Ideas to change the appearance of your gas fire that won’t break the bank.

As we move towards the summer months and, hopefully, warmer weather there’s no need to leave the fire and flames back in the cold, dark winter.

When whichever partyforms a Government it is almost guaranteed that our energy bills will keep on going up. Can you ever remember them staying on one level? Or, Heaven forbid, actually going down? This means that it is more important than ever to find ways of using less energy in our homes.

Whether it’s the light of a candle, a fire or sunshine having bright, warmth in your home is an essential.

Once May comes around, we’re seriously into Spring, opening our doors and letting the sunshine , well, at least the inspiration flood in! With this in mind, here’s six suggestions to bring a breath of fresh style into the hearth of your home this month.

Now that you’ve visited the snowdrop gardens, why not create a snowdrop themed display on your mantelpiece this spring? If you can get hold of some real snowdrops, you can mix them with lots of  ivy and display them in a shallow bowl. Alternatively, try grouping bunches of snowdrops in the squares of a grid, [...]

Black is the new black! Monochrome is a big look this year. I’ve seen whole textile collections based on black, relieved only a little with white or silver. So how can you use this effectively in your home without creating a space that’s simply dark? Black can add a dramatic effect to any room décor. A stylish black sideboard such as this one from Lombok adds an oriental touch. Dark colours show up dust really easily, so go for a modern smokeless fire such as the Kinder Jazz glass fronted “hole-in-the-wall” fire. This is an appropriately contemporary look and comes in a black finish, a silver finish for contrast, or with a stylish black glass fascia.