Category: Home Decor Tips

The first hints of spring soon sprouting after months of dull winter weather and single-figure temperatures makes us crave bright, fresh spaces. We collectively crave a home as bright and fresh as nature blooming outdoors.

Astronomically, spring begins on the 21st of March, therefore we still have time to get our homes ready in preparation for the season. With Easter on the horizon, now is the perfect time to refresh your interior and bring more of the outside in. 

A change in seasons is a great time to freshen up our spaces along with a mindset shift going hand in hand with this change. Take a look at what you can do to get your home ready for the season ahead.

1. Clean those forgotten corners

It’s time to address the areas of your home which are overlooked daily. From dusting off those hard-to-reach nooks to wiping down blinds, tackling forgotten areas will help you stride on into spring with a clean home and an even clearer mind.

Feeling overwhelmed with where to start? Create a list and plan the cleaning out over the next month with actionable tasks to do per day or week. Take it room by room or appliance by the appliance to balance out the workload. Here are some spring cleaning tips that are sure to make your life easier.

2. Declutter your wardrobe

A carefully curated wardrobe is a real mood booster and time saver as you’ll have a closet full of clothes that you love, not full of clothes which don’t fit or aren’t your style anymore. It’s time to part ways with clothing that is no longer serving you. 

One can either sell, donate, upcycle or recycle unwanted clothes.

Hot Tip: Store out-of-season clothes in a storage container underneath your bed, in your second bedroom or garage. 

3. Organise your cupboards

Transform your dumping ground into a well-organised haven. Firstly, take everything out and clean the space. Secondly, take stock of what items or products there are and organise them into groups. Finally, throw out any expired items and create a pile of those no longer needed to be rehomed. 

Now the fun part, putting everything into its proper place. We recommend picking up some storage containers in order to organise the space better. Making sure everything has a designated home will ensure you can find what you need easily.

If you’re in the market for a new home, make sure to check out our Current Developments, a selection of new-build highly-finished homes.

Is it time for you to host your first Christmas family gathering? Or this isn’t your first rodeo? As you start to plan your menu and what you’ll wear, why not give some thought to how you’ll dress your table as well? By putting just a little thought and creativity into your Christmas tablescape, you can create a special and memorable experience for your friends and family this holiday season. We’ve compiled a list of our top 5 Christmas tablescape tips.

Let these holiday table setting tips inspire you and spark your creativity. 

1. Theme

Whether your Christmas will be casual and homey or you’re hosting more of a formal get together, it’s important to know the theme in order to create the perfect atmosphere. From simple and rustic to something fancier with mixed metals and hurricane candles. Once you decide, it’s time to move on to the decorations.

2. Centrepiece

Arguably the most eye-catching piece on the dinner table, the statement piece. We recommend opting for a festive flower or plant arrangement, one including carnations, holy, pine cones and dried fruit. Don’t forget, the centrepiece doesn’t always have to be floral; you could choose anything from small ornaments to large candles, so get creative!

3. Linens

From tablecloths and table runners to napkins, selecting the perfect linens will instantly elevate your tablescape. A well curated linen selection adds a touch of luxury. Whilst using a table runner to add to the design and will tie in all the colours. For an extra luxurious touch, place your napkins in napkin holders – this not only emphasises sophisticated dining but it also keeps accessories looking compact and neat. 

4. Lighting

We all love a good Christmas candle scent, such as gingerbread or cookies and cream. However, it’s important to complement your food with a creamy vanilla based smell so as not to overpower it. Adding lots of candles onto the tablescape is a great way to decorate your table however it’s important to be aware not to obstruct guests views making it difficult to converse. If in doubt, stick to small candle holders across the table and limit how many you use. 

5. Plan Ahead

We suggest setting your table a few days beforehand, if you can. This makes entertaining so much easier, allowing you to relax and enjoy yourself. It also ensures you have all the essentials beforehand such as enough cutlery, plates, bowls, napkins, accessories and place settings.

