DIY & Decor

More and more of us are affected by the credit crunch, so not-the-most-important tasks around our home - such as décor - get postponed or cancelled. However your home can be freshened up easily and cheaply, (even freely!) with a bit of creative energy. Here are a few tips..

This is a preview, read Cheap decorating ideas in full.

Although the temperature is getting colder & colder and the days shorter & shorter, the autumn colours are just breathtakingly beautiful; so, instead of becoming gloomier & gloomier, why don’t you get inspired by nature and make a few fall decorations!..

This is a preview, read Fall decorating ideas in full.

The Olympics in Beijing probably made most of us a bit more interested in Chinese culture - be it the food, traditions, Feng Shui or decoration. If it’s the Chinese decoration that caught your imagination, here are a few tips and ideas as to how achieve the look easily and cheaply..

This is a preview, read Chinese decoration in full.

If you want to remodel or redecorate your home this year, it’s time to start thinking about what you want, what you like and what you dislike. If you go to your local home stores, you might find it overwhelming because almost every interior style is catered for - so which one to choose?

First of all, decide whether you want a timeless or a trendy home. Timeless means that it is unaffected by the latest design trends, or it’s an ideal canvas for updating a space when needed. You should only remodel your home to the latest trend, if you want to move soon or are prepared to redecorate in five years or so. It is much more sensible to create a neutral or natural canvas and use trendy accessories and details.

This is a preview, read Interior Decor trends in full.

We all have our New Year resolutions one of which is normally about changing our lifestyle into a more healthy way of living - be that eating or drinking less, taking up exercise, giving up alcohol, cigarettes or caffeine. However, we seem to forget about our closest environment: our home.

A healthy environment allows for a healthy mind which will keep up with the determination to have a healthy body. So why not detox your home? It’s quite a simple procedure - just clear out the junk, reorganise your space and refresh the décor..

This is a preview, read Detox your home in full.

Firstly, all of us at DIY Together would like to wish all our readers and members a very Happy New Year!

Secondly, we’d like to remind you that today is the day to remove your Christmas decorations - according to tradition anyway. Some people like to leave the colourful lights up for another couple weeks in order to brighten up their evenings. As long as your lights are not obviously Christmassy, this should be fine. Alternatively just add a few shiny or metallic objects to your interior and light a few candles to create a cosy mood in dull evenings.

This is a preview, read New Year DIY resolutions in full.

Today is Halloween. Have you read our previous article about decorating for Halloween? Hopefully you and your kids are having fun today at a party!

However, there is problem - namely that, until Christmas, there isn’t much to cheer us up. The days are getting shorter, greyer and colder. Lots of people become tired, irritable or sad - some of us would prefer just to hibernate until Spring! So if you feel the winter blues coming on, why don’t you do a bit of DIY decor to perk up your mood?

Think about comforting foods, smells, textures and colours - things that make you feel better, happier and more relaxed..

This is a preview, read Winter Decor in full.

As I wrote in the previous article, gloss and lacquered finishes are yet again fashionable. However, you don’t need to replace all your furniture, with a bit of imagination you can update your home to shine!

If you’re happy with the wall colors, just add a shimmery or pearly  layer of varnish or glaze over the existing paint. If you want to change the color scheme, choose  seductive yet subdued colors, such as chocolate, coffee-latte, caramel, ivory, sage, pink, mauve, taupe - either in a gloss finish, or add a top layer of transparent shiny glaze. Wallpapers are also back - big time. But don’t cover all walls, just a feature wall in a textured, glamorous and shiny or metallic finish. Look out for bronze and gold - these two metallic finishes are taking over from silver & chrome.

This is a preview, read Glossy interiors in full.

After a period of matt finishes being the trend, gloss is back and it’s everywhere - on walls, walls, furniture and ornaments.  This new trend was started by the nostalgic inspiration of Art deco and Hollywood Glamour of the twenties and thirties, but now every modern chic interior has to shimmer by glossy surfaces.

Applying a high-gloss finish to surfaces started in the kitchen. Over the last year or so we have seen a shift from using dark wood veneer to lacquered glossy surfaces.  Kitchen doors have become shiny - black, red & white - and these are combined with mirrored, metallic or coloured glass tiles and splash-backs.  Even Ikea has brought out their Abstract range in these high-gloss finishes, which are hugely successful worldwide..

This is a preview, read High Gloss finishes in full.

In the previous article you read about how to cast your own stepping stones. Remember, you should leave them aside for a couple of days to set completely before you can lay them along your pathway.

As I said before, stepping stones are less obtrusive, easier and cheaper to lay than solid pathways. They are particularly suitable for long paths and as focal points. You can be imaginative with shapes and styles - the flexibility of concrete provides creative freedom..

This is a preview, read Setting stepping stones in full.