Read article : Shopping advice - Mirror Online
Need expert advice on your home? Email Zena at homes@sundaymirror.co.uk
Q - I need to create an office space in my spare room (with sofa bed), which will look like an office most of the time, but that I can easily convert back for guests. What tips do you have? I only have a budget of around £200.
Alexander, by email
A ZENA SAYS: I think the secret to success lies in wall-mounted shelving, which will release the floor space for other essentials, such as your desk and sofa bed. Look for shelving units with ends, as opposed to the open-ended shelves. Children’s furniture stores, such as Aspace and Great Little Trading Company are very good at these. A narrow-depth desk will also save space but still give you that office look.
The Loft desk is more like a console table and measures 105 (length) x 52 (width) x 90cm (height) and costs £199. Or you could even have a wall-mounted desk - a friend recently made the one in our photograph at a cost of £43! Either option could easily be cleared and the office chair removed when guests arrive.
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I am looking for a small, contemporary sofa to fit into my bay window. It should be no wider than 150cm. Any suggestions?
Cliff Andrews, Edinburgh
ZENA SAYS: The Harry two-seater from House of Fraser (call 0845 602 1073) would look so cute in a bay window. It measures 132cm wide comes in a choice of lime green or the lovely aubergine fabric in our photo (right). Usually it would cost £849 but it’s currently on sale at just £499.
If you’d like to support an up-and-coming company offering designer furniture and accessories direct from the makers at discount prices, the Ritchie (below) is very similar. It costs £449 from www.made.com and is also available in pearl grey.
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Q - Our electric shower is faulty and needs to be replaced. This will be the second time in five years. Would a non-electric shower have a longer life and is that an option for us, as we have all the fittings for electric? My children have just started showering so it must be safe for them too.
Zach Summers, Leeds
ZENA SAYS: There is a good chance that you live in a hard water area and the limescale build-up is affecting your shower. Mixer valve showers cope much better with hard water and will last longer than an electric shower. A qualified person can easily replace your electric shower with one. Bristan has just launched two exposed valve ar showers – Zing and Frenzy – with Cool Chrome Technology, which is ideal where youngsters are around. The shower body stays cool to the touch and because it’s thermostatically controlled the temperature stays constant. They come with a rub clean handset, which is ideal for cleaning limescale. Zing is priced at £99 and Frenzy from £119 (valve only) and £149 (with kit). Call Bristan on 0844 701 6273 for a local stockist.
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Q - I recently spent a week on a self-catering holiday in Wales. They had a set of Brabantia Vision saucepans which I would love to buy but cannot find anywhere. Could you tell me if/where I could get them?
Janet Shields, by email
ZENA SAYS: Your encounter sounds like a bit of a holiday romance, Janet. For some strange reason you cannot buy this set of pans direct from Brabantia but Amazon sells them. Prices start at £23.01 for a 14cm stainless steel milk pan.
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The stair carpet in the communal area of our block needs to be replaced but we freeholders don’t know where to buy a new one or what to look for. I imagine standard hall carpet will be insufficient.
Sarah Brown, Leamington Spa, Warks
ZENA SAYS: According to The Society of British Interior Design, the wear rating of the carpet should be “heavy contract”. They suggest a high-quality 80/20 wool/nylon or 100 per cent polyamide (nylon) pile fibre, as it is very tough.
If the staircases are concrete, then non-slip safety nosings must be fitted. Try Vorwerk, an eco-friendly brand which is allergy-free, and Weston-Hammer for a customised design.
Some domestic carpets are also rated for contract or commercial use, too. For example Lano’s Scala range has a fleck option to help hide the dirt until vacuuming. It is rubber backed which helps with spills and water from shoes and stops moisture getting into the underlay.
Here’s some technical info with which to baffle your fellow freeholders – Scala is made of 100 per cent solution-dyed two-ply polypropylene for maximum durability and has been solution dyed for ease of maintenance. It costs about £22 a square metre.
The fully impervious backing means that it can be used in areas prone to accidents and where day-to-day performance is of the utmost importance.
However, the SBID does not recommend polypropylene. Although hard-wearing and inexpensive, they say this fibre soils quicker than any other pile fibre, and goes very flat and untidy.
You should also avoid natural flooring such as sisal, coir and sea grass because they get slippery and stain easily.
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Q - Do you have the web address where I can buy “tile on a roll” wallpaper?
Kate Henson, by email
ZENA SAYS: Tile-effect wallpaper has been around for decades and is a really useful and cost-effective way of covering kitchen and bathroom walls that are exposed to water splashes. The designs are very bright and modern and technically, they’ve been brought up to date, too. Graham and Brown’s Contour antibacterial range offers protection from bacteria and it’s a paste-the-wall paper, making it really easy to hang. The Keep Calm paper in our photo costs £18 per roll. Call 0800 328 8452.
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Savvy savers
Alison Cork gets you more... for less.
Home improvement
LIDL always has great prices and now there’s also a sale on home improvement products, too. So whether you’re moving house or just moving the sofa, spare your floors with their five-piece Furniture Transport set, only £4.99. You get a robust steel lever to lift the furniture, and four transport rollers with castors to get it from place to place.
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Asda home sale
Save on practical kitchen and home accessories during Asda Direct’s home sale, with 30 per cent off products, on now. I especially love these collapsible mixing bowls, reduced from £4 to £2.80. They’re perfect for saving precious cupboard space and they are easy to wipe clean.
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Drying balls
Does the wet weather have you using your tumble dryer yearround? Save up to 30 per cent on drying time and energy with these Ecozone Dry Cubes from Nigel’s Eco Store. It’s £9.95 for a pack of two cubes that can be used again and again. Call 0800 288 8970.
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Be alarmed
You can often get a discount on your home contents insurance if you have a burglar alarm and now’s the time to buy one as B&Q currently have half-price savings on security and alarms. The Standard Wireless Door and Window Contact alarm is reduced to £7.49, and the Standard Wired PIR DC7 motion detector is just £4.99.
For bed linen and other accessories, see Reader Offers.
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Coining it
Why is it that when you need a pound coin – be it for a parking meter, shopping trolley or vending machine – you can never find one? This clever Coin Stash Waterproof Coin Capsule (£4.95) attaches to your keys, storing an emergency stash of five one pound coins for when you need them, while keeping your pockets and car free from easily misplaced loose change. Buy one for Dad at www.gadgets.co.uk
For more gift ideas for Dad, see Reader Offers.
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Standby for action
According to British Gas, every year we waste around £30 leaving products on standby. Save dosh with an automatic standby shutdown plug, like this one from Energenie. It recognises when you’ve left an appliance or computer on standby and switches off the mains power. Get it from www.homebargains.co.uk for £3.99.
For more computing accessories, see Reader Offers.
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Shower power
Save water, time and money with a Water Drop shower timer from Eco Savers. Just £4.99, it sticks to the wall – you set the timer and it bleeps when your time is up. It’s a great way to cut bills.
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Website of the Week
Save on mobile, broadband and energy bills with Incahoot.com. The site uses collective buying power (think Groupon or KGB Deals) but focuses mainly on utilities and practical services. Basic membership is free.
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For more great shopping offers, visit Reader Offers.
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