Whether you are moving into a new home, or renovating an old one, the first port of call is to invest in window coverings - and whatever interior you go for, interior plantation shutters lead the way as the most timeless option for the home. Whether you want to create a traditional interior, or go for one of the latest design styles, the sleek lines and minimalist style of solid wood plantation shutters will blend perfectly with almost any decor you choose.
This article looks at the five hottest interior design styles for 2014 and reveals how made-to-measure tier on tier, cafe style, or full height plantations shutters are the ideal choice for your London home.
Interior Plantation Shutters - click here for full information on our range of bespoke shutters
Best Interior Design Styles for 2014
Limiting Your Clutter, the Minimalist Home – A minimalist, clutter free home has long been a firm favourite in interior design - and it looks like it’s here to stay. Recent years has seen a rise in apartments and new builds offering more limited accommodation, and to compensate for this there are a range of furniture options that include hidden storage space. These include shoe cabinets, stools with storage under, wall-to-wall cupboards, and sofas with storage in the arms, base or back. Furniture with hidden storage means that you can keep the floors and tables clear of clutter.
Neutral colours or white walls and furnishings are the ideal choice for a minimalist home and provide a blank canvas for you to inject your personality. Add warmth with colourful accessories, such as red, blue, or green textured rugs and throws, and hang bright, modern artwork on the walls.
An all-white interior, with splashes of colour, cries out for minimalist style window coverings. Interior plantation shutters fit the bill, as they are fuss free in design and their solid, clean lines provide a contemporary feel.
Making Your Money Go Further, the Boho Look – Household budgets have taken a tight squeeze in recent years, which means that many home-owners are looking to get more, for less of their cash.
When it comes to buying furniture, people are now seeking novel ways to invest in quality - without having to pay over the odds. One way is to source furniture from flea markets, and to customise it to suit your interior, or ‘upcycle’. Buying and customising second-hand furniture is not only eco-friendly (as it means no trees have been cut down to make it) but it also means your furniture is entirely unique.
Accessorise this look with things that you have picked up from your travels, such as ethnic artwork, artisan bowls and ornaments, hand-made rugs, and Moroccan, hole punched lamps. Solid wood plantation shutters blend well with the eclectic look and have an eco-friendly vibe.
Keeping it Chic and Shabby, the Romantic Look - Ethereal, romantic rooms with white painted furniture and lace trimmed pillows, cushions and throws, have a wonderful vintage feel – and this look has never quite gone out of fashion.
Pretty much anything goes in a chic and shabby interior, from floral prints to soft lace, and old and new furniture. White is very much the colour of choice for furnishings and accessories, which include oversize decorative mirrors, delicate but ornate wooden furnishings, lighting with fancy stems, and pretty ornaments. For flooring, choose wooden white-painted floorboards with fluffy white rugs to give a touch of added cosiness.
For the romantic look, it is important to make the most of natural light, so the best option is interior plantation shutters, as they are the most versatile form of window coverings. With plantation shutters you can alter the slats to draw in the natural light, while still maintaining privacy. Tier on tier shutters are the most flexible option for a London home, as you can keep the bottom section closed and leave the top open to let more light in, or open a top window and let the fresh air in.
Bespoke Shutters offer a complete range of interior plantation shutters to suit any interior, including shaped shutters, bathroom and waterproof shutters, motorised shutters and conservatory shutters.
Solid Wood Plantation Shutters - click here for full information on our high quality window shutters
Friday, January 17, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
How Closing Your Shutters Helps Keep London’s Energy Costs Down
While householders battle to keep warm this winter, there are simple steps you can take to help keep your energy bills down – and shutters can help keep out the cold in London’s homes.
Bespoke Shutters’ at-a-glance energy saving guide comes after the Big Six energy firms – E.ON, EDF, British Gas, npower, SSE and Scottish Power – all announced price increases.
EDF’s price increases average at 3.9 per cent, whereas E.ON’s prices are set to rise by 6.6 percent, and the remaining four firms have announced average price hikes of around 9.1 percent.
With temperatures falling steadily, the impending rise is increasing the strain on householders struggling to keep on top of their bills.
Whether you live in an older style property or new build, even the smallest changes can make a difference, say Bespoke Shutters, and here are our top tips for keeping the heat in, and the cold out, this season:
Shutters London – click here for full information on our made-to-measure shutters.
Closing Your Shutters – Not all of you will close your shutters or curtains when it gets dark, especially if you are on a London street that is not overlooked, but turning this into a habit can make a major difference to your energy bills.
In a scheme funded by the Climate Challenge Fund, (2010) the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust used thermal imaging cameras to show just how much heat and energy is lost by keeping shutters open at night.
Images of properties that had their wooden shutters open glowed brightly in reds and oranges, showing just how much heat was escaping; however, properties that had their curtains or shutters closed were a deep blue colour – proving that they had successfully kept the heat indoors.
