My DIY home improvements that have added value (in more ways than one)
Through renovating my own home I’ve come to realise just how much value can be added to a property by decorating, remodelling and extending – in more ways than one…
Read MoreCategory: Bathroom
How NOT to remodel your bathroom – my costly mistakes
Renovating my bathroom was a steep learning curve & I made a few mistakes along the way! Today I’m sharing my experience & hopefully you can avoid my newbie errors, as well as saving money on your own bathroom makeover…
Read MoreHow to survive a DIY disaster – & now my kitchen ceiling is a sieve!
Well, my year has got off to a cracking start..! If you detected a hint of sarcasm in that first sentence, you’d be right. A mysterious water problem quickly turned into a day of emergency repairs, with floorboards taken up, holes drilled and plumbing problems. Here’s what happened…
Read More5 Surprising ways to use steam for a quick & easy new year clean-up
I don’t know about you but, almost as soon as Christmas is over, I start thinking about the big clean-up I’m going to do when the tree comes down and the decorations are put away. Even if you don’t usually like household chores (yes, that’s me!), if you own one simple tool you can make most chores an absolute breeze. When I did the 14 Days to a Tidy Home Challenge earlier this year, I discovered just how fab steam is for cleaning almost everything! Here are five different ways you can use your steam cleaner during your new year clean-up for brilliant outcomes…
Read MoreHow to create a warm and cosy feeling in your bathroom for winter
Seeing as the rest of the house is getting a bit of a makeover for Christmas, I wanted to take a look at my bathroom and figure out some ways to make the space feel cosy and warm throughout the winter. Here are some suggestions to create a snug space where you can enjoy a much-needed relaxation session…
Read MoreBathroom design trends 2019 – Is it worth the investment?
Although the kitchen is seen as the heart of the home, the bathroom is one of the most used rooms and in my opinion one of the most important. Even though your bathroom is a functional room, it doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish. In this post, I’m looking at the best bathroom design trends of 2019 to see if the changes you could make to your home would be worth it from an investment point of view…
Read MoreHow to find more space in your new apartment with 5 clever storage hacks
If you’ve just moved into a new home and are struggling to find space for all the possessions you’re unpacking, today’s blog post is for you. I’ve done my research and found 5 clever storage hacks that’ll help you to make the most of the space in your new apartment…
Read MoreMy thrifty home renovation project – here’s what we’ve done so far
If you’ve been reading my blog over the past couple of years you’ll probably have noticed that many of my posts are about my own home renovation project. When we moved into our fixer-upper home over two years ago, we had no idea just how much work it was going to be – and I’m […]
Read MoreHow to turn a pallet into a driftwood-style bathroom storage hamper
I’ve been working on another pallet upcycling project and this month I’ve been creating much-needed storage for my bathroom. Pallet wood is my favourite material to make furniture from – it’s sturdy, looks much better with just a little TLC and, best of all, it’s free! Here’s how I DIYed a bathroom laundry hamper and sink caddy from a pallet…
Read More6 Handy DIY tips to help you diagnose & fix a leaking shower yourself
A leaking shower is something no-one wants in their bathroom. It can be quite an inconvenience when the shower doesn’t function as it should, so what can you do to repair the shower? How can you identify which part of the shower is causing the leak? Can you do some minimal repairs before calling a plumber?
