Table manners!

Now the air is warmer and we are seeing more of the sun, the weekends beg for BBQs and parties! Whether it is a lazy brunch or cocktails and nibbles on the patio, there is nothing nicer than eating alfresco, so here are a few ideas to make the most of the sunshine and eating outside...

Choose a corner of the garden that will give you and your guests the best view of the garden, make sure your planters are full of colourful bloom and the lawn is neatly cut.

Decorate your table with a fresh linen table cloth and arrange clusters of colourful glass lanterns all along the table, it is a good idea to use a few citronella tea lights to keep those annoying little garden bugs at bay! Create a table centre piece with an arrangement of garden flowers, large, bright, colourful blooms or maybe just a few clusters of lavender tied together by garden twine and scattered along the table. Just above the table tie some bunting and for the evening, wind fairy lights through the trees and dot clusters of larger lanterns near steps or door entrances.

Provide some comfortable seating with a range of brightly coloured summer cushions, here the conservations and much laughter will flow; remember to add a little shade for that midday sun and for the evening, when the sun goes down provide a few throws to snuggle under and keep you and your guests nice and warm.

Stay away from using plastic or paper tableware, there is nothing worse than your guests trying to cut through delicious BBQ food with a plastic knife and fork on a plate that is bending under the weight. If you don't want to use your best china and understandably so, opt for colourful wine glasses and fresh, bright white stoneware plates that can be decorated with the use of colourful summer napkins and cutlery. Enjoy!

A ray of sunshine..

Are we seeing a little more sunshine this week? April is a good time to get outside and start to tidy the garden. The weather is a mixture of cold winds, sunny spells and heavy bursts of rain, some are even, still experiencing snow!

So whilst the weather is deciding what to do, here are a few things we can do with the first of our May bank holiday weekends:

Clean the patio

Edge the borders

Prune back hedges

Weed the borders

Give the lawn a cut, not too short!

Clean up the BBQ

Once this is done you can start to think about the warmer, longer lazy days a head; so maybe put out the garden furniture.

By adding a few colourful scatter cushions, some gorgeous Moroccan lanterns and a fancy parasol you can create a whole new look.

Here a few of my favourite looks for the Summer garden:

Enjoy! 

GR x

March madness!

The weather is all over the place at the moment but hopefully Spring is here at last. The days are longer and we are gradually seeing more sunshine, so that means more time out doors. With Easter behind us we are all now looking forward to spending more time in the garden. This time of year we tend to go a little mad and have a good spring clean indoors, so why not put some of that March madness into your garden. Start by planting up pots, mowing the lawn, cleaning down the patio and preparing hanging baskets. 

Here are some ideas for making your garden more gorgeous this Spring:

Outside storage:

 Potted planters:

Bistro table and chairs:

Summer Houses:




It's time to cut the top off the lawn and prune back any deadwood amongst the shrubs, Spring bulbs will now be in bloom and can be enjoyed for the next few weeks.

Clean off any algae from the patio and garden furniture so you are ready for the warmer weeks a head. Enjoy!

Sell your home this Spring..

Spring is on the horizon and it’s a good time to get your house in order. With Easter approaching it is often a popular time to sell your home. If you are looking for a change, and moving house is on your agenda here are some top tips to get a quick and easy sell.

‘Home Staging’ this involves preparing a home for sale, with a special emphasis on presentation and appearance, to achieve the best possible price and a quick sale.

‘Kerb appeal’ you only get one chance to make an impression, so the exterior of your home is as important as the interior. Make sure the outside of the house is as clean and tidy as possible. Tidy the garden, mow the lawn, plant up some pots, remove any tools and dustbins from site and carryout any repairs before the house goes on the market. Many potential buyers will do a drive by first so the front of the house will give a good indication as to what lies behind the front door, so make the effort and don’t put them off!

Here are 3 steps you should consider before selling your home:

Maintenance – Check the property both inside and out and list all the repairs that need doing. Prioritise and look up a local handy man, should you need a little help; they are often quite skilled and far cheaper than calling in professional trades.

