Tuesday 29 December 2015

revive old furniture

For renovating furniture like armchairs and sofas, recovering or reupholstering is the key. Bemz.com sells made-to-measure seat and sofa covers in many patterns and colours for popular Ikea models. Look online for good local upholsterers and companies that will make up loose covers to update pre-loved pieces. John Lewis will collect, reupholster and return pieces. If you are a dab hand at sewing, you may want to try doing it yourself in a patchwork effect using pieces of your favourite old fabrics, sewn roughly together and pinned onto the seat.

A lick of satinwood or gloss paint is the easiest way to upcycle andupdate wooden furniture. Make sure the piece is sanded down (investing in a mouse may be worthwhile), prime with a wood primer and then paint. The better quality of the paint, the better the finish (off-whites and metallics will create a more lasting look), and a varnish will give extra protection. For fiddly pieces and when time is short, spray paint is a good option.

For a shabby chic look, use two or three coats of different colours on a piece. When they have all dried, take a knife and sandpaper and sand down the edges. Bits of other colours will emerge giving a well-worn feel.


New knobs and pulls will immediately upcycle an old chest of drawers or wardrobe. Look out for gorgeous coloured ones atAnthropologieBombay DuckGraham & Green and Zara Home.

design ideas

www.houseandgarden.co.uk/interiors/living-room/modern-retro

vintage decor ideas

26 Breathtaking DIY Vintage Decor Ideas

Monday 7 December 2015

positive reviews

Select the Perfect Wallpaper

The wall covering you choose can make a room appear bigger, warmer, and brighter (or vice versa), and even hide imperfect elements.
Take a Cue from Color Color can set the mood in a room. To make a space appear larger and the ceiling higher, pick patterns with cool-color backgrounds, such as green, blue, or violet. Soft cool colors suggest tranquillity, while intense cool colors are fresh and dramatic. Warm colors -- reds, yellows, and oranges -- live up to their name and actually make people feel warmer. These are a popular choice in colder climates and also work well in north-facing rooms. The more intense the color, the more excitement it will give to a room.
Play with Light In a north-facing room, dark hallway, or windowless space, look for wallcoverings that will reflect light around the room, such as patterns with light colors and those with metallic or iridescent inks. Also consider patterns with smooth surfaces, which reflect maximum light. Dark colors absorb light, making walls appear closer and the room smaller. Textured surfaces also tend to make a wall look darker.
Hide Flaws with Texture Patterns with real or perceived texture can hide or camouflage wall imperfections or architectural eyesores. Patterns with actual tactile surfaces include grass and string cloth, burlap, foil, expanded vinyl, and even fabric. Other papers simulate the look of marble, wood, leather, fabric, even animal skins. A pattern with a layered design also creates a perception of texture (such as a monochromatic damask design behind a floral pattern).
Consider how the room is used, and how often, when choosing wallpaper patterns.
Choose a Suitable Style For a formal look, choose large-scale patterns with dramatic colors. For a fun, bright style, pick small motifs that are open and regularly spaced, such as polka dots. Don't forget the decorative impact of borders. Available in all sorts of motifs and styles -- from sports scenes to pastoral views to wildlife images -- borders quickly establish the theme of a room.
Accent the Positive Stripes and other vertical patterns, which emphasize height, suggest dignity, vitality, and formality. Vertical patterns, including florals where the motif's shape suggests a V or a U, will make a ceiling appear higher. Horizontal patterns accent width, suggest quietness and repose, and make narrow rooms appear wider.
Scale for Success Small-scale patterns create a feel of spaciousness, while large-scale designs make rooms more intimate. To make an empty room look more furnished, pick large-scale patterns with bright colors and dark backgrounds. To give flat walls the look of depth, try a large, open dimensional pattern, such as a trellis design.
Mix and Match Wisely A room without pattern can bore, while a room with too many patterns can cause restlessness. When mixing stripes, florals, or plaids in a room or between adjacent areas, pick patterns that repeat the same color or values of that color. Wallcovering books usually group designs by color to make coordinating easy.
Follow these steps to determine how many rolls of wallcovering you'll need.
1. Calculate the wall space to be covered in square feet. Measure a wall from ceiling to floor and horizontally from corner to corner. Multiply those two figures. Repeat for remaining walls. Add the totals.
2. If you're covering a ceiling, calculate the square footage by multiplying the width of the floor by the length.
3. Divide each figure by 25 -- the average square footage in a standard single roll of wallpaper.
4. Subtract from the total one-half single roll for each window and door. The resulting figure is the final number of single rolls needed. Always round fractions to the next highest whole number. If your wallpaper comes in double rolls (most residential wallpapers do), divide this figure by 2.

The Dos And Don'ts Of Choosing Wallpaper

The Dos And Don'ts Of Choosing Wallpaper
Reviews of The Painting Specialist - Painter/Decorator based in Kilburn , London.

