Home Sweet Home

For an area that is used several times a week and is always hard at work to keep you looking your best, the laundry is often sadly neglected. Pay it a little attention, too, and solve those washday blues at the same time.

To get the most space and ease out of your laundry, first consider its layout and be critical about its shortcomings. Many householders have no choice but to incorporate the laundry into the bathroom or kitchen, so the laundry basket, peg bag, sink unit, bucket, washing machine, dryer, detergents and all the rest of it has to be fitted in as unobtrusively as possible. Your laundry may even be positioned in a narrow passageway or back corner. Don’t despair — well-thoughtout planning doesn’t require a lot of space. (more…)

Once you have the plan in mind, you can turn your attention to the colour and style of your bathroom.

Your choices are almost unlimited and while your final selection boils down to personal taste, there are a few general guidelines.

To some extent, the bathroom is a place where you can indulge your decorative whims, but try to ensure that its decor — and the budget allocated — is in keeping with the rest of the house. (more…)

Flexibility is the key to successful storage in double-duty rooms and multipurpose areas. This need not result in makeshift mayhem. These stylish space-savers have been designed to make the most of in-between areas.

There are so many ways to keep things in order and easily accessible — be inventive and resourceful with every little space you have.

Entrances Storage

One area which needs to be flexible is the hallway, and as this is where visitors gain their first impressions, it is logical to give thought to its design and fittings. If possible, there should be at least one chair and a table large enough to take parcels, letters, magazines, a telephone, message pads and directories. (more…)

This modular stereo and home entertainment centre can easily be expanded or adapted to suit your needs. It has been cleverly designed to accommodate equipment as well as an extensive collection of CDs, records, videos and cassettes.

The project consists of three units which have a total width of just over 1500 mm. Although the centre is modular, it is also relatively low level, and a single top and kickboard draws all three units together. (more…)

French polishing storage cabinet is a skilled craft but, using proprietary solutions, it can be tackled by anyone with patience for that special piece of storage cabinet that is beau but not faux.

Step by Step

1 Remove broken latch and strip wood veneer off storage cabinet top panels.

2 Rub down storage cabinet timber with methylated spirits using steel wool to remove lacquer. (more…)

Bathrooms are common storage trouble spots that seem to get very messy, very quickly. These days there are lots of bright ideas for bathroom storage that utilize every bit of available space.

Building a vanity unit around a pedestal basin will help disguise any unsightly pipework while creating extra shelf and cupboard space. (more…)

Before phoning the plumber consider the following — you can’t take the mountain to Mohammed, so Mohammed will be charging a call-out fee to come and look at the mountain, after which he will charge you a bit more to fix the mountain. After 5 minutes you may realize that the mountain was in actual fact a very insignificant little molehill, easily taken care of yourself, if only you’d known.

The molehill could take on various forms: a leaking tap, a blocked toilet or a blocked drain, all of which you will be able to fix if you follow our detailed instructions. But there are a number of mountains best left to the plumber. These will include a burst water pipe (possibly caused by over-eager digging in the garden), a water pipe that accidentally connected with a power tool near the bathroom or kitchen (caused by over-eager drilling) or an old geyser that is on the blink. (more…)

If we didn’t think you could do it, it wouldn’t be here! So except those of you who suffer from acrophobia (an abnormal fear of being at a great height, not of being swung around on a trapeze by a monkey), read on — you will thank us.

Gutter Cleaning

There is nothing worse than getting home in the pouring rain only to be showered once again by an overflowing gutter as you’re struggling to get the key to go in the front door! The solution? Clean it (the gutter, not the key!). (more…)

Bathroom linens and accessories are those items in a bathroom other than fixtures. These include carpeting or rugs, towels, shower curtains, window treatments, lotion bottles and jars, plants and flowers, mirrors and pictures, soaps and soap dishes, tissues, decorative lighting fixtures that are not permanent installations, figurines and bowls, shelving, decorative hardware for cabinets and doors, towel rings and bars, clocks, and scales. In addition to metal, glass, and plastic accessories, there are wicker, wood, and mirrored items.

When these accessories are chosen to complement the rest of the home, the bathroom can be made as beautiful as any other room in the house, and still furnish the basic comforts and conveniences necessary in the modern bath. These intriguing, interesting “extras” can add color, character, and individuality, regardless of the size of the bathroom or whether its background and fixtures are lavish or simple. (more…)

Choice of pillows

There is just as wide a choice of pillows as there is of mattresses and springs. They range from 100 percent white imported goose down, to half goose down and half goose feathers, to man-made materials such as pure latex foam and dacron polyester.

Degrees of firmness run from supersoft to high-firm. There are several sizes for the conventional twin or double bed, plus the larger sizes for king- and queen-size beds. There are also several sizes of pillow thickness, and different shapes from which to choose. Pillows with double-corded side panels offer extra support. There is an electric, wedge-shaped and foam-filled pillow that vibrates; it can be used under either head or feet. (more…)