Boxing-in pipes If the pipes protrude less than 50mm from the wall, the sides of the boxing can be made from 50 x 25mm timber fixed to timber blocks, which in turn are fixed to the wall using wallplugs and screws. Then screw a chipboard or plywood cover to the side pieces. If the pipes … Read more
Well-planned storage can give the most hectic household a serene and smoothly-run air. To have a place for everything, most people need twice as much storage as they think, even if they’re strong-minded enough to get rid of things that are never used. So, avoiding preconceptions (like jumpers having to go in a chest of … Read more
Obviously halls and stairs exist to get us from one room to another, but they can often be a neglected waste of space. First impressions are very important, be it of people or places, and it’s your front hall that gives visitors a first glance at the way you live. So it should be friendly … Read more
Wherever you eat (and let’s face it, dining rooms are dying out), although it should be near the cooking area, you will want it to be relaxed and comfortable. The table should be your focal point, and the lighting not too harsh. CHOOSING THE FURNITURE When buying tables and chairs there are two things to … Read more
A living room has to be the most adaptable of all rooms, yet it’s important to create a relaxed atmosphere where your family can recharge, pursue their interests and be themselves. It is best to start with a list of your activities and the equipment needed. Next draw plans of your living room and its … Read more
Are your bedrooms unused for much of the day? If so, perhaps you could consider transferring some hobbies or activities there and relieving some of the pressure on the living room. It is certainly a very good idea for children and teenagers. But even if you’re going to keep it just for sleeping and dressing, … Read more
The mood of the bathroom has changed dramatically over the last 25 years, more so than any other area in the whole house. It’s far less clinical now, perhaps reflecting our less puritanical attitudes to our bodies. FITTINGS The basic British standard bath is 1.65 m x 75 cm x approx. 50 cm high (5ft … Read more
Possibly the most complex, expensive and problematical area in the house, many kitchens were planned and built before there was much more than a deep sink and a bulky cooker to think about. Even in modern houses the kitchen is usually one of the smallest rooms, yet it often has to accommodate more work and … Read more
Your home is for living in, a place in which you can feel as relaxed as possible, so it should be happy, comfortable, attractive to the eye but not overpowering, while providing for your individual needs. It should create the atmosphere you want so that you are able to say: ‘There’s no place like home’. … Read more
In the larger type of bathroom you may wish to fit cupboards along the whole length of the wall on both sides of the washbasin so that the tops can be used for cosmetics. Construction is exactly the same as for the kitchen cupboard fitting and work top. Take the precaution of seeing that any … Read more
Kitchen Planning Modern kitchens are designed with equipment and working surfaces lining two adjacent walls, the third being occupied by a table that can be folded against that wall when not in use, so leaving uninterrupted walking space. The fourth wall can then comprise an opening to the dining-room and, maybe, a serving hatch — … Read more
The Kitchen Sink The position of the sink will normally be determined by existing pipes and drainage system, but these may be awkwardly placed in some converted houses. Even if it costs a lot of money it is worth having the pipe layout altered so that the sink comes under the window. Then the monotony … Read more
The range of materials used for interior decoration in the home has increased enormously as people have broken away from the traditional wallpaper or paint as a wall covering. One trend is to reconstruct the ‘natural’ effect, particularly through the use of stone. Natural stone This is always popular, particularly as material for fireplace surrounds. … Read more
Fitted kitchens make the most of available space and facilitate cleaning. Ready-made units are expensive, but there are self-assembly units which you can buy at considerably less cost. All components are factory-made and supplied pre-drilled complete with fixing screws and any other items needed for assembly. The units are packed flat in boxes for easy … Read more
If you want to produce particularly dramatic effects on walls or doors, you can hang photo murals. These come in a whole range of designs, each creatin a different atmosphere. The murals are easily fitted in any room in the home. The popularity of photowall or photographic mural decoration is growing steadily. The designs (which … Read more
Halls, stairs and landings are usually exposed to harder and more constant wear than any other area in the home; make sure the surfaces are tough. Halls Any large and awkwardly shaped article brought into the home or carried from one room to another is almost bound to knock into the walls somewhere en route … Read more
There is not much scope for planning a staircase, in that changing its basic design is often impractical and there is seldom room for free-standing furniture, unless you have a quarter or half-landing. Safety and ease of use are the most important aspects and proper lighting is the chief factor affecting both these features. You … Read more
