When applying emulsion paint to a wall the most common method now seems to be the roller. However, you can use a brush and a pad as well. Here’s why we think the roller is best.

Paint brush

Even using the largest paint brush, it can take quite a long time to paint a room, add to that the potential for unevenness of paint coverage and all those hairs which come out of the brush and you’ll see why the paint brush is no longer loved.

Paint pad

Paint pads were introduced a few years ago and are simply a sponge with small bristles which transfer the paint from the pad to the wall. Painting with a pad is much quicker than painting with a brush, but again you can get an uneven coverage.

Paint roller

The paint roller is our favourite because of the even coverage you get on the wall. The finish is also good with a very slight bobbled effect and no brush stroke marks. You just have to make allowances for the extra mess.

Any painting and decorating job should always be done properly to get the best level of finish. And to do this there’s one thing you must always get right - and that’s the preparation.

Preparing the surfaces before you start painting is imperative. If you simply paint over the exisitng piaitnt without any preparation you’ll only create more work in the long run as the new paint you apply will simply flake off.

Skirtings and window frames will need to be sanded down gently before applying an undercoat. top coat should only be applied after the undercoat and with gentle sanding between. If you are painting over bare wood you should always use primer first.

If you are using emulsion, make sure the walls are smooth and give them a wipe over to remove any residues such as grease or anything which my stop the new paint adhering properley.

It’s only if you get the preparation right that you’ll get the best finish.

The economy is on most people’s mind right now, with many people unable to afford to go out and revel with their friends like they used to. That’s why the awful phrase ‘staying in is the new going out’ has come to the fore. It’s an attempt to make you feel better about not being able to go out as much as you used to.

However, there is some good news following the fact that most people can’t afford to go out and have to stay in. It leaves you and your family with more time at home to perform those jobs you’ve been putting off for years, such as painting the spare room, wallpapering the bedroom or sanding the floor in the dining room.

If you’re spending time staying in, and don’t want to sit in front of the idiot box night after night, you can instead apply yourself to making some much needed improvements to your home. This will save you money, as you’re not spending it partying or hiring a professional decorator, and it will help you improve the look (and subsequently the value) of your home.

So put down that wine glass and pick up that paintbrush, there’s some decorating to be done.

If you’re decorating a room you will at some stage have the old dilemma of whether to paper it, or to paint it. There’s no right or wrong answer to the question, but there are a few factors to consider based on what room you’re decorating and who it will be used by.

For example, if you’re going to be decorating a room for a child you’ll need to decide whether the child is young enough, and potentially naughty enough, to be tempted to peal any wallpaper from the walls. Children are known to do this, especially when they have been sent to their room for being naughty in the first place. You also need to consider that your child may add some decoration of their own to the wall, so if you’re going to choose paint (which may be the best option) you’ll want to use something that is wipe clean.

If you’re going to be decorating the bathroom you’ll need to choose wallpaper that is strong and thick enough to cope with the constant damp and humidity experienced in most British bathrooms. The same applies if you choose to paint your bathroom.

So which do you prefer? Paint or wallpaper?

We all know that giving a place a lift with a new paint job can really make a difference to your home. The question is how do you go about choosing the right paint for the job in hand?

There are many different types of paint on the market but sticking to the basics will see you through most painting jobs. Firstly, we have emulsion which is used on interior walls and is available in a huge array of colours. It is available in matt (flat) finish or soft/silk sheen which gives a shinier look to the surface.

Emulsion is used to cover plaster, wallpaper, brick or stone and previously painted surfaces. As it is water based you don’t need chemicals to clean brushes, just water. You can get one-coat emulsions which are more expensive but thicker than the usual emulsions although you may have to buy more tins to cover the same surface than normal emulsion.

The next kinds of paints are specially formulated paints. For instance kitchen and bathroom paints which is specially mixed to be used in humid areas. The sheen is duller than a silk finish but richer than the flat matt.

Multi-surface paints are self explanatory but its worth looking at the label to make sure it includes the surface you’re thinking of painting.

Finally, there are solvent based paints which are usually used for interior woodwork such as doors and skirting boards. It is a hard wearing paint due to the solvent and is mostly available in gloss.

If you’re somebody who likes white walls and rustic carpets there are ways of livening up your living space with colour without ruining your overall scheme.

For example you could buy small items that add colour such as waste paper baskets which have colourful patterns on them like flowers or polka dots.

Then there’s footwear which is often left near the front door in the porch area or something. A nice pair of attractive floral patterned wellingtons might liven up the inside as well as being practical for the outside making a change from the regulation green.

Umbrellas too are often tided away near the coat stand and a brightly coloured brolly will just give the space a light lift from the dark coats and scarves hung up on a dreary winter’s day.

Candles can often add a sense of colour to a room and can be bought in any number of colours. They don’t look out of place in any room and are found in all sorts of shapes and sizes which is handy for complementing other shapes in the room.

Cups and saucers with pretty patterns on them will bring a dash of colour too when you have friends around for tea or for a chat. It just lifts the atmosphere of the room and spreads a little cheer at the same time.

When your decorating a room for a child there are a few things you’ll need to take into consideration that need to be done differently from decorating any other room in your house. Decorating a child’s room isn’t more difficult, but you do have do some things differently.

