A Creative Lifestyle Blog By Zoe-Lee Skelton

Interior Design

Your Complete Home Makeover: 2018 Edition*

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It’s difficult to resist the urge to give your entire home a makeover, especially when you take a look at all those inspiring interior design trends that 2018 has brought. From intricate wallpapers and enchanting hues to rich texture and authentic designs, there’s a world of design trends that will help you transform your space and give it timeless appeal.

The bedroom

As your personal space, your bedroom should reflect your sense of style and enable you to truly relax away from the world. Thus, you shouldn’t neglect its design, but rather pick elements that will create an ambience of comfort and warmth. Start by welcoming a soothing colour scheme that will set the tone of relaxation.

Blue is definitely the way to go in 2018, bringing serenity to your space. The combination of grey and yellow shades is also a stylish choice that will create a visual balance in your bedroom. If you’ve always wanted a four-poster bed, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s one of the biggest bedroom trends for this year. For a truly comfortable vibe, decorate your bed with velvet cushions and rich bedding. Dark timber is a beautiful choice for introducing the warmth of wood, especially when combined with vibrantly green plants.

The kitchen

Although a stylish choice, all-white kitchens are left behind in favour of colourful and inspiring designs in 2018. In particular, two-toned cabinets are one of the hottest kitchen trends while stainless steel appliances will continue to enjoy their popularity. However, everything from appliances to faucets will embrace a pop of colour, creating a cheerful, vibrant look in your space. For instance, dark appliances can work perfectly with soft marble countertops and bleached wood flooring. Such an inspiring and authentic design will transform your kitchen into a modern hub.

Once again, your kitchen won’t be complete without a splash of green that beautiful plants will introduce. When it comes to kitchen storage, you can go with cabinets with glass doors and open shelves to create an illusion of spaciousness. Afterwards, you should store away unnecessary items and keep your counters clutter-free to create an atmosphere of organisation and order.

The living room

The trends for 2018 will give your living room a touch of opulence, bringing the Baroque influence to your space. As already mentioned, velvet should be your top choice when it comes to materials. However, you should create a stylish contrast by juxtaposing an accent cushion with an elegant couch, letting this piece of furniture take the centre stage in your living room. As for colours, you should go with vibrant hues such as rich green, passionate red, mustard yellow and regal blue. You can use them for the living room backdrop or introduce them through accent details, such as a chic area rug or decorative elements. Plenty of greenery is more than welcome in 2018, especially big leafy plants with intricate natural patterns.

Wallpapers are also one of the biggest trends this year, so don’t hesitate to welcome them to your home. You can use a wallpaper design with a metallic finish and accentuate its texture, or liven up your space by embracing botanical motifs. If you want to add a touch of luxury, you can go with a marble-inspired wallpaper design that will give your living room a luxe flair.

The bathroom

The bathrooms of 2018 are ultimately elegant and luxurious with a spa-like atmosphere. The colour palette of dusty blue, soft plum, brown, charcoal and dark green will create a rich yet soothing ambience where an elegant, opulent tub can work as a stunning focal point. You can create a play of texture by introducing inspiring finishes, such as rose gold, quartz, chrome and satin. Furthermore, you should aim at creating a fresh, open atmosphere with plenty of greenery and natural light and without any clutter. For a touch of warmth to a soothing, neutral design, wooden details and accents are the way to go.

The year of 2018 is the perfect time for you to give your home a complete makeover. Not only will you introduce a sense of novelty, but you’ll also create a truly authentic design.

 

Guest Author Bio: Cooper Klein is an entrepreneur with a degree in Marketing. He’s interested in real estate and home decor. In order to spend more time with his family, Cooper decided to take a break, and he’s currently working from home as a blogger for SmoothDecorator and several other sites. You can find him on Twitter.

 

Why Home Maintenance is Good for Your Health

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Considering how important our homes are to our lives, it’s interesting how few people show an interest in carrying out basic maintenance on their dwellings. Not only could routine care save you money by preventing expensive problems from developing, but looking after your home can provide several health benefits too. Most regular tasks aren’t too onerous, so even if you don’t think of yourself as a practically natured person, you’ll find looking after your home is rewarding on several different levels.

Mental health

Avoiding stress is one of the best ways of looking after your mental health, and problems with your home that require major works and expense can be very stressful indeed. Not to mention the trauma of discovering the damage that can be caused by such things as burst pipes and blocked drains and gutters. Take your outside tap for instance. It takes no time at all and very little expertise to make sure your outside pipes are sufficiently lagged to prevent the pipes from freezing in the winter. However, the damage that can be caused by a pipe that has frozen and then cracks under pressure can be very significant, not to mention costly. If you follow some of the excellent guides on home maintenance that are available on the Internet, you can even tackle what sound like more technical jobs, such as how to replace sillcock or other parts that ensure your outside water supply doesn’t leak or freeze.

