Bathroom Furniture - Why We All Love White

I find it curious to note how bathroom furniture has changed over the years; not so much in function, but in style. The colours of bathroom suites seem to all be white these days, yet in the 1960s and 1970s, the wonderful shades of yellow green and blue were popular. It seems funny to me that we have ditched colour in our bathroom to favour the clinical presence of 'white'.

I guess with 'white' comes that feeling of hygiene and cleanliness etc, and you can always accessorise with colour such as a pink shower curtain or decorative tiles. I do prefer white bathroom suites, but i think that is largely due to the fact my generation now reflect upon the 1970s colour schemes as 'hideous'. I would never dream of having a yellow toilet, yellow sink or yellow bath.

Interestingly enough, my mum seems convinced it will come back into fashion. I keep saying "no, please no!" but she thinks its only a matter of time before people start getting really bored of white bathroom suites and decide they need something with a bit more colour in their lives.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure.

As for bathroom furniture, we have a lovely Lakeland laundry basket in ours (see image below), which really encourages you to put your clothes somewhere when you get into the bath etc as opposed to throwing them on the floor!

We also have a couple of cabinets up on the walls so that bits and pieces are kept neat and tidy. There's nothing worse than having a cluttered bathroom. If you can put storage under the sink you will find this a huge bonus too. Make your bathroom furniture chic and presentable, since your visitors will pay particular attention to it!

Kitchen Furniture - Magnet Were The Best For Me!

If you are struggling with ideas for your kitchen, then don't despair. It is probably one the hardest rooms to tackle and a lot of people get put off by the upheaval.

When we bought our latest house it was in dire need of a refurb. The kitchen looked like it had just stepped out of the 1970s and the units were pale wood with contrasting dark wood. It was quite horrible! But we knew it could be replaced and we intended on doing just that. In fact, we made sure it was the first thing we did when we moved in. Get the stress over all at once!

We had our kitchen designed with Magnet and they were great. Prior to this we had asked Moben to come over and give us an estimate but they never even came back to us and the girl they sent over didn't appear to have a clue. All in all, we were relieved to find someone so professional at Magnet and they did a great job re-designing the whole kitchen furniture space. You hear horror stories from lots of different kitchen companies, but i think we were lucky with Magnet.

If you really want to add some class to your kitchen, i definitely recommend looking at a Corian worktop. At the time, it was the most expensive worktop Magnet were offering and we just couldn't afford it, but it looked fabulous. Corian worktops have many benefits, including the fact they are very versatile, non-porous and should last a long time. Many people would be surprised to know that the much-favoured granite worktop is not always the best choice. Granite worktops apparently require a lot of upkeep to retain the beauty, and they can be easily stained and/or marked. We were actually disswayed from choosing a granite worktop and in the end we went for a laminate for easy cleaning.

Living Room Furniture - My Top Tips!

There is nothing worse than walking into a room in a house and not knowing what its main purpose is. I know a few people that have a living room crossed with a dining room crossed with a computer room and it just looks messy. I think this really puts potential buyers off so it is worth spending some time to define your room areas. Even if you are short of space, you can still cordon off certain areas with a screen, so your computer area could be in a separate corner to your TV and living room area.

Personally, i don't like open plan living, but i think i may be in the minority there! It is very popular these days. I just prefer having a door to each room that you can close so you genuinely feel like you are in a separate area of the house each time. If you have your living room acting as 3 rooms in 1, then it is going to get very crowded and would naturally feel a bit claustrophobic. Everyone needs their own space, and if you are a student trying to work on the computer, you will find yourself very distracted with the TV always on.

I would rather have 3 small rooms than one large room, but i like my separate space.

If you want to re-define your living room with some fab furniture, then i recommend watching as many home decor programmes as possible! For a quick fix, they have some great tips and even just things like getting some fresh cushions for the couch or moving the TV to an area where it doesn't feel like it is taking up the majority of the living room space will help sort out the space.

