Redecorating the walls & floors can make such a difference to the look and feel a property with a new lick of paint and some fresh carpet, a tired old room suddenly seem bigger, brighter and a great place to be. And yet it is all too easy to settle for safe, conventional options when it comes to redecorating, or to assume that the perfect walls and floor are out of one’s reach. In fact, there are options galore available for all tastes and budgets.
How to decorate wall
There are a whole host of creative wall ideas out there that can bring vibrancy and life to the most plain and anonymous of rooms. To begin with, many people will choose to paint their walls; in that case, why not think beyond tasteful magnolia to a range of other colour options? Warm, understated shades of blue, green and various pastel hues can all be used to open out a room and give it a feeling of spaciousness.
On the other hand, for those wanting a change from plain painted walls and keen to explore a world of pattern, there is no shortage of exciting wall paper options available, from exquisite florals to lavish Regency stripes to brash Pop Art-inspired designs. Furthermore, these days wallpaper isn’t just for the living room and bedrooms; modern, hard-wearing, water resistant wallpapers can also breathe opulence into the kitchen and bathroom.
If a whole room done up in wallpaper sounds like too much of a good thing, then a compromise is to paper one wall only and use it as a dramatic centrepiece of the room. Lastly, for anyone doing up a children’s bedroom, wall art stickers are an inexpensive way of creating an eye catching and entertaining decorative scheme.
One or two large wall stickers can turn a wall into a forest grove full of wild animals, a fairy tale castle or anything else that will spark a child’s imagination. And when the child grows out of them, they can be taken down and replaced.
Benefits of laminate flooring
Being half the price of hardwood, laminate flooring is relatively inexpensive, and it’s resistant to scratches, staining, fading in the sunlight and sudden heavy shocks or blows, which can all affect costlier alternatives.
Modern high resolution printing techniques mean that the melamine surface of a laminate floor does a good imitation of various shades and textures of wood grain. It’s also easy to clean with a mop, damp cloth or vacuum cleaner without needing to be waxed or polished. All of which makes a floor of this kind ideal for busy family kitchens or downstairs hallways which suffer from heavy foot traffic, or for refurbishments where budget is a key consideration.
Furthermore, it’s quick and straightforward to install; the sub floor doesn’t have to be sanded smooth as with vinyl, and the pieces simply snap together without having to be glued down—no experience or specialist expertise required. For the same reason, a laminate floor is also easy to pull up and replace at a later date.
Benefits of vinyl flooring
In a similar manner to a laminate floor, vinyl flooring is durable, water resistant, good value and easy to wipe clean. But because, unlike some other floor types, it glues directly onto the sub-floor, creating a seamless extra layer, it’s also good for cushioning noise, making it very useful for flats where sound travelling from one floor to another can be an issue, or for nurseries with loud, active children.
Available in sheets or tiles, it comes in a wide variety of patterns, as well as a range of realistic imitations of hardwood and ceramic tiling. It therefore offers something to suit most decorative schemes.
Benefits of tile flooring
Ceramic floor tiles are extremely durable, and can easily last twenty years or more without losing any of their gloss or colour. Their hard glaze makes them impervious to wetness, humidity and the effects of direct sunlight, and because they can withstand being gone over regularly with abrasive sponges and household cleaning products, they make a very suitable floor for bathrooms, W.C.’s and other areas which are prone to the build up of germs.
They come in a wide variety of patterns and colours, which can be mixed and matched and arranged in all manner of ways to create a floor design which is creative and unique. And as it’s possible to intersperse more expensive tiles with less expensive ones, floor designs can be tailored to tight budgets.
Benefits of wooden flooring
Solid hardwood flooring is extremely durable, and if it does suffer damage as the result of some accident, it can always be re-sanded and refinished. As with laminates, the floor boards are easy to install without requiring much in the way of expertise or preparation of the floor surface. A hardwood floor is also quick and simple to clean, and as the tight seal of the floor boards allows nowhere for dust, pollen or other allergens to accumulate, it’s a healthy choice for your home.
Hardwoods are available in a range of colours and finishes so that there are plenty of options when it comes to finding that ideal shade of flooring. In addition, a solid hardwood floor is the real deal, and it provides the satisfaction of installing something that will last for many years to come and add value to the house.
Benefits of oak flooring
Oak flooring is warm and timeless, and it can work well with a variety of décor from traditional to contemporary. Because it has this combination of high end quality and broad versatility, it also represents a solid investment that is sure to add to the market value and kerb appeal of a property.
Like hardwood, an oak floor is straightforward to assemble, the tongue and groove edges of the boards slotting together. An oak floor usually comes in a number of grades which will suit different budgets as well as having their own distinctive characters—quarter-sawn oak being the most upscale, with the tightest grain. It’s as well to be aware of the distinction between solid oak boards, cut from a single piece of timber, and more inexpensive engineered oak boards, which have a top layer of oak and an under layer of plywood.
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