home design

Family dining rooms need to accommodate many different ages and eating habits. While dining rooms with luxury and style in mind won’t always be suitable for growing families, that doesn’t mean you cannot have a stylish dining room when you have children. You need to approach the styling and products you use in your dining room differently to make the space work for you.

Flooring

When you have younger children especially, you should opt for hard flooring options and remove all carpets. Dropped food can become ground into carpets and leave stains and lingering smells, making it harder to clean up. Hard flooring such as laminate, vinyl, tiles, etc., are easier to clean and can make post meal time clean up much better for you. There is no ground in stains to worry about. You can clean up, and you are done.

Room Usage

In addition to being a gathering place for the family, your dining room is often required to be a functional and adaptable space in your home.

You should think about whether you’ll be using the dining room solely for eating, or whether it will also serve as a space for the kids to do their homework or even a place where you’ll be able to do work from home. If you live in a smaller house or have an open-plan kitchen and dining room, think about how you can make the most of your available space. The transition between your kitchen and dining room areas must be simple to encourage frequent use.

Dining Table

You need to pick a dining table that can easily accommodate the whole family comfortably. This will encourage everyone to sit together to eat and promote healthier mealtimes. The table shape should be based on how you navigate the room and the size of the space you have. It makes sense to opt for rounded tables for younger children to reduce sharp corners. Wooden tables are more practical too and easy to keep clean.

You can dress up your dining table with tablecloths and placemats to hide any marks or stains and make it more appealing, primarily when it isn’t being used. Think function and practicality over style and looks when you have a family to ensure that it meets the needs of yourself and your children and doesn’t become an exercise ornament no one uses.

Chairs

The chairs you use for your dining table are essential. Adjustable high chairs that convert easily for rowing children can be optimal to ensure they are sitting correctly at the table and reach their food quickly. It might also be an idea to avoid heavily fabricated chairs for younger children to avoid spills ruining the fabric, or you can use chair covers to protect the chair until your children are grown. 

A popular style for family dining tables includes one-sided benches and chairs on the other side. Also, velvet knocker chairs are popular and add a touch of comfort and sophistication to dining rooms. Remember, your children won’t be small for long, so it might be the best thinking of the future when choosing good quality dining chairs and using temporary fixes such as covers to ensure they don’t become damaged during mealtimes.

Rugs

A stylish rug can bring a whole room together and elevate the space, but they are also extremely practical, especially when it comes to making a room child-friendly and welcoming. Choose a large woven rug for maximum practicality, as it will have to withstand the constant pounding of little feet as they run around the room. When placed directly under the dining table, a rug will also catch all of the crumbs that younger children are sure to leave behind after every meal they consume. Shake it out or vacuum it; keep in mind to choose a tightly woven rug to avoid spillages between the weaves.

Consider Melamine

Everybody has those fancy plates that they keep for special occasions but never use in reality because they are too expensive. After putting in a lot of effort into your new dining room, you might decide that it’s finally time to bring out the fancy plates to put the finishing touch on your home’s makeover. 

If you want one of them to be dropped within 5 minutes of arriving at the table, that’s a great idea. Leave the fine china plates for those rare evenings when the kids aren’t around and invest in some melamine plates for everyday use. Melamine is an excellent material because it is durable and will not shatter if dropped on its side. It’s also incredibly inexpensive to purchase, and there are so many fantastic printed plates available that it still looks awesome. 

Sideboard

If you have young children using the dining frequently, the last thing you want is to include delicate decorative items that can be easily damaged. That does not imply that the room should be uninspiring and uninteresting. Instead, opt for an elegant side cabinet that serves as a functional storage solution while also providing the opportunity for additional decoration. Complement your cookbook collection with extra dining ware or even board games for entertaining guests at home. According to the experts, more valuable items should be kept in higher-up cabinets and out of the way of curious hands, such as glasses and unique ornaments.

Personalise It

By including some personal finishing touches, your dining room will feel more like a gathering place for the entire family. Encourage your children to participate in selecting items such as a centrepiece, tablecloths, place settings, or even some prints for the walls to add some colour to your dining room’s decor. Allowing them to participate in your dining room design will assist you in creating a space that they will enjoy.

Overall, you should consider the practicality and functionality of your dining room while also incorporating your personal touches into it. You can create the ideal family dining room if you follow these suggestions, in which everyone can sit together and enjoy a nutritious meal together.

