Much has been said about the mixing of patterns and textures in textiles and fabrics – the common voice resulting in a resounding ‘don’t do it!’ However, over recent years boundaries have been pushed back and stretched to accommodate tastes and styles deemed more avant-garde and creative, and much to the amazement (and possible chagrin) of the pattern purists, usually with positive results.

A pattern is the repetition of a theme, for example, stripes, zigzags, polka-dots, and the proper use of pattern in interior design can transform a room from plain and uninteresting to a stunning work of art.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to pattern combination. What works in your friend’s room might not work in yours, so feel free to throw caution to the wind and let your creativity wander – albeit on a leash. Mixing patterns is totally fine and appropriate; however, it’s best to start off with small changes. Attempting to mix too many patterns in one room will overwhelm you and result in overkill.

Perspective plays a big part when it comes to patterns; vertical lines will add height to a room, so keep this in mind if you’ve got low ceilings. Meanwhile horizontal lines will make the room look wider, so it’s the ideal perspective trick for small, poky rooms.

The size and scale of the pattern will make a huge difference to the look of the room. If your room is small, keep your patterns simplistic as heavy, busy patterns can make the room look. A larger room however, will be able to take more complex patterns helping to break up the space and give the room more personality.

Search for inspiration everywhere. You could spot something that grabs your fancy in the unlikeliest place so keep your eyes open, from design shops and interior design magazines to larger scale places like hotels. Keep picture cuttings of rooms that you like and where possible ask for samples of materials and textiles to gather a treasure trove of patterns and see how they look side by side.

Including patterns in your room need not be an expensive process. Start off with the small things like cushions, throws and rugs. If you can’t find them ready-made, then look for material in the texture and pattern that you want and commission them, or make them yourself if you’re handy with a needle and thread. By fully immersing yourself in the project the end result will be truly satisfying. Eventually you might want to take on the larger features in the room and change the curtains and the sofa to further enhance the design, possibly even the wall colour!

If you do decide to apply pattern to the wall choose the largest wall in the room to make it the feature wall. However, it’s best if the wall is not interrupted by windows or doors so that the pattern will not be disconnected.

When dealing with patterns there is a delicate balance in play so there needs to be a large area of plain textile in the room to counter the design. This could be the wall, the curtains and/or a sofa. Interjections of plain colour throughout the room will also help to create harmony between the pattern and the plain.

Although different patterns can work well together they need to have a common factor which is usually their colour. You could have a blue sofa with several cushions of different patterns on it that work well because they are colour co-ordinated. Mix stripes with spots with gingham with damask, just keep the same colour palette.

It’s important to take a sample of your base colour and fabric with you when looking for other materials to combine. Remember that there are varying shades of all colours and only when you lay them near each other will you see whether they clash or complement.

Another way of adding pattern is having textured features. A shaggy plain-coloured rug will add to a pattern; so will sequined cushions, embroidery, and even wicker chairs. Although they might have one colour, texture affects colour as rough textures will absorb light while smooth textures reflect it, so colour combination plays a part in this too.

You’ll probably find different pieces of advice about how to incorporate patterns in your room and this lack of hard and fast rules means that there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Just follow the advice that is closest to your personal tastes and use those rules as a guide. Ultimately your space needs to reflect your tastes and personality so be sure to enjoy the process of creating your perfectly patterned home.

Tips

• Keep the background colours the same when coordinating patterns
• Repeat colours in each pattern
• Include a mix of pattern sizes according to the size of the room
• Add plain or textured fabrics for more interest

Published in HOMES & DESIGN, The Sunday Times – 2011

Much has been said and written about the differences between men and women from their multi-tasking abilities to their culinary skills, however, one of the greatest differences probably lies in the way they view shoes!

Most men would have an average of five pairs of shoes to their name – a smart black pair, a smart brown pair, a white pair of sports shoes, a black pair of sports shoes and a pair of summer sandals or flip-flops. This gamut usually suffices all their footwear needs.

So when they see a women’s range of footwear it’s no wonder that their mouths drop open in disbelief at the sheer range and selection on offer. Flat shoes, heeled sandals, heeled boots, sports shoes in different colours, closed toe court shoes, open toe court shoes – the list is endless and yet, every woman will claim that each pair was purchased out of a need to match a particular outfit or be appropriate for a special occasion. No pair of shoes is ever extra; however, when one owns enough shoes to open their own boutique shoe shop, storing them can be an issue.

Many people remove their shoes at the front door so as not to drag in any dirt from the street; leaving a couple of pairs of shoes there would be acceptable but it’s not a long term solution for someone who owns more than 10 pairs of shoes – and really, who doesn’t?!

So where can you store your carefully selected and much loved footwear?

