If your home looks a little like this, some serious decluttering could be in order!

Our campaign to get the nation detoxing their homes continues and this week Richard Hammonds, Chairman of Hammonds Furniture share his advice on sorting, decluttering and generally getting your home looking ship-shape.

With over 80 years’ experience of designing and installing beautiful bedroom furniture, Hammonds really understand how to maximise your storage space. But before you do, Richard’s advice is to work out what you really need. So first things first…

‘Be prepared, and get organised’ explains Richard.

‘Have on hand a supply of sturdy storage boxes, bubble wrap and some packing tape. Whatever area of the house you are decluttering the same simple steps apply. Then take a deep breath and begin by separating your stuff into four categories:

• - things that need repairing
• - those that are headed for the bin
• - those that can be given away or sold at a car boot sale or on eBay
• - and those special or functional items that you absolutely can’t live without

‘When in doubt, ask yourself this question, ‘Is this something I either use or love?’  If not, get rid of it. Remember, each time you get rid of something that has outlived its usefulness, you make room for something new! Or maybe you just make sure that you have enough space to see everything you have and weren’t using / wearing because it was stuffed in the back of a cupboard!’

Continues Richard, ‘Although each room’s clutter will take on a slightly different form, this same approach can be used throughout the house. The hall can often be a real dumping ground for hats and coats, umbrellas, shoes and boots. The sitting room and dining room will usually be cluttered with books, ornaments, CDs, entertainment equipment, dead plants, old magazines and sometimes children’s toys.’ 

More tips from Richard on their way. In the meantime though, visit our facebook page for a chance to win a fabulous prize courtesy of Hammonds.

All you hoarders out there take note – shelves are key to a stylish display and these ones look great against Dulux Colour of the Year 2012 on the walls 21/436

The start of a new year is the perfect time for a new look, and where better to begin than at home.

There’s no need to break the bank! You can go along way with a lick of paint and some gorgeous new blinds at your windows. Arrange an appointment with one of our advisors and he or she will come to you with our full range. So not only do you get to choose from the comfort of your own home but you’re also able to match fabrics to wall colours, furniture or accessories. It’s the ultimate in convenience!

But if your home’s in need of more dramatic intervention, consider a domestic detox. It’s simple – get sorting, decluttering and generally separating the rubbish from the things that really matter to you.

We’ve teamed up with some very fabulous experts to offer you tips on decluttering and generally brightening things up. From storage solutions to interior design assistance, we’ve got it all covered! Plus, visit our facebook page and you’ll have the chance to enter our detox competition too!

For the next week or so, Marianne Shillingford, Design Director at the Dulux Design Service will be sharing her ideas for detoxing your home.

And today she’s ‘considering clutter’.

Explains Marianne, ‘You don’t have to hire a skip to deal with the clutter in your life, instead why not hire a Dulux interior designer who can help you with some tricks of the trade.

‘Unapologetic hoarders will let stuff pile up in their homes no matter how hard they try not too.  An interior designer can help you display things properly to prevent accessories from overwhelming a room.

‘With plenty of shelf space, and the right storage solutions an interior designer can help you get your colour scheme just right to balance the visual noise.’

This is the time of year when anyone who’s anyone goes out of their way to tell you what trends are going to be big over the next twelve months. Everywhere you look there seems to be a mad dash to find the next big thing, to say what’s going to be new first – in general to be ahead of the game.

In reality, trends don’t actually change that quickly. Interior design hasn’t had a dramatic turnaround since December 2011. So if you’ve recently given a room a makeover, in time for Christmas perhaps, don’t panic, you don’t need to get the paintbrushes out and throw away your tastefully selected accessories!

But if you are planning a redecoration project over the next months, there are some key trends that you may be noticing more of as you browse the magazines and the shops for inspiration.

So what’s do we at Hillarys think is going to be big in 2012.

Well first of all, our love affair with all things vintage is set to continue. We’re not fixated by a certain decade though – really, anything goes from the 20s, 50s, 70s and more. And we’re not looking to recreate the exact look of that time in our home. Oh no. Just a few carefully chosen pieces – maybe a chair, a table, a fabric design or a few knick knacks that really make a statement and create the mood for your room. Vintage is now all about taking the best bits from the past and combining with up-to-date style for a look that’s completely unique to you.

In recent times neutral tones have dominated interiors – they’re comfortable, easy to live with, and great to dress up or down using co-ordinating or contrasting accessories. But now it seems as though neutrals have had their day and colour and pattern has come to the fore. Which is absolutely wonderful news! Colour certainly energises a room, and it can be perfectly offset with bold patterns too. If colour and pattern is new to you, I’d recommend limiting the amount of pattern you use – for example patterned blinds or curtains but not alongside patterned wallpaper please!

