Kimberly

We’d always knew, in fact, that over the next few years, we wanted to extend the small patio area that’s just outside the current kitchen (seen above) across the whole back of the house to where the new kitchen will be located, creating a lovely courtyard effect between the party wall (essentially our neighbour’s outside wall) all the way to what would have been the old outhouse (now just used for storage which you can see above with the ladder leaning against it). The seating area is comprised of the very same paving slabs that are used closest to the house and so we decided that we’d actually have enough slabs to do the entire ‘courtyard’ area if we just lifted and relocated these slabs. Of course, once we removed these slabs from this area, we’d then need something to replace the slabs we’d removed so we can keep that seating area where it is. So with these plans in mind, we began work a couple of weekends ago, digging a few inches out where the new/old paving slabs would be laid, creating a huge pile of removed earth in the process which will later be used in some raised planters.

A south-facing room brings out the best of colours – darker colours will appear brighter and more saturated whilst lighter colours will take on a warm glow. A west-facing room enjoys a warm evening light giving your colours a glowy look but morning light will dull your colours, making them look less saturated. after a number of years experimenting with different darker shades in my own home (deep indigo blue, warm dark grey, nearly black and deep brown), I know that I need to limit my time in rooms that are painted in the darkest of shades because it affects my mood. While you certainly don’t have to match the colour palette in every room (and in fact, I’d caution against that extreme), you may want to consider how each room’s palette relates to the rooms around it.

In my research, I came across 6 different tips for keeping your maidenhair fern alive and I realised why my maidenhair ferns kept dying on me in the past. If you don’t want to bother with the draining part, then don’t soak it through – little and often to keep the soil moist is going to be what is required. Yes, it seems ridiculous but you’ll want to make sure your plant’s home isn’t near an open door, near a window or near any radiators. The movement of air means rapid evaporation of any moisture this plant needs so you want to make sure it’s far enough away from any source of drafts.

Paint out the picture rail (first, before you hang the wallpaper) in the same background colour as the wallpaper if you want it to blend in or be a bit adventurous and take an accent colour from the wallpaper and use that instead for your picture rail. When we moved into our current home, I noticed once more that the previous owners had taken that dark berry colour in the living room only up to the picture rail, leaving the wall above the picture rail white along with the ceiling. But if your ceiling is a different colour to your walls, then no, don’t take that ceiling colour all the way down to meet the picture rail unless you want your walls to seem shorter. I’ve done it in multiple rooms and every single time my walls look taller and thus, the ceilings look higher and the room bigger, no matter whether it’s a light or dark colour.