A living room is one of the most used rooms in the home, as well as being the main room for the family to relax and spend time in. When it comes to decorating a living room, it needs to balance being aesthetically pleasing with being hardwearing and able to stand up to family life.

 

If you aren’t sure where to start, try looking through some pictures and creating a mood board of styles and colours that you like. You could order some tester pots of paints and have a look at how they appear on a wall. If you have a smaller room, try to go for lighter colours, perhaps with one feature wall to add depth and interest.

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If you are short on storage space, combining your television area with storage not only makes a great point of interest in the room but also means that you have a lot more space to keep things meaning it will look less cluttered. Get a professional company like this TV aerials Swansea based company https://www.onevisionltd.co.uk/tv-aerial-installation-swansea to move the aerial to the wall you want to avoid trailing wires.

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Good lighting is important in a living room – use lamps so that you can adjust lighting levels, so dimmer light for cosy evenings and brighter lights for big groups, reading or when the kids are playing.

Gardens are a place to have a bit of time to relax and get close to nature. One of the most relaxing things that we can be around are trees, but you may think if you have a smaller garden that a tree would not be suitable.

In fact, there are lots of trees that are perfect for small gardens, as long as you care for them well and get a professional such as tree surgeon Gloucester based Geoffrey Urch to come and trim them every so often, it is possible to have a tree in a small space. Here are some of the best trees for smaller gardens…

 

Crab-apple Tree – This is a great little tree that will put on spectacular displays of blossom for you in the spring and summer, as well as having very pretty little fruits. If you like to encourage wildlife into your garden a crab-apple tree will do just that as birds and squirrels love to feast on the fruits of the tree.

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Pendula – This beautiful tree with its stunning swaying branches and delicate blooms will look gorgeous in a small garden and is easy to care for being happy with any type of soil as long as it is in a sunny patch.

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Loquat – As well as being an evergreen tree, these little trees thrive in cities in particular where it tends to be a little warmer, and they don’t take up much space. They enjoy a sheltered position, and some varieties produce flowers.

The world of garden design features a lot of prominent women. One of these stands out ,Vita Sackville-West. Garden design was only one of her talents, she was an accomplished artist and writer as well. We shall look at her contribution to the field of garden design in regard to her jewel in the crown of Sissinghurst. This was her home from the 1930’s onwards. Her family had owned it before and she liked the idea of the sense of ancestry that it suggested. However the site itself was a ruin. Sissinghurst Castle had long since collapsed and the garden was filled with rubble. Sackville-West with her Husband Harold Nicholson were undaunted and set about trying to reclaim and recreate something infinitely magically.

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They certainly would have needed some Mountfield Parts for the decent mowers they required so some DIY Spare Parts were definitely a requirement. The first years were spent trying to remove all of the mess and rubble that had accumulated over the years. Once this was done she could then begin to put her plans into place.

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Her designs were revolutionary in that they encouraged the  visitor to search and discover the sights in the garden. Wandering far would reward them, the White garden and Rose Garden being two such examples. She also set up the single colour themed garden and Nuttery. She took little credit for herself suggesting her husband should take more credit for the garden over herself.

If you are fortunate enough to have a large garden, you may be wondering how you can make the most of it. A large outdoor area does require a lot more work, but there is a lot of great potential with a large garden and you can really make the most of the outdoor space with a few of these ideas…

 

When you have a large outdoor space, you can choose from a wide range of comfy seating options. Wicker outdoor sofas are perfect for large families as well as regular entertaining, and a big garden table means that you can enjoy summer days in the garden with friends and family.

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A ride on lawnmower is a much easier way to care for your large garden than a push along mower. It will save you a great deal of time too. As with any vehicle, you will need to look after your mower to get the most from it – clean it regularly and basic maintenance such as oiling the moving parts are essential tasks. When parts need replacing, you can get Briggs and Stratton parts for lawnmowers online at a site like Briggs Bits.

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Another fantastic idea for a large garden is to add a garden room. These are great as they allow you to enjoy the outside space whatever the weather. You can use it as a room to chill out and enjoy some peace and quiet in, an office or even your own personal bar!

Dogs are known as man’s best friend and with good reason. Loyal, fun and affectionate, dogs have had a place in the heart of man for thousands of years. If you are wanting to add a dog to your life, it is important that you do plenty of research beforehand, as you want to make sure that you get the right dog for you.

 

As well as the right food, Iwoof designer dog collars, puppy training classes and all the right toys to keep a dog entertained, you should research the different breeds of dog that are best for your lifestyle. Here are a few of the most popular dog breeds in the UK…

 

Boxer – These dogs are friendly and sociable, and full of fun. They are very bright and quick to learn new things, as well as being very protective of their owners which also makes them a great burglar alarm!

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Labrador Retriever – These are intelligent and gentle dogs that are known for being great with kids, so are a good choice for a family dog. They are eager to learn and easy to train, which is why they are also a popular choice for guide dogs.

