Three Ways To Update Your Lounge For Winter

The end of summer is always bittersweet – it means no more outdoor dining, putting away the BBQ and retiring summer clothes to a suitcase in favour of chunky knits, hats and scarves. From a design perspective though, the arrival of the new season also means the perfect opportunity to try a new look and embrace a whole new colour palette tailored to the rich hues of autumn and winter.

When the sun’s shining none of us feel like hauling out the ladders, paint brushes and dust sheets to take on a big DIY project but after holidays and with the arrival of shorter days, cooler temperatures and darker nights, there’s no excuse not to get stuck in to a mini revamp. Of course, September also means the Christmas countdown will soon begin and for those expecting to host family and friends over the festive period, preparation is everything.

A new look for a lounge doesn’t have to cost a fortune and a totally different space can be created with a few simple updates. Try these ideas for size…

1. Invest in one statement piece of furniture

The kitchen may hold the official title of heart of the home but the lounge is where most people will spend their winter evenings, relaxing with friends, a good book or DVD. The sofa by default is the focal point of most lounges. Most fabric sofas will look tired and start to sag after a few years of regular use so updating to a genuine leather sofa for winter will make a real style statement. Longer lasting than fabric, a real leather sofa is an investment piece that will improve with age. It will also be able to withstand the pressures of busy Christmas gatherings and should anything be spilled on it, can be wiped off with a cloth without any of the staining suffered by fabric pieces.

Choosing a two or three seat leather sofa as part of a new look can instantly transform a space and will work equally well in both modern and traditional environments. Picking a brown or black leather will also leave room for future revamps as it will sit well with most colour schemes and can be instantly updated with the addition of fresh new cushions or throws.

2. Consider a statement wall

Even if your sartorial tastes run more to a neutral pallet, a single statement wall will provide a focal point and can tie your whole colour scheme together. Statement walls are easily achieved with a pot of paint or few rows of wallpaper.

They are also an ideal compromise when different taste are vying for supremacy in the household – keep the rest of the walls plain but opt for a pattern on the statement wall or, mix light and dark with a single splash of colour making a statement against a starker backdrop to keep everyone happy.

Any colour or pattern goes with a statement wall, provided that it is confined to that one space. To unify with the rest of the room and create a seamless space, use matching throws and cushions on the newly purchased leather sofa and invest in a rug in the same hue.

3. Picture Perfect

Strategically placed pieces of art and photos can personalise a space. A huge range of picture frames are available on the high street and in DIY stores, in all shapes, sizes, colours and finishes perfect for adding a quirky finishing touch.

If you prefer pictures to photos, most art colleges have regular shows to display student works. These are treasure troves of unusual pieces and you’ll be sure of getting a one off piece as well as supporting up and coming art students.

For more ideas and to browse a range of genuine leather sofas and buy online, visit http://www.leathersofasonline.co.uk

Choose The Montreux For Manoeuvrability

One of the most common complaints levelled at newer build houses, flats and apartments is the lack of space compared with houses of an older construction. Whatever the state of the housing market, the reality for many is that smaller dimensions, narrower hallways and more compact living spaces are a feature of most modern homes.

Around the UK, apartment living is also growing in popularity and many new developments offer the choice of traditional homes or chic and stylish apartments for convenient city-style living in both urban metropolises and tranquil country settings. The rise in continental style abodes makes for one serious problem for tenants though – that of getting furnishings and possessions up flights of stairs and down narrow hallways.

Making use of the smaller spaces in an apartment can be a real headache for those moving into a new build for the first time. Many key furniture pieces such as tables, chairs, beds and sofas simply aren’t designed to be transported via corridors and stairwells to first or second floor apartments. Once there, navigating hallways can also be a cause of much frustration.

Fortunately, real leather sofas retailer Leather Sofas Online provides a way to enjoy chic apartment living without compromising on style with its Montreux sofa. It has been purposefully designed to be manoeuvred easily through the tight spaces typical of apartment building accesses points.

Its unique construction aside, the Montreux leather sofa – available in both two and three seat designs- is supremely stylish, making it a focal point in any room. As with a number of the leather sofas by LeatherSofasOnline.co.uk it is based on an original French design which can be dated back to the 1930s. Found in a Parisian flea market and then recreated and reinterpreted for the modern age, the Montreux meets all UK fire safety standards and is covered with leather treated with a special hardwearing finish guaranteed to only improve with age.

Both the two seat and three seat Montreux leather sofas are currently discounted, reduced from £899 to £499 and £999 to £699 respectively.

To browse a range of genuine leather sofas and buy online, visit http://www.leathersofasonline.co.uk

Don’t Improve To Move, Just Improve Advises Leather Sofas Retailer

The July Nationwide Property Index has just been released but, despite a 4.7% increase in average house prices since the start of the year, the lender has described the property market as ‘static’. The building society points to a stalemate between buyers and sellers, with sellers putting a premium on the price of their property and buyers unwilling to pay over the odds whilst also struggling to secure a mortgage without a sizeable deposit already in place.

The solution it seems is simply to stay put. But, that also throws up more dilemmas with experts suggesting that the ‘improve to move’ trend could simply be a waste of money. A typical loft conversion for example costs an average of £20,000 but only adds a few thousand pounds to the value of the home in the eyes of the buyer. Making simple changes to update the look and feel of the home without spending money unnecessarily is the way to have the best of both worlds, advise real leather sofas experts, Leather Sofas Online. The online retailer stocks genuine leather sofas in a choice of lustrous shades, as well as leather armchairs and design classics. Its top tips for making an old home feel like new are:

1. Buy a new statement piece of furniture such as a brown leather sofa to form the centrepiece of the room. A leather sofa is preferable to a fabric one as it will age gracefully so can be moved to a new home if a property purchase is successful and still look fresh. Real leather sofas are also easier to clean as they can simply be dusted or cleaned with a leather wipe, which will prolong the new home feeling. Fabric sofas are susceptible to stains, dust mites and sagging as well as being more vulnerable to rips and tears so it can soon feel like you need another update.

2. Having picked your new real leather sofa, consider adding a statement wall in the same room. A splash of colour works well on the walls if the sofa is of a neutral shade and vice versa. Patterned wallpaper can also be used if you don’t fancy painting. There is no need to stick to the same colour palette but tie the look together with cushions and soft furnishings such as a throw in the same shade as the wall.

Research suggests that muted tones lead to greater success if you plan on showing the house to would-be buyers as creams, whites and beiges act as a blank canvas. The act of reducing your own colour preference means buyers can see the house as a blank canvas and imagine their own possessions and favourite colours in the space.

3. If you have a bigger budget and want an investment that may help sell the house when the market picks up, consider swapping existing carpets for a real wooden floor. The look can be switched between modern and contemporary and constantly evolve with the simple act of adding a different rug to the space. Wooden floors also look great with leather sofas and are preferable to carpeting for some buyers.

Wooden or laminate flooring is better for those with asthma or allergies as it doesn’t carpets trap dust mites and pet hairs as carpet can. Stains and spills are also more easily cleaned on wooden floors, which will help to keep the property appearing clean and in a good state of repair for prospective buyers. When you’re tired of the look, introduce a different rug or runner to create a totally new room.

To browse a range of genuine leather sofas and buy online, visit http://www.leathersofasonline.co.uk