Give your home a five-star finish

Whether it is to create a relaxing sanctuary to retreat into after a hard day's work, making over your home a la Martha Stewart is easier than you think. It's the little touches that make all the difference. According to homemaker par excellence Denise McGinty, who owns Dubai-based five star housekeeping service Housekeeping Co., you don't have to spend a lot of money to add some sparkle to your home.

"Small details make a huge difference," she says. "When you make an effort to add a professional touch to your home, it will not only impress any one who walks in - but also make the time you spend at home that much more pleasant."

Here are her top tips on adding the wow factor to your home: 

1. Plump it up

Most of us spend the majority of our time at home in the living room, whether it's with family or guests. A good way to make sure it always looks clean and welcoming is to plump up the sofa cushions before going to bed. When you wake up in the morning and go into the room, you won't feel the place is looking untidy, and you'll find yourself having a calmer start to the day.

2. Finishing, fragrant touch

Toilet paper on rolls in the bathroom should always be top side down. Fold a small triangle from both sides into the middle and place under the toilet roll flap to make it look like it's had a professional doing the job. To give it an added oomph, add a drop or two of an essential oil on the top of the toilet paper holder or inside the roll and it will have a subtle whiff of fragrance whenever it is unrolled. 

3. Table manners

After a meal, make sure dining chairs are placed back properly under the table. Freshly cut flowers are always nice but as an alternative you could place limes or lemons in a glass bowl on the dining table to make a bright yet inexpensive centerpiece. 

4. Breeze easy

Open up all your windows, balcony or patio doors in the morning, and let the fresh air in. Make the most of the good weather and keep them open as long as possible, and in the summer months, open them for a little while in the early mornings. You can either close them before leaving the house, or leave them slightly open if you feel it's wise to do so - airing a room makes a big difference. 

5. Keep it clean

It is essential to have your home's air conditioning ducts cleaned professionally at least once a year, to ensure clean, healthy air. Additionally, every now and then, clean the air conditioning vents with water mixed with lemon juice - this keeps the room smelling nice and fresh. 

6. Freshen up

If you're expecting visitors, flush the guest bedroom drains with two buckets of water daily, for a week before they arrive to eliminate stagnant water smells, or worse, dry drain smells. And remember, leaving used soap bars in the guest bathroom is a complete no-no. Also make sure to keep a good hand cream for your guests.

7. Bed beauty

Invest in some decorative cushions and a nice bedcover to enhance the bedroom's luxe look. Even if you don't have time to make your bed properly in the morning, fold the duvet in half and let the bed air, straighten the sheets and place the pillows and display cushions on top. Then fold the bed cover over the half-folded sheet or duvet, and you're done - in less than two minutes. There's nothing worse than coming home to an unmade bed, but this way, you will feel like the elves were at work while you were away!

8. Let there be light

For those of you who know your DIY, here's a quirky way to add charm to any room by making your own pendant lights in coloured glass jars. Buy some basic electric cord, eye hooks and light fixtures from any hardware store, then all you have to do is drill holes in the jar's lid, then put light fixtures inside them and attach the cord. Hang the pendant lights from an eye hook in the ceiling, and see what a dramatic impact these DIY lights can make. You can also group a few of these together to create a strikingly unique chandelier.

9. Kitchen scents

The kitchen is often a source of not-so-fresh odours, so deodorise it by burning incense or bukhour (Arabian incense). You can also disinfect work areas, cupboards and sinks with anti-bacterial essential oils: mix five drops each of lavender, lemon, and lemongrass essential oils and wipe down the surfaces to leave the room smelling as fresh as it's clean. Make sure to use natural sponges for this, as essential oils tend to react with plastic.

10. Laundry logic

For wonderful smelling clothes, add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to a piece of tissue paper and keep it in your wardrobe. Alternatively you can use essential oils in the same way in the dryer to impart a distinctive fragrance to your freshly washed laundry. Try to air-dry washing as often as possible to ensure clothes stay fresh.

11. Change the view

If you live in an apartment and the view from your living room isn't all that great, try creating a striking focal point outside the balcony doors. A large potted plant or a piece of topiary placed centrally on the balcony will draw the eye away from unsightly surroundings, and also help add some greenery to your surroundings - always a good thing!

12. All steamed up

Want to get your glasses at home sparkling just the way they do at gourmet restaurants? Fill your sink with boiling hot soapy water and a drop of vinegar. Fill a separate sink with just hot water. Wash your glasses in the hot soapy water, rinse in the second sink, and then hold each glass in the steam from a boiling kettle. Polish immediately with lint free-linen cloth, and your glasses will sparkle like never before.

Domestic goddess alert!

Give your hands the five-star treatment at home too, by switching to the new Fairy with Olay Beauty dishwashing liquid which, with its mild new formula, protects your skin while giving the washing up a new sparkle. It smells great too! From Dh9.50.