Is open plan living right for you?

So many of us aspire to the benefits that open plan layouts bring – light, flow, informality – but don’t understand the practicalities. Here's how to make it work.

 

 

Summer's fan fare

As the summer days - and nights heat up - how are you going to keep the South African heat at bay?

 

 

Decor tips for newly weds

In the midst of the joyful experience of merging your life with another, it is disconcertingly easy to fall into marital discord over issues of furniture and decor. Learn to navigate the potential conflicts of merging two households.

 

Get a home ready for sale

Before calling in an estate agent, take the time to make a good impression and increase the selling potential of your property with a few quick and easy projects ...

 

 

Get inventive when decorating a rental

You've just moved into a new flat and you love it. But what can you do about all those bare walls? Whilst most rental agreements won't allow you to drill into the walls, there are ways to decorate your new place without picking up a hammer.

 

Tips on arranging furniture in a lounge

If you're not sure how to place furniture in a lounge or open plan living area, here are a selection of designer tips on how to arrange furniture...

 

 

It's not always in black or white

Maximise your decorating with the use of white and black to create stunning and dramatic rooms. Black and white are perfect accent colours for any decorating style.

 

 

Where to mount the TV

If you've gone to the expense of buying a flat screen TV - why hide it! I don't see why a TV can't be the focal point, especially if you watch a lot of TV, and let's be honest - many do. So, here are some options for designing a room with the TV as a focal point - or not !

 

Decorate with animal prints

Definitely not something new, animal prints have been around for some time and continue to be used 'sparingly' in interior decorating. There are those that love to use animal prints in their home, and those that hate them.

 

Carpeting a home

Along with paint, carpet can be one of the easiest ways to personalise an environment. Its colour can be a neutral foundation or a vibrant focal point.

 

 

Advice on staging a home

By introducing innovative ideas and support in presenting your property, and by looking carefully at current trends in the property market, home staging will help you to sell your home faster.

 

Colours that sell a home

When decorating a home for sale - or staging a home - one of the most important rules of thumb is to view your home from a buyer's point of view. Apart from furnishing, the wall colours you choose have a big impact on how a room feels.

 

Are you ready for open plan living?

When you think modern living, the first thing that comes to mind is large open spaces.An open plan design offers efficient utilization of available space, with different areas blended together as a single space, and is the perfect solution for homes.

 

Design a dream home

With hopes of an improved economy in the second half of this year, many young couples are going to be looking for their dream home. Designing your dream home with only the developer's floor plan for reference can be overwhelming.

 

Use mirrors in the home

Mirrors are one of the most elegant, practical and affordable decorating tools. They blend well in any interior, whether your decor style is traditional or contemporary. Mirrors can give the illusion of depth to a flat wall, light to a dull corner, and space to a small room.

 

Add colour to a rental home

Give your home a bold injection of optimism with furniture and accessories in vivid colours. Set strong colours against a raw or neutral-coloured wall. Or why not mix and match accessories in strong colours?

 

There's always hope!

I am sure that many of you have seen - or heard of - Colin and Justin's makeovers. With a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour, Colin and Justin transform homes or horror into divine dream homes.

 

Work magic with mirrors

Do your rooms feel small and dark? It's easy to cheat your space with mirrors. Simply hang them cleverly and your rooms will look bigger, brighter and a whole lot nicer.

 

 

How to create more space in a small home

Trying to accommodate a growing family in a compact townhouse, flat or apartment can be a paramount challenge. Here are some tips to create space.

 

 

How to create more space in a small home

Trying to accommodate a growing family in a compact townhouse, flat or apartment can be a paramount challenge. Here are some tips to create space.

 

 

Accessorise with white

Using white in interior decorating seems to come and go, but it remains the freshest and cleanest look around. If you’re looking to add white to your home to give it a fresh new feel, consider the following ideas.

 

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