Pop into Ikea and check out what they have on offer. What i love about Ikea is how they mirror actual room spaces and create a whole look within a room so you can go in and imagine having your room exactly like that. For an easy living room furniture solution, you can't go wrong with Ikea.



If your focus is on style, take a look at John Lewis' Living room furniture selection. They have a great choice of some really lovely pieces.

My top tip for your living room is getting a radiator cover. They make your room look so much neater and if you have an ugly radiator in full view of visitors etc, popping a radiator cover over it will disguise it and even create an extra bit of shelf space on top! I like the lattice effect of some radiator covers.

Like this radiator cover?

"Regency design diamond lattice custom made to fit wall. Ivory veneer" available from http://www.radiatorcover.net/picturegallery.htm

Why I Love Bedroom Furniture

I love the bedroom. It is my haven; the one place i can really relax in and do my thinking. That's why i love kitting my bedroom out with some fab bedroom furniture to reflect how i use the room.

My friend has a Japanese style bed, very low to the floor and very stylish. For me, its all about the height. I want to feel like The Princess and The Pea when i get into bed. Being too near the floor makes me feel a bit sick actually and i cant sleep properly. Its interesting to think how different people like different beds, when they all have the same purpose. I think as a nation, we have probably become quite fussy in our bedroom furniture choices, but now its all about having the grandest bed as possible. I saw one in a shop window the other day that had a huge canopy at the top and beautiful draping velvet curtains. It looked like something royalty would sleep in! I think the price was also only suitable for royalty too, but nevertheless, it looked stunning and if you want to impress your friends, grandeur is the best way!

Bedroom furniture can encompass all sorts these days. From desks to actual sofas in there, the bedroom has become a sort of mini self-contained flat. I would love an en suite in my bedroom, but then i started thinking about the work that would be involved in getting that sorted. There was no real practical solution in doing the work, since we would have had to knock through a wardrobe, and as any women knows, wardrobe space is always in demand. The thing is though, I've been fooled into thinking i need an en suite when i really don't. As a nation all about 'convenience' it seems ludicrous that we cant walk a few steps out of our bedroom and to the bathroom. In fact, i don't know of any hard evidence that suggests an en suite really does add any significant extra value to your home.

As far as bedroom furniture is concerned, i like everything to be sort of "shabby chic" which is a very popular look all around at the moment. EBay has some super bedroom furniture on there in a shabby chic style and i just love the French feel that it brings. My bedroom looks like a French boudoir and that's how i like it!

Sweet Pea and Willow has some luscious French bedroom furniture. My absolute favourite is this gorgeous Butterfly bed, perfect for the stylish little girl or the lady who wants to reminisce about her childhood.

The Pier; Furnish in Style

What i love about The Pier is the cultural influence on their products. Some items have a 'Moroccan' feel to them and if you're looking for chic home furnishings, then the Pier is a great one-stop shop.

I went into the store in Manchester the other day and they had a massive sale on, with 30% off fabulous decorative pieces to brighten up any home. And not only do they have everything you could want for your home, they are pretty reasonably priced too. Check out this gorgeous decorative bird wall art that is currently in the sale and priced at just over £20.

Everything at The Pier feels very 'authentic' and not mass produced throwaway pieces. As far as chic furnishings are concerned, it doesn't get much more stylish than this rather nifty little CD holder. I think this would look fabulous in a conservatory surrounded by a rattan suite and seagrass carpet. It also comes in various sizes, so if you are a music fanatic then there are plenty of options for where to house your amassed CD collection.

I was also impressed with the staff in store; very professional and willing to help, despite there being lots of customers and a very busy sale happening. However, if braving the store doesn't seem like something you want to attempt, then don't forget you can shop for home furnishings from the comfort of your armchair by going online. A small delivery charge applies but it saves on the hassle of trying to find enough space in your car to take home all the wonderful bits and pieces you pick up if you're in store!

So check out The Pier and let me know what you think? For affordability and style, you can't go wrong.