Stylish Ideas for your home and garden

If you’re looking at stylish ways to make the most out of your home and garden, there are a variety of possibilities worth thinking about.

Conservatories
A conservatory could become a dining room, playroom or a home office. It could also be a nice place to sit and relax with a good book, when the weather isn’t quite nice enough to sit outside. How you use the room on a day-to-day basis may influence the design you opt for. You’ll also need to check if you need planning permission and research the type of conservatory that will suit your property. There are plenty of options to suit a variety of tastes and budgets.

Image courtesy of Gayle Esterly.

Decking
A decking area can provide the perfect space for dining outside or relaxing with a good book. Decking is ideal for covering any damaged or uneven ground whilst also making your garden look stylish. Maintaining your decking is relatively easy, just clean it twice a year with a decking cleaner. Once the cleaner has been rinsed off, leave the decking for a few days and then apply protective paint if you feel it is necessary.

Paving and patios
Paving slabs come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours and textures and can be used to create a path for ease of access or to make a patio area for relaxing and hosting parties and barbecues in the great outdoors. No matter what your budget, you’re sure to find an option to suit your tastes. Patios are an attractive option to homebuyers, so this is something to think about when it comes to selling the property.

Green houses
Green houses are great if you have a passion for gardening as you can make use of them all year round. The structures come in both aluminum and timber and are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your needs. Design options include square, rectangular, octagonal, lean-to, and dwarf wall. If you have the chance to grow your own fruit and vegetables, you’ll probably also spend less at the supermarket!

Fencing
Fences are useful because they can provide privacy and block out unwanted noise. After all, you’re never going to relax if your noisy neighbours can see everything you’re up to. Fencing doesn’t necessarily have to be restricted to the perimeter of your home. You could section off a small area of your garden that you want to use as a fruit and vegetable patch, for example.

Summer houses
Summer houses are a lovely place to escape to and relax in during the summer. They are also ideal as office space for anyone who works from home. Models with large, opening windows and space for a dining table are perfect for entertaining. The predominantly wooden structures can be decorated how you choose – curtains or blinds will help keep the area cooler in particularly hot weather, and a rug can make it more homely.

Sheds
A shed can become a workshop or a general storage space for items such as lawn mowers, tools and bicycles, or outdoor toys and furniture. You can either buy a ‘ready-made’ shed or build your own. The value of items usually stored in sheds can often add up to many hundreds of pounds, so putting items away after use and investing in a strong lock is vital.

Concrete garages
Garages protect our cars and any valuables we leave in them. Concrete garages make a great alternative to brick garages as they can often be assembled in a day and are usually less expensive. Another advantage is that if you move home, you could take the garage with you. Whatever your tastes and budget, you’re likely to find an option to suit.

Playhouses
Young girls and boys would no doubt love a space that is very much theirs to play in. A good quality wooden playhouse will be more durable and last much longer than a plastic version. They can be customised to suit your little one’s tastes and provide hours of fun.

Gates
Garden gates can be designed in wood, metal and wrought iron. The right gates can really accentuate the entrance to your home. Gates also stop unwanted visitors getting onto a property. For example, if your garden is accessible from the side of the house, it should have a strong, lockable gate. Garden gate hinges should be securely attached to the gateposts and locks should always be replaced if they become rusty. Wooden gates could benefit from a coat of paint or stain to protect the wood and give it a new lease of life.

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