Read More14 Days To A Tidy Home – how I got on with this fun cleaning challenge
How do you fancy joining in with the 14 Days To A Tidy Home Challenge? I thought I’d share a quick update with you to let you know how I got on with the challenge and perhaps inspire you to join in and get a jump start on your spring cleaning too. Here’s the 14 Days to a Tidy Home Challenge day-by-day to get you started:
Read More4 Things you can do to refresh your bathroom without breaking the bank
Every now and again, most homeowners seek a change; something that will give a fresh new look to their home or a project that will reflect their changing needs or personal preferences. If the time has come to give your bathroom a nice uplift and create a more luxury look, the ideas below will help you get started…
Read MoreTurn your bathroom into a home spa to help you relax into the year
If you’ve been rushing through January with countless goals to achieve, it’s time to slow down. Here’s how to relax into the year with an at-home spa experience that’s easy to achieve and doesn’t cost a fortune…
Read More4 Things to consider when picking a new carpet
Many people hold back from replacing their carpet because they are overwhelmed by the decisions involved; plush piles or loop piles? Which fibre should you invest in? How do you know if the colour will suit the room? While it’s true that there are different factors to consider, choosing the right carpet for your home can be surprisingly easy. Just keep these four basic points in mind:
Read MoreHow to DIY a nautical bathroom cabinet using pallet wood
If you need a cabinet in your bathroom for all your beauty bits ‘n’ bobs here’s an easy DIY cupboard you can make in a day using pallet wood. It’s a great way to recycle an old pallet and mirror, and you can make it any size to suit the space you have in your bathroom…
Read More3 walk-in shower ideas for your bathroom remodel
Walk-in showers can improve the look of your bathroom; they can help to make even a small room feel more spacious and give it a hotel-like atmosphere. Here are 3 ways to incorporate the trend into your own bathroom…
Read MoreHow to keep that airy feeling in your home during Autumn
If you’ve been enjoying the bright and airy feeling you get in your home during the summer months, today’s interior inspiration blog post may give you some ideas for keeping your house looking fresh and light during the darker days of autumn, using clever lighting, window treatments and more..!
Read MoreBefore renovating your bathroom, read this…
Are you excited to renovate your bathroom? Have you been waiting to renovate the space ever since you moved in? Before you start ripping out the suite, take a deep breath and make sure you’re ready to get started. The following are some of the things that you will want to do before anything else..
Read MoreUpdate your bathroom with these 4 easy and low-cost tips
Bathrooms are one of the most frequently used parts of any home so it’s easy for them to look tired and need a quick refresh every now and then. Here’s how to keep your bathroom functioning well and looking great…
Read MoreHow to update your bathroom on a budget: Adding a shower & storage
Are you getting ready to renovate your bathroom? If you are looking to add more storage or find space for a shower, today’s blog post is for you!
Read MoreHow much value do home improvements add to your home?
Are you planning some home improvements? A new kitchen perhaps? Converting your loft? Adding a conservatory? Well, before you begin these huge DIY tasks, today’s guest post will give you an idea about how much value each project will add to your home…
Read MoreMy bathroom renovation: Shower enclosure solutions
Last week I wrote about my research into freestanding tubs with showers over them. Ever since we installed our new bathroom, I’ve been itching to use the shower, but finding the right kind of curtain rail has proved rather difficult. Now we finally have a solution..!
Read MoreMy bathroom renovation: How to fit a shower over a freestanding tub
When you’ve got a freestanding bath, it can be difficult to find a shower solution to fit. But you don’t need to install a separate cubicle; today I’m sharing the research I’ve done for my own bathroom to show you that there are many ways to add a shower over your luxurious tub…
Read MoreDIY Patterned bathroom cabinet upcycle
If you want to add a splash of colour and burst of pattern to your bathroom, my upcycled bathroom cabinet project is so easy to make. You can coordinate the design with your existing tiles or create an eye-catching pattern to funk up a plain white suite…
Read MoreMy bathroom renovation project: The (low-cost + DIY!) finishing touches
In order to turn a bathroom from a sterile white box into a welcoming spa-like space, all you need to do is add some accessories. Here are a few thrifty ideas to get you started…
Read More5 Easy bathroom updates on a budget
Think you’re stuck with your old, dingy bathroom until you have thousands of pounds to spend on a full remodel? That doesn’t have to be the case! Even if you’re sticking to a budget, you can do the following projects yourself to refresh your bathroom without breaking the bank…
Read MoreWhat I learnt during my first year as a homeowner
Advertisement feature in collaboration with EDF Energy. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I learnt some important lessons in home maintenance and property renovation during the first year of owning my own home so read on to find out what went well, and what went wrong!
