Features

Ideas to make rented flats more personal

Usually there are limitations on how much you can modify a rented place without jeopardising your deposit at the end of your tenancy. Unless you've obtained permission from your landlord, any alterations you undertake must be temporary and not result in any damage to the property. 

However, Nick Woodward of property company Essential Living has some easy and affordable ways to make a rented flat/house feel like home - without risking your deposit. 

House plants

Meet auctioneer Catherine Southon

Antiques. The word may inspire you or turn you off, and your age is likely to have something to do with your response. Older people may think of beautiful Georgian furniture, rich mahogany pieces with intricate marquetry, while younger people may well think antiques are big ugly pieces of brown wood that their great grandparents lived with.

Mattress in a box - how eco is it?

foam mattress in a box may sound good in that they come rolled up on a box but they are not easily disposed of so are not eco friendly

French polish: the environmentally-friendly way to restore wood

French polishing is a technique to restore scuffed, marked and damaged wood using eco friendly ingredients. It is a sustainable method for restoring wooden furniture

Small space living: be stylish and eco friendly

Just because you're living in a small house or flat doesn't mean you can't choose eco friendly furniture that's multi-functional and adaptable, such as extendable or collapsible tables. Small space living needs good storage, whether built in or freestanding.

Interior designer Oliver Heath shares his eco chic tips

Oliver Heath interior designer and promoter of eco chic says we must all endeavour to live greener lives at home. Recycle, reused, buy less

Woven Image - using recycled plastic to transform interiors

Sharing an office but long for a bit of privacy? Living in a flat with noisy people above you? Perhaps your children are sharing a bedroom and want to mark out clearly which is THEIR side of the room? Or maybe you're living or working in a place that's full of hard surfaces and the acoustics leave a lot to be desired? These are all situations, says Woven Image's Kate Ingram, where EchoPanel can help, whether you use it in panel, screen, peel-n-stick tile or ultra thin Mura 'wallpaper' form.

The best way to organise your wardrobe

Rummaging around in the dark is probably the way most of us would describe finding stuff we need in the wardrobe..particuarly when it comes to smaller items such as socks, ties or T shirts. But a neat and clean wardrobe makes like much easier because you can get dressed more quickly. It may take a whole day (or two..) to organise your wardrobe and assign a special place for everything, but it's easy enough once you've committed yourself to the task. So here's the best way to organise your wardrobe. 

Benefits of hiring an expert to design your home

Hire an interior designer to help you get the most of your home. And they'll ensure you make eco friendly, sustainable decisions too - for example choosing sustainable renewable materials, recycled materials and the most energy efficient appliances. 

Window restoration: a key part in maintaining historic buildings

Taking on a period house can be a long-term undertaking because you'll have to maintain its original architecture and features. Leaky windows can be a nightmare if you're trying to conserve energy, but don't rush to fit modern units because you'll almost certainly fall foul of your planning authorities and could well be asked to remove any replacements deemed not in keeping with the property. 

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