There are numerous companies out there that can design and install a bespoke kitchen in your home, but is this the right choice for you to make? Many people question whether the additional cost is truly worth it, but the benefits can easily make it worth your while.

Uniqueness

Firstly, if you have a bespoke kitchen then that space is completely and utterly yours. Homeowners all across the country strive for a unique look, but that’s only a truly attainable goal if you go bespoke. With the kitchen being one of the most public rooms in the majority of homes, it makes a good choice if you’re thinking of going bespoke.

Functionality

No kitchen will ever be quite the same as the next, so it doesn’t really make much sense to buy off the rack from a practical point of view. With a bespoke kitchen, you will be able to take measurements and then make sure that everything is properly fitted. No gaps where food crumbs and cutlery can get trapped; no awkward places where cupboards fail to meet the ceiling.

Additionally, you can make space for things that aren’t normally accounted for. Have a special coffee maker that you’d like kept out of the way? Just build a cabinet with its dimensions in mind.

Investment

There’s no getting around the fact that going bespoke will cost you more money, though it usually isn’t quite as expensive as people expect it to be, especially since you’re tailoring it around your exact specifications.

No matter the added cost, you’ll end up with a better looking finished product, and one that boasts a superior standard of workmanship. When you finally come to sell the property, those details will stand out to potential buyers.

A bespoke kitchen looks better, lasts longer, and adds value. If you haven’t thought about opting for one, you might want to reconsider.

Whether you are looking to sell your house, or just redecorating and wanting to make choices that will boost the resale value, spending time and money on your house is always a worthwhile investment. Here are 10 key changes you can make to help add value to your home.

1. Choose high quality and long lasting materials when updating items such as flooring. Timber flooring may be more costly than some other types of flooring, but it is far more durable. A well installed hardwood floor adds value to any property, and lasts for years with minimal maintenance required.
2. Don’t put off care and maintenance- keep up with repairs such as leaky plumbing or drafty windows, and protect your home from the damage of the elements by fixing problems such as loose roof tiles or blocked rain gutters as soon as you spot them.
3. Adding square footage is the most obvious way to increase the value of any house, but if extending is not an option, you can still capitalise on the space that you do have. Converting loft space into another bedroom, and adding an en-suite bathroom or downstairs cloakroom are great additions to help maximise the value of your house.
4. The bathroom is a key area where spending a small amount of money on updates can have big payoff. If you don’t already have a bath, it is worth adding one as many home buyers consider it a necessity. Smaller baths or corner baths can squeeze into even the tightest of spaces.
5. Faded or peeling paint can make a whole room look tired, and re-painting is a quick way to freshen up your space. Choose neutral light colours to make rooms look bigger, and to create a blank canvas for potential buyers.
6. Make the most of your garden by keeping up with weeding and lawn maintenance. If you are not particularly green-fingered, consider adding a patio or decking area to create a space for outdoor entertaining.
7. The kitchen is considered by many to be the most important room in a house, so if you can only afford to update one room this should be it.
8. Make sure your house is energy efficient with changes such as adding loft insulation, updating your boiler and replacing windows, to save you and future owners money on energy bills.
9. It is said that a buyer decides what they think of your house within the first seven seconds of viewing it, so make sure your front door and entry way are up to scratch. Small changes such as a fresh coat of paint to your door and new fixtures can make a real difference.
10. If you are planning to sell sooner rather than later, consider what buyers want before you make any big changes to your home. Speak to a local estate agent to find out what people are looking for in your area and make updates accordingly, to save you spending money you don’t need to.

Although we’ve yet to reach Christmas in 2015, many of us are already planning our activities for 2016. So if you’re in the mood for shaking off the winter blues, here are some top events in 2016 to look forward to that range from amazing film revivals to horse betting opportunities and even top-class fashion shows.

Entertainment highlights

Although Star Wars is undoubtedly creating the largest amount of headlines in 2015, next year looks to be a truly blockbuster year. Already there’s a great amount of titles to look forward to including Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight and Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Revenant that looks like it might finally win him that much-coveted Oscar.

Music fans are in for a treat with the announcement that Adele will be touring in springtime and there will also be another summer packed full of top festivals. These include the world-famous Glastonbury Festival that has yet to unveil its headliners, but already many are betting on the likely acts to feature which have so far ranged from Coldplay and The Stone Roses, to Foo Fighters and even AC/DC.