Read MoreThe (almost) DIY en-suite bathroom
Do you have to wait in line in the morning to take your shower or to go to the toilet? Most pre-1990 family homes are built with only one bathroom, which isn’t enough if you need to share it with other family members. It’s time to stop dancing from one foot to the other when […]
Read More3 Reasons to buy a shower cubicle instead of regular shower
Despite its small size, a bathroom is one of the most used rooms in our homes. Bathrooms are usually the first place people go to after waking up. Millions of people around the world begin their day by taking a shower before they do whatever they will do for the rest of the day. It’s […]
Read MoreHow to DIY a light-up Hollywood-style mirror
I’ve made my own Hollywood mirror – well, if you can’t feel like a star in your own home, when can you, eh?! It took a bit of planning to get the right size of fairy light bulbs for the mirror frame, and to the find the correct diameter drill bit to cut out the […]
Read More5 decor changes that’ll completely transform your bathroom
With the amount of time that we spend in our bathrooms on a weekly basis, it is a wonder that we don’t put more effort into its appearance. Everyone dreams of having a spa-like sanctuary upstairs, and it’s not as unachievable as it may seem. Whether you’re thinking big or small, extravagant renovations or a […]
Read MoreMy bathroom renovation project – The “Finished” room
When I was writing my blog post about ways to spruce up your bathroom for summer yesterday, I remembered that I haven’t yet shared the “finished” photos of my bathroom renovation with you. I’ve put the word finished in quotation marks because, while all the plumbing, tiling and painting might be finished, I still need to […]
Read More5 Ways to spruce up your bathroom for summer
The birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, and the sun is out in full force. That’s right – summer is well and truly here and now is the perfect time to refresh your bathroom. I’ve been working on my own bathroom renovation project and will be sharing photos of the ‘finished’ room next week […]
Read MoreBig space-saving ideas for small bathrooms
If you have a rather small bathroom in your home, then you’ll know just how tricky it can be to design it. Where do you start when there is hardly enough room for the toilet and the sink, let alone a shower or bath? Standard fixtures and fittings aren’t really going to cut it when […]
Read MoreMy bathroom renovation project – Bold blue tiles
Welcome back to another installment in my bathroom renovation – blimey, it’s taking longer than I expected: I thought we’d be done within 5 days but nooo. So far we’ve taken out the old bathroom and prepared the whole room for some new plumbing, tiles and fittings – we’ve come a long way since I […]
Read MoreMy bathroom renovation project – How to fit a deluge rain shower
If there’s one thing that I thought I’d never do in my life, it was probably fitting a shower in a bathroom. It seemed like such a difficult process and I thought that we’d probably end up with a soaking wet bathroom and no shower. But it turns out that fitting a shower was exactly what […]
Read MoreCreate a holiday-home inspired interior fit for a staycation
This little run of bank holiday weekends has got me thinking about the summer holidays – has it been the same for you too? If so, I thought I’d share a little staycation inspiration with you this week! I’d love to help you enjoy a holiday in your own home – after all, that’s what […]
Read MoreMy bathroom renovation project – Before + during… eek!
