ArtaBerryHome Improvement Blog..

Creating a new look in a bedroom doesn’t have to mean an entire makeover, with all the expense and hassle that can entail.  It’s entirely possible to change the style and bring an up-to-the-minute look to your bedroom through the clever choice of colour, and introducing new bed coverings and curtains.

Next team bed sets with matching curtains for a chic co-ordinated look, in soft floral designs, or American Pioneer patchwork quilts.  For a more sophisticated style with long-lasting appeal, layering bed throws of cream and palest coffee with a white quilted silk throw, and replicating the colours with Parisian pleated linen curtains gives a sense of space and light to a smaller bedroom. If you are lacking window space, a novel idea for the autumn is to drape material across a wall in generous folds, and pick up the theme in your window curtains.  You can play with contrasting or matching colours in your use of material such as net curtains, and some of this season’s  deep cerise pinks contrasted with a touch of lime green creates a modern and fun look in a bedroom.

Imaginative uses of detailing can link your decor : the same print on curtains and duvet cover, but in subtly different shades of blue, for instance.  If you are planning to replace your bed, consider how you might match your new purchase with a different window dressing.  White plantation blinds look fabulous with a white painted wood bed, and a traditional French “bateau lit” style bed can be complemented by heavy gold silk curtains.

Having an eye for detail extends to planning how you will hang your curtains, and the design of the pleating.  While a simple wrought-iron curtain pole can look just right teamed with a modern bright contrasting striped fabric, it may not be the best choice for a more traditional material such as velvet.  Deep headings work well with some materials, while lighter and lacier curtains can look good gathered in looser folds from wooden rings.

Modern variations on the four-poster are still popular, although much more pared-down in design than the enormous wooden beds that our ancestors might have slept in!  Draping swathes of material from the frame to the floor gives a touch of luxury and femininity to your bedroom.

Fitting window shutters is an easy improvement to make to your home. Exterior shutters are cheap, quick to install and come in a range of styles, making them appropriate for most houses.

Installing exterior window shutters is an easy procedure that can be carried out in just a few hours. Decorative shutters are generally made from plastic these days, meaning they are light, weatherproof and long-lasting. They are available in a broad range of styles and colours; some types can be painted to match the outside of your house, whereas others cannot be painted and must be purchased in the required colour.

Once you have bought your window shutters, you will need only the most basic DIY skills and a few tools to mount them next to your windows, including:

1. A ladder.
2. A drill with both wood and masonry bits.
3. A pencil/chalk.
4. A screwdriver.
5. Screws and Rawl plugs or shutter spikes (usually supplied by the manufacturer).

Positioning your window shutters
Start by inspecting the brickwork next to the window against which you will install your first shutter. Make sure it is sound and there are no trailing wires. Now position the shutter next to the window frame. It helps to have two people at this point – one to hold the shutter, the other to stand back and view the result. Some people like to have their shutters immediately adjacent to the window frame, others like to leave a gap of up to a few inches. You should align the shutter by eye, parallel to the vertical edge of the frame. When you are satisfied with the position, use the pencil or chalk to mark the wall around the corners of the shutter.

Drill the shutter
Exterior window shutters are usually held in place with just four screws, one at each corner. These are screwed into anchors mounted in the wall. Start by drilling a hole in each corner of the shutter with a wood bit. Use the screws supplied as a guide to the width of the bit.

Drill the wall
Hold the shutter back against the wall, inside the pencil/chalk marks you just made. You can now mark through the holes you drilled onto the wall, to indicate where you need to drill for the anchors. Remove the shutter. Drill four holes in the wall, this time using a masonry bit, and using the size of the Rawl plugs or shutter spikes as a guide to the size of hole required.

Fix your anchors and screw in the shutter
Push a Rawl plug or shutter spike into each hole in the wall. You may need to tap them gently with a hammer to seat them in place. Once they are in you can simply screw the window shutter onto the wall. The only difficult part may be supporting the weight of the shutter while you fasten the first screw. If you don’t have a second person to help, try balancing the window shutter on top of the ladder, or pushing a nail through one of the holes in the top corners into a Rawl plug to take the weight while you fasten the other corners. Removing your shutter, which you may occasionally need to do for cleaning and repainting, is a simple matter of undoing the screws and lifting it off the wall.

Style is all in the detail, and when it comes to home interiors it’s no different. Whether it is an ornament, picture or shelf – all the intricate details of a room are what generate its true feel. However, when it comes to doors, from kitchen cupboard doors to wardrobe doors, people and designers have a tendency of picking out the “generic” look – often leaving a living area looking a little on the bland side.

To spice up the look of your home and create a really cutting edge, alternative look, you should certainly consider Louvre Doors. Originating in France in the middle ages, Louvre doors are still seen as an incredibly stylish and effective door type, and can help provide an authentic, rustic look to your home.

Also, on a practical front, Louvre doors are excellent for ventilation – perfect for helping to prevent the air and items in cupboards and wardrobes from becoming stale and stagnant, which is particularly useful for wardrobes and drawers containing clothing items.

AllYourDoors.co.uk are a leading online supplier of Louvre doors, with a vast range available in a host of different sizes available in pure white or natural pine. Orders can be made both online and by telephone, with a host of delivery options available to suit your needs perfectly.

