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When it comes to bathroom design, many of us focus all of our attention on the big features: the style and size of the bathtub, whether to have a freestanding shower or not, what kind of basin to have and whether to have cabinets placed above it with large mirrors or no mirrors at all. It’s not surprising that smaller touches fall by the wayside. However, once you’ve settled on the major parts of your bathroom design or renovation, make sure that you have a good mull over the smaller details. These are the things that will bring your bathroom together. Here are a few areas to think about.

Colour Scheme

Before you start filling your bathroom with extras and toiletries, you’re going to need to choose a colour scheme. While you may want to keep the majority of your home pretty neutral with magnolia or white walls, the bathroom is a space where you can generally afford to be a little more out there with your colour choices. Why? Well, you don’t have furniture such as sofas, tables, or chairs that you’re going to have to match in. Generally, bathroom fittings are silver or white, which makes them pretty compatible with any colour that you may choose. Because the space is small, you can also redecorate regularly, which means if you’re not feeling your chosen colour after a couple of months, it’s going to be very easy to make changes. Traditional colours span the blue and green section. Softer tones such as aqua, baby blue, coastal blue, mint, and duck egg blue are often a hit. Or you could keep things simple with cream and white or black and white. If you fancy something a little brighter and bolder, why not consider cherry red and white?

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Toilet Seats

Sure, toilet seats may well serve a basic and practical purpose. But what’s to say that they can’t form a notable part of your decor? Opt for a seat that matches the colour of your walls or other accessories, such as toothbrush holders and soap dishes. The more things that tie into your intended colour scheme, the better. Alternatively, you could keep things natural with a wooden seat. Now consider added extras, such as slow-close seats. Don’t forget to measure your current seat before replacing it too. This will help you to avoid disappointment should you fit a seat that then proves too small or excessively large. Opt for Check out the range available to you at Home Spa Select!

Bath Mats

Whether you have a bath, a shower, or both, you should invest in a bath mat. This is a relatively small piece of material that you step onto when you get out of the water. It will absorb any moisture, meaning that you’re less likely to experience slips or trips when exiting the room. They also come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. As mentioned above, try to fit this accessory into your existing colour scheme. This will help to bring the room together and create a sense of consistency in the design.

These are just a few extras that go into your bathroom, there are plenty more to consider. Just always keep one thing in mind: your aesthetic. Try to ensure that everything fits into the look you’re going for!

The bedroom is the most important room in the house. The reason? Because sleep is the most important thing you can do every single day! It helps us to heal, and it helps us to remember all the best bits of each day. When you’re styling your bedroom, you definitely want to be promoting good quality sleep. That doesn’t mean the space can’t look good at the same time!

Bed

If you’re in the room to sleep, then you want an exquisite bed. Four-poster might seem a little extravagant, but there is a lot to be said for a modern twist on this classic. You can pick any color of wood that you like and choose intricately turned posts for that touch of elegance. You might even dress the posts with sashes or voiles.

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Nothing says comfort like a high-quality mattress. While it might not make up any part of the decor or styling, it is perhaps the single most important item in the room. Some mattresses, like memory foam mattresses, hold the body in a comfortable position all night long. You can find out more at Mattresslife.com about how this works. Innerspring and latex mattresses aren’t as popular, but that doesn’t mean one of these won’t serve you well. Read up on the comfort levels you might be able to achieve with each type of mattress.

Dressing the bed itself is easy. Simply choose your pallet color for the room and find a bedspread that offers this color in abundance. Alternatively, pick a pure white, and dress the bed space with cushions and throws in your accent color. The bedroom is one of the easiest rooms to dress up, down, or differently for every season.

Drapes And Curtains

Drapes or curtains are essential for the bedroom. They offer maximum privacy so you can dress, undress, and enjoy being in bed without anyone on the street seeing you. But curtains can do much more than that. Firstly, they can add a big, bold splash of color to help you style the room in your favorite tone. Secondly, they can shut out all daylight. This is especially useful if you have to work shifts.

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Bedside Cabinets

Part of the style of your room will be determined by the cabinets you choose. You might choose something contemporary like a mirrored chest of drawers. This helps lighten and brighten the room. Or you might choose something in an antique wood, complete with turned legs and brass drawer handles. Don’t forget you can dress the top of the cabinets too. You might add a runner in your accent color. Maybe there will be a few reading books? Why not add a vase of beautiful flowers too?

