Lots of us get our gardens in shape for summer. Wouldn’t it be great if those improvements also made your garden perfect for spending time in all year round? Watch our latest video to hear Ricky from Pride Landscape and Design’s top 6 garden features that’ll transform yours into an outdoor haven, no matter the season.

After watching the video, see how these features could look in your garden, below.

A social space

Last year, 44% of UK homeowners said they wouldn’t have been able to see family members if they didn’t have a garden/outside space (according to the Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2021). Now that many of us can host friends and family in our gardens, it’s time to create an inviting outdoor space that’s ideal for all your get-togethers.

Skip to 00:11 in the video to hear Ricky’s top 5 features to consider when creating a social space.

A space for the kids

Keep the kids entertained for hours with outdoor play equipment. Let their imaginations run wild with a magical treehouse or encourage play in even the smallest of gardens with a compact swing.

For some more outdoor play equipment options, go to 01:15 in the video.

Year-round colour

Some fruit trees, such as pear trees, look great throughout the year. They produce springtime blossoms, autumnal leaves and appetising fruits in the summer. If you’ve got a small garden, opt for an espalier (a tree or shrub that’s trained to grow flat against a wall or other sturdy structure).

Skip to 01:27 in the video to see how Ricky showed a client what colour different plants would be at each time of year, before he planted them. This helped them to be sure their outdoor space would look vibrant, even in the winter.

Bringing the home and garden together

You might not have thought about what your garden looks like from indoors. But, this plays a big part in making your outdoor space feel like part of your home. Plus, if you’re working from home, a beautiful garden view could even help improve your productivity.

Discover how certain features can bring your outdoor and indoor spaces together by going to 01:48 in the video.

Sheltered area

A garden shelter, like a pergola, offers the all the protection you need from the rain, sun and wind. Skip to 02:19 in the video to see a bespoke half-and-half shelter that Ricky made for a client, to provide shade in the summer and shelter in the winter. A gardener or landscaper can create something similar for your all year round garden.

Lighting

One of Ricky’s tips for all budgets is to install garden lights. They’re helpful when you’re having a cuppa in the garden on a misty morning or if you’re having guests over on a dusky evening.

See how lighting can bring practical and aesthetic value to your garden, by going to 02:45 in the video.

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For me, the most important thing about a bedroom has always been the dark. I’ve wanted it to be as dark as possible, so I don’t wake up with the sun on my day off and my body clock isn’t confused by the street lighting if I wake up in the night.

But I’ve recently come to realise that the light is every bit as important as the dark when it comes to bedrooms. You don’t want to keep your other half awake while you read. So, actually, lighting in the bedroom is every bit as important as it is in the kitchen or the living room.

Modern technology also means that your bedroom lighting doesn’t have to be limited to a pendant light and a couple of bedside lamps. Here are our five tips for getting a well-lit bedroom.

Get appy to control lighting with a smartphone

The popularity of the smartphone and ubiquity of home wifi has meant that many phone-controlled lighting systems have developed, allowing you to control the lighting at home via an app. But these are also very useful for bedroom lighting, as you can turn off the lights with a press on your phone, as well as adjust the mood in the room. You can even set the lights to go off with a timer if you like to fall asleep as the lights dim. It’s as simple as setting sleep on your bedside radio. Phillips Hue is a whole system of lighting for your home, whereas LIFX sell bulbs you can control via wifi. Other systems such as Hive also incorporate smart LED bulbs.

Read more: Smart home improvements that can save you money.

Spot the update

We usually associate spotlights with the kitchen, but they work just as well in your bedroom. Have LED downlights or spotlights installed and you can select your lighting to focus on the wardrobe, dressing table or your reading material. LEDs use far less power than traditional bulbs, so you’ll be saving money too.

Be bookish

Taste often dictates the design of bedroom lamp that you’ll choose, but it’s well worth looking at the type of light and flexibility when you think about a reading light for your bedroom. You may wish to go with the traditional bedside lamp or a posable office-style lamp, but you should also consider built-in lamps as well as those that are effortlessly flexible. The ability to move a reading light around is vital, as the size of text can change (as can your eyesight over time) and you may want to keep the light out of your partner’s eyes if you share a bed. Something that can offer pinpoint lighting and be altered to illuminate a wider area is ideal.

