Home & Interiors

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It makes sense to start with your interior when it comes to home improvements, but sooner or later, you are going to want to focus on the outside, too. You want to feel at home the moment your home pulls into view, and not only that, but you want to elevate the area around you. Sprucing up your exterior with these four great ideas will really help your home stand out, improve your experience, and can even bump up your home’s value.

New Paint Job, New Face! 

Whether you are going to do the work yourself, or make use of a site like https://www.myhousepainter.com/painters/north-carolina/ to help you find a professional painter in your area, you have so many options when it comes to painting the exterior of your home. If you love your natural brickwork, you can instead focus and paint only the trimmings of your home (the windowsills, the doors, etc.). Or you can go all out and paint your exterior if the color of the brick was never to your likely and give your whole home a new look but do make sure you do your research as you will want to make sure that you use the right paint and process to ensure that you do a good job, and the paint job will last a good number of years.

Sliding is a bit more difficult, but thankfully it’s easy to have them replaced with a new color if that is what you are looking for.

Need a New Roof? Update the Design! 

Needing a new roof every few decades is just a fact of life, but it can also be a great opportunity to make your home stand out. So long as there aren’t any HOA rules in place that would stop you from making an aesthetic change, you’re good to go! You can go from the boring shingles to beautiful cedar tiles or even clay tiles, and really make your home stand out and be beautiful. Updating the design is easy if you already need a roof repair or replacement; you just need a company that can do the job and provides the supplies like Signature Roofing.

Want an Oasis? Look to Landscaping! 

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The best part about landscaping is that it can be very budget-friendly if you do it yourself. You aren’t building a permanent exhibit; the very nature of landscaping is that it is going to change as it grows. You can save by planning small, juvenile plants and caring for them as they grow into their own.

Don’t be too focussed on that grass lawn, either. While it’s a great choice for those who like it, it is far from necessary. You can go all out, you can start a vegetable garden, and anything in-between. It is your home and your vision; just remember to pay attention to how big plants get as they age and how easy it is to care for them as they mature.

Want More Character? Look at the Details! 

Everyone loves details. They’re like the icing on the cake, and they are very easy to add if your home is rather cookie-cutter. Switch out the exterior lights, change out the driveway, add a new walkway – the options are limitless. You will want to put more of your effort in your backyard than in your front yard, yes, but that doesn’t mean you cannot add great new features from a vintage street light to a waterstone pathway to give your home that extra pizazz.

Note: This is a collaborative post

You will have seen over the last few years how we have undertaken two quite mega and very different renovation projects. Doing such vastly different projects –  one a modern  minimalist  city home  and the other a rustic country retreat has taught me a huge amount about renovating, furnishing and the finishing touches. I have had many conversations with experts in builders merchants, trades people, home furnishing etc and I have learned a thing or two which im quite happy to share on the blog.

While the projects were vastly different there was certainly one thing that was consistent across both and that’s wall art. Done right wall art can totally transform a room, from posters to tapestries it can add, texture, personality and pretty much transform a room into a welcoming, engaging space.  However with so much choice out there how can you choose? Below I have compiled a list of my tips gleaned over the last two years on how to choose the right wall art for your home.

• Consider the room and size of the art you want –  for example if you are choosing art for your kitchen, you may not want large prints to overwhelm a space that already had a lot on the walls, cupboards, presses etc.  Conversely the sitting room may have very bare walls, so you can go for a large statement piece here. As a room that gets a good bit of traffic you could choose a statement piece here to provoke conversation. Maybe something that reflects your personality.
  

  An example of a curated collection from Fine Art America

• Theme – one thing that I ended up doing almost subconsciously but it really works was go for themed collections in rooms. You will find good suppliers offering curated collections of art prints to help you make the decision here. This also helped us create the “feel” we wanted, for example minimalist with statement pieces in the city home and warming, rustic pieces in our  country weekend home.
• Colour scheme – while there are no hard and fast rules here one piece of advice I got while deciding on paint for our sitting room is that it can add to the aesthetic of a room to choose art that is different shades of the main colour in the room, that can be going for softer shades of the main colour or one thing we did in our office space was go for a much bolder colour than the main room colour which really worked well.  One other tip was to use mirrors to enhance that statement piece in a room, for example a mirror on the wall opposite if that was possible.