Flooring

Hardwood floors in the bedroom might be the stuff of dreams for many of us. Of course, there are plenty of affordable alternatives that can emulate the look of the real thing. It’s worth considering something wood-like in the bedroom. After all, in the summer, things can get much hotter. If you want a room for all seasons, consider a hardwood floor over a carpet. These tend to be easier to keep clean and reduce allergens too.

Of course, carpeting is soft and luxurious under a pair of bare feet. It’s warmer for the winter, and it can even be nice just to sit down or lay down on the floor when you’re having a lazy afternoon. Underlay is essential for that extra squishy sensation. Pick a thicker pile for softness. Alternatively, go with the hardwood or tile. Then you can add soft rugs as required. They’re easy to swap out when you’re ready for a color change too. Patterns or plain?

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Closets

Freestanding closets or wardrobes are ideal when you need a little extra storage. They can be produced from any wood you like. Deep grains or fine grains? The choice is yours. Then, of course, the depth of stain might make a difference too. Built-in closets can be altered to suit your tastes. Simply change the door handle, or swap the doors out altogether. You can paint them, add decals, or even cover them in fabric to achieve the look you want.

Lighting

We spend most of our time in the bedroom with our eyes closed, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your lighting choices. A chandelier would bring a touch of luxury to any bedroom. There are many different styles to choose from. You might select something contemporary that provides plenty of shape and structure to the room. Maybe a backlit false wall would offer a nice effect? You could then choose any color light you liked for a soft haze around your panel.

Dressing Table

What bedroom is complete without an elegant dressing table. You might be trying to achieve an eclectic look for the bedroom. This means the bedside cabinets, closets and dressing table would be different shapes, styles and colors. Of course, if you want them all to match, you don’t necessarily have to order them from the same store. Simply pick a color theme to connect them. You can achieve this easily with runners. Perhaps you would prefer to paint them all?

The position of your dressing table is really important. You need it to be situated close to the power points. It would be a good idea to have it in a window, so you have plenty of natural light to fall on your face. Add a gorgeous tilting mirror, and you’re ready to do your hair and makeup every morning. Add a clipped holder for your hair drier, and a dainty pot for your cosmetic brushes. Perfect.

Bedrooms rarely change from season to season, although the bedding and quilt weight might be altered. Fortunately, bedroom colors are really easy to change in a hurry! Can you style your bedroom for every season?

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When you move into your first home, it’s likely that you will have a mishmash of previously owned items that family members have handed down to you in your moment of need. You might also have been scavenging around flea markets and discount stores to get things that will last just a few years until you can ‘do it all properly’.

Unless you are truly dedicated, this time will never come.

What you may not realise is that even though your home is not yet particularly yours, you can definitely start investing in pieces now that will last you for a long time. These pieces are unlikely to go out of fashion and will be easily manipulated to fit with seasonal trends as they come and go.

Though it is hard to make investments when you are young, holding off on buying lots of cheaper furniture and choosing more carefully will pay off later on. Buying sensible, hardwearing household items will make sure that they last and will make redecorating a simple case of a splash of paint and some new accessories. Plus, it means that you won’t have to suddenly spend a lot to do the house, just split the cost over the years.

Here are a few things worth saving for.

Well Made Furniture

If you want to incorporate real lasting style into your interior design, there is no better place to invest your money than in high end furniture. When furniture is built to a high standard you can be sure that it will last for much longer than its cheaper counterparts. Solid wood is always worth investing in as it will certainly last much longer than a ‘wood effect’ which will probably peel off after a few years.

However, price is not everything. You can certainly find good bargains on high end furniture and design. Have a look around for vintage pieces as well, especially if they are a beautiful shape. Shape is the most important part of any piece as it is usually the only thing that can’t reasonably be changed. You can reupholster or paint dark wood, but the shape is here to stay.

The most important pieces to choose are your sofa, dining table and bed. These will be the most used pieces of furniture in your whole house and will likely determine the style of the rest of the room. Get these right and you will be able to keep them going for many years to come, simply changing accessories and paint colors when you want to revamp the room.

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Wooden Floors

A wooden floor is a really good way to spend your money. It will be easier to clean than carpet and less prone to holding allergens too. There are all sorts of different wooden floors available but if you pick one that is hard wearing, it should last you for many years to come.

Wooden floors have remained fashionable for a very long time for one simple reason: you can always update your look by adding in a new rug as styles change. For modern open plan living, a continuous wooden floor provides a natural flow between spaces that can be defined using layered rugs.

