Hello Baby Blog

If you have an eye for design, you probably want to style your home to your unique vision. But at the same time, it still is a house that needs to serve its purpose well: a place for you to hold your items and for you to relax. This means you need to find the right balance between form and function. Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other since there are various pieces of furniture and technology that both look good and are practical. Here are a few ideas if you want to make your house look good but also keep it functional.

Creative shelving //

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Shelves add storage space so are indeed very functional. However, they also contribute significantly to the design of a room because they can act as a border, draw the eye, or display your items. The key is to choose a style and colour that matches the rest of the items in your room.

With open shelving, it’s difficult to go wrong. You can show off your personality by placing your items on display. At the same time, you can keep things organised and have effective storage options. Whether you have books, decorative pieces, or kitchenware, open shelves work great. Try to keep a reasonable amount of items on each shelf since you don’t want too much clutter.

Another option is to go for floating or hanging shelves. With these, you can take advantage of the vertical space. You’ll get extra storage space that you didn’t know was there before! These often give a modern look that doesn’t take up too much room.

Designer radiators // 

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One important part of your home that definitely needs to be functional is your central heating system. But often, the components of your heating don’t exactly go well with interior design. Take radiators, for example. Sometimes, your radiators just don’t match the look you want for the room.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case since there are radiator models that were built with design in mind. Designer radiators come in many styles, colours, and finishes. White is the classic shade to choose, while black is a more subdued, classy choice. You can even go for unconventional tones, such as red, blue, or green, to add a splash of colour.

Radiator styles can be grouped into two categories: modern and traditional. Modern styles have a more contemporary feel due to their smooth surfaces and straight lines. Traditional radiator styles have that classic look with the pipes and indents. These are great if you want to add some retro aspects to a room.

 Smart gadgets //

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If you want a modern look in your home, then it could be worth it to take a look at a few smart gadgets. The smart home trend looks set to stay, and with their numerous innovative features, it makes sense! Also, not only do they help improve your home, they usually have sleek, modern designs.

When it comes to smart home gadgets, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a smart thermostat. These gadgets help maintain the right temperature in your home and also lowers your central heating costs by making sure you are heating your home efficiently. There are numerous choice available, each with their own unique features and advantages.

There are smart gadgets for almost every part of your home. Fridges, light bulbs, showerheads, sprinklers, doorbells, home assistants, etc.—the list goes on. All of these smart gadgets work to improve life in your home and save money, all while looking great with their elegant, often minimalist, designs.

Multi-functional furniture //

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A big part of finding the right balance between style and practicality is choosing the right furniture pieces. To maximise both, pick furniture that both matches your interior design vision and has the ability to service multiple functions.

For example, ottomans and hollow benches offer a way to easily hide items away, are a place to sit, and have the ability to contribute to the overall look of a room. A practical, but stylish piece of furniture can also mean an item can be used in many rooms. For example, if you want to do a quick refresh of a room, you can shuffle items around to get a new look while also still serving their purpose.

Additionally, pick furniture pieces that can work in many different rooms. That embroidered chair could work just as well in your bedroom or your small reading nook just as it does in the living room. Also, that metal wire shelf doesn’t just have to be in the kitchen. Why not use it in your utility or laundry room? Here, you can find creative ways to use your furniture to find the best way to maximise style and practicality.

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Gardening is a great hobby for kids, especially if you’re also a fan of this activity. Gardening helps kids to develop life skills, as well as improve their mental health and self-esteem. Sounds great, right? It can be a bit daunting, however, when you’re just starting out.

Nonetheless, there are a ton of little projects you can start on – even in the dead of winter! It doesn’t have to be (and probably shouldn’t be) grandiose. Start small. Here are some ways to start gardening with your little one(s):

Watercress // 

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The first point of contact any of us usually have with gardening is through watercress eggheads! This is great as it gets kids thinking creatively about how they decorate their eggs, and shows them what goes into growing herbs and vegetables. You can find a step-by-step tutorial on how to get started here!

