If you haven’t got much space but want to create a summery display in your garden, why not plant up a wheelbarrow? You could also encourage children to get involved in planting up their own mini ‘fairy allotment’ garden. Here’s how…
It’s a summer of extremes, isn’t it? We’ve had scorching hot days alongside epic thunderstorms. It’s been uncomfortable for us humans, so I can only imagine how my fluffy cats are coping in the heat. Here are some hacks for helping your pets to stay safe:
As your parent ages, they may need additional support. With your assistance, they can be safe, healthy and comfortable. If you want to look after your mum or dad after they retire, focus on the following areas…
Eeeee it’s so exciting! After many years of admiring the work of other Interior Blog Award winners – and even writing about some of their homes for Reclaim magazine – I’ve finally been nominated! Please can you help me get through to the shortlist by voting for me??
You may have heard of self-esteem and self-confidence, but you heard of the term self-efficacy before? I’ve been reading about psychology at lot recently and have been learning about ways to boost your belief in your abilities – here’s how…
If funds are looking a little low & you need to make some cash in a flash, you don’t even have to leave your house in order to add to your savings pot – here are some ideas for making extra money this month…
No matter how you’re feeling, pets are there for you and can be a great source of comfort. But that’s not all – here’s why animals are important for mental health and how you can celebrate these important members of the family…
With the right mental & physical health ‘kit’ I’m sure we can all navigate our own versions of ‘new normal’ in a way that we feel comfortable. Here are some of my own essentials for post-pandemic life…
In the summer, it’s all about getting kids excited about being outdoors. If you can encourage them into the garden they can learn about nature, be more active and get some fresh air. Here are 3 outdoor activities for kids + some rainy-day ideas too…
I bet you’ve got loads of things on your to-do list that you WANT to do, but don’t really NEED to do, so they never get done. A third of people say completing a to-do list is one of their top ‘little wins’ so here’s how to start ticking things
If you’re using a lap tray for your lunch or to hold snacks during film night, it’ll probably get sticky & icky quickly. Even after wiping them down regularly & being careful with spills, they still ended up with little stains & grease marks on the surface. Here’s how to
I’ve been DIYing again and this time I’ve made some nightstands for the bedroom. It’s a simple project that makes use of old drawers from a broken chest to create bedside tables – here’s how…
While some children may have gone back to school, many are still at home. This means they’ll be learning in the same spaces where they usually play and sleep plus, you probably want them to be creative and feel relaxed too. So how do you design a kids room that
If you fancy giving your outdated kitchen a new look, there’s no need to splash out on an entirely new installation. Even melamine cupboards can be revamped with spray paint! Here’s how…
If ever there was a time for a motivational slogan tee, it’s now. Obviously, I’m not going to the shops to buy one, but that doesn’t stop me from making one (or two!) at home. Here’s how to customise your t-shirt with an uplifting slogan…
In this catch-up Q&A with interior designer Ju De Paula, semi-finalist on BBC’s Interior Design Masters, Ju shares her advice for decorating spaces with personality and colour…
The world has been a very different place of late but one thing that has been incredible to see is how quickly we have adapted. Services that were only ever delivered face to face have shifted & we’re able to do more things online than we would ever have been
You want the best for your pets, right? They’re family, after all! So I’ve been looking for ways to make my cats Cookie & Muffin more comfortable at home during their later years. Here’s what I found…
If you’ve been spending more time in your home than usual, you may find yourself looking around the interior and thinking about how it could be different. When all elements of interior decor come together, such as painting, lighting, furniture and accessories, it’s like your own personal form of magic
If you’ve been having trouble sleeping in recent weeks, you’re certainly not alone. Self-care is so important at the moment & sleep is a key factor so here are some ways to boost your bedtime routine to get the restorative sleep you need…
Get inspiration for a happy, vibrant, mid-century interior from this apartment tour of interior designer & artist Melanie Mahrhold’s retro, boho home…
I’ve recently been renovating the kitchen of my 1950s home, adding colour & vintage design to recreate how it would have looked when the house was first built. Here’s what I discovered when I searched for iconic Skyline utensils…
We’ve been relying on online orders more over the past month so I thought it would be a good idea to build a parcel box and share the step-by-step project. But how do you build a delivery box without going shopping for DIY materials..?
