London is a great city; it really does have something for everyone. For the traveller with a reasonably high budget, the shows, museums, art galleries and of course shopping are second to none. Restaurants include some of the very best the world has to offer and accommodation in London is varied and has something to suit everyone, however high their specifications.

Luxury Holiday Apartments

What you pay to rent a modern and stylish London flat depends entirely upon two things, which area you want to stay in and how much you want to spend. A minimalist apartment with the latest in high tech equipment in Soho will cost you considerably more than a lovely loft conversion in, for example Wood Green, simply because of its central location and accessibility to the bountiful amenities of the West End.

Slightly Further Afield

There are literally hundreds of agencies letting luxury holiday apartments and there are many who cater entirely for those who want a clean, modern, stylish residence for a long or short term let. Style is everything in London! However, modern style trends don’t always mean bare and minimalist, it can also mean a bright but comfortable pied-a-terre somewhere like Primrose Hill, a lovely and fashionable area of North London close to Camden Lock and popular with a stylish, young celebrity crowd. Accommodation and luxury holiday apartments in the area reflect this. However, it is still possible to find a reasonably priced flat in the area, many private letters advertise in local newsagents, papers and libraries. This is a good way to find exactly what you are looking for without breaking the bank.

However, if money is no object, and you don’t want to be as far out as Wood Green or have the hustle and bustle of the West End,luxury holiday apartments in Knightsbridge and Kensington and Chelsea are ideal with some of the very best that London has to offer due to the upmarket nature of these areas.

Finding a luxury holiday apartment in London is not difficult and there really is something to suit absolutely everyone.

Picture: Alex Yeung – Fotolia

Planning your home design is a big project as it involves decorating a lot of rooms, so start by measuring each room and make a plan of each floor on a piece of paper. Next, scan it onto your computer and print a copy of your floor plan. You then not only have two copies of the plan, but as it will have been digitalised, you can also print it out as often as you need to, should you change your mind about some feature or other, or make a mistake.

Budget

The next thing to consider is how much money you have to invest in your project. At this stage, it’s a ‘chicken and egg’ situation, so look at each room in turn and decide what features you want to keep and what features you want to change. If any major structural alterations are required, then you’ll have to call in an expert for an estimate. Once you’ve made your wish list, you can calculate how much it will all cost. Then will come a period when you trade off one thing against another, until your design requirements match your budget.

Colour scheme

Here, you have a choice. Do you want the same basic colours throughout the house, for example white paintwork and walls, or do you want every room to stand alone? Having the same colour throughout gives a feeling of space, and may be a good solution for a small property. On the other hand, you may feel it lacks character. Rooms with individual colour schemes can work together very well, but can also look jumbled and messy if the colours aren’t complementary.

Fabrics, furnishings and fittings

These will very much define the ambiance of your home. They will dictate whether it feels warm and cosy, or cold and functional. As with colour, having the same floor covering throughout the building can work very well and give the impression of flow and space. However, whatever you choose by way of fabrics, furnishings and fittings, they should be sympathetic to the property type, while reflecting your own personality and taste.

Designing a home needs a lot of deep thought if the result is to be as desired. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice and suggestions from friends and shops. The more information you can gather, the better the result will be.

Picture: Wolfgang Filser

When you first move into a new flat it is only natural that you want to make the place feel like home as soon as you possibly can. However, if you have had to fork out on a mortgage or rental deposit you may not have much spare cash lying about. Fortunately there are ways to decorate your new and fantastic flat without breaking the bank.

Free Furniture

Furniture plays an important part in forming the atmosphere within your home, but it can be very expensive. Despite the constant sale adverts of various sofa and bed companies, the fact remains that you may have to shell out hundreds of pounds if you buy brand new furniture for your flat. However, you don’t always need to pay a lot of money for quality furniture. Check out sites such as Freecycle and Freegle where people give away their unwanted goods for free. No matter whether you require a table or a wheelbarrow, the chances are that someone will be looking to get rid of what you need. Online listing sites such as Gumtree and Craigslist are another good place to search for unwanted furniture, or have a look at the listings notice board in your local supermarket. And remember, if you don’t like the colour of the furniture you can always paint or reupholster it!

Homemade Art

Rather than splashing out a lot on artwork for your new flat, why don’t you make some of your own? For example, if you glue some old CDs and DVDs to a plank of wood it will make a wonderfully quirky mirror. Alternatively, go to your local stationary shop and pick out some wrapping paper that you really like. Once you are home simply fit the paper into some photo frames for an instant modern art fix! Whatever you choose to do, you do not have to spend a fortune to make your new flat feel like a home.

Picture: D.aniel – Fotolia

Helpful Tips to Begin With

When you choose to sell your home, it will become critical to clean it thoroughly. A spotless house will give an evaluator and potential buyers a much greater impression and thus could bring you faster to closing the sale. As you proceed, it will be beneficial to become familiar with information about local real estate marketing, including the latest sales deals and current market news. Don’t forget to be more flexible towards the buyer’s desire to close a sale as this will always be to your advantage. Homeowners are advised to have a professional intermediary assessment of the value of their property. This will assist you in getting acquainted with a price range. Moreover, you will have attained a viable point of reference in the face of overstated price accusations.