You can find out more about the project by following the link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-11759023
Using Draught Excluders – While the project looked at closing shutters and full-length curtains, it didn’t rule out traditional methods of keeping warm.
Edinburgh World Heritage also advised on other tried and tested tips, such as the use of draught excluders, especially if you live in an older style home.
Chiara Ronchini, energy efficiency officer, said: “There are issues, of course, with historic buildings but they are so well designed they just need a little push to make sure they are performing as well as the most modern buildings.
“...very simple measures...can make a dramatic improvement on the amount of heat being lost through the windows.”
Getting Cosy with Throws and Blankets – If you are settling down to watch television, snuggling up under a blanket is another sure way of keeping fuel costs down.
Likewise, wearing slippers, warm socks, or putting on an extra layer of clothing will help keep chills at bay.
Warming Up in Front of an Open Fire – Not all homes have a real log fire or wood burning stove, but if you are lucky enough to have one it is well worth putting it to good use during the colder months.
This will also give your home a cosy, welcoming feel, and your family will love to gather round it when the temperature drops.
However, there are some safety precautions to take first, and if you haven’t used your fireplace for a while, it’s best to organise a chimney sweep to clear out your chimney before use.
Closing Off Empty Rooms – If you have a spare bedroom, hobbies room or dining room that you rarely use, another way of keeping bills down is to turn the radiators off in these rooms, and close the doors.
By heating the rooms that you use the most in winter, and leaving out the ones you don’t, this will also help save cash.
Having guests over at Christmas or New Year? Just turn on the heating in your spare rooms the day before, so that the whole house is warm and inviting before your friends and family arrive.
About Bespoke Shutters
Bespoke Shutters provide and install high quality, made to measure shutters in the London area including solid shutters and plantation shutters.
Bespoke Shutters – click here for full information on our solid wood plantation shutters.
Bespoke Shutters’ at-a-glance energy saving guide comes after the Big Six energy firms – E.ON, EDF, British Gas, npower, SSE and Scottish Power – all announced price increases.
EDF’s price increases average at 3.9 per cent, whereas E.ON’s prices are set to rise by 6.6 percent, and the remaining four firms have announced average price hikes of around 9.1 percent.
With temperatures falling steadily, the impending rise is increasing the strain on householders struggling to keep on top of their bills.
Whether you live in an older style property or new build, even the smallest changes can make a difference, say Bespoke Shutters, and here are our top tips for keeping the heat in, and the cold out, this season:
Shutters London – click here for full information on our made-to-measure shutters.
Closing Your Shutters – Not all of you will close your shutters or curtains when it gets dark, especially if you are on a London street that is not overlooked, but turning this into a habit can make a major difference to your energy bills.
In a scheme funded by the Climate Challenge Fund, (2010) the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust used thermal imaging cameras to show just how much heat and energy is lost by keeping shutters open at night.
Images of properties that had their wooden shutters open glowed brightly in reds and oranges, showing just how much heat was escaping; however, properties that had their curtains or shutters closed were a deep blue colour – proving that they had successfully kept the heat indoors.
You can find out more about the project by following the link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-11759023
Using Draught Excluders – While the project looked at closing shutters and full-length curtains, it didn’t rule out traditional methods of keeping warm.
Edinburgh World Heritage also advised on other tried and tested tips, such as the use of draught excluders, especially if you live in an older style home.
Chiara Ronchini, energy efficiency officer, said: “There are issues, of course, with historic buildings but they are so well designed they just need a little push to make sure they are performing as well as the most modern buildings.
“...very simple measures...can make a dramatic improvement on the amount of heat being lost through the windows.”
Getting Cosy with Throws and Blankets – If you are settling down to watch television, snuggling up under a blanket is another sure way of keeping fuel costs down.
Likewise, wearing slippers, warm socks, or putting on an extra layer of clothing will help keep chills at bay.
Warming Up in Front of an Open Fire – Not all homes have a real log fire or wood burning stove, but if you are lucky enough to have one it is well worth putting it to good use during the colder months.
This will also give your home a cosy, welcoming feel, and your family will love to gather round it when the temperature drops.
However, there are some safety precautions to take first, and if you haven’t used your fireplace for a while, it’s best to organise a chimney sweep to clear out your chimney before use.
Closing Off Empty Rooms – If you have a spare bedroom, hobbies room or dining room that you rarely use, another way of keeping bills down is to turn the radiators off in these rooms, and close the doors.
By heating the rooms that you use the most in winter, and leaving out the ones you don’t, this will also help save cash.
Having guests over at Christmas or New Year? Just turn on the heating in your spare rooms the day before, so that the whole house is warm and inviting before your friends and family arrive.
About Bespoke Shutters
Bespoke Shutters provide and install high quality, made to measure shutters in the London area including solid shutters and plantation shutters.
Bespoke Shutters – click here for full information on our solid wood plantation shutters.
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