Features

Ideas to make rented flats more personal

Usually there are limitations on how much you can modify a rented place without jeopardising your deposit at the end of your tenancy. Unless you've obtained permission from your landlord, any alterations you undertake must be temporary and not result in any damage to the property. 

However, Nick Woodward of property company Essential Living has some easy and affordable ways to make a rented flat/house feel like home - without risking your deposit. 

House plants

Meet auctioneer Catherine Southon

Antiques. The word may inspire you or turn you off, and your age is likely to have something to do with your response. Older people may think of beautiful Georgian furniture, rich mahogany pieces with intricate marquetry, while younger people may well think antiques are big ugly pieces of brown wood that their great grandparents lived with.

Eco warriors as well as workhorse worktops

Eco worktops and environmentally friendly worktop materials include Eco by Cosentino, Resilica recycled glass, and Richlite. All are hard wearing and intended to last for at least 30 years. Environmentally friendly choices. good for kitchens and bathrooms. Swiss CDF by Kronospan is another good eco option being made from FSC-certified wood fibre.

Mattress in a box - how eco is it?

foam mattress in a box may sound good in that they come rolled up on a box but they are not easily disposed of so are not eco friendly

Avoid condensation and mould in your home

ventilate your home to avoid condensation and black mould. It's healthier to have airflow indoors so even in winter, be sure to open windows a little

French polish: the environmentally-friendly way to restore wood

French polishing is a technique to restore scuffed, marked and damaged wood using eco friendly ingredients. It is a sustainable method for restoring wooden furniture

Affordable luxuries: eco-friendly candles

scented candles are big business. Choose candles that contain no paraffin wax and if they have palm wax choose brands that guarantee sustainable palm

Small space living: be stylish and eco friendly

Just because you're living in a small house or flat doesn't mean you can't choose eco friendly furniture that's multi-functional and adaptable, such as extendable or collapsible tables. Small space living needs good storage, whether built in or freestanding.

Interior designer Oliver Heath shares his eco chic tips

Oliver Heath interior designer and promoter of eco chic says we must all endeavour to live greener lives at home. Recycle, reused, buy less

Woven Image - using recycled plastic to transform interiors

Sharing an office but long for a bit of privacy? Living in a flat with noisy people above you? Perhaps your children are sharing a bedroom and want to mark out clearly which is THEIR side of the room? Or maybe you're living or working in a place that's full of hard surfaces and the acoustics leave a lot to be desired? These are all situations, says Woven Image's Kate Ingram, where EchoPanel can help, whether you use it in panel, screen, peel-n-stick tile or ultra thin Mura 'wallpaper' form.

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