Are you thinking about buying your first home? You probably have an image of your dream home already laid out with all the key details in your head. There’s just one problem here. That home probably isn’t on the market and may not exist yet. After all, everyone’s dreams are different. So, instead of buying your home, you should think about building it from scratch. If you are going to do this, then you should make sure that you avoid some of the common misconceptions that tend to be tied to this idea.

It’s Expensive To Build Your Own Home 

It’s not as expensive as most people assume. The reason for this is that you can customize your home to match your budget. A lot of contractors are more than willing to do this and there are lots of ways to save on the costs. For instance, you can choose materials for the interior that look expensive but are actually quite budget friendly. 

It’s Difficult To Find Land 

You might think that it’s difficult to find land these days to build homes on and this can be the case. But there are still plenty of spaces left to develop regardless of where you are looking to build your home. You can also think about exploring house and land packages that simplify things for you. 

There are also land brokers. These experts will help you find land on the market that is going to provide the perfect new location for your first home. 

Custom Homes Are Poorly Made 

Next, you might be concerned that custom homes are going to be poorly made. The reality is that new homes that are built in bulk are actually often the ones that don’t have the high level of quality that you would expect. For instance, it’s common for homes like this to have cracks and gaps. These can cause problems because they will let in bugs and cause drafts. If you decide to build your own home, then you can make sure that the new property isn’t riddled with problems like this. Instead the home will be picture perfect and match all your specifications. 

It Will Take Forever

Finally, you might have heard that building your first home takes at least a couple of years. But this does depend on the service that you are using. Some services will offer a far more rapid turnaround which is great news. If you are worried about how quickly you can build your home, we recommend that you make sure that you ask your contractor before they start work. They should be able to give you a deadline that they’ll work towards for you. This might be less than a year depending on how complicated the build is. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the misconceptions that you can face when you are building your home. The reality is that this option is open to most people and it could provide tremendous short as well as long term benefits. 

While you may have had a lot of fun decorating your bedroom, the prospect of decorating a nursery for your child is even more exciting. This is because there are no real rules in how a child’s bedroom should look – meaning that you are really able to use your imagination and experiment. For example, you could even create a nursery that looks as though it was lifted from the pages of a fairytale. 

Photo by Ömürden Cengiz on Unsplash

Here are some top tips for bringing magic to your nursery – creating the perfect space for your baby to grow, develop and play!

• Buy the basics first. When creating a nursery for your child, you must start with the basic furniture first. This way, you ensure you already have everything you need ready and set up for when they arrive. By using sites such as Foryourlittleone, you’ll be able to find everything you need in one place – from Moses baskets to snuggly blankets that will keep them warm all winter. 

• Grab the paintbrush. The first step towards creating the perfect fairytale room for your little one is choosing a colour scheme. During this time, you might want to take colour psychology into consideration. This is a theory that discusses how different colours create different atmospheres while also impacting our mood. For example, if you were to paint the nursery a pale shade of blue, this could help to lower your stress levels. Alternatively, shades such as yellow and orange will create a bright, exciting space for your child to thrive in. 

• Buy some wall stickers to create a mural. Creating your own wall mural is a great way to bring your favourite fairytales from the page to the nursery. However, wall stickers could be the way to go unless you have great artistic skills under your belt and want to try your hand at drawing them yourself. For example, you could purchase stickers of your favorite characters – from dragons to princesses and display them across one wall. 

• Hang photographs and wall art. If you’re looking for something a little more simple than a wall mural, you can bring magic into the room through artwork and photographs instead. For example, you could learn to display special photos in a stunning way or purchase fairytale inspired prints from sites such as Etsy. 

• Hang some fairy lights. Fairy Lights are a no-brainer for creating a fairytale nursery because they add a touch of sparkle wherever they are placed. Furthermore, having fairy lights to look at can actually be a sensory experience that benefits your baby while supporting those who find it difficult to sleep in the dark. 

• Keep clutter to a minimum. Just because Cinderella spent a lot of time cleaning doesn’t mean that you have to -, if you want to create a calming (and hazard free) nursery for your child, you need to ensure that all clutter is kept to the minimum through clever storage options such as shelves, under bed storage or even traditional toy chests.  

From 2000 to 2019, homes all around the UK spent £2.35 billion on home maintenance alone. Indeed, individual household values differ depending on location. However, it shouldn’t matter how much you spend on home maintenance because the benefits far outweigh the cost. This article will discuss why it is essential and what you stand to gain.