Herb garden // 

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If you have a little space to plant some herbs, why not give your child the responsibility of caring for them! You can print out little cards detailing the sun, water and soil necessities for each herb, and guide them to making the growing conditions ideal for their plant. This also gets kids involved in the kitchen, as they’ll be eager to have their herbs included in family meals!

Indoor garden // 

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For these winter days, an indoor garden is a great place to start with gardening. You don’t have to wait till spring to get your little ones excited about gardening! Get a few pots, replant them and assign responsibilities. Make sure your kids know what they need to do and give them little reminders every so often to help them on their way. Let the kids choose their plants, placement and pots.

Their own box //

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If you’re an avid gardener, you probably already have an established garden with raised beds and boxes. Once your kid is a little bit more comfortable with caring for plants and gardening in general, give them their own space to experiment with the plants they like. Give them free reign to care for them as they like. However, you provide an example for them so when you care properly for your garden, so do your kids.

Let them choose // 

Children thrive when they are given clear scopes for their activities, responsibilities and consequences. So at every step of the way, they should be deciding how much time to spend on their projects, what kind of plants they want to grow, etc. With your guidance of course!

If you’re an absolute beginner with gardening but still want to get started with your kids, you might find some guidance from an experienced gardener useful! You can ask them for a bit of guidance for a one-time fee, to get you started on your own. Compare local gardeners in your area here.

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Not really loving your bathroom at the moment? You’re not the only one. Even if you once adored the way your bathroom was set up, decorated and cleaned, it doesn’t always stay that way, especially with kids and people coming and going. Our plans for a pristine bathroom go out the window and we end up settling on what we get.

Believe me, it doesn’t have to be that way. If your bathroom doesn’t make you feel nice, squeaky clean and relaxed after you leave it, you should make some changes to how it’s set out and possibly make some repairs. This doesn’t have to be a full-on renovation (although, if you have the time, money and inclination, why not). Many of us can’t afford to do so. So here are some small ways to make big improvements.

Do a deep clean // 

You may not even realise the grime that has been living on, under and around all of your bathroom surfaces for years. Yes, we clean our bathrooms regularly, but how long has it been since you took every little thing out of there and gave it a really good scrub with bleach-infused water and possibly some other deep-clean products? Hmm. Perhaps it’s time for a good old deep clean?

Giving your bathroom a proper deep clean means cleaning the fixtures, laundering all of your towels and curtains, cleaning the windows inside and out, removing and cleaning the countertops and shelving, cleaning the entire toilet in depth, descaling the taps, etc. This can make an absolutely enormous difference in how you bathroom, looks, feels and (frankly), smells.

Add more light //

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Sometimes it’s simply a lack of light that brings a bathroom from “ooh, lovely” to “hmm, not the best”. It’s important to think about how many lumens your bathroom needs – you can calculate this online. If it’s gloomy, think about replacing windows with bigger versions. Normally people go for uPVC windows in bathrooms since they are easier to clean and are good insulators to boot.

If you don’t want to do any DIY or building work, think about adding light fixtures or replacing your current ones. It can make a huge difference to have a well-lit mirror to get ready in front of in the morning. Wake up better by having brighter lights and see the dirt more easily, too! Even just getting some brighter bulbs can really help.

Clear the clutter // 

Just like in any room in our homes, clutter tends to accumulate as time goes on. In bathrooms, this can sometimes look like drawers filled with extra shampoo bottles and general stuff that we put in drawers when we’re cleaning up. However, this clutter invades space and makes it feel very disorganised. It’s difficult to relax when you’re surrounded by stuff all the time!

So get rid of all the clutter. A good rule of thumb is, if you rarely open this drawer and haven’t used it’s content in over a year, chuck the whole thing out. Perhaps keep some necessities like first aid kit and extra toothpaste, but keep it well-organised and labelled when possible (online there are tons of solutions to be found for keeping drawers organised if you need help). My motto is, when in doubt, chuck it out!

Replace the curtains //

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Shower curtains (and window curtains for that matter) get grubby over time. Yes you can wash them, but they also become damaged and frayed when you wash them regularly (which you definitely should be doing). Ideally, they should be replaced yearly. This also gives you a great opportunity to re-think your bathroom’s aesthetics.

