Add some drama with paint

Sometimes a white bedroom can seem a little plain, adding a colour on one wall

as a feature will add some drama if using a darker colour.

This dark moody blue works great with white and greys and is from the 

Laura Ashely paint range.

It is called Midnight Seaspray and is on offer at the moment which is a 

real bonus!

Love your decor

How to decorate your rental

The Problem: Your Walls Are a Lively Shade of Blah

If you dream in paint chips and color wheels, but you're stuck with white or beige painted walls, you can incorporate color or pattern by painting the back of a bookshelf or a hutch—the taller, the better. Roll the color directly onto the furniture or use cardboard panels and paint or wrap them in fabric to insert in the back of the shelves. The upside of using cardboard is that it's temporary, so you can remove the inserts or create new ones to fit a different color scheme if, say, you don't renew the lease.

The Problem: Your Bedroom Has Boring Wall-to-Wall Carpeting

Dealing with unappealing carpeting can be difficult in a rental since the only foolproof solution is to get permission from your landlord to tear it up. Kyle Schuneman, the author of The First Apartment Book and writer of the Los Angeles Times column Apartment Life, suggests laying an area rug on top. You might be wary of this—think of the tripping potential—but the trick, Schuneman says, is "to make sure not to get [an area rug with] too thick of a pile because a chunky rug on carpeting can look really awkward." He suggests a reversible cotton rug or an indoor/outdoor rug, since they both have low piles. If there's a stain you want to cover, he suggests a cowhide because it's thin and has an organic shape that works with many décor styles.

The Problem: Your Bathroom Tile Is Not Your Cup of Tea

If you cannot stand your pastel green and pink tile, try Mibo Tile Tattoos. These temporary, moisture-resistant decals go on with water and hide the unattractive tile underneath. Plus, they come in over 60 different colors and patterns, so you can create that vintage-inspired or minimalist all-white bathroom you've always dreamed of.

The Problem: Your Living Room Echo-Echo-Echoes

While your 1890s apartment has beautiful hardwood floors and high ceilings, the echoes they create make your living space sound like the Grand Canyon. If a rug hasn't dampened the noise enough, try installing Schuneman's suggestion in The First Apartment Book for functional works of art: fabric-covered, padded panels. Once hung, they will absorb the reverb and look as pretty as an Ellsworth Kelly painting. To make the panels, cut fabric of your choice to fit a 36-by-48-inch foam-core board, leaving an extra 2-inch border. Next, cut a roll of batting to fit the board, leaving an extra 1-inch around the edges. Place the batting on top of the board, fold the extra batting over the edge and duct tape it down. Lay the board on the fabric square (batting side down) and wrap your fabric over, one side at a time, and duct tape the extra material to the back. Then simply hang the panels up with Sticky Back Velcro tape and firmly press the board to the wall.

The Problem: Your Walls Cannot Be Touched by a Hammer

If your heart's set on creating a photo gallery above your sofa, but your landlord's set on having absolutely nothing dinging/chipping/nailed into his walls, try Washi tape—the no-nails-required alternative to frames. Maxwell Tielman on Design*Sponge used different-colored tape in unique shapes to add dimension to a blank, flat wall. The Japanese masking tape is ideal for this project because it comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns and is extremely renter-friendly. Not only can it be moved around without losing its stickiness, it leaves absolutely no marks, unlike other adhesives that may tear off paint or leave residue.

The Problem: Your Ceiling Light Fixtures Are Stuck in the '80s

Changing light fixtures is one of the easiest ways to change up your space, but if you're nervous about messing with the electrical wiring—especially if it's an old home—Isabelle LaRue of Engineer Your Space shows how to create a quick (and inexpensive) drum shade. All it takes is embroidery hoops, poster board and wallpaper. Follow her step-by-step guide and you'll wind up with a custom shade for not a lot of cash.

Source: Pamela Masin

5 reasons why DIY is good for you

At a time when we're immersed in the growing worlds of technology and all things virtual, it's rather refreshing, once in a while, to go back to basics.

ManoMano, online retailer of DIY and gardening products, say taking up DIY at home can actually relive stress in the workplace and reduce anxiety linked to the constant expectation to be connected to technology.

Here are 5 reasons why DIY is good for your wellbeing:

1. It encourages leaving technology alone for a period of time: We spend a substantial amount of time on phones, laptop, computers. Having to focus on a manual task means having to switch off from the madness of emails and social media for a while and take pleasure in the task ahead. Italian psychologist, Dr Migliaccio, calls this 'pulling the plug.' Why not try to pull the plug once a week in 2017 and see what difference it makes?

2. A manual DIY task that is completed gives enormous satisfaction, in a way that is unlike achieving a work task: Think of how good you felt when you finally got round to putting up that shelf, figuring out how to build that wardrobe or painting that wall that had been staring at you for months or pruning the garden… really good! The accomplishment factor is key.

3. Allowing ourselves time to indulge in ourselves through a practical activity is good for the brain and allows us to create new ideas. Ultimately, focusing on something that brings you joy and distracts from the things causing stress can only be a positive step towards simulating your brain, so that it can blossom with fresh ideas and creativity. Give in to the feel-good factor.

4. It increases your self reliance: If you are more inclined to learning a new skill when fixing things (i.e. leaky tap, toilet, chair leg), not only is there a financial benefit by not having to hire someone to do it, you increase your self-reliance, making you less likely to panic when things go wrong. This sentiment goes beyond menial tasks at home and applies to how you handle stressful situations at work too. These also become transferrable skills that you can pass onto other people and inspire your children with. Giving children the independence to problem solve at a practical level is a great gift, as well as a brilliant bonding exercise.

5. It is a fantastic grounding tool for children, and helps remind adults how important is to switch off too: Due to the digital nature of today's world, children have little familiarity and direct contact with nature and rarely have hands on experience. Nature becomes a non-tangible thing, with the reality being what they see on a screen. DIY and gardening are two activities that encourage children to properly connect with the world around them giving them a better sense of their surroundings and who they are. DIYers can indeed develop creativity and dexterity, while gardening teaches them how to look after plants and flowers, and that the world is a living breathing thing that needs to be cared for.

Source:  Olivia Heath