The Perfect Mattress

Sleep is incredibly important and it is shocking how many people make do with a mattress that isn’t suited to them at all. A bad mattress won’t just interrupt your sleep, it will cause you back problems in the future if your spine is not properly aligned over night.

There really is no excuse for not visiting a mattress showroom before you purchase and while you are there make the most of your time. You should lie on each mattress for at least 15 minutes before you decide whether it’s for you or not. Don’t let yourself be hurried along, and don’t feel self conscious either. Settle down as if you were to go to sleep and try at least 3 different mattresses. Obviously, if you are buying as a couple, you both need to be there!

LED Lights

They may be more expensive, but LED lights are perfect for lowering your energy bills and providing you with much brighter light. How you choose to light each room is really down to your own preference but you can add fantastic drama with your lights if you know what you’re doing.

Current trends for low hanging lights over the dining table or in the bedroom are really beautiful but make sure that you install basic spotlights as well. You might not use them all the time, but when you need a bright light that is otherwise unobtrusive, a spotlight is definitely the way to go.

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A Big Mirror

Once your lighting has been sorted, the next best thing you can do is introduce large mirrors around the house. They will reflect natural light giving these sensation that your rooms are much bigger than they really are. A cluster of smaller mirrors will also work well to make a feature of an otherwise empty wall.

While you can get cheaper mirrors, the best are glass and will give you the clearest reflection. You might get away with a cheaper mirror but once you have a glass mirror, there really is no comparison and you will see the difference. This is what makes it worth the investment as a good mirror will never let you down.

As fashions and interior decorating styles go in and out, these are the few things that you can be sure are a wise investment to make. Any house is not turned into a home over night and you can be sure that as the years go by your space will reflect the times and the changes too.

There’s no rush to make your home perfect. In fact, perfection is not really what you should be striving for. Instead try to make your home feel comfortable, safe and reflect a little bit of your personality too. Good interior design is a journey, not a destination.

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There’s so much to love about the Christmas season. Although it’s only just November — and there’s still Thanksgiving to navigate — it’s inevitable that around this time, thoughts begin to turn to the most wonderful time of the year.

Most of us have memories of Christmases of our childhood. If you think about the memories you have, you might be surprised to realize just how many of these memories are sense-based. The taste of cranberry sauce; the fragrance of pine needles and incense; the satisfying feel of a sliding fingers beneath wrapping paper in anticipation. Of these, by far the most pervasive memories tend to be fragrance-based. This is of no surprise, given how inextricably fragrance is linked to memory– for many of us, one inhalation can transport us back in time to another point in our lives, all based on memory alone.

Many of us now find ourselves playing hostess at Christmas, meaning that it’s the fragrances of our home this year that will last in the memories of our children. Even if you don’t have the traditional snowy weather, you can still use scent and fragrance to ensure the most “Christmassy” feel for your home– and a lifetime of memories for your children. Let’s explore some of the best ways to introduce fragrance to your home this year, as well as offer some tips on the most Christmas-appropriate scents that you’ll want as part of your celebration!

The Art Of Controlling Bad Smells

First and foremost, ensuring your house smells divine means you have to have neutral scents on which to work your fragrancing magic. Therefore, your first focus should be on neutralizing bad smells so that your home can become a cornucopia of fragranced delights.

The most obvious source of bad smells is the kitchen, especially if food burns or the trash hasn’t been emptied in the rush of last-minute preparations. If you don’t have a kitchen fan, then there’s still time to put one into place in time for Christmas. This will help ensure that any bad smells that do develop aren’t left to linger.

Another common bad smell that you might find yourself having to deal with is cigarette smoke. No vent is going to be sufficient for cigarette smoke; it’s notoriously stubborn, so your options are more limited. You could insist that smoking only takes place outside, or encourage the smoker in your life to head to Ecigwizard to stock up on vaping supplies. You’ll still need to remove the lingering smell of previous cigarette smoke, however; there’s a few great ideas to try listed here.

With your home now a scent-neutral zone, you can go to town on introducing the fragrances that will play such a huge role in your Christmas.

The Spice of Christmas

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If a single fragrance was to be named the fragrance of Christmas, then without a doubt, it would be cinnamon. Cinnamon is a scent that we all associate with Christmas; it’s the scent of baked Christmas cookies, of incense, of candles burning over the hearth. You’re definitely going to want to make use of cinnamon for your festive fragrance needs.

