Christmas is here!

The tree is up, cards have been sent, presents wrapped and so the cooking begins.

Gorgeous Rooms wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2015. 

Keep reading my blog as I look forward to advising you of the new seasonal trends from January 2015.

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Christmas is coming!

Now November is drawing to a close, the days are shorter, quite grey and some what chillier, it is time to think of Christmas and the start of the festive season. Indoors, look to warm up your home with a cosy fireplace or log burner; a heating specialist will assist you in choosing the right choice of fuel sources, heat output and fitting. If you have a chimney you may need to check that the flue is in a good working order and has a good draw to avoid any smoked filled rooms and other hazards. Once this has all been checked then there is a wide choice of log burners or solid fuel fires available; alternatively if this is not an option there are plenty of models available that create a focal point in most rooms; and finally, always remember to use a registered installer.

Christmas is a wonderful time where the shops are full of candles and sparkling lights, these will create a warm festive feel to any room and can be used as an alternative to a fireplace.

Finally, in the garden your spring bulbs should now be planted and tubs full of winter foliage, remember to keep bird feeders full of seed too.    

Embrace all that Winter brings...

Remember, remember the 5^th November… It’s a time of celebration, fireworks and bonfires to keep us warm and sizzling hot sausages to enjoy!

As Winter fast approaches and Autumn fades, we look for ways to keep us feeling cheery and warm during the long Winter months; with just a few weeks until Christmas there are lots of beautiful, sparkly gifts filling the shops. There is a huge selection of candles, cushions and throws to help us feel cosy and snug.

Choose a selection of different sized candles and cluster them together around your house to create a bright and warm homely feeling.  Use hurricane lanterns as a feature or a selection of brightly coloured Moroccan lamps to ooze warmth and glamour to any room.

At this time of year the garden can start to look a little grey and dreary but for those garden enthusiasts, it is a good time to start planning ahead for Spring.

The garden centers will be full of different spring bulbs and will offer some great deals to spur up sales. Plant out winter bedding to keep a little colour in your pots.

Remember the wildlife too; fill up bird feeders to attract the birds and finally, create dark and warm areas in your garden for our lovely hedgehogs to begin hibernation.   

Autumn is here!

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."

William Cullen Bryant

 
Time to enjoy that final burst of colour that now surrounds us on every leafy suburb and woodland walk. Vibrant burnt orange, a warm glowing red and a cooler sunshine yellow, smiles down on us and conjures up the feeling of comfort, with fresh rosy cheeks, wellington boots and a soft woolly scarf.  

So, in the garden regularly rake up fallen leaves, this will keep the grass healthy, cut back perennials, prune back any climbers and collect the last of any fruits.

In the home, it is time to check the house is draft free and watertight for the coming colder months. Have the boiler serviced, check any seals around doors and windows and finally check the loft for any damage to the roof tiles or guttering that may have come about from nesting birds. As the dark evenings start to draw in we turn to artificial lighting; it is important to remember each room has a different function in the house and therefore each room will have its own mood. 

Every room should be lit differently dependent of its use. Here are a few tips on how to light up your home this Autumn: Kitchen – add under counter lighting to create a warm glow whilst lighting up the work surfaces. Bedroom – Bedside table lamps, create a soft comforting feeling whilst providing ample light for reading. Bathroom – Lighting in the bathroom needs to meet building regulations for safety, but any lighting at the mirror should be free from shadows. Lounge – Central lighting is less trendy at present and appears more to be only for show. Side table lighting or floor lamps provide more versatile mood lighting creating a sense of warmth and comfort.

Lazy Summer days...

With the warm lazy summer days now truly being enjoyed there are just a few gardening tips we should remember over the coming weeks.

Continue to deadhead flowering pots and baskets to make them last just that little bit longer; collect seed from favourite plants and store in a dry place until it is time to sow them again and for those who have enjoyed a fruit harvest, lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners.

As September approaches, remember to pick the last of any summer fruits, divide herbaceous plants and bird proof the vegetable plot with some netting.

So as we move towards Autumn time, the end of the summer holidays can appear a little depressing, but September is a time to think about planning for the coming months; a good time perhaps to sort out the home and maybe even think about re-decorating!

Here are some quick tips to updating your home:

Updating mirrors, rugs, cushions and throws is always a great and inexpensive way to change the look of any room; even small changes like adding a colourful vase that matches a cushion or the pattern in a curtain can simply transform a window or the corner of a room.

Mirrors are often used for just checking the way we look but they can offer so much more to a room. Mirrors come in all shapes and sizes today so maybe use a large, dramatic mirror to add a feature point in a room or a cluster of smaller, odd shaped mirrors to add light giving the illusion of more space.

Rugs are a simple and stylish way to add warmth, comfort and colour to any room; however a rug carefully placed and using the correct size, can be used to define functional areas of a room or open plan living area.