How to create functional zones in open-plan homes

While the flow and spaciousness of open-plan living offer many benefits, it’s not always the most practical layout. Assigning spaces for certain purposes becomes more challenging when walls are removed. But there are still ways to create functional zones without them. Follow our tips to bring more purpose to your open-plan home. Strategic furniture placement You don’t always need walls to separate living spaces, you can do it with furniture. Sofas, tables, shelving units and other additions can be incredibly effective dividers, helping to define spaces without closing your open-plan home. In a spacious kitchen, dining and living room area, corner sofas offer cosy seating and a natural divide between these spaces – all without making a space feel cramped. Open shelving units and bookcases can provide functional borders while maintaining visibility from one side of a space to the other. Be careful to not impede the flow between zones, though.   Using colour to distinguish areas If m......

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Small Bedroom? You can still go big on style

Having a small bedroom, for some, is a deal-breaker when it comes to buying a house or looking for apartments for rent in Miami . There’s nothing easy about designing a bedroom smaller than the rest of the rooms in the house, particularly when the biggest focal point of a bedroom is, of course, the bed. The bed base, the mattress, the duvets and pillows – they all make a statement. Whenever you walk into your bedroom , you want to feel calm and at ease, not overwhelmed by the clutter and mess because the bedroom is smaller, and so doesn’t have a good solution for storage. It’s for this reason that you need to consider how to design your small bedroom so that it works well for you. In my house our living spaces are much larger than our bedroom which is one of the smaller rooms but we have made it work. Modern downsizing , new builds and apartment living have decreased bedroom size over the years, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a functional, comfortable and beautiful......

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Tips for keeping on top of home repairs

When you buy a home, you mainly think about keeping up with the mortgage payments, paying your bills and ensuring that your home is neat, clean, and organised. However, there is another aspect that you should not forget—the time, labor, and cost necessary to stay on top of different home maintenance and repair projects, some of which should be done in certain seasons. Unless something breaks down, it's easy enough to postpone maintenance issues. Since these tasks can often be done later, you end up either forgetting about them or procrastinating, waiting for a more convenient time to get around to doing them, especially if the thought causes financial stress. Besides tending to forget or postpone home repairs, another mistake homeowners often make is trying to save costs by tackling projects themselves that should be done by experts. Take window replacement, for example. If you need to install new windows, this is always something that is better done by experts rather tha......

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Simple Interior ideas for simple living spaces

Living in or near a city does often mean a compromise on space but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise on having beautifully designed interiors. I'm hoping this blog post will go a little way in  helping you to achieve the designer-style you see in glossy mags and Pinterest boards but on a minute  scale as I share a few of my favourite products at the moment. The simplicity of scandi-style lends itself to smaller spaces where you are tight on space. The furniture is slim, with clean lines and generally comes in lighter colours. The main key the seasons is to declutter, simplify and also bring things into the home that are multidirectional and can be used for more thane purpose such as this shelf-come-desk below which is an example of an ingenious space-saving design. This shelf ladder is ideal for achieving a scandi inspired look while saving room and creating an office ‘space’ all rolled into one. Dwell have a version you can purchase here . The simple a......

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Making Each Day Matter

I have never been that materialistic, from an early age I realised that an evening spent laughing with loved ones was worth more than gold. Ever since I was young I dreamed of dusty roads, music festivals, camping under stars and those intrinsic experiences that would stay with you forever and become the fabric of your being. Before having children I did a lot of self funded travel, working at a variety of backpackers, hostels and hotels, without much of a plan I sought the simple good things and added very little to my backpack I set out with. I have always been a happy seeker being aware that paradise doesn't always last forever and holding onto those sweet perfect moments and knowing when to move on. Of course settling down and becoming a parent has brought so much joy and happiness but also a lot of compromise, a time to be unselfish, establishing routines and making more stable future plans. The thing is it's very easy to suddenly find yourself going through the......

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Be Green when it comes to Energy

For a lot of people, normal energy bills will account for a quite significant portion of the budget for the household and it's also one of the biggest drains on the planet. In fact, this one bill is typically only surpassed in amount by the mortgage or rent. For this reason, it is typically in the best interest of your budget and the environment if you can keep this bill as low as you possibly can. This will not only save you in terms of money, it will also conserve energy and make your home a little bit greener which is something we really all do need to start addressing sooner rather than later.  Let’s take a closer peek at some of the ways that you can save money on your energy bills. Unplug It If you are not using something that is plugged in, either turn it off or unplug it. This can be made easy even for those items that are plugged in places where the outlet is hard to reach by using a power strip. Then, you can simply turn the power strip off when you are......

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Win with Inspired Wallpaper

When it comes to wall paper I am very very picky as it's something that can really add to a room or completely detract from it. It's so important to make the right choice and invest in some decent wall paper as it can add a real pop of colour into your room if done in the right way.  The tops 3 tips for getting it right is 1. Have a clear idea of what style you want to achieve with your chosen room  2. Decided if you want to cover all four walls and if so go with something classical or more neutral 3. Consider a feature wall where you can be opt for a bolder print. It is also important to research and use a company that specialises in Wallpaper such as Inspired Wallpaper which have a fantastic collection and have been in the industry for more than 100years so they really know their stuff. I am really happy to offer one of my readers the chance to win a £75 voucher to use online.  The giveaway ends on the 20th March 2017 and is super eas......

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Simple Dining - Interior inspiration

Wether you have a separate dining room or a small kitchen diner it should be a place that is versatile and can be used for casual gatherings with friends and family but also be dressed up for dinner parties and special occasions. We are currently decluttering our house in a major way and trying to simplify all our living spaces including where we eat and relax each evening. The most important aspect of comfortable dining, whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner, is having a dining room you enjoy spending time in and is welcoming and warm. This ensures that meals eaten there are eagerly anticipated in a space that is as perfect as you can make it. Here are some ideas on creating the perfect dining space The Table Getting the size of your dining table right requires careful consideration of the size of your dining room and how many people will use it. For a family of four, you can use a round or square table to help you save space. However, if you entertain regularly ......

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10 ways to bring simplicity to your home

So as some of you may already know I've set myself a Minimalist challenge for 2017, which means our family is having a major sort out in the aim of cleaning our home , minds and leave behind only what truly makes us happy and things that bring joy into our lives. A few weeks in and I am already learning a lot about myself and the reality of trying to minimise a whole home that is crammed with not only toys, books, DVD's and everything else in-between but also lots of memories and sentimental things, but what I can say is once you start to sort through things it does slowly get easier, letting go becomes easier but it's not something you can do overnight so I thought I would share my top 10 ways to simplify your home this year and make it a place that is calm away from the chaos. 1. Get rid of Stuff Daily - Okay so yes this may seem obvious but there is one thing talking about it and another thing actually putting this change to practice and even a small declutter ......

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