While the above are very much tips I gleaned along the way, there are no rules. It’s your home and feel free to make that home a reflection of you and the things you like.  I hope this helps you in some way to choosing the art for you home, however truth be told the very best advice I can give is have fun.  Its an exciting part of any renovation and enjoy it.

Note: This is a collaborative post

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At Professional Gardening UK, we pride ourselves on providing affordable solutions for the needs of your outdoor space. Our experts are here every step of the way when it comes to landscape design, garden maintenance, lawn care, and even basic planting services.  It’s never been easier to freshen up your garden, as we offer one of the best gardening services according to clients. Our gardening experts will help you make the best decisions for your London area home.

Find below three of the most demanded services, which you can take advantage of and transform your garden:

The three most demanded services you need to level up your garden

Is it time for a garden makeover? Then you have come to the right place. The Professional Gardening UK team is fully equipped and capable to bring your garden back to life.   With some invaluable tips and help from gardening experts, you can now get the yard of your dreams by investing in three fundamental gardening services. Get a free quote for your small or large outdoor area and let our gardeners do their magic.

Regular Lawn Care

A beautiful lawn totally transforms garden space and makes it look neat and presentable. That is why it is essential to retain yard aesthetics and take good care of your grassy area. No doubt why mowing and lawn care are some of the most demanded professional gardening services. 

Our efficient lawn care service includes:

• Grass mowing;
  

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• Weeding;
• Edge trimming;
• Lawn feeding;
• Leaf clearance. 

Grass mowing is the most basic garden maintenance a lawn needs to stay healthy. Additionally, weeds should be removed regularly since they spread rapidly among your grass, suffocating its root system. Leaf clearance is also a very important step in lawn grooming, as it allows your green area to stand out.

A lush green lawn needs a lot of nutrients to grow and look visually appealing, so fertilization is a vital step no gardener should miss. Last but not least, edging complements any freshly-mowed, neat and weed-free grass, and complements landscape features.

From regular mowing and edge trimming to advanced soil care, our professional gardening services in West London would do wonders for your grass. We are fully equipped to bring out the best of your lawn space and maintain your landscape in perfect condition all year round.

Planting

Thriving plants make a looming garden. When greens get their sufficient nutrients and adequate growing conditions, they develop healthily and it shows. 

Whether you want a blooming lawn or a fruit and veggies garden, never underestimate the planting procedure. The process requires a lot of necessary steps like seed choice, location, bed preparation, soil enrichment, sowing, compost and mulching, and watering. It is amazing when you get to grow your own edibles, flowers, or decorative plants, but do you have to do all the work by yourself?  

Getting professional gardening services for the planting process has a lot of advantages. Not only it saves you time, but it also minimizes the risks of accidenta

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lly damaging the greenery, messing up the watering schedule, or using the wrong fertilizer.

Professional gardeners do wonders for your garden, as they know exactly how to plant and situate certain plant types in order to get a sufficient amount of airflow, shade, and light. From initial landscape design to planting and cultivation, our team will help you set up and grow a perfect garden.

Garden clearance

A clean and tidy garden always makes a good impression. Nobody likes dirty surroundings and garden waste laying around. That is why outdoor clearance is such an important step in efficient garden maintenance. 

Specialized tools and equipment like leaf blowers, rakes, and shovels make the job of sweeping out garden debris easier. Dead stalks, branches, twigs, and rocks do not belong in your garden, so they need to be taken away to the trash. Soft waste like rotten produce and leaves, on the other hand, is totally compostable and could be put to use later on.

Ready to turn your backyard jungle into a presentable outdoor space? Trust our professional gardeners with your garden clean up! We can remove leaves and all kinds of debris from your yard, and handle their proper waste disposal and recycling. 

And if you want to take your garden glow-up to another level, we also offer weeding, pruning of overgrown greenery, lawn care, and re-turfing, and even hedge trimming. Additionally, you may also take advantage of our professional jet washing of outdoor furniture, pavements, and other hard surfaces.

