We have all seen venetian window blinds, but how many of us knew that this was what we were looking at? The patents related to venetian window blinds were first taken out in 1760 and 1769, although it is believed that they were being used in France long before that time. Many office buildings regulated that these blinds be used in office buildings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to assist with light and air flow to a room.

The difference between venetian blinds and other types of blinds is that this window covering is made by placing horizontal slats on top of one another. They are in most cases, made of either metal, plastic or wood. A note to keep in mind if looking for venetian window blinds, those made of wood is commonly called wood blinds or bamboo blinds. The tape, a strip of cloth, or cords help to control these blinds and can assist a user in rotating the slats to the perfect angle for the amount of light you want to let into a room. Within these slats, you will also find lift cords which pass through each separate slat and will allow you to raise or lower the slats to your determined height. When you raise these slats together, the slats will lay nicely on top of one another. It is common to find 16-120 mm between slats with 50 mm being the most common. Venetian window blinds can usually be found in any color that you desire to allow for these blinds to make for a perfect addition to any room.

Another benefit you would find by using these blinds is that clean-up is extremely easy. You can remove these blinds from your window and put them in the bath tub to clean or take them outside to hose off. For more inspiration why not check out the BBC’s Home decoration inspiration pages.

Increasing the value of your home can seem extremely difficult (and expensive), but with a few basic ideas the process can be as rewarding as the outcome. You can also find lots of great decoration ideas at mydeco and experiment with their 3D room simulator.

1. Wall Color

Older homes are usually outdated when it comes to design. Pick a neutral color for the walls and take down dated wallpaper. Crisp, white crown moulding throughout the home makes a big difference also.

2. Curb appeal

A first impression is most important. If foliage is overgrown and out of control, the asset you’re trying to improve is lost behind it all. Add a sturdy (if gardening isn’t your thing), flowering plant into the mix to give some color. Update exterior paint if it is faded or the color is outdated. Re-painting just the exterior trim on your home can do wonders.
Many designers recommend keeping paint neutral, but agree that a front door with a punchy color boosts curb appeal immensely.

3. Eco-friendly

“Green” amenities have become one of the most attractive things to home buyers today. Updating appliances with energy-saving capabilities can boost your home’s value instantly. Organic products like bamboo flooring or recycled fibers are popular as well.  Check out the treehugger blog for some great eco/green friendly inspiration.

4. Rearrange

Updating your floor plan may not seem like an outstanding change, but finding the right arrangement can make a room feel twice it’s size. Along with rearranging, declutter. Remove anything that isn’t useful or beautiful and you will have a whole new room on your hands. Arrange furniture around a focal point like a window or fire place, instead of a television.

5. Kitchen

Updating a kitchen could possibly be the biggest increase in your home’s value. While it can also be the most expensive improvement, re-staining or painting existing cabinets and updating hardware can be just as effective as all new components. Increase efficiency by making sure the kitchen has a good flow between refrigerator, stove, and sink. A spacious island with work space and entertaining space can also be valuable.

6. Bathroom

Bathrooms are another avenue to increasing value. Modern amenities such as a whirlpool tub, or separate shower may be expensive, but can double your increase for what you paid. Keeping bathrooms minimal is a simple cosmetic change that can bring some value, as well.

7. Repairs

Hiring a home inspector to look through your house for problems, and getting them repaired can save money in the long run, and increase the value of your home now. A leak in a roof is much easier to repair than all the water damage it can cause if it’s ignored.

8. Flooring

Linoleum floors are easily outdated and don’t withstand through time. In most cases, putting hardwood flooring throughout the home is the best choice for durability. Bamboo floors are popular for being eco-friendly, and also look great.

9. Lighting

Fake brass-looking lighting is outdated and won’t be making a comeback. Replace lighting in formal rooms with simple pendant lights that have clean lines for an instant update. Stylish ceiling fans are great for living rooms and bedrooms. Also, lamps in strategic locations add ambiance.

10. Staging

If selling your home isn’t in the near future, it is nearly impossible to keep a home staged. A solution is to give every little thing a specific home in the house for easy clean up. De-clutter periodically to make putting everything in it’s place simpler. When and if you do ever decide to sell your home, you can easily be prepared.

While this list is not all inclusive, there are so many things that could increase the value of your home, these tips could tag thousands onto it’s value. If you need some extra help with interior design make sure to check out professional interior design services which are becoming very popular in the UK. Happy improving!

After a long slumber in the real estate, there are signs of improvement indicating positive activity in this sector. In order to re-establish the real estate market, mortgage lenders are offering lowered rates to their customers. With stable house prices, you can finally get to see some commotion in this sector. However, many discouraged home sellers are facing huge problems in selling their property.

Due to the slow recovery of the economy as a whole and real estate in particular, the homeowners are desperately seeking different alternatives. In order to provide the solution to the large number of unsuccessful home sellers, the experts have embarked upon the idea of home swapping. Home swapping is one of the most effective solutions for all those homeowners who face difficulty in selling their homes. The idea has become the talk of the town, being featured on many tv programmes and newspapers such as the independent and is spreading like jungle fire.

There are home swapping websites which can make this process very easy. The procedure is very simple; the sellers need to register into any home swapping website and upload the images of their home they wish to swap with others. The databases of these websites then match the information you entered and provide you the list of corresponding properties.

Since there is no middleman involved the interested parties swap their properties there and then. No fees, no lengthy paper work and no delays. Just log onto any swapping website, enter the pictures and match it with corresponding property. You can cut down estate agents fees and get a new home within a day. Other popular methods of selling property include using classified ads, property aggregator search engines or online property sites such as vivastreet.
The estate agents are making use of this wonderful opportunity by marketing available property and boosting their sales significantly. Home swapping seems the ideal solution to the sour economy and has helped both homeowners and homebuyers remarkably. This new trend of home swapping has emerged from UK and is termed as dating service of property.

