HOUSE & HOME EAST ANGLIA
Your essentiallocal directory
for home improvements and interiors
2011
HOMELIFE
2
04 Beam Ends
04 Butterfield Natural Stone
08 Character Coving
14 Coastal Glazing
05 Colne Stoves & Fireplaces
33 Crowley Turf Supplies
08 David Hall Bespoke Furniture Ltd
32 Dorluxe Ltd
33 Dream Doors
15 Dream Maker Bathrooms
21 Fieldens Ltd
19 Grove Lane Bathrooms
15 Hadleigh Kitchen & Bedroom Studio
04 Hardwood Flooring Studio
32 Home & Cane Living
09 Hyde Furniture
35 Ironglaze
08 JHD Interiors
36 Jim Lawrence
11 Kitchen Sense
29 Knights Country Kitchens
10 MattressMan
11 Nevelli
04 Norwich Kitchen Centre
18 Old Fashioned Bathrooms
08 Old Vicarage Curtain Company, The
10 Oriental Rugs
02 Partridges Homestore
18 Premier Marble
18 Simply Bathrooms
10 Sinclair Fabrics
11 Style Kitchens
15 Tile Studio
14 Tots to Teens Furniture Barn
28 Trowmans
25 Ultimate Flooring Solutions
Welcome to HomeLife, a handy pocket-
sized directory of suppliers and services for
the house and home in your area.
A-Z OF ADVERTISERSHomeLife
is published by Thompson Media Partners
Ltd, Unit 4, Avenue Business Park, Elsworth,
Cambridge CB23 4EY. Tel. 01954 267696.
Publisher Sean Thompson (01954 267696)
Sales Managers Charlie Roadley-Battin (07595 894578)
Darren Marshall (07826 628680) Stewart Hedges
(07595 894557) Jim Leishman (01954 267635)
Editorial & Design John Boston
© Thompson Media Partners
03
HOMELIFE
4
visitournewshowroom For the ultimate in wood flooring
& exper tise
Open: Mon-Sat 10.00am–4.00pm48 Gainsborough Street | Sudbury
Suf folk | CO10 2ET
Tel: 01787 881688 Email: [email protected]: www.thehardwoodflooringstudio.com
DESIGN ADVICE
SUPPLY & INSTALLATION
AFTERCARE ...
... for Solid, Engineered & Laminate Flooring)
Come & see our new
2011 ranges
The NORWICH KITCHEN CENTREShowroom open 7 days a week (Sunday 2-6pm)
1 Market Place, Loddon. Tel: 01508 528196www.norwichkitchencentre.co.uk
Please come and visit our stunning revamped
showroom and talk to us about your kitchen project…
and take the opportunity to negotiate a very
favourable package from us.
The ultimate in kitchens, designed to order.
Complete kitchens start at £12,000+
The NORWICH KITCHEN
CENTRE
HOMELIFE
5
Interiors
ColouryourHOME
Yellows bring warmthand light into rooms
Before you choose your colour
schemes, always consider the space.
Dark rooms can be brightened up
with light-coloured walls, accessorised
with white voile curtains and plenty of
green plants. Tiny rooms look more spa-
cious with pale, cool colours, accessorised
with minimal light-coloured furniture.
Boxy rooms cry out for a focal point, such
as a feature wall contrasted with an atten-
tion-grabbing piece of furniture or art.
By understanding the qualities of pri-
mary and secondary colours and how they
work together, you’ll have a better under-
standing of how to apply them in your
home. Primary colours are red, yellow and
blue. Secondary colours are orange, green
and violet.
Deep, warm colours including red-violet,
red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange
and yellow give a room an intimate, cosy
feel. Light, cool colours such as green,
blue-green, blue and blue-violet make a
room seem more spacious and elegant.
Pale neutral colours also have this effect.
The easiest way to colour your home is
to start off with a relatively blank canvas,
featuring fairly neutral shades on your
more permanent fixtures and fitting such
as sofas and floor coverings. These don't
have to be boring. You can use rich but
neutral colours like chocolate and versatile
stone. These shades work wonderfully with
an accent colour running through your
homes accessories. You can use your cur-
tains, cushions, lamps, candles, blankets,
rugs and pictures.