De-clutter – Give each room a real tidy, put items away in cupboards or in pretty storage boxes, hang up coats, throw away unwanted shoes, clothes and toys or bag them up and give them to a local charity shop, this will make you feel good too. Dust and hoover every room, open doors and windows to freshen up the house. Tidy up dog or cat beds and decide on just a few items out on the kitchen worktop and display units. Check the curtains and blinds for cobwebs and open them up fully to let the light in. Make sure any bathrooms are clean and smell fresh, put out clean, fluffy towels and a new toilet roll.

Beautify - Flowers always brighten up a room, place one or two vases around the home, ideally the hall and maybe on the dining room table.

Plump up any cushions on the sofa or bed, drape a throw over an armchair and place a clean, colourful rug over any large carpeted or wooden floor surface.
Play some gentle, relaxing music; this will slow down the time taken with any prospective buyers, creating a soothing, homely feel. You want them to imagine they could live there, keep the house a nice temperature and if it’s a cold day, nudge it up a little making the home feel cosy. You could even light a candle, one that is soft and lightly fragranced.
Finally, move your vehicles away from the property to leave a parking space free for your visitors and know your local area, especially schools and the distance to the train station.

Follow these easy steps from Gorgeous Rooms and you will sell your house in no time.

Good luck and happy selling! 

GR x

New Year, new home ideas!

Now the New Year is well under way, it is often a time we reflect and take a look at ourselves; often we would like to make some changes to our diet, our job or our fitness perhaps, we call these New year resolutions; but we so often over look one important area of our lives, one that can make a significant change to the way we feel, and that is the decor of our home.

So, to help you on your way to a relaxed, ambient home I have provided some pointers as to why an interior designer can make you feel good about your home and ultimately make you feel more confident about yourself.

Save you money – Help you avoid costly mistakes and will help you spend your financial budget more efficiently.

Create room plans - They will provide a professional assessment of your home. They will visualise the layouts of rooms, identify the order of work and avoid design faults early on in the plan; helping you to create your dream home more quickly.

Reduces research time - Help to source appropriate trades, products and materials for your home.

Good relationships- Has an established relationship with builders, architects and contractors, and can provide the overall management of trades.

Interiors - Ability to pull together furnishings and colour schemes creating a harmonious flow between rooms.

Harmony & Unity - Creating flow around the house and the feeling everything is in its right place. 

Wow factor - Ability to think outside the box, spatially aware to create the “Wow” factor that works for you.

The result is a pleasing feeling, one of confidence, calmness and being happy with oneself.

It's the night before Christmas...

Well almost... With just a few days to go before the big day, you should now be feeling organised and quite relaxed, however for many it can be stressful, with still too much to do.

So for those who are struggling, here are a few, final tips to get the festive season successfully under way:

Decorations for the tree - If the bottom of the tree looks sparse wrap a few empty boxes with Christmas paper, add a bow or ribbon to create a festive feel.

Decorations for the table - you can never have enough fairy lights, greenery from the garden or candles to make a dining table look simply gorgeous on Christmas day. Or, simply choose a colour theme and decorate the table with as many glamorous and sparkly items as possible to create that wow factor, just like the gold table below


















Last minute gifts - Cook books are always ideal, James Martin "Home Comforts" for me or maybe a candle from The White Company, there are plenty to choose from, or if you are in need of something to snuggle up to then a faux fur hot water bottle by Helen Moore is the perfect gift!

Festive music- for me, it always has to be Michael Buble or Rod Stewart, but any CD with Christmas songs or Carols will always get you in the mood for writing those last minute cards, wrapping gifts or preparing the grand Christmas lunch!

 

Finally, it has been a busy year for Gorgeous Rooms, so I am very  much looking forward to a few days of relaxation and enjoying a couple of long walks to blow the cobwebs away. 

So that leaves me just one more thing: 'May I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous 2016".

Eat, drink and be merry!

Love

GRx