The Finishing Touches

When it comes to designing your home, whether you are on a budget or have money to spend, it is the finishing touches that will make or break your room and are what makes it special and stand out.

There are a million ways that you can add the finishing touches to your home, whether it be a wall mural in an otherwise white room or a large painting, or how you use textures and accessories to pack a punch.

When I think of what I would like to do with my own home, I always think of the quirky touches that I would like to add.  In particular, pieces that you would not expect to be a feature, but really makes the room.  For example, how about a contemporary radiator in a room that doubles as a statement piece?

Is it art or a integral part of the home?  Those kind of interesting questions about how you can combine design and usefulness really interest me.

They say that the best things in life are free, and in your home, one way that you can utilise a free resource is through the way that you allow the light in.  A skyline in a previously dark room or using the windows as your focal point.  No curtains, simple design and just letting the light flood your interior, allowing the sunlight to create the light and shade in your room.

Making your home stand out and make your own personal statement and aesthetic does not have to cost the earth.  It can be about the little touches that you make or alternatively larger pieces that make a larger statement.

I love the idea of a wall mural from Paris in my bedroom, or using an element that is both functional and artistic to create a talking point.

The most important thing for me about designing your home is that you put your own stamp on it.  Expressing your personality through the pieces that you choose, the colour on the walls and the way in which you choose to have the room speak to the person that enters.

Are you going for cool and classic?  Comfortable and snug?  Anything is possible whatever your budget if you put your mind to it; above all keeping your design to what you will love.  You have to live with it after all?

What design elements do you love in your home?

7 of the Coolest Wall Décor Ideas

When it comes to interior design, there’s no doubt that it’s a delicate art form. It takes a keen eye for trends, and how to effectively use a space to its full potential. One key element of any room is its walls. The colour acts as a background to allow your furniture and accessories stand out. However, your walls don’t need to just be a background – they can easily be transformed into the room’s main event. Here’s 7 of the coolest wall designs to give you some inspiration:

1. Wood Feature Walls

Often create by laying wood flooring across a wall, this is a style that looks amazing in both contemporary and traditional homes. Due to its durability and vast range of styles to choose from, it’s a popular choice for both longevity and appearance. When paired with wood flooring (that’s actually laid on the floor), it can make a room look much; laid vertically it makes a room appear longer, whereas horizontal wood on the walls gives the impression of a wider space.

2. Wall Gallery

If you’re a big admirer of art, or have a particularly big collection of family photos that you’d like to showcase, an eclectic gallery wall might be the way to go. By contrasting colours you can draw visitors’ eyes to its busy design. Alternatively, going for a more unified colour scheme will make the design flow easier, and almost merge all the features into one singular piece of art.

3. Patterned Textures

There’s so much scope for originality on this one, and the only restriction is how wild you’re willing to go with it. From extravagant textures to simple and unified patterns, differing texture sad depth and character to a room’s design – and it can have an explosive effect even covering a small part of a wall’s total surface area.

4. Mirrors

It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book; hand a large mirror, and the space will instantly look larger and more spacious. This can be achieved through one large mirror, or a more decorative approach of hanging a number of smaller mirrors. They also help to bounce light around the room, making the space brighter and more inviting.

5. Tapestry

A good quality tapestry can make a world of different if you’re looking to make a statement. There’s so many design out there to choose from, it should be an easy job finding one that fits with your existing style. You can go for full wall coverage, or hang it like a piece of art as a commendable wall feature.

6. Photo Splitting

If you’ve got a particularly large piece of art that you’d like to showcase, or a huge photo you adore that you’d like to take centre stage, then splitting that photo can make it have even more of an impact. Bearing in mind if you’re doing this with art, expensive original pieces are officially excluded from this one! The split in the image warrants a second glance by visitors, and prevents it being overlooked as just another colossal hanging frame.

7. Patterned Wallpaper

Although this has been around for decades, there’s always a place for good patterned wallpaper when it comes to interior design. Foliage themes are very trendy right now, and the light colours draw the eye more than just a brightly coloured paint would.