07
Carefully applied colour in your home makes an immediate and lasting visual
impact, giving off an array of mood-changing associations. Your colour scheme
should complement the space and suit your personal preferences...
Bright and bold, RED suggests vitality and aggressive-
ness. It is a great accent colour, making cold, open
rooms seem more inviting and intimate. Deep, subtle
shades of red such as burgundy and maroon are perfect
for living rooms. Its complementary colour is green.
The colour of nature, GREEN is refreshing and
pleasing to the eye. It makes dim rooms seem more
vibrant by bringing a garden-like atmosphere indoors.
With its varying shades, green works in just about any
room. Its complementary colour is red.
Stimulating, sunny and cheerful, YELLOW is associated
with intellect, power and creative energy. Bright yellows
bring warmth and light into dark rooms, and pale yellows
make small rooms seem larger. It is also a great kitchen
colour. Its complementary colour is violet.
Most BLUE shades denote harmony, peace, steadfastnessand loyalty. While it’s appropriate for any room, blue is anexcellent bedroom colour because it makes one feel com-forted and serene. It can also soften rooms that are over-
bright. Its complimentary colour is orange.
Strong and majestic, VIOLET is a powerful accent colour. Pastel violets take on the mood
characteristics of red or blue depending on which is moreprominent in the shade. Lilac for example, takes on blue’s
characteristics, while lavender takes on reds qualities. Its complimentary colour is yellow.
ORANGE combines the energy of red with the intellectual associations of yellow.
Dominant and lively, orange is a vibrant choice for bath-rooms and work areas. Peachy oranges have a delicate
effect, while brownish oranges such as terracotta give offwarm, cosy vibes. Its complimentary colour is blue.
HOMELIFE
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Tel./Fax. (01603) 722385Mobile 07717 495790
Unit 1, Tiliacourt, Rackheath Ind. Est., Norwich NR13 6SXEmail [email protected] www.jhdinteriors.co.uk
OPEN: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm – Saturday 10am-2pmOut of hours appointments also availabe
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HOMELIFE
9
41-43 Timber Hill, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 3LATel: 01603 305982
www.hydefurniture.com
HYDE FURNITUREBeautiful Handmade Kitchens and Furniture
Visit our showroom at Timber Hill
HOMELIFE
10
OPENING HOURS MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9.00 – 5.00 SATURDAY 9.00 – 1.00 CLOSED BANK HOLIDAYS
Telephone for free advice
01933 663533LONDON ROAD, BOZEAT
Sinclair FabricsAn extensive range of
quality wallpaper and
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An extensive range of
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We can also recover
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Curtains, blinds and softfurnishings with a
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Tel: 01603 633520
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HOMELIFE
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Designer Home Heating12 High Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 5AP | Tel/Fax: 01473 828914
Email: [email protected] | Web: www.nevelli.com
Visit our new showroom
WAREHOUSE NO.1, VINCES ROAD, DISS, NORFOLK, IP22 4HGTEL. 01379 652742
FREE DESIGN SERVICE COMPLETE INSTALLATION SERVICE INCLUDING ELECTRICS, TILING, PLUMBING &
BUILDING WORKS AS REQUIRED ALSO SUPPLIERS OF HAND PAINTED BESPOKE KITCHENS
HIGH QUALITY AT AFFORDABLE PRICES SUPPLIERS TO TRADE AND RETAIL
LARGE SHOWROOM –14 CONTEMPORARY, TRADITIONAL AND CLASSIC DISPLAYS
STYLE KITCHENSSAVE UP TO
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Kitchen
12
Kitchen shapeThe first step in designing your
new kitchen is to visualize the
potential of the space. It can be
difficult to see past the existing
configuration of cabinets and
appliances, but that's exactly what
you need to do. Try to imagine
that you have completely gutted
your old kitchen-taking it right
down to the walls. Consider only
the size and shape of the room as
well as the location of doorways,
staircases, and windows. You or
your designer should create a
scale drawing of the space and
experiment with different
arrangements of everything from
cabinets to countertops to appli-
ances to find the right layout for
your new kitchen.