If you’re developing a new website or redesigning your existing blog, today’s post will take you through the options for personalising your theme with unique fonts to help your design stand out from all the rest…
Technically, re-covering my Ercol studio couches was simply a case of sewing a couple of big cushion covers, right? So how hard could it be?? Here’s how I got on when I attempted sofa upholstery for the first time…
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden – whatever the size and shape – there are many things that you can do to turn your garden into a haven for wildlife. Here are some tips to get you started…
If you’re looking for interesting and educational ways to entertain your youngsters, you’ve come to the right place! Today, I’m sharing some fun ideas for activities and projects that your kids can enjoy at home…
Whether you’ve dabbed with blogging in the past, or are completely new to it but would like to start sharing your ideas online, maybe now is the time to give it a go. If you’re planning to start a blog, website or even build an online shop, here’s some advice
With Mother’s Day fast approaching and it being #MarchMeetTheMaker month on Instagram, I figured that there’s no better time for me to put together a blog post featuring some of my favourite local makers and Etsy shops.
Our kitchen items should actually fit into the kitchen units we have available – not piled up, shoved in, & tumbling out every time you open a cupboard door! So here’s 5 steps to help you minimise your kitchenalia and organise those units…
Considering some of the mistakes I’ve made when renovating my own home, I can now see how appealing it would be to get some professional advice before I started! Whether you are looking to re-do one room or the entire house, there are times when hiring an interior designer makes
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…
My thrifty ’50s kitchen makeover is nearly complete – with the exception of the flooring. So, I’ve researched a few options to revamp the space would love to know what you think…
Did you know that in Norfolk and Suffolk alone 113,000 tonnes of food is wasted each year? It’s such a shame that we are wasting so much food – both financially & environmentally. The aim of the #FoodSavvy challenge is to reduce our food waste by 20% & decrease single-use
Whether you’re renting or buying, space comes at a premium in any property. The more spacious your interior, the greater the cost of your rent or mortgage. So if you opt for a smaller home & here’s how to use the space you have to best effect…
There just aren’t enough hours in the day, are there? Your to-do list of cleaning, shopping and adulting tasks takes up so much time! Here are some ways to minimise the chores you have to do and free up some relaxation time for yourself..
I was getting close to completing my DIY kitchen renovation but it all went spectacularly wrong last week. If you’ve read my blog, you’ll know that my kitchen ceiling now has about 60 holes in it! So it’s back to the drawing board for more kitchen inspo…
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…
Happy new year! How was your Christmas and new year? What plans do you have for 2020? And the coming decade, for that matter?! If you’re anything like me, you’ll be raring to get started on your goals for the year and will be excited about what the year brings.
When midnight comes on New Year’s Eve it feels like a new start & we’re fired with enthusiasm for the year to come. Often, our new year’s resolutions are financial so here are some tips from an expert for setting achievable money resolutions for 2020…
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
When looking for ways to be frugal, it’s a good idea to look through all the categories in your budget as there are always some places you can save money or some bills that could be a little lower. While it’s essential to get the optimum care and products for
Thrifty living is a great way to make your money go further but it’s only a part of the story. You need to ensure that the cash you save works as hard as possible for you. That means saving and investing that cash wisely – starting in January! Below is
If you want to get into the festive spirit but don’t want to splash the cash on a new Christmas jumper, I’ve come up with an easy DIY version that you can make at home. I’ve used a T-shirt that I picked up from the charity shop for just £2
If you need to turn your daytime makeup into a glamorous night time look for festive parties, here are 5 makeup products that you’ll need in your kit so that you can party all night long…
Based on my previous posts, you might think I have a ‘thing’ for bedding (& you would be right) but my excitement about today’s review is more specific than just adding new sheets to my heaving linen cupboard….