The dressing room is the dream of many fashion enthusiasts but also to all those who seek a practical space for clothing storage. Also, remember that everyone can have a dressing room, just a little organization. Common errors to avoid when you want a dressing room but also to properly organize it.

Do not think it takes a dedicated room to create a dressing.
If, of course, a room devoted to dressing is the perfect solution, you can also opt for a dressing area in your room. Indeed, if your piece has a nice size, you can devote a corner of the room to clothing. You will find many solutions for storage: cabinets high capacity storage systems to modulate … The idea is that all of your clothing is in a single place!

The dressing, it’s not for girls!
If you’re a couple, girls need to realize that the dressing is not only reserved for shopaholics. Indeed, this is a practical and optimized space that will store the clothes of the couple but also to preserve them. Thus, men often have as much need of dressing so as not to offend their costumes. Then plan a dressing large enough to accommodate your clothes and your spouse. Feel free to offer a space to everyone in the dressing room.

Do not just one type of storage.
The principle of a dressing is to own several types of storage to match different clothes. So when you create your dressing bet on the multitude of storage. You will need such a space for wardrobe, shelves for t-shirts, drawers for lingerie but also practical accessories for shoes or ties.

A dressing is not necessarily open
Know that you do not have to opt for an open dressing room that reveals your clothes. There are many solutions to help you close the dressing room. Also you can choose doors, curtains or Japanese panels for your clothes disappear from the room.

Do not think that dressing does wonders!
If you are not ordered, a dressing will bring you all the space for storage but it will still put on yours. The storage and organization are paramount! You will think for example to store the clothes you use less in height or rather at the lower of dressing.

Changing the handles on the doors and cupboards in a room can be a cheap, quick and easy way to spruce up the appearance of a living space. There is now a huge variety of classy, quirky and contemporary door handles available, which means that there is something to suit every budget and taste.

Before deciding what type of door handle to buy, a few basic requirements need to be taken into consideration. Firstly, it is a good idea to consider the day to day use of the handle and its location. Is it in a busy room where it will get heavy use? In this case, it would be a good idea to buy handles that are made from a hardwearing material that is easy to keep clean and maintain. If there are children in the home, it is important to consider the practical aspects, for example how easy it is for the child to open and close the door, as well as any safety issues, such as the durability of materials used in the handle. Handles made from delicate materials such as ceramic or glass are not advisable when there are children in the home

The style of the room is also a consideration when selecting door handles. Traditional designs may include handles made from brass or cast iron, which may be obtained from antique dealers or second hand shops. An engraved door knob can completely transform the appearance of a door or cupboard. More modern, contemporary rooms may be complemented by minimalist handles made from cool chrome or shiny steel. Alternatively, glass or leather handles can turn a plain door into a room feature in a classy modern home where style is key.

It is also possible to customize existing door handles simply, by using a few craft items. Long tassels fastened to a door knob can give an exotic, Eastern feel to a room. A basic door handle can be replaced with a loop of rope or braided fabric to create a rustic cottage theme. A lick of paint can revitalise an old, worn door handle and match it up with the room decor without breaking the budget. Kids’ bedrooms look great with customized handles on the doors and the cupboards in the shape of animals, flowers or sports equipment.

With a little thought and imagination, door knobs and handles can be used in clever ways to create a subtle change in a room that can make a big difference.

Window treatments can say a lot about a room and a home in general. Some people may go for a sophisticated contemporary look with a set of roller blinds, whilst many choose to stick to a more traditional option and use curtains throughout the home. If this is the case, then a set of electric curtain rails may be worth considering. These allow curtains to open automatically along a motorised track and are available in a wide range of options, meaning they can be customised to suit a number of rooms in the home.

Perhaps the most appealing feature of these window treatments is their ability to open at pre-set times, meaning the homeowner doesn’t need to be present for them to operate. Whilst they can be operated by remote controls, wall switches and other various mechanisms, the use of a timer can prove handy in a number of situations. Firstly, it allows you to wake up to a perfect sunrise on those bright summer mornings, without even having to get out of bed to slide the curtains open. Similarly, you can set the timer to make them close after the sun has set, which in turn not only maintains comfort but also privacy in the home. You could even choose to have them operated by light sensors, which could save you the hassle of predicting the time of sunset and sunrise.

This can also prove extremely effective at deterring burglars from your home. When you are out of town on holiday, the simple things like the lack of opening and closing curtains can give potential intruders a huge clue about whether you’re at home or not. With time-managed electric curtain rails, you can give the impression that there is someone at home when this may not be the case. Obviously this shouldn’t be your sole deterrent when it comes to home security, but combined with a standard alarm system, your window treatments can help add an extra level of security to your home.

When it comes to installing your new curtain rails, you shouldn’t require too much time or equipment. The majority of electric rails come pre-wired and ready to install straight out of a packaging meaning that you don’t have to be a trained electrician to do a bit of DIY. The motorised rail firstly needs to be securely fitted above the window whilst you hook the curtain of choice onto the loops. Once the labour is out of the way, the only thing left to do is plug them into a plug socket or wire them to a power source if you’re clued up in that field.

These window treatments are just one way of adding a bit of modern sophistication to your home, whilst in turn helping tighten up your home security. Although curtain poles also serve a very good purpose, these curtain rails add style and are good for impressing guests too.