And remember have fun!  ‘Tis the season to be jolly–even for the hostess!

If you’ve been inspired by our top 5 Christmas Tablescape Tips, share this article on social media and don’t forget to tag #MyGAPHome. We’d love to see how you decorate your own! 

As most would agree, December is the most magical time of the year. Decorating for the holidays is a very personal and family oriented activity for most. Surrounding yourself with sentimental ornaments that have been passed down for generations as well as partaking in festive activities which have been a tradition for years is the norm during this period. We have compiled some decoration ideas to make your home feel festive whilst also being stylish.

Each Christmas is different, but each Christmas is the same. Every holiday, families haul out their boxes from storage and begin to decorate their homes for the festive season. Michael Buble streams from the speakers, the smell of hot cocoa fills the air, the soft flickering of festive candles warms households. 

These holiday habits happen every year. There’s comfort in these actions, there’s familiarity in the tradition, there’s connection in our collective joyous spirit. Once the trees are decorated, you’ve officially begun the rituals of Christmas – baking cookies, hanging stockings, painting new ornaments. Now the rest will fall into place. 

An appreciation of the hidden power of holiday habits.

Topsy Turvy Palette

Opting to fill your home with white ornaments is de rigueur at this time of the year. Whilst, it’s good to follow tradition, why not up the ante and opt for a darker palette? If done right darker hues can give a sense of nostalgia and warmth. Black trees have become more and more fashionable, opting for them can really make a statement in your home. However, if you’d rather play it safe, use gold tree ornaments and warm toned lighting whilst adding richer toned colours of dark greens and reds. 

Try on Some Tassel

To spread the cheer throughout your home, consider hanging on-theme tassels from your Christmas tree as well as adorning your doors, desk, or chest of drawers can be a finishing touch that is also budget-friendly. 

Add Some Sparkle 

It’s Christmas, so literally anything and everything can get away with having some extra sparkle. See ya later, singing Santas. Today’s Christmas decor is downright chic. Look for bright, shiny and glittery accents. 

Pretty Poinsettias

If you’re at a loss about how to add some Christmas cheer to your space, add a poinsettia or two! The use of Poinsettia as a Christmas decoration can be traced back to at least the sixteenth-century. The leaf pattern is similar to that of a star, making it ideal to incorporate the crimson plant into your Christmas celebration decorations, such as on your tablescape. 

Make it merry

Holiday decor doesn’t have to break the bank. A great way to have a more budget and eco-friendly christmas is to use brown paper wrapping. Not only is it more cost effective it also looks tidier under the tree. You can make a lot of gorgeous pieces with craft supplies and a little elbow grease. This can also be a fun activity to do with your children. 

We suggest moderate the use of plastic and synthetic materials in order to avoid your home turning tacky as well as to keep your environmental burden to a minimum. An easy way to avoid this is to incorporate a mix of natural materials such as wooden or paper ornaments and decorations. 

Takeaway Tips

As mentioned previously, decorating your home for Christmas is a very personal tradition, one that can evoke nostalgia. However, it takes a certain kind of courage to break away from tradition and find new avenues to explore. 

If you are feeling stuck in your current home and have fantasies about decorating your dream home for the holiday season, speak to one us at GAP Homes to start the process of securing your dream home.

As cold weather draws near, it’s time to settle in and make your home a cosy haven. Think plush accents, heavier fabrics, and seasonal patterns to add an extra layer of comfort and cosiness to living areas, bedrooms, kitchens, and more. Try the ideas we’ve listed below- from simple DIY changes to more expensive measures – to turn your home into a warm and welcoming space throughout the fall and winter.

Switch Up Your Soft Furnishings

Pile on the pillows! With the change of the seasons one simple and easy way to instantly make your home feel cosier is to switch up or add more soft furnishings such as pillows, blankets etc. to your home. Swap out pillow cases to a more wintery styled cover. Layer your bedding to include more winter tones with blankets, pillows and more.