1. Saves you money

Waiting for a fault to happen before seeking professional service is usually not the way to go. Routine home maintenance allows the expert to spot early signs of wear and tear before they become major repair works. Comparatively, that saves you money because gradual deterioration of fittings, fixtures, and appliances in the home can spring a real financial surprise on you. Therefore, it is advisable always to have a percentage of your monthly income saved away for such expenses. Moreover, you get to reduce how much you would have used had it been severely damaged.

Usually, routine maintenance checks without fault detection cost between £30 and £80. That is if you decide to use a handyperson. Thankfully, more UK households are practising preventative maintenance. On the other hand, these checks can be done by you if you have some knowledge of what to look out for. However, it is better to seek professional services than do these inspections by yourself.

2. For efficiency reasons

Everything in the home must function as it should, and that is the overall purpose of maintenance. Dust and dirt accumulate gradually and, when left unattended, can cause damage you never imagined could happen. For example, this buildup in your vents and HVAC ducts can result in a reduced function of your home’s ventilation system. Apart from the health reasons that come with it, the buildup clogs tiny spaces in other appliances in the house. Ultimately, you may have to repair or replace it.

Maintenance is a routine thing, and the longer you ignore it, the higher the chances of damage to your home. Apart from the cleanliness aspect, efficiency also refers to your energy consumption at home. When you have faulty or low-performing appliances, they tend to consume more power than they ordinarily should. Sometimes, you may need to contact an electrician to make essential checks. If there are no faults, then it would be time to take another look at your home’s energy usage.

3. Potential of increasing your home’s value

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In the last decade, property buyers have been more circumspect about the houses they invest in. This means several people on the market lookout for specific elements that indicate the ‘health’ of the property. From plumbing to electricals, structural components, and even curb appeal, everything else is scrutinised. 

As long as everything seems on point, your home’s value will automatically be enhanced. It is worth noting that buyers will rigorously negotiate for a downward readjustment of the price when they detect issues with your property. However, because of your attention to home maintenance details, you get to smile and not feel coerced into giving a considerable discount.

It’s autumn, and many of us might think that our time enjoying the outdoors is over for the year. However, just because the weather is a little bit colder doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your garden for a while, and in fact autumn can be a wonderful time to sit out and enjoy crisp cool air while wrapped in a blanket.

Today we want to take a look at some of the fun ways that you can vamp up your garden this autumn and create a space that you will never want to leave. 

Build an orangery 

One of the first ways that you can vamp up your garden this autumn is by considering installing an orangery. orangeries are very similar to a conservatory and will provide you with a sheltered space to sit in during the colder months that is more connected to the garden than the rest of the house. If your garden is quite big, this is an ideal project for the autumn and it will give you a whole new space in the house to enjoy. 

Create a seating area 

The easiest way to make your garden a more inviting space during the autumn and winter is to create a seating area for yourself and your family to enjoy. You can have a pergola to give yourselves some shelter or you can simply enjoy the space as it is and wrap up in a blanket when you sit out in the winter period. 

Build a bar 

Looking for a new and fun way to spend time in the garden this winter? Build yourself an outdoor bar with an outdoor heater on the roof. You can have all of your drinks and a fridge behind the bar as well as stools for people to sit at and enjoy. This can be a fun project and one that will make your garden into the most fun room of the house! 

Plant winter flowers 

You might assume that all life in the garden will stop after September, but actually there are plenty of plants that are still blooming through the winter and will make your garden look stunning all year long. Consider planting some snowdrops and cyclamen in pots or in the ground, and enjoy watching these delicate flowers light up an otherwise barren garden in the winter. This addition of colour and texture will make all the difference and will improve your garden this winter. 

Install an awning 

If you want to enjoy sitting outside in your patio area but don’t want to be rained on, a great idea would be to install a simple awning that will come out from your kitchen to the patio area. Giving yourself some shelter while still being able to enjoy fresh air is always a good thing and this will be the ideal way for you to spend time outside without getting damp. 

Try some of these different ideas to help you vamp up your garden this autumn and gain the most wonderful outdoor space. 

Your garden is a great source of extra space and can give you and your family an area to enjoy the outdoors without getting too far from home. However, gardens are often underutilised. Some people don’t have the time or energy to do a great deal with their outdoor space, so it goes wasted. 