7 Reasons The Less Glamorous Side Of Interior Design Should Be Your Top Priority

Interior design is a necessary part of owning or renting a home. You might only ever decorate it once, but it is still something that has to be done so you're at the very least, making somewhere nice to live in. Beyond that, for many people it is all about putting a personal stamp on a space, and making it the most beautiful it can be.

When you think of interior design you likely think about buying beautiful new cushions, some new artwork, repapering the feature wall, and adding beautiful accessories to a room. There is of course a lot more to it than that.

Interior design and home renovation is actually, mostly very hands on and practical. There are various practical tasks that need to be done first, so that you can then make your home beautiful with the frills like cushions, throws and accessories. Studies show that of all home renovations, redecorating adds the least amount of value onto a property. Practical adjustments really should come first if you want the most beautiful and valuable home.

Here are 7 reasons the less glamorous side of interior design should be your top priority:  

1. Safety

The safety of a home should always be the number one priority when it comes to interior design and renovation. Safety factors like: electrics, plumbing and gas should always come first. Smaller issues like damp can also be a big safety factor as mold and mildew are known to cause all kinds of health issues including asthma and other respiratory conditions.

2. Costs Later Down The Line

Leaving issues that seem small right now, in favour of more instantly satisfying interior renovations can lead to bigger costs down the line. For example: if you invest in a new sofa instead of paying somebody to deal with overgrown trees, or ivy growing over the property, those things could cause damage to your home and garden which will cost a lot more to fix than the initial problem. Small issues dealt with there and then are inexpensive to solve, and help avoid costs later down the line.

3. An Excellent Base For Decorating

If you have broken tiles, an area of damp, turned up carpets or other more practical issues in a room, painting the room and adding cushions or accessories is not going to create a beautiful overall look. The base needs to be sound before you can make it look beautiful. You may temporarily cover the issues up but they will reveal themselves again soon enough. For example: damp can easily soak wallpaper and have it peeling off in a matter of weeks. If you want something to look good, you have to give it excellent foundations first.

4. Destruction Of Your Decoration Efforts

There's nothing like a leaky roof or crumbling plaster to destroy decoration efforts. Picture this: you've spent tons of money on a beautiful new carpet and within a week the crumbling plaster from the ceiling is deeply embedded in the threads. Or: you've just had the kitchen completely painted and freshened up, and the leak from upstairs you thought could wait has dropped a hole in the ceiling, ruining all the new paintwork and decorations. The money you have spent on your decorating could be instantly wasted because a practical issue was put off.

5. A Decrease In House Value

Recent media reports show that over-improving your home can devalue it. So adding too much 'pizazz' or personalisation is a big no no if you want to sell your property for as much as possible. Instead focus on the most practical renovations so that the property is sound, sturdy and a blank canvas for new buyers.

6. An Increase In Home Value If You Pay For The Right Improvements

The most recent studies show that energy saving improvements to the home could increase the value by nearly 40%. The same studies showed that nearly 85% of buyers would pay more for eco-friendly features. So you might be better off spending money on eco-friendly home improvements like energy saving bifold doors or solar panels, rather than new wallpaper or a new bed.

7. An Increase In 'Hygge'

Hygge (pronounced hoo gah) is the latest design trend to drastically change the way people design their homes. Rather than a focus on an object or a colour scheme, Hygge is all about happy moments. Moments that can't really be described, but they are memorable and deeply satisfying. It could be a hot chocolate by the fire, reading a book by your favourite window, or sharing a cuddle on the sofa with your partner. No blanket or paint colour will achieve this design trend. Instead, the focus should be on ensuring the home is warm, secure and letting in as much light as possible. Practical definitely counts for more with Hygge.

You know your home best and how you spend your money is of course up to you. However, it is a good idea to take some time prioritising your interior renovations so you can feel secure in the knowledge your hard earned money is being spent in the best possible way.

*Collaborative post

Logojoy Review

On Friday on the blog I was talking about how different we can become between our online and offline selves.  How much we share of ourselves online and how that can sometimes get problematic, especially if you talk a lot about current affairs; as I do!

I have always had my picture as my profile image for my social media accounts, but now, I feel like I want to pull back a little.  Many times, as I mentioned on my previous post, I have had conversations only to be derailed and ignored on the basis of what I look like.

