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Essential Items For The Modern Home

Harriet Goodacre

September 19, 2023

Our sTile Consultant has compiled a handy list of the key items that can upgrade your home, even on a budget. Choosing the top five items for the living and dining room as well as the kitchen and bathroom. The top items explore the latest tech, the best styling advice and some simple hacks that will change the way you live forever!

Living / Dining Rooms

1. Lamps
What makes a house a home is the lighting; it can completely change the mood of a room and even how we use it, but we rarely consider lighting as a key component when planning a renovation. If you’ve already renovated and missed the chance or don’t have the budget for rewiring an older property, then look no further than the humble lamp. You can’t go wrong with a strategically placed lamp with a warm coloured LED bulb. Go one step further and use a Bluetooth switch, you can set the lamps on timers which is great for security when you’re not at home, you can set them for when you walk in the door on a cold winter night to instantly feel welcomed home and if that wasn’t good enough, you can turn them on and off with a click of a button on your phone so the cables don’t need to be showing or reachable! Life will never be the same again.

2. The extendable table
Most of us love to entertain at home but rarely have the space to accommodate everyone. There are now so many chic extendable table options that you don’t have to sacrifice your style for that extra couple of seats, it’s definitely worth the investment.

3. Rugs
Rugs are often overlooked as a non-essential, mostly because they’re often expensive and a little tricky to upkeep (especially if you have pets) however, the pros certainly outweigh the cons when considering a rug for your home. No only do they make a room feel cosier, have sound insulating properties and add depth and texture to your space but they also visually connect different pieces of furniture to create a harmonious flow through your living space.

4. Layering textures
When crafting an interior considering texture is essential, it stops the space looking dull and flat by creating intrigue for the eye. Think about the contrast in your materials like a soft wool rug under a hard marble topped table, or a velvet sofa layered with boucle cushions. But other accessories can also help add texture, a good one is natural greenery, the also have the benefit of adding life and movement to the room.

5. Personal ornaments
Nothing adds personality and polish to a room like a few selective ornaments. Cement your style and add a personal touch by using items you’ve collected. When you’re next on holiday have a perusal around the markets and stalls to find some unique mementos.

Image credits L-R: Lighting, Table, Ornament, Rug

Kitchens

1. Underfloor heating
Most consider electric underfloor heating to be an unnecessary luxury, however there is significant data to show that radiant heat is more beneficial and cost effective in comparison to traditional radiators. The air rises and circulates around the room more efficiently and keeps warmer for longer so it’s less costly, it also feels much nicer on a cold day! Remove unsightly radiators and you’ll have more practical space to use in your kitchen.

2. A boiling tap
If you’re prepared to make the investment you can now get filtered and boiling water all from one tap so you don’t have to clog up your sink with separate faucets anymore! Not only is a boiling tap quicker and more efficient than waiting for a kettle to boil, but it also frees up much needed work top space (and it’s one less thing to clean!)

3. Planned storage
A pantry cupboard seems like something from a bygone era but having a dedicated space for food items and your pots and pans can actually save a lot of space in your kitchen. It can be designed for your specific needs and saves you from the ultimate game of Tetris just to cook some bacon.

4. Glassware and crockery
Why wait for guests to come to pull out your fancy dinnerware? Invest in pieces you love and use them every day. It’s also a great way to add some personality to your kitchen, you don’t have to buy a job lot of cheap white plates from Tesco, build up an eclectic collection over time and get a little joy when you have a cuppa or cook your favourite meal.

5. Art
Treat your kitchen like any other room of the home and stamp your personality on the walls with meaningful art. And, if you’ve gone for a neutral kitchen, it can add some much-needed colour to the walls.

Image credits L-R: Rise underfloor heating, Pantry cupboard, Boiling tap, Crockery, Art

Bathrooms

1. Built-in storage
Our bathrooms are typically smaller than other rooms of the home and yet require more stuff, from the mountains of toiletries we seem to collect, spare loo rolls and towels to beauty tools that pile up, but we never seem to have any storage. So, when you’re renovating your bathroom make built in storage a priority, creating a clutter free space will not only make it feel more spacious, but it will also feel calmer and look more expensive! It also makes it much easier to clean too. For the essentials, consider a tiled alcove in your shower (we never want to see a rusty metal shelf again!)

2. A gadget mirror
We’ve all seen those TikTok cleaning hacks to apply shaving foam to your mirror to stop it from misting up, well, save your shaving cream and invest in a demisting mirror. And whilst you’re at it, go for one that lights up as well, it’s an absolute game changer in the winter when you have to get ready in the dark.

3. Underfloor heating
Already an essential for the kitchen, you need it in the bathroom too. It will take the chill off the floor as you step out the shower but it also frees up a lot of space in the bathroom.

4. Heated towel rails
A lot of people mistake a heated towel rail for a bathroom radiator but they’re ineffective in heating even the smallest of bathrooms. However, they are useful for keeping your towels fresher for longer, minimising your wash load. If you’ve got the space, we’d highly recommend one to replace the hooks you’d normally hang your towels on. You can now get some effective but minimalist designs so they don’t have to take up half a wall.

5. Quick dry towels
Whether you opt for the heated towel rail or not, make sure you purchase quick dry towels. Luxury is often associated with thick fluffy towels but, they take longer to dry, can smell damp and leave fluff all over you or your washing! Quick dry towels are lighter so they wash more efficiently, and as they dry quicker, are less likely to require a tumble dry in the winter months.

Image credits L-R: Storage, Towel Hook, Towels, Rise underfloor heating, Mirror

So, there you have it, 15 top tips for your next home updates!

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Essential Items For The Modern Home

Living / Dining Rooms

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