Texture & Textiles

Texture is the surface quality of a material. Texture adds depth and helps add cosiness to a space. Mixing materials such as leather, ceramic and wood will help create appealing tactile experiences and sensations.

Hardwood and laminate flooring are great, but can get chilly under your feet in the cooler seasons, the same goes for tile. By placing layers between yourself and the floor, you will be guaranteed to feel instantly warmer. Rugs are a great way to do so and to make your home feel more cosy. Find a rug with inviting fabrics such as a chunky knit, velvet or faux fur.

The Power of Scent

Don’t underestimate the power of scent. If your home looks amazing but its smell isn’t up to par you’re doing a disservice to yourself as well as to your home.

Picking a seasonal scent will transform your space and ignite core memories associated with the scent you’ve picked. There are loads of different options to choose from other than the generic Yankee candle. One may opt for wax melts, incense sticks, DIY stovetop potpourri, or even fresh fragrant flowers or plants.

Double Up on Your Drapes

Swap out your sheer linen curtains and trade them out for velvet drapes or any heavy curtain with a thermal lining. Besides making a space look warm and cosy, they’ll insulate your home from cold air leaking in through the windows.

Saturate the palette

Don’t be afraid of colour! It might be tempting to stick to neutral colours when painting your home. Painting or using wallpaper provides dramatic results for little investment, the cost to do so in a room costs much less than that of other home upgrades and it’s an easy home improvement project. Create a focal point with a feature wall with a warm cosy colour or wallpaper design to draw the eye of yourself and guests, as an easy way of making your home feel more inviting.

Soft Lighting

Create a calm and inviting space by adding soft lighting to your home. This could be in the form of lamps, candles, fairy lights or LED strips. Adding a layer of lighting can help change the mood of the space and create a different feel to it.

Watch Sparks Fly

There’s nothing better than cosying up to a fireplace with hot cocoa and fuzzy socks. If your home doesn’t have a fireplace,  invest in a portable one for the same effect.

Winter Green

Create focal points around your home by using winter greenery to add some natural elements. One may also add greenery to the table centrepieces. This will bridge indoors with outdoors creating a seamless effect of your winter wonderland.

Takeaways

There are a number of ways to make your home feel cosy-er this winter, we just listed a few of them to get you started. If you need more assistance do not hesitate to contact us at GAP Homes.

It’s hard to overdo Halloween, you could argue that the more decorations you have, the more protection from evil spirits, tricksters – on All Hallow’s eve.

Whether you’re into natural cornstalks and scarecrows, smiling goblins or ghoulish zombies, Halloween offers an opportunity to pull out all the decorating stops!

Some prefer to decorate for Christmas, others go all out for Halloween. If you sway on the spooky side these tips will help make your house extra fun and spooky!

Here are eight ways to decorate your home for halloween

1. Back to Basics

One of the most basic things you can do when decorating your home for Halloween is decorate your home with artificial spiders and cobwebs. Even if you don’t love the holiday it’s nice to make an effort and get on the bandwagon with adding these simple touches to your home.

2. Harrowing Haunted House

The door and windows are the eyes and mouth of your home’s Halloween soul, so you should make the most of them. Therefore, you should make the most of this and adorn them with decorations. Adding just a few ghoulish touches to your front door and windows will make your house look haunted. For example, propping up scraps of wood across the windows to create a boarded up effect or applying broken glass stickers to windows.

3. Light Up Your Home

Your lights will help set the eerie ambiance for your home, so you should make the most of the lights you have while keeping the house looking fairly dim, so that something spooky could pop up at any time. If it’s too bright in your home, you won’t have enough room for mystery. One example of having the perfect Halloween lights is adding flickering electric candles in the windows.

4. Create a Harvest Haven

Halloween would not be the same without pumpkins, so you should use your pumpkin decorations to your advantage. You don’t have to overdo it with the pumpkins, but thinking of clever ways to introduce more pumpkins into your decor will make your home boo-tiful.