Here are a few things to consider when decorating a room for a child.

Wallpaper
You’ll want to make sure that the wallpaper is wipe clean, as children have a habit of doing some impromptu decorating of their own when no one is looking. If you buy regular wallpaper it will be very difficult to clean.

Shelving
With shelving there are two important things to consider. Firstly, you don’t want a high shelf or bookcase because the child won’t be able to reach it and this will mean they’ll try (as all children do) and will end up climbing on something to get to it. Secondly, you should ensure that any bookcase or shelf is attached to the wall. When your child inevitably climbs on the bookcase, you don’t want it coming down on top of them.

These are just a few tips on decorating a room for a child to live in.

Big brother fever is back with force this summer, and while everyone might be rocking to their TV’s to find out all they can about the new contestants, there are others who are watching with a completely different focus, the new house.

This year they completely bulldozed the old house to build a brand new one, full of different styles and exciting twists.

The sleeping areas are separated into two different themes. One is luxurious, with double beds, chandeliers, gilding and plush carpeting while the other is sparse with hard, metal frame single beds packed closely together decorated in just red and brown.

The rest of the house works to try to merge the two themes of the sleeping areas, mixing styles. The bathrooms have marble effect flooring and bath, with gilded taps and golden Romanesque statues for ornaments. The aqua colours they have used in the bathroom really complement the marble and gilded effects, adding to the luxurious feel of the room.

While in the past Channel 4 have produced Big Brother houses that were full of funky bright colours that were very young and vibrant, this year they seem to have favored far more rich tones that give off an air of opulence. The kitchen is painted in a deep wine red that contrasts well with the dark wood they have used for the beams, the work tops and floor.

The deed red and the aqua keep recurring in the house and garden tying together the themes very well, creating a very coherent style. This house really proves that you can take very different styles and use them to satisfaction in the same property without disharmony.

Indian style dress, Indian style make up, Indian music, Indian summers, we’ve had them all, but now there’s Indian home decoration. Indian style interior design is something has really taken off over the last few years, originating from European colonial style to more and more ethnic and Indian style. The rise is this trend has meant that there are more and more products available in the market to achieve an Indian heaven in your own home.

With Indian décor colour and furniture is key. The colours have to be warm, bright and strong colours. This does not mean that every house has to be painted in deep reds, greens and yellows, but using a lot of colour to your taste will help you achieve this style. To add a more authentic touch to your Indian style room, use some ethnic stencilling or painting. In order to get an idea of what sort of patterns to use, do some research in books and the Internet.

When choosing the furniture, don’t feel restricted to choosing indian-style furniture. Choosing standard or even furniture from other regions is a must. Oriental furniture matches particularly well, with a strong mix of simple straights and ornamental curves.

Using a lot of colourful and appropriately patterned fabric is also a great way of adding the Indian touch. Look at what is available to you in your area, speak to the sales staff in upholstery fabric departments and choose according to the colours and furniture you have chosen for your room or property.

The most difficult of the elements to get right in Indian decoration is the furniture. These usually tend to be expensive if brought over from Indian manufactures. The positive thing about buying such furniture is that they tend to be one offs that you can guarantee no one else to have. You will have a unique piece of furniture in your home. If budget is more of an issue though look for reproductions in cheaper outlets or paint and recycle your old furniture in the style that you want. Keep in mind that Indian style furniture tends to be solid pieces in dark wood with ornamental carvings, or painted pieces. If you plan to paint them, then it might be a good way to tie the room together by decorating your walls and the furniture with the same patterns and stencils.

One of the most popular styles to decorate in that seems never to go out of fashion is “colonial”. This style basically is a mish-mash of three centuries of European design and architecture, inspired by the east and the Americas. From the 16^th century to the early 19^th century architecture, design and interior decoration were heavily influenced by the colonised countries. This was a result of there not being many designers in the colonies, which meant that such work fell to local artisans who brought their own designs into classical European design that they were meant to be reproducing.

Due to the bright and exotic design that still manages to stay within simple lines, colonial has never gone out of style. This is also due to the fact that within the three centuries and many different European styles that have all contributed to making up colonial, there is enough of a range to satisfy most fashions, trends and personal tastes.

In order to incorporate colonial style into your home, it is worth doing some research. Books, magazines, the Internet and also films can help you gather ideas before decorating. When considering your ideas, try to make sure there is an all round theme to a room before settling on a scheme. Colonial decorating uses elaborate crown mouldings, dark wood for furniture and white linen to create that elegant yet simple style. As the new houses in the colonies tended to be big and airy with well proportioned rooms, it would be wise to make your colonial home seem that way.

The furniture that was used in colonial decorating tended to be mainly Queen Anne or Chippendale. There are still quite a lot of original pieces that can be picked up if one makes the necessary searches, and if original is out of the questions then there are some fantastic reproductions available. The furniture of this era tends to be ornate and yet practical, made of dark wood and finely finished. Use a few pieces in a room, and try not to create too much clutter. Colonial is airy and elegant, so make sure your room is too.

With careful planning and the appropriate accessories and furniture, you too can enjoy the elegance of a bygone era without too much expense or had work. The key is in adapting the right elements to suit your home and executing them to perfection.