Interior design Archives - Rushton & Co - High Quality Decorators in Leeds

A year of decorating tips from Rushton & Co.

Posted on 21st December 20175th July 2018 by Louise Nelhams

As another successful year of decorating your homes draws to a close, it’s time to take a look back at the articles we’ve posted this year. Our goal with our decorating blog is to give you the confidence to take on some of the jobs we think the average DIY or interior design enthusiast can tackle – with our professional advice and decorating tips, of course!

January: Filling and sanding walls ready for painting and wallpaper – We began 2017 by giving you the lowdown on getting a professional finish to your walls in preparation for painting or wallpapering.

February: Everything you need to know about decorator’s varnish – decorator’s varnish is one of the pro’s favourite tricks, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use it too! Learn more here.

March: Sprucing your home up this spring – exterior decorating projects – Make your home look and feel like a new house with these simple but effective exterior spring decorating projects.

April: Spring interior DIY projects – when you’ve finished making the exterior of your house look fantastic, these top tips will make sure that the interior looks fantastic too.

May: Painting a ceiling like a pro – if you shy away from painting your ceilings this is the post for you. Our painting tips will demystify this tricky decorating job.

June: Decorating tips – turning your stairs into a feature – this is one of our favourite ways of transforming your home, and it doesn’t have to be difficult!

July: Repairing a concrete window sill – this may seem like a tough task for a DIYer, but we think you can have a go at all but the most complicated rebuilds if you follow our advice.

August: Interior design inspired by autumn – using the seasons to give you creative ideas for your interior design is a great idea… especially if you’re struggling for inspiration.

September: Our guide to wallpaper for every budget – if you’re thinking about redecorating your home our guide to the best wallpaper available at every price point is exactly what you need.

October: Tips for painting fresh plaster – wait for that plaster to dry or you’ll regret it! Here are our top post-plastering decorating tips.

November: Where to buy your decorating supplies – Ever wondered where the pros buy their supplies? Well, wonder no longer – here are our top picks…

Thanks to all of our customers and blog readers for a brilliant year. We look forward to 2018 where we’ll continue to provide a service with a smile and lots more decorating tips to help you go it alone if you prefer!

Interior design inspired by autumn

Posted on 29th August 20175th July 2018 by Louise Nelhams

Artists and interior design enthusiasts have long drawn inspiration for their work from the beauty found in the natural world, and this week we’re going to look at how we can use the autumnal colour palette to influence our decorating.

The rich, inviting colours of autumn are perfect for our living spaces, so let’s take a look at some simple ideas you can use to bring a bit of that warmth into your home.

Go for a walk…

It may seem like a simple idea, but pulling on your boots and a warm jumper before heading off for a stroll around your local park or beauty spot is a fantastic way to get a feel for the spectacular colours on show. Take a notepad and camera along so you can make visual and written notes – you never know when inspiration will strike!

Choosing your colours

Autumnal colours can be used to create a number of different looks, from deep, rich reds and terracottas to more subtle olives, light browns and greens – the choice is yours. Use your notes and images from your inspirational walk to create colour schemes that suit the room’s main use and position – you don’t want dark colours in a room that receives little natural light, for example.

If you’re struggling to decide on a scheme, you can use an online colour wheel to help. These free tools help you to understand the differences between complementary, analogous and triadic colours, and how you can best use them to replicate the natural world.

Paint mixing services

Most of the major paint manufacturers recognise how popular and pleasing autumn colours are and sell a decent range of colours in their collections, but if you really want to bring autumn into your home and use the exact colours you find in nature you can use a paint mixing service.

Bring some photos from your nature walk or a selection of fallen leaves and ask the technician to create emulsion or satin paint that exactly matches. We love this idea because you’ll know that your autumnal colour scheme is completely original and an exact replica the real outdoors!

We hope that you feel suitably inspired to get out in nature and use this time of year to fill you with ideas for your latest interior design project, but if you’re unsure about anything feel free to give us a call. We’re always here with friendly advice or can provide a quote to turn your home into an autumn wonderland!