Do you want to have something subdued, funny, pretty or stand-out? There are so many options to choose between when it comes to curtains, and they are easily replaced. So go crazy on your curtain choice and see whether you want to replace your towels or decorations to match. This is the bathroom equivalent of buying a cushion in a bright colour for your living room sofa to see if you’d like it all the time.

Re-do the grouting //

If you don’t mind getting down with the DIY just a little bit, think about your grouting. This is the number 1 issue in slightly grotty bathrooms. It is a little bit of a pain to replace, but makes an absolute world of difference in how your bathroom looks. Before you start on that job, see if the grouting is simply stained. After thoroughly brushing with a stiff brush and scouring powder, apply a solution of 50/50 bleach and water using a sponge or sprayer, wait for 10 minutes, re-apply and wait another 10 minutes.

If the stain remains or your grouting is cracked, it’s time to regrout the tiles. You have to first remove the existing grout from between the tiles. There’s a special tool called a grout rake you can use to do this. Otherwise, for larger areas, an electric tool like a grinder would work better. Then mix up some tile grout or buy pre-mixed grout and apply using a grout float. Wait around 20 minutes, then wipe the surface to remove excess grout live. Then it usually takes around 48 hours to cure so you have to leave it to cure until then.

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If you follow me over on Instagram and saw my recent post about decluttering, this post is for you!

Over time, it’s completely normal to accumulate a lot of items. However, if it gets to a point where you constantly have to rummage around for a good few minutes to find that one thing you’re looking for, or there are several tripping hazards throughout your house, then you probably have too much stuff.

There are several reasons why clutter can start to pile up. An extremely busy schedule, laziness, or procrastination can all be possible causes. You might not even notice how many items you’ve gathered over the years! Whatever the reason, it’s a good idea to clear out some of these things. There are several benefits to doing so.

Free up space in your home // 

Probably the most obvious benefit of decluttering is that you’ll have more space in your house. Most people want a spacious home with enough room to relax. However, this is not always possible so maximising space is crucial, especially in houses where space is at a premium. Why have valuable space taken up by things you don’t use?

If you have a lot of stuff lying on your tables, shelves, counters, and floors, it can almost feel claustrophobic, and you won’t be able to freely navigate your home the way you’re supposed to be able to do. By getting rid of these items and properly organising them, you’ll feel less crowded and who knows? Maybe you’ll discover that your home has enough space for you and that there’s no longer an urgent need to upgrade to a new home?

Breathe new life into any room //

By getting rid of some of your items, you’ll figure out what you truly love and develop a better understanding of your unique interior style. If there is a lot of stuff in your home, it can be difficult to truly appreciate the look of your rooms, which will then act as an obstacle to your interior design dreams.

With many items lying around, there will be numerous different styles that might not necessarily flow together well. Paring down your items will invigorate a room, giving you a fresh viewpoint. Now, take a step back to really examine your home and your interior vision. By doing so, you’ll have a clearer picture of what you want.

Save time and money // 

Having a lot of clutter lying around doesn’t just detract from your home’s beauty, it also costs you quite a bit of time and money. Just think about the time it takes to clean everything. Dusting and hoovering, which is one of my most hated chores, is so much easier now that I have less stuff around the house.

And what about the money you spend to maintain your clutter? For example, think about clothes that need dry cleaning, polish for certain decorations, and subscriptions to magazines you don’t read. Also, if you want to move in the future, reducing the amount of items you own will lower the cost of hiring a removal company. Decluttering is a fantastic chance to make some money too! You can sell your unwanted items online or at a car boot sale.

Boost your mood and focus //

Clutter acts as multiple stimuli that all compete for your attention. This overstimulation can actually reduces your ability to focus and process information properly. Avoid this problem by tossing out some of your clutter. You’ll improve your focus and thus increase your productivity.

There’ll no longer be the feeling of being overwhelmed. After all, I’m sure you know how stressful it can be if your place is super messy and chaotic. Combine a clean space with an effective organisation system and you’ll boost your efficiency significantly. And once you’ve completed a task quickly and well, there’s that amazing feeling of accomplishment!

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