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Freshening up for spring

With spring virtually upon us, our minds turn to brightening up our homes. We don’t just mean ‘spring cleaning’ a term and exercise that is thought of as pretty old-fashioned nowadays. No we mean new coats of paint and refreshing rooms that feel ‘tired’ after the winter.

 

As you look around I’m sure you can find plenty of your rooms that need a freshen-up or that you have grown tired of. Here are Livinghouse’s tips to get you motivated:

 

Rough wall textures

We don’t mean intentional ones like our amazing wall panels, we mean ones where the finish of the plaster just isn’t up to scratch.

 

Make sure you fill holes with filler and then sand back before painting or wallpapering. It’s worth the time and trouble. If the finish is really bad, consider asking a professional to skim the surface with plaster – it will be worth the cost.

 

Of course you could add our decorative wall panels to living or bedrooms if you fancy a change.

 

Air bubbles and specs on newly painted walls

These are often caused by specs of dirt or dust left on your walls before painting. Just scrape off the newly applied paint and sand. Repaint this part of the wall – you shouldn’t need to repaint the whole wall.

 

Remnants of the old paint colour

Sometimes remnants of the old paint colour lingers on hinges and door handles. The best way to remedy this is to paint over them if you are happy with the painted look.

 

To restore them to their former glory and remove the old paint, take the hinges or handles off and soak them in a mixture of baking soda and water. This should lift the old paint colour and let them shine like new again.

 

Wallpaper adhesive

If you have a stubborn layer or spots of wallpaper adhesive that refuses to come off your walls after you’ve carefully removed the old paper, mix a solution of vinegar and hot water together. The ratio should be 20 vinegar/80 hot water and apply it using a cloth and circular movements.

 

You will probably need to leave it to soak in for around 15 minutes and then you should be able to scrape the adhesive off with a putty knife.

 

New accessories

Now you’ve redecorated do you need to update your accessories as well? If you were clever, your redecoration took your existing accessories into consideration. Or maybe you wanted a change?

 

New curtains or cushions in living and bedrooms can make a world of difference. In the bathroom you may only need to change your towels to give the room a cohesive but completely refreshed look.

 

Bigger renovation projects

Consider changing your tiles or taps in the bathroom or kitchen if you can’t afford a complete makeover. Again Livinghouse can come to your rescue for many bathroom accessories including modern taps and bath fillers.