A kid’s bedroom is like their own little kingdom –  a place to play, learn and even dream. Whilst, of course, their space needs to cater to the functional aspects of a bedroom, it also needs to look good. But even more than that, a kid’s room needs to encourage their growing personality and sense of individuality. Indeed, a kid’s room is a place that should be uniquely their own. 

The guys at childrensbedshome.com, who know a thing or two about children’s bedrooms, suggest sagely that ‘’Every boy or girl spends a large portion of his days in his bedroom. For this very reason, furnishing your children’s bedroom with a bed for kids in the best way is very important to ensure happiness and comfort for your children.’’  

And so it goes. Everyone has their own preferences, sure, and every child’s space is going to end up looking different. But how to make sure that their room is a place where they feel the most comfortable? We’re here to explore that very question today.

A PARENT’S ROLE 

As reported by the Independent “parents will spend more than £5,300 decorating their child’s nursery and bedrooms before they turn 10”. Moreover, they reveal that “parents redecorating their children’s rooms at least once every two years – parting with £900 each time – a further £4,500 will be spent before their 10th birthday”. That’s a lot of money.

No one wants to repaint every other month, but those changing tastes do admittedly change awfully fast. When it comes to designing your kid’s bedroom, it can be a tricky balancing act; you want the room to reflect the child’s changing tastes but still have longevity. 

When creating a space for your child, remember that kids see the world very differently to us grownups. As such, creating a space that encourages play, learning and fun is, and always will be, the ideal way to go. 

THE KID’S ROLE

It’s essential to get your kids involved in the decorating of their room, allowing them to put their own stamp and sense of individuality on it. You, as a parent, are responsible for making sure that your kid doesn’t forget about vital parts of decorating a room like getting proper furniture. You’re supposed to take care of functionality, after all. You need to let your child decide on other things on their own.

That’s the only way to make sure they’re going to feel good there. A person’s own room should be a place where they can be comfortable and a place where they can express themselves. That’s why it’s so important that you’re not too controlling when it comes to how your kid’s room looks. It needs to be their decision. And hey, along the way, you might teach them some valuable lessons about autonomy, budgeting and responsible decision making.

THE RIGHT COLOUR

While it’s important to get your kids input on the colour of the room, there are certain colours you want to avoid. According to colour experts, the shade of your child’s room can actually have an impact on their behaviour. Colours like green and blue have a calming effect, while shades of yellow and orange promote confidence, motivation and concentration. 

Or, instead of committing to a striking shade for all the walls, why not just paint one feature wall in a vibrant hue or add some striking bedroom mural wallpaper to a single wall, meaning you won’t have to do the whole room again when tastes change.

Alternatively, keep the walls a neutral colour and add colourful rugs, lampshades and soft furnishings to bring that vibrancy.

MAKE SURE EVERYTHING HAS A HOME

Kids’ bedrooms get messy. Fact. To make their bedroom comfortable, all of their toys are going to need a home, and savvy storage solutions should be deployed in your kid’s bedroom; there’s all that space under the bed you can make use of, particularly if you use vacuum clothing storage bags, which can be shrunk to eliminate any air from inside. The foot of the bed is also a prime location for storage, so perhaps consider a beautiful trunk at the end of the bed for all of their toys.

THEME IT 

Your child is going to remember the bedroom they grew up in, so it’s only natural to want to go all out. Why not pick a theme related to their favourite toy or type of toy and just run with it? Bear in mind that children’s tates change quickly, so this way of decorating may end up costing you. But what’s money when it comes to your child’s happiness, right?

THE BOTTOM LINE

When it comes to personal spaces, especially the personal space of a kid coming of age, it needs to be a space where they can express themselves freely and comfortably. Even if you don’t like how your child wants their room to look you need to keep in mind that it’s supposed to be their unique space, and you probably should let them be creative with it. That’s the best way to make them feel safe there.

The modern garden serves a surprising number of functions. A convivial place to while away the hours with family members away from the pressures of the home, sure, but in the right hands, a garden can be so much more than that; an area that can nourish the soul and, if you’re a keen homegrower, the body, too. 

What’s more, over the past 18 months, our gardens have also become safe spaces to meet friends, giving many who were locked down and lonely a chance to engage with the outside world. Gardens also represent a chance for homeowners to give back to nature when cultivated conscientiously. 

Oh, and gardens can even be an extension of the home, too, offering space for a home office or storage in increasingly compact domestic spaces.

With eyes and minds looking forward to a post-pandemic world, the garden space looks likely to resume its normal duties as a place of sociability, first and foremost. If you’re to get yours ready to receive family, friends and neighbours more regularly, then there are changes you can make and items you can add to really ramp up that warm welcome.

Whether it’s a fun or functional space you’re going for, the success of your garden depends so much on its design. A beautiful outdoor space has synergy, flow and features, all of which contribute to a space where people want to spend time. With that in mind, here are 5 garden design ideas to make the IDEAL sociable outdoor space.

CONSIDER A SWIMMING POOL

Sometimes, it’s useful to think of the ideal garden as a balance of the four sacred elements; of earth, fire, water and air. Pay attention to each, and you’ll harness a space of synergy and sociability. 

Firstly, let’s consider water features, an integral component of any great garden. Sure, you could gather around the garden pond with friends, staring into the weeds, but if it’s a sociable garden you’re after, then have you considered the addition of a swimming pool?

Though it might seem frivolous at first, it’s not actually as far-fetched as it sounds; a swimming pool can actually be a valuable investment, both for you as a person and for your property as a whole. Spending extra money on a pool can increase the value of your property significantly – to the tune of £10’000, according to Stylist – while giving you more maximum enjoyment from your garden and an excuse to keep fit.

There’s a lot to think about when building a pool – it’s not just about choosing a shape. The best advice is to plan accordingly, find a professional, consider the cost of building a swimming pool and look at whether the styles match your needs and taste. After that, just be prepared to become everyone’s favourite person when the sun is shining!

INSTALL A FIREPIT, STATEMENT GRILL OR WOOD FIRED PIZZA OVEN

We mentioned drawing inspiration from the sacred elements, and you should also consider fire when designing a garden intended for sociability. After all, what draws people in more aptly than the flickering of flames? Some of the best conversations occur when friends stare enigmatically into a fire, don’t you think?

While you might think of a fire pit as being an expensive addition to your space, it’s an investment if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the garden this year. What’s more, they’re not actually all that expensive, with mini pits selling for as little as £25. Aside from the functional provision of heat, they’re also a great party focal point and conversation starter. Alternatively, you could simply dig a hole in the ground, line it with bricks, and voila!

Or, should you be a dab hand in the kitchen, why not install a pizza oven in your back garden, bringing together the sociable elements of food and fire succinctly? Check out our tips on how to build your own pizza oven in your garden for more on that.

CREATE SEATING GROUPS

It should go without saying that when sociability is concerned, seating should be the focus of every outdoor space.

However tempting it is to simply add as many seats as possible to accommodate family and friends, we recommend that you take a more considered approach. Instead, focus on creating a few different seating areas that serve to draw the focus to different areas of the garden, channelling the ‘chill out zones’ of Ibiza, perhaps.

To achieve this, the first thing you need to do is select a contact point. When it comes to outdoor spaces, the contact point is usually an outdoor dining table, water feature or that wood fired pizza oven we mentioned. That said, if you don’t want to occupy that amount of square footage, use an outdoor rug to provide that focal point and balance the space.

Once you have your contact point in place, all you need to do is arrange the furniture around it so that each piece meets the central point. You also want to make sure that no furniture leaves anyone sitting with their back to the rest of the patio. A pair of wooden garden benches placed in an L-shape is ideal for this, helping to accommodate sociability and encourage mingling, all without having to block off the seated group from the wider garden space.

DON’T FORGET THE OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Consider this the ‘air’ element. When dusk falls, you don’t want friends retreating inside or, worse, home because visibility outdoors is impaired! To avoid this, it’s essential that you have the right lighting in place so that you can continue to use your garden long into the night (with an apology made to the neighbours, of course). Fine light loops, lanterns, or candles allow you to create a cozy atmosphere when the sun sets, and are suggestive of a magical, sometimes mystical ambience.