A kitchen to love begins with a user-friendly layout. Award-winning kitchendesigner Beth Veillette goes back to basics with a few essential rules…
KITCHENSClever
When floor tiles are placed so they run the
length of the kitchen they visually elongate
the space, as seen in this galley kitchen.
The work zonesWhen you think about it, every
kitchen consists of many separate
work areas. There's the place
where you do your chopping and
have your knives and cutting
boards nearby, for example, and a
cleanup station consisting of the
sink, dishwasher, and trash recep-
tacle. Even the spot where you
stage groceries before loading
them into the refrigerator is an
important work area. The secret to
designing a great kitchen is to
think about all of the work zones
you'll need, what each one
requires to be efficient, and how
they should work together.
For starters, that means creating a
work triangle. When you're cook-
ing, you use three components of
your kitchen more than any oth-
ers-the refrigerator, range (or
cooktop), and sink. So designers
usually try to keep these essen-
tials out of the major traffic flow,
to put them relatively close
together, and to locate each one
at the point of an imaginary trian-
gle. The work triangle isn't the
only way to go, but it does offer
the easiest access to these three
essential kitchen tools with the
least walking to and fro. Ideally,
the three legs of the triangle
should add up to 26 ft. or less-
with each individual leg measur-
ing between 4 ft. and 9 ft. Once
you've plotted out your work tri-
angle, you can begin to design
each of the individual work zones.
Extracts from Kitchen Ideas that Work, by
Beth Veillette. Published by The Taunton
Press. ISBN: 978 1 56158 837 4 Price:
£12.99. Available from GMC Publications
www.thegmcgroup.com
This open kitchen feels slightly moregrounded thanks to the crown
molding at the ceiling and the widebaseboard trim around the island
This open kitchen feels slightly more
grounded thanks to the crown
molding at the ceiling and the wide
baseboard trim around the island
The work triangleYour kitchen layout will be determinedby two factors: the size and shape ofyour space and the placement of workareas within the room based on thework triangle, an imaginary line drawnto connect the refrigerator, sink, andcooktop or range. Ideally, each leg ofthe work triangle should be between 4ft. and 9ft. long. Islands and peninsulasshould not intersect the triangle bymore than 12in.
HOMELIFE
14
LEISTON
01728 83351701728 [email protected]
Unit 1 Masterlord Ind. Est. Leiston
•Fascias•Soffits
•Guttering•Cladding
•Glass Cut To Size•Sealed Units
•Windows•Doors
•Conservatories•Window
Accessories•Secondary Glazing
SUPPLY ONLY AT TRADE PRICES
• Fascias• Sofi ts
• Guttering• Cladding
• Glass Cut To Size• Sealed Units
• Windows• Doors
• Conservatories• Window
Accessories• Secondary Glazing
HOMELIFE
15
For All Your Natural Stone & Ceramic Tiling Needswith ranges to suit all budgets.
MARBLE BASINS ALSO AVAILABLE
TEL: 01394 610528
THE TILE STUDIO, SPUR END, WILFORD BRIDGE RD, MELTON, WOODBRIDGE, SUFFOLK IP12 1RB
Ivy Farm, The Green, Saxtead, Nr Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP13 9QG
Tel: 01728 685958 [email protected]
www.dreammakerbathrooms.co.uk
Are you dreaming of a new bathroom but think you can’t afford it?
THINK AGAIN!
before…
after…
DreamMakerBathrooms
Bathroom
16
At their worst, bathrooms
can be an eyesore and
decrease the value of a
home. For this reason, experts
advise homeowners to spruce up
their bathrooms, think of it as a
mini project development that
could add a sparkle to your home.
If you fancy renovating your
bathroom either yourself or get-
ting some help, stick to the rules
and don't be self-centred in your
design. Even though you own
your home, you must always con-
sider that potential buyer who
will probably come walking
through your bathroom door one
day.
Interior design styles and bath-
room fittings are a matter of taste.
Some people love baths and hate
showers, some love showers and
hate baths. Some like it modern,
some old-fashioned. As will any
renovation job, you should con-
sider a wide variety of tastes
when making drastic changes,
such as removing a bath and fit-
ting a shower cubicle in its place.
When you come to sell your
home in the future, you will bene-
fit by offering a wide variety of
buyers the features they want
without putting people off by
imposing your tastes on them.
The plain fact is that most buyers
want a shower as well as a bath,
especially if you have a family
home with baths needed for chil-
dren.
Interior design experts and TV
shows urge all bathroom renova-
tors to install a plain, white bath-
room suite. The law doesn’t
demand this unfortunately, but
current and foreseeable tastes do.
There are some stunning mod-
ern bathroom designs available
but be careful in your selection.
The first consideration is continu-
ity; design your bathroom so it's
in keeping with the style of the
rest of the home. Turning your
bathroom into a modern master-
piece could seriously devalue a
period home. The second, as pre-
viously mentioned, is designing it
around the needs of the people
likely to buy it in the future. Light
is especially important for bath-
rooms. If you have no window,
stick to light coloured tiles for
both the floors and walls and
install extra illumination, especial-
ly around mirrors. Make the most
of any natural light by avoiding
curtains or blinds that fail to
reveal the whole window when
they are open. Europeans would
shudder at the thought of carpet
in bathrooms, and many Brits are
now inclined to agree. They har-
bour smells, moisture and germs.
Always install easy-to-clean tiles
or even sand-down and paint
your floorboards - although you
must fully seal the gaps so seek
expert advice on how to do this
correctly.
If you must feel carpet under
your feet when you step out the
bath or shower, include a rug or
bathmat. Even on a budget, little
touches will bring nice finishing
touches to a bathroom design.
Opt for a stylish, understated look
for a bathroom that will stand the
test of time and the test of future
buyers' personal tastes.
You can purchase good value
white bathroom suites at all DIY
stores. The money you saved can
be used to upgrade the quality of
tiles for floors and accessories
such as heated towel rails, better
quality shower units or quality tap
ware. Future buyers will spot
these little signs of added luxury.
Modern bathrooms at their best are havens of tranquility, and a great selling point for a home...
Spruce it UP!
Jakata Mirror £35, Glass Shelf
£22, Square Tap £50, Square Sink
£99, Towels from £8, Towel
Storage £40. All from Next,
0116 284 9220 or 0845 4567818
HOMELIFE
18
NEW TILE SHOWROOM NOW OPEN
HUNDREDS OF STYLES TO CHOOSE FROM
OPENING OFFERS15% OFF ALL TILES
Choosing the right bathroom
made simple!
EXTENSIVE SHOWROOM
WITH SOMETHING FOR EVERY HOME
SimplyBathrooms
Telephone 01733 572010www.simplybathroomspeterborough.co.uk
Visit our showroom and website to experience the beauty and quality of
our bathroom ware.
Colour brochure available.
Opening hours:Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm;
Sat 9am - 1pm
52 HIGH STREET, DEBENHAM, SUFFOLK IP14 6QW
Tel: 01728 860926 www.oldfashionedbathrooms.co.uk
HOMELIFE
19
Beautiful and extraordinary products including working Raindance showers and infinity and hydrotherapy baths
Enquiries 01480 437 445 www.grovelanebathrooms.co.uk
Ba th rooms
Flooring
20
Design and zoningFloor colouring can change the feel of the room, and
this is especially true when it comes to room size.
Use a light coloured floor to make a small room feel
roomier and a dark coloured floor in larger rooms for a
cosier feel. Flooring can define the various different
spaces and function of areas around the home, this is
particularly useful with open plan rooms. Dining areas
can be defined with laminate flooring for example,
while the adjoining sofa space is carpeted.
FunctionWood and laminate flooring responds to moisture and
heat. Take advice to find moisture resistance laminates
if they are to be used in the kitchen or bathroom.
Bear in mind that ceramic tiles used on a bathroom
floor will become slippery when wet. In kitchens,
crockery dropped on tile flooring is likely to break
and may also crack the tiles themselves.