Note: This is a collaborative post

As you will have seen on the blog we have undertaken two quite mega renovation projects.  Over the last number of months and really years at this stage I have been sharing some insights and tips that I have gleaned along the way.  There was many and I mean very many stressful moments during the projects but I have to say I have learned so much and im more than happy to share this knowledge.

One decision which I spent quite a lot of time contemplating was the flooring.  It’s something that is not only aesthetic and part of the design but a key functional part too and if it’s like my house will get quite a lot of traffic! In the end we mostly went with real wood flooring  however below I set out some of the key considerations you need to keep in mind when choosing your wooden flooring. I am not expert in this area just somebody who has been through this process a few times recently.

• Choose your type of wooden floor. I will admit I began this process pretty clueless not quite understanding the variety of options available.  First main decision really is are you going to go for solid or engineered flooring.  Personally I looked the look and feel of the solid wood flooring and we have large ceiling heights and were installing new doors and surrounds so any marginal increase in the floor height which can arise with solid flooring wasn’t so much a consideration.
  

  Pic Credit: Pixabay

• Choose your colour and finish. This can be a very tough decision and I think it can be harder to decide in a bright airy showroom. In my view you need to if possible purchase some samples and see how it works in your space and lighting. I originally thought I wanted walnut but seeing the sample in our own house it just didn’t have the same appeal. I also looked the more natural finish but I did think the lacquered finished looked really well too.
• Choosing the plank width. This was really not something I had even factored into my decision making before beginning my research. In the main the size would appear to be standard there are options for narrower and wider planks and in the end due to the large size of the sitting room we went for the larger width. I felt it give a kind of luxurious feel to the room. I can really see the appeal of the narrowing planks for example if you were doing a small space.  

Note: This is a collaborative post

We all know that curtains play a big role in keeping our homes feel more comfortable while letting us have the privacy that we want. It gives us a new look for our homes and even extends its use for different seasons. As cliché’ as it seems, our homes are not complete without the presence of even a single curtain.

The different varieties and type of curtain fabric where designed and resourced for us to be more comfortable with our drapes. The variations in curtain fabric set out different kinds of mood for people of contrasting preferences. Curtain fabrics are now one of the things homeowners get to choose in order to feel more comfort in their homes.

Now, if you’ve finally decided to shop for curtains in order to level up your homes, worry less. Yorkshire Fabric Shop has got you! The store has the widest variety of curtain fabrics to choose from. You can visit their physical store or if you want to shop in the convenience of your own homes, you can even shop online at https://www.yorkshirefabricshop.com/ .

Thinking of just a hundred? Well, they got thousands!

Their curtain fabrics are not just fabrics, Yorkshire Fabric shops lets you choose your desired color, and fabric style and material. If you’re moving into a new home and prioritising your budget, they also let you search based on the price that you can afford; they even let you customise so it takes less time for you. 

If you’re into colours to make your rooms more vibrant, Yorkshire Fabric Shop’s curtain fabrics are rich in colour schemes. If you’re into patterns, they have patches, animal print laser cuts, and geometric types and all sorts of kinds. Now if you’re looking for a curtain fabric that’s best for the different seasons each year, care to visit their collections now.

Yorkshire Fabric Shop’s curtain fabrics prioritises not just in aesthetic but also with its purpose. You can choose cotton and linen for hot summer days; it lets the fresh breeze of air go into your room for a more breathable home. Nonetheless, you can also choose their velvet, chenille, and blackout curtains on winter, which helps in maintaining the warm temperature inside your homes. Furthermore, if you want a textured curtain fabric ranging from the crispiest to the silkiest one, their array of collection is just one click away. Yorkshire Fabric Shop’s fabric finder will help you find the most ideal fabric for your curtains. Let the practical and creative side of your run through. 

At Yorkshire Fabric Shop, they value your needs, preferences, as well as your budget. Consequently, with buying your curtain fabric, always choose a fabric that’s best for you and your home’s needs. More than the aesthetics, Yorkshire Fabric Shop makes sure that your curtain fabrics are with high quality grade and is durable enough to last long. They see to it that our curtain fabrics are more than what you’re paying for. 

Shop now at Yorkshire Fabric Shop and let your rooms be filled with life!

Note: This is a collaborative post

We all know that the kitchen is the heart of a family’s home.  If you would like to give your kitchen a new look, but are not yet ready for a full renovation, don’t worry! There are plenty of crafting projects that you can create to refresh this area of your home.

In this post, you will learn how you can give your kitchen a fresh, new look by adding fun lettering and quotes. All the fonts in the examples are available for free at Creative Fabrica.

Creative Fabrica is the ultimate font and graphic design library for creatives and crafters. Here, you can find all the resources you need for any crafting project. With every purchase, you get a lifetime license for personal and commercial use.

The members of Creative Fabrica’s subscription plan have access to unlimited product downloads. To get a taste of what you can do with these assets, you should take a look at their Freebies category. As you will see now, their free fonts are premium, unique and versatile.

This post features six homemade decorative projects that you can create to revive your kitchen. Take a look and get inspired!

Create a big poster for the main wall of your kitchen

The poster in the image has become the centerpiece or this minimalist kitchen. It’s smart and elegant at the same time. The stylish Predators font makes this simple quote look undeniably chic. The handwritten cursive strokes create a well-balanced, striking composition. 

You can design a poster like this yourself. It’s straightforward! Simply install your favorite font in a design tool, like Canva. Type your text and align it to the left. Add a complementary background color and send it to the back. Make your text white, and it will pop out!

Some printing companies can directly print your design on a canvas. If you’d prefer you can simply print your design on paper and add a frame yourself. 

Customize an apron with a message

An apron is an essential garment for anyone who spends hours in the kitchen, and is the perfect way to keep your clothes clean whilst cooking or baking. Once you have finished using it, you can hang it in a prominent place in your kitchen to display a fun quote or a charming message.

The font that you can see in the example is called Roustel. This handwritten type is perfect for sharing a message in a quirky yet fancy way- It is fun, fresh, and easy to read. 

This font is a digital asset so you’ll have to create your design on a computer or a tablet. Once you’ve finished creating a layout, there are many ways to transfer it on to your apron – why not try printing it out and making a stencil! You can color through the stencil with special cloth markers.

Add a message to your kitchen towels

If space is limited, you should avoid cluttering up your kitchen with unnecessary decorations. In more compact kitchens, the best option is to decorate the tools that you use every day. This way, you can craft something handy, unique, and aesthetically pleasing. This customized towel is a perfect example of a kitchen tool that is both beautiful and practical.

The font on this towel is called Potato Pancakes. This bold lettering mimics the appearance of a brush pen’s strokes. You can use this font to create any message that you like.

If you have a cutting machine, you can cut out your design on vinyl. To transfer the vinyl to your kitchen towels, you can use an iron or a heat press. Your design will remain in its place, no matter how many times you wash the towel.

Create a lovely card to announce the daily menu

This decorative idea can also be very practical. Surprise the members of your household by announcing the daily menu with a fancy card. You can create a template and customize it as many times as you need. This idea can also help you decorate your house for a special occasion, such as a dinner party.

The card on this example features the Colombia font. This elegant sans serif type fits almost any project! It’s stylish and comfortable to read, so everyone can see what’s for dinner.

You can print out these cute cards with a domestic printer. For an extra charming touch, you can experiment with different textures of paper. Your guests are guaranteed to be impressed by your attention to detail!

Decorate your mugs with a message

If you store your mugs on a shelf where everyone can see them, this idea is perfect for you. Cups belong in the kitchen, so why not use them as decorative elements!

In the example below, you can see an elegant mug with simple lettering. Sometimes, less really is more: basic designs are easier to combine with other elements.

The font on this mug is called Open Heart. This handwritten type is a swirly variation of British Copperplate calligraphy. These letters can be used to create a fancy and minimalistic effect. 

To customize your mugs, you can print or cut out a stencil with your lettering. Paint over it with special ceramics paint. Sublimation is another good alternative for professional-looking results.

Create a customized calendar

Having a printed calendar is always handy, so why not make it cute? Use one to create a beautiful point of interest to any wall in your kitchen. 

In this image, you can see a calendar page that features the Mama font in the title. It’s fancy, energetic, and expressive. These handwritten letters are perfect for displaying the name of the month. You can create twelve variations – one for each month of the year. Experiment with colors and illustrations to give every month a unique look. 

