Whether you move the whole kitchen underneath the cascading light of an orangery skylight, or move a dining are to the surrounds of the garden beyond, a kitchen extension can be a truly breathtaking addition to any home.

As the demands of the family are so varied, a conservatory kitchen extension provides the backdrop to every requirement. A light and airy room serves as the perfect focus for homework on the kitchen table. The soft lighting and use of blinds can create the perfect ambience for a romantic evening for two and the keen gardener can admire his work from the comfort of his armchair while the sun rises.

The kitchen extension can provide an open living plan for the home that can be continued straight through to the garden. The inclusion of bi-folding doors between the kitchen and dining area can divide the space into two rooms, which can then be opened up to showcase one continuous space. Following on from this theme, sliding doors can be added to the exterior thus blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living. This creates the perfect ambience for summer days entertaining.

Like any other kitchen, the planning needs to be carefully considered to make it an effective space. These ‘zones’ are categorised into 5 areas; the cooking zone, cleaning zone, preparation zone and consumable and non-consumable zones. Be aware of which areas need plug sockets and drainage. Even an extended kitchen is going to get hot with cooking so ventilation is also a consideration here.

With the economy as it is, staying in is the new going out and a kitchen extension makes this even more enjoyable. No longer will friends or family have to squeeze into an old fashioned diner, a kitchen extension provides the perfect setting for any occasion, whatever the weather.

Image courtesy of flickr user thekitchendesigner

A rustic home is warm, cozy and comfortable. If this is something you want, you can easily have it. By making certain changes, you can transform your house into a great example of a rustic abode.

Just because you do not live in the country does not mean you cannot have a rustic looking home. You can easily make your house over and get that rich, cozy look regardless of where it is located. With a few tricks and tips, you can turn your humble abode into something like a modern cabin and give it more character in the process.

Speed Up the Aging Process

Rustic design is all about the aged and weathered look. Hence, to achieve a rustic appearance, you are going to have to deliberately make your house appear older than it really is. What you want is for things in and around the home to look distressed — but not like it is falling apart. You can begin with the floors, and proceed with the furniture.

If you have new wood flooring, you can age it by either staining or whitewashing. Doing so will immediately render the floors with an antique look. Anyone who sees it will never guess that the house is rather new; those who have not seen your home before would think the place has been around for the longest of time. For a better effect, you can coat the floor with a layer of clear varnish to highlight the wood’s grain.

Now onto the furniture. Rustic spaces typically do not display modern or contemporary pieces; they get their charm from simple furnishings that seem as if they have been used forever. So for a rustic makeover, you are going to either get vintage looking pieces or make your existing furniture look older than it is. If you decide to shop for it, check out flea markets and car boots for potential finds. If you choose to transform your existing pieces, you can work some shabby chic magic by sanding edges or by simply painting it with a crackle glaze.

Choose Natural

Before you head on out to get old furniture, keep in mind that the rustic style is achieved with the use of natural materials like wood. One thing that sets rustic from other styles is warmth, and natural materials which provides and adds to the warmth. If you check out several examples of rustic homes, you will see many of them have plenty of wood furniture. Hence, you should keep your eye out for wood pieces. Those made of stone are also great.

Go Vintage

Your home can look rustic with aged floors and furniture, but the look would not be complete without the right accents. To complement the aforementioned, you need to add vintage touches in the form of appliances, among other things. Since you are intentionally making your home look old, it makes sense to ensure that almost everything inside the house are aged. Retro appliances such as a stove and refrigerator are ideal additions to your kitchen.

Aside from appliances, also choose vintage when it comes to lighting, hardware and plumbing. Vintage lighting and hardware (such as handles and latches) give an old world elegance to spaces and modern furnishings respectively. Vintage hardware also saves you from doing a drastic change to existing furniture. If you refuse to age your modern cabinets, simply replace their hardware with vintage ones. By merely changing your faucets and the like, you can also keep your sinks and tubs unchanged.

Mix and Match

To nail the rustic look, you must also learn to mix and match. If you have noticed in most rustic homes, almost nothing matches. Many different pieces are found in the room and it seems like they were accumulated over time. Despite this, they seem to belong together. You should therefore arrange together furnishings that you usually do not see together, and see how it looks.