Keeping costs downWood-look laminate flooring designed to click-fit gives
the effect of real wood parquet but is a fraction of the
price. If you prefer to be able to change the look and
colour of the room every few years and are less con-
cerned with the lifetime of the carpet, the cheaper
foam-backed carpets are a good option. Many carpet
sellers provide an edge-binding service, this is a cost
effective way to turn cheap
carpet off-cuts
into rugs.
flooredTotally A quick guide to choosing the right flooring for your needs
WHICH FLOORING?Hardwood flooring Hardwood floors, unlike carpets, do
not harbour or collect dust and other allergy particles and for this
reason wood floors are often recommended for allergy-prone people.
While hardwood flooring is generally one of the more costly flooring
options, hardwood maintains its value over time and, if properly
cared, for doesn't show the wear and tear some synthetic products
do. Solid real wood can be re-finished for a longer life.
Tiles Tiles are always a good choice for flooring, they’re hard-
wearing, suitable for underfloor heating and amazingly versatile.
Natural stone tiles include limestone, marble and slate, or you can
opt for man-made varieties, such as porcelain and ceramic. Large
tiles make a room look more spacious, and using the same tiles on
the walls and floors creates a fashionable, streamlined effect in a
bathroom.
Laminate Laminate flooring is useful for heavily used areas of
the home. Specially designed water-resistant laminates are available
for the kitchen or bathroom. There's a wide choice of laminate floor-
ing, many have sophisticated textured finishes that faithfully recreate
the look of solid wood. For convenience, choose glueless laminate.
Handscraped laminates have the finish of real wood, they feature a
woodgrain textured surface, are stain resistant and do not fade in
strong sunlight. Wood effect textured laminates feature a durable,
scratch resistant top-layer finish.
Vinyl Ideal for kitchens and bathrooms vinyl is waterproof, easy
to maintain and hardwearing. Cushioned vinyl versions are comfort-
able to walk on. If you are after the look of a natural material, but
don't have the budget, vinyl is a cheaper alternative. Many are
designed to resemble wood, marble, stone and metal, all for a frac-
tion of the cost. Vinyl tiles are an alternative to sheets, these are
available with self-adhesive backings and are fitted by simply peel-
ing off the back and sticking down.
Carpet There’s nothing like a carpet for generating a cosy feel
to a room, carpets also help to insulate, cutting down sound and
providing extra warmth. Heavy use rooms need a hardwear-
ing, close-pile carpet, rooms with less traffic can accom-
modate a deeper pile, softer carpet. Carpet tiles are use-
ful for children's rooms and play areas as they are easy to
repair and replace, simply remove the damaged tile and
replace with a new one.
HOMELIFE
21
Tiles
22
Tiles are now popular in rooms all over
the home for their practical surfaces
and constantly evolving design
flexibility providing more choice and
versatility than ever before with vivid
colours, sophisticated patterns, interesting
visual effects and tactile finishes.
Natural stone and stone-look porcelains
and ceramics are still, and always will be a
timeless favourite for creating a calming
bathroom atmosphere and for blending
with the warm tones of wood in classic
kitchens. However, the emergence of bold
colour, pattern and texture allows for more
expression and deeper personalisation.
Bathrooms are no longer just a practical
place to wash. 21st Century bathrooms are
stylish and innovative with furniture in
various modern finishes and a wider
choice of statement baths, shapely basins
and beautiful taps. Colour is no longer
injected via the suite; the preferred choice
of white provides a blank canvas for
mosaics or bigger and bolder tiles with
raised prints, wallpaper patterns and vivid
colour palettes to really make an impact,
used for feature walls or to create or
enhance focal points. The Isadore range
from the Laura Ashley collection, available
from Tile Depot stores, is an excellent
choice for fantastic focal points and
feature walls with its selection of white
tiles and a bold floral pattern in black on
a contrasting white background.
TILEAndy Draper, manager of Tile Depot in Bedford, tells us how
to achieve the latest design trends with tiles...
style
Cappuccino Polished natural
stone wall and floor tiles, from
£4.49 each at Tile Depot
23
Isadore floral ceramic wall
collection, by Laura Ashley,
from £2.20 each at Tile Depot
Tiles
The evolution of the modern
statement kitchen has bought
with it a whole new world of
design flair with patterned and
brightly coloured cabinetry,
appliances and accessories and
we offer a wonderful range of
sheet glass splashbacks and
upstands, available in a wide
choice of vivid colours and
striking finishes. Meanwhile,
kitchen wall tiles have become
more sophisticated and mosaics
diverse in colour and texture.
In store, our selection includes a
finish to suit every kitchen - from
purely aluminium through stain-
less steel with glass and natural
stone to foil and metal-effect
finishes, such as Iron Touch from
the world-renowned Dune
collection and our Memory range
with its decor tile of ceramic and
metallic mosaics.
Metallics are bang on trend at the
moment, highly desirable for
contemporary homes. For bath-
rooms and other living areas, our
30x60cm Elements Titaneo porce-
lain tile is superb; rich in browns
and bronzes, smooth with a
highly seductive metallic finish.
Black and white is once again
fashionable. In smaller bath-
rooms, bumpy white tiles are
enjoying a re-found popularity
for their simple, stylish design
flexibility and reasonable cost.
Today's modern twist on the
traditional classic bathroom is
large rectified whites for smaller
grout lines and a sleek finish with
deep blacks, such as our Galaxy
Black Granite with sparkles for
added interest and in the kitchen,
our 20x60cm Fiber range in black
or white provides a striking
contrast and with a pattern of
small dots, creates depth and
interest; co-ordinating
31.6x31.6cm black floor tiles
are also available.
Tile Depot provides a massive selection of ceramic, porcelain and nat-ural stone wall and floortiles as well as woodenflooring, grouts, adhesives,tools, trims and accessoriesto take away today. Tile Depot offers a Samplesservice and its PricePromise ensures Bedford,Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas of thevery best value in tiles andtiling products.
All available from: Tile Depot, 35-37 AmpthillRoad, Bedford, MK42 9JP01234 327998
And: Tile Depot,Grampian Gate,Winterhill, Milton Keynes,MK6 1BH 01908 234210 www.thetiledepot.co.uk
24
Fiber range of ceramic wall and floor
tiles, from £2.29 each at Tile Depot
HOMELIFE
25
ONLY KARNDEAN APPROVED FITTERSALL WORK GUARANTEED
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Suffolk’s only Karndean Design Studio
Unit 5 & 7 Gower Street Industrial Centre, Ipswich IP2 8EX
01473 717122
Up to
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Call for latest special offers!
Family business with over 100 years’ experience in carpet and fl ooring!
Décor
26
If you have just splashed
out a small fortune buying
your dream home, the
chances are that funds are
now pretty tight. That is
nearly always the case for
first time buyers, who once
they have moved into their
new nest must think about
how best to decorate and
furnish it without breaking
the bank.
First think about decor.
It’s amazing what a fresh
coat of paint can do.
It’s better not to go for
anything too fussy; keep
it clean and simple and
add splashes of detail
with the occasional
throw, textured cush-
ions, strong statement
artefacts and wall deco-
rations. Even an eye-
catching ceramic bowl
filled with fruit can give
a room designer detail.
Many big furniture stores
sell end of line items and
have sections where they
keep slightly damaged, but
very inexpensive models.
Also keep in mind that most
furniture stores periodically
sell off used furniture when
they get rid of showroom
samples or floor models.
Ask about both possibilities
when you shop. If you have
any wholesale furniture
warehouses in your area,
consider stopping by.
Buying wholesale furniture
is almost always cheaper
than buying retail.
When looking at used
furniture - or any used
furnishings - don't think
of what they look like
now but what they
could look like with a lit-
tle TLC. Maybe that cof-
fee table wouldn’t look
right your living room as
it looks now, but sanded
down and stained and it
will look quite different.
When looking for home
furnishings, try to think
outside the box. You might
not want to eat off that set
bright pottery plates but
they might make colourful
wall hangings.
Unless you have a large
home, select furniture
and accessories on a
small scale. They’ll fit
into most spaces as you
move them around in
your home.
Storage is in short supply
in most homes. Select
furniture pieces that offer
drawers or hanging space,
such as a chest of drawers
or an armoire.
