10 tips on how to make your rooms appear bigger!

I’m sure most people have a room in their property that they would like to be bigger!

  So here are some tricks to make a room appear bigger!

1.     Use a colour scheme that is light; pastels, neutrals and white are all great to give the illusion of a bigger room.  Bright and dark colours will make a room look smaller.

2.     Don’t have too much furniture in your room.  Large pieces of furniture will instantly shrink the appearance of the room.  Smaller pieces allow light to flow and create a sense of space.

3.     Only have a few key accessories.  Too many accessories will make the room look busy and cluttered and therefore smaller.

4.     Use glass or mirrored furniture.  These reflect or let light through giving a greater sense of space.

5.     Lighting is very important in a small room.  Recessed spot lights are great for small spaces as they flood small areas with light. 

6.     A light coloured floor will give the impression of space.  White washed floor boards or pale carpet are great at creating the light and airy feel for a small room.

7.     Use mirrors where you can in a small room to bounce light and add interest.  They are great at reflecting light and can be a feature in the room giving the mirror a dual purpose!

8.     Monochrome colours are great at creating a sense of space.  Furniture, rugs and artwork can help you achieve a spacious looking room as long as you don’t go overboard!

9.     When choosing window dressing for a small room try to cover as little of the window area as possible.  Roman blinds hung on the wall above the window will allow the full window to be seen when they are up allowing more light to flow through.  Also avoid dark coloured window dressings in a small room.

10.  If you want to create a feature wall in a small room consider hanging striped wallpaper horizontally.  This gives the impression that a wall is longer and therefore making the room look longer too!

For more hints and tips please contact me!

Designer vs Highstreet part 2!

I am amazed at the prices of some designer items and how you can create a similar look with a much more cost effective option.  Here is another example of Designer vs Highstreet.  Can you identify which lamp is £310, which one is £65 and one at £37?

Answers on a postcard please?  Or email me your thoughts!

If you want the designer look at highstreet prices please let me know and  I will help you to create a look that is both stylish and cost effective!

Designer vs Highstreet

How often do you see something that is way out of your price range?  Would you actually pay a high price for something even if you had the money?

When it comes to sourcing products for clients I look for quality bargains that wont break the budget. Take a look at these 2 examples and see if you can work out which one costs over £200 and which one is under £40?

I know that if I was looking for a stripey cushion i would choose the rectangle version just on sight without looking at the price tag.  It has more detail and interest than the square one.  More detail surely means higher price?

If you are looking for great accessories, that wont break the bank, for your home or know someone who is please see if I can find you some style on your budget.  I can take the leg work and frustration out of finding the right products for the right budget!

PS:  The designer cushion is the square one (Missoni) at £214 and the high street cushion is the rectangular one (Jane Hornsby) at £38!





Want to sell a property?

If you think you can’t afford to make small changes to your property
before it hits the market, then you more than likely won’t get the price you would like!

REALITY!
If you think that you know what the selling price of your home will be, based on your personal needs, you will be very disappointed. The market (what a buyer is willing to pay) will determine the selling price of your home. It is out of your control. You can choose to accept this reality now, or after your home has been on the market for several months.

Location, size, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, etc. are all important
factors that determine the value of your home. But the current state of the housing market translates that value into the actual price range for selling your home.

THE GOOD NEWS: 

There is one area where you do have control.  The condition of your home will determine whether you can sell at the top of that price range or at the bottom of that range. The difference could be tens of thousands of pounds. It will also determine how long your house will stay on the market before it sells. And the difference could be months and months (and months).

When you live in a property you are blinkered by the small things that need attention. On too many occasions I have heard “We’ve lived with it and it’s not a problem, so buyers won’t notice it”.  This is complete nonsense.  People looking to buy a property will look for the small things that need attention.  Buyers will be thinking how much it would cost them to put them right and therefore reducing the price they want to offer for the property. 

