Create a lounge inspired living room

How much do you love to entertain friends and family in your home, but you think the entertaining rooms are too small?  Don’t worry, there are plenty of interior design tricks which can help you to create the living room of your dreams.

Even if you are on a budget, these goals can be achievable, you’ll just have to think about spending the money in the right places to get the biggest impact and the correct use of the space.

One of the biggest problems in interior design is buying the correct size furniture for the room it is going to be used in.  Also, if you have a built in fireplace, sometimes these can be quite dominant in the room, especially if they are period pieces. 

One of the biggest looks in interior design is the lounge inspired seating area.  Think of long low couches which run along two walls and will seat more than a couple of people.

Even though it’s a small room you have to create a lot of impact so the choice of artwork is really important.  The thing to remember when choosing artwork is to choose off the same colour pallet.

For any room, natural light is absolutely the most important.  More the better! But either way, if you have a simple window frame, think about having a pull down blind with a graphic design to give it a bit of interest and architectural detail as well.

Another tip for adding more light to a room is, to take a look under your carpet and if you have floorboards, how about having them expertly sanded and sealed.  Having varnished floorboards, will help with reflecting light around the room.

If you have a large fireplace in the sitting room, think about adding a feature wall with a large and muted design wallpaper.  The use of the wallpaper will detract from the fireplace and is a really good trick in a small room.  It really does make the room fill much bigger and give depth and give the wall height.  A large scale mirror above the fireplace will add impact.

Being on a budget, means having to hang to some of your old furniture and recovering the upholstery.  This is a great opportunity to update your tired furniture and tie it with your new colour palette and make it sing-again!    

Because the room is small, it’s probably best not to put a coffee table in the lounge but instead use small tables which are quite flexible, which are big enough to perch some food and drinks on.

Pulling together a small space project on a small budget can at first seem quite taxing but planning the changes and if at in any doubt call the experts and they will be able to advise you on your interior design changes. 

  Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Inspirational interior trends for Summer 2016

Are you passionate about the latest trends in interiors and design? If you’re like me, then you’ve usually got your head stuck in a building magazine, or can be seen sitting quietly flicking through the pages of the latest interior design coffee table book or have a huge digital folder full pictures from websites of the latest trends.

So I thought I would put together three of the key trends for the Summer season 2016.

Industrial trend

One trend that has been around for quite a while now, is the industrial look.  This style is all about leaving exposed the raw building materials, such as bare brick walls, concrete floors.  One of the key feature of this look is lots of sanded wooden floorboards and metal on display, basically anything that has been used before.

To complement the industrial look, how about choosing a leather sofa?  Leather can sometimes look a bit hard, especially if it's a new sofas which needs time to wear in, but whether it's a new or old sofa, if you want to tone it down a bit, you can use lots of soft furnishings, like throws and cushions and mix lots of different textures.

Flower prints

Bold flower prints on cushions and wallpaper is another look which has stayed the test of time.  This is probably one of the easiest trends to experiment with.  Try it with a few cushions or a lampshade or go bolder with a feature wallpaper of printed fabric on single easy chair or sofa.

Heritage style

This has to be my favourite and this trend never really goes away, it just gets updated gradually over time just with new furniture in updated fabrics and styles.  Just think about Downton Abbey and you'll know what I mean.  It's all about comfort and deep and soft sofas, with nothing bright or glaring but you can mix different patterns with a wide range of fabrics such a tartan and florals.

Another key feature of the heritage look, is traditional furniture such as winged-back armchairs, a look which has been around since the 17th century and anything else which leans towards the heritage look, taxidermy, log baskets and family photographs on the fireplace.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog inspirational interior trends.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

5 Wood floor killers to avoid (or reduce) at all cost?

Looking down at the kitchen floor you recall the days when the floor looked fresh and new after it was sanded and finished over 8 years ago. Since then the floor saw a lot of action. Where has the time gone? and what caused this damage to the floor?

Let's explore the reasons why your wood floor wears out:

Here is a list of 5 Wood floor killers to avoid (or reduce) at all cost:

Gravel on the outside of your homes entrance 

Gravel on the outside of your property gets stuck under your shoes and will enter the home. These small stone particles acts like sandpaper on your lovely wood floor

- How to improve / avoid? 
 Lay a hard surface path to your entrance door or implement a no shoe policy in your home

Walk off mats

Have a good look at your walk off mat at your entrance door.
If it looks tired and dirty ensure it gets replaced immediately - If you do not have one you have to get one to help you save ALL your floors in your home. That's right, the dirt you track in from outside harms all the floors in your home