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Jack Russell – These hardy little dogs are full of energy and less likely than many other breeds to suffer with health issues. They are loyal and fun little dogs that require a lot of exercise, so they are great for people who enjoy long walks in the countryside.

Winter is the time of year when we all start to feel the effects of the cold outdoors, but by looking after your heating system and making sure that your home is free of draughts you can enjoy warmth in your home.

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The best place to start is to ensure that you have an efficient and safe heating system that is working well. To make sure that your system is safe you should use the services of a Tewkesbury Boilers company such as  Combi Man not only to install your system in the first place but to give it a service once a year. The service checks for any issues that may be arising in your heating system as well as checking that there are  not high levels of dangerous fumes coming from your heating.

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Next you need to make sure that any heat that is being produced by your heating system is not being lost through ineffective insulation and draughts. Check that you have cavity wall insulation and loft insulation and have this put in place if not. You should also have a quick check around all of your windows and doors to make sure that all your seals are intact and in place and that there are no draughts coming in from outside. You can quickly correct these with sealant if you find any areas where large draughts are coming into your home.

With Christmas just around the corner, here are a few living room style ideas if you are hoping to get your living room looking good in time for the tree to go up. With so many new and exciting style ideas, there is bound to be something that inspires you to get decorating…

 

Floral Wallpaper – This is a huge trend at the moment – floral wallpaper that your gran would be proud of is making a huge comeback – from bright and bold blooms to delicate neutral colours, there is something to suit every room. Paired with chunky knit fabric cushions and throws, this is a look that will lift your spirits.

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Dark Walls – Be brave and bold and banish the greys and neutral tones! Dark walls can make a space feel cosy and snug, especially when used with warm lighting. If the thought of a whole room of dark walls feels a bit much, a dark feature wall is a great way to make a statement and add interest to a room.

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Calming Naturals – A tranquil and serene room painted with soft pastels and creams is great for a smaller living room. To gain a bit more space in the living room, get in a professional such as this TV aerial installation Gloucester based company Steve Unett aerials to mount your television on the wall, so you will have no need for a stand.

Around Christmas time, the rate of burglaries increases. The lure of expensive gifts in people’s homes attracts burglars, so at this time of the year it is particularly important to make sure that your home is secure from break ins.

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Here are some of the things you can do to keep your home safe from burglars and make sure that you and your household have a safe and happy Christmas…

 

Make sure all Doors and Windows are Secure – At this time of the year, life can get very hectic and it is easy to forget things. But do make sure that you keep all doors and windows locked in your home, even if they are high up – you will be surprised at how a determined burglar can get in.

 

Use Security Systems – Using cameras and alarms such as these from CCTV Manchester based company Red Dam is not only a good way to ensure you can protect your home, but they also act as a visual deterrent to burglars.

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Keep an eye on your Rubbish – It is very common for thieves to have a root through rubbish to see of there is anything of value in the home. When disposing of packaging from expensive items, be careful of where you are keeping it – if possible, it is best to keep it stored in the home until the day your bins are collected.

So you have signed all the necessary documents to move into your rental home from your chosen Letting Agency Gloucester such as TGRES  and have a moving date planned, how should you go about packing ready for moving day?

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Moving day can be notoriously stressful and there are some ways that you can minimise the amount of stress and actually enjoy the move into your new home. Planning is key to any house move and you should start by looking at whether you are going to have a removal firm move your items or whether you are going to rent a van and do this yourself. Either way you will want to book this as far in advance as you can.

 

Then comes the actual packing of your items. Some removal firms will do this for you as a part of an enhanced removal package but if  you are packing your own items you should make sure that you have enough boxes and start packing away items that you don’t need in your existing home as soon as possible. Packing your items based on the rooms that they are going to go into is one of the best time savers. You should write the name of the room on the box and then either your removal firm or you will know exactly where to put the boxes on your move in day.

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If you have important documents that you might need when you pick up the keys to your rental home you should keep these somewhere safe along with an overnight bag in case you don’t get around to unpacking all of your boxes on the day that you move.

If you’ve been umming and ahhing over what to paint on your ceiling don’t go as far as Pope Julius the second in what you want. When Pope Julius the Second had finally established himself as the one and only Pope (back then there were two and it was, quite frankly, mayhem) he wanted to make sure that the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was something a bit special. He was very much in the mood to celebrate. Pope Julius was not like the usual pontiff’s that you have today. Peace and love were not on his agenda. This Pope was going to drag Italy together, under the power of the Roman Catholic church, whether it liked it or not. He was called a Warrior Pope and he certainly lived up to that name.

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It’s no wonder then that when he came to Michelangelo and asked him to do up the place a bit the great artist readily agreed. The great one was more of a sculptor than a painter (hard to believe after the end result) and he wasn’t that keen. The Pope was most insistent and so of Michelangelo went.

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He ended up painting the whole thing himself. He would have liked to have had some help and Decorators Cheltenham based company JS Decorating, if they had been around, would have gladly helped him out. Michelangelo was one of those people that liked it done his way. It took him seven years and chronic neck ache. He even designed the scaffolding to get him up to it.