The double dip recession has truly hit most of us hard! So it’s not surprising that most of us are bargain hunting at the moment. Although I myself am a lover of a bargain, I find myself asking the question, is cheaper really better?

Huge chain stores such as Ikea offer cheap solutions to our furniture and money problems, however are some of their products too generic? I worry that while visiting a friends house I would notice that we had the same bed frame, or wardrobes, or kitchen table, you get the gist.

Ikea pros:

• cheap and affordable
• modern and up to date
• great variety of accessories
• modern funky children’s room furniture
• great variety of plants and garden furniture

Ikea cons:

• have to put everything together yourself
• no delivery
• have to search the huge basement for your product
• not the best quality
• very generic
• could be too common

What’s your opinion on chain stores like Ikea? Would you rather know your furniture is a one of a kind individual piece? Or is Ikea the affordable answer?

No amount of decorating, no matter how creative, is going to make it any bigger. So how do you make it liveable?

Storage is of course a must in every bedroom, but with limited floor space in box bedrooms it is vital keep it clear. Beds with storage space underneath offer a great solution to this. Another idea is to be creative with your wall space. Many stores sell practical wall mounted cupboards which are great for saving floor space.

Keep walls plain and simple, patterned walls will only make the room smaller than it is and may look manic, not making the room very relaxing. Here is an example of how overbearing patterned wallpaper can be in a small room

A brilliant idea for getting the most out of a box bedroom is to use it for two purposes, for example a home office and bedroom. John Strand makes the transaction from office to bedroom easy with it’s unique range of wall beds.

Visit the John Strand website to see the full selection of these clever beds.

Here’s an example of how the desk transforms into a bed by simply revolving:

Have you ever had a box bedroom dilemma? How did you find clever ways to use the little space you had? Share them with us fellow design enthusiasts!

Being a regular buyer of the Ideal Home magazines, I just had to visit the Ideal Home Show 2012 and see Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and Alan Titchmarsh in the flesh!

This year I made time to do so, and was blown away by the amount of things to see! I certainly thought the Ideal Home Show was a brilliant day long experience.

I caught up with another visitor to the Ideal Home Show to see if my feelings were shared. Karen Williams, 49, is currently half way through an extension and complete house makeover! She shares her feelings on the Ideal Home Show and how it is helping her with her mammoth project.

Hi Karen, thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Is 2012 the first time you visited the Ideal Home Show?

No, I have been since I was about 21 and I am 49 now. I won’t say I’ve been to every one since then but I’ve been to a fair few!

What makes you keep coming back again?

It has to be my huge interest in interior design, even if my house is complete I still look for new ways to update it. And the Ideal Home Show is great for that, there’s always modern and completely new ideas here.

What is your favourite part of the Ideal Home Show?

I would have to say my favourite part has always been the show homes along with room sets. Some of the kitchen displays are outstanding. Last year they had one which was covered in fish scales and was huge including a hidden corridor running across the back being used as a utility room. The layout was brilliant although how practical the fish scales would be remains to be seen. And the fact that the Queen was here this year!

Does the Ideal Home Show give you any inspiration or new ideas for your own home?

Yes, it always gives me inspiration that I use in planning my future Ideal Home. The kitchen displays are particularly useful to me, as I find my taste and ideas permanently changing for my kitchen, so the Ideal Home Show really does inspire me in that aspect.

Do you think the Ideal Home Show is good value for money?

Yes, the ticket price is very reasonable considering the amount of goods on display under one roof. I struggle to get round it all in a day.

Who do you think the Ideal Home Show’s target market is?

The target market for the show could be anyone from the age of 10 looking for inspiration for their cool new bedroom, to 80, by which time I would like to think you would have your home how you would like it.

Will you attend the Ideal Home Show again?

I will attend the show again because even when my home is complete I can gather new ideas for the garden and view garden buildings too.

Finally, if you could describe the Ideal Home Show in 5 words, what would they be?

Inspirational fresh talent and innovations!

Thank you for your time Karen, enjoy the rest of your day.

Have you been to the Ideal Home Show? Feel free to share your experience with me. I’d love to hear how it has inspired you to design your home!

