Archive for February, 2011

A competition to find and renovate Britain’s ugliest bathroom is nearly complete.

The contest is being run by Grohe, a bathroom fittings firm, to find the nation’s most unsightly bathroom. The competition’s judges are currently deciding who will win the title and have whittled the shortlist down to five of the best atrocities. The owner of the bathroom deemed to be the worst will be offered a £10,000 first prize to be spent on renovation.

Potential winners include the owner of a brown and beige suite which is over 25-years-old, and a shocking pink design.

Grohe’s official website states: “The bathroom should be an oasis of calm and luxury, where we can escape from the stresses of everyday life. Therefore design and performance of the taps, showers and thermostats are crucial to your showering or bathing experience.”

It’s clear something went very wrong with these five finalists!

Voting closes on Monday, February 28 (today). To view the finalists, visit mydeco.com.

Image by Next

According to new research open plan room designs could be going out of fashion.

Spaceslide.co.uk, the home storage solutions company, has stated that the trend for open plan living in UK homes may be drawing to a close.

A survey commissioned by the site revealed over half of UK adults are now opting for, or have a preference for additional rooms in the home. These can be used for a number of functions such as a child’s play room or a study area.

The findings are backed by the company’s increasing sales of room dividers which rose by 36 per cent last year.

Jon Gough of Spaceslide commented: “We set about researching what was driving this trend and whether there was a backlash to open plan living – which we believe there is.

“Compared to 10-years-ago, there is increased home-working, more teenagers having bigger and better entertainment systems comprising large screens, games consoles and computers that benefit from being left set up separate to the TV viewing family area, and more students living at home – all major new ways of life for families that lend themselves to private rooms rather than open plan living.”

B&Q’s biggest ever range of decorative homeware lines for spring and summer has been launched.

Silhouette

The Silhouette decor range is a romantic take on a classical floral design for inside the home. It incorporates rich plums and aubergines colours. Blend together with silver detail and velvet to capture a real sense of luxury.

Palm Springs

Perfect for spring, this is a collection described as ‘country with a twist’. Main features are bold patterns and textures in shades of green, taupe and teal. Great for kitchens.

Metropolis

The B&Q design team have come up with this concept with contemporary living in mind. Key elements are monochrome  graphics, textiles and glossy lighting and floor tiles.

Fun!

As the name suggests, this is something for the young and young at heart. Fun! is all about brightening up living spaces. B&Q have 10 new matt colour paints, from electric yellow to cool slate grey, ready to shake up any feature wall.

JLWF603 Wine Cabinet

Department store John Lewis says that sales of wine cabinets have risen by 27 per cent over the last six months.

According to the retailer, customers are choosing to invest in more sophisticated models that offer greater flexibility and storage options.

Vic Sinclair, central buyer for large electricals at John Lewis, said: “Wine cabinets are becoming the must have appliance for the kitchen. Over the last six months we have seen the strongest sales in the mid to high end models, including the John Lewis JLWF603 wine cabinet, that benefits from a twin temperature control unit, allowing you to store red and white wine together. We also have orders placed for the newly introduced Sub Zero wine cabinet, perfect for wine connoisseurs who also want the wow factor.”

ICBWS30-S-TH-RH Wine Cabinet

John Lewis JLWF603 Wine Cabinet – £599

This John Lewis 60cm wine cabinet has the flexibility to store different wines in one cooler. Separate cooling zones allow you to keep your red and white wine together, but at different temperatures, thanks to a twin digital temperature control unit. The upper zone allows you to store up to 16 bottles of white wine between 5-10 °C and the lower zone allows up to 30 bottles of red to be stored between 10-8 °C.

Sub-Zero ICBWS30 Wine Cabinet – £8,750

This seriously-stylish wine cabinet will keep your wine in the very best conditions. A stainless steel and full-view glass door allows you to show off your collection, as well as storing up to 147 bottles, on 15 pull out cherry wood roller shelves. Touch pad controls make it easy to set the correct temperature from 3°C to 18°C in each zone and you can chose between Celsius or Fahrenheit for the display.

Ever since the announcement of Prince William’s engagement to Kate Middleton Britannia fever has started to creep across the nation. Potteries, souvenir shops and the wedding industry are already hot on the case of supplying the public with royal inspiration.