Nowadays, there is a wide range of weather-resistant light sources you can use outdoors. A tip is to light up trees and shrubs around your garden to create a nice welcoming ambiance.

Read: 6 IDEAL outdoor lighting tips

THOSE FINER TOUCHES  

Once you’ve got all the furniture and feel satisfied, you can start decorating and textiles are the perfect option to start this process. Hang up thin curtains, if possible, and lay colourful, garden appropriate pillows and blankets on your chairs or sofas as it instantly gives the outdoor space a cosier feel. 

Green plants and potted plants (the earth element, right there) are also something that can give your garden that little extra wow factor. If the place has any vertical space, such as a tall fence, climbers or sprawlers, you can get several climbing plants. Placing potted plants is also a good idea to hide any existing flaws in the garden, as well as adding visual intrigue at different eye levels.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The garden is traditionally a space where sociability thrives, but over the last 18 months, this hasn’t been so possible. Looking forward to the future, we hope you’ve found some inspiration on making your outdoor space as welcoming as possible.

Many of us chose the location of our home – and therefore, our lives – based on its vicinity to work or how it fits our working lifestyle. Whether the property grants an easy commute to the office, or expands our job opportunities, is often the key consideration when signing a rental agreement or making that big property purchase.

Sadly, not so many consider the needs of our children when searching for a new city or town to call home. But we’re here to do just that today; if you’re thinking of moving and are on the search for a new city, here are 7 important things to consider.

SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS 

The most important consideration first – schools. When searching for a new city for your family to call home, it’s a wise idea to look at catchment areas of primary and secondary schools, and to consider the quality of educational institutions in the area to ensure that they’re suited to your child’s unique needs.

Similar to a product or service, schools can also have reviews on their website, from both parents and students. Finding the best secondary school in UK doesn’t have to involve visiting them all in person (that, of course, would take you a lifetime) but rather, assessing their status online via reviews.

Alternatively, you can also supplement what you read online about a certain school from their Ofsted reports. You can also take a look at their exam results and performance data, all of which tell you about a school’s teaching quality. 

Perhaps your child needs extra help at school? This is when a face-to-face visit might be more appropriate, as establishing an interpersonal connection between school staff and individual pupils is so important in such instances.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES & CLUBS 

Consider the extracurricular activities provided by any schools you’re considering, too. After all, the value of school doesn’t only lie in the classroom; life skills can be learnt, too, in after school programmes and clubs.

Well-performing schools understand that these activities can help supplement the learning of your children and promote personal development. Book clubs, debate teams, internships, sports teams and so much more will help your children develop their interests and possible professions for the future. Accordingly, make sure your child’s new school offers as wide a range of extracurricular activity as possible.

LOOK TO THE FUTURE, NOT JUST THE NOW

Sure, village life with the kids might feel idyllic when they are little – but what about when they’re older? Though the old saying suggests that a ‘happy wife’ equals a ‘happy life’, we think that ‘happy teens, full beans’ might be more appropriate. And nope, we couldn’t think of a better rhyme than that.

So, when considering a new home for your family, don’t only focus on their current needs, but also think about how their wants and desires will change over time. Perhaps a town or city with amenities and activities abundant might suit your family better later down the line?

DOES THE NEW LOCATION SUIT YOUR KID’S LIFESTYLE? 

Are your children outdoorsy types who love the countryside? Or do they love water sports? Or, perhaps your children are older, and developing a penchant for high-end restaurants and places with a thriving nightlife? It’s important to be happy in your home due to what lies not only within its walls but also within walking distance; do check how well your children’s immediate leisure interests will be catered for when you’re narrowing down your shortlist of potential properties.

LIBRARIES 

Despite the endless possibilities that the internet provides (or maybe, because of them), libraries can still play an integral part in every child’s life. As Libraries Connected explain, “Libraries are an open door for every child to uncounted opportunities – to have fun, to learn, to discover and to share. They are fundamental to reading, learning, to exploring their identity, and to participating in a society that increasingly values knowledge and depends upon being able to find and use information.”

As such, it’s important that you check that the new city or town that you’re considering has a library, which you can do right here, on the UK’s Public Library Directory.

TRAFFIC & POLLUTION 

Though efficient transport links are a massive bonus, high levels of traffic noise certainly aren’t. Rather than using your ears to assess if your intended new neighbourhood suffers from traffic noise (levels diverge massively according to the time of day, so it’s not a reliable way to check), you can use the ‘England Noise Viewer’ service from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which lets you enter your postcode to check noise levels in the area.

Similarly, you can check the pollution levels of the area you’re considering moving to, by using the Government’s Air Information Resource. Again, simply enter your postcode and see both today’s levels and a forecast for future levels, on a scale of 1-10. 

INVOLVE YOUR CHILDREN IN THE MOVING PROCESS

Last but not least, it’s important that you include your children in the decision making process when considering a new place for your family to live. Whilst they’re certainly not going to actually make the final decision, it’s important to have them believe their opinion matters on where you might move to. 

Draw up a shortlist of possible locations, with pros and cons listed, and gather the family around the table to discuss. Involving everyone in the process at this stage can help bring the family closer together, and will make the move all the more harmonious when it finally happens. 

Kerb appeal, which refers to the attractiveness of your home from the view of the street, matters hugely when it comes to the overall aesthetic of your home. You want to make sure you’re creating a good first impression on those who pass by and see your property, and this is particularly true if you’re planning on selling it. 

In fact, as House Beautiful points out, you can add a huge £55’000 to the value of your home just by jazzing up its exterior, with the magazine revealing that ‘’93 per cent of the nation are more likely to attend a viewing if the house’s exterior is well maintained’’. 

They go on to elaborate that a well kept garden, well kept clean windows and frames, fresh paintwork in neutral colours, a front porch, and stylish lighting are all essential features of that much coveted kerb appeal.

But those are all a little obvious, right? In terms of simple investments and adjustments you can make which don’t cost the earth or take time immemorial, here are 4 ways to enhance the exterior of your home on a budget.

REPLACE THE ROOF & SIDING

An old roof may not only look bad and be stained but it might also not be protecting you and your home properly. Such an investment makes foundational sense just as much as it does aesthetic. 

It’s worth taking a look at your roof (or having a professional do so) and seeing if you need to replace any shingles or the entire structure. In this case, you might want to consider corrugated roofing sheets and learn more about why it’s a wise choice. Some of the benefits of such roofing include their ability to eliminate water build up, their longevity, and their tough yet lightweight disposition.

You should also look over your siding and decide if it’s worth trying to powerwash it or if you should replace it altogether. If you do replace your property’s siding or cladding, then make sure you research what colours and styles are most popular and will be worth your investment, as preferences differ according to location.

INSTALL A NEW GARAGE DOOR

A new garage door will offer a great return on your investment when you go to sell your home one day. Able to not only enhance the exterior of your home, a more modern garage door also better protects your belongings and property.

There are aesthetic considerations, too. A new garage door can help your home look more modern and will likely be a lot quieter to open and close. Installing a new garage door will boost your home’s kerb appeal, offer more protection and security, and increase your property value. Not to mention, the better appearance and superior insulation you’ll have.

SPRUCE UP THE LANDSCAPING

Another way to enhance the exterior of your home is to spruce up the landscaping and garden and make sure your home looks well kept and organised on the outside. Take the time to trim bushes and trees, rake up leaves and twigs, and plant colorful and beautiful flowers and other greenery. If it’s time to redesign your current landscaping setup then you may want to hire a professional to come in and help you out. Remember to also treat and cut your lawn so that it stays looking green and attractive.  

DECORATE THE FRONT PORCH

Enhance the exterior of your home by spending some time decorating your front porch area. It’ll be fun to switch out your décor based on the season and time of year as well. In addition to adding an area rug, hanging plants, and small furniture pieces, you might also want to consider painting your front door. Choose a colour that will pop and compliment your home’s exterior and style. Decorating your front porch will make your home look more welcoming and charming and allow you to show off some of your own personal décor taste and style as well.