As a New Year dawns, many of us spend time making plans for the year ahead, and if it’s a fresh start you are after, or you need more space but the thought of moving fills you with dread, then it is time to turn your thoughts to how you can improve your home and garden.

Here’s a few ideas for your home and garden from SMART, suppliers of garden offices, man caves, gyms, therapy rooms and art studios throughout the UK.

For Your Home

One of the quickest and cheapest methods of transforming your home is with paint. A neatly painted door with a smart letterbox and doorknob is a must, but believe it or not, the colour you choose also matters! Currently, mossy greens, glossy blacks, cool greys and vibrant blues are the most popular colours.

Floors and skirting boards should be painted in the same colour to increase the feeling of space. The walls should be in a contrast colour and the ceilings as neutral as possible, although it is best to avoid bright white ceilings as they can look very harsh. Invest in the best paints you can afford as they will provide you with better coverage and depth of colour.

A feature wall is also a very popular method of adding interest or texture, whether that be in a contrasting vibrant colour or with wallpaper.

It is also very easy to give your home a fresh new look and feel with the seasons by changing your soft furnishing. In the colder months, heavy curtains can be great for keeping out drafts, but light and airy curtains are more suitable for the warmer months and will give your room a completely different look and feel.

Mirrors can help make the most of the light in a room and if you want to make a room look bigger, put an uplighter in the corner as it will pool light onto the ceiling and increase the feeling of space.

Kitchens are the heart of the modern home but can date quickly. Thankfully there is no need to rip it all out and start again as it is actually quite simple to give them an overhaul by repainting the existing old, tired cabinet doors in a fresh and modern colour, and by adding new worktops. It’s very effective and won’t break the bank!

Add some hidden fluorescent lights at the top of the units to create a more contemporary look, as they will bounce an attractive light off the ceiling and cost little to run.

Bathrooms can quickly start to look tired but again, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to rip out and start all over again. If you have the basic white bathroom suite then you can jazz it back up by adding decent taps, the higher quality the better. Boring or tired tiles can be replaced. Swapping small tiles to larger ones can be quicker to install and will provide a clean, contemporary spa look.

Fresh flowers will also freshen up any home and add a splash of colour. Forget expensive cut flowers and plant an indoor garden instead. Most garden plants will do fine for a few weeks inside and, given the right conditions, many will thrive.

And Now to the Garden

One of the quickest and cheapest ways to transform your garden is to cut the lawn into a clearly defined shape and fill the flowerbeds with an abundance of plants. A cost-effective way of doing this is to divide clump-forming perennials as they will soon fill up the space.

Transform old, tired fences with a lick of paint as that will quickly provide a striking backdrop.

When it comes to paths and patios, gravel is a much more affordable surface than paving and make sure your front garden lifts your spirits no matter what month of the year it is.

Making your garden work as an extra room in the summer is a good way to gain a feeling of increased living space. Create an outdoor eating area with an attractive table and chairs. If you already have a seating area, jazz it up with new cushions or by hanging bunting or fairy lights overhead.

Outdoor fairy lights are popular all year around and they’re a quick, simple and cheap way to bring a pretty glow to a patio and beyond. They can even be threaded through trees or shrubs. A simple pergola will provide welcome shade and a fire bowl will quickly add intimate, atmospheric evenings.

 

 

 

Another way to create additional space is to add a garden room. SMART garden rooms are installed in a matter of days, are fully usable all year round, will add value to your property, and come with a peace-of-mind 10-year structural warranty.

So, get in touch with the SMART team by following this link and let us help you design your perfect garden room today.