Decorating tips – turning your stairs into a feature

Posted on 25th June 20175th July 2018 by Louise Nelhams

When it comes to designing and decorating your home, it’s natural to want to focus on making each room reflect your character. That doesn’t, however, mean that you should neglect the connecting areas of your house e.g. the hallways, corridors and stairs. In fact, with a little bit of creative thinking, you can turn your stairs into a stunning feature in their own right. Here are some decorating tips to inspire you…

Stripped back to the wood

The trend in interior design is very much towards wood – either stripped and varnished or painted. This gives you lots of scope to be innovative with your stairs, such as:

Mixing dark with light – A deep and rich varnish like dark oak for the stairs works great if you use clear varnish for the risers. This style breaks up the stairs and makes them stand out without looking too showy.
Using paint instead of varnish – There’s nothing worse than spending time and money stripping your floorboards back to the wood to find that they’re in poor condition or look ugly. Wood paint will allow you to play around with the dark/light idea while also covering up all the sins of the natural wood.
Mixing it up – Don’t be afraid to try mixing it up and painting the stairs lighter than the risers! This works well if the staircase doesn’t get much natural light as it tends to lift the area.
Painting or varnishing runners – Runners have come in and out of fashion over the years, but we still like to see the creative use of them on a set of stairs. Paint the outer edges the same colour as your skirting boards and either varnish the centre or paint them a visually interesting colour. Consider adding a narrow stripe on either side in the same colour as the centre section for added interest.

More runners

Don’t discount more traditional carpeted runners – they’re fantastic in high traffic areas and will protect your stairs if the wood is old and worn. You can be creative by using nailed down rugs or off-cuts of carpet instead of dedicated runners.

Best of both worlds

Another option that works well, especially if you have noisy stairs, is to paint or varnish the risers and carpet the stairs. The combinations are endless, but make sure that you deal with the risers first so that you don’t drip on your new carpet.

Going the extra mile

LED lights have opened up a whole new world of interior design possibilities, but we bet that you’ve never considered them for your stairs! Try attaching strips of LEDs underneath the overhang of each stair to light up the risers – this works particularly well if you paint or stencil the risers with interesting features, but can look really classy with a simple black and white stair theme too.

As you can see, it’s possible to make your stairway a real feature and talking point with some basic DIY skills, but if you’re not sure what would work in your house give us a call! We’re always happy to offer some advice and personalised decorating tips, or we can just pop round and give you a quote.

Spring interior DIY projects

Posted on 27th April 20175th July 2018 by Louise Nelhams

Last month we gave you our top tips for sprucing up the exterior of your property this spring, but now you’ve made your house sparkle from the outside the inside might be letting it down – don’t worry, though, because this month we’re going to share our top ten interior DIY projects that’ll soon have your house shipshape.

Make your grout sparkle – Nothing ruins a tiled surface like dirty grout. Use a toothbrush or a steam cleaner with a small attachment to give the grout and tiles in your bathroom a really good clean. If the dirt is stubborn, run a hot shower with the doors and windows closed to soften it up before scraping with a grout rake. Finish the job by going over the grout with a grout pen to make it white and fresh again.

Revitalise your skirting boards – Over time gloss paint starts to yellow, so consider rubbing down, priming and repainting your skirting boards. You’ll be surprised at the difference this makes!

Windowsills and wood frames –The same goes for your windowsills and wooden frames: a rub down with sandpaper followed by primer and a lick of gloss or eggshell paint will make them come to life.
First impressions count! – Giving the kick boards by your front and back door a rub down and coat or two of paint will mean the work you did on your exterior to create a great first impression isn’t wasted.
Touch up the walls – Give your walls a scan with a critical eye to see if they need a little TLC. You may not want to paint them all, but check for areas of high traffic to see if they need a fresh coat to bring them back up to scratch.
Decorator’s varnish to the rescue! – Once you’ve painted those high traffic walls, add a coat of matt decorator’s varnish so they’re easy to wipe down – it’ll save you time and money in the long run.
Decals can make a difference – You might like to change things up a little with your interior design without redecorating completely. Decals can add a little interest and freshen things up quickly and effectively.
Paint your radiators – Scuffed and scratched radiators can be a bit of an eyesore, so use radiator paint to bring them back to their former glory. You could also consider investing in some radiator covers for a faster alternative solution.
Patch up peeling wallpaper – Look for edges that have peeled away: if it’s patterned wallpaper use paste to stick them back down; if it’s lining paper you can cut the loose parts out with a sharp blade, mix up some Gyproc Easy-fill and fill in the gaps. This can then be rubbed down and over-painted for a perfect finish.
Deal with mould! – Use mould cleaner to remove mould patches from walls in the bathroom and repaint the affected area. Use mould-resistant paint if it’s a recurring problem. If your silicone around the bath is black the only real solution is to cut it away and start again. Tape up along the line of the wall and bath to create a smooth line, run the silicone along the gap and smooth down with a wet finger before removing the tape.

Get to grips with some or all of these jobs and your home will look much brighter ready for the summer. Of course if you’d prefer to get some professional help with your interior DIY projects and you live in the Leeds area, we’ll be happy to pop along and provide a free quote!

Colours and moods – using colour to change the feel of your room

Posted on 31st October 20165th July 2018 by Louise Nelhams

When it comes to decorating your home there are always decisions to make, but did you know that your choice of colour can have a big influence on how you feel when using a space? This month on our blog we’re going to show you how to understand the psychology of and link between colour and moods, so that you can make better interior design decisions.

How does colour affect a room?

All colours are not equal. Bright and bold colours are considered active because they excite and stimulate the mind and senses, and may be useful in encouraging creativity. Cooler, more muted colours are considered passive because they relax the mind and may improve our ability to focus. Neutral colours such as white and magnolia have less effect on mood, but do help create a sense of space.

Choose your colours wisely

Making a decision based on your favourite colour may seem like a wise move, but you could find yourself choosing something inappropriate for creating the ambiance you’re looking for. Let’s have a quick look at the basic properties and potential uses of each colour:

Red – This powerful and stimulating colour is a good choice for a dining room or lounge where people gather together because it encourages conversation and raises the energy of the people in the room. Like all darker and richer colours, it’s also great for making a large room feel more inviting and snug. It’s a good idea to avoid using red in the bedroom if you plan on getting a good night’s sleep!
Yellow – Used sparingly, yellow adds a touch of brightness and freshness to any room, making it ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. Think carefully before using it as a main colour though because studies have suggested that it may provoke feelings of anger and frustration – not the ideal mood when there are sharp objects around!
Green – No other colour promotes feelings of restfulness and tranquillity like green.
It soothes the eyes and calms the mind, making it a perfect colour for a bedroom, or any space you want to use for relaxation.
Blue – Another calming colour often used in bedrooms and nurseries, but be careful to choose your shade carefully. Light blues can make a room feel cold, so balance them with warmer coloured soft furnishings. Darker blues have to be used sparingly because they can make a room feel sad, so it’s better to use them on smaller feature walls.

Other colours such as orange and purple add a zesty and quirky feel to any room. Used with caution they will give a primarily neutral room a bit of spark and character, so don’t be afraid to try them out.

Red wall in living room — Red can make a room feel cosy

Neutral colours never go out of fashion

The beauty of basing your colour schemes on the neutral colours – grey, black, white and brown – is that they all work as a base for further experimentation and allow you to change the feel of your rooms with soft furnishings, curtains and feature walls. Be careful with your use of black, though, or you might find the walls pressing in on you!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article on the psychology of colours and moods, and how to apply it to your next interior design or decorating project, but if you feel that you need some professional help, we’re always here to offer our advice.