Visit the Ideal Home Show website to see all the details of upcoming shows and ticket information. I’m betting the Christmas show this year will be one not to miss!

Why would I want my furniture to look old and battered? I hear you ask. Well, here are a couple of examples of shabby chic at it’s most spectacular, and maybe they will change your mind.

The romantic vintage look of shabby chic makes me think it would be every woman’s dream to have a shabby chic bedroom. Inside Interior Design didn’t conduct a survey on men’s opinions of shabby chic, but I could bet that if we did, the results would be the identical to the florals survey.

Why is this? Because it looks old fashioned. I can agree to this opinion to an extent. Cram a whole room full of shabby chic furniture and accessories and it would look like an antiques shop.

So, I have a couple of tips for those of you who want to give shabby chic a try, but don’t want your house to look like it should the setting of the Antique’s Roadshow

• Don’t go mad – stick to one or two key items per room, for example, go for shabby chic style dining table and chairs, but keep the rest of the room modern. Or choose a shabby chic bed frame and dressing table, but keep accessories modern.
• Feature walls – Bright feature walls can give a modern twist to a shabby chic room, as shabby chic furniture tends to be mostly white. A great way to do this is on the wall behind the bed frame, as contrasting the two styles gives a really effective look. Not only will this bring your room into the present, it’s also a great way to incorporate that wallpaper you’ve had your eye on but thought it would be too overbearing for all four walls. The perfect compromise!
• Think big – If the room you’re looking to decorate is small or dingy, shabby chic probably isn’t the best idea for you as it will end up looking cluttered and definitely old fashioned. Rooms need to be bright and spacious to bring shabby chic into the modern day.

Here’s an example of how using a feature wall can put a modern spin onto shabby chic furniture:

- the bright feature wall adds a modern twist to the white shabby chic dresser, as well as adding some colour to the room

Working on a budget? No problem!

I have a great tip for those of you attempting shabby chic on a budget. One word: Ebay! I bought my original shabby chic dressing table on Ebay for a fraction of the price it would have been in an antique shop! And this wasn’t the only pro, it’s far more authentic looking than the ones being produced now.

Visit Live, Laugh, Love to see some beautiful (and fairly priced) shabby chic accessories. I’ve had to hold back on buying them all, they’re that lovely!

Or, if you’d like to give your shabby chic accessories a personal touch, heres a video tutorial of how to make shabby chic hearts. I can’t wait to give it a go!

What do you think of shabby chic? Simply too old fashioned for you? Or are you up to the challenge of bringing it into the present?

Do you think this statement rings true? Well minimalist lovers certainly don’t agree with it. But is it worth embracing the minimalist style with so many other distractions for the modern day woman?

Like me, I’m sure that many of you have dreamt of clear surfaces, floors, light bright space and everything stored in it’s rightful place in shiny fitted cupboards.

However, with children, pets and men, it is hard to keep your home looking spotless, no matter how often you clean and tidy.

For example, when I’m home from uni, my mum, like any other I’m sure, likes the place looking nice for my arrival. This of course lasts for all of half an hour, until my brother comes home from school and his coat and bag are dumped on the kitchen table and shoes flung across the living room floor. Then my dad comes home from work, muddy builders boots are strewn in the hall, and keys are thrown on the sideboard. (Mum then of course puts them on the key rack where they belong, as she does every day). Then, as bad luck apparently comes in threes, my brother decides to make toast (without using a plate of course), and leaves the worktop covered in crumbs.

So this prompts the question, is it really worth trying to embrace the minimalist approach? Or should we all be more easy going and accept that when we have a family life will of course be chaotic?

Of course, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with being tidy. What I’m getting at is, we shouldn’t be obsessed with white walls, worktops and furniture. Because, lets face it, white isn’t very practical with children around. Shouldn’t a home be personal to the family living in it? Otherwise they might as well be living in a show room.

This video shows the ‘perfect’ features of a minimalist home:

Is it only me who thinks it doesn’t exactly look very homely?

- It's all about white white white for the minimalist style! Would you prefer a splash of colour?