Repurpose Old Architectural Details

One notable thing about rustic style is that it encourages you to look at discarded items and see how they can be used again. The perfect example is old architectural details. There are many things you can do with reclaimed mantels, mouldings and windows. Salvaged doors in particular have plenty of uses. They can serve as headboards, room dividers, closet doors and table tops. Indeed, you should be on the lookout for old architectural details that you can use to beautify your home.

Stay Neutral

Lastly, stick with neutral colours and earth tones when decorating. Less is more with rustic style. Allow the wooden furniture and floors to take centre stage. The colours should complement rather than clash with the décor.

This article was written by Ericka. She regularly writes content for We Do Boxes, which is a UK-based company that specialises in selling cardboard packing boxes.

Beautiful home accessories, soft furnishings and furniture can’t hide badly hung and peeling wallpaper.

The visual impact of a beautiful rustic or vintage clock would be dampened if it is centre stage on a badly wallpapered wall!

Designer wallpapers can also have quite an impact on an interior design budget so you do want to ensure that when hung, it’s hung properly.

If you are beginning a wallpapering project it can be beneficial to plan in some budget to buy lining paper and plan in the time to hang this before hanging the wallpaper.

Although lining paper is an additional cost there are a number of advantages to its use:
• Produces a smooth surface to hang wallpaper onto – the lining paper will smooth over rough and uneven surfaces on plaster.
• Results in a higher quality finish – the lining paper will help the wallpaper dry more evenly and reduce shrinkage; the end result is a wall that is definitely not shabby!
• Prevents peeling – over time the lining paper can help prevent the wallpaper peeling.

Top Tip for Shabby Chic Decorators – because traditional lining paper needs to be soaked before being hung, you may find it easier to try out the paste-the-wall lining paper which can be a fantastic alternative that saves time and makes less mess!

Lining paper is available in a range of thicknesses and the general guide is that the thicker the lining paper the trickier it can be to hang, so that may influence your decision on what thickness you purchase.

Once the wall is lined and the wonderfully smooth surface is ready you are left with the exciting task of shopping for wallpaper, home accessories and furnishings. The best analogy I can think of is that you have prepared the canvas for your work of art!!

The problem is that you want the best for your son or daughter and this means you may end up being too picky about what they have in their room – the overload of choice can be paralysing, so try to keep things simple for yourself.

Needs - Start off by thinking about what your kid actually needs in their room, which will largely depend on their age and what interests they have. Make a list of which requirements your child cannot do without and make sure these are not just things they want. This list should help you choose furniture and decorations more objectively.

Materials - It would be some parents ultimate dream to wrap their children up in cashmere, but try to be realistic and sensible about your choices. Opt for soft materials where possible, but remember that kids can be messy, so think about the cost of replacing things and the ease of cleaning.

Colours - Here you can use a bit of creativity – children tend to like bright colours so work your magic with a fairly garish palette. If you are worried about them growing out of bright colours, then add hints of brightness with decorations like curtain poles, which can easily be replaced if your child wants to tone down the style of the room.

Storage - Your child will accumulate huge quantities of ‘things’ over the course of their childhood, so make sure you include plenty of storage in their room. There are a lot of fun and stylish options available for storing collections of toys, teddy bears or whatever else your offspring develops a passion for.

Ask your child - A dangerous approach, but you could try asking your kid what they want their room to look like. The benefit is how happy they will be initially, while the disadvantage is they will probably get bored of it fairly quickly. Just take their suggestions with a pinch of salt.

And if you need storage ideas why not head over to our dedicated page now.

Image courtesy of flickr user Mads Boedker

Ideally, it would be nice to find the right balance between cost and quality of the final product. Remember, if you are planning on a new kitchen, you will need to pay for new fittings, appliances and other materials – not to mention the hiring of tradesmen to put it all together.

So, how exactly can you afford a renovation to your home that is cheap in price but effective in producing aesthetic quality?

Well, here a few tips that might help you to achieve that prospective target.

Plan ahead

By making a plan of the exact details of your renovation, including details such as required materials, room layout and work to be undertaken by tradesmen, you will save yourself on any additional costs that could arise if your go into a project without a knowledge of what needs to be completed and when.