When furnishing a living
room or family room,
choose two-seater sofas
rather than one huge
sofa. They'll be easier to
move and can be used
forming a corner seating
area opposite each
other to create a
conversation spot, or
separately in different
rooms of your home.
Select a pleasing natural or
neutral colour such as tan,
camel, navy, dark green or
black for upholstered
furniture pieces. This will
be your anchor colour.
Make sure the fabric is
durable so it holds up
under years of use.
Gather together a col-
lection of pillows, fabrics
and accessories that
harmonise with your
anchor colour. You'll be
able to change the look
with the seasons, giving
your furniture a new,
fresh look throughout
the year. On a green
sofa for example, you
might choose yellow
floral pillows for sum-
mer and camel tapestry
pillows for autumn.
Buy lamps, vases, side
chairs and pillows in pairs.
They’ll add symmetry and
continuity to a room.
When you’re arranging
furniture try to use furni-
ture or accessories in
unexpected ways, such
as a loveseat at the end
of a bed or a big dresser
that holds videotapes
and DVDs.
Don't be afraid to experi-
ment. Find what works
best for you in your present
situation. If you've selected
items with versatility in
mind, you’ll end up with
an arrangement that's
just right.
Fuss freeDECORATEways to
Flea markets and charityshops can be a great source ofinexpensive, one-of-a-kindinterior decorating materials.If you fall in love with a pieceof discount furniture, bare inmind that moving it can be anissue. Some vendors will deliv-er, but only at the end of theday in the case of a marketand only for an additional fee.Don't be afraid to bargain.Flea market vendors expect it,and with a little negotiationinexpensive items can becomeeven cheaper.
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For more information please contact Hayley or GemmaOffi ce: 01787 277914 orMobile: 07771 665717
Knights Farm, Stoke Road, Clare, Suffolk CO10 8HHwww.knightscountrykitchens.co.uk
Showrooms @ Trowmans, Long Meford CO10 9JR &Debden Antiques, Nr. Saffron Walden CB11 3JY
Bedroom
30
Hotels have come a longway from chintzy guesthouses and bland A road
motels. These days we all lustafter weekends in bourgeois boutique hotels in Europeancities or luxuriant spa weekendsin the English countryside. Andwith our new found love of thehotel has come a passion forturning our homes in to approxi-mations of our favourite boltholes. But how does one turnhotel inspiration in to reality with-out finding themselves living in aTravelodge? It's all about takingyour favourite aspects of the lux-ury hotel and making them workfor your home, finding practicalbut indulgent solutions whichsuit your lifestyle and make theplace you live in to your own littlesanctuary.
We all have different ideasabout what makes our favouritehotel special - some of us hankerafter the simple exoticism of atop African safari lodge such asthe incredible Singita Sweni inKruger National Park, South Africawhilst for others getaway chiccomes in the shape of uber-mod-ern London hotel The Sandersonand yet others crave the olde
Bringing hotel luxury into the home...
A bed ofROSES
approximation of The Ritz thesimplest, most sympatheticrooms to bring a touch of shortbreak chic to are the bedroomand bathroom where relaxationand luxury are paramount In thebedroom remember to tonedown colours to muted, earthyshades or patterns to simplisticstripes or florals.
Buy the biggest and best bedyou can afford which fits in toyour room and use plain linen,adding personality with touchesincluding throws, cushions, bed-side lamps and pieces of art. Thebed should be the centre of theroom while other furniture shouldbe kept to a useful minimum. Adda good TV and a selection of yourfavourite DVDs and you need(almost) never leave again. Thebathroom should make the leastof the toilet and the most of thebath or shower cubicle (if youonly have room for the latter). A large ball and claw or modernsculptural bath is an easy way toget the hotel look whilst tileswhich seamlessly blend fromwalls to floor are a tried and test-ed hotel trick. Fluffy towels, topquality taps and the best toiletriescomplete the effect.
worlde charm of BabingtonHouse in Somerset Whatever youridea of the perfect hotel-at-homeone thing is key: it's got to oozeluxe. Which means using the bestmaterials you can afford, pilingthrows on to beds, using under-floor heating in bathrooms andchoosing furniture which looksand feels top quality.