Sporting events

 

Most of our homes and pubs will be transformed into miniature football stadiums in June and July when the Euro 16 competition takes place in France. Although 800,000 tickets for Euro 16 are currently on sale, many will be sat on their sofas shouting at their televisions as England aim to overcome the odds to beat the more favoured teams of Germany, France and Spain.

If you’re looking for some sporting excitement in the spring months, then the Grand National in April provides a perfect afternoon’s entertainment. It’s easier than ever to get involved in the fun as the leading mobile bookies Betway offer an easy-to-use betting service that means you can back a winner from the convenience of your sofa – just remember the slightly later starting time of 5.15pm!

Cultural attractions

London is one of the world’s fashion capitals and it offers all style connoisseurs a captivating look ahead to the spring-summer season when the London Fashion Weekend takes places at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery from 25 to 28 February. Not only will this feature all of the latest cutting-edge styles on the catwalk, but it promises an interactive experience with many shops and brands hosting special styling salons and exclusive fashion talks.

And finally, don’t forget that the Chinese New Year takes place on 8 February in 2016. So be sure to give your new year an exciting start by visiting the wonders of London’s Chinatown for a wealth of culinary and cultural delights.

So from high-end fashion to potentially lucrative horse-racing bets to even some top festival attractions, it looks like 2016 is going to be a great year!

A living room should be a place of comfort, relaxation and (if one may so wish) activity – as the term implies. Overall, it is also a place of entertainment, meant both on the visual as well as on the sensory level. Consequently, the first and most important step is knowing how to adapt the right items to the architectural space of a living room. This is a vital and primary component before considering the choice of furniture and items. The curvature and the angular or linear direction of the walls, floor and ceiling are primary factors and indicators that will guide the process of design and choice of accessories, and help to make the most out of the space available- in the process also eliminating any dead space that may result from narrow corners or small passageways.

Such issues can also be resolved easily by placing built-in cabinets or furnishings designed specifically for small spaces in the room. In interior décor, the walls are also considered a principal component. Hanging framed pictures, posters, wall lamps with appropriate and elegantly decorated shades, and other personal items that reflect your lifestyle and personality will create a cozy and personal feel to your living room. Setting the sofa in a preferential spot that allows for maximum visibility of the roundabout space (walls and ceiling included) – and that also has a view of the panorama through the windows will maximize the living room experience, leaving you free to relax and enjoy the benefits of a familiar and personal space. Use pinterest to get some amazing home décor inspiration.

Ultimately, there are many ways to create the perfect living room space that blends the concepts of comfort, relaxation, socialization and entertainment, and a number of steps must be taken in the process of design and décor while keeping in mind all the multiple variables that come with the choice of fabrics, colors, furniture; the positioning of sofas, coffee tables; chairs, cabinets, stands for the TV and game consoles – including portable digital devices and the Music Stereo-, book and bar shelves, chairs and the various items and accessories.

In ultimate analysis, the keyword here is general ‘harmony’ in its purest form and, to this end, there are many popular brands of interior design and furnishing that offer a wide variety of collections, and all have something to offer depending on personal preference. One of the most world-renowned brands in the market is Vitra, founded in Germany in the 1950s. Vitra offers a unique furniture design that focuses, first and foremost – on the artistic principle. Its impressive array of creations is personally designed by many renowned international designers that include Antonio Citterio, Eero Saarinen Alfredo Haberli, , Frank Gehry, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Jean Prouvé, Konstantin Grcic, George Nelson, Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron. For the living room Vitra offers many interesting items to augment the interior décor, available also online on sites like shop.mohd.it/en, where you can find bar stools for the bar section and elegantly designed and avant-gard clocks, coffee tables and chairs, as well as adjustable tables, sofas, tool boxes and picturesque and lively-colored wooden dolls among others— all of which contribute to creating a sense of harmony and to enhance the feng shui aspect, now considered by many to be essential in interior design.
. The artistic value of Vitra’s line of designers is the principal strength of its creations, which are perfectly suited for creating the ideal living room space.

 

Insomnia is something that affects all of us at one time or another and, increasingly, it is becoming a regular feature of life in our modern, busy world. Sometimes we get into bad routines without even realising how they are negatively affecting our sleep. Here are five things you can do to get a better night’s sleep.

Don’t drink alcohol before bed

Alcohol is classed as a depressant, which means it will slow down the actions of your central nervous system. This feeling of drowsiness can, in fact, help you to fall asleep quicker. Indeed, this is why we often associate alcohol with sleep and may even enjoy a “nightcap” in order to help us get to sleep. But once we are asleep, things get problematic. As we are heading into that lovely deep, restorative sleep which is characterised by slow moving, delta, brain waves something else is happening. Alcohol consumption has been shown to induce alpha waves during sleep. These alpha waves do occur during resting times but usually only when the body is awake. So, in effect, we get two types of brain waves working against each other. One is gently processing while the other is trying in vain to rest and restore. It is because of this you do not end up having a good, deep sleep. So, avoid alcohol if you want to wake up refreshed.

Have a look at your mattress and pillows

Where you sleep is as important as when or how you sleep. We’ve all felt that sense of jealousy towards little children who seem to be able to fall asleep anywhere. But, as we get older we need to create that sense of comfort for ourselves. Proper support is needed in terms of a good pillow and a top quality mattress. We should regularly flip our mattresses to prevent uneven wear but also know when the time is right to retire one. Further to this, be sure that your bedclothes are warm, clean and dry as dampness can encourage mould growth. If you are waking up feeling groggy and with puffy eyes, consider the possibility that you may have a minor dust mite allergy. There are plenty of products on the market to help with this such as mattress and pillow covers and dust mite resistant sheets.

Leave a reasonable amount of time between your last meal and going to bed

If you tend to eat late at night before falling into bed you might find that your digestion keeps you awake. There are a few exceptions to this, however. If you must eat, keep the meals small. It’s best to avoid anything heavy, particularly fried foods or those that are full of bad fats. Do choose foods that are known to be sleep inducing. Tart cherries are becoming a go-to source for helping people sleep and they can be found in various forms in a health shop if you are unable to find the fresh berries. Also, foods that contain tryptophan, such as turkey, pumpkin seeds, and edamame (soy beans) are great. If you haven’t got any of these in the house try a combination of good fats and whole grain carbohydrates, such as nut butter on whole grain crackers, yoghurt and banana or muesli, or even some guacamole with quality tortilla chips.

Stop checking your emails in bed

Not unlike the above mentioned alcohol problem, working or checking emails right up to bedtime gets your brain firing in a way which is not conducive to sleep. As you start to wind down from the day your brain is producing melatonin to help you get a good night’s rest. When you turn on your phone or computer to check your emails, the light source lets your brain think it’s still daytime and there is no need to continue with melatonin production. After this, you may find is difficult to fall asleep or to sleep restfully. Beyond that is simply the fact that all those exciting emails with their riveting content and links can stimulate your brain enough that it will want to engage, not sleep.

Make your bedroom as dark as possible

Have you ever been camping in a tent and wondered why you wake up earlier than normal? Our brains revert back to those early human safety practices of being awake in the daylight and asleep in dark, when there are predators around. Although there are not many tigers chasing us down the high street these days, our brains still take light as a visual clue for waking and sleeping.  So, like keeping your eyes off the light source of your computer screen, we should also help our brains to understand that it is sleep time by dimming lights before bed and then keeping it as dark as possible in the bedroom.

We all know the importance of sleep but sometimes it can be difficult to get there and stay there. Taking some care with regard to your sleep routine with these five tips can help you achieve a better night’s rest so you can conquer all that you need to in the morning.

 

A few decades ago, it was a lot easier to make decisions about the bathroom fixtures that would work best in your home.  There was less choice compared to nowadays.  Although the wide variety of fixtures and fixings gives you more room for creativity and individuality; the downside is that having so many options to choose from can make the whole process overwhelming.  If you are finding the prospect of choosing items for your renovated bathroom daunting, the following brief guide is full of handy tips for people in your situation.

