room in the summer.
For the boys roof window we currently have a basic blind, in the colour of orange (they definitely want a different colour this time). The biggest issue for Lewis is the sunlight that peaks through the blind, which he exclaims "wakes him up too early in the morning". So we've started to search the internet to see if there are blackout blinds available for a roof window, and I was pleasantly surprised to find roofblinds.co.uk offers an array of VELUX products; VELUX being the most iconic brand, which are available in either Roller blinds or Venetian style. They also offer an array of different types to suit all needs.
From previous experience VELUX blinds are easy to fit with the Pick & Click system: all you do is connect it in and it clips on - securely.
For my choice on the new blind, it would have to be the VELUX Energy blind, it not only offers the boys the blackout they desire, but it also has some control over the energy efficiency within their room; with the potential to save on heating costs, and hopefully giving them a more comfortable environment within their bedroom.
Now we've just got to get the boys to agree on a colour for their new blind.
This is a paid sponsored post, written by myself.