Consider cheaper alternatives

To help cut the cost of your renovation, the appliances and equipment that you plan to implement to your room will make up a substantial amount of your budget. To counter this, why not consider purchasing some second hand appliances? You’d be surprised at the quality of appliances you can find – often as good as new –for second hand and a fraction of the price of a new version. There’s also the possibility of keeping hold of existing appliances that would save you an investment in a new product.

Do your research

When considering tradesmen to help piece together your new room, make sure that you carry out some thorough research into hiring the right people. Try to find a happy medium between cost price and service standard. Ask your friends and family for recommendations or use the internet to find positive reviews on a certain company.

Additionally, it may also be noteworthy to consider the time of year that your renovation takes place. By choosing a time of year when contractors are less inundated with jobs, it’s likely you’ll be able to drive a lower price for the cost of your work.

Get stuck in

This guest post was written by Matthew Wood based on DIY Kitchens for the established online brand FinsaHome.

As you can probably tell we fall into the camp of loving vintage furniture, especially period doors. However as with all things vintage there are so many parts to the finding and restoring process which take a lot of effort and ultimately time.

Being vintage, the pieces aren’t produced any more, add the fact that there has been a huge uptake in the public’s love for bespoke furniture and you could be looking for a while.

This article aims to provide you with a handful of tips and tricks related to finding and restoring period door that we have picked up over the years. A lot is common sense but as they say “sense isn’t all that common”:

1. Garage & car boot sales are your friend

In our experience in finding period doors, garage and house clearances are by far the most cost effective place to look.

Most sellers don’t know what they have and are more interested in just getting rid of everything. By the time that one door reaches an antique shop the value will have increased tenfold.

Use local papers or community websites to track down local events. Remember that most hardened garage sale shoppers get there early; most of the good stuff only lasts minutes!

2. Practice on old furniture

If you are aiming to add a technical finish to your period door and haven’t tried the approach before it is always best to test it first.

You have just spent hours and a lot of money finding and securing your door, the last thing you need to do is irrevocably change it for the worse.

3. Make friends with skip hire companies

Skips are an amazing source of vintage furniture, interior wooden period doors are consistently thrown away without thought.

Salvaging period doors from skips is also totally free; which makes it even more appealing. Instead of aimlessly driving round your local area looking for building work why not be a bit cheeky and try to befriend the skip hire company. This will give you direct access to all of the local sites and save you a lot of petrol.

4. Invest in the proper safety equipment

Shabby chic is huge at the moment, as is the number of us distressing furniture and doors for the first time. There are several techniques associated with distressing furniture and removing paint from wood, some of which can be dangerous.

It is therefore extremely important that you research the techniques you will be using and dress appropriately. Different grades of respirators for example are required depending on the chemical stripping agent you are using.

5. Never stop looking

As we mentioned earlier, period doors and antiques can turn up in the strangest of places. It is therefore important that you always have your eyes peeled for potential treasure. I recently found 3 old oak school chairs in a skip on the way home from work; unexpected but very exciting.

6. Always try to finish things

If you are new to restoring period doors and furniture your shed or garage may be in for a bit of a shock.

More often than not you find yourself with numerous unfinished projects only hours away from completion.

Our tip is to self commission doors for specific parts of the house, it really is important to plan out where each door or item of furniture is destined to live. Otherwise you could always start a distressed or vintage furniture shop!

These tips and tricks were brought to you by Yale Composite Doors. Yale Door manufactures 6 period door styles including Edwardian and Victorian front doors. Each period door adheres to strict police and energy efficiency standards.

Image courtesy of flickr user sludgegulper

When you replace your windows as part of your home remodeling project, your tendency is to throw away the old to make room for the new. What you’re not aware of is that these windows may seem worn now, but you can actually still use them for other things. Resourceful individuals refer to the method of turning trash into treasure as repurposing.

Repurposing items is a great way to not just save money but also give your creativity some exercise. Before you toss out those old panes, be sure to check out these crafty techniques for giving them a new lease on life.