Choose the right kind of light

There are lots of opinions about which kind of light is best for the bedroom. You’ll want bright light on a winter’s morning as you get dressed (so you don’t end up with odd socks or blue tights instead of black), but your needs are different when going to sleep. LEDs emit a good deal of blue light and halogens are more like daylight, so you may wish to go with bulbs that emit a pink, orange or red tone. It could be more difficult to read, but you’ll certainly feel more relaxed.

Read more: Phil Spencer’s ways to add value to your home with lighting.

Don’t play it safe

Pendant lampshades are often something of an afterthought. We buy cheap and plain because we need something and want it to go with the variety of décor we have in a room. But in the bedroom, you can afford to go with something unusual and extravagant that you love. After all, this is one of the main decorative features of the room and you won’t have to explain your choice and outlay to visitors. Unusual shapes, lined shades and even chandeliers can look great in the bedroom.

Discover lighting ideas for your hallway, or if you need to sort the electrics in your house before you switch things up, an electrician can help.

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As India emerges as a major world economy, so Indian design and interiors ideas will come more into the mainstream around the world. Young designers and architects in India are now drawing on tradition in the regions of the country, merging them with western influences and a modern outlook. Arts and design festivals are also starting to thrive, inspiring the next generation of Indian tastemakers.

I’ve just returned from a month in India where I got to see the latest in Indian design and interiors for myself. Here are my tips to get ahead of the curve and get some South Asian design touches in to your home.

Be bright and bold

Bright colours hold sway in India, with hot pinks, the orange of marigolds and wedding sari red all matched with silvers and golds in fabrics. You can also expect to see houses that have been decorated with bright greens or oranges in parts of the country.

Architecture purists may frown on art deco buildings in colours other than white, but the bright colours work well on blocky builds, bringing flashes of colour and personality to an area. Your neighbours may not be ready for a Fuchsia pink house on the street, but why not try getting a local painter/decorator in to paint a back wall, or even the shed in a shocking shade.

Check out our colour pop ideas for some more inspiration on working with bright colours.

Light up your life

Candles and lanterns play a large part in Indian cultural life, adorning homes and being used in ceremonies by most of the country’s religious groups. The candles used tend to be small tea light candles, which sit in decorative holders. These holders can also double up as holders for candles made using some vegetable oil and a wick. Some department stores will sell these decorative holders, with larger UK supermarkets often having them available during festivals such as Diwali. Candles always bring a warmth and homeliness with them, and the light they emit is great for creating mood and atmosphere. Larger lanterns make great outdoor decorations, whether they’re tea light-powered or mains-supplied. A good electrician should be able to set you up with an outdoor circuit so that you can enjoy outdoor lantern light all-year-round.

Find out what you need to know to light your home with candles.

Wooden it be good?

Dark-framed wooden furniture is a feature of many stylish Indian homes and this look is very popular in modern homes there at the moment, with wood-framed sofas on sale in upmarket stores. This is an easy look to replicate at home, but even more stylish are the Jali screens, which are wooden room or window screens with delicate cut-out patterns. The larger Jali screens can be used to divide rooms and create zones in your rooms, closing off a home office space, for example. You can import these direct from India or find one of the many UK businesses who make reproductions here.

Fabric of life

India’s distinctive modes of dress are famous across the globe, but the fabric that goes into creating a sari can also be used for decorative purposes around the home. You can pick up lengths of cloth if you have an Indian fabric shop in a city near you and these can often be found at bargain prices if you shop around. You may also be able to repurpose second hand saris or bright Indian clothing you find in charity shops. The brightly-coloured cloth can be used as a throw, or even stretched over board to create squares of colour for your walls. Check out the rich colours at work above for some colour inspiration.

Be graphic

India’s native graphic design is just starting to be appreciated on home soil, with shops (think Not On The High Street) selling items emblazoned with classic Indian signwriting popping up in cities across the country. There has even been a film made about the famous ‘OK HORN PLEASE’ slogan that is hand-painted on the back of most trucks and lorries across India.

Young designers are now recognising the importance of this style and drawing inspiration from it for home furnishings and artwork that features everything from tiffin tins to auto-rickshaws. Look out for design and prints in Indian shops in the UK, or order direct from businesses such as Kulture Shop.

Find more ideas inspired by Indian home design.

