Category: Decorating

A house that you own is something of a work-in-progress. You get to look at this blank canvas of a house that you have, add your personality and make changes to it as and when you see fit. You may have bought your home with your partner shortly after getting married, and as the kids come along all those dream projects that you may have had slide to the wayside. With a growing family comes growing utility bills, and while you don’t have to let go of your home renovation plans, you do have to make some tweaks.

The best way to make changes to your home while saving money on bills at the same time is to go green. Homeowner personal loans can get you the upgrades you want without having to wait around, and get you started on your greener journey. We are all living in a time where the issues in the environment are painfully obvious and we have to do what we can where we can to live a greener life. The best place to start being eco-friendlier is with the place we live and our lifestyle, and what better way than getting the entire family involved?

It’s good for children to see you be actively environmentally-friendly, as it encourages the same behaviours. We’ve got some great ideas for green upgrades to make your home perfect:

Kitchen Countertops

When you are redoing the kitchen and making it more current, it’s a good idea to look into reclaimed wooden countertops like endurawood. The endurawood is a perfect example of eco-safe household promotion as no new trees need to be cut down to make your kitchen perfect. Your peace of mind knowing that your upgrade can do so much for the environment should be enough to research reclaimed wood.

How about not ripping out the old work tops? You can upgrade your work tops for less, and minimal work. Have a look on Pinterest and see what amazing things people have done with a roll of Fablon, or a tin of paint!

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo Flooring. It’s a little-known fact, but bamboo flooring is a wonderful option for your home. They are better for the environment than traditional hardwood floors, and the price compared to traditional wood is far nicer on the wallet. You can read this article in more depth and learn about how bamboo can enrich your home and why you should make it the choice for your flooring.

Paper Furniture

Okay, so we’re not talking doll houses, but furniture made with recycled paper that you can use in the house. I am genuinely blown away by this concept. The way the paper is pressed and moulded it looks like real timber, with unique patterns and designs on them. These materials can contribute to a more sustainable future and you would be a part of that change.

It’s wonderful to think about your energy and utility bills when it comes to having a home chock-full of eco-friendly furniture and materials. Not only are you giving back, but you’re teaching your whole family that a renovation isn’t just about you – it’s about the wider world outside the window. Make a plan and get everyone at home involved and you will be able to pull off a renovation you can all be proud of.

There are many jobs around the home that can often sound much more complex than they really are. We’ve lived in our new home for nearly a year now, and every room needed attention. We know its hopefully going to be the final home we live in, the place we raise our family and the house that we complete our dreams in. The living room, kitchen and garden were the first places to be upgraded, after all those 3 spaces are where we spend the most amount of our time. But, the bathroom was definitely next on the list.

No matter what kind of experience or skill level you have, you will probably be surprised at just how simple and fast it can be to give your bathroom a complete makeover. Bathrooms tend to be small rooms, with just one purpose (OK, 2 purposes IYKWIM) so your mission should be relatively straight forward.  As long as you are following these basic steps, you should find that your bathroom can be upgraded in a matter of days at most, and for cheaply too. Let’s have a look at some of the essential and quick ways to give your bathroom a new lease on life.

Deep Clean

One of the most effective bathroom upgrades is also one of the easiest to carry out. Deep cleaning need not take much time, but its results can be profoundly staggering. It is also true that if you want to carry out any more particularly permanent or bigger changes, such as a total renovation, deep cleaning is a good first step anyway. So no matter how much or how little you are planning to do with your bathroom, this is a great place to start. Get in there deep, and really bring out the sparkle of your bathroom. It makes a huge difference to not only how it looks, but how it feels to use as well. What’s more, it can be strangely therapeutic.

Bleach works wonders all over the bathroom, and a microfiber cloth adds the perfect polish. Bathrooms tend to be dusty places, thanks to towels, talcum powder and other various products. Start with a good dust down and then bleach everything using a good sponge, finish by polishing surfaces with a decent microfiber cloth and some furniture polish.

I have high tiles in our bathroom, and I discovered that my floor mop (a flat head style mop- with squirty function, you know the style) gets our bathroom tiles sparkling with minimal effort. I splashed bleach onto the tiles and then wet the mop head under the tap, I then simply rubbed the tiles with the mop. Because the mop is long, It meant that I avoided over stretching and struggling with corners. The mop reached all of the tiles with ease. I used our shower head to rinse away the bleach and left the tiles to air dry. Shiny, clean tiles with no effort!

 

Update The Fixtures

 

Chances are, your bathroom has started to look like a photograph from an old catalogue. This happens all too easily after a time, but it is easy enough to get it looking modern and new again (although we all know that I massively adore the vintage look). For a fresh start in your bathroom, it is well worth updating the fixtures and fittings in that room. Start with the more important ones, like the shower or bath and wash basin. It’s easy enough to upgrade these areas, and there is a stunning range of shower enclosures to choose from if you want to really give it a new look. But even if you just install a new shower head, you’ll be amazed at what a difference that can make. Treat yourself to a new toilet seat, toilet roll holder, soap dish, bath mat  and shower curtain and you will instantly see a huge difference to the room.

Get Organized

The bathroom is one of those rooms that can extremely easily become prone to clutter and mess. Too many toiletries and not enough storage space soon becomes a hoarders paradise (and a dusty one at that). If your bathroom is guilty of this, then you’ll find that organizing the space a little can really improve the look and feel of the room as a whole. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to upgrade the room, then this is worth considering. It will only take you an hour or so, and it can really make a huge difference. If you’re struggling, it might be that you actually don’t have the space. In that case, go out and find some decent storage units that are suitable for your bathroom. That can really help with keeping the room in check, without sacrificing how it looks.

We have our airing cupboard in the bathroom, and I found a nifty way of organising our bedding. I used plastic storage trays for each type of bedding- pillow cases, duvet covers, bottom sheets and baby bedding. I wrote on each box in Sharpie what goes in each box. It keeps things simple and easy to grab when needed. I still want to add some extra shelving units in the cupboard for storing extra toiletries.