Many of us have busy lives, constantly juggling work, children and social events and at the end of a long day, a welcoming home environment can be one of the best stress relievers possible.

So how do we achieve this? We all have different tastes, so whereas a bright green living room may be one person’s idea of heaven, it could send another running at the very idea of it, so above all, make sure it appeals to you and your family – never design based on others opinions; after all it’s you that has to live with the results!

In recent years, the home improvement market has gone from strength to strength offering an ever-increasing choice of style and colours in a price range to suit your budget. Many of us like to take the practical approach, combining good looks with hard-wearing, long-lasting durability, safe in the knowledge that we won’t have to be spending our hard earned cash constantly replacing the same items. A few examples of popular current choices are items such as leather furniture, scrubbable wall paint and wooden flooring.

The advantages of leather furniture speaks for itself. Extremely easy to clean, smart, attractive and available in both modern and traditional designs, it’s hard to beat. If you find yourself constantly battling pet hair or sticky fingers, it is a huge relief that a smooth leather finish is a lot easier to clean than fabric, whilst easily retaining its good looks.

Continuing the practical theme, the recent addition of scrubbable wall paints to the DIY market are a godsend. Messy hands, muddy splashes and the odd scribble or two no longer herald the need for a weekend spent re-painting your house, you simply give the walls a quick scrub and it’s as good as new. With an ever-growing range of colours available, you’d be hard pushed to find a reason not to use it!

Flooring of course is another major part of your home and the choice of wooden flooring combines the popular easy-clean factor along with durability and stunning good looks. But why stop there? Your garden could also benefit from it’s own flooring with the ever-popular decking range stepping up a notch or two by adding a new option to its range; wood plastic composite decking.

Composite decking has all the benefits of traditional wooden decking plus a lot more. No more worries about discolouration, rotten boards or peeling paint, composite decking is there to stay and offers a waterproof, stain proof solution that guarantees many years of garden enjoyment without the constant DIY treatments to keep it in top condition. For the ultimate convenience, you might also consider replacing your grass with a new artificial lawn, giving you an attractive garden all year round without the need to cut the grass!

So with a little careful thought, it really is possible to design a unique home environment that allows you to enjoy your surroundings without spending every spare moment working on its upkeep.