Physical health

The obvious benefit of doing your own home maintenance is the physical effort involved. Any jobs you do will burn off some calories, and that’s always a good thing! However, it’s not just your fitness that will benefit from good home maintenance. Problems such as damp and mold can bring on respiratory difficulties, sometimes quite serious ones. Preventing the causes of damp and treating any signs of mold and mildew will keep your lungs healthier and stop you contracting respiratory illnesses or making existing problems worse. Vermin like rats and mice carry some quite unpleasant germs that can make you very ill, so attending to vermin control is another important part of home maintenance. Avoiding clutter and the build-up of garbage are important, as well as keeping everything clean and making sure these creatures can’t get at your groceries. Checking for holes and other points of access will enable you to block and repair any routes in and help you stay on top of the problem.

Your home is one of the most important things in your life, providing shelter and security, but also being a place that is yours, and becomes a part of your identity. Taking care of your home is an investment in your own health and wellbeing, both physically and psychologically. The skills you need to maintain your home are easy to learn and not very arduous, so it’s well worth investing some time and effort into learning them. If you aren’t able to carry out the maintenance yourself, then get a local handyman to do your checks and repairs for you. However you approach it, good home maintenance routines will save you money and keep you healthier.

How To Choose The Right Bathtub For Your Bathroom

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With any bathroom renovation, you’ll want to pick the bath that’s right for you now and in the long term.

Many people will stick to the standard rectangular shape as it’s tried and tested. However, there are a lot more styles and shapes to choose from and each one has its own unique benefits.

I’ve looked at the 6 different types of baths available, their pros and cons and any special considerations for installing them.

Walk-in bath

Walk-in baths are perfect option for anyone in the family suffering from mobility issues. They feature a wide-opening door allowing safe and easy access into the bath – you can literally “walk-in” to the tub. The door is also water tight so you can fill the bath to the temperature and volume you would like. And when you’re finished you can simply walk out again.

Walk-in bathing solutions are generally seen as functional or unattractive options but there are plenty of different styles to choose from that will suit your current décor.

Corner bath

Corner baths are popular choices because they do not require the same wall length as your typical long bath. They’re also a great choice for irregular shaped bathrooms as they can make use of the room’s quirks. As corner baths tend to be bigger and hold a higher volume of water, you will use much more hot water to fill the bath, so be mindful of that.

Pea shaped bath

Pea shaped bath units have a shower at the end so you have more room to manoeuvre when you’re standing up and bathing. This shape doesn’t command much more room than your standard rectangular shaped bath so can be convenient for small bathrooms where you also want to install a decent shower supply but are restricted on space.

Free-standing bath

Free standing baths tend to be thought of as quite traditional as they came to prominence in the late 19th century. They can be handy as they can sit anywhere in the bathroom; they come with their own feet or have a flat bottom. They are a few different types of free standing baths including claw feet, roll tops, slipper baths, which raise at one end to support your back and rowing boats with curved edges that raise at both ends to resemble a rowing boat.

I find all the majority of free standing baths to look very luxurious and they tend to command attention in any bathroom.

Recessed or alcove bath

Recessed or alcove baths are essentially your rectangular baths that we’re all used to seeing – I’ve just used fancier words to describe them. These are typically combined with a shower at the end for affordability. But this doesn’t mean that have to skimp on style. Some even come equipped with whirlpool jets! But if this is a little out of your price range, you can always dress up your rectangular baths with fancy taps.

Whirlpool/Jacuzzi bath

Whirlpool baths are a relatively new type of bath. They’re filled with whirlpool jets that pull in water and jettison it back out into the bath. The jets create more heat throughout the water which increases circulation and helps to relieve pressure on muscles, ailing aches and pains with a massage effect. Whilst having a clear health benefit, there’s nothing more relaxing than a Jacuzzi bath is there? And I think if you can afford one, why not?

5 Bathroom Trends For 2018 According To Instagram

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#bathroomenvy and #bathroominspo are hashtags widely shared on Instagram. And if you did a quick search yourself I’m sure you’ll be consumed with envy very quickly.

Growing up, we always had a fairly sterile, all white bathroom and for years, I thought you could only get a suite in that one colour. But given the amount of time people spend in their bathroom, this room has had a much-needed makeover, with as much eccentricity thrown at it as one would dedicate to their bedroom or lounge.

Thanks to Instagram, we’re able to get a peek inside some talented and quirky people’s homes, where there isn’t a white wall in sight.

Below I’ve shared the top five bathroom trends for 2018.

Wall nooks

Inverted spaces to create cute wall nooks within the bathroom are a huge trend right now. They’re functional, so you can store your hair products and toiletries here, but they also add interesting dimensions to the space. Whether they’re tiles or mirrored like the example below, they make a break away from flat coloured or tiled walls. I especially like the nook below where greenery has been added.


Image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/esframlessglass/

Bold Colour

White is so last century. A white suite might be handy as a base colour to style, but white walls are just boring. Instagram bathrooms are showcasing a boldness of colour with paint, wallpaper and even a mix of materials where dark walls are furnished with brightly coloured tiles.

A post shared by Claire (@crayvilla) on

image courtessy: https://www.instagram.com/crayvilla/

Image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/house.beauty.design/

Standalone baths

To me, standalone baths are the height of luxury. I’ve always wanted a cooper tub but space and funds evade me!

A few years ago Instagram was awash with copper bath lifestyle pictures, but now we’re seeing claw-footed and flat bottomed baths making an appearance across all bathroom hashtags. I particularly like the below images where beautiful shaped baths are set against chequerboard vinyl and dramatic floral backdrops.


Image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/vintage_skye/

image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/heritagebathrooms/

Bathing is obviously a key component to any bathroom and many people plan a makeover so they can enjoy their new space for many years to come. So it’s important that you chose style and practicality.

For example, if you plan to spend your twilight years in the home you’re in now, or even if you’re planning a move to downsize and to renovate your bathroom to accommodate your needs, you might want to consider a walk-in bath when planning your refit. There are so many stylish and contemporary options to chose from and they won’t scupper your design plans or bathroom decor.

Lifestyle bathrooms

In magazine and online, interior design “inspo” is usually focused around the living quarters like the bedroom and the lounge . But bathrooms are as much part of your everyday routine as your bedroom is for sleeping – why shouldn’t your bathroom reflect who you are and the life that you lead?

Bohemian vibes are creeping into bathroom designs this year. Woven hangings mixed with copious amounts of greenery are reminiscent of boho bedroom set ups, but with the addition of iconic photographs and curio shelving, this bathroom below almost looks unrecognisable as somewhere you “do your business”; becoming much more of an inviting space to get ready for the day ahead or to unwind after a long day.

A post shared by Mina (@vintage_skye) on


Image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/vintage_skye/

I’m also in love with the dark blue walls and anatomical pictures. They make a striking combination and hint at the owner’s personal style.

Normally a picture wall is seen in the lounge but you can utilise your bathroom walls to hang art that you like as well – why not?!

A post shared by Christine (@watersbaths) on


Image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/watersbaths/

Tiling takes centre stage

In recent years, tiles were used to accentuate and frame areas of the bathroom (think splash back tiles above the sink). But now they’re making themselves known in various patterns and large quantities.

I love the styling of the bathrooms below, utilising moody base colours with accented tiles in bright shades.

Image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/equipeceramicas/

image courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/heritagebathrooms/

 

Have you seen any amazing bathroom pictures on Instagram lately? I’d love to see some links in the comments.

6 Things Everyone Overlooks When Planning A Bathroom Renovation

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Planning a bathroom renovation can be as stressful as it is exciting. Choosing colours for the walls, new fixtures and the brand new suite are all part of the process but usually overshadow the practicality of the refit. Below I have listed 6 things that everyone overlooks when refitting their bathroom.

Drainage

This is where you need to start with any bathroom refit, especially if you plan to change the layout as where the drainage is can impact upon what you’re able to achieve. You should really start from the ground up with any remodelling plans and this means that drainage should be the first consideration. Drainage issues has been the main reason why many projects can’t get off the ground, for example, when home owners have wanted to turn built-in storage into an en suite, drainage restrictions have halted plans. There are workarounds such as a Saniflo system – but I recommend reading up on this first.

Access

Having a bath or a shower is usually a decision that’s down to how much time you have. There’s nothing better than a warm bath at the weekend or of an evening but in the morning, when time is usually quite tight, most people opt for a shower. Having both a bath and shower (space permitting) is what most homes now have anyway.

However, with this new refit, you’ll want to think about your future plans. For example, how long will you be staying in this home? If it’s your forever home, you’ll certainly want to think about how mobile you’ll be in years to come. This might not be something you’re not concerned about now, but at some point, bending down into a bath could be dangerous and painful. There are options like walk-in baths which are functional and will fit your new style and won’t require any other special forms of installation.

Ventilation

Condensation is a fact of life with any bathroom, so you’ll need to plan for good ventilation with any bathroom renovation, otherwise you’ll damage your bathroom furniture and start to grow mold.

Having an open window often isn’t enough and materials like wood can get damaged if they become consistently damp. Extraction needs to be a key consideration as you will not want steam flowing into the bedroom and causing damage elsewhere in the house. Most people opt for a ventilator fan when the light is switched on as this ensures simultaneous clearing and usage.

Layout

If you’re simply replacing the suite with a new one, like for like, the bath or shower, toilet and sink all staying in the same place, then your costs will be much lower.

However, if you’re moving things around to make better use of your space then you should plan for a bigger budget as you’ll be moving into the realms of plumbing reworks. This could mean that you’ll also need to look at concealing additional pipework.

Time

A full bathroom refit takes 1.5 – 2 weeks to complete which can severely disrupt the routines of the household. Not to mention that various other things will be completed at different times. For example, your suite might go in first, but the painting and other storage installation might rack up more time, prolonging the project.

Lighting

Due to the amount of grooming that takes place in the bathroom you’ll want to install decent lighting. Spotlights tend to be a popular choice as they give off a crisp, directional light to important areas of the room.

The other important factor when it comes to lighting is how close electricals will come to water as incorrect planning could be a hazard. It’s important to check the lighting’s IP rating before you select your lighting as different zones require different minimum ratings (this was news to me). For example, areas that are submerged in water e.g. the sink, shower basin, will need an IP rating of IPX7 and a maximum of 12 volts. For more information on this, read Wayfairs’ bathroom lighting guide