Homes where the children’s possessions and activities appear to spread through every room give a chaotic impression and can have the effect of limiting adults’ activities. Children themselves are usually happiest when their activity areas are clearly defined Toddler to teenager Choosing and planning a room for a child presents a number of problems and … Read more
A sybaritic bathroom, complete with sunken bath, marble surrounds and lounging area, is neither within the means nor to the taste of most people. On the other hand, a coldly cramped bathroom with minimum facilities can cause mounting tension over the years, especially where there is a growing family or elderly grandparents as well as … Read more
The basic requirements of a bedroom for adults are a bed, somewhere to store clothes, a dressing table of some kind, something to sit on and a mirror. For a single occupant even a room no bigger than, say, 10 ft by 10ft (3 by 3m) can be made to work as a bedroom, provided … Read more
People spend on average a third of their lives in bed. A relaxing bedroom is therefore essential; a comfortable and adequately sized bed or beds even more so. Except where there is a separate dressing room or dressing area en suite — a refinement which few family houses have space for — the bedroom is … Read more
At very least you need a continuous run of worktop starting at the side of the refrigerator, linking the refrigerator with the cooker, the cooker with the sink unit and extending to the other side of the sink. The worktop should be one level, not stepped up or down. Ideally the run should continue beyond … Read more
Ranges of kitchen units generally comprise three elements: 1. Base cupboards go below worktops and sinks for storage and to house built-in appliances; 2. Tall floor-to-ceiling cupboards serve a similar dual purpose; 3. For storage alone shallow wall cupboards are wall-hung above work-top level. Ready-to-assemble ranges of kitchen units are made by several manufacturers. These, … Read more
Appliances and equipment basic to the kitchen are a cooker, sink and refrigerator. In addition there may be a dishwasher, a freezer (either integral with the refrigerator or separate) and, if the kitchen also serves as utility room, a washing machine and dryer. What may be termed “secondary” appliances (e.g. food mixers, dispensers, waste-disposers) help … Read more
Even in these days of near-automatic appliances and convenience foods, research statistics show that the average housewife spends something over 31 hours a day in the kitchen. If you are intending to move into a newly built house on an estate, the size and potential of the kitchen will be predetermined. In that case, the … Read more
A badly designed, staircase will prove the most hazardous area in the house, especially for children, the old or the infirm. If you are putting in a new staircase, be wary of open risers, however attractively airy. Children may fall through and adults feel insecure. Lest children trap their heads, stair railings should be close-spaced, … Read more
The entrance hall, lobby or foyer has three functions: 1. It establishes first impressions when people visit you, so it should be welcoming, warm and bright, setting the note for the whole house. 2. Particularly if there is no outside porch, it acts as an insulator against bad weather; it is a place where people … Read more
Colour schemes are very much a matter of personal taste and in the living area will be governed, too, by the aspect, the window area and natural light admitted, and the size and shape of the room. In general, restful and relaxing colours, patterns and textures are more livable with than brilliance. It is best … Read more
You may wish to divide a large open-plan living area into component areas, each with its own function, while retaining the unity and communications of the area as a whole. Traffic lines. These are the paths which different members of the family take across the living area to do various things. It is interesting as … Read more
In furnishing the living area, follow personal preference rather than trends, for trends change and few people can afford to replace furniture merely to seem abreast of fashion. Comfort and durability are the essentials. Try out a chair or settee in the shop or showroom before buying it. The seat should be ample enough and … Read more
The living room is primarily the family “common room”. It is also in most households something of a family showpiece, since it is the room in which friends are entertained formally or informally. It may be a large open-plan room absorbing the dining area, partially open plan with a chimney breast or other feature dividing … Read more
Pattern is the ordered repetition of line, colour or form. It needs to be handled with discipline. Pattern is susceptible to fashion, but patterns that are currently fashionable may well be outmoded by the following year. On the other hand the main elements in a furnishing scheme need to endure for quite a long time, … Read more
The colour wheel, which follows the colours of the spectrum, can help you to plan successful colour schemes. But remember that with colour there are no absolute rules for success. Primary colours within the colour wheel are red, yellow and blue. Secondary colours occur when primaries are mixed together. Thus red and yellow make orange; … Read more
Think — and rethink — before you act. This is the first rule of successful interior design and decoration. Take a whole view and a long view. Acting piecemeal on impulse can lead to mistakes costly both in time and money. Do not try to hold all your ideas in your head; put them down … Read more