R L Sumner

When we need to decorate the interiors of houses, there are things we should do first before we even think about rushing for paint and brushes.  Take a look at each room you plan to work on.  Stand in the doorway and cast a slow eye from left to rightRead More →

After returning from some longer than usual travels this year, I felt very able to look around at my generously spacious family dwelling and plan a campaign of decor for the next year or so.  It’s the sort of house that does need a plan too.  When my decorator lastRead More →

All our homes these days either have gas or electric hobs as their main cooking option.  There are now numerous different types of hob top to choose from for your kitchen.  Here, we explain the main pros and cons for each. Ceramic:  these generate heat just below the surface whichRead More →

I have been watching a series of homestyle programmes imported from canada and north america.  The difference in our styles is definitely due to the geography here and there.  Most of the properties I see on the tv show reflect the psace available around them.  Although there are milions ofRead More →

I was leafing through a very old copy of a country living magazine over the weekend.  There are quite a few from the 1930s, 40s and 50s in a house that I volunteer at.  At one time the property was very famous for the socialite lady tenant who managed toRead More →

I was watching one of the many property programmes the other evening – waiting for a crime thriller to start . . . .  The property in question had been bought ‘sight unseen’ at an auction.  This is a definite no-no as far as the programme makers and professionals areRead More →

When you want to give your house a thorough declutter and complete overhaul by way of decor and furnishings, there can be arguments between the various family members who are going to be paying for and living with the outcome.  Redecorating and refurnishing are the two most expensive things carriedRead More →

We all have our own sometimes rather fixed ideas about what we want in the way of decorated walls.  When we’re going to live in a house for some more years to come, then we can of course dictate how those walls are to be coloured or covered.  However if Read More →

February and March, leading on to a sunny April will always remind me of one house that my parents bought many years ago.   We had been living in a tiny little house in a nearby town.  It was much harder to get mortgages in those days, the building societies wouldRead More →

One of the most interesting programmes in the huge array of home improvement and upgrade shows on daytime tv currently is an import from Canada.  Two brothers offer to renovate family homes to get a much better sales figure in order the the current owners to be able to obtainRead More →