To Parquet Or Not To Parquet?

Do you remember that zig zag shaped flooring you used to find in your grandparents house? That is parquet flooring, and parquet is back on the comeback trail. Its distinctive geometric shapes are what makes it stand out from the crowd and give it its own identity.

It’s unsurprising to hear that traditional, old school flooring is back on the up, as vintage is a current trend as is incredibly popular, not just in the flooring market, but in the home and clothing market, and even the re-emergence of vinyl records. Today’s parquet has been given a contemporary twist to modernise it for the present day homes.

There is an incredibly broad range of parquet flooring on offer, so there truly is something to suit everyone. They come in fixed length, individual tiles, so can pretty much be shaped into any design that you like. It is important to ensure you have a specific design in mind before going into the fitting process as they can look a little cluttered and chaotic if proper planning is not put into place beforehand.

Parquet is incredibly durable, so is perfect for homes with high levels of footfall and heavy traffic. It won’t damage as easily as solid and engineered wood, so is a perfect option if you’re not only looking for a flooring that looks great, but that’s also incredibly reliable as well. It’s a long term solution for your home, as opposed to a short term solution that won’t last long. It’s also incredibly easy to clean, if you spill something simply wipe it up, it’s that easy.

The above are examples of just two of the different options you get with parquet. They come in lighter and darker shades, and in a range of species such as oak and walnut. These examples show you Engineered Walnut flooring (left), and the stunning Engineered Grey Oak (right), patters such as these truly add something different to a room. Darker colours add a warm aesthetic, whereas lighter colours create the illusion of space, and add a brighter glow. You can see in this photo the distinctive zig-zag shapes that make parquet as unique as it is.

This truly could be a perfect addition to any modernised home looking for a traditional twist. Not only does it looks amazing, and lasts you a long time, it’s incredibly cost effective. The warm colours can add a natural warmth to your home as the winter months roll in. We hope our guide has helped you to see how beneficial parquet can be to your home, good luck making the all important decision! 

Unexpected Factors That Shape Your Home

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In the modern world, your home has never been a more important place. With the hectic and chaotic nature of life, a lot of people will use this place as a refuge against the stress of life, and this means that it has to be perfect. There are loads of aspects which will impact this. But, of course, there is one which people will often ignore. To help you out with this, this post will be going through this factor, while also helping you to decide if a home is right for you.

The Location:

The factor you have to be considering is, of course, the location. Most people will choose this simply based on their job, where they currently live, or where they grew up. This doesn’t make sense, though, as there is almost certainly other aspects which you’ll want to consider. Below, you can find some examples of these, along with some ways to make an improvement.

The Facilities:

A place is only as good as the facilities and services it has to offer you. For example, if you have kids, good schools will be essential, and living somewhere with one close by will make things easier. Of course, though, there will be loads of things you can make use of. So, it’s worth thinking about as many as possible, along with researching some you may not have heard of.

The Climate:

Over the last few years, more and more research has been done to determine correlations between climate and happiness. In most cases, it has been found that warmer weather makes people feel better. So, it could be worth using a company like https://www.mybekins.com/ to find a warmer place to call home. Of course, though, you’ll have to think very hard before making a move like this.

The Culture:

Although it may seem pedantic, a lot of people will consider things like crime rates, nightlife, and other local culture when they’re thinking about a location to live. These sorts of metrics can be found all over the internet and can be very useful when you’re trying to find the place for you.

The Price:

In most cases, the price of the land a house sits on will dictate most of its value. This means that a move a very short distance away could make a house of the same size a lot cheaper. As long as this doesn’t impact the other aspects of your location, a change like this could be a very good decision.

The Building Itself:

Finally, it’s time to think about the building itself, and how the location might impact it. In different places, there are loads of varying construction and architecture styles. Having a home which embodies a look you don’t like will make it feel bad. This means that it could be well worth moving to find a home which better matches the aesthetic you want to cultivate.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start considering location when you’re looking for your next home. A lot of people will ignore areas like this, choosing to use budget or size as their guide. Of course, though, there are loads of things at play here, and you need to be able to balance them all.

*Collaborative post

Top 5 Things To Do In Gran Canaria

I have finally made the decision, I am going on holiday next year!!  I haven't been away on holiday for seven years now so think that I am definately due some sunshine.

As always when I decide to do something, I research!  This is especially important when you are going away on holiday, not least for the amount you are spending.  You want to go somewhere that has everything that you want, for the best price.

This week I have been looking at Gran Canaria with Holiday Gems and thought I would share some of the research I have been doing, to help you with your holiday destination planning too.

Gran Canaria is in the Canary Islands, just off north western Africa.  The flight time is 4.5 hours, something to consider for those of you who don't like flying.  Personally, I love flying and enjoy it as part of my holiday.

Gran Canaria has both white sandy and black lava beaches.  Depending on whether you are looking for a busy, active holiday you might choose to go to Puerto Rico or for something quieter, somewhere like San Agustin.

Here are 5 things to do in Gran Canaria depending on what type of activity you like.

Drink Rum!

Let's face it, when we go on holiday we are allowed to have a tipple (or 5).  Gran Canaria is famous for its Arucas rum.  Gran Canaria has been producing sugar cane for 5 centuries now and during that time, has perfected its rum making which is now exported all over the world.  

There is a distillery that you can visit which is 15 minutes outside of the capital which gives you an afternoon experience of showing you how the rum is made and of course, allowing you to sample some of the many flavours of the rum!

Look to the Stars

For a night time activity, what is better, and more relaxing, than looking at the stars?  Gran Canaria is one of the best places in Europe to see the stars at night and there are two different observatories on the island that offer night walks.  Not something perhaps for a family holiday, but perfect for a romantic holiday away.

Go Swim with the Fishes!

Gran Canaria is great place to go scuba diving over various parts of the island.  If you are looking for a relaxed dive, looking at the fishes and maybe coming across a sea turtle or two.  For the more experienced, you could check out the El Cabron Marine Reserve, there is submerged wreck at Puerto Mogan or a cave dive in Las Palmas.

Take in some history

For me, it is important for me to take in some culture of the place that I am visiting.  To see the history of the country and what is important to those that live there.  

To achieve that, you can do no better than visit Teror which is a place of pilgrimage for the residents of Gran Canaria as it holds the state of the Virgen del Pino which is the patron saint of the Canary Islands.  There are also weekly Sunday markets where you can pick up handcrafted local items.  To check out some authentic and typical architecture of the island, go to the Plaza de Teror.

See the whole Island!

One of the best things about visiting an island is being able to see the whole of it in one day.  This is something that you can do in Gran Canaria.  There is a day tour available which enables you to see all four coasts of the island in a trip that takes around 8 hours and costs around £32.

You get to see everything from the pictureque fishing villages to the mountains, the banana plantations and also the famous Canteras beach.  

So what do you think?  Is Gran Canaria somewhere that you would think about visiting for your summer holiday?  Let me know!

Images all from Pixabay

Post in collaboration with Holiday Gems