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Home sweet home rules these days, as we've all decided to stay put instead of selling. Not only that, we're doing more in our homes – from entertaining to exercising and using them as a home office – as we try to slash our spending in the recession and adapt to changing lifestyles.
A recent survey by YouGov for homeware chain HomeSense reveals that 32 per cent of us have decided against moving, and only 13 per cent will consider it when the property market improves. So it makes sense to create a home that caters for every need – whether it's a place to enjoy a DIY spa treatment, a movie, a workout or a supper party.
Victoria Wright for HomeSense says: "It's no longer enough to have a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
"We find our customers these days want a home that suits their personality and, most importantly, meets a wide variety
of needs.
"So it has to be a relaxing haven, and somewhere to keep fit as well as a place they would be proud to entertain their friends."
If you're looking to get more from your home, then take inspiration from the experts at Reader's Digest who have produced a bible of savvy tips for the home, called Five Minute Fixes.
It's packed with decorating and interiors solutions that will save you money and make your home look great.
A quarter of us expect guests to clean up their own spills and to put down a coaster before placing a drink on a surface.
Nearly 75 per cent of us would prefer guests not to smoke in the home.
More than one in five people (22 per cent ) say guests must take their shoes off when visiting. Around one in 10 completely re-arrange their furniture when expecting guests, and one in 10 completely redecorate.
Nearly 15 per cent of us have a secret area in the home that's a complete mess, and one in 10 have lost sleep over the fact that their house is not tidy enough.
Q: What can I do to make my living room look larger?
A: Using a large mirror is a time-honoured decorator's trick of making a room look larger, but large mirrors can be expensive.
An interesting collection of small mirrors is a quick way to open up a room, and if you buy them from car boot sales, charity shops and other budget sources, they needn't cost much more than pocket money. Pick different shapes and sizes and, if you like, spray paint all the frames the same colour or use colours that work well together.
Decide on the wall for the display and map out an arrangement by using masking tape. Mount the mirrors and remove the tape.
BEST BUY: Splurge on Venetian-style floral-etched mirrored angel wings, 189, or get a great effect for less with a Venetian butterfly shaped mirror, 21 a pair. Both from Graham & Green.
Q: My room has low ceilings and it feels oppressive, what can I do?
A: A combination of lighting, picture placement and curtain hanging strategies will create an illusion of height, and can also make a room feel more spacious. Hang the pictures five to eight centimetres higher than eye level to draw the eye upward.
Use indirect lighting to illuminate the ceiling. Uplighters and lamps with heads that can be aimed upward will allow the light to hit the ceiling and bounce off, bathing the rest of the room in soft light. This creates an illusion of height. Instead of placing curtain rails at the level of the window frame, install them up against the ceiling (or at the moulding that edges the ceiling). Then hang long curtains that reach the floor. Drape the curtains to hide the wall above the window, or add a stiffened fabric panel under the curtain to hide the wall.
BEST BUY: A floor uplighter from Marks & Spencer, 149, and an adjustable Autograph floor lamp, 129.
Q: I want to add sparkle to my rooms but my budget is limited.
A: Make sure you visit charity shops, such as Oxfam, where you can buy excellent secondhand goods at a fraction of retail prices. Go to those in more affluent areas where you're likely to find items donated by people who can afford to give away good-quality furnishings when they decorate. Find out the days when they get new deliveries.
BEST BUYS: Little touches make all the difference. Heart-shaped shells, small 26.50, large 35, or a truly regal iron hook, adorned with a gilded crown, 15, all from Graham & Green.
Q: My expensive oriental rug looks overpowering in my room, what can
I do?
A: A slab of bright colour and complex pattern can totally dominate a room, so the only way is to fight back with colour by adding multi-coloured cushions and bright artwork. Cover a chair in a vivid pattern. These new strong elements will force the rug to settle into the overall scheme.
BEST BUY: A punchy red Lilly Cushion, complete with a flower decoration, 16.95, from Dwell.
Q: My bedroom looks really dull, but I haven't got the budget for a makeover. Any ideas?
A: Use a decorative fabric as a wallcovering, such as a bedsheet with an appealing pattern. Soak the sheet in full strength liquid starch which will act as a natural adhesive. Smooth the sheet over the wall behind the bed, starting at the ceiling line and working down. Use a squeegee to smooth out wrinkles. When you want to redecorate, you can easily pull down the sheet, and the original
wall finish will only need wiping down to be restored.
BEST BUY: Fashion designers Basso & Brooke have turned their talents to wallpapers, and their new collection for Graham & Brown is a chic take on decorative geometrics. A roll costs 35.
Q: I want an original look for a single window in my house. What do you suggest?
A: Hang found objects in the window instead of a blind or curtains. Thread nearly visible monofilament fishing line through beads, crystals, Christmas decorations or small pieces of driftwood and attach the lines at the top and bottom of the window frame with drawing pins. You may want to hide the pins by touching them up with the same paint as used on the windows. Or use fishing line to tie together a latticework of beautiful dried branches from a small tree or shrub.
BEST BUY: Have your favourite photo, perhaps one from a wedding, printed on to a roller blind. Visit www.web-blinds.com upload the image and enter your roller blind measurements and the blinds will be delivered in 10 working days. Prices start at 143.50 (80cm wide x 120cm drop).
Q: I've run out of wall space for all the pictures I want to hang.
A: Rotate your display. Install two or three long, narrow display shelves on a wall. Arrange some of your favourites, putting several frames on each shelf, and lean them against the wall. After a few months, take these pictures down and put up others. Store the pictures you're not displaying in document boxes so they're protected from light and dust.
BEST BUY: It's easy and cheap to pop up a set of shelves, if you choose from the wide selection at Focus DIY. White Floating Shelf, 15.99 to 20.99, and White White Melamine Shelf, 7.99.
Q: My front hall's a mess, and I'm always losing things.
A: Assign everyone in the family his or her own in and out basket or area. This could be a set of stacking baskets, or a shelf in a cupboard. Make sure they're emptied once a week. Use a basket on a hall table, for small fiddly portable items from phones to sun glasses and keys.
BEST BUY: A compact wooden key rack, with space for letters and a drawer, 65 from Graham & Green.
Q: My front door is so shabby it lets down the appearance of the whole house.
A: Painting a front door is an excellent job for a sunny weekend. Before painting, it may be a good idea to remove the handles, plates and lock mechanism, which makes the painting job much easier. To prepare, remove any flaking paint from the surface and give it a rub down with sand paper. Paint the door in the following order – mouldings, panels, centre upright, horizontals – top and bottom, side verticals, edges and finally frame.
BEST BUY: Sandtex paints come in large selection of shades and offer a wear guarantee. High Performance Exterior Gloss offers six years' guaranteed protection when used with Sandtex High Performance Primer Undercoat. Both 9.98 for 750ml and 22.49 for 2.5L.
Dwell: 0845 675 9090/www.dwell.co.uk
Focus DIY: 0800 436 436/Focusdiy.co.uk
Graham & Brown: 0800 328 8452/www.grahamandbrown.co.uk
Graham & Green: 0845 130 6622/www.grahamandgreen.co.uk
HomeSense: www.homesense.com
Marks & Spencer: 0845 302 1234/www.marksandspencer.com
Sandtex: 0845 618 3004/www.sandtex.co.uk
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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