Sticking with colour, a big trend that has been emerging in recent months is for bright pastels. I know this sounds a contradiction, so to help, think traditional sugared almond tones with just a little extra oomph! It’s a pretty look that works well in a retro style kitchen, although it’s fab throughout the rest of the home too.

If you like the natural look, you’ll be pleased with the next trend, which has a homespun, wholesome feel. Leafy prints, checks, chambrays and cocooning textures combine to provide a simple yet welcoming feel.

And of course, 2012 is an Olympic year, so expect to see loads of red, white and blue absolutely everywhere.

So there you go. Just a few trends it’s worth looking out for. I’m sure there’ll be something to suit you.

The latest home interest magazines are packed with Christmas ideas.

If you’re not in the mood for Christmas quite yet, you will be just as soon as you’ve flicked through the pages of the latest home interest magazines in the shops now. Yes, the current issues are jam-packed with gift guides, Christmas decorating themes and tasty recipes that will tickle your taste buds this festive season. So, is there anything of particular interest?

Well if you’re looking to update your tree this year, pick up any magazine and you’ll be wowed by their terrific ideas for dazzling designs. Good Homes, Country Living and Style at Home spring to mind – we especially love Country Living’s handmade and homespun creations that suit the Modern Rustics trend we love so much just perfectly.

If you want to cosy up your home in time for winter as well as the big day itself, there are loads of ideas out there. Country Homes and Interiors and Period Ideas both have heating guides that include fab woodburning stoves. (Have you entered our competition to win one yet?) Period Ideas also features a gorgeous Rustic and Refined dining room – a slightly more sophisticated take on the Modern Rustic look.

For seasonally inspired decorating tips, check out the metallic themes in Good Homes. Gold and silver rooms look brilliant and metallics are set to be big news during 2012 so you’ll be bang on trend. Period Ideas and House Beautiful both offer fab tips for working with red, that most festive of colours. It’s a bold choice but we’re certain there’ll be something you’ll love among all the options on offer.

House Beautiful has some fantastic ideas for knitted looks including a lampshade, tea-light holders, rugs, throws and even cable knit effect candles. Granny chic gone mad – we love it!

Finally if you’re struggling for gift ideas, here’s a tip. There’s loads of inspiration in most magazines and they’re tailored to their readers. So if you know countryside lover, take a look at Country Living; for an antique or vintage nut try Period Homes and Interiors while Good Homes is great for just about anyone who likes their home!

Win a woodburning stove similar to the one in our gorgeous roomset!

Now the evenings are really drawing in and the leaves are pretty much gone from the trees, spending time indoors is fast-moving up my list of things to do! Yes, I’m not ashamed to say that one of my favourite pastimes during autumn and winter is getting warm and cosy indoors, enjoying evenings snuggled up in front of the TV.

A new trend increasing in popularity right now is ‘Modern Rustics’ – you probably recognise the name as I’ve mentioned it once or twice here in my blog. And this trend is just right for creating a lovely, welcoming environment perfect for this time of year.

Modern Rustics takes all the best bits from country style. Think traditional fabric designs such as checks, florals and even chunky textures and combine with natural materials – wood flooring and furniture, and natural finishes such as exposed stone and brick. 

The trick here though is to give them a modern twist to bring them bang up-to-date in terms of both style and convenience. But how to do this? Well don’t get too concerned as it really is quite easy!

Exposed stone, brick and even beams if you’re lucky enough to have them in your home are perfect for getting that country look. For a more modern appearance, combine with neat plasterwork on selected walls and paint in a fresh tone.

Original floorboards, or replacement ones (there are loads to choose from out there in the shops) look great. If yours are looking a little worse for wear but you can’t afford brand new ones, try a lick of white paint. Stone floors, both new and old, look amazing too. Scatter with rugs to warm things up a little.

At your windows, choose from the blinds in our lovely Roman blinds capsule collection, which we’ve called ‘Modern Rustics’. Traditional checks in fresh, modern colour combinations, abstract leaf designs, chunky textures and contemporary florals are all there. Sofas and cushions that pick out the key colours from the designs will look brilliant, and remember this look is all about comfort so go for a squidgy styles with loads of cushions!

So what about the perfect finishing touch? Woodburning stoves are all the rage right now. They can be exceptionally clean burning and energy efficient, and with fuel prices going up and up all the time, they’re great for your pocket too. We’ve teamed up with the lovely people at Charnwood Stoves, based on the Isle of Wight, to offer you the chance to win the fabulous Charnwood Country 4. How exciting!