Remember – Fixtures Should Match The Rest Of The Bathroom Décor

The last thing you want to do is have a pristine and classy looking bathroom that is ruined by badly chosen accessories and fixtures.  From the bathroom faucet to the mirror above your sink – everything should match and look like it belongs.  For a minimalist and modern home and bathroom, you need fixtures that are simplistic and clean looking; while a more traditionally decorated home would suit more ornate and opulent fixtures.

Work Out Your Budget

It is vital that before you get caught up in choosing all of the fanciest fixtures, you need to decide upon the budget you have to spend.  Once you know roughly how much you have to spend, you need to then look at what you need and your options to see if your budget will get you want and need.  Although it may be hard, the one mistake many people make is not sticking to the budget they set, which can mean their overall spending gets out of control.

Consider Your Family Member’s Lifestyles

When choosing how best to kit out your bathroom you need to consider your family member’s lifestyles.  If you have a large family with lots of children using the bathroom a lot, you may want to invest in a touch-less faucet.  As well as saving you money on your water bills, they will also help you to keep your bathroom hygienic and free of germs.

Exposed Copper Piping

Although the tendency that most people have is to box in or cover over the copper piping in their bathroom, by leaving these exposed you can give your bathroom extra character.  In order to help that stand out even more, it is best to choose darker wall colours.

Traditional

Depending on your bathroom’s planned or current décor, traditional fixture pieces may be  the best option.  These are normally very ornate and often feature complex and detailed designs with very curved lines.

Contemporary

Unlike traditional fixtures, contemporary bathroom fixtures, like those from PlumbTile,  tend to be simplistic in design and are very minimalistic.  Usually, anything that is not completely necessary or functional is not included.

Side Installation

Rather than having faucets in a central position on your sink, you could try a more interesting positioning and install them to the side.  Not only will it give you extra space in the sink, but it will give anyone visiting something to talk about.

An interior designer is an expert who creates aesthetic living spaces for homeowners and large enterprises. They work to create spaces which are functional as well as pleasing to the eye. The designer renders a definition to the lifestyle, mood and functionalities of spaces complementing the architectural features. From simple indoor and outdoor sitting areas to lavish offices, plus hotels and mansions, the career of interior design Cornwall is reaching new grounds while the market is being flooded with talented designers who are rendering new dimensions to creativity everyday.

Read on to find a few tips to effectively work with your Interior Designer.

Know what you want

Are you looking to refurbish your house and make it more space efficient? Or do you want to change the mood of your decoration from rustic to modern eclectic? Do you want to add an extra living space or maybe do away with a powder room to accommodate a home office? It is important for you to first decide on what your expectations are from your space so that you can clarify this when you meet your designer.

Collect inspirations

You can begin by flipping through magazines and social platforms for inspirations. Just bookmark them and share them with your designer so that much time is not wasted in your designer trying to decipher your preferred style of decorating your space. Alternately, you can select your colour palette, fabric swatches and furniture catalogues which appeals to your style.

Involve the designer in the process at the earliest

Once you have decided to remodel your house, ensure that you involve your designer with your architect and contractor. An interior designer can artistically bridge the aesthetics with the structural planning of your space.

Trust your designer   

After you are done with the meetings and your designer has begun work, ensure that you do not change your mind and approach your designer with new ideas and inspirations. Remember that your designer has already made a budget keeping your requirements in mind and if you change your mind later, the budgeting will not only have to be redone which could be tedious but the designer will bill you for such changes. Instead, have faith in your designer, sit back and watch the magic happen.

Clarify the billing process with your designer

Be prepared to discuss your budget for the project and the total cost ceiling. This way, there will be transparency and your designer will be able to assist you to effectively allocate your budget into different aspects of decorating. This way you will receive the best of services at a cost you can afford.

Are you planning to upload some Christmas party decoration pictures from last year for those in need of Christmas party décor ideas? People are always looking forward to new ideas on where to place the Santa, where to get the snowman and how to drape the fairy lights. Your much applauded party décor from last year would be really handy for them. But, then all your random clicks from the last Christmas party might not be suitable for upload and it’s natural that some of them needs good resizing on your Windows 7. In such situations, don’t just go for the in-built graphic editor here as it offers just a handful of options when it comes to photo resizing. A great alternative would be Movavi Photo Batch.

