INNOVATE AS YOU RENOVATE W
BRITS are renowned for being house proud and now new research has revealed we’re a nation that is never truly satisfied with our homes.
A survey of 1,000 UK homeowners carried out by interiors etailer Furniture123.co.uk, found more than half (55 per cent) of Brits say they have a room in their house that currently needs decorating, while one in four Brits admit to constantly decorating their home.
The research looked into decorating habits of the nation and revealed Brits will decorate their lounge or living room every 25 months (two years and one month) on average.
This is followed by the bedroom, which the survey reveals will be made over once every 29 months.
The dining room will be refreshed every 33 months on average, while the bathroom will be decorated every 37 months.
Hallways will be restored every 45 months with a lick or paint or fresh wallpaper.
When quizzed on the time it takes for Brits to decorate a room, respondents cite it takes on average 9.5 days to finish the job and 22 per cent say they finish one room and move straight on to the next.
One in four Brits say they re-decorate regularly to keep up with interiors trends, while 19 per cent say they to do it for enjoyment.
Mark Kelly, marketing manager at Furniture123.co.uk, said: “It’s understandable that Britons choose to decorate the rooms in their home so regularly. While interiors trends are ever changing, a simple re-decoration of a room can make a person fall in love with their home all over again.
“That said, this desired effect can be achieved by changing accessories or buying new furniture and doesn’t always have to include a full redecoration job.”
Those living in London are the keenest decorators, as almost one in three (31 per cent) admit to constantly decorating their home, followed by those in Manchester (30 per cent).
Nottingham residents are less enthusiastic about make-overs, with just nine per cent confessing to constantly decorating the home. You may think windows are just windows, but there are innovative ones that make life easier. Skylights are a popular choice for big home improvements such as loft conversions and extensions, and they’re often fitted high up out of reach. That’s why Velux does remotely controlled skylights – the touch-screen remote is programmable, and the window has a clever rain sensor that shuts it when it starts to rain. Velux Solar Centre-Pivot Roof Windows also have a rain sensor and programmable touch-screen remote control, but are solar powered – making them perfect for sunny roofs. And if you’re a light sleeper and have a skylight in your bedroom, noise-reduction glass could be for you. can also be used to heat water. Usually you need solar thermal panels for this, which are relatively rare, but solar PV panels can be adapted to heat the water in your home’s hot-water-storage cylinder if a special diverter is fitted. “The diverter enables excess solar energy from the panels to be used to heat your household’s water, rather than being exported to the grid,” says Stuart Elsy from the Hot Water Association. “We calculate that the savings made can be around £90 a year compared to heating water using gas, and around £220 to £240 compared to electricity.” Digital showers are one of the best bathroom innovations in recent years and have features such as LCD displays and touch-screen and wireless controls. Turning the shower on via a remote control is ideal if the water takes a while to warm up in your home – some digital showers have a warm-up mode so you don’t have to wait. Certain digital showers can also be controlled via an app. Each member of your household can pre-set their shower They may not be commonplace, but Wi-Fienabled appliances, such as dishwashers, washing machines and fridge-freezers, which can be controlled and monitored via an app, are available. For a connected home, Bosch recently launched a range of Smart Home products in the UK – one of which alerts you of open windows and doors. Another innovative product the Smart Plug, which displays power consumption and connects electrical items to the Bosch Smart Home System – so you could remotely turn connected lamps on and off. Some of the best new paints harness technology to solve common problems, including new Dulux Easycare. This is 20 times tougher than standard emulsion and uses stain-repellent technology. Meanwhile, dark rooms that are difficult to decorate, can be improved with Dulux Light + Space emulsion, which contains light-reflective particles.