Wheel of George

Asda has just introduced their “Wheel Of George” colour selector which helps you decide on decorating schemes and choosing complimentary accessories.

We chose some products from their bathroom range using green as a strong colour influence. We love using green in a bathroom and this extract is taken from the design experts on the Asda blog:

The colour of cleanliness and clarity, green is a popular choice… Not only is it gender-neutral but it also evokes the feeling of relaxation and serenity. If you’re planning on painting the whole room in one shade of green, be sure to test out a patch in situ beforehand. With too little natural light, green can be very dark, cold and, with paler hues, almost grey. If you fancy adding just pockets of bold emerald, pine or lime to a room, start with a warm white or beige base. From there, beautiful green blankets, cushions and artwork will add rich injections of colour.

We have the complimentary shades of warm white, cream, beige and stone in abundance. Our bathroom has buttermilk coloured painted walls on three sides and an exposed natural local stone on the fourth. We have a plain white bath suite and there are slate tiles for splash backs – with wooden doors, floor and window sill. So, a perfect backdrop for our new lime green towels!

We then went about choosing some other accessories in whites, creams and naturals. The hyacinth storage containers and painted wire baskets with rope handles will provide much needed extra storage for all those bottles and jars. There’s also a sandstone soap dispenser and – for a touch of pampering and luxury – fragrant candles and diffuser, soft towelling dressing gown and faux fur-lined slippers.

We love the vibrant green with its layers of natural, neutral shade behind. We also like to introduce small pops of bright orange and amethyst into the space – provided in this case by sweet pea flowers, bubble bath and tiger!

Items featured:

lime green bath towels | dressing gown | mule slippers | soap dispenser

water hyacinth baskets | wire baskets | scented candle | reed diffuser

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3 Ways to make your home look more spacious

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It’s incredibly easy and affordable to make smaller rooms in your home appear more spacious. In fact, it doesn’t have to cost anything at all. By following these 3 steps, you can easily add length, depth and height to any space.

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Use low-contrasting, cool colours

Lighter colours reflect light. Darker colours absorb it. In the world of decorating, there are several ways to manipulate colour to make a space feel larger:

Lower the contrast among the colours in a room. Stick with neutral tones in adjacent shades throughout your design.
Paint trim and moulding a shade or two lighter than the walls. This helps to make walls appear as if they’re receding.
Use colours that are cool, as opposed to warm – icy blues, greys, mint greens – these are all colours that give the illusion of spaciousness. Carry them over from your wall colours to your designer curtain fabrics, wall art and throw pillows.
Consider your art work. If you’re decorating a small room, covering the walls with multiple large canvases or frames can often make the space feel more overcrowded. If you’re wanting to make an artistic statement in your room, try installing wall murals instead.

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Create room flow

Avoid interrupting the flow of your space as much as possible. Rooms that are cut up into sections by furniture, rugs or other elements feel smaller than rooms with plenty of open space. There are a few simple methods of optimising the flow in your home.

Consider installing seamless flooring, such as hardwood or tile, that flows uninterrupted from room to room. Choose larger flooring units, as opposed to smaller ones. For instance, 18-inch tiles make a room appear more spacious than 12-inch tiles because there are fewer grout lines that intersect, making the overall pattern appear less busy.
Purchase furniture that serves a dual purpose, such as an ottoman that doubles as a coffee table or an armoire that stores your television and electronics. This will help you streamline your furnishings and eliminate extra pieces that take up needless space. You also want to make sure the furniture pieces you’re displaying are proportional to the size of your room. While oversized couches, cabinets, dressers and beds look dramatic; they take up much more space than needed.
De-clutter and organise. Go for a minimalist approach to help your space look larger. Make good use of vertical space in the form of bookshelves and wall-mounted ledges. This will help to get articles such as books and collectibles off tables and stands that take up precious floor space.