You can also experiment with the way of hanging these custom calendar pages. What you see on the image is just a suggestion. You can hang all the pages of your calendar together or only display the one representing the current month. 

Now it’s your turn to decorate your kitchen with sweet messages and letterings. Have fun creating the best designs for your home.

Note: This is a collaborative post

As you may have read already on the blog we have undertaken quite a mega renovation project. In fact you may say two large renovation projects in the last five years – our home house – mega undertaking and a smaller renovation on our holiday home.  I remember starting out on this journey and my dad said to me to buy the best you can afford in terms of tech and functionality and if im honest I didn’t fully appreciate how good this advice was until now when we are almost complete on both projects.

For us the kitchen was the biggest undertaking as I knew I wanted a large kitchen which would be the heart of our home. Our kitchen gets a lot of compliments and if im honest I can take very little credit for its transformation. My husband who does work in the construction sector, very much took the reins here. However, what I can say is I have learned a huge amount from this project and im more than happy to share the tips and tricks I gleaned on this journey.

• Budget – the kitchen is can be a costly project therefore very important to know how much you are willing to spend plus a little contingency for the unforeseen.  Stick to it!!
• Theme – know the style or theme you want to go with it. Be that rustic old school or cool and contemporary and stick with it. There is often a temptation to sway to the latest fads for part of it which then ends up a jumble with little or no consistency.
• Electrics – I am no expert in this but you can never have too many sockets! We installed the USB ones too which are a god send. Love them.
• Plumbing – We had no choice but to move some of the  key plumbing elements and let me tell you….this is where you can loose a huge chunk of your budget and not see much for it. Take advice for the experts here and cost it out versus your budget.
• Doors/ Windows -Similar to the plumbing the glazing can be a huge part of your budget however the difference is with the glazing you will be looking at it day in and day out so you would want to like it! Key here is to balance, look, functionality and the best your budget can afford.  Always look for reputable suppliers. For me I wasn’t prepared to scrimp on my bi-fold doors.  I envisaged on a nice day opening the entirety of the back  of my house out and having almost one mega seamless indoor-outdoor space. We did push the budget for the doors we really wanted and we are still absolutely thrilled with them.
• The work flow – This sounds like im stating the obvious but do give time and consideration to your preference for the flow of the kitchen and the workspaces included in it.
• Lighting – Somewhat linked to the above, I like good lighting for my key work stations and as well as being functional it can add to the mood and the theme of the kitchen.  Lightening can even function as a statement piece.

The below should hopefully give you some tips to go on.  If you have any other useful tips please do drop them in the comments below.

Note: This is a collaborative post.

Pic Credit: Pixabay

Have you noticed that your garden is beginning to look a bit rough around the edges? Do you look at your neighbour’s garden and feel a pang of envy? Then perhaps it’s time for a refresh. There are plenty of little jobs you can do to give your outdoor space a lift. A really good start is to tidy up the lawns and flower beds, making sure the edges are trimmed and the wilted blooms are removed. It can also be helpful to invest in some good gardening tools like a mower and a Worx cordless blower, just to make those jobs quicker and easier. If the task is dauting it might even be worth considering hiring in some expertise in this area.

To find a quality local service, you could chat with your neighbours for a personal recommendation or even search online to locate reputable and well-reviewed handyman services near me in Houston (or wherever you are!). You are bound to find a wealth of useful options to help you fresh your garden.  Below are some top tips for making your garden look appealing again.

Repair the fencing

Fences are often the forgotten part of home maintenance, but fixing them will make a big improvement to the whole look of your garden.  You may find that the fencing only needs minor repairs.  But if a lot of the panels are broken and uneven, you may discover it’s better to look at replacing them all.  When you’re installing fences there are a few different styles you can go for, but be sure you consult your neighbours before making any decisions that will affect them.

Put up a mirror

With solid fencing now firmly in place, you could look to adding some decorative features to it.  Putting up a mirror has a few distinct advantages.  Firstly, it will add some interest, and secondly it will help make your garden space look bigger.  There are plenty of mirrors on the market that are designed especially for outside spaces, but you may decide to upcycle an old mirror instead.  Whether you go for a country cottage style wooden framed mirror or a cool and contemporary metal edged mirror, it will create an excellent focal point.