Steps to Consider before Promotion and for Advertising

A home inspection will also be to your advantage before promotion. Don’t be surprised if you are required to undergo major repairs to home systems like plumbing, electrical and heating for instance. Have your home inspected before you advertise. You are to go ahead with any repairs that are called for or deemed necessary. Before going on a marketing campaign to sell your home, you should create a list of particular selling points you think will catch the attention of potential buyers. Areas of interest which you can flaunt may consist of good school districts, most recent repairs and any other up-to-date benefits. You must not be timid when it comes to advertising. Online advertising must certainly be an option and you can place an advert on a site like Craigslist or perhaps other classified ad sites online as well as offline. And if you are familiar with social media sites, you may get good results using Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

For many who have the time and resources, selling your home yourself, could save you a lot and actually put more money into your bank account. With a useful guideline, determination and some marketing knowledge success will not be far away.

Picture: Anthony Leopold

A Tale of Two Stadiums

Constructed for the 2008 Olympics, the Bird’s Nest, officially the Beijing National Stadium, is an extravagant and beautiful work of structural art – clearly an architectural triumph. The recently completed London Olympic Stadium, although receiving mixed reviews for its aesthetic appeal, is a fine architectural example of austerity chic, and the greenest Olympic stadium ever. The edge of its apparently circular roof, for example, is actually composed of many short, straight lengths of recycled gas pipes. About two-thirds the roof’s steel is recycled, lowering construction costs by about £500,000. The complete stadium has about 10% as much steel as the Bird’s Nest.

Triumphant Skyscrapers

Extremely tall buildings are, by nature, triumphant. Currently the world’s tallest building, the 828m tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai makes a dramatic statement about that emirate’s oil wealth. Visible from 95km away, its observation deck is on the 124th floor. Aesthetically pleasing, the multi-use skyscraper is set in a 29,000m2 park and is the anchor of a coastal urban development with an expected population of about 135,000. In less-flamboyant London, the newly completed 310m Shard London Bridge is the tallest building in the European Union. Aesthetically intriguing, this multi-use skyscraper’s developers put a premium on environmental sustainability and – with an eye to London’s occasional experiences with terrorism – structural strength and fire safety concerns, using the most up-to-date software to design the strongest and safest building possible.

Small and Green

At the opposite architectural pole to skyscrapers, the Brockholes Visitor Village at the Lancashire Wildlife Trust nature reserve received the 2012 Royal Institute of British Architects regional Building of the Year award. The innovative floating village’s environmental sustainability and architecture show that economic austerity does not preclude the construction of ingenious and highly functional buildings.

Picture: Emily – Fotolia

Cost

At the beginning, don’t worry about the cost. If you limit yourself to what you can or cannot afford at this stage, you’ll find your imagination crashing back down to earth rather than spreading its wings and flying high. Remember, you’re only looking for ideas and prompts, and you’re not out to make a carbon copy of anything you see. When you have your ideas is the time to think about budget.

Looking inside

Interior design involves colour, texture, fabric, light, shade and many more factors besides. In fact, it involves the things you are surrounded by every day, but possibly don’t pay too much attention to, so open your eyes and start to observe, closely. First of all, look at what you have and think about what you would like to keep or adapt into a new look. Pay attention to the ambiance of the room and how it is affected by the lighting, the colour scheme and the fabrics of the furniture and curtains. Get some trusted friends around and ask them what they think. Go around to their houses and see if they have any ideas you can pinch!

Looking outside

Take the time to wander leisurely through public parks and gardens, especially in the summer. You’ll see all sorts of shapes, forms and colour combinations that will, given computing time, make themselves felt on your thought processes. Nature can also be a great provider in that it relaxes you and gives you thinking time.

Design Aids

Here, we’re talking about showrooms, glossy magazines and the internet. Furniture showrooms are always a good place to see what’s available and what goes together, and to get a real feel of the fabrics, while magazines and the internet can project your mind into all kinds of fantasy from which you’ll extract that which you can use.

Interior design can be fun, and it should be fun. Give yourself plenty of time to absorb what you see around you and then come back to your own place and decide how you’ll fit it in to suit both the space and your budget.

Picture: Vadim Andrushchenko – Fotolia

Barker and Stonehouse

Primarily located in the North of England, this retailer has eight different shops for customers to visit. They offer many of the leading brands including Natuzzi, Duresta, and Hulsta. Oversized sofas with padded armrests and backs or dining tables with thick centre pedestals are some of the stylish choices offered here. A wide range of accessories ranging from teapots to bedspreads are also available.

Debenham’s

While Debenhem’s may be better known for home accessories, this retailer also offers a full line of furniture. Bedroom, dining room, and living room furniture can all be found here. These pieces are primarily made from oak, with casual details that spark interest without being dramatic. Garden furniture is also available, and many of the pieces for sale have contemporary lines that make this furniture both decorative and functional.

Graham and Green

This retailer specialises in furniture that is unique and dynamic. Sofas lined with oversized throw pillows, crocheted footstools and brightly painted end tables are a few of the offerings here. Color choices range from classic white to bold reds and dark gray tones. Graham and Green also specialises in accessories including mirrors, lighting, and vases.

Harvey’s

Harvey’s is known throughout the UK, as there are over 150 retail locations here. Furniture for every room of the home is offered, and delivery is also available. Pieces include plush sofas that also recline or solidly constructed dining tables with straight-backed rail chairs. Plenty of rugs are available to complement these pieces. Special financing is offered from time to time, as are seasonal clearance sales.

When it’s time to buy furniture, UK consumers have plenty of options to choose from. These quality retailers offer items that are a good value for the money, so people who shop at these outlets won’t be disappointed with their purchase.

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