5. Guts & Gore

Add a few specimen jars around your home. Take some big glass jars, fill them with water, and throw in a drop of green dye until water is a nice, gross green hue. Put the jars on display in your kitchen under some lights or in another part of your home where they can be prominently displayed.

6. Transform Your Terrace into a Graveyard

If you’re into the creepy-crawliest holiday of the year, then odds are you’re probably already putting together the outside Halloween decorations for your annual display.

7. Bake Something Spooky

Kick up the fear factor of your Halloween party dessert spread with mummy pops, Dracula dentures, bat truffles, and more. Whether you’re into spooky, silly, or a delicious mix of both, there’s a scare level—and dessert preference—for everyone.

8. Don’t be Afraid to DIY

Golojuch likes to make his own decorations with building supplies like foam and erosion cloth. But if you’re not ready to bring out the power tools, there are some easy things you can do to enhance your display, such as adding clothing or touches of paint to make a plastic skeleton look more authentic.

Takeaways

If we haven’t scared you off yet and you’ve managed to make to the end of this article, we’d like to let you know that we not only can provide way on how to decorate your home but our experts can also guide you on finding your next home. Take a look at our current developments here and if you’d like to contact us feel free to do so.

As summer’s end is fast approaching, even though we don’t want it to, it’s best to be prepared for the autumn season. After weeks of sunshine and throwing open the windows every morning it’s suddenly time to bring in the garden cushions and batten down the hatches.

A little preparation now can help to prevent extreme weather causing damage to your property, and may even result in your house being even cosier as the mercury starts to fall. We at GAP Homes have put together a list of five things to get in order before the season starts. 

Our 5 simple steps will help get your home in the best shape possible. 

1. Get Your Geezer Checked

The last thing you’d want when the cold weather arrives is for your geezer to stop working, leaving you without warm water. Whether it’s a full service or an inspection by a hired professional, it’s imperative that you get your geezer checked ahead of winter to stop any potential problems in their tracks.

2. Complete Pending Jobs Whilst the Sun is Shining 

This autumn will be harder than any other due to the cost of living crisis. Getting your home ready for winter could save you money in the long run. Harsh weather conditions in autumn and winter can cause small niggles to become bigger issues, so think about repairing damaged, broken or cracked items before the season starts.

3. Prepare Your Terrace

As sitting outside becomes less appealing, it can become easy to forget about your terrace and/or garden. Now’s the time to buy those waterproof covers that you’ve been putting off for the whole of the summer. Alternatively, it’s time to store away your furniture in order to protect it from the harsh winter season so it’s in good condition for the following summer. 

It’s also important to take stock of your plants and see if they need tending to, such as bushes that have overgrown over the summer and need to be trimmed. Whilst you’re outside, look for other potential issues which you may have overlooked.

4. Insulate Your Home

Look for holes or cracks in walls and around doors and windows, where the wind or water could come in during the winter. To find gaps around your windows and doors, first close them and then slowly move a lit stick of incense or a candle around the edges. If the smoke or flame flutters, you’ve got a gap and need to seal it. There’s nothing worse than a draughty home and dealing with them now will help save money in the long term and make you more comfortable in your home. 

5. Refresh Your Home

Deep clean, declutter and streamline your main living spaces. Accent your home with autumnal decor by adding cushions, throws and even maybe a new bedspread. Swap out your summer scents for cosier autumnal odours.

In a nutshell

Whilst there may seem like a lot that you need to do in the run up to autumn, in truth many of these tasks only take a few minutes to complete and some are even a nice way to enjoy the last of the summer weather outdoors. Autumn may seem like a long way off, however, in reality, it’s only just around the corner. Therefore, by staying on top of things and preparing your home and terrace for the season you can save money and make your life much easier.

If you’re in the market for a new home, make sure to check out our Current Developments, a selection of new-build highly-finished homes.