I was visiting a friend recently and was struck by how different the front of their house looked with the addition of flowering window boxes. I always say that windows are the soul to a house. Just as you look into a person’s eyes to determine their true feelings and to make eye contact, the windows of a house say a lot about its style and its personality. Therefore, especially in summer, window boxes can really embellish a home’s soul!
Butterflies, birds and bees are what you need this summer – not just in the garden but in your home. And no, not live ones but butterflies, birds and bees on fabrics and wallpaper are on trend and are great for introducing a summery feel to a room, even if it’s just a butterfly motif design on a few cushions on a sofa.
Butterfly motifs were immensely popular during Victorian times, and were depicted within florals or damask swirls on fabrics and wallpapers. Butterflies symbolise endurance, optimism, change and resurrection (think about the process of metamorphosis) and are common motifs within many cultures including Chinese, Japanese, Indian and French.
Hi folks,
here are the results and video of our May Draw 2017. Each month we have a draw for everyone who hires a tradesman and provides feedback. So not only do you get up to 4 quotes from Rated Tradesmen but you also are in with a chance to win a cash prize as well!
The draw for everyone who hired a tradesman and provided feedback in the month of April was held on May 31st. The results are as follows:-
This week, we’re interviewing interior designer Anne Tuohy of Room Junkie and asking her to share some tips from her own knowledge of decorating houses. Anne put her skills and qualifications to use on their own home first, and now shows people how to create a stylish high end look, no matter what their budget is. Anne has also taken part in (and won) the programme Showhouse where she was in charge of the decorating of a complete house within the timescale of a mere six days.
You’ve decided that you need a bigger house. Whether you need more bedrooms for children, a couple of rooms on the ground floor for an elderly parent, or you’re working from home now so need an office, extending your home is the obvious option especially if you don’t want to move house.
Hi folks,
recently we did a House Extension Cost Survey with some of our tradesmen. The question was how much would it cost to build an average 40m2 single story rear extension excluding VAT with apex roof finished to a good standard and ready to furnish? I have attached a sample of the replies we received below with some tips provided by the tradesmen. I have added VAT of 13.5% on all the prices quoted and converted to a total price for 40m2 where a square metre or square foot price was provided:-
Playrooms – are they necessary? Well, they’re not compulsory but they do have their advantages. Even if toys are brought from the playroom to the other living areas, the playroom functions well as a storage area for all the toys that seem to increase vastly at every birthday and Christmas.
Hi folks,
here are the results and video of our April Draw 2017. Each month we have a draw for everyone who hires a tradesman and provides feedback. So not only do you get up to 4 quotes from Rated Tradesmen but you also are in with a chance to win a cash prize as well!
The draw for everyone who hired a tradesman and provided feedback in the month of March was held on April 29th. The results are as follows:-
Following the popularity of our recent post on upcycling, we contacted Joanne Condon of Kyle Lane in Clonmel with some questions. Not only is Joanne a master in upcycling, she also runs workshops, is bringing out a book and has provided demonstrations on RTE Today.
Summer is on its way and with the Easter Monday and a May bank holiday coming up, it’s the perfect time to plan and create a space for outdoor eating. When we do get good weather in Ireland (and let’s face it, we have to grab the chance to enjoy it when it does happen) it’s lovely to be able to make the most of it by enjoying a cuppa outside or even creating a dining area within the garden. The right dining space outside gives you another room in your home really.
