Archive for the 'INTERIOR DECORATION' Category

The most personal room in the house for most people, the bedroom needs to reflect what is important to you and convey a feeling of tranquility at the same time.

A house for the soul where dreams are incubated, it needs to complement the overall theme and feeling of the rest of your house.

While quick design ideas for bedroom interiors are numerous, you need to ensure that every detail is exactly what you want.

Whether it’s symbolic or literal, the elements that make up your bedroom need to reflect your personal preference.

Whether you are designing a master bedroom, teen’s room or kid’s room, here are few basic starting points for renovating or creating the bedroom from scratch:

Choose the perfect theme for your bedroom

Various classical styles and themes are available to offset the background of a bedroom: from Egyptian and Gothic, to modern, Greek or Roman, the list endless. Discuss with your interior designer whether you want to follow a theme or manufacture a style which contains eclectic elements from a variety of designs.

Add colors

Need a sophisticated display of light to add ambience to a dull room? A carefully selected chandelier, which co-ordinates or contrasts with the décor, can revolutionize the atmosphere of any room in the house.

Though dining rooms are the settings most conventionally associated with chandeliers, there’s nothing to stop using them to add a stylish touch to any other room, including the bathroom.

Just make sure that your chandelier blends with the décor and is in proportion to other aspects of the room. For example, an intricate chandelier can be overwhelming in a small room if it is too large.

By the same token, a small chandelier can fade into insignificance in a massive space.

Selecting the chandelier:

Measure the room: Take into account the individual specifications of each room when selecting a chandelier.

For example, for the dining room, measure the width of the dining table and deduct 12 inches to ascertain the size of the fitting you need. If you’re choosing a chandelier for the bedroom, make the bed the focal point and deduct inches of the bed width to ascertain the desired size.

While living in a glass house may have obvious drawbacks and limited appeal for species of the human variety, adding one to your territorial domain, and filling it with fish – or birds – could add a whole new dimension to your architectural landscape.

Latest aquarium options expand horizons for introducing natural elements to every aspect of your home and office.

1. Duplex:

So named because of its dual aquarium/bird cage function, Duplex is thermo–formed in order to accommodate a simulated interaction between winged and finned pets.

A bowl-shaped aquarium placed atop a tall glass bird cage, this innovative creation gives the owner unique access to the world of fish and fowl and provides ample scope for the imagination.

Simplistic, uncomplicated lines lend it the appeal of a decorative, leafless vase which can be stashed in an uninteresting corner or displayed in the middle of the room