Not to be left out on a good trend – the home interiors market is showing its patriotic side too.

From accessories in the bathroom, living room, kitchen and bedroom, high street stores are offering a hot new range of products featuring iconic Union Jacks and patriotic colours.

Fashion and homeware retailer Next has a particularly great collection of cushions, towels and much more in its Spring-Summer collection for 2011.

So how about giving your home a truly royal treatment and enjoying some British style.

Visit www.next.co.uk for inspiration and products.

Living Accessories

Next Westie Cushion £25
Next Baroque Clock £30
Next Keep calm print £20

(As below left to right)

Bathroom Accessories

Next Regency accessories (set of 3) £12
Next Regency bath mat £16
Next Laundry bags (set of 2) £18

(As below left to right)

Image source John Lewis

Making improvements to your bathroom or adding an extra facility is one way to improve the market value of your property.

The claim has been made by Rosie Millard within an article for the Daily Telegraph. According to Millard, modern bathroom accessorise and a clean, stylish space can make a home more desirable for potential buyers.

Noel de Keyer, head of houses at Savills, told her that an extra bathroom or living space could increase the value of a home by around five per cent.

The advice by Millard is that anyone looking to invest in a new bathroom suite should opt for all white, as this will reduce the appearance of tidal mark from limescale which is more prominent against colour.

She also states that bathrooms should be kept minimalist as rooms free from clutter create a more relaxing space.

She commented: “Ideally, a bathroom should be a sleek sanctuary.”

For ideas and inspiration, visit the Bathstore at www.bathstore.com

Pantone’s colour of the year, Honeysuckle, is already brightening up the high street. And it looks like John Lewis is leading the fashion front thanks to a fresh range of products.

Homeowners looking to change the style of their bedrooms or living areas with a contemporary theme should head over to stores such as John Lewis for inspiration.

The department store has just unveiled a brand new range of honeysuckle coloured products and furnishings including lamps, clocks and bedlinen.

Leatrice Wiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, recently described honeysuckle as “a captivating, stimulating colour that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues.”

John Lewis Karlsson Pointer Alarm Clock £10
John Lewis Harlequin Etienne Cushion £50
John Lewis Jolie Table Lamp £35
John Lewis Wild Rose Candle Jar £5

(As seen below left to right)

Create a stunning wine collection with Spiral Cellars

According to an article by the Independent, homeowners are defying the recession aftermath and embracing stylish household gadgets.

The must have accessories this year reflect domestic comfort and glamour. So if you’re thinking about starting a new project in your home, here’s are few ideas to consider, as well as some (slightly more) budget friendly alternatives.

Wine Cellar/Fridge

Us Brits love our wine. According to Vinexpo figures we consumed 1.7 billion bottles last year and spent more on wine than the French! These statistics could help to explain how a “must have” trend for wine cellars has developed in the UK.

Spend – Combining style and technology, a stainless steel wine cellar can in some cases hold almost 2,000 bottles. Top of the range cellars feature LED lighting, glass panels and temperature controls.

A Cylindircal wine cellar from Spiral Cellars can store 1,870 bottles, from £14,500. Visit www.spiralcellars.com for more details.

Save – Wine fridges are becoming increasingly popular with new fitted kitchen installations. John Lewis stock a varied range with prices starting from around £199.

Orangery/Conservatory

A conservatory is an easy way to add value to your home or simply create some more living space. But if you’re looking for something a touch more modern then an orangery may be for you.

Spend -  An orangery can cost around £40,000. Taking a step beyond conventional conservatories these rooms feature more brick than glass but can also boast energy saving technology thanks to insulating membranes. To view some beautiful examples, visit www.theenglishglasshouse.co.uk.

Save – A conservatory can be just as stylish as an orangery (in our opinion) but without the high price.  A basic 3m x 3m style can be from £10,000.

Coffee Machine

The coffee machine is today an essential gadget in the kitchen with appliances coming in stand alone or built in options.

Spend – The latest award winning coffee machine from Dualit, the Espressivo, costs approximately £175. The advantage of this product is that it enables you to use both ground beans and capsules, making it much more versatile. Take a look at www.dualit.com.

Save – If you just can’t get enough of your coffee but want it at a friendlier price tag, check out the Dolce Gusto. This product retails at £99 and can be purchased at www.dulce-gusto.co.uk.