Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts

Monday, 3 October 2011

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!

Wednesday, 10 November 2010

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!