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 atAnthropologie, Bombay Duck, Graham & Green and Zara Home.
Tuesday 29 December 2015
Monday 7 December 2015
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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.
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