If you have a quite few people to buy for this Christmas, the thrifty way to give your friends & family a treat is by creating a gift hamper. My friend Alina loves to make her own things so this year she decided to make her mum a DIY Christmas
If you’re as excited about Christmas as I am this year, you’ll be feeling ‘fizzy’ today – which is exactly how I felt when I turned on my laptop and realised that it’s the 1st December! My days just run together at times and I often lose track of the
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sneaking up on us, this seems to be the weekend that people really throw themselves into their Christmas shopping. And sometimes, when there’s a big discount on offer, it can be so tempting to splash the cash – and really difficult to stick your
If you’re wondering what to get your youngsters for Christmas this year, or are planning to donate to a charity Christmas gift appeal, I’ve put together a wonderful collection of fun and educational gifts for all ages – from toddlers to teens. Plus, you can win a kids’ microscope kit
If you want to add some festive touches to your walls but don’t want to go all-out with tinsel and garlands, today’s DIY star wreathes could be the solution. They’re a minimalistic, Scandi-style and look great in both contemporary or rustic homes so here’s how to recreate this simple Nordic
You won’t believe it but, after months (okay, years) of complaining to you about my horrible hallway, the space has finally been decorated! We really knuckled-down this month and pulled-on our paint-spattered overalls for one last push to finish the renovating. You might have already got wind of the fact
In today’s post, I’m taking a look at some budget skincare options that you can use to look after your skin and some handy recipes to DIY your skincare…
Have you ever had a room where you just don’t know how to lay out the furniture? One with an unusual L-shape, or alcoves, or windows on two or more walls? In most rooms you can just ‘feel’ where the furniture should go and, in many modern homes, you can
Moving to a new house can be an expensive and stressful time. If you have just bought a property, you will be tied up in actually paying for it, not to mention stamp duty and all the other fees you might have to pay. Even if you are renting, you’ll
Do you find that your skin is dryer or more irritated in the winter? The seasons are changing and as we move from warmer weather into colder temperatures it’s a good idea to take a look at your usual skincare routine and make some easy changes for the winter months…
When planning a kitchen makeover, it’s surprisingly easy to make aesthetic decisions that might actually be less cost-effective in the long run. So, if you’re researching a renovation project and need to make decisions about your appliances, here are three things to consider to help you save money going forward…
If your teen has gone away to uni this year, what can you do to help them prepare for their life at University? Sure they might already be settling in, but they’ll be home for their first mid-semester ‘reading week’ soon and with many first year students having second thoughts
As you might be able to tell from my previous blog post, I’ve been DIYing this week. With that in mind, I thought I would share some nuggets of DIY wisdom (or words of warning, perhaps..?!) that I’ve come across during my decorating…
Do you enjoy making things? Do you love to save money? Do you want unique decorations that no-one else has? Then it’s time to make your own! I’m getting a head start on my Christmas preparations this month and have made three scandi-style decor projects that you can easily replicate
How did you sleep last night? Do you feel rested? Are you enjoying your day today? Getting a good night’s sleep is so important for your mood, productivity and health, but it’s not just an issue to consider alone; it is a family issue. Here are 6 sleep hacks to
Did you know that in 2017-18 the outgoings of households in the UK was greater than their income for the first time in nearly 30 years? I was reading a report by the Office of National Statistics and it got me thinking about those financial commitments many people have that
If you’ve never bought from an auction house before it’s a fun, action-packed second-hand shopping experience that could save you ££s so here’s how to start buying at auctions without – & here’s the best bit – leaving the comfort of your own home…!
It’s been a busy couple of months and I’ve been lucky enough to write a couple of interiors feature for issue 42 and issue 43 of Reclaim magazine. Plus, I’ve also written some blog post elsewhere around the internet so here are the links if you want to check them
Have you ever wondered what you can do to improve your retirement income? It may feel far away for some of us and for others it might be fast approaching. Either way, you’ll want to feel secure in your retirement and make sure you have enough money to live on,
Old and stained double-glazed doors can make your entire home look tired, and no amount of cleaning can get them back to their box-fresh whiteness. PVC doors can be costly to replace so why not spruce them up with a coat of paint? Not possible? Here’s how I revamped my
For this month’s Reclaim magazine I wrote about Ercol for the mid-century modern Design Icon column. And my research led me to some surprising results…
All photos of Ju’s home by Alexandra Joseph If you’ve been hooked on the new BBC TV show Interior Design Masters since it started in August, you won’t have been able to miss designer Ju de Paula. Her colourful designs and pattern clashing style are taking the show by storm.
Timeless decor items will be different for every person, but once you find them it can give a sense of comfort and permanence to your house. Plus, I’m a firm believer in ‘buy well, buy once’ so it’s a good idea not to follow interiors trends with your bigger investment
Have you heard about the Etsy Design Awards? If not, I would urge you to check it out today. The list of finalists has been announced and the winners will be chosen in September. It’s a great way to discover new sellers, and here’s what I found when I browsed
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