There are various ways to do this. You can use the classic options, like candles, wax tarts, and incense burners– but there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh cinnamon. Thankfully, cinnamon sticks are rather pretty, and can be made into lovely decorations that will go well with the rest of your Christmas decor. Tie a few sticks with some festive ribbon and you’ve got a simple ornament that also has a delicious scent when you stand close to it; add a few vanilla sticks in for a really Christmassy fragrance.

If you want to push things further, then these cinnamon ornaments are a fun DIY to do with your kids, so definitely worth considering!

Natural and Herbal Options

Of course, the one downside of using cinnamon as a Christmas fragrance is that it can make the whole household hungry! If this is an issue for you, you might want to use a blend of natural or herbal smells for your scent choices. Here are a few great options:

• The smell of pine needles is a guaranteed memory-stirrer for Christmas, as we all associate the fragrance with Christmas trees. Many of the major candle suppliers now do pine needle scented options, or you can buy bags of dried pine needles for use in homemade pomanders.
• Christmas roses don’t have a particularly different smell to standard roses, so you can use anything rose-fragranced you already have for this purpose. Rose fragrance goes well with pine needles and cloves to really enhance the Christmas feel.
• Berry scents are also popular for winter, especially dark berries such as blackberries. To prevent berry scents from smelling too edible, pair them with pine needles, pinecones, or heavy spices such as peppers– cinnamon or orange may make them smell too sweet.
• Finally, oranges make for a wonderful Christmassy fragrance, which work well when combined with essential oils such as clary sage, basil, or even lavender. These essential oils help to highlight the botanical, rather than culinary, notes of the oranges. You can also use star anise to decorate oranges for the perfect decoration.

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You can use raw herbal and natural products, but they are less likely to fragrance an entire house. Essential oils, candles, and diffusers are the best option if you truly want the fragrance to permeate. You can use real products for decorations, just don’t expect to be able to smell these from more than a few feet away!

Mix and Match

Of course, there’s no reason you have to restrict yourself to just one or two of these options! Christmas fragrance should be indulgent and enjoyable, so play with ideas in different rooms. Berry options are wonderful for living spaces, whereas culinary choices like cinnamon and vanilla are a natural fit for the kitchen. Play around with whatever works for you, and you and your family will soon be enjoying a fragrant Christmas that will live long in your memories.

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Have you ever had an issue with pests, insects or animals in your home? Well, if you haven’t yet, you could in the future. Animals and pests in the home can be a real nuisance, damaging your property, causing environmental dangers and they might even make your home unsafe to live in. Some animals can be rather vicious, and that’s why they need to be dealt with straight away. But before we look at the ways to deal with animals and insects entering your home, let’s explore some of the options to stop it from ever happening.

Holes In The Roof

If you find that there is a bird or animal living in your attic at some point, there’s a good chance they have entered through a hole in the roof that you haven’t noticed. It is possible for a hole to develop in the roof and for no one to pay it the slightest amount of attention. Think about it, how often do you go in the attic? If the answer is as little as possible, a hole could be there for weeks or even months. That’s more than enough time for a pesky bird to enter your home and perhaps even build a nest.

That’s why you should be checking your roof and the attic after spouts of bad weather. You never know whether a large gust of wind might have blown a few tiles off, leaving an opening big enough for a visitor.

Keeping The House Clean

If you want to avoid insects entering the home, it’s best to keep it as clean and tidy as possible. Don’t forget, insects are like any other living creature. They have basic needs to survive. If you take one of these needs away like a food source, then you can instantly ensure they don’t creep inside your home. So, make sure you’re not leaving food crumbs on the floor, and you should never see a trail of ants wandering across your kitchen.

Secure Your Trash

Of course, some animals will be attracted due to a food source outside of your home like your trash. You need to make sure that your garbage is properly secure so that critters like racoons can’t get in. To a racoon, your trash can will be an all you can eat buffet. However, if the lid is secure, it won’t be able to get in and will scuttle off to your neighbour’s house. Don’t forget, once on your property, they might decide to live somewhere like your attic. At this point, a professional racoon removal service is your only option. You can not deal with an animal like this by yourself as it could actually attack you or your family. It’s also important that they are dealt with humanely.

Contact An Expert

There are very few situations where you can deal with a pest or insect infestation yourself. If you’re not careful, you might find that you don’t solve the issue completely or that you end up in a dangerous situation. Both are something you need to avoid at all costs.

