Welcome to the Blogs

With Christmas just around the corner and the New Year knocking at our door, we just can’t afford to have disruptions around the house. But what about that decorating job that you desperately need to complete?

It’s always a treat to find something that is aesthetically pleasing as well as being good for the environment. A material long loved by the Italians, polished plaster is a naturally breathable and eco-friendly material, containing no cements, resins or acrylics; and, because it is lime-based, has a natural resistance to mould and bacteria – making it ideal for bathroom and kitchen walls.  Specialists in this field, The Polished Plaster Company can not only supply and put up polished plaster - it also offers four day intensive polished plaster application courses.

Welcome to the world of Maffers. This is what my dearest of friends call me, only acquaintances know me as Andrea. When you get to know me a little better you will realise that my life verges on a sort of madness. I’m juggling my work life that can at times be very full on (well that’s the polite term for it) while my private life can be as hectic as well!

Stickers don’t usually tend to be associated with glamour – more something you’d tell the kids off for when you find them stuck to your new paintwork. But that all changes with these new self-adhesive wall stickers from Purlfrost. Better known for its window film, its wall stickers come in a choice of patterns, colours and finishes and can be easily applied to glass, metal, plastic or walls. A smart and affordable way to bring liven up your interior, these seasonal Leaves stickers cost £12.99 for a pack of 14 leaves.

For centuries great historic houses have used trompe d’oeil to add decorative splendour to interiors. Continuing this tradition but with a modern twist, Illusions of Grandeur cleverly combines the mural designs of older houses with the state-of-the-art technology of today. Enormous detail goes into each design, with reproductions completed on latex-based paper, silk, linen or acetate using fine art printing techniques. The results are quite spectacular.

The kind of social business initiative we should all sit up and take notice of, Hammersmith & Fulham Mind has just launched Look Interiors (interior decorating), Time To Green (gardening and landscaping) and Sweep Kleen (carpet cleaning). A professional trio of services operating across London, these all plough any profits made back into assisting those with mental health problems. It will also provide training and work opportunities for people recovering from mental health issues, allowing them to gain skills, on-the-job experience and financial remuneration.

It’s a melting point of creativity at Paint Saints.co.uk, where you can browse and commission the work of over 500 artists, be they painters (PaintSaints), gardeners (GardenSaints), chefs (ChefSaints), fashion creators (ScissorSaints) and more. A free introductory service, Paint Saints works in everybody’s favour: the “Saint” gets a steady stream of commissions; and the customer has a useful and original source for birthday presents, special occasions and artistic inspiration.

Since the heyday of William Morris, the merits of wallpaper as a design focus in the home have been little appreciated. But that all seems to have changed recently: muted stripes are out and bold prints and colours are most definitely in. The good news is that it’s not just the expensive designers experimenting; good value companies such as FOCUS are also producing some vibrant new prints. This Nikita Red is priced at just £19.99 per roll, and is sure to revive tired walls.

If you love that turquoise coloured dress, and think it would work on your walls, this new MatchStik from Crown Trade Paints can help you find the perfect match. A hand-held electronic device, it allows you to take inspiration from the world around you - be it a car, flower or an item of clothing - and have that colour reproduced exactly at your local paint store. A whole new world of interiors at your disposal. The MatchStik is available on loan from Colourzone stockist paint shops, call 0870 241 6457 for details.