- Although this is still too minimalist and not personal enough for me. The pink throw and accessories like the lamp and books make the theme slightly less harsh and more homely

Click here to see ‘Your Decorating Hotline’ showing the pros and cons, and successes and failures of minimalism.

In my opinion, having a clean and tidy house is fine, in fact encouraged, but minimalist looks too clinical for me. At the end of the day, you want a space that your family is able to relax in.

What do you think? Is the minimalist look one you’d like to embrace? Or do you prefer your home to look more lived in and personal to your family?

If you haven’t seen this poster, or variations of it, where have you been hiding for the past year?

With not only the Queen’s diamond jubilee coming up fast this summer, but the Olympics in London too, it’s no surprise that British nostalgia isn’t hard to find at the moment!

Nothing says national pride and patriotism like some Union Jacks dotted around. And judging by the amount of them in shops right now, you’d think we were a nation of royalists!

Fortunately, thanks to the fabulously British ‘Cool Britannia’ design craze that has hit the stores at large, there are subtler and slightly more classy ways of displaying national pride than the old fashioned hanging of the St. George’s cross out of the window. Which – and I don’t know about everyone else – reminds me more of young boys supporting England in the world cup nowadays, than adults proud to display their patriotism.

Changing Rooms’ Laurence Llewelyn Bowen stated that the ‘Cool Britannia” theme was a great way for people to give their homes “a lot more character” at the Ideal Home Show 2012.

Although I love the ‘Cool Britannia’ style, I can’t help asking the question; how long before it comes old hat? It has already been a top seller for well over a year, how much longer will it last?

I assume it will last until the end of the year, with the Queen’s jubilee this summer. But would you be happy furnishing an entire room in this theme, then it be ‘old news’ within a matter of months? I know I wouldn’t.

Emma, 20 says

“Last year I kitted out my entire bedroom in the Cool Britannia design, and loved it at first, but within a year got slightly bored of it. I fancied floral bedding but couldn’t just buy it because it wouldn’t match the union jack accessories”

Reflecting on Emma’s dilemma, I advise that if you are going to embrace the ‘Cool Britannia’ craze in the bedroom, stick to plain coloured bedding and jazz it up with union jack cushions and funky red and blue photo frames. This will be far easier to part with than a whole roomful of expensive Cool Britannia themed furnishings.

- This beautiful Cool Britannia cushion is great if you want to embrace the theme without using the traditional red and blue. Bought from Laura Ashly £35

- Another Cool Britannia cushion by Laura Ashley £36, click the link below to visit the site and check out the full selection!

Visit Laura Ashley to see the full collection of Cool Britannia cushions

- If you're looking for a Cool Britannia statement piece, this is certainly a bold one! Sold at Debenhams

Visit Beth Stevens contemporary urban living to see some affordable Cool Britannia pieces. Not only is this site brilliant for embracing the theme with a few key focal items, it’s also great for if you’re on a budget, as most items are reduced!

Although some might say the Cool Britannia theme may border on tacky, I’m not going to deny that everyone’s going crazy for it this year!

However, in my house it’ll be a union jack table cloth and a couple of cushions for when the Olympics and Jubilee are on! Oh ok, and some bunting, and maybe a keep calm and carry on poster just for fun! Who doesn’t love getting into the spirit of things?!

Is Cool Britannia a theme that will stick around? What do you think?

We may be used to it being pretty chilly for the majority of the year here in England, but spring has well and truly arrived, and with it comes blossom trees and bright colours. It’s time to embrace the season with pretty florals, matching the inside of your home with the daffodils and tulips blossoming outside.

In the past, if I heard the term ‘floral’, it would conjure up images of my nan’s bad curtains and floor to ceiling garish wallpaper. However, in more modern times, there are more subtle and stylish ways of including florals in your home.

A key tip to stop your house looking like grandma’s when decorating with florals is to keep to large scale floral prints, as tiny prints can not only look a lot more old fashioned, but also won’t make as much of an impact.

If you’re worried about your florals looking too ‘old lady’, brighter is better. What do bright colours remind you of? Youth!

This is my floral bedding, which was an instant must have for me, proving that bright is beautiful!

- Bought from British Home Stores

A survey conducted by Inside Interior Design revealed that only 1 in 10 men would happily agree to a florally decorated bedroom.

- 1 in 10 men agree to florals

When asked why, the dominant answer was that they felt florals looked “too old”

Could they be more wrong? Absolutely not! Clearly these men haven’t done their market research, maybe the only florals they have seen are the previously mentioned nan’s curtains? If you do live with a man, remind him that there’s more to florals than rose prints in realistic colours.

Go for florals in abstract colours to keep from looking old fashioned. I find that pale beiges and pinks will drag the print into the past. Here’s a combination of lifelike florals in these colours, do you think it looks as old fashioned as I do?

- old fashioned florals

- Abstract colours and shapes will help bring florals up to date, and may be preferred by the man in your life

Don’t be fooled into thinking florals are limited to bedding and curtains they’re great for walls too. Most people assume the floral wallpaper is overbearing, but a great way of instantly updating a room is to use vibrant floral print for a feature wall. Or if you’re feeling quirky, why not try clashing floral prints (as shown in the photo below) to create an instant edge to your room.

- get an extra edge by clashing floral prints

Don’t like the sound of bright florals or don’t want to plaster your wall in them? There is an answer. This classy bed frame embraces the floral craze in a more subtle way in classy black and white, and is an excellent focal point in a neutral room.

- a great alternative way of embracing subtle florals

- another idea for a focal point in the living room. Who would need a feature wall with this beautiful floral sofa stealing the limelight?

Whether you prefer your florals bright or subtle, abstract or classic, I hope you all have fun embracing the spring trend as much as I have!

Come back soon to see whether the ‘Cool Britannia’ theme has already been around too long.

The truth of this matter is, parents want to give their precious child simply the best, and spend silly amounts of money on a beautiful bedroom before the child’s individual taste has developed. This often results in redecorating only a few short years later, and spending just as much money a second time.

My mum was exactly the same. She wanted her firstborn to have the prettiest, pinkest room ever to be seen. And boy, did she go the whole hog! The pastel pink embossed ballet shoe wallpaper, border and bedding would lead anyone to think I was a mad ballet fanatic! It was when I reached 7 that it occurred to me that I had been to ballet twice when I was 3, and hated it even then.

It was then that I wanted change. Forcing mum to rip down the thick, expensive wallpaper, and paint the walls a bright lilac and turquoise, for (in my young mind) a more sophisticated, mature look.

So, how can I decorate my child’s room in a style they won’t outgrow? I hear you ask. Well, I have a few tips which will hopefully help.

1) Stick to paint – It’s much easier to simply slap another colour over the top if you or your child fancies a change, and you won’t have to go through the bother of stripping wallpaper and putting new lining paper up.

2) Stay neutral – Although it may be tempting to go for typical blue for a boy and pink for a girl looks, don’t! Keep the walls a neutral white or cream and put your own stamp on the room with bedcovers and curtains in the colour you desire. These are a lot cheaper to replace if another colour or style is wanted!

3) Accessorise, Accessorise, Accessorise! – Accessories are a really fun way or defining a room. Clocks, cushions, lamps, rugs, ornaments and shelves can really give a child’s room an edge depending on what style you go for, be it colourful and funky, or soft and feminine.

4) High sleepers = bad news – Sure, your child will think it’s really fun to sleep up near the ceiling at first. But soon they won’t look forward to climbing up and down a ladder every time they get in and out of bed. Plus, is it really worth the worry that they’ll fall out of it and injure themselves? Stick to a simple bed that’s timeless and won’t be outgrown.

Here are some photos of, in my opinion, child’s rooms at their best!

BELVISI make beautiful modern furniture for a child’s rooms, as this photo illustrates perfectly. The coloured panels on the bed match the shelving units and desk top, tying the whole room together to create a funky vibe.

Accessories in bright colours such as the cushion and mini drawers shown above work really well in a  child’s bedroom, as they do not come across babyish and will last a child well into their teens. I specifically like the hanging wall piece shown above, as it can be used for photos and certificates when a child is young, and for homework reminders and so on as they grow older.

So, what do you think is the best way to decorate a child’s room? Have I inspired you and changed your mind about baby pink and blue?

Come back soon to see how to make florals glam, not gran!