A specially selected collection of 37 new tile designs, featuring technically innovative and stunning surface effects, has been brought together in the latest Craven Dunnill Renaissance brochure, just published and available on request.

This latest collection reveals an emerging trend, towards bolder and more dramatic style statements for mainstream tiles:

• Industrial metallic tones are interpreted as urban chic in the new Actual range featuring intense, burnished mahogany and pitted silver options.
• In contrast, the delicate lustre glaze, which adorns the classic Blonda leaf design, featured here, has a timeless appeal, reflected in its black and white palette.
• The evocatively named Diablo range, is a dramatic example of the return of colour for bathroom walls with a blood red, three dimensional design, which seems to shimmer before your eyes.

Craven Dunnill is a one-stop supplier of ceramic wall and floor tiles. The company stocks a choice of more than 10,000 products, plus accessories such as adhesives and grouts, at its Bridgnorth warehouse and provides technical expertise, on-site delivery, and bespoke specialist manufacturer.

The Renaissance Collection can be viewed at the company’s showroom in Shropshire and at regional retailers.

For a brochure and all sales enquiries visit:

Web: http://www.cravendunnill.co.uk
Tel: (01746) 761

After a few years playing with painting floorboards black, or in vivid colours, blondes are definitely back.

With blonde floorboards, the natural grain of the wood is able to really shine through, so the calming effect and visual elegance of pale wooden floorboards, are once again the preferred option when it comes to creating a perfect foundation for any room in the house.

The exclusive floors from the Danish company Dinesen, are made of either Douglas fir or Oak. Douglas is in greatest demand and is used in the vast majority of floors produced:

• The Douglas floorboards are made in lengths of up to 15 metres, widths of up to 45 cm and thickness of up to 35 mm. The Douglas floorboards may be treated with lye and white soap, or with white oil, which brings out a light expression.
• The Oak planks can be made in lengths of up to 5 metres, widths of up to 30 cm and thickness of up to 30 mm. The oak planks may be finished with a white or natural oil and maintained with the white or natural soap. A finish with white oil gives the oak floorboards a pale, greyish look, whereas the natural oil will maintain the light brown tone of the oak.

The variety of finishes of Dinesen floors, give the floorboards a natural and soft look, which enhances the wood allowing you to enjoy its structure and grain. It is also very easy to clean and maintain.

The expression of the floorboards may even be changed over time, by switching from the white soap to the natural soap in the care of the floor.

Dinesen floors are not kept in stock but made to order, so that customers receive a solution tailored to their particular requirements.

Web: http://www.dinesen.com

The Fired Earth summer sale runs from June 13th to July 12th and there’s up to 50% off selected tiles and bathrooms!

This sale is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of fabulous savings on beautiful wall and floor tiles, bathroom collections, kitchens and wood flooring.

The hot seasonal savings include: Up to 50% off tiles* and bathrooms* 25% off kitchens* Up to 25% off wood flooring.

Tiles
Fired Earth is perhaps best known for its distinctive wall and floor tiles.
Savings in the summer sale range from 15% off, up to fantastic
half-price offers.

Bathrooms
From truly chic wet rooms, through to the most romantic bathrooms imaginable, Fired Earth has pieces to suit every taste.
The summer sale savings include 50% off all sanitary-ware (excluding the new Versailles collection, which is discounted by 25%). There’s also 15% off baths, 25% off all taps and showers and half-price savings on selected accessories.

Kitchens
Fired Earth’s kitchens are made from the highest quality, responsibly sourced materials and work well in both contemporary and traditional spaces.
The summer sale offer is 25% off all pieces in the Fired Earth’s beautiful New England kitchen collection. (In our picture) Bastide, New England and Jura collections. There’s also 25% off Lloyd Loom furniture.

Wood flooring
Wood flooring has undergone a renaissance in recent years and Fired Earth’s range includes cherry, maple and walnut flooring, as well as traditional oak, all of which is sourced from sustainable forests.
Savings in the summer sale include 25% off engineered boards and 15% off solid wood boards.

*Applies to selected items while stocks last.

Web: http://www.firedearth.com
Tel: (0845) 366 0400

The Council of Mortgage Lenders recently reported that over 900,000 borrowers would now be in negative equity, as a result of the downturn in the property market.

They added that three in four of those have an average shortfall of between £6,000 and £8,000 so many homeowners now find themselves unable to move.