It is a special image resizer for windows 7 that will help you to come up with a true professional effect without hiring a pro editor. In fact, the Movavi product is designed to process a series of pictures at once, thereby speeding up the process for you. The post below offers a brief on how to resize any photos easily with Movavi Photo Batch?

Download & install Movavi Photo Studio from official Movavi site. As you install it, you will have the Movavi Photo Batch application downloaded & installed automatically in your Windows 7. Now, you will have to add the images that you are planning to resize. Go to File button & choose the pictures individually. If you want to resize every image from your photo folder, go to Folder to upload the whole folder. Now, you will instruct the program to reduce the chosen images. The Movavi program is able to resize images as per a number of parameters. Go to Resize & pick the preferred Resize mode. The different options here are-

• Scale to width – it will enable you to specify your desired width ( pixels) for every image & height would be accordingly adjusted.
• Scale to height – it’s same as the first option but will allow you to enter desired height & width would be accordingly adjusted.
• Scale by percentage – it would resize photo proportionately according to percentage defined in respective field.
• Maximum size – it permits you to define maximum width & height & larger images would be easily fitted without stretching or cropping.
• Other options are Scale to Size & Custom Size.

Finally, press on Batch Export & select output folder from Save to a new folder.

With today’s reliance on the Internet, a person’s privacy and personal security is more at risk than it once was. Identity theft, stolen information, and other security problems are all too real of a threat if your online privacy is not as protected as you believe it is.

Not only are banking and bills done online, all sorts of sites ask for your personal information, including your home address, phone number, email, and in some cases, your social security number. While websites vow to protect your information, online data is vulnerable to security breaches by hackers.

In order to protect yourself, your family, and your information, here are 6 ways to protect your online privacy:

1. Hardware

One of the first steps you should take to protect your online security is to update your electronics with maximum Internet security software. Many computers, phones, and tablets are vulnerable to viruses sent out of by hackers attempting to get your information. From phishing sites to spammy emails to cloned sites, there are a myriad of ways online hackers can try to get your personal information. Protecting your devices with passwords and security software are two of the best things you can do. For more information, read here.

2. Social Media

While social media has been a great tool for businesses, networking, and connections with distant family members and friends, it is also a great source for hackers, thieves, and even predators. Set your social media profiles to private, only allowing friends the ability to see your information.

Moreover, limit the amount of information you offer. Keep your address, phone number, and email off of your profile. If a friend needs it, they’ll ask for it privately. Additionally, limit how often you geo-tag your locations, as it alerts people not only where you are, but where you are not—like your home. Lastly, be smart about what pictures you upload in order to keep your reputation safe and your kids safe from predators, as your profiles could potentially endanger your children, or cost you a job.

3. Social Security

Only give out your social security information if it is absolutely necessary. In fact, unless it is your bank or the IRS, a good rule of thumb to follow is to never give it out, especially on forms that are being mailed or handled by many people. If a company actually needs it for a legitimate reason, they can call and ask for it. However, in most cases, they don’t actually need it.

While many sites ask for the last 4-digits of your social, if possible, skip over that step. Even though it is only part of the number, with those 4-digits, the rest are actually quite easy to guess, especially if someone knows a lot of information about you.

4. Unique Passwords

One of the worst things you can do in terms of security is to use the same username and password for everything, because if someone figures it out, all of your information is vulnerable to them. Moreover, look to create difficult passwords that do not have any special meaning. While they can be more difficult to remember, they will be much more difficult to crack. Avoid using birthdates, family names, pets, or anything else that can be easily figured out.

5. Authentication

Many websites offer a double authentication feature, meaning that you have to go through two steps to get into your profile. In order to sign in, you not only have to use your log in information, you also have to type in the code sent to your phone via text message. As long as you have your phone with you, you can rest assured that even if someone were to figure out your username and password, they would not be able to get to your information.

6. Zip Code

Avoid giving your zip code when making credit card purchases, if possible. While there are some instances when you cannot avoid it, such as when purchasing gas or something of the like, if you can skip over that step, do so. Companies can use your zip code to find out more information about you. While that company may only be doing it for marketing purposes, if their company security was hacked, all of your information is now vulnerable.

Use these 6 tips to keep your online information safe and secure.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/keyboard-key-success-plan-online-621829/