If you are looking to rent property, make sure to check out your local council or the wide array of property finders online.

Theres nothing quite like the feeling of plush, luxurious bathroom furniture in your bathroom. Get the feeling of the designer bathrooms in designer hotels every morning, and imagine yourself starting your day like a prince.

I love this Romani freestanding vanity unit, featuring double basins and chrome fittings, ideal for families and couples – Now you can both use the bathroom at the same time.

Basin Details:

2 x Ceramic Shaped Mounted Basins
2 x Chrome Quarter turn Mixer taps

Cabinet Details:

Height – 100cm
Width – 130cm
Depth – 56cm

Deep Double Door, Double Drawer Wood cabinet In White and Dark Mahogany

Double Cabinet doors with Chromed Cantilever Cranked Hinges and Chrome D handles

Double Drawers with Runners

Modern Metal Chrome support legs

Click here to find out more about this unique Romani Freestanding Vanity Unit.

We all know that one of the easiest ways you have to light a dark corner in any room or add some atmospheric lighting to your living-room area, is to place your choice of lamp. With numerous designs, shapes, colors, dimensions or lighting abilities, lamps constitute one of the most convenient methods one has to alter the lighting tone of a room. In fact, the lighting selected and used can complete the statement of a house or improve a room’s decoration and give the feeling one is looking for. http://freshome.com has compilled a sweet list of 40 of the most creative lamp designs that you can find on the internet these days. 

The addition of beautiful furniture can greatly change how you perceive your home. To ensure you are happy with the value for the money you pay, you need to choose the right furniture for your lifestyle. In order to get furniture that works well for your home and family, you must first consider the style of the room and everyone’s needs. How do you start browsing for furniture?

For what purpose will you be using your room? you need to decide if the room will be used as a traditional dining room or will be used for something else. Would you prefer that this space be formal so that you can use it for entertaining, or casual so that you can use it for family dinners? Before you can decide what furniture you need for your room, you need to think about what the room will be used for.

How is the room decorated? Does the room have a traditional feel or a contemporary feel? Your selected furniture style will depend on this choice. Furniture with clean lines is usually considered to be contemporary, and classic style and design can be found in more traditional pieces. Contemporary furniture is often considered a piece of art

How big is the room? It’s important to consider the size of the room. You should pick out pieces that make sense with the size and scale of your room, in order to make the finished room function well. The scale and amount of furniture that you pick out should fit into the space easily, without making the room too full.

How much money do you have to work with? If your furniture doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg, you are likely to be a lot happier with it. Establishing a budget for your furniture expenditures will enable you to concentrate on looking for items of furniture that will be appropriate for your needs and your finances. Furnishings can cost a lot of money, so be sure to prepare a budget in the beginning. The simple guideline gives you a basis to start with.

Customising your home doesn’t need to cost the earth.

Space2′s Modular home office and bedroom ranges still continue to be their best-selling products by far. With their Calgary home office ranges (available in black and white gloss and walnut) starting from as little as £39, and our Modular Bedrooms (available in a wide variety of finishes) starting from £99, the days of having to pay 1,000s for customised furniture are now gone.

In the bedroom….

space2 customers can choose from single, double, or corner wardrobe configurations, along with shelving, shoe storage, bedside chests and drawers. Mix and match door styles, to come up with a unique look. And the great thing about this product is if the customer has a redecoration they can simply order new doors and they get a completely new look.

In the office…

With more and more people working from home a home office has become a bit of a necessity. The beauty of Space2.com’s Calgary ranges are they can expand with growing needs. Customers could start with a basic desk, and add on filing cabinets, chests of drawers, cupboards and shelving as their needs expand. In the current credit crunch it’s a great way of spreading the total cost over a series of months (although with prices starting from as little as £39 quite a lot can be purchased up front).

Check out space2.com for more information.

If you are looking for a contemporary design for your dining room, look no further than the Karlstad dining collection from Space2. This stunningly superior dining range exhudes class, and minimalism to make sure your guests feel comfortable, and focus on the exquisite dishes you prepare. Featuring Glass, chrome and black leather come together to produce a modern, and alluring dining combination.

What is the design of your room? Does the room have a traditional feel or a contemporary feel?  Modern furniture like this can add simple design with angles and lines, whereas traditional furniture offers more classical shapes and designs. Often, contemporary furniture pieces are thought to be art with their own contemporary materials and designs.

Looking to host a dinner with friends? This table can seat six people more than comfortably, and is ideal for every day use too.  The Karlstad range is as beautiful as it is practical.

Karlstad Dining Table

Karlstad dining chairs x 2

Find out more from Space to here.

This is a lovery solid oak extending dining set featuring four matching leather chairs. This set is made entirely of quality Solid Oak, which gives off a very authentic style to any dining room.

When extended, this Dining table will seat up to six guests in comfort so this is ideal for any household with limited space, but who wants to be able to invite guests.

By displaying the wood in its simplest raw form, this table looks stunning, especially as the timbers exude their natural beauty from its grain.  This authentic oak table has been designed with practicality in mind, and works really well in a modern styled dining room or kitchen.

Featurring an extending leaf at each end, the opens up easily to reveal the table extensions which simply pull out and lock in. Once the extra space is no longer need, you can simply retract, and store neatly within the table frame.

The table has been crafted from premium grade solid oak and are all a minumum of 28mm thick, giving each piece a robust and solid feel.You will need to treat this wood with Danish oil a few times a year to keep it in prestine condition but its worth it!

The Dining set also includes 4 lovely matching leather dining chairs in dark brown genuine real leather with real solid oak legs.

Click here for more information and pricing details.