August is drawing towards her glorious end and it’s fair to say the sharp bite of Autumn is starting to creep in early morning. But, the ever annual joy of the upcoming festive season gives us a boost to look forward to. Even if you find yourself a little bit of a humbug, the winter months do foster warm comforts for us all. Mind you, what am I doing whiling away the months so soon? There is the full autumnal joy of Halloween and brilliance of Guy Fawkes night to be had yet! Plus our very own First 4 Blinds calendar has it’s own ever growing list of events marked down on the calendar. We will have the unveiling of the Big Secret Project and the finalising of the shop redesign of course. Maybe more boutique pop ups like the Zuche Boutique event? Maybe an event where you can get hands on? Or even just a good old informative get together… Be sure to keep an eye out for events on our Facebook page.
It’s been a quiet few weeks from our social platforms as our time and efforts have been stretched between Kingsley Park HQ and across Northamptonshire ensuring we keep running full steam ahead. The Summer Holidays mean we have had the delight having the help from one of Beverley and Allen’s grandchildren today. We wonder where all that energy comes from and if any might rub off onto us! However, we thought it may not be too wise yet to leave building an entire scheme for a dining room to little hands, and rather enjoyed the time to drag all possible velvet in blue out we could find. Plus, all possible silk effect wallpaper. Oh and also to decide an hour in we didn’t fancy where we started and to try entirely again. And you know what? Worth it all. A palette working timeless styles and patterns that we are sure is to be well received. And that’s how it should feel to decorate your home – An investment.
We live now in an age where after years of solutions for quick and disposable goods satisfied an ever quickening pace of life, it is time to try and slam the brakes on and begin to rewind. To preserve our planet and improve our quality of life. And it is almost a bit of a dirty word to say you are throwing something away. So why decorate your home on a whim to up heave it all when a new trend steps into the light? It’s not just perfectly good homewares that got to waste, but your time and money also. So how do we create design for longevity? Here a few tips:
Statement Furniture When buying furniture it is truly better to buy solid quality pieces that will stand the test of time. Whether it be through general wear and tear, having different fittings updated or through being repainted or recovered. In the long run quality furniture at a higher price will become an worthy investment and easily adaptable to fit your scheme.
Colour Choice If you have a colour in mind, maybe don’t cover all four walls. Instead pick a feature wall and choose accessories like vases, cushions and art work to bring the colour into the room. Then these accessories can be either re-homed or perhaps resprayed and covered to kick off a new look. It is far more economical to have just a feature wall to redesign than a room in it’s entirety. Plus use of a colour in a more restricted manner allows it to be more inclusive across a range of design styles
Wooden Flooring Real wooden flooring will last far longer than it’s laminate counter part and can tolerate higher traffic areas than a carpet. By all means, when it comes to switching up your style throw down a rug to give you that toe-scrunching comfort. It also has been featured for centuries in home design and therefore allows it to work with a multitude of decor styles.
Neutral Kitchen Cupboards Try not to go all out on those red cupboards. Aim for a colour that can be worked round with at least two or three other colours. That way, when you decide to switch up the kitchen colour time spent changing the cupboards can go into time spent enjoying the kitchen.
Of course, there will always be a casualty of home redesign and somethings just can’t be saved or re-purposed. In that instance, maybe take your goods to a charity or resell. Definitely don’t take a skip trip because your sideboard no longer does his job! Might be perfect for someone else to give a second life to! And on that note, I am going to give a second life to my coffee mug and put the kettle on.
We hope you have a glorious Bank Holiday weekend and perhaps feel a little inspired to look at your decor in a new light. And if you are at a loose end tomorrow, come and take a sneaky peek at our fresher looking premises.
The Team at First 4 Blinds x