Want to find out more? Then take a look at our facebook page right now. And good luck too!

The clocks went back yesterday, which means even darker evenings and the feeling that winter has well and truly arrived.  If you’ve not thought about it yet, now’s the time to turn your attention towards getting the inside of your home all cosy and inviting. 

So where to start?

How about the walls?  Choose a rich colour for your walls and you’ll add instant warmth to a room. Deep reds and berry tones, pumpkin orange and golden shades are all ideal and bang on-trend for the season ahead. Textured and patterned wallpaper are perfect for adding an extra dash of luxury.

Throws and cushions are essential elements of a room you want to spend time relaxing in. Throws look great tossed over the back of a sofa and are wonderful for snuggling under too. Cushions make chairs appear even more inviting, pile as many on that will fit.

During the autumn and winter months, rugs should feel warm and soft under foot.  This isn’t the time of year for sisal and jute – indulge yourself and go for thick-pile luxury. 

Lighting isn’t just about creating a mood, it’s essential during the darker months when many of us rarely see daylight while at home. Ceiling lighting is therefore essential but it can be harsh during the evenings when you want to be more relaxed.  So complement with lamps dotted around the room –there are so many options to choose from to suit every home.

Let’s not forget about the windows. Blinds are crucial at this time of year. You want to maximise the light coming into your room during the hours the sun is up but then block the outside world out once it’s cold and dark.  Fully-lined Roman blinds are perfect – the soft fabric neatly fold up when they’re opened but is great at helping reduce draughts coming into the room when closed. We’ve more than 140 fabric options plus gorgeous beaded trims to add a sparkle.

Make-over a Bedroom this Half Term

The half term holiday has arrived giving children a well-earned break from lessons and parents a headache over childcare issues!  If you’re at home this week and wondering what to do in the cold weather, take some time to plan a bedroom revamp together with your children. They’ll love to get involved and will be so proud of the results if they’ve had a hand in achieving the finished look.

Follow our simple steps and you’ll have a great looking and practical bedroom in no time at all!

Keep things bright and fun

Children love colour, and bright rooms always look inviting. The trick is to choose colours that will see you and your child through several years. Unless you are prepared to be decorating every year or so, avoid strongly themed wall paper featuring teddy bears or superheroes for example. They’ll only be suitable for a short period of time until the next big thing comes along. Instead accessorise with blinds, duvet covers, pictures and toys, which can be replaced relatively easily.

Create clear areas

A child’s bedroom is an incredibly important place from a very young age. So much happens there from play to sleep and entertaining to homework it is vital that everything has its own space to avoid complete chaos. You don’t want your child to be sleeping under a pile of clothing or trying to complete homework with toys and games scattered across their desk. Always start your revamp by marking out clear zones for each activity.

Storage, storage and more storage

You can never have enough storage space but it’s worth trying! A table or desk for homework with drawers for schoolwork are essential as well as drawers and a wardrobe for clothes. Buckets are great for throwing toys into and easy for even the youngest of children to use too. Remember, don’t have hard to reach storage units if you want your children to be involved in the tidying up. If they can reach it, there’s no excuse!

Safety first

When it comes to fitting blinds there are a few guidelines that you must follow. First things first, you should never place beds, cots or furniture near a window where children can climb on the sill. This can be dangerous in more ways than one but if you have a blind with a looped cord, you need to take extra care to keep your blind controls out of their reach. Fitting safety devices is incredibly important and if you choose blinds from Hillarys, your advisor will do this for you. Before having the safety devices fitted, ask your advisor to shorten the controls, so they are too high for small children to notice.

We also offer blinds that don’t have cords or control chains including Roller blinds and Venetian blinds in a PerfectFit frame and tab Pleated blinds.  Your advisor will be able to explain more.

Elsewhere in the room make sure you secure free-standing furniture and have nothing on shelving that can topple over, especially heavy items.

Every month we browse the home interest magazines.

Just over a week ago the sun was shining and the temperature sky-rocketing. Now it’s feeling decidedly more autumnal and the November (yes, November) issues of the glossy magazines are in the shops, packed full with ideas for getting your homes ready for the colder months ahead.

 As usual, the team in the product office have been glued to the pages, taking note of the trends about to hit the interiors market and making sure we’re staying one step ahead of the game.

This month everyone’s talking about snuggling up indoors. It’s a lovely time of year if you’re in the interiors business. When it’s cold outside everyone spends more time inside, actively looking for ways to make improvements.  

So, what to look out for? If you’ve got the right space, a wood burning stove could be the thing to see you through until the spring. Often cheaper to run than gas or electric alternatives and lovely to look at too, they’re perfect for that rustic look that’s so popular right now. You’ll find guides, hints and advice in Ideal Home, House Beautiful and Good Homes.

When it comes to interior décor, Ideal Home points to an emerging trend for diamonds and damask too – cushions and wallpaper in particular. Wood is popular and the issues includes ideas such as wood effect wallpaper, wood wash for walls and mixing reclaimed wood with smooth gloss and metal finishes to give an industrial edge to your room.

Living Etc is selling the benefits of velvet, revealing key looks that use this luxurious fabric to very different effect. On the theme of getting cosy, the magazine highlights modern knits and quilts, giving a contemporary twist to these traditional techniques.

House Beautiful picks out key colour combinations for the season ahead – pumpkin contrasts beautifully with slate while berry colours such as plum and grape are the perfect companion to olive hues. And yellow looks set to be big news.

Good Homes take on getting snug includes mixing patterns and textures, choosing bold colours and layering up wherever possible.

Lovely reading, inspirational photos and tasty recipes too (often our favourite bit), reading new issues of magazines is our favourite morning of the month. And as an added bonus we’re pleased to know that our lovely range is still hitting the mark with on-trend fabrics that will suit all kinds of homes. Yippee!

Grand Designs Live runs from 7-9 October 2011 at the NEC

Grand Designs Live gets underway at the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow and runs for three days until Sunday 9 October.

If you are planning a day at the show, make sure you get the most from your visit. There’s so much to see, ranging from complete build projects to interiors, gardens and even food, that planning is key to a successful time.

Our handy hints will help ensure you see all that’s important to you. And you could even find yourself with a little spare time if you’re careful to stick to your schedule!

1. Planning is key. Why are you going to the show? If you’re looking to embark on a self-build project you won’t want to spend too much time browsing the food area and you’ve probably a long way to go before interiors become top of your priority list.

2. Check out the schedules. Expert advice, top tips, demonstrations and debates take place throughout each day of the show on subjects such as building, interiors and food. Experts including Kevin McCloud, George Clark and Alison Cork will be on hand in the Grand Theatre for example. Look at the schedules before you get there so you don’t miss a thing.

3. Arrive early. The Show Homes at any exhibition of this kind are always a big hit with visitors and the eco homes in the Grand Village this weekend are sure to be busy. Get there early to avoid big queues.

4. Keep your energy levels up. There are plenty of places to eat as well as cookery demonstrations with sampling! Avoid the lunchtime rush if you don’t wait to be at the back of a very big line.

5. Wear comfy shoes. It goes without saying but just in case you need reminding, this is a long day on your feet so choose something sensible to wear.

So there you have it. With a careful bit of planning beforehand you’ll come away from the show knowing much more than you did before, armed with leaflets and brochures that are full of inspirational ideas and, importantly, relevant to your project.

Of course we have a stand at the show and we’d love to say hello. Pop along to see us and enter our competition to win £500 worth of made-to-measure blinds. We’re on stand L408.

It’s an exciting day for everyone here at Hillarys. Not only is it beautiful and sunny again but we’ve also two new ranges launching.

Last week I told you all about our new ‘Family Favourites’ Roman blinds collection – 20 absolutely gorgeous fabrics that give a contemporary twist to traditional, rustic-style blinds. That collection is now available for you to buy via your local Hillarys advisor; I know you’re just going to love them.

Today I can tell you about our second launch, and that’s a brand new range of venetian blinds.

Venetian blinds are just about the most traditional type of blind you can get. They’re simple and practical and suitable for anywhere in the home. But that doesn’t mean they’re boring. Oh no!

Our new range includes 115 slat options in a fabulous choice of colours as well as finishes. There are gloss, matt, soft sheen, pearl and metallic options not to mention special finishes such as perforated and textured finishes.

And that’s not all. There are four slat widths to choose from that range in size from a super sleek 15mm to a bumper 50mm. This means that no matter the size of your window they’ll be a venetian blind to suit. I especially love the large 50mm option – it follows the current wood venetian blind trend to be as wide as possible, and looks absolutely fantastic.

If you like venetians but fancy something a little different it’ll be worth your while checking out our new Harmony blinds. These cleverly combine a wood valance and bottom rail with a venetian blind slat and are finished very neatly with stylish tape, usually reserved for our wood venetian blinds only. 14 co-ordinating and contrasting variations are available to create a practical yet unusual and elegant blind for your home.

So there you have it, two new ranges both launching today. I know you’ll love them, please, let me know what you think by commenting on this blog or visiting our facebook page.