While a stagnant market could make you feel like you’re stuck on the same rung of the property ladder, why not make plans for when you can sell? Investing in some home improvements now could help claw back some of the value your property has lost.

There have already been a few small indications of recovery in the market recently - both Nationwide and Halifax have reported an average 1.5% rise in house prices in May, compared to almost 18 months of decline. Therefore now could be the perfect time to get your property into shape and ready for the recovery.

Adding significant value to your property, doesn’t necessarily mean spending a fortune on extensions, brand new kitchens or loft conversions; there are simpler and less expensive methods that could add considerably to your selling price.

So if current market conditions have left you unable to move, maximising the potential of your home is the next best thing. With a variety of ways to make improvements, to suit a range of budgets, it is possible to regain some of that lost value and prepare your biggest asset, for when the property market recovers.

Even if moving is a long way off yet, you can still enjoy the improvements you make whilst you live there!

Scroll down for some examples:

Install wood flooring
Installing wood flooring is one of the easiest ways to increase your valuation. The warm, natural tones of oak brings a touch of style and elegance to any home and can really enhance the existing decor.

A recent study by Woodcare showed that wood flooring could add 5 to 10% to the value of your home, whilst a survey of estate agents suggested that properties with wood flooring also sell faster.

It is much more affordable than ever before, with high quality oak flooring from top brands, now available for as little as £30 per square meter. Take a look at the superb range available at 1926 Wood Flooring, with styles and colours to suit all tastes:
http://www.1926woodflooring.co.uk

Give your kitchen a facelift
A new kitchen can also add 5 to 10% to your valuation, but it isn’t always necessary to replace everything, in order to have the desired effect; if you are happy with the layout, then you could consider either re-finishing or re-facing the existing units.

The cheapest option is to re-finish your kitchen by painting all your cupboard and drawer fronts, which is an excellent option if you want to compliment any other redecoration of the room.

Re-facing is also becoming more and more popular and simply requires the purchase of new cupboard and drawer fronts, rather than entire units. Also a new worktop to match your newly regenerated units, will really finish it off.
For further information, take a look at this guide:
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/kitchencabinets

Re-decorate
It may sound straightforward, but it‘s easy to underestimate the impact that simply re-decorating a room can have. A fresh coat of paint on the walls, doors and skirting boards, can vastly improve the feel of a room and if you do it yourself, the only cost involved is for the materials.

Take your time researching and testing colour schemes for different rooms and remember that lighter, neutral colours provide the illusion of spaciousness and allow potential buyers to easily imagine living in that space.
There are plenty of tips in this useful guide and an excellent colour designer, from the Paint Quality Institute here:
http://www.paintquality.co.uk/deco/power/index.htm

Fired Earth is widely acknowledged as the UK’s authority on tiles from around the world. The company’s carefully sourced ranges are both distinctive and timeless. But it’s worth noting that Fired Earth has a number of very affordable tile collections within its range- for example:

On The Wall
With clean, classic lines and an elegant structural style, the Architecture range can create versatile designs, with the clever use of different sizes in patterned combinations, or by mixing the gloss and matt finishes.
From 53p per tile.

The contemporary feel of the Retro Metro range, takes its influence from the 1920s. The rectangular shape and subtle colours of these tiles offer a real modernity and stylised finish to a room.
74p per tile.

The Costero collection is a restrained palette of six evocative colours from the coast of Spain, with subtle blue greys and shades reminiscent of bleached beaches and pebbles fired onto an almost luminescent white body. £1.05 per tile.

On The Floor
Where some terracotta is predominantly light and others dark, San Genis in our picture, combines light and dark clays in a sometimes-dramatic swirling finish. Hardly surprising, then, that this extruded tile is often thought to be handmade. £3.20 per tile.

Travertino tiles look so like natural travertine but are, in fact, porcelain, complete with unfilled holes and veins. It’s almost impossible to tell the difference, so you get the best of both worlds, with a stunning look that’s easy to care for. From £6.35 per tile.

Each Fired Earth showroom has knowledgeable staff on hand, to offer advice and ensure that customers choose the tiles that are right for them.
To view the tiles visit:

Web: http://www.firedearth.com

Premium flooring specialists Solid Floor launch a large selection of exciting new ranges, at the newly refurbished Marylebone showroom from May 2009.

The innovative ranges include:

Solid oak: Reclaimed style planks: A magnificent floor that recreates the look of a country house with a modern twist. These oak floors are burnt, stained and oiled to achieve a unique selection of colour tones.

Woven vinyl flooring: An exclusive product that has the feeling of a textile with all the benefits of vinyl, it is modern, durable and simple to maintain.

Seamless flooring: Poured resin floors offer a super-slick finish for those who like a smooth, clean look. These can be installed in any colour and can also be used to create floor art.

Leather flooring (in our picture): This new range is made from recycled leather and available in 12 colours and patterns. Stylish and durable leather flooring options are ideal for modern homes.

Art floors: Art floors offer a completely unique flooring solution; customers can choose a favourite image or create their own abstract designs to be created using a resin floor.

Rugs: The current range is being extended to include the stunning Limited Edition rugs, in a range of stylish colours and patterns.

Concrete flooring: A new range of high performance textured and patterned concrete floors are now available. This flooring allows traditional exterior finishes to be used indoors for striking effects.

Solid Floor offers a unique tailored approach to flooring and service; every project is carefully managed alongside the designers and architects, to ensure floors are installed perfectly, on time and within budget.

Solid Floor Marylebone is at 61 Paddington Street, London W1U 4JD.
Web: http://www.solidfloor.co.uk

In celebration of Fired Earth’s 25th anniversary, the company is launching a campaign to raise funds in support of the work of the National Trust.

The initiative - which began on May 1st will support the Trust’s work of protecting and opening to the public, more than 300 historic houses and gardens and 49 industrial monuments and mills, as well as the work it does in looking after natural features, archaeological remains, castles, nature reserves and villages - for ever and for everyone.

Fired Earth already has a relationship with the National Trust through its holiday cottage business and there is a real synergy in the outlook of both of these British organisations, with each placing great importance on the place of colour in our living environment and on environmental issues.

Fired Earth will be making a donation to the Trust, from sales of it’s paint - produced in collaboration with Kevin McCloud, with whom the company has been working for more than nine years to create beautiful, relevant colour palettes.

The paint shown in our picture is -  Sienna Earth.

A donation will be made of up to 50p per can of paint sold in Fired Earth stores and through independent stockists.

John Stachiewicz, of the National Trust, said: ‘We are delighted to be working so closely with Fired Earth, who have chosen to support the work of the National Trust through this exciting fund-raising activity.

The quality and ethos behind Fired Earth products forms an ideal basis for a relationship between our two organisations.’

For more information on Fired Earth, visit:

Web: http://www.firedearth.com

For more on the work of the National Trust, visit:

Web: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

For many people, their home is a reflection of their personality; whether it’s in their choice of wallpaper or their style of window dressing – everyone likes to put their own stamp on their home and that’s particularly true when it comes to choosing a rug.

So what design should you choose to match your personality?

Choose animal prints if you consider yourself a world traveller. Tiger or zebra prints are particularly bold and eye-catching, suiting home-makers who are keen to make a statement.

If you prefer a floral design you love the great outdoors; you’d rather be outside than in then your preferred interior design will always look to bring the outside – in.

If you’re a hopeless romantic, then a shaggy long-pile rug is one way to create a cosy atmosphere in your home; you’d love to wrap yourself in one of these rugs.

If your rug is dramatic and daring you see yourself as being a bit crazy too; you’ll do anything to avoid being seen as ‘run of the mill’ and the bolder the rug design, the more you’re telling the world how you like to stand out from the crowd.

Featured here is the Indo Persian Meshed Rug Design IPM100.

To find the right rug to match your taste and style, visit G H Frith online to view over 30,000 designs on display:

Web: http://www.ghfrith.com

Tel: (0845) 4 900 600

Novatec’s new range captures the essence of nine quintessential British homes with the fabrics, textures and colours having been painstakingly selected, to mirror the individual styles of each home-owner.

From the contemporary metallic and sleek, minimalist styling of “The Wharf” through to the vibrant colour palette of “The Broadway”, there is a style to suit every interior.

It is a versatile collection, nothing too outlandish or restrictive – a real collection for real people and real homes.

As well as Roman blinds, 3 styles of curtains are available, as well as a range of matching cushions.

Featured here is the Catriona’ Roman blind from
Novatec’s ‘The Broadway’ collection.

Prices from £148 for a lined Roman blind. Curtains start from £122.

Web: http://www.novatec.co.uk
Tel: (01843) 608780