Monthly Archives: January 2014

Heater-free ways to keep your home warm this winter

Heating homes throughout winter can be extremely expensive, as electric heating devices can drive your power bill up much higher than usual. Thankfully, there are some clever interior design ideas you can try to keep your home toasty warm without breaking the bank or hurting the environment.

Curtains

Curtains provide an excellent seal between windows and your home's interior. Thermal curtains with blockout backing provide an extra layer of protection, making it much harder for warm to escape and cool air to get in.

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4 tips for decorating your bach

If you're lucky enough to own your own bach, or have got your hands on a holiday home interior design project, you may want to think about unique or cost-effective ideas for decoration. Depending on your budget and your taste, there are plenty of different ways you can turn this simple beach house into a special place for your family.

Affordable options

For many people, the holiday home is a simple building with modest decorations. Often household renovation budgets don't stretch as far as the bach, so renovators make do with second-hand items or cost-cutting design strategies.

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How Homestar can help you

Designing a home that combines warmth and health with energy efficiency can be tough, and many of us may not know how well our houses really stack up. If you're about to undergo renovations, build a new home or are simply curious about how to ensure your home is performing at its best, take a look at this guide to the Homestar program.

What is it?

Homestar is a an organisation that gives independent advice and guidance to help homeowners assess how their properties stack up in terms of warmth, health and efficiency. The program provides expert tips on energy and performance improvements that can be made in a home, plus offers a range of design and construction services for new residential projects.

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What’s trending in kitchen designs

The kitchen is well and truly the heart of the modern home, and many people focus on it first when undergoing renovations. Whether you're building a new home from scratch, gutting your existing kitchen and starting over or are simply looking for inspiration to add a few new additions to this room, here's a look at what's currently hot in the world of kitchen design.

New countertops

Forget Formica and tile – the hottest new surfaces for kitchen counters are granite and quartz. Granite has a beautiful, strong natural colour palette and an incredibly tough and durable surface. It resists scratches, stains and heat, so it's the perfect choice for your new kitchen. It's also a great protector against mould and mildew, keeping your kitchen cleaner and safer.

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