Rob Lyon Builders

Some great advice from Floorpride Interiors Marlborough on choosing the right curtains and carpet to help keep your home cosy through the colder winter months.

Soft furnishings like these can make a real difference to warmth, comfort, and insulation - a simple way to help your home work a little smarter during winter.

🏠 As the cooler months roll in, it's the perfect time to think about warmth underfoot and at your windows.

Carpet and curtains aren't just beautiful — they genuinely keep your home warmer. Here are our top tips for a cosy Marlborough home this winter:

Choose carpet with a quality underlay. A good underlay is the unsung hero of warmth — it acts as an insulating layer between your floor and the cold ground, and makes your carpet feel luxuriously soft underfoot too.

Go floor-to-ceiling with your curtains. Longer curtains trap a layer of air between the fabric and the glass, dramatically reducing heat loss through your windows. Even a few extra centimetres at the hem makes a difference.

Use thermal or blockout lining. Adding a thermal lining to your curtains can cut heat loss through windows by up to 25%. It also blocks summer sun — so it's a year-round win.

Warmer tones, warmer feel. It's not just physics — colour psychology plays a role too. Rich earthy tones in carpet and curtain fabrics make a room feel warmer even before you turn the heat on.

Ready to make your home your cosiest retreat this winter? Pop in and see us in Blenheim — we'd love to help you find the perfect combination. 🍂

📍 Visit us in store 128 High street, Blenheim
📞 Give us a call 5781159
🔗 floorprideinteriorsmarlborough.co.nz

What is a Homestar rating? 🏡⭐

You've probably heard the term, but what does it actually mean?

A Homestar rating is an independent assessment of a home's health, comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability. Homes are rated on a scale from 6 to 10 stars, with a 6 Homestar rating already performing above the minimum requirements of the New Zealand Building Code.

In practical terms, a higher-performing home is designed to be warmer, drier, healthier, and more efficient to run. Things like insulation, ventilation, glazing, heating, water efficiency, and overall design all contribute to the rating.

The key takeaway? Building a great home isn't just about how it looks - it's also about how it performs for your family every day.

If you're planning a new build, it's worth considering these features early in the process, as many are easiest and most cost-effective to incorporate from the start.

Building on a slope comes with its challenges - but with the right planning, it can lead to some incredible results.

From site access and retaining work to foundations, drainage and positioning the home to make the most of the outlook, hillside builds require careful thought right from the beginning.

Not impossible by any means - just a project where experience, planning and good communication really matter.

These framing shots give a glimpse into the work that happens before the views, outdoor spaces and finished home come together.