The easiest option would be to keep them in the vicinity of your clothes so that everything is at hand. If you’ve got space available in your wardrobe or in a separate cupboard, ensure that all your footwear has its own shoe box so that they won’t get squashed or ruined, then stack the boxes, putting the shoes that you wear the least often at the bottom and those which you wear regularly at the top. You can also arrange them according to season. In order for you to remember which shoes are in which box you can either label the boxes in black marker with a description of what’s inside, or alternatively, take a photo of each pair of shoes with a digital camera (or a Polaroid if you’re lucky enough to have one available), then print out the photos on your printer (the quality doesn’t have to be great, you just need to recognise the shoes) and affix each picture to its corresponding shoe box.

If this sounds like a hassle that you’d rather not go through, ditch the old shoe boxes that you get from the shop and invest in clear storage boxes (similar to Tupperware containers) which are big enough to fit your shoes. With this method you can clearly see your shoes, plus if you buy same-sized boxes they’ll be a lot easier to stack. If you can’t find clear storage boxes in a local DIY shop, they’re easily available over the Internet.

Another great space saving solution is a behind-the-door rack. Wall space and floor space are often precious commodities that we already don’t have enough of without having to add shoe cupboards to the equation; but there is that air space behind each door that can be put to perfectly good use. Over-the-door shoe racks hinge on the door and provide you with plenty of room to stack all your shoes (whether heels or flats) without taking up valued space. Again, I’m not sure whether these are available locally unfortunately, but a quick online search will provide you with good results.

The space under the bed also makes for great storage space. Using the same concept of the clear storage boxes mentioned beforehand, you can find large clear storage boxes on wheels that are wide but not too deep which can easily roll under the average bed. Simply place your shoes side by side in this container and roll it away. You could even consider having two containers and dividing the shoes by season.

If you’re proud of your shoe collection and want to show them off then how about a shoe storage solution that’s slightly quirky? Get a tall step ladder (those that open into an inverted V), place it anywhere in the room and balance your shoes on it. You can personalise this by painting the ladder in a bright colour, or painting each rung a different colour and matching the shoes to that particular rung. Let your imagination run wild! This solution would be best for tall people, but shorter ladders can also be used for the more vertically challenged.

Whether you store your shoes in large wicker baskets or paired up on shelving units, it’s important to clean them first and ensure that they’re stored in a dry place to avoid them getting ruined. Brush off any loose dirt that may have gathered using a brush or dust cloth and place a shape holder or shoe tree inside each shoe so that they retain their shape. Plain tissue paper will also suffice if you have too many pairs of shoes to have shoe trees for all!

Tips

• Shoe cupboards are available in furniture shops and provide proper shoe storage space
• Always store shoes in pairs and label the boxes clearly
• If you’re storing shoes outside of a cupboard ensure that the room is dry
• Always clean shoes before storing them
• If storage racks aren’t available locally, you could probably get them easily online

Despite our pleasant, sunny climate which we exploit to its full potential in an effort to entice tourists to our islands, the high temperatures coupled with high humidity levels don’t make for the best conditions when it comes to our houses.

Mould is a common enemy that appears in the form on unsightly black patches on our walls and ceilings and if left untreated can lead to serious consequences, both for the health of the property and for your own health.

Mould is a fungal growth that can usually be found in dark, damp or steam filled rooms such as the bathroom, kitchen or laundry room; however, it could also affect cluttered storage spaces, recently flooded areas, basements, plumbing spaces and areas with poor ventilation.

Allowing mould to spread on your walls and ceilings will damage the paint and stone work apart from staining the wall, however, worse still is that it could lead to health issues and mould allergies. symptoms include water, itchy eyes, chronic cough, headaches, breathing difficulties, rashes, tiredness, sinus problems, nasal blockages and frequent sneezing.

In order to prevent mould from growing in your home and reduce the risk of mould contamination start by taking precautions and eliminating areas where it could grow.

Mould occurs as a result of moisture in the atmosphere condensing onto cold surfaces, so the basic rules of preventing mould are: produce less moisture, ventilate well to reduce moisture and insulate and heat your home.

Wipe away any moisture on your windows and walls to keep the inside of your house dry. This is especially important in rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms which are prone to damp atmospheres. Always use exhaust fans in these rooms where possible; if these are not available open the windows for a short time to re-circulate the air. Don’t leave windows open for too long if the outdoor air is damp though, as this will not help dry the inside, but can actually spread the moisture to other parts of your house.

It’s best to dry clothes outside to prevent excess water being absorbed into the room, but when this isn’t possible and you have to air them inside always have the door closed and a window wide open. Even when using a tumble dryer you’ll need to keep a window open to vent outside of the room, otherwise moisture will build up on ceilings and walls leaving everything in the room damp.

Surprisingly enough even indoor plants can contribute to the build up mould in the house. Keep indoor plants to a minimum, don’t over-water them and keep a look out for any mould that may start to grow in the pots.

Another common household feature that can contribute to the build up of mould are clothes and clutter.Never to store clothes that are damp and get rid of any clutter as mould can grow on fabrics, paper, wood and almost any surface that collects dust and holds moisture.

Damp and moisture can also be dealt with by using a dehumidifier. Remember to always empty its container to keep it working at its optimum level so only use this method when you are in the property. If you are away from your house for a while you might want to try a more eco-friendly measure by leaving big bowls of salt  in each room which will act as an absorbing agent for any moisture that there is in the air. Once you return, simply dry out the salt in the sun and they can be used again. Easy, efficient and energy-saving!

Improving ventilation and lighting by opening windows and doors will achieve cross-flow ventilation throughout the building which will help as you are relying on the drying effect of the cooling air. It’s the same reasoning as to why you hang your laundry out to dry on a sunny, windy day. However, by doing this you are also allowing air with high moisture levels to enter the property which will lead to humidity and therefore mould, so this method should not be used within a property that is not lived in.

By maintaining the indoor relative humidity at around 50% in summer and 30% in winter you’re helping to create an atmosphere that hinders moisture from absorbing in the air. Use an air conditioning unit or dehumidifier in order to reduce and control the relative humidity.

Insulate your home and keep it warm to help control condensation, seal all sinks and bath tubs to prevent water from seeping into the walls, keep any gutters clean of debris to avoid the clogging up water and always repair any leaks or drips immediately. If you allow moisture to ground itself, mould isn’t far behind, so it’s always best to take preventive measures.

We’ve gone through a number of ways in which you can avoid moisture and mould from attacking your house, however if it’s already too late and mould is now living with you, there are ways to remove it.

Tackle the problem of mould as soon as you notice it; the earlier you deal with it, the easier it is. First wash off the mould with a clean sponge using a mixture of bleach and water. Keep the room well ventilated while you are doing this. Do not try to brush off the mould area as this could release spores into the air which can spread the mould further and have adverse health effects. Once you’re rid of the mould ensure that the room is dried out properly and if need be repaint.

Tips:

• Ensure that any incoming water has an outlet to drain to the outside
• Run a dehumidifier (on a timer where possible)
• Improve ventilation and lighting in the property
• Dry your clothes and shoes before putting them away
• Always deal with mould as soon as you notice it

Published in HOMES & DESIGN, The Sunday Times – 2011

Beauty. Truth. Freedom. Love. Moulin Rouge captured the soul of Paris with those four simple, yet very meaningful, words. For most people the idea of Paris evokes thoughts of romance, glamour, chic, culture and style and who doesn’t want to encompass this feeling and ambiance into their home?

Although your apartment might not have a small balcony that overlooks the River Seine where you can sip your morning coffee while eating a croissant, with the Eiffel Tower providing a magnificent view in the background, there’s no reason why the interior of your home can’t resemble a Parisian apartment.

Parisian interior design is a very sophisticated blend of sleek modern furniture with traditional antique pieces that results in a look depicting enchantment, beauty, panache, style and luxury.

Colour
Colours must have an intense and luxurious feel to them. Choose rich jewel colours like emerald green, crimson, and royal blues which should then be accented with black, white, and gold, for your upholstery, curtains, cushions, rugs, carpets and even walls. If coloured walls aren’t your thing, opt for wallpaper that has a sophisticated design like damask.

Black is the accent colour and a unifying element in Parisian rooms; however, it must be introduced in a way that will not darken the room. Find painted wood furniture, picture frames, fabrics, lampshades and accessories in black or with black trim that will add just a touch of the colour.

Gold is also an important colour for this look, though yet again, this should be done with decorative accents so as not to end up with the Midas touch. Burnished gilt touches will accent architectural details and carvings on furniture helping to add touches of colours while enhancing the pieces in the room.

Soft Furnishings
Parisian chic equates to good taste and sophistication; however, it also needs to look lived in. It’s not the clean, modern lines of millennium decor; it is touches of gilt, silk and damask dressings, rich carpets and large chandeliers. Think bold, curvy, feminine pieces that will leave you awe-struck by its glamour when you walk into the room.

Using layers can add texture and opulence to a room which helps to convey the Parisian chic message of style and beauty. Choose materials like velvet, damask, brocade, lustrous silks, and traditional toile and then add luxurious pieces like tassels, cording, fringes, beading and other details. Textured linen, weathered leather, paisley designs, and bold stripes can all be used (wisely) to achieve Parisian chic. Beautiful, intricate florals are another huge part of the style. Flowing, beautiful, feminine and sultry is the look to go for; sixties-style flower power material will definitely not cut it!

Here’s a tip to make your apertures look larger: If your balcony doors or windows aren’t very high, you can always cheat the eye by hanging a pelmet several inches above the actual door frame so that the curtains will be longer thus making the door appear taller and more elegant. When you’re decorating with heavy, lush fabrics such as velvet then you want to augment space and size.

Furniture
Furniture and accessories should have time-worn elegance and a vintage look. Adding one-of-a-kind vintage pieces brings character to your rooms. Achieve this by adding chairs, tables, and armoires painted in black or cream bearing golden accents that are distressed and crackled, giving the wood an aged look. They’ll blend beautifully with the rich, shimmering silks and luxurious brocades and velvets that adorn your doors and interiors.

Replace traditional furniture pieces with interesting and unique replacements such as a large ottoman covered in rich fabric instead of a coffee table. If the room is large enough, consider adding a small iron bench or bistro table and chairs that are intricately designed and will provide a focal point to the room.

Don’t try to match the elements in your room. Furniture and accessories should look old and used, but definitely not shabby.

If you’re decorating your bedroom in Parisian chic then your dressing table is where it’s at. Think luxurious and decadent, dressing it with silk, mirrors, and voluminous ruffles while adorning the top with vintage accessories, frames and beautiful perfume bottles.

Finishing the Look
To really bring Paris into your house, accessorize using either large posters of French landmarks, or even better, vintage posters of French nightspots. Hang up French signs, large train station clocks, and any scenes of France, Paris, or the Eiffel Tower. If you can find paintings, etchings, old black and white postcards, or sepia-toned photos of anything French, grab it and use it. If you’ve been to Disneyland Paris you can even incorporate your photos by having them printed out in black and white and creating a collage.

Parisian chic is flamboyant, yet tasteful; original, yet contained; above all it’s expensive-looking, though not necessarily pricey. This is your opportunity to seek out small, second-hand shops, antique shops, vintage stores, car boot sales, flea markets, parish bazaars – anywhere that sells old pieces which are either in great condition or can be modified. The trick is to mix old with new, so while you can definitely buy a new chandelier in a striking black colour, also look for an antique curve-legged table with marble top will help to achieve the desired look.

Only attempt Parisian chic if you’re ready to put your heart and soul into it and are ready to embrace the spirit of unbridled luxury that this style embodies. Parisian chic cannot be done in dribs and drabs; you need to be gutsy, flamboyant and ready for an ooh la la change!

There are some people who, whenever they pass by, leave you with an alluring wonderful whiff of sweet-smelling aroma that makes you turn your head and inhale deeply to savour the smell. Unfortunately there are also those whose smell leaves you wrinkling your nose in disgust while trying to hold your breath without gagging or dying in the process.

Just as a sweet-smelling person makes for a pleasant experience, so does a sweet-smelling house. There’s nothing lovelier than entering a house that has a welcoming, pleasing smell to it. It helps to make one feel at ease and want to spend time in the place because the atmosphere warrants a positive attitude.

Our sense of smell is a strong indicator and sensor of what we like and what we don’t like and is usually strongly linked to our memory. Certain smells will evoke memories from the past; whether it’s a perfume, the aroma of a home-cooked meal or the smell of fresh grass after a thunderstorm, our olfactory system can remind us of certain events based purely on a smell. This is true even of people as I always observe that over time people tend to develop a certain smell that can be associated with them; for example, my grandmother always had a fresh, clean smell of Yardley talcum powder and that smell resonates with her memory.

In the same vein, houses also tend to develop a certain smell that can be associated with them, so it’s important to ensure that the smell that lingers is fragrant, not a stench.

There are several ways in which you can make your home smell good, some more natural than others, all dependant on the kind of smell that you enjoy.

The foundation of a sweet-smelling home is cleanliness; if your house isn’t clean then any smells that you purposely add will mix in with the stale smell of an unwashed house that lingers in the air. When cleaning your house you may choose to use scented cleaners such as pine or lemon which leave your floor smelling fresh and of a pinewood forest or a citrus grove. These products are effective; however, it’s important to use them in moderation as they can be rather pungent and overwhelming the house with a lemon smell is not the sweet-smelling solution that was intended.

Commercial plug-in air fresheners are also an easy and convenient way of sprucing up the smell of your home and with a large variety of odours to choose from, you can either stick to your favourite one or change the smell each time the odourizer finishes to always have a different sweet-smelling home. Again, these smells can be overpowering if over-used so switching the freshener on for a couple of hours at a time should suffice to maintain a constant fragrance.

Scented candles are such a wonderful invention! They’re so multi-functional, because not only do they make your house smell nice, they’re also pretty to look at and make for great presents. Whether you want your home to smell of vanilla essence, cranberry chutney or autumn spice, the scented candle business has boomed and flourished giving us plenty of options. As with all candles, don’t leave them burning unattended, near an open window or near flammable items such as curtains.

For a more natural and DIY smell, why not emulate the much-loved smell of a bakery? The distinctive smell emitted by freshly-baked bread and cakes leaves you salivating for more, so you can recreate that same feeling inside your home by baking bread or a cake, especially before expecting guests. This is a technique that is often used by people who are looking to sell their house because they know that the people who are viewing their house will leave with a good feeling and positive association to the property.

Another culinary trick is to simmer some cinnamon cloves or powder in water on your cooker. The smell is strong enough to waft through the house while still being natural.

If your chosen smell gets a bit too strong for your liking, open the windows and air the place allowing the smell to emerge. Don’t try and mask it with another smell as you’ll end up with a hybrid of fragrances that may not complement each other, resulting in a worse odour.

However, if you’ve got a house that already has stubborn odours which you’d like to be rid of, then try placing a bowl of white vinegar in the room where the stench is the strongest. Within 48 hours the vinegar would have eliminated the odour completely.

Once you’ve got yourself a sweet-smelling home, be sure to enjoy it and open it to others to share it with.

Tips

• Before adding any smells – wash the floors, vacuum the carpets and clear the house to have a clean foundation to work with
• Allow fresh air into the house
• Bake bread to have your house smelling delicious!
• Burn scented candles to enjoy almost any smell you want.
• Commercial odourizers like plug-in fresheners and spray products can help as a quick fix-it

Published in The Sunday Times – July 2011

Unless you’re a Stepford Wife, or employ a live-in maid, you’ve probably experienced that feeling of shock and distaste when you discover an ingredient lurking in your larder, desolate and forgotten and long past it’s best by date. It couldn’t possibly have been there for the past 2 years! You surely would’ve noticed an opened, half-used packet of chicken stock nestled between your foil and vat of cooking oil. Or maybe not.

Kitchen storage is unlike other household storage because you’re dealing with food stuffs that have expiry dates, and, more than that, different expiry dates, meaning that regular checks are needed to ensure that your chicken stock never becomes vintage.

Whether your pantry is a larder, several cupboards, a walk-in room (lucky you!) or a mixture of all, it requires careful maintenance and organisation to keep it in tip-top shape. A clean and organised pantry means that your food is kept in hygienic conditions, it makes it easier for you to find ingredients when cooking and also saves you money as you’ll know exactly what you have stocked and what needs to be replaced when you go grocery shopping.

In order to organise your pantry and maintain it start by emptying it out and cleaning it thoroughly. Next you’ll want to go through all the food items and throw away any that have expired. Those that are very close to their ‘best before’ date can be grouped together with a sticky note attached reminding you to check them again in X number of weeks.

See what foods and other items you’ve got left and think about placing them in your pantry in a logical order. Don’t stick to old habits if those didn’t work; your clingfilm might work better on the top shelf where it’s more accessible than on the bottom shelf of your cupboard. Think of the way you do things in the kitchen and organise the items according to your convenience and lifestyle.

Organise ‘same’ foods together before placing them in your pantry then decide whether you want to store items in containers or keep them loose. This would typically depend on the type of storage that you have. If you’re got deep drawers then having a basket to keep everything together is a good idea, though would probably not be practical if you store your food in top cupboards.

There are several storage options available for your different ingredients and other kitchen items. Tupperware boxes are ideal for cereals and biscuits that get opened but do not get used in one sitting, so storing them in a sealed Tupperware box will help maintain their freshness for longer.

Other containers such as wicker baskets or even your kitchen bowls can be used to hold stuff, especially if you have smaller items such as jelly packets or snacks that have a tendency to get hidden behind other things.

A Lazy Susan is a great storage option for all your herbs and spices as it keeps them contained yet easily available. If you want to be really finicky about your herb rack you can organise them alphabetically so that you won’t have trouble picking out your thyme from your basil!

Once you’ve organised all your foods together place them in your pantry according to their usage; if you use salt on a daily basis make sure that it’s got front row seating. Your ‘soon to expire’ items should also be grouped together and kept towards the front so that you won’t forget about them. Moreover, if you’ve got multiple items of the product, for example pasta, these should also be stored according to their best before date.

An organised pantry should allow you to find everything easily and reach it without difficulty. Think of your pantry as a conveyor belt and always move older food to the front to be used up first. Remember to put each item back in its place after using it to maintain the order and to know when things have finished.

Keeping a notepad on the inner door of your pantry where you can list down each ingredient that finishes and needs replacing will help you create your shopping list meaning that you won’t buy extra stuff simply because you can’t remember whether it was Penne or Spaghetti that you needed!

Stock and organise your pantry according to your household needs, so if you live solo or with a partner don’t buy the catering sized versions of condiments. Although they may be cheaper in a size-to-price ratio, if they expire before you manage to finish them then you’re literally throwing money away – and not doing yourself any favours when it comes to space.