The general rule of thumb for staging a property is to spend 1-2% of the value of the property on the property before it goes on to the market and you can reap 10-15% more!

So who do you know who is thinking of selling a property and would like to increase their sale price by 10-15%?

Please let me help to increase the price you achieve for your property!

Property needing curb appeal to get you through the door!

Interior Design Competition!

At Positive Interiors I believe that everyone can have a property (residential or commercial) with WOW factor.  Whatever your budget I can create a look that you will love.  If you have limited amount available accessories can be key to making a room look great.  Positive Interiors source products for all budgets from cushions to curtains and furniture to flooring.  Whatever you would like in your property I can find it and usually at a better price than you could without my help.  

In November alone I have sourced roman blinds, carpets, sofa's, mirrors, dining furniture and umpteen cushions, candles and interior accessories!  I know where to shop and where to get the best prices! 

Why not enter my competition this month for a chance to win a FREE interior design consultation! All you have to do is answer this question........

What design style of chair is this?

Answers by email to Linda@positive-interiors.co.uk

Good luck!

How to wallpaper a chimney breast! It's easier than you think!

Want to know how to do it?

First measure the width of your chimney breast then measure half the width of your wallpaper and mark a vertical line this far from the edge of the chimney breast using a chalked plumb line (available from all DIY stores)


Take a measurement from the ceiling to the mantel shelf and then from ceiling to floor then add 10cm to each measurement to allow for trimming.


Cut one length to go above the mantel shelf and place face down and brush on the wallpaper paste. Brush from the centre outwards then loosely fold and leave to soak always reading the paste instructions.


Using the chalked line on the wall place the wallpaper in the centre brushing down and outwards. Using the back of a pair of scissors mark at the top and bottom where you need to trim, ease the paper away and then trim and brush back.


Cut the remainder of the lengths needed to size and make sure pattern repeat matches. Paste and soak then position the lengths and trim off excess. Make sure as you position the lengths that you ensure you brush away air bubbles and smooth the joins. Repeat all over wallplace until you have a bare strip to each recess edge.


Measure the distance from the edge of the last piece of paper to the corner of the wall adding 25mm. Cut paper to size, paste and hang around the corner of the fireplace wall. Hang the offcut from the first piece of paper next to this piece and continue into the internal corner.


At the internal corner mark a line down with the back of a pair of scissors and trim off the excess and ease back as before.




WALLPAPERING A FIREPLACE WALL........ DONE!

Checklist of items you will need to complete the job.......



Stepladder
Chalked plumb line
Wallpaper
Wallpaper scissors
Retractable tape measure
Pasting table
Pasting brush
Wallpaper paste
Papering brush
Craft or stanley knife
Clean cloth



Please email me photo's of your decorating victories or mishaps to be able to share hints and tips!

Reception re-design!

In business it is important to create the right impression. Your reception area is the first point of call for visitors and clients which makes it extremely important to showcase your business. Recently I was commissioned to re-design a local firm of accountants reception area. The client wanted to create better storage and a more comfortable area for waiting clients. The need for the staff to undertake confidential work out of sight was also of high importance. They wanted to achieve a look that would give the right impression for their business and this meant a complete overhaul and change of colour scheme.

Looking at their corporate colours (green, black and white) was where the inspiration and design came from. Builders were instructed to strip the wood chip from the walls but being mindful that as a georgian building the walls could be fragile. The ceiling was removed and new spot downlighters were positioned in the new ceiling. Built in cupboards give the receptionists incredible storage and keep the desks clutter free. A fresh green colour was painted on the walls and accented in the accessories and carpet.

The existing logo was outdated and they wanted to create a new corporate image. Dealing with new, growing and established companies gave me the idea to use acorn, sapling and mighty oak images for wall art. These images were enlarged and printed on canvas boards which now adorn the wall!

The transformation is complete and the clients are delighted with the results. So who do you know who could do with some help to create the right first impression?