Monday 9 November 2015

decorating at xmas time

If you are looking for an elegant approach to match the overall decor of your home, Christmas color schemes are a good option. You can choose a single color for every ornament, from wreath decorations to stockings and lighting. For a romantic atmosphere, consider using candles and emphasize your fireplace with some warmth-inspiring wooden additions. We are curious to know what your decorating plans for this Christmas are. Are you considering a large natural Christmas tree or would you rather replace it with a more sustainable option? How will you decorate your table on Christmas Eve? Please share these ideas with us and let’s get the conversation started!
www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/christmas-decorating-ideas-0/ad

xmas decorating

Christmas, Christmas ideas | housetohome.co.uk

Tuesday 3 February 2015

The Painting Specialist: What Painting

The Painting Specialist: What Painting: Benefits of Professional Decorating Painting and decorating of your house is a fantastic solution for expressing your own character. If...

Tuesday 27 January 2015

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What to Do with Old Paint

Not sure what to do with old paint cans cluttering up your basement or garage? Follow this action plan to either condense or dispose of your surplus—and win back some valuable floor and shelf space in the bargain.
What to Do with Old Paint
Leftover house paint is not the easiest stuff to get rid of. You can't simply throw it out without risking pollution and fines.
1. Determine if the paint is still good. Solvent-based paints have a 15-year shelf life. If you can stir it, it’s probably okay to use (even if you have to remove the “skin” on the surface first). Latex has a shelf life of 10 years. If it has been subject to freezing, it may not be usable. Test by stirring and brushing onto newspaper. If there are lumps, the paint is no longer good.
2. Decide what to keep. If the paints are in colors that are still on your walls, it makes sense to hang on to them. They will be useful for touch-ups and repainting when the time comes. If the lids are loose, seal them carefully; transfer small amounts in smaller containers. Be sure to label with color name, number and date of purchase.
3. Ways to use leftovers. Even if you’re sure the paint color is not one you’ll return to, consider mixing leftovers of the same paint type (latex with latex, acrylic with acrylic, oil with oil) to use as an undercoat primer.
4. Donate paints you don’t want. If you have good paint that you can’t use, offer it to family, friends and neighbors, or call a local paint contractor. Some charities may take paint too, especially those that do work helping the elderly with home renovations.
5. Dispose of what you can’t use and can’t give away. How you do it depends upon the type of paint, but it’s critical that it be done in a manner that won’t cause pollution to drinking water or waterways. One gallon of paint can contaminate many thousands of gallons of water, harm fish and aquatic plant life and eventually poison the food chain. Listed below are the proper ways to dispose of paint:
What to Do with Old Paint - Litter
To solidify old latex paint, pour powder into the paint using the amount specified by the manufacturer and stir.
Latex and acrylic paints: Many municipalities will allow you to solidify these paints and throw them away with the household trash. One way to do this is to mix it with a clay-based cat litter at a ratio of two parts litter to one part paint. Do this in a well-ventilated place that’s off-limits to kids and pets. Another way is to use an additive. I tried XSORB’s Rock Solid and found that about a cupful turned the old latex paint in the photos to a solid after an hour.
What to Do with Old Paint - Solidified
Old paint gets an oatmeal consistency after only a couple of minutes of stirring.
Oil-based and alkyd paints: Check to see if there is a scheduled household waste collection day in your community (typically posted on your state’s Department of Environmental Conservation web site). You can also call your town hall. Bring paints to the specified collection site along with other toxic products you want to get rid of, such as paint removers, used solvents, pesticides, and herbicides.
If your community does not offer this service, call your County Extension Home Economics Agent, the local waste management agency, your area’s water treatment plant or the local landfill, and ask what the procedure is for where you live.

For more on paint and painting, consider:

Disposing of household paint and other hazardous household waste

Products such as paint, weed killers, pesticides, household cleaners and chemicals, creosote, fuel and other flammable liquids, motor oil, motor fluids, tyres, fluorescent tubes, etc, are all deemed hazardous and potentially damaging to the environment if disposed of incorrectly.
They should never be disposed of by placing in your normal rubbish bin or by tipping down the drain.
Try to avoid these products becoming waste in the first place. Check the guidelines on the tin to help ensure that you only buy enough of the product required for the job, and try and use up all of the product, for example, by spreading another coat to use up the last amount.
If you can't use it up yourself, see if your neighbours, friends, or relatives could find a use for it, or store it safely for future use, following the storage guidelines on the packaging.
Once completely empty, the containers of paint products and other chemical products may be placed in the normal rubbish bin.

Household waste recycling centres

Certain hazardous wastes can be taken to the household waste recycling centres for safe disposal. These include:
  • Used engine oil.
  • Domestic and vehicle batteries.
  • Fluorescent tubes.
If you take these to the household waste recycling centres, they must be placed in the designated container.Do not take paint or any other hazardous waste to the household waste recycling centres as they will not accept any containers with paint or any other substance that is still in liquid form.

Vehicle tyres

Old vehicle tyres will be accepted by the fitting garage whenever they fit a new tyre to the vehicle. They may also accept additional old tyres though a disposal charge may be made for this.

Emulsion paint

In the case of emulsion paint, leave any left over paint that you will not use at a later date in the container with the lid left off and some sand added to it. When it is completely dry and is no longer in liquid form it can be disposed of in the normal rubbish bin. This does not apply to solvent based paint or to any other liquid hazardous waste.