Most of the tips mentioned in this article can also be extended to other areas such as your fridge and freezer.

Tips

• Always start out by cleaning and clearing out the old stuff
• Organise same foods together and store by best before date
• Use baskets, bowls or Tupperware to store smaller item
• Keep a list of items that have finished so that you can replace and replenish
• Once organised check your pantry every 6 months for items that may have slipped past the expiry detection radar

Published in The Sunday Times HOME & DESIGN – June 19, 2010

If, like me, you love to read, it’s safe to assume that your love extends to books and you therefore have a fair few lying around your place, spilling off shelves and towering precariously on your bedside table. In fact, books are a great practical as well as decorative item to have around the house; they provide colour, topics for conversation and show that you’re well-read (or at least you can pretend to be).

However, while reading is a great past time that encourages the use of many more brain cells than sitting in front of a screen does, your book collection that maintains your habit does take up a lot more space than a television or computer would.

So how can you store your books once you’ve run out of shelf space?

Actually, let’s tackle the issue of shelving. Bookcases are the staple item of furniture for storing your books, and if your bookcase comes with glass doors all the better because your books are now protected from dust. However, bookcases can fill up pretty quickly and if the shelves aren’t adjustable then you’re also limited to the size of the books that you can place inside.

To give yourself more shelving freedom, consider floor to ceiling shelving hinges with glass shelves that can be adjusted to accommodate books of any height. These are available from any ironmonger or DIY shop and the glass shelves can be ordered to your specified requirements.

If metal and glass aren’t your materials of choice you can go with other combinations such as wood or coloured plastic for the same result.

Book maintenance is really important if you want to preserve your collection, so when storing your books on shelves it’s preferable to store them in an upright position as this means that they are not supporting the weight of anything other than themselves. Moreover, because so many books have information on their spines, shelves also serve as a display system. It’s also important not to pack books too tightly because when you remove a book from its place it will rub against its neighbouring books causing slight damage. Use bookends to provide support for the books on your shelves; alternatively place a few books horizontally to act as bookends.

When it comes to very large books it’s best that they’re stored horizontally as, if they are stored vertically, the pages can pull them away from the spine. However, a stack of horizontal books should be no more than a few books high to avoid stress on those at the bottom.
If you’ve already extinguished the shelving idea and you still have books that don’t have a place to stay look around your room for inspiration. Is the coffee table in your living room bare and empty? Keep a small pile of books on it and allow your guests to leaf through your literature when they come over. If your friend has already read one of the books then it makes for a great topic of conversation. Planting small piles of books around your home is a way to keep them visible and accessible while still ‘in place’.

How about books as furniture? If you’ve got very large hardback books (those that you don’t read often) place them on a base such as a wooden palette – this will prevent the books from being damaged should there be a water leakage or flooding. Then cover the top book with a piece of glass that’s cut to size; you’ve now got a home-made, literary piece of furniture which can be used as either a bedside table or side table.

The great thing about books is that they can be left anywhere and they won’t look out of place. They don’t need to be stacked away neatly looking formal and unloved. A beautiful book placed on a sideboard is just as nice to look at as an ornament or picture frame.

If you’re actually putting books into storage then you need to take extra care to ensure that they don’t get ruined. Store books in dry places that are well ventilated; it’s very important that there is no humidity or strong sunlight in the room as mould can damage the books while the sunlight can damage the pages of a book causing the ink and dye to fade. A temperature of between 16ºC and 18ºC, and a relative humidity of around 50-60% are recommended.

Books should be wrapped in either paper towel or bubble wrap, but not plastic bags or foil as these will encourage mould. Pack similar sized books together, with the heaviest books at the bottom, in boxes or plastic containers. If you’re reusing boxes make sure that they’re clean, dry, strong and sealable. Seal all boxes tightly with packing tape and store the boxes on a shelf or somewhere elevated off the floor.

Tips

• Be proud of your book collection and show it off – they’re great conversation starters
• Books can be placed on sideboards or coffee tables used as decorative items
• Handle your books with care to preserve their pages and longevity
• If you’re storing books away, do it properly or you could end up with a mouldy mess of pulp

Published in The Sunday Times HOME & DESIGN – June 19, 2010

Linkbaiting describes various techniques that you can do to generate links to your site. The typical foundation to linkbaiting is great content; however, there are other branches that stem off this to increase the possibility of getting more links.

Linkbaiting is often based on these 5 hooks:

• News hook
• Contrary Hook
• Attack Hook
• Resource Hook
• Humour Hook

These are 10 ways in which you can make the most of those 5 hooks using different techniques.

1. Offer advice to people
   ‘How to guides’ offer value to people as they usually provide answers to their questions, therefore you’re giving them the content that there were looking for. In this respect they would be more inclined to share it, because they feel that others will also find it useful. Link to your (credible) sources to show that your advice is based on more than simply your opinion.
2. Viral/Humour
   A campaign with a strong viral element such as humour has the potential to succeed, be shared and bring back many links. This is not the easiest technique to use as your idea has to resonate with people; however, if you succeed then be ready for great feedback.
3. Controversy
   If you can stir a discussion (without it getting out of hand and nasty) then you’ve got yourself some real linkbait potential. People like to voice their opinions and often do so quite voraciously. It’s important that you don’t delete or edit comments that may not agree with your posts; however, don’t allow trolls to ruin your post either. Often enough it will be other readers who will keep these people in check.
4. Be a resource to others
   Give people a reason to come to your site by offering reviews, evaluating services and products and allowing people to pitch in with their own experiences. People trust other people’s opinions more than they would that of the company because most people don’t have anything to gain from contributing their review. It’s a ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’ scenario where everyone gains.
5. Tools
   People search the internet for tools that will do tasks for them, so if you can offer them a simple tool that will solve their problem then they’re going to be repeat visitors and be brand loyal, bringing in new clients by sharing their positive experience.
6. Blogs
   If you’re going to have a blog make sure that you have the time and resources to keep it updated. There’s nothing worse than a blog that has a week of daily posts and then… nothing. No updates for months. A blog is a great way of keeping your clients updated with news about your industry and about your company. Your blog needs to be another resource tool that people will want to read, so it can’t simply be a sales tool where you talk about nothing but your company.
7. Be the first and take pole position
   If you can be among the first to break a piece of news, you’ll receive many visits on your site and people will then share the news with their peers by linking to your site. The more unique the news, or the stance that you take, the greater the success that you can achieve.
8. Multi-media tools
   Use audio, video, images – all types of media to generate more interest. Podcasts and videos are becoming increasingly popular and add another dimension to your brand. Videos are also great to share so be sure that you have share buttons in place to make it easy for people to spread your content.
9. List posts
   People like content that is broken down and easy to skim through. They often don’t have time to read through large chunks of texts, so lists are the perfect solution to give them a tidbit of information. Provide links to further information so that they can read more on the subject should they wish to.
10. Listen to your audience
    Your clients are an important part of your business so listen to what they want. Conduct online surveys and polls and track the results; what’s missing from your online efforts? See which posts are shared the most and publish more of them. Ease up on those that don’t have any comments or shares (unless it’s general company news. People are more likely to share resources than news updates).

When I was younger having a swimming pool was a real luxury and anyone who had one in their garden was extremely lucky (and probably quite well-off to boot). Nowadays, swimming pools are usually installed on roofs and balconies because it’s having a garden that has become the luxury!

Unless you manage to buy a house that was built a few decades ago in a time when gardens and houses came hand-in-hand, your current abode is more likely to have a small area towards the back of the house from which you can spot a patch of sky and which was likely sold to you as a yard, although it’s more of a hole. Either way, it’s yoursand you want to make the most of it, so even if you won’t be planting any citrus groves anytime soon, you can still create a space in which to sow plants and flowers and call your garden.

When dealing with such a small space you need to have a clear idea of what you want your garden to look like because too many options can make it look cluttered especially if you have various types of plants all competing for centre stage.

You can opt to design your garden either according to a colour scheme or a particular type of plant or flower – your ideas at this stage are limitless. However, do get advice from a garden centre about which plants to sow according to the conditions of youryard. The type of soil that you have, the amount of light that your yard sees and the amount of time that you have available to dedicate to your garden are all factors that will contribute to this. Explain your ideas to them so that they can guide you accordingly and be prepared to modify your plan according to their advice because no matter how much you may want to plant sunflowers, if your yard doesn’t see much sunshine, they’re not going to flourish.

If you want to surround yourself in lush greenery, an evergreen creeper will create a wall of leaves (and possibly flowers), hiding the starkness of the stone behind it and making you feel like you’re walking into a secret garden. Mount a trellis onto the wall, plant a seedling of the creeper and provide it with support onto the trellis; it will then grow and find its way around without too much assistance. You’ll probably want to keep it pruned to avoid it becoming too heavy; however, always ask at the garden centre for advice on how to maintain it (and any other plants).

You can also create a garden on a wall by installing outdoor shelving and filling them up with pots of evergreen plants to create a wall of floral life. This is especially effective if your space is very small because you can create a feeling of height rather than width and depth.

Whether you’ve got separate pots lined around the yard or cordoned off area of soil, a careful selection of plants of different heights with your chosen colour scheme will create a harmonious look. Stagger the plants with the taller ones towards the back togive them space to grow and be seen while maximizing your limited space.

The use of mirrors is often advised when wanting to create the illusion of added space in a room, so why not take this idea and apply it to your yard? Outdoor mirrors affixed to your yard wall will replicate the area and create the illusion of a larger space. If you decide to employ this feature ensure that you use proper outdoor mirrors which are heavy duty and purposely made to withstand different weather conditions.