On that basis, I decided to leave imagery of myself to my blog only, and have something simply blog related as my social media representation.  I wanted something simple and to the point, which would let my words do the talking and not my face.  What do you think?

I created my new logo through Logojoy. I confess that I am not talented when it comes to creating images and need some guidance and a simple application that takes me through the steps to create the perfect logo.

Logojoy was the perfect vehicle for me to be able to create my new logo.  Below are some of the steps that you go through in order to create your image.

The first thing you do is enter your blog name or the title of your business and then proceed through to choosing at least five images as below, to start the designing process and gives the site an indication of the styles that you like.

From there, you can choose up to five symbols to go with your text.  There are many to chose from simply be writing down what you are looking for in the search bar.  This step is optional.

Once your symbol has been chosen, this then takes you to a screen where you can fully customize your logo with different fonts, different colours and designs.  You can from having something simple like mine to something really unique, simply by clicking on the different options.

The process of choosing a new logo through Logojoy could not have been easier.  It was a simple, step by step process that even I could follow with ease and from there, there are different packages that you can chose from depending on what you want to use the logo for.  I chose the 65 dollar package, which includes a high resolution logo, different colour options and also the social media kit for an extra 9 dollars which gives you perfectly sized logos for all of your social media accounts.

Logojoy is free to try out so you can spend as much time as you want creating the perfect logo before committing to buy.  There are so many different combinations that you can try out that I really recommend that you spend some time on the site trying them out.

• Hope you like my new logo!

We'll Always Have Paris

My plan over the next couple of years is to move out from living with my mum.  At 76 she is very independent and does not need me to look after her.  We have got through the last couple of years after losing my step dad and I feel that now is the right time for me.

I am (finally) sorting out the mess that my finances have been for last few years and now want to spend the next couple of years saving and planning for my future place.

Thanks to my not so great credit rating, buying a property is not in my future just yet, so renting is what I need to plan for.  The trouble is, how much of your own stamp can you put on a property that is not your own?

I have written previously about wall murals which is a great way to use wall space without changing wall colours or putting too many nails into the walls.  Furniture is also a great way to put your own sense of style into a property.

This leads with what I want in my future bedroom.  I want to feel like I am living in a Paris.  I have been collecting photographs of the kind of pieces I like and the styles that appeal to me, (alongside looking looking in the large charity shops that have donated furniture).

I love this vintage inspired rug from Cox and Cox which is a great size and will cover up any ugly carpet that the landlord decides to put in.

I absolutely adore this screen divider from Manomano  I know that I definately want some sort of screen divider in my future place, be it in my bedroom or sitting room.  They can be a great way of creating different spaces within the room and I particularly love this one.   

This dressing table set from HomesDirect is definately out of my price range, but I love the style and hope to find something along the same lines.

Finally, the bed.  I really love this bed from Oaks Furniture.  It is like a sleigh bed and with a really great mattress, I can only imagine the amazing sleep I will have.

I will also be checking out the British Heart Foundation as my local store is huge and holds some great items, from genuine antiques to newer pieces.

This a long term plan and saving will take a while.  Especially as I want to be able to afford a decent place in an area where I feel safe.  Also, I don't want to rely on hand me downs (although some would be greatly appreciated!)  This will my first place alone and I really want to stamp my mark on it.

Inspiration on your Wall

Sometimes we all need a bit of inspiration in our lives.  A reminder to live our lives the way that we want to, be who we want to be and embrace ourselves for who we are.

When I search for inspiration on the internet, the best quotes that I find are always more truth than inspiration.  They tell you what, in your heart, you already know.  You just have to sift through what society has indoctrinated you to think to find that truth.

My favourite quote, and one which I always remember is from Maya Angelou:

"If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be".

The reminder to yourself that the best version of yourself is being exactly who you are, without trying to change yourself to meet other's expectations.

I was recently contacted by StressFreePrint and was asked if I would like to create my own inspirational quote poster.  I wanted something simple that would give me inspiration when I first wake up in the morning.  I decided to go with this:

  For me this simple sentence says so much and has been inspiring my wake up in the morning since I first received it last week.  Now StressFreePrint have given me the opportunity to give someone else the chance to design their own inspirational poster.  

Enter below!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway