Green Belt... Where is it now?

I was reading about countryside getaways in the London commuter 'home county' of Hertfordshire, which started me on another path... with all the additional new housing estates spreading from villages that had charm and character, are these properties safe from development? The article includes Grade I and II listed buildings, which should have some degree of protection; one property is surrounded by 17 acres of landscaped garden and is adjacent to a small wood with public footpaths.

If you are lucky enough to have sufficient funds and the appropriate lifestyle, a private apartment in a beautiful setting could be the perfect solution.

However, people who chose a rural village life may not be so happy with changes that have been forced upon them. Here are few examples in North Herts: 

• 900 new homes, separated from Graveley by one field
• proposal for 759 new homes, including 598 on three new large sites to the west and east of Knebworth village.
  
• 150 new homes proposed for this Woolmer Green site.
• proposal for Codicote  developments (pdf) - two developments are under way and there is a third proposed housing site.
• Just 52 new homes proposed for St Ippolytes, although this may be increased to 84.

So is there still a 'green belt' around London and, if so, where is it? It's still where it always was but maybe not quite so green since governments have tweaked the rules to allow significantly more developments.

Apparently, the Mayor of London is keen to build around a million new homes, the majority of which need to be in London's green belt. 

Onwards and upwards, as the saying goes!

Living the dream... 

city living

Minimalism - grey and white décor - is it here forever?

How often do you meander through homes for sale on Rightmove, Zoopla, etc.? Internally, newbuilds are painted white, with grey or white kitchens installed, white bathroom suites and often grey tiling.

But have you noticed an absence of personality when it comes to family homes that are being lived in? Often, the only colour display comprises the toys in a young child's bedroom. It's as if people are creating a blank canvas for selling - which is fine - but are choosing to live in that soulless, sanitised 'hospital' environment because it's the trend to avoid colour inside the home. Actually, there is more colour in most hospitals than there is in these homes.

And, by the way, child psychologists will suggest that colour is a stimulant for young minds to develop.

These photographs were found on Google today under 'uk homes for sale'.

So... are we happy with our white rooms? We moved in to a new-build, painted white throughout, with pale laminate flooring and a grey slab kitchen sporting a white quartz worktop. I quite like light bouncing around plain walls in bright rooms = and after a few years, we didn't even notice the decor (or lack of) other than the kitchen was so incredibly boring. 

Original kitchen on moving into the house

However, it needs a refresh so we've started painting some walls with pale neutrals and some spot colour. We couldn't agree on the kitchen colours so most walls are magnolia with two contrasting areas of a deep sandy yellow. The rest of the kitchen-diner has been adorned with an eclectic mix of 'clutter'. We're not sure if this works but everything's reasonably cheap and easy to change. Above are some snapshots of the original installed kitchen and below is an idea of the way the kitchen make-over is shaping up at this stage. 

Baking area to the right of the kitchen

The dining area (at the opposite end of the L-shaped kitchen-diner)

Love it or hate it? Do feel free to comment with your suggestions.