Depending on how ‘tiny’ your ‘tiny yard’ is, you can include seating options such as adding a deck chair or a small table and two chairs. If space is truly limited, but you want to have some form of seating area, you could opt for a bench by a wall which won’t take up centre space like a table would or be really creative and use large upside down terracotta pots as stools – they’ll fit in nicely with the decor and can be pushed to the side when not in use.

Herb gardens are another great alternative for tiny yards. You don’t need a lot of space for them and you’ll actually be able to use your own home-grown produce in your cooking!

Having a small garden space may seem limiting but your possibilities are not limited and with some imagination and careful planning you can create a yard garden to be proud of.

Tips

• Although your space may be limit don’t limit your ideas of what you want the end result to be
• Seek advice from a professional garden centre before buying any plants
• Use wall space as much as floor space to create an intimate garden feel
• Stick to a simple colour scheme for harmonious results
• The use of outdoor mirrors can add the illusion of a larger space

Published in The Sunday Time, Home and Design – April 24, 2011

Most people own a lot of stuff; more stuff than they really need or even realise that they have, yet somehow it’s accumulated over time and has taken up residence in that corner of the room, or under the bed, or up there on those high shelves that are never really touched.

And it’s because this stuff has found a home and blended into the background of our lives that we don’t realise the sheer amount of what we hold and hoard. Afflicted with the mentality of ‘I won’t throw it away because I might need that shoelace/rusty nail/single toy car wheel one day’ we place things in drawers and boxes assuring ourselves that we’ll remember where everything is when the need arises. Naturally this rarely, if ever, happens – neither the need nor the remembering. Yet we keep adding to our hoard of stuff, always buying more and never throwing anything away. Until one day, something happens when we have to deal with the clutter; whether re-decorating or moving house we suddenly realise that we have a high maintenance style of living.

Shopping, and spending money, brings a certain satisfaction to people (although the worthiness of that satisfaction is often questioned) and when we see something that we like, it’s instinctive to want to own it; however, owning too much stuff can tie you down leaving you with a cluttered house and cluttered lifestyle, often finding yourself a slave to material items. Owning many items means that you have more to clean, to be responsible for, to worry about – leaving you with less time to spend on yourself.

The recent economic crisis has lead people to rethink their lifestyle and spending habits paving the way for a more minimalist and low maintenance style of living. To be clear about the terminology used, low maintenance doesn’t mean not owning items that are useful, so your kitchen will still be equipped with a kettle, toaster and microwave; however, do you really need that bread maker? Sure, it seemed like a great idea at the time and the salesperson made a very convincing argument about how baking your own bread is a very satisfying process, but did they also mention the overall time and cost involved?

There are certain ‘luxuries’ which we don’t need for our everyday lives and which do not lead to a better lifestyle, especially if they are money drainers. Certain items may not cost much to purchase but end up costing a lot to run – that would be a money drainer.

Even your basic house structure could be wasting you money. If you’ve got a large property that has high maintenance fees and costs even more to furnish, you’ve just lumbered yourself with a money drainer. Living in a more compact, yet still comfortable, house means that you have saved two-fold; you have more money to put away and you have more time that isn’t spent on the maintenance and upkeep of the property.

There are many benefits to low maintenance living in a home. By clearing out the visual distraction of clutter, you’re clearing out visual stress leading to a more calming and peaceful atmosphere. Spring cleaning is often seen as a therapeutic process because you’re getting rid of the old and the unnecessary, leaving behind clean, fresh space.

Clearing out the distraction of clutter also allows for your more important items in the house to have greater appeal. Whether it’s a beautiful piece of furniture, a painting or decorations, giving them their own space will make you appreciate them more as they’re not competing with inferior items for your attention.

Some characteristics of low maintenance living would include select pieces of necessary furniture, clear surfaces and select decorations. A house without any items would be boring, so a vase of fresh flowers would be a good idea, but a shelf full of knick knacks would definitely not conform.

Low maintenance living is about quality over quantity and choosing what you need over a long period of time, rather than what a salesperson has persuaded you is the latest must-have item. Tackle a room at a time, keeping just the essentials for that room. Move furniture around if need be and find new homes for certain pieces that deserve their own space. Once you’ve simplified your house see whether anything is lacking or needs to be changed. De-cluttering doesn’t mean that you won’t be buying any more items; it’s a matter of picking choice items that will enhance the room rather than engulf it.

A low maintenance lifestyle does not mean that you’re poor or cannot afford luxuries; it means that you’re frugal and are aware of the value of money and time, choosing to spend them on more important aspects of your life than merely stuff.

Published in The Sunday Times, Home & Design – April 24, 2011