But your exterior space doesn’t need to go to waste. One wonderful way to use it is by creating an Outdoor Dining Area area fit for all your al fresco dining needs. This is perfect for those family get-togethers where it would otherwise get too crowded. Even better, you don’t necessarily need to dedicate that much time or money.

Select a Dining Area

First things first, you need to figure out where you want to set up for dining. If you have very little outdoor space, then this isn’t going to be a difficult task, but otherwise, it helps to have a specific section of the garden.

There are no rules for this, but there are a few suggestions. At the very least, you will want a relatively flat part of your garden. If you have a yard or paved area, then it’s likely to be flat. Otherwise, many people chose to use some kind of platform, like decking or patio. This provides a natural place to set up, as it’s flat by design.

Most deckings or patios are relatively close to your home, which can come in handy. Whichever one you choose depends on personal preferences. Patios and paved areas are sturdy and fireproof, making them ideal for barbeques. Wooden deckings aren’t fireproof, true, but they don’t get as hot under the sun and some people prefer how they look.

Sun Protection

If you’re planning on sitting outside, you should have a shaded area to protect you from the sun. Trees are a natural shade, but there are plenty of options for gardens without trees or other natural sources of shade.

The simplest option is erecting a shade umbrella, which can slot into some furniture and decor areas to block out the sun. However, an umbrella might not be big enough for everyone, and there’s always the risk of them getting caught out by the wind.

Another favourite option is the good old gazebo. A gazebo provides excellent shade over a large area, while also protecting you from any rain. Gazebos are still vulnerable to strong winds, however, and most shouldn’t be left outside for extended periods.

Or, you could build what’s known as a pergola. A pergola created from oak, for example, is a versatile, attractive, and permanent solution. You can leave them as they are, or use them as a frame for climbing plants. You can even top them with a shade sail or a roof, for more protection.

Furniture & Decor

Once you have your outdoor dining area set up and ready to go, you just need to add some garden furniture. Find something sturdy, weather-resistant, and attractive.

 While you’re at it, make the area look nice with some decorations and lighting solutions. Consider a heater for those cooler evenings and you’ll hardly want to come inside.

Being blessed with your own garden space is such a great opportunity, as you can use the space to reconnect with the outside world while benefiting from fresh air and quality time with your family. There’s nothing better than sitting around the table to enjoy a little al fresco dining with your nearest and dearest, but when your garden space looks tired and unfit for purpose, it’s unlikely that you feel ready to invite your family over to enjoy your outdoor space. Thankfully, figuring out how you can create the perfect family-friendly garden space doesn’t have to be as difficult (or expensive) as you might initially expect, as there are in fact just a few key tips and tricks that you can make the most of to totally transform your outdoor space in no time at all. So, if you’re interested in finding out more, then simply read on! 

Gain Control Over Greenery

If you have any overgrown plant life or knee-high grass that’s taking over your garden space, then your first priority should be to gain back control over your greenery. Having the right equipment is half of the battle, so take some time to source a quality strimmer and lawn mower that can be used together to trim plants back in order to create the largest open space possible. Get rid of overhanging branches, cut unruly hedgerows and be sure to remove any unsightly weeds that you find along the way. Once you’re able to establish order, it’s far easier to maintain it.

Seed n Sow Signature Seed Kits – contains everything you need and more. Seed n Sow Signature kits contain seeds, instructions, eco seed trays and pots, a handmade macrame plant pot hanger, a ceramic plant pot and organic compost.

Set Specific Sections

Sectioning your garden space up into different areas is a great way to utilise every inch of space, as you can identify a few key activities that you perform outside and ensure that you have the right area or equipment on hand to make the most of it. For example, setting up a spot to dine outside with a big enough dining set and potentially even an outdoor grill is a brilliant way to inspire your family to eat more meals in the garden space. Creating a child-friendly play area that’s made up of slides, swings and other basic equipment is another great idea to pursue, as this can keep your kids occupied for hours on end during the summer. It’s always a good idea to set up a section that’s dedicated to storage, too, as you may find that you need to put some items away to keep them in good condition when the winter weather rolls around. 

Make It Safe 

Allowing your children to play in their new garden space without standing at the sidelines to monitor their safety is a hard goal to achieve, but making sure that it is as safe and secure as possible will help you to maintain peace of mind while they have fun outside. Finding a quality timber merchant to build a super strong and sturdy fence to protect the border of your property is always a good idea, as this will mean that your little ones are unable to escape while those on the other side of the fence are unable to gain access.