Today I’m sharing some snaps of my bathroom renovation project with you. It’s been a couple of weeks of hard work but we’ve made good progress and things are looking up. So I thought I’d post some photos of how the bathroom looked before we started and what we did to improve the room. I’ll be […]
Read MoreUpdating my bathroom – a much-needed DIY renovation project
Guess where I’ve spent this week? I’ve had a week off and did I spend it in the sunshine? By the sea? In a beer garden? Nope, I’ve spent it indoors, ripping out my old, dated and leaky bathroom. What else would I do with a week off than more DIY?! Yes, the house renovation […]
Read MoreGuest Post – 6 basic tips for designing your bathroom
Is it your first time designing a full-on renovation for your bathroom? It’s easy to get bewildered by the many design combinations that you can choose for your bathroom. Here are some professional design pointers that can serve as guidelines to help make your bathroom renovation project less overwhelming (and help you stick to a […]
Read MoreBathroom design mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Refitting or redesigning your bathroom can be quite an exciting process and is something that can add a great deal of value to your property. However, bathroom fitting and design mistakes can be costly – and tricky to rectify. I’ve researched a list of the most common bathroom design mistakes so I’ve had a look through this and have […]
Read MoreA beach bathroom makeover on a budget
With more sunny days than not in recent weeks, my thoughts have turned to summer holidays. While I’m not actually planning to jet off anywhere luxurious for a beach holiday, I DO want to inject a little holiday fun into my life. But how can I do it when I’m having a staycation, I hear you […]
Read MoreCruelty-free summer cleaning hacks
In the run up to the summer holidays is when I start to notice what needs doing around the house. I realise that spring has passed me by in a whirlwind of work, and with it the notion of ‘spring cleaning’ has wafted off into the distance. Those windows never did get cleaned and that […]
Read MoreInterior design trend – Colourful kitchens & bathrooms
I’ve spotted a new trend in interior design for Summer 2016 and it’s one that really pleases me; bright bold colour. We all have a favourite colour – a shade that we seem to choose time and again – for our clothing, our décor and even our cars. It can therefore be frustrating when you have a […]
Read MoreInterior design inspiration – A bright future for wall lights
Mood lighting, task lighting and full-on daylight illuminations. All types of lighting are important in interior design. Lighting can be the key element that turns a house into a home, and makes a space feel cosy and comfortable. I’ve spotted a shift in lighting trends over recent months towards a new type of light fitting […]
Read MoreBath v Shower – You decide!
When it comes to bathroom planning, which is best? It’s a home-owners’ dilemma and one that I want to get to the bottom of today. Maybe you could help me; What do you think is the best choice for a bathroom? If you were fitting a bathroom from scratch, what would you choose? Which is […]
Read MoreNo hot water? My tips for surviving a cold Christmas
One of my worst nightmares is being cold in the winter, alongside any kind of home maintenance disasters. Christmas is precisely the wrong time for a boiler to break down, for drains to get blocked or the heating system to fail, yet it always seems that problems occur at this time of year. Perhaps it’s the […]
Read MoreFestive touches for your bathroom
Now that it’s nearly December (where did November go?!) I think I can legitimately go OTT with Christmas blog posts! In fact, I’ve just added a few festive touches to my home while taking advantage of all the high street sales and online discounts. Yes, this week I picked up some festive accessories for my […]
Read MoreAmazing news – I’ve been shortlisted in the Amara Interior Blog Awards!
I really couldn’t believe it when an email dropped into my inbox telling me that I’d been shortlisted in the Amara Interior Blog Awards 2015! Yes, my little thrifty blog has been shortlisted in the DIY & Craft Category and I am chuffed to bits! I know I’ve been sharing lots of interior inspiration and […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside – A thrifty beach hut bathroom makeover
Over the past few months I’ve shared a few blog posts about my bathroom makeover and today I wanted to show you the ‘finished’ room. Okay, okay, I’m pretty sure that it’ll never truly be ‘finished’ as I’ve been adding it to whenever I find a new nautical accessory at the car boot sale… but at […]
Read MoreMy new blinds – the finishing touch for bathroom & kitchen
This week my new blinds arrived. Did you hear me whooping from where you are? I was thrilled when they were delivered at the weekend because, after struggling for ages to find suitable roller blinds for the difficult small windows in the kitchen and bathroom, I’d turned to the internet for a solution.Remember my blog post last […]
Read MoreInterior design inspiration – Luxurious 4* hotel bathrooms
The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house; it’s the one room that guests are guaranteed to see when they come to visit, so a dull or dirty bathroom will make a poor impression on your visitors. It sets the tone for the whole house and I can’t help thinking that […]