Before you start creating yourown suite spend time in yourfavourite hotel if you can, or justpore over websites and brochureswhich can give you a feel for thelook and the kind of items whichyou won't be able to miss. You'llsee that in most hotels the furni-ture and decorative items areminimal, the design - even whenoutlandish or surprising - is stillsomehow understated. While it'seasy to imagine turning everyroom of the house in to an
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EAST ANGLIA’S LEADING SUPPLIER OF OAK, PINE & CANE FURNITURE
Home & Canewww.homeandcane.com
01449 711881
Stonham Barns, Stonham Aspal, Near Stowmarket (on the A1120 tourist route, 1 mile from A140 junction)Opening times Mon-Sat 10:00 - 5:00 Sun 10:30-4:30
Established over 15 years
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Speciality custom builds in oak or pine
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HOMELIFE
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Energy
34
Inefficient products such as
fridge freezers and dishwash-
ers could be causing you to
sport a giant-sized carbon foot-
print. So how can you improve
your home's energy efficiency
and ensure that home items you
buy in future are good for you
and good for the environment?
There are several giveaways
that you're losing heat. Mould
and mildew or high humidity can
be an indication of water leaks in
your toilet or pipework, meaning
you use more water, or in your
roof, windows or walls, which
means that you could be losing
heat. Fix leaks and you could
save on water usage or heating
bills. Leaking air conditioners can
also be a real energy-efficiency
problem so do keep checking
pipes for drips.
Old appliances can be
extremely inefficient meaning
that as well as damaging your
green rating your energy bills
could be sky high. Items such as
fridge freezers made before the
mid 90s won't have been
efficiency rated and should be
replaced with a new appliance
boasting a good energy
efficiency rating. Replacing your
clothes washer with an energy
efficient equivalent will not only
efficiencyEnergy
You’ve got the bio-fuel car, you recycle your cans, bottles and paper and you evengrow your own vegetables. But is your home as energy efficient as it could be?
DIY
save enough water to fill three
home swimming pools and save
enough money to buy a dryer
too!
Many homes are so poorly
insulated that they lose heat
endlessly throughout winter
meaning ever rising fuel bills to
keep the family warm. Replacing
worn insulation is a must and
thanks to improvements in tech-
nology is a job easily and fairly
cheaply done without profession-
al assistance or safety equipment.
Double glazing also cuts down
on heat leaks and should be fit-
ted by a Fensa qualified window
fitter. Remember to get in contact
with your local council to check
whether you qualify for govern-
ment grants for insulation.
It’s a well-known fact that TVs
and PCs left on standby waste
electricity. Additionally, turn all
appliances off at the wall to
keep waste to an absolute mini-
mum. If every appliance in every
home was rated energy efficient
it would save endless amounts of
greenhouse gas emissions. This is
just one reason to ensure that
future purchases bear the energy
efficiency sticker, which guaran-
tees maximum efficiency rating.
While checking your own home
is easy to do and can prove
invaluable in saving money on
your fuel bills as well as ensuring
that your carbon footprint is
minimised the government web-
site actonCO2.direct.gov.ukprovides a free to use carbon
calculator which, with the aid of
just a few details from your home
can calculate your home’s carbon
footprint and offer great targeted
advice on reducing your
emissions and saving money too.
When carrying out DIY don't
forget to consider the green
credentials of materials you use
and dispose of unwanted build-
ing materials appropriately -
wherever possible reuse or recy-
cle and use sustainable woods
and other building goods so that
your home, old or new can be as
green as the rest of your life.
Switch off TVs instead of leaving them on standby
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Your home is our best advert
Conservatories, Windows, Doors, Soffits and Fascia’s
HOMELIFE
36
Nothing similar is quite the same.
Handcrafted home furnishings
Lighting Curtain Poles Soft Furnishings Furniture Ironwork
Call 0844 414 1665, email [email protected] or visit www.jim-lawrence.co.uk
Showroom at The Ironworks, Lady Lane Industrial Estate, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 6BQ