Take this advice, and as well as being able to deal with an infect infestation or a pest invasion, you’ll be able to prevent one as well.

When it comes to houses and other kinds of property, there’s plenty you can do to sway a buyer. You have outside space which you can transform into gorgeous gardens, you can build off road parking on your plot. You can create tonnes of kerb appeal by upgrading the front of the property by painting the bricks, having rendering or another kind of covering to generally make the property look its very best. However when you’re selling a flat or apartment, you’re much more limited. Because you only own the apartment itself instead of the building, there’s a lot that’s out of your control. But there’s plenty you can still do to boost the value and attract those all important buyers.

Get It Tidy

One of the main issues people have when it comes to apartment living is finding space for all of their possessions. If a buyer sees that you are struggling for space, they will assume that they will too. Getting the place very clean, tidy and organised will create a far more welcoming appearance. It will sell buyers a kind of lifestyle, and show them how they could be living if they bought your property. Clean carpets, windows, skirting boards, anywhere that would normally get missed on a regular day of cleaning. Organise your possessions so that the flat doesn’t look cluttered or full to the brim, this could be an excuse for you to start your packing now. Box things up you wont need and put it into self storage, that way you make it easier to make your home look beautiful and give yourself less to do when it does sell as well.

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Paint it Neutral

Buyers in general love neutrals. Light neutrals like white, cream and very light grey all help maximise the space and look modern and clean without being distracting. In a smaller property like a flat or apartment this is even more important, since you absolutely have to make the most of the space and light to stop it looking cramped and dingy. Sand the walls, fill in any holes and make them look completely smooth. If they’re in bad condition, you may need to hire a plasterer to re-skim them. Give them a coat of paint and you will quickly see the space transform and open up. You could always add a clock, a piece of art or perhaps a shelf with a plant on if you feel it looks too stark. But avoid colour (especially dark colour) and pattern which can close rooms in, and anything too personal. A buyer needs to be able to come inside and imagine their own life there, with too many personal trinkets it’s distracting and difficult to do so.

Get The Right Lighting

Speaking of maximising the light with colour, your actual lighting is very important too. You need to make sure rooms are well lit, particularly if you’re going to be having viewings later in the day when it’s a bit darker. Spotlights are useful in kitchens and bathrooms, they look modern and prevent any dark corners. A couple of lamps in rooms like bedrooms and the living room help the place to look cosy and set the ambiance. Make sure main light fittings are neither too large or too small, a huge chandelier in a small flat for example could look a bit strange. But you don’t want something too small either that’s going to make the room look dull and dim. Another way to get the lighting right is to maximise natural lighting. You might need to switch up your blinds or curtains, let as much daylight in as possible during the day. Placing a large mirror opposite the windows too will reflect it back and brighten the space further.

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Give It The Edge

One thing you could do is look at other similar properties for sale to see what kind of thing is on the market, sites like http://rumahdijual.com/jakarta-utara/apartemen-pulomas allow you to look through tonnes of apartments. Once you know what kind of thing is currently out there, you know what you need to do to make yours better. Certain features will give yours the edge. Maybe it’s a new, super modern kitchen or beautiful bathroom. It could be something simple like switching up the taps, or you could have built in furniture installed. It can be difficult parting with cash for these things when you won’t be around to enjoy them, but it could mean adding thousands on to your asking price.

Finish The Odd Jobs

Any cracks, chips or unfinished jobs in your flat won’t be missed by a buyer. Even if they aren’t big problems, a buyer will assume that they are. In a house it’s bad enough, but in a smaller space any issue is going to appear like a much larger one. So get any black mould cleaned up and repainted. Any chips or cracks should be sanded and filled. Any wobbly door handles, wonky doors, loose toilet seats or anything else should be put right before you invite buyers in for a viewing. Otherwise you’re cheating yourself out of a larger asking price, you might put some buyers off altogether.

Utilise Your Balcony

If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony or any outside space at all, really make the most of this. Give it a clean and tidy, paint any railings and spruce it up with pots or hanging baskets. You could even get a small bistro set to show people that there’s space to sit outside. A balcony or outdoor space is a huge bonus when it comes to flats and apartments so you should do what you can to draw attention here.

There are some particular challenges when it comes to making a flat or apartment look its best for property viewings. But bear in mind these simple tips and you will increase your chances of it selling quicker, and for the best price possible.