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Everyday items are becoming more hi-tech but for a clever smart home, ditch the gimmicks and invest in improvements that’ll make a difference to your pocket as well as your lifestyle.

Build your own smart system

Smart thermostats allow you to turn your heating on and off remotely and set schedules using a smartphone. Several of them, such as Hive, Nest and Tado, learn your habits, know when you’re on your way home and switch the heating on for you or adjust to suit the weather. As well as being convenient, not heating your home when you don’t have to will save you money. You can control the temperature remotely if you’re running late and they’ll show you how much heating your home costs.

Image source: Hive

The Energy Saving Trust estimate that a family can save around £85 a year* for each degree the thermostat is turned down (if you’ve yet to get a smart thermostat, you can still turn your normal thermostat down a degree and pop on a jumper). If you’re not sure which thermostat will suit your current system, speak to a heating engineer for advice.

Several smart thermostats go one step further with other remotely controlled extras, so you can build a bespoke system. These include door and window sensors, plugs that can switch appliances on and off (great for anything from lamps to slow cookers) and lightbulbs that can be dimmed, change colour and be set to schedules. Switching off appliances and chargers and avoiding standby mode, together with switching off lights when you don’t need them also helps you save.

Find out how you can save more money on heating bills, including avoiding common home heating mistakes.

Save water and energy

There’s more to saving water at home than aerator taps and a WC cistern displacer – the latest smart products can help. Some will also save energy. For example, a digital shower allows you to control the flow and warmth of the water, so you won’t waste litres down the plughole while you’re waiting for it to warm up or adjusting the temperature. This Crosswater model can also be operated remotely and changes colour when it reaches the right temperature.

Image source: Crosswater

For the water you might not know you’re wasting, there’s Roost – a smart water and freeze detector that senses water leaks, humidity and freezing that sends alerts to your phone about potential problems, allowing you to catch them before a minor repair turns into a major one. Your local plumber will be able to help in either case.

Image source: Roost

Automate your appliances

An increasing amount of WiFi-enabled kitchen kit can be controlled by apps, such as Hoover’s Wizard appliance range. Beyond being able to check on dinner in the oven while you’re watching TV or being alerted that the fridge door is open, many appliances help you to be more energy efficient, offering usage reports or recommending settings. For example, Candy’s Smart Touch washing machine uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to send and receive data from a smart phone. Using the app, it’ll help you choose the most efficient or cost-effective setting, then tap your phone on the machine to connect and begin the cycle. You can also download new washing cycles and run diagnostic ‘health checks’ to make sure it’s working as it should.

Image source: Candy

Let there be light

Lighting accounts for about 18% of a typical household electricity bill so switching off lights will help you save. The latest LED bulbs use less but even leaving them on for hours more than you need can mount up over an average year. Standalone smart lightbulbs, and some light strips, are dimmable and can be controlled remotely by an app, so you can switch them on and off wherever you are and set schedules. Which is great for not coming home to a dark house or having to leave the lights on all day. Philips Hue and Lifx lights can also change colour. For a more affordable option, look out for Ikea’s new range of smart lighting launching later this year (April).

Image source: Lifx

*http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/energy-saving-quick-wins

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The bi-fold door craze, which has washed over the UK like a great wave over the past few years, has had a dramatic effect on outdoor design. These days, side returns feature wide, bright doors that open up onto patios, gardens or decking. Never before have we had so much access to our outside areas.

With such seamless transition between indoor and outdoor now available, it makes sense to furnish your outdoor space properly. The rule is that it should be in keeping with the same styles you aspire to in the home. Indoor and outdoor design aren’t separate but symbiotic: the garden and the home can work in unity all year round.

The days of forgotten, limp gardens filled with cobwebbed deckchairs are over. The British are now al fresco people, so it’s time to connect outdoor spaces with the rest of the home.

Pergolas

Shade is important in a garden, but parasols become dirty far too quickly and tend to take up too much view and space. A better option is to create a smaller, more intimate space with a pergola. A pergola is a outdoor structure made of beams and posts, usually fixed onto a patio. You can also get metal pergolas, for a more contemporary feel.

Pergolas can be used to make:

• An outdoor entertainment, kitchen or dining area: Place outdoor seating underneath a pergola with a remote-controlled retractable canopy or awning, to protect yourself and your guests from the sun or rain whilst you relax. Plus, you’ll add £4,286 to your home’s value by creating an outdoor entertainment area, according to The Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2021.
• A shaded space for plants: Potted plants can be kept under the cover of the pergola, whilst climbing plants can flourish on the beams.

Find a local builder and get a pergola for those long summer days just around the corner. Get a free quote now!

Outdoor design

A successfully furnished garden shouldn’t look excessively neat or manufactured. In fact, overly worked outdoor spaces tend to look outdated.

Think beyond the traditional garden furniture set (matching chairs and table) and create a patchwork of beautiful items instead. A white marble table, for example, can look wonderful with some wooden chairs painted and protected in different colours. The garden is obviously a mostly green space, so bear that in mind when choosing furniture colour.

Invest in high quality, durable garden chairs and tables that would look right at home in your living room. If you wouldn’t use it inside, don’t buy it for the garden.

Outdoor armchairs are particularly on trend, with teak wood and hard-knotted rope making good material choices. The lasting influence of Eames Chairs are being felt outside too, with chairs coming in more open, curved and relaxed shapes. Just remember, upkeep is crucial.

Loungers, if really desired, should be discreet. Ornate wicker furniture should be avoided altogether.

A local gardener can help you figure out the best design and layout for your garden. Get a quote now and make your garden an extension of your home!

Heat and shade

The temperature in your garden is rarely ‘just right’, so it pays to have some heating and shade available.

Fire pits, braziers and chimeneas are fantastic choices – if they look contemporary. There are some wonderful stainless steel choices out there that make clay heaters look incredibly passé. Many take their inspiration from contemporary Scandinavian wood burners.

Find natural shade in your garden and set up furniture there. You can add a canopy with UV sun protection for extra safety.

Lighting

Soft lighting is just as important outdoors as it is inside. No one wants to sit outside under the glare of harsh lighting, which also attracts bugs, but if you go too soft then you risk being overly atmospheric. Guests want to be able to see their food!

• Candles in lanterns: Well-placed candles provide enough garden light while emphasising certain choice trees or bushes. Add more natural lighting by using a fire pit or brazier as a main source of brightness.
• Artificial lighting: A stand-out fitting, such as a starburst wall light, can become a real focal point. Fairy lights are suitable too, but only if used with restraint.

• Warm lighting in the room adjacent to the garden: Well-placed and generous – but not overbearing – indoor lights throw a lovely glow on your garden. So, consider replacing harsh bulbs with softer, more retro ones that will bathe your outside space in an orangey glow. Doing so will save you money on outdoor lighting and further break down the barrier between inside and outside space.

Looking for an electrician? Find a vetted tradesperson right now on Rated People.

The post Pergolas, garden lighting and other outdoor design ideas appeared first on Rated People Blog.

The one thing homeowners prize above everything else is good lighting. Whenever I’ve shown anybody around a home, it’s the first thing they comment on. Whether you’re thinking of selling up now or in the future, getting your lighting right adds value to your home. Not only that, it’ll make living at home much more enjoyable!

Adding value to your home with lighting

Most of us have a ceiling light, known as a centre light, but while it’s great for leaving you with a large amount of light in one place, it’s not so good for helping you perform tasks like reading because of the shadows that it casts. You’re far better off using wall lights because they light from behind instead. It’s a good idea to have a mix of downlighters, uplighters and lamps around the home to focus light where it’s needed but keep the main centre light for a decent all-rounder. Lamps are particularly good if you move your furniture around a lot because they can be easily moved to accommodate.

My advice would be to avoid spotlights if you can help it. They work well when fitted whilst your home is getting built, but become more complex to install retrospectively. They’re also not as cheap as you might expect.

LED lights are a far better option and you’ll get more use out of them. Put them in smaller spaces like cupboards under the stairs and they’ll last for ages. The bathroom is one of the most important areas to get right and LED lights can come into their own here. They don’t heat up and they’re waterproof, giving you top marks for safety in an area that comes into frequent contact with water.

If you do change your bathroom lights, make sure you consult an electrician to check your building regulations compliance. Each light has an ingress protection (IP) rating which guides you towards its suitability in different zones of the bathroom. The higher the IP rating, the more protection the light offers. For instance, zone 0 (the interior of the bath tub or shower basin) requires an IP rating of at least 7 whereas zone 2 (within 0.6m of the outside edge of the bath or shower) needs a rating of 4.