1. The first thing that comes to mind when repurposing windows is to turn them into art frames. If your window is the type that has segments with glass sheets, it’s easy enough to just stick a photo into each section and hang the whole pane up on a wall. Make sure that the glass segments are intact and that you clean them well before you insert the pictures.
2. Are you a skilled painter? Why not get a bit of acrylic and turn the window into stained glass art? After cleaning each segment, bring out your inner Picasso and get painting. When it’s dry, hang it up on your porch so that it looks great when the light catches it.
3. If the window has horizontal segments instead of square ones, you can turn it into a towel rack in the bathroom. Just refinish the panes or paint them according to the motif of your bathroom and voila! No more wet towels!
4. No headboard? There’s a window pane for that. Apply some colorful fabric or sheets of wallpaper on the underside of the window so that the pane is still visible and place the pane at the head of the bed. For a more creative touch, choose a different pattern for every pane, but make sure that they all still follow your room’s color palette.
5. The individual segments of the window also makes it an ideal memo board. You can turn one portion into a corkboard (complete with pushpins), transform one into a chalkboard, retain the glass in one so you can use dry-erase marker on it… the list goes on.

Think twice before getting rid of your old things. If the item is still whole, chances are you can still breathe new life into it. All it takes is a little bit of imagination and you can reduce your waste and add character to your home. Happy repurposing!

This guest post was written by MyProperty.ph which is a leading classified ads portal that aims to help people find available houses, condos, apartments and other properties in the most specific and user-friendly way possible.

Image courtesy of flickr user Bilal Kamoon

There are lots of little ways you can enhance your home—inside and out—that will add up to an overall better impression and help it sell faster. And you can do it without spending a lot of time or money.

Check out these easy DIY projects that will modernize and freshen up your abode and help it sell:

Enhance your curb appeal

You can’t underestimate the power of curb appeal; it delivers the first impression that a potential buyer gets when they arrive at your home–and it can make or break a potential sale. To enhance your curb appeal, spruce up the yard, put away toys and tools, de-weed, remove unsightly or overgrown bushes, mow, apply fresh mulch, fix any obvious flaws, add a few small plants, de-clutter, and keep the walks swept.

Create a welcoming entrance

After curb appeal, the entrance of your home is the next most important area a potential buyer will see. To create a welcoming entrance, add potted plants with bright flowers, a new welcome mat, and an updated porch light. Also, re-varnish or repaint the main door, replace old address numbers with modern ones, and de-clutter.

Make simple interior improvements

Once your buyer is through the front door, impress him or her with your beautiful and well-kept home. To perk up the interior, remove wallpaper and paint the walls in lighter tones; caulk or plaster any obvious gaps, cracks or holes; and make baseboard repairs. Also, freshen up your kitchen by painting or adding new handles to the appliances, as well as resurface the cabinets and replace the knobs.

Keep clean closets and fresh air

Clean out your closets, cabinets, and storage spaces, and keep them neat and tidy. Potential buyers will most likely peak inside these areas, and the better they look, the better overall impression your home will make. Also, you may not notice odors in your abode, but prospective buyers will. Use baking soda to knock out smells in the carpet, garbage disposals, trash cans, washing machines and refrigerators.

With a paintbrush, some tools, a small investment and a little elbow grease, these DIY projects will help make your home appeal to buyers and get it sold. Ask your real estate agent for helpful suggestions, and browse through design magazines, home improvement blogs, and Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration.

Guest post from Reinhart Realtors
Founded in 1971, Reinhart is a market leading estate agent in the greater Ann Arbor area of southeastern Michigan, America. Throughout their history, they have a strong commitment to ethics, education, management, marketing and technology, and to providing a work environment that encourages personal growth and creativity to maintain their position as the sales leader for Ann Arbor real estate.

Image courtesy of flickr user faaadeout

Having so many design options available to you can be either a gift or a burden depending on your ability to effectively fill the space with enough country feel to make it look good.

If, however, you are running short on ideas, here are some design ideas to help you out.

1.)   Wood Ideas

Country kitchens often mean a wood based kitchen and that usually means brown.  Having a wooden kitchen doesn’t always have to be the same brown wood that we have become accustomed to.

