The Home Shop Blog

Are you getting to the age now where a weekly night out on the town with your friends is a long distant memory? Children, husbands, careers and not to mention bills and mortgages all tend to get in the way, giving you little or no time left for your friends. Time is one of the few things that we can’t buy in this modern world, which also makes it one of the most valuable.

There’s no need to let your friendships suffer though. With a bit of creativity and imagination you could still make time for your girlfriends. The classic girls’ night in is always a crowd pleaser and has the added credit crunch bonus of being as cheap as you want it to be. Babysitters and childminders can literally double the cost of a night out, so why not meet up with your friends in the comfort of your own home? Send your other half out for the evening, chill a few bottles of Chablis, put out some nibbles and play one of your favourite albums. All your other responsibilities will soon fade away.

For a truly indulgent girls night in why not convert your front room into a sumptuous beauty parlour? A few well placed fluffy bath towels, candles and facial treatments will soon get you all in the mood. There are plenty of luxury skincare brands available now where you can purchase face masks and skincare treatments that previously were only available inside salons, so not only will you be left feeling revitalised and reenergised but your skin will look gorgeous too.

To get you truly in the mood you could all invest in a big white bathrobe normally only seen at luxury health spas, which combined with a huge bath towel around your hair will make you feel as if you are on a luxury weekend away together, not chatting away in your front room.

If you feel like a true pamper and detox you could always forsake the wine and use a juicer to make some pure fruit juices. If you fancy adding a twist, grab your blender and have a look on the internet for some mocktail recipes – giving you all the glamour of cocktails without the nasty hangovers!

So grab some fluffy bath towels, a huge white bathrobe and several pampering essentials and get your friends over for the ultimate girls’ night in.



By: Clara Phillips Bal

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So You Want to Remodel Your Bathroom? An increasing number of people find that they can remodel their bathrooms to create the perfect place in which they can relax, refresh, rejuvenate and/or have a romantic time. A bathroom redo can be an inexpensive and fun way to spruce up your entire house. So, what you need are some tips for remodeling your bathroom.

When you decide to begin a bathroom remodeling project, it is quickest to organize your goals before shopping for materials. Choose what items you want to replace, add, or take away from the bath area. Consider refinishing existing items such as bathtub, shower, sinks and toilet, or renewing the tiles or tub and shower enclosure to give a new look to your bathroom even with just a little investment. The bathroom is one of the most used areas of the house, so you want to be sure that you have it remodeled in such a way that it will last for a long time. Remodeling is extremely exciting because it means you are getting to create the ambiance you have always wanted in one of your favorite places: the bathroom.

Why Remodel If You Can Decorate?

Perhaps you would like to redo the bathroom, but at the same time you would like to keep things uncomplicated. If it is time for a bathroom makeover, count yourself lucky when you see the number of wonderful current decorating ideas for the bathroom today. There is a huge amount you can do with simple decorative treatments that avoid a full remodel.

If you have a small bathroom, remodeling ideas should mostly revolve around freeing the space of clutter and making better use of the available space. Using shelves, taller cabinets, and other organizational items will help the room seem larger because everything has a place and there is nothing left to crowd the space. There are any number of cabinets available to fit over the toilet or along empty walls to maximize the available area, or cabinets can be hung on the wall to free up floor space.

Regardless of the size of your bathroom, it is important that you sort out the existing items in the bathroom and choose which items you want to keep and which items can now retire. Clearing out unimportant clutter from the bathroom can help you decorate the room easily and match items for your fresh theme. Don’t be afraid to be bold and exciting – make your bathroom a fun place to visit!

Another decorating idea for a bathroom is to redo the porcelain sink and the tub. These tend to take a lot of abuse through the years, and with a fresh treatment, they will look brand-new. It’s a lot cheaper than putting in all new fixtures, and it really does make your bathroom look good.

A common bathroom decorating idea for people on a budget is adding or replacing light fixtures. While choosing a light may seem like a daunting task, be aware that once you have chosen the perfect lighting to enhance your bathroom’s theme, it can make a dramatic change to the overall feel of the room. Of course, also consider new paint, tile or wall paper to freshen up the space.

Following the new bathroom decorating trends while maintaining individual taste and style can be achieved with a little research and great imagination. Building on these ideas is sure to help anyone create the bathroom of their dreams. Home decorating magazines can be quite helpful, because if you see decorating materials that you like, there is often a section that shows how you can get them. They are also good at allowing you to see how the materials you’re interested in fit with other colors in the room.

But I Need to Remodel

If you find that redecorating just won’t do, and you really need to remodel, as part of your planning process create a bathroom remodeling check list to help you determine how much of an upgrade you can afford. Make sure you know exactly where your fixtures will go when designing your remodeling project, since you need the plumbing there to accommodate them. Unless you can somehow move the location of your fixtures, your sink, tub, and toilet are going to be exactly where you have them right now. In most cases, the location of your fixtures is going to be a hard limit, so plan accordingly.

Depending on the size of your bathroom and your budget, there are a few bathroom remodeling tips that can the project go smoother, as well as make life after the project easier. For large-budgeted bathroom remodeling projects, you can go beyond your dream bathroom by expanding the area and separating the toilet from the bath area. You can even add spa treatments, bathtubs, water jets and other more expensive bathroom add-ons.

If you have a more modest budget, one of the most important things is to make sure that the shower area is easily accessible. For example, some showers require a person to step up in order to enter the shower, while others are just walk-in showers. Whichever kind of shower you choose, it is important to note that it will have to be well installed in order to prevent leaks. Another method of controlling bathroom remodeling costs could be instead of replacing your tub and all the wall tiles, you could look into a tub and wall unit that fits right over an existing tub and wall. By usinf this technique and for a few hundred dollars the area can look as if it is brand-new. The alternative is replacing everything, which could run into the thousands.

When you choose where smaller fixtures go in the bathroom remodeling design, think function over form. For items such as the towel rack or even the toilet paper roll, keep in mind that they should go in places that are sensible, The towel rack might look nice by the door, but if it’s out of arm’s reach of the bathtub, then you won’t be happy whenever you get out of the shower, for example. With all things in bathroom remodeling design, if you design with an eye for common sense and space, you will be successful in your attempt to create a room that’s both stylish and functional.

There is no greater joy to a homeowner then to remodel a favorite room such as the bathroom. So, enjoy every minute of it, and, more importantly, enjoy the outcome of your work and labor. Once you are satisfied with the project, you can take your first relaxing shower and enjoy the long-term benefit from the investment you made.



By: Stephen Dolan

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