Fittings on leads are a no-no and you can’t drag a tall lamp from the room next door. I’ve heard of people plugging their old radios into a socket in their bedroom and bringing them into the bathroom too. It’s the same principle – electrics and water don’t mix!

If you want to make one positive lighting change, make it the hallway. It’s the first space you come to and it plays a big part in setting that first impression of the inside of your home.  Pendant lights set off high ceilings but low level lighting along walls and up staircases also work well. I’m a big fan of low lighting; it makes walking around your house at night much easier!

If you’ve got your lighting just right, you’ll know. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that brightness is everything – often the brightest lights are harsh and gaudy and while they bring a fairground to life, they look out of place in a home setting. Once you move away from lighting the room in one wash of colour, you’ll be on the right track. Divide each room mentally and think about how you use each room in different ways. You might have a computer or laptop on a desk in your bedroom or you might like to read in the evening. Different tasks have different lighting needs.

If you’re really unsure, you could have a professional come and assess your lighting for you. A good lighting designer will make a lighting chart to make sure that the electrics are on point.

Best,
PHIL

If you need help installing new lighting, post your job on Rated People. You’ll be able to view tradespeople profiles, complete with previous customer recommendations, to help you decide who to hire.

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Time was when your kitchen’s lighting would have consisted of a fluoro strip overhead and maybe a few halogen bars under the cupboards if you were lucky, giving most food an eerie yellow tinge. Fine for sweetcorn-based diets but not much else. Thankfully, things have moved on a bit and now the lighting you choose for your design can be considered almost as important as the kitchen’s doors or worktops, both in terms of practicality and good looks. The best lighting schemes not only make it easier to see what you’re doing while you prepare food and cook, they also help you to find what you’re looking for inside cabinets, add layers of atmosphere and highlight beautiful details. What’s not to love?

It’s what inside that counts

How many times have you rummaged around at the back of a cupboard or drawer, trying to find the one pan or lid that might not be there? Good internal storage is key but so is an effective light source. The latest pull-outs come with optional LEDs that switch on as you open the drawer, so you can see what’s inside at a glance. Then simply close to turn them off.

Image Source: Nolte Kitchens 

Brighten up your cooking with LED strips

The other practical place to put kitchen lighting is in a position where it shines on your worktops – and here’s where LED strips below shelving and undercabinet solutions come into their own. It’s easy to think of this kind of lighting as extra but it’s actually essential – relying on ceiling spotlights may mean you end up trying to prepare food in your own shadow.

Image Source: Stuart Frazer

If you have a space without any shelving or cabinets, a glass splashback with lights behind it is also a good option. They can be used to highlight the glass itself to create a decorative feature too, drawing attention to it if it’s crackled, multi-coloured or a bespoke design.

Image Source: Stewart Carr design Ltd

Get creative with your kitchen lighting

The source of your lighting can be a design feature in its own right. Wall lights around a dining area add impact, as does a striking extractor above a hob (also a source of useful task lighting). Pendants over a breakfast bar are another favourite – just remember to hang them in odd numbers so that there’s always a central focal point.

So far, so artificial. What about natural light? Large windows, if you have them, are fantastic for letting daylight flood in but even if that’s not an option, there are other design tricks which you can try. Mirrored glass (splashbacks, island cladding or simply a wall-hung mirror) facing windows will double up your natural light quota as will reflective glossy surfaces. Plus, if your kitchen is in a purpose-built extension, you have the option of sun tunnels, skylights and glass roofs to let the light in above your design.

Image Source: Sola Kitchens

Highlight your kitchen design

Much like the Mona Lisa in a dark room, a poorly lit kitchen can be as beautiful as you like but it doesn’t really matter if no one can see it. Think about adding light in a variety of places besides where you need it. Along cornicing or plinths is one route, the latter not only drawing the eye to a sleek kickplate but also creating the impression that the furniture above is floating. It’ll also reflect onto the floor, perfect if you’ve chosen a beautifully veined stone or a tile with a little extra sparkle.

At Rated People you can find recommended kitchen specialists, electricians and window fitters to help you maximise your kitchen lighting. Get quotes for your project from local tradespeople by simply posting your job for free.

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