Read MoreInterior design inspiration from The Majestic Hotel, Harrogate
Earlier this week wrote about the start of my West to East holiday, which kicked off in Blackpool over the Valentine’s weekend. I shared photos of my long awaited trip to The Blackpool Tower Ballroom and the amazing seafront hotel that we stayed in – if you missed the post, please check it out here. Today I’m simply […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside ~ That sinking feeling
Sorry for the awful pun in title but I just couldn’t help myself! Today’s blog post is about finishing off the installation of my new bathroom and specifically tackling the sink. After taking delivery of my new bath and mixer taps I realised that some new sink taps were essential to complete the makeover, so […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside ~ Fitting the bath
I’ve been worrying about fitting my new bath for a while now. When I first ordered the new bath I was confident that we could easily do a DIY bath replacement and I was sure that it would look amazing after we’d finished it. But ever since the bath arrived, my confidence began to disappear […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside ~ bathing beauty
My new bath has arrived! This week I took delivery of a new bath and I am so pleased with the product that arrived. I know that I needed to replace my old enamel bath because it was chipped and cracked and parts of it were rusting, but I also didn’t want to spend a […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside! DIY sewing project: towels for the bathroom
Yes, I do know that it’s possible to buy towels and I’m honestly not buying towelling fabric and making my own. But what I have been doing is sewing a little extra trim onto my old towels to make them fit in better with the whole look of the new bathroom. In truth, I had […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside ~ Nautical textiles & DIY roman blind
Do you ever buy some fabric just because you like it but have no idea what you’ll end up doing with it? I actually got this fabric from Abakhan over a year ago and at the time I thought it might be the inspiration for a kitchen makeover. But during the year, my tastes have […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside ~ Thrifty & eco-friendly bathroom accessories
After finishing the storage wall in our bathroom and laying a wooden floor, this week has been all about painting more coats of whitewash on the wood (it just keeps soaking in!), and having a look around for some fab accessories to compliment the new beach-hut-esque look of the bathroom. We started the project with […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside ~ building the beach hut
After installing a massive photowall in the bathroom last month, I’ve had an urge to ‘makeover’ the room, taking inspiration from costal homes. I’ve shared my moodboard so that you can get an idea of how I’d like the bathroom to turn out and have been pinning like crazy to my bathroom ideas board on […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside: beach inspiration for the whole house
Earlier this week I wrote about my ideas for a creating coastal bathroom and shared my moodboard of nautical and Scandinavian influences. Today I’m taking inspiration from beach houses and have been pinning the best images of coastal homes on my Pinterest boards. Beach houses are famous for being bright, cheery, and breezy inside, reflecting […]
Read MoreOh, I do like to be beside the seaside… Design inspiration for a coastal bathroom makeover
Over the school summer holidays I made a start on my bathroom makeover. As you may have already read on my blog, I’ve been inspired to create a Hollister-esque sea-view theme in the smallest room in the house, with the aim of making it appear bigger. So far I have pasted a large-scale coastal photograph over […]
Read MoreBathroom makeover ~ My seascape photowall
I’ve been talking about doing a bathroom makeover for a while now, and I’ve been very keen to include a tromploi-esque photowall in my design, but this week I have actually gone ahead and DONE IT! Yes, I have pasted my bathroom wall with a massive fly-poster of a photo that my husband took at the […]
Read MoreInterior design inspirations ~ 1920s a decade of decadence
With my bathroom makeover in progress, I’ve started researching interior design looks from decades past. It’s interesting how just a few inexpensive details can really change the look of your home and I wanted to share some images of 20s-style bathrooms with you for a little design inspiration today. Thanks to the luxurious styling of […]
Read MoreMy bathroom makeover ~ Chosing the biggest photo ever
I was very inspired by my visit to the Hollister store in Cambridge last month and wrote all about the tropical beach hut theme and how I wanted to recreate this within my own home. The most impressive design element for me was the coastal projection ‘windows’ all around the store and I really wanted to […]
Read MoreInterior design inspiration ~ photowalls
When I wrote about the interior décor of Hollister stores last week it was pretty clear that I was really inspired by the design. Ever since my visit to the Cambridge shop, I’ve been trying to work out a way that I could inject a bit of Californian holiday atmosphere into my own home and […]
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