Upgrades in your home 2013

Today I am writing about possible ways of upgrading your home in 2013. I will be discussing kitchens, bedrooms, and a few other ideas for your modern home..

Enjoy the pics and post..

turn a small bedroom into a sanctuary

A small bedroom can easily become cramped and untidy, making it impossible to relax. Ideally, your bedroom should be a calm, personal space to escape to, so we’ve put together some of our top tips for bringing it back to life, giving you somewhere to unwind and enjoy!

Reclaim floor space. Decide what the largest things in your room are – for most of us, the wardrobe and the bed take up the most space. Combine these two with a storage bed, which can hold your clothes and linen underneath, and ditch the bulky wardrobe to open the room out more. If you have the budget, consider investing in a memory-foam mattress – they’re incredibly comfortable and will ensure you get a good night’s sleep. Replace bedside cabinets with wall-mounted shelving, and keep other items on high-up shelves so that you still have room to move around.

Decorate. Brighter colours will instantly make your room appear airier and more inviting. You can contrast this with deeply coloured fabrics for curtains and bedding, to create a touch of luxury and an element of texture to the room. If the room is particularly plain, take a look at some wall decals - these give you the opportunity to personalise without sticking pins into the wall or making any permanent changes. For a real sanctuary-like feel, add some fairy lights to make the room seem warm and cosy in the evening.

Get comfy. Make your room more cosy and pleasant to spend time in by loading up on soft, comfortable bedding and furnishings. Throws and fleece blankets will make your bed nicer to relax on for reading and watching TV, while if you have the floor space a dedicated reading nook can be thrown together in no time with just a soft chair, a lamp and a small area to keep a pile of books!

updating your kitchen: keeping it on trend for 2013

Kitchens have taken on a whole new social life recently, changing from a designated “behind the scenes” work area to a room often more lived in than our lounges or dining rooms. Modern styles have come to reflect that, using contemporary designs and appliance integration to create a clutter-free living space that’s suitable for dining and entertaining as well as cooking. While there are a number of practical ways in which we can achieve this new trend, we’re going to focus on some of the easier design aspects, giving you the opportunity to give your kitchen a refresher without having to spend a fortune.

Changing the colour scheme of the walls and floor is one of the fastest and most effective ways to update your kitchen. Modern designs tend to go for minimalist look, so pale hues with bold contrasting features are definitely the way forward. White or off-white with a border of black tiles definitely gives this effect, creating a bright yet stylised design.

Backsplashes over the counters are traditionally created with tiles, but the grouting can sometimes be difficult to keep clean. Glass backsplashes are the latest trend, reducing workload by only requiring a quick wipe-down once in a while. The extra bonus is that you can place an intricate design or tile pattern behind the glass front, keeping your creation clean and beautiful!

Updating the flooring in your kitchen can take a little more work, but makes a huge difference to the look and feel of the room. Your choices are almost endless, but make sure you go for something that matches the rest of the room. Wood or bamboo looks impressive and is bang on trend right now, but if the rest of your kitchen is already very bright or is particularly large, it can give it a washed-out look. If this is the case, large dark tiles create a heavier base to the room, and as a bonus they’re also incredibly durable.

the bigger bed the better sleep

Is your other half relentlessly tossing and turning over in the middle of the bed at night? This might sound familiar to every couple who shares a bed together as our darling partners’ bad sleeping habits are the number one bedroom complaint that leads to poor sleep.

Getting a larger blanket could certainly solve the problem of your partner holding the edge of the duvet and rolling away to the other side, but for everything else, considering a bigger bed might be a better solution. Below we have listed 5 interesting facts that show many reasons why you should increase the size of your bed:

1. The British Sleep Council have shown in a recent study that the size of the bed has a significant effect on the quality of your sleep. Obviously, if you have more space to sleep and rest it is less likely that you will be disturbed by your partner’s midnight shufflings.
2. A standard double bed which is 135cm wide only gives each sleeper about 67cm of sleeping space. When you think about this number the individual space given by a double mattress is way less than the total width of small single bed (small single beds are 75cm wide)
3. Americans notoriously like to super size things and this is true of their beds as well. Even our more conservative European neighbours are more clued up on this and a prevalence of kingsize beds over double beds on the continent proves they are ahead of us when it comes it bed space.
4. Contrary to the common belief, a superking bed or king size bed doesn’t cost a lot more than a double bed. Adding a few pounds is a small compromise considering the fact that you will be sleeping in a big bed for many years to come.
5. The last reason, but far from the least, is that you will spend almost one third of your life in bed sleeping and who knows how many years more you will spend reading, watching TV and doing other activities.

Camille is a home furniture enthusiast and writes on behalf of Wedo Beds

why you deserve a comfortable bed

Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed. We spend approximately a third of our lives in bed, so whether you’re looking for a single bed for young ones or a double bed or king-size bed for you and your partner, it’s important to choose the right bed and mattress for your needs.

Choosing a mattress

With mattresses, you tend to get what you pay for and scrimping on price is almost always a false economy. For example, if you think $1,000 is a lot to pay for a mattress, bear in mind that if you change your mattress every seven years as advised by The Sleep Council, it will cost you and your partner less than 40 cents a night for a good night’s sleep. Considering all the benefits that sleep brings, it’s a small price to invest in your health and well-being.

Different types of mattresses

The main types of mattresses available are:

• Open-coil mattresses/sprung mattresses
• Pocket-sprung mattresses
• Memory foam mattresses
• Latex mattresses
• Foam mattresses

Each type of mattress will suit different people. For example, if you suffer from allergies you may prefer a memory foam mattress or a latex mattress, whereas if your partner is significantly heavier or lighter than you, you may choose a pocket-sprung king size mattress with a high number of supportive springs over a cheaper open-coil mattress.

Mattress fillings

When buying a new bed, what you can’t see is as important as what you can see. A good-quality mattress filling will allow air to circulate and wick away moisture, which will stop you from getting hot and bothered in the night. Whether you choose pocket springs or memory foam, the key issue is getting great support from your mattress.

Back to bed

Many of us suffer from back problems at some point in our lives and an orthopaedic bed can offer the solution to a good night’s sleep. The best orthopaedic beds will give good all-round support. Don’t presume that you need the firmest bed available: it’s usually better to have a mattress that will support you rather than one that is too firm to mould to your body shape and size.

Sleep in style

Another consideration when you’re selecting a double or king-size bed is how it will fit in with the style of your bedroom. You may want to choose a bed frame or headboard to complement the surrounding décor, whether it’s smart traditional, cosy country cottage or contemporary chic. Match the fabrics or colours of your curtains and bed covers for striking effect. Or you could bring a touch of luxury into your bedroom with a leather bedframe, Egyptian cotton sheets and cushions with matching soft throws to keep you warm in winter.

Easy decorating secrets for 2013

Alexander Calzadilla

AG Home Goods