- How to improve / avoid? 
Get a fresh new walk-off mat or replace the old one you have - If you have a coir mat and need it replaced call us on 01223 863632 and we can help - www.artofclean.co.uk

The wrong cleaners and dirty worn out mops
Many people belief a floor cleaner is a floor cleaner and this is sadly not the case.
Harsh cleaning products can do a great job at cleaning though it harms the protective layer on your floor. If you have a wood floor the best way is to maintain it with a wood floor cleaner followed by the correct maintenance top up sealer ( for oiled floors use Magic Oil care from Pallmann - http://www.artofcleanonline.co.uk/Floor-Care-Products/Wood/Pallmann-Magic-Oil-Care.Html?cPath= - For Laquered floor use Finish Care Stop from Pallmann   http://www.artofcleanonline.co.uk/Floor-Care-Products/Wood/Pallmann-Finish-Care-STOP-750ml.Html?cPath= )

The best cleaner for a wood floor is Pallmann Clean: http://www.artofcleanonline.co.uk/Floor-Care-Products/Wood/Pallmann-Clean.Html?cPath=

- How to improve / avoid? 

Buy the correct cleaners and care products - Spend a bit more and you will find your floor last so much longer.

Dogs (Actualy the nails on their paws)
When dogs walk on a slippery floor they naturally extend their claws to get a better grip - If this is on your wood floor you will find your wood floor scratch very fast.
It is advised to use oil on your wood floors if you have dogs - It is less slippy for your pets and it do not scratch.

- How to improve / avoid?
Opt for an oil finish on your wood floor if you have dogs.

Bad quality laquers/oils or wrong laquers/oils or sealers for the floor area
We see many clients fall in the trap of a floor sanding firm that only offer them one type of finish for their wood floor wether the  floor is in the bedroom or the kitchen. It is important that floors that are exposed to water like bathrooms to get a 2 part lacquer applied - these finishes are much more water resistant.

If Oils are used it is essential to opt for a oil that comes with a hardener. This makes the finish more hardwearing

- How to improve / avoid?
Ask many questions when you get a quote for floor sanding and get more than one opinion on what floor finish you should apply.

Pine wood floor before sanding

Pine wood floor after sanding

Pine wood floor after sanding and finishing with Pallmann lacquer

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Wood floor sanding and lacquering in Newmarket Ellesmere Center

To preserve the wood as best as possible we fully re-sand and finish the floors using Pallmann products in Newmarket Ellesmere Center.

By choosing a Pallmann applicator /contractor you are automatically covered by the Product Support Pallmann offers to their trained applicators. This covers our clients and ourselves against the product failing. As an Ultimate Floor sanding Affiliate we also offer a 2 year guarantee with all the floor sanding work we carry out.

The process for wood sanding and lacquering in Mewmarket was as follow:

1. PREPARATION OF THE FLOOR BEFORE SANDING

We will inspect the floor to ensure all nails are well below the wood surface. All loose board will be secured before sanding commence.

2. HIGH-FILTRATION VACUUM

Removal of dry soil and particles that might cause damage to the floor during the sanding process.

3. SANDING OF THE MAIN FLOOR AREA

The system we use is 99.9% dust free as we use an advanced extraction system. Different grit values on the bell sander will ensure a quality finish.

4. EDGES AND DETAILED SANDING

Our edging sander delivers a uniform finished to all edges and hard to reach places under fixes furniture and radiators.

5. RESIN FILLING OF GAPS BETWEEN BOARDS AND BLOCKS

We will use a strong and semi flexible resin and mix this with fine dust from your floor. This mix will be used to fill smaller gaps between the boards and blocks in the floor. By doing this the life of the floor is extended as no water ingress is then possible. If the gaps are open between the boards – every time you wash your wood floor some cleaning water gets into the wood. If its filled this is not possible

6. FINAL FINISHING: ROTARY SANDING

A super fine grit sanding system will deliver a superior and even finish to the whole floor area. This is done by means of a rotary sander.

6. FINE DUST REMOVAL

Highly efficient vacuum system is used for the thorough removal of any dust particles from the freshly sanded wooden floor.

7. LACQUERED FINISH:

Application of a Primer to the sanded floor followed by one coat of water based lacquer We always prefer to use Pallmann Products as they are far superior to others.

Once the first coat has cured, the floor will be prepared for a further 2 coats of lacquer. Be aware that if will take up to 8 hours* for the floor to cure enough to allow light foot traffic. Furniture can only move back 24 hours*  after foot traffic has commenced. (Avoid at all cost dragging furniture on a  freshly lacquered floor surface.).

* Curing and drying time depends on weather conditions and air flow

Our clients find great benefit in our dustless sanding system and we are sure you will see the benefits too.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk