Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Colour Schemes For Sliding Wardrobes

Once you know the colour scheme that you are after, you can create your own storage solutions. I started looking at wardrobes and then realised in order to get that ‘perfect’ look, I needed to buy matching cabinets as the wardrobe looked lost on its own in the bedroom.

This is why I started looking at wardrobes in a different perspective and thought of the wardrobe as a main feature. The benefit of sliding wardrobes is that you can have made to measure units which will house all the clothes and add as a feature in any bedroom.  I still needed the samples though in order to get the right look. If you have a look at the different sliding doors available, there is the mirror option of clean mirror, grey mirror and even a bronze mirror.

There is also an option for coloured glass, which can come in a variety of colours which will suit any décor range with the benefit of this being 99% opaque.  If glass is not a preferred choice there is melamine panels which also come is different colours and can have a wood grain effect. 

This other most important part of Doors Direct sliding wardrobes is the frame colour. This is the reason to select a sample so you can view the colour in the room and not imagine it from the website colours. The general advice from Doors Direct, who are sliding wardrobe specialists, is to order a sample of both the frame and panel to compare colours and the contrasts.  

Monday, 20 August 2012

Why Ordering Samples Is Important

One of the other key areas to storage solutions is choosing the correct colour scheme to match your home. Thankfully I have not had to rely on my memory and the fact that certain a colour “looks a bit like this”. Although I have used my decorating clothes as a personal colour chart before!! The benefit of ordering samples is great.

If you are ordering online, this becomes even more important, if not essential. The colour you see on the screen or a print out, is often not the same colour that will be delivered. If you have ordered several pots or paint or a pallet load of bathroom tiles and they do not match then costs really can mount up when it comes to sending them back, or trying to get a replacement. 

Paint Samples
Paint is one of the easiest samples to obtain as not only can you get a wide range of colours and brochures, you can also get samples which prove valuable. The key is to choose a sample and place this onto the walls if possible so you can see what the colour looks like. If this not possible (living rooms with blobs of paint can be off putting) try painting the colour onto a plain sheet of white paper and placing that on the wall. 

TOP TIP
Look at the room in different lights and different times of the day, depending on where the sun shines through. This can make a difference to the room and a wall that was once light, may look different when the sun goes down.

Furniture Samples
If you are making a purchase online of a wardrobe or any storage solution, be sure to check that the colours of both the exterior and interior match the existing colour schemes. These are bulky items and need to be right. Samples can be obtained from visiting the showroom or display area, or requesting some samples online. 

Carpet and Flooring Samples
This is definitely one to get right and order some samples. The range and design of tiles can be overwhelming and you do not know what will work in your home without visiting a showroom or ordering tiles and flooring online. A lot of online retailers understand the complexities of choosing flooring and will be able to send samples for a small charge. This can be recouped when purchasing a batch, but it is worth checking whether to visit a store or shop online.

Monday, 6 August 2012

Different Wood For Different Homes


One of the key areas to any home is the ability to store items either out of reach or in a presentable and attractive way. The majority of storage solutions are in the form of bookcases, shelves and cupboards.  The shelving units can be made from plastic, glass or wood.

Different rooms obviously have different decors and a set of plastic shelves in a home office, will not look as stylish in a living room or bedroom. If you have the space, then wall-hung shelves can create a stylish and practical way to store books, ornaments or other living room items. These shelves can be fitted into alcoves, corners or on an entire length of wall.  

There are several materials used in shelving, so whatever your need, there will be a shelf to suit;
  • Solid wood - softwood usually contains knots, but some wood like Parana pine is generally knot-free, attractive in colouring and can be sought in wide boards. Hardwoods, such as oak, ash, beech can be purchased at timber yards but do the cost of hardwood their use is often for furniture or special features, rather than shelving.
  • Block Board is a relatively expensive stable man-made board that is constructed from stripes of softwood glued and then sandwiched between two layers of plywood-grade veneer.
  • Plywood is built from veneers. The grain alternates at right angles to provide strength and stability.
  • Chipboard -  This is the cheapest man-made board that is frequently used for the core of manufactured shelving planks. 
 These are just some of the popular choices in wood that can be found in the home.

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Is Your Wardrobe Full of Clothes You Don't Wear?


Have you had a wardrobe clearout recently as I’ve just read an article that says in Britain, people are wasting a total of £30billion by keeping clothes in their wardrobes that they are too big to wear. The report says that the average home has a stack of £4,000 worth of clothes and that over a third of these are never worn.

I’ve written before about having a clothes clearout and if this is anything to go by then people definitely need to be getting rid of more. There are all kinds of ways to get rid of old clothing such as donating to charity shops, selling on eBay or doing a car boot. Whilst it is good to keep one pair of favourite jeans that are currently too small but have the goal to slim into them, keeping loads that you’ll never wear again is a waste.

You can read the news article for yourself here on The Sun website.

Monday, 16 July 2012

Next Summer Clothes Sale


It was the Next summer sale over the weekend and it is one of the biggest events on clothes shoppers calendars.  Next only ever have the big sale in the summer and in the New Year. It’s a 50% or more off sale as well so there are plenty of bargains to be had.

Saturday, 14 July 2012

Funny 'Mans Wardrobe' Image

Whilst on Pinterest the other day I was working my way through various categories (usually the humour one) and found this brilliant image entitled 'The Stages of a Man's Wardrobe'.

Have a look, funny huh?


Other the coming weeks I might have a look at each stage and give you a personal account of what my wardrobe was like/could be like at different stages.

Thursday, 12 July 2012

His and Her Wardrobe Space


If you live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband then you most likely share a wardrobe space, unless of course your wife has a fancy walk in wardrobe all to herself. If a couple is sharing a wardrobe space then I wonder what the ratio of male space to female space is?

I’m betting that the female side is fuller with dresses, skirts, tops, jumpers, trousers, shorts, cardigans, sweaters etc. A male wardrobe usually contains t-shirts, jeans, suit, work clothes and a couple of jumpers.

So in an equal relationship, should each half of the couple have an equal space in the wardrobe? Or is it expected for the woman to have the majority of the space, say a 70 30 split?

What are your thoughts?