Interior design

There is no getting away from the fact that many people will argue until their blue in the face about the virtues of both laminate flooring and carpet. However, if you need to make a decision before you launch a new home renovation project, it’s vital that you get the lowdown and consider the pros and cons of each option before you push ahead. Only then can you guarantee that you make the right decision when it comes to the perfect flooring solution. With that in mind, read the info on this page, and you should find yourself in a better position to make an informed choice.

The pros of choosing carpet

One of the most crucial things you need to remember about carpet is that it provides comfort. That is why most homeowners will choose to lay carpet in their bedrooms at the very least. Another thing to consider is that carpet helps to provide some insulation for your home, and so it could help you to reduce your energy use and save some cash in the long-term. You won’t have to break the bank to purchase carpet, but you probably will need to pay professionals to lay it.

The cons of choosing carpet

Just as there are pros surrounding carpets, there are also plenty of cons too. For instance, carpet never remains in excellent condition for more than a couple of years because it’s vulnerable to spillages, etc. Secondly, carpet can become discoloured if it gets a lot of sunlight. Thirdly, carpet is going to make your home more difficult to clean, and lastly, it’s possible to rip carpet and damage it irreversibly if you walk on it wearing shoes.

The pros of choosing laminate

Now we come to the idea of choosing laminate flooring for your home. Not only is that choice an affordable solution, but it should last for many years without becoming damaged. Wood flooring tends to help to create an upmarket aesthetic in the home, and that is why so many people choose it every single year. You shouldn’t need to pay for a replacement for at least five years, and possibly even longer!

The cons of choosing laminate

In the hope of providing some balance, we’re not going to overlook the potential downsides of laminate flooring in this post. If you have children in the home, they are more likely to slip over and injure themselves when you choose wooden flooring solutions. Also, if you spill any fluids on low-cost laminate flooring, there is a reasonable chance it could warp and look terrible. However, you can usually prevent that by avoiding the cheapest solutions on the market.

Now you know everything there is to know about carpet and laminate flooring; you should find it much easier to make your decision this year. Remember that you can often get fantastic deals online, and it’s always worth checking auction websites if you need to stick to a tight budget. Sometimes you’ll find a bargain from someone who purchased too much carpet or laminate for their home renovation project. Be sure to take advantage of that!

If you love reading interior design magazines, you will no doubt notice that there are lots of fashionable trends at the minute. Ones like vintage decor and minimalist design have been around for years already. In fact, they have been around for so long that they are now considered very mainstream.

Mainstream styles and designs are very popular because everyone knows that they will work. After all, they are tried and tested and suit the majority of homes. But why would you want a mainstream home when that means if will look just like everyone else’s? If you ask me, it’s much more exciting to risk an eclectic design as it will be highly persona and will allow your personality to shine through your home.

Not sure you can be that daring with your decor? Sure you can; these tips will help you!

Go For Statement Furniture

Just looking at furniture stores, such as Danetti.com, shows that statement furniture is very much in at the minute. These include occasional tables and eye-catching chairs that are only used because of their wow-factor. Playing with statement furniture is a great way for design novices to experiment with an eclectic style. That’s because you can keep the colours and other furniture in your room fairly standard, but allow one piece of quirky, statement furniture to pop and command everyone’s attention!

Design A Focal Point

Another way you can add some quirk to your eclectic room is to design a focal point. For most people, a focal wall is a great start. Even though many eclectic rooms combine a range of different influences and designs, there should still be one area of focus in the whole room. For instance, a bright focal wall or a wall covered in a lot of artworks and wall hangings from DegreeArt.com.

Don’t Forget Practicality

Some people make the mistake of only focusing on the overall eclectic nature of their room and completely forget about utility. No matter which room you are designing in an eclectic manner, it is still important to remember that you need to live in there. So always factor in useful elements like coasters, bookshelves, blankets, and occasional tables into your room. They can help bring the eclectic design together and also bring a comfortable element to the room.

Think Carefully About Layout

It’s ever so easy to become too focused on colours and patterns in your eclectic design, but you shouldn’t ever forget about the layout of your room, as it can really make or break the overall style. Get the layout just right, and it can help make the room super cosy! Get it wrong, and the design might not flow as well as you had originally thought. One way to keep on top of the layout is to make sure you have a specific place for each item of furniture before you buy it!

So, there you have it – there are so many ways to add an eclectic style to your home and stay away from the mainstream!

Do you find that after working a full day, exercising and blogging, you’ve just got no time to keep on top of housework? That on day’s off you’re too tired or too busy to really get stuck into cleaning, and that your home never quite looks it’s best? It’s a common problem in a society where we are always rushing around on the go.

The first thing to accept is that it’s ok. So what if your home isn’t perfect? As long as you and your family are happy and healthy, does it really matter if the bookshelves are a bit of a mess or the tops of photo frames haven’t been dusted for months? Sometimes it’s ok to let your standards slide a little for the sake of your happiness.

But, on the other hand, sometimes this can have a negative impact on our happiness. If you are fed up of living in a messy home, or you are worried that it’s becoming a health concern, then it’s time to look at ways to make it easier to clean. You can’t give yourself more time, so let’s find ways to make it easier to keep our homes clean so that it takes less time.

Add blinds

When we’ve got thick curtains, we generally ignore them. They pick up dust and dirt and make our homes look darker and feel musty, but we don’t even notice. Blinds made from wood are much easier to clean and help your home to look a lot lighter and more spacious. We also have roll blinds in our lounge which lets in so much light when they are up and helps with a spacious, clean feel to the room. 

Declutter your home

One of the main issues many of us have is clutter. We clean around the clutter, but our homes always look messy because all of our shelves are overflowing and plenty of our possessions don’t have homes. Have a good declutter, getting rid of anything that you don’t need or want and suddenly your home will be much easier to keep clean and tidy. It’s important to do this with your cupboards and wardrobes, too. 

Pick furniture carefully

If you want your home to be easy to clean, watch what you are buying. Some upholstery has to be dry cleaned or taken apart to clean. It’s fussy and complicated, so we just don’t bother. Buy furniture that’s easy to clean at home, stain resistant and with easy to remove covers. I should have listened when everybody said not to buy white carpets… We protect our furniture with quirky covers and throws that can be washed without too much fuss.

Keep microfibre cloths to hand

When you are short on time, give your work surfaces and sides a quick wipe to refresh them. This will kill any germs and pick up dirt and dust, and it only takes 2 minutes. We have a stack of microfibre cloths on a daily basis to clean the house with. Once we’re done with it, we can just bung it in the washing machine. 

Invest in cleaning equipment

Sometimes, it’s worth paying a little more for things like vacuum cleaners to make your life easier. You know you’re getting old when you get excited about a washing machine. Investing in a tumble dryer was one of the best decisions we made when fitting out our kitchen. You don’t need to worry about hanging washing out to dry (which doesn’t feel like we get a lot of opportunities to do so in Cornwall!). We’ve also got a steam cleaner and I’ve been eyeing up a wireless vacuum to make going upstairs much easier than our clunky pet hair Dyson.

Hire a cleaner

For many of us, a cleaner seems like the ultimate luxury and an unnecessary expense. But getting someone to come in for a couple of hours a week could save you time and make you happier. Sometimes your time is better spent working or having some ‘me-time’. So don’t force yourself to do something that’s going to leave you feeling drained, when you can easily outsource it.