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Reflect soft, natural light around the room

The way in which a room is lit goes a long way toward creating a mood, whether it’s small and cosy or spacious and relaxing. There are many creative ways to bring openness to a space using light:

Introduce natural light. Cut daylight-blocking shrubbery away from the windows of your home, and clean and polish the glass on both sides. The addition of natural light to a space gives it an airy and open appeal.
Where natural light is not an option, use lamps. Try to create soft shadows as opposed to stark contrast between dark corners and bright white walls.
Use mirrors – mirrored doors, back splashes or decorative mirrors mounted as art. Mirrors help reflect light around a room, giving it depth and fullness.

These simple design tips will easily and instantly make a small space seem much more spacious.

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Quick tips to make a family-friendly designed home

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Feel the need to redesign the look of your home? Start with the practicalities – have children or pets for instance? Then it’s probably not wise to put a delicate glass collection arranged in a cabinet for starters – it will end in tears. However, you wouldn’t like a home that looks like a day-care centre either. There is a middle ground: an attractive, comfortable and unique home that can withstand the rough & tumble of family life.

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Moving in soon? This advice is even better if you’re looking to purchase a new home in a fresh location since you’ll have more freedom with regards to design and greater influence over the look of each room in your house. Start by looking at expertly-built homes in a good development beforehand. The houses for sale in Adelaide, Australia are worth considering during your house-hunting expedition.

Now, read on to discover the dos and don’ts when creating a home with family-friendly design.

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Consider your family’s lifestyle. Each room in your home might look beautiful, but if it doesn’t take into account the unique demands of your family, life will quickly become frustrating – and a little dull too perhaps. To avoid this, adapt your decorating style to stand up to the rigours of daily life – vomiting babies, sibling food fights, messy pets, indoor rugby matches, and even slobby spouses. Take into account everyone who’s living with you and decorate accordingly.

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Don’t put off decorating. Many families hold off decorating their homes until their children are older – making the family do with tired furniture and household accessories many years after they’ve passed their best. It’s not necessary with a bit of thought. A fresh look gives everyone a lift! Even your youngest kids can benefit from the new, beautiful scheme. You can even get your kids involved in the process – asking what they’d like to have in their room when redecorating – and showing them how they could help. They’d learn skills that they might actually enjoy – and perhaps develop a sense of ownership. They might think twice before messing up rooms that they’ve helped to create!

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Make it simple and sophisticated. There is beauty in simplicity. A clean-lined, but casual and comfy look is always a good way to go for family life. Avoid over fussy furniture and unnecessary detailing – real dust traps. Choose materials that can stand up to those dirty shoe prints and pet hair. Vintage and well-loved items survive kids better than precious antiques or the pristine new – a bit of extra wear & tear can even add to the vintage charm. Whatever you choose, low maintenance is a must! Once you have kids, you’ll have little time to plump up cushions, dust surfaces and constantly clear clutter.

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Choose indestructible finishes and materials. Look for the toughest materials around. For the walls, choose a wipeable paint. You can also have a chalkboard paint or graffiti board for your little artist. For hallways, install kick boards and paint it with gloss or semi-gloss paints. For the windows, opt for simple, easy-clean roller blinds or good roman shades – those made with natural materials such as bamboo are also great – they’re durable, stylish and add a bit of texture to all the smooth paint. For floorings, look for surfaces that can be cleaned up with a damp mop. Wood, laminate, rubber and linoleum work well.

Well, we’ve covered the basics, just focus on function over form, and you’re well on your way to creating a family-friendly designed home. Know any other techniques? Please share them with us below!

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Home Tones: Racing Green

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Racing green is a quintessential British colour. It’s the colour of rubber Wellington boots and Barbour jackets. It’s a favoured paint colour of the Land Rover, Jaguar, Mini and the vintage Morris Minor.

In houses, it’s a great transition colour for bringing the outside in and vice versa. It works well with other shades of green, yellows and various wood tones – and when contrasted against shades of cream & white.

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