Wood can be any colour, and washed out, pale colours look exceptionally good in country kitchens, so don’t be afraid of creams, blue, greens and yellows which add space, freshness and a hint of French to a good, spacious country kitchen.

If you are planning to add colour to your wood, you can add contrast and interest and a sensation of intimacy and space by also adding a different or matching colour to your worktops, cabinets and drawers to really set off your design.

2.)   Storage ideas

What country kitchens rarely do is hide equipment away in the same way that modern kitchens do.

What that means for you, is that plates will be patterned and have a dedicated, visible shelf space, along with any cups, saucers and teapots. Spice racks are a favorite in country kitchens and should be visible.

Cupboard doors will usually be see through, or at the very least have windows to show the contents inside.

3.)   Island

Country kitchens would not be country kitchens without a centralized island for dining or food preparation.

Rather than use the island as a standalone part of the kitchen, you can use the base of the island for storage in the form of extra cupboard and drawer space.

Islands are also a great place to store hanging utensils which will have the effect of lowering the ceiling over the seating space to add warmth and detail to your kitchen.

4.)   Décor

Everything from patterned plates, towels, fruit bowls, tea pots and tea cups that are either hung or arranged nicely on high shelves make for beautiful details in a country kitchen.

Paintings on walls, patterns, hearts, and other shapes also add a lot to a country kitchen as long as they are washed out and vintage looking. Fresh flowers, plant pots and herbs also make for wonderful window décor.

5.)   Window dressings

No country kitchen would be complete without suitable window decoration and so any window dressings should ideally be patterned or coloured, with frills and other small details to give that country feel.

Windows that can be folded to one side to frame the windows work particularly well as do blinds with trim.

6.)   Appliances

Although a country kitchen will have an old fashioned feel, that doesn’t mean that you will not be in need of all of the modern appliances in the form of microwaves and toasters.

A good shop around can find these items that are made with an older, more country feel and so you can still have your waffles and sandwich toasters, only with that country (which often means floral) touch.

This guest post was written by Ben who loves to write about interior décor and is often found renovating his home. He works for Speedy Services and often hires tools.

Image courtesy of flickr user Nancy Hugo

Are you looking for the perfect house warming gift? A present for a loved one, a special something for a friend or even something for a coupe moving into their first home? If so, then we understand just how difficult it can be to find the perfect gift! That’s why we have written this handy blog post to provide you with some simple ideas for the ideal house warming present that doesn’t have to cost the earth.

Candle Holders

For the first time buyer

Buying a house warming gift for a first time buyer can be both the easiest and most difficult present to buy. On the one hand they will probably be grateful for just about anything, but on the other hand, they also want to put their own stamp on their first home so it can be tricky to pick out the right style.

Bearing this in mind, we would recommend going for something small and functional. We are thinking rustic vintage throws, candle holders or even some tupperware (we have to admit at Rustic Disguise we do love a good tupperware set!). As long as the item is functional and can easily be stored away we are sure they will love it.

For the couple who have it all

Hand Stitched Cushion

We’ve all been there, the couple who have it all invite you to the house warming party of the century and you don’t know where to start with regards to gifts and presents! We have to admit, in these cases our preference can often be for a simple bottle of wine, but if you are wanting to go for an actual present, a lot will depend on your budget. For instance you could go all out and buy them a vintage storage chest or even a chandelier. The problem with these items is if the couple don’t like what you have bought!

Therefore, our preference would be to go for something a little smaller but more personal, you could go for some hand stitched cushions, a charming lantern or even some vintage crockery. Whatever you do go for, make sure the present you buy fits in with their current style, otherwise it’s likely to end up in a charity shop within a week!

For your best friends

Bonheur Wooden Filing Box

Buying a house warming gift for your best friend should really be easy but it can often end up as a bit of a nightmare just worrying if they will like it or not. But remember, you know them better than anyone else so trust your judgement!

Our personal favourite idea is to buy a photo album and fill it with pictures of the happy couple, you could even add in a few of the two of you! If this is a little too personal you could go for a hook for their keys or some vintage storage tins for their kitchen or bathroom. Either way, we are sure you will get it just right, after all, they are your best friend!

You can share your house warming gift ideas below or shop our entire collection of gifts here.