Add a simple water feature

Another garden item you could use to create an interesting focal point is a water feature.  Don’t worry, this doesn’t need to be anything as extravagant as a pond.  A container water garden with a small selection of aquatic plants is just as ideal.  Alternatively, there are plenty of ready-made, compact, water features available to buy.  You might prefer this style of water feature if you’re not particularly green-fingered!

Introduce some solar lighting

Finally, it makes sense to add some instant night-time sparkle to your garden with solar lighting.  Whether you hang string or festoon lights from your fencing, or light a path with a set of lights or lanterns is up to you.  Whatever you go for, you will be able to create a magical night-time glow with little effort or expense required.

Note: This is a collaborative post

Many of us will only call in a roofing contractor after there has been a violent storm and we suspect that a loose tile that might come down and hit our vehicle parked below. Knowing the roofing companies near me are key contacts to have to hand not only in the event of an emergency.  We can also, however, call them out to do a roof inspection periodically. This will ensure that no damage is occurring that we cannot see.

Drones are now a useful aid to consider when it comes to checking your roof. They can at least alert us to trouble with our roof which a roofing contractor can then explore further and fix. One of the most important things to remember is to ensure the company you use is reputable, companies like Superior Gutter and Roofing have a wealth of knowledge and a host of reviews to give you peace of mind in this area. Looking for reviews and expertise cannot be underestimated. 

So, let us think about what we should be looking out for that might mean calling in a roofing firm such as K&D Roofing for an almost certain repair.

Age

The amount of time that has passed can simply be a clue that a roof requires attention. As a rule of thumb, slates, tile, and copper roofs will last for 50 years or more, wood shake roofs approximately 30 years, fibre cement shingles about 25 years, and asphalt shingles around 20 years. So, if your roof has not been looked at in all this time, then it is time to arrange a professional inspection. We should bear in mind that climate will also make a difference and that slate is the longest lasting of all roofing materials, so is likely to give you more time than the 50 years before it needs looking at.  Trends also can be influential here with people opting to change roof if it is nearing its lifespan to something popular. For example cedar shake roofs have really increased in popularity in recent years due to their stability and value.

It is important to have your roof checked regularly. It may have picked up some damage in a storm that had everyone, including the dog, making their way under the table. 

Darkened Areas

Darkened areas will appear on your roof when granules start to fall off your shingles. You will see these granules or sand start to appear from nowhere on your driveway. These affected shingles, when identified, should be replaced by a qualified roofer to ensure the best job possible.

Another reason for dark patches on your roof might be that there is moss or algae growth. This needs to be dealt with promptly too and removed. A roof repairer can also take care of this for you.

Missing Tiles or Shingles and Exposed Nail Heads

Where tiles are visibly missing, perhaps after a storm, they should be replaced to protect a roof from leaking. Exposed or raised nail heads should be dealt with because the spaces or holes around them are then susceptible to water penetrating and seeping in. To ignore these signs might mean that you end up replacing a roof sooner than you expected when there are plenty of other things to spend your household budget on.

Roof Sagging

It is fair to say that a sagging roof means that it requires urgent attention. A roof is then obviously weak and can deteriorate rapidly. Sometimes, this is because a roof has not been installed correctly in the first place, due to not having been fitted by a professional or qualified roofer. It will be in danger of collapse and must be attended to promptly before the inevitable happens. Snow or layers of ice on a roof can put it under strain, so this is why it is good to have a sloped roof to avoid this. Flat roofs will require additional attention and you should look out for the pooling of water that, if allowed to collect, will invariably cause lasting damage to roofs and properties.

So, there are many things about our roof that are possible to spot ourselves and we should always take prompt action when we see them, such as getting a roofing contractor involved, rather than wait until our roof shows signs of letting us down completely. Technology today has meant that we now have drones, as well as binoculars, to help us see what is going on with our roof, so there is no need to risk climbing onto our roof ourselves to see what might be wrong. Then once we have a clue that we have a roofing problem, we know to call out a roofing contractor without delay.

Note: This is a collaborative post.