{"id":110,"date":"2012-11-07T18:39:38","date_gmt":"2012-11-07T18:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/?p=110"},"modified":"2012-11-07T18:40:01","modified_gmt":"2012-11-07T18:40:01","slug":"decoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/uncategorized\/decoration\/","title":{"rendered":"decoration"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you want to change the d\u00e9cor in your lounge<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Introduction<\/p>\n

Decorating inevitably causes some upheaval so you want to ensure that when it is finished you are pleased with the result\u00a0 and it has been worth it.\u00a0\u00a0 You first thoughts may be what colour, effect and soft furnishings\u00a0 shall I choose but prior to that it is essential to plan and prepare. Preparation at this stage may save disappointing results.<\/p>\n

As with all decoration the final finish is dependant on the preparation. Always aim for the highest finish you are able, even if this means spending more in the preparation. A poor surface will never provide\u00a0 a quality finish. Expenditure at this stage will ensure that\u00a0 the final results meet your expectations and will provide a\u00a0 long lasting benefit. Once the room has been properly prepared you will have a sound basis for future changes in d\u00e9cor. The benefits of using a\u00a0 skilled professional\u00a0 are often overlooked but to ensure an impressive finish\u00a0 are well worth the cost. The results will finished to a high standard, if you select wisely, and\u00a0 will reduce the time, effort and disruption.<\/p>\n

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Where do you start.<\/p>\n

Take a good look around\u00a0 first.\u00a0 What is the condition of the room?<\/p>\n

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Ceiling<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you happy with the finish? Smooth ceilings are now preferable as they provide an easier surface for maintenance,\u00a0 however\u00a0 many are artexed. This may have been used to mask cracked or flaking plaster. You may want to consider\u00a0 replacing or skimming prior to decorating.\u00a0 Is there\u00a0 coving,is it\u00a0 in good repair or if not present would I like to add\u00a0 it?\u00a0 If you are happy with the ceiling move onto the next step.<\/p>\n

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Walls<\/span><\/p>\n

Look at the position of sockets switches and radiators if you are planning to move any of these it is preferable to do this first.\u00a0 Are the walls flat, smooth and unstained.\u00a0 If not then a flat painted surface\u00a0 may not be the best option. Flat painted surfaces will show any blemishes and marks\u00a0 these can be patched in but there is a risk that they may still be visible. If there are several it can be more time and cost effective to skim the walls or consider using\u00a0 wallpaper for decoration, as it is more forgiving. If there is wallpaper there already removing it may reveal poor surfaces.<\/p>\n

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Doors, frames,skirting and architrave.<\/span><\/p>\n

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These can make or break the final finish. Thorough preparation is often neglected because it is\u00a0 time consuming.\u00a0\u00a0 To ensure a professional finish this needs to be done\u00a0 to a high standard. If the woodwork is badly dented scratched or has several layers of paint it will be costly\u00a0 or extend the time\u00a0 taken to prepare. It might be worth considering replacing some or all of it . If you are replacing the door\u00a0 anyway to replace the frame at the same time is a worthwhile expense as it ensures a well fitting door with\u00a0 minimum adjustment.<\/p>\n

Similarly skirting is frequently of a poor finish, if a laminate floor is present the skirting is more noticeable and the join between walls and skirting makes the difference between excellent and average. Replacing these requires a skilled builder to ensure the best finish as\u00a0 houses , especially older ones,\u00a0 are rarely symmetrical and the joins in the internal and external corners are crucial to the final finish.<\/p>\n

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Conclusion<\/p>\n

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Once you have assessed and prepared the room\u00a0 you can now decide on what was probably your first thought – What colours ,\u00a0 furniture and soft furnishings\u00a0 will I use ?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So you want to change the d\u00e9cor in your lounge   Introduction Decorating inevitably causes some upheaval so you want to ensure that when it is finished you are pleased with the result\u00a0 and it has been worth it.\u00a0\u00a0 You first thoughts may be what colour, effect and soft furnishings\u00a0 shall I choose but prior […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.essex-property-maintenance.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}