Bring home the finishing touches

Features

Experts point to a significant downward trend in DIY, partly because Britain’s younger generations aren’t equipped with the necessary skills and partly because the bar has been lifted on the standard of quality demanded by homeowners. This, say the experts, has led to a nation of homeowners who GSI – get someone in – instead of do it themselves.

While homeowners are keen to call in the experts when it comes to big jobs such as fitting kitchens and bathrooms or major redecoration jobs such as plastering, with perfect blank walls as a canvas, even the most unskilled DIYer can enjoy enhancing a home with a bit of interior detailing and decoration. All you need is your finger on the pulse of interior trends, which interior magazines will help you with enormously.

As soon as the big jobs are completed, home enhancements become a top priority. The UK’s largest privately owned housebuilder, Miller Homes, has noticed the keen attention to decoration detail its purchasers are showing, even prior to moving in.

Carolyn Rushbrook, sales director for the Yorkshire region, says, “When our customers choose a new home, it is exactly what they want in terms of design, therefore there’s no need to start any DIY or even GSI tasks. However, since introducing an interior design package, we have noticed a marked increase in the amount of people asking for this service, which includes the hugely popular home enhancement features.

“Customers are already making plans about the colour on their walls and want their soft furnishings to match from the minute they move in.”

Lifestyle Interiors, one of the designers Miller Homes uses to furnish its show homes, offers some essential style advice to new homeowners.

Elaine Gore, director of Lifestyle Interiors, says, “The interior design world goes hand-in-hand with the fashion industry. The style and textures change along with the seasons, although it would be financially impossible to change your style each season. The popular home enhancements movement is a cost effective way of keeping your home décor fresh and up-to-date.

“Simple, neutral colours on all walls works well with home enhancement, the ‘in’ colours this year are fresh greens, mints and jades. These can then be enhanced with a feature wall using flowered or flocked wallpaper, with either contrasting or matching curtains and cushions.”

Gore continues, “Remove all clutter and keep simple lines with occasional designer and/or feature furniture pieces with splashes of accent colours.”

Miller Homes’ show home at its Central Park development in Headingley, Leeds, uses a palette of neutral greys and whites, including accents of this season’s in colour, green. The feature furniture piece is a state of the art oval black flame effect fire set central to the wall.

“Visitors, particularly to our Central Park development, are overwhelmed not only by the house itself but by the sheer opulence of its interior design,” says Gore.


Picture caption: While many younger generations of homeowners are calling in experts to take car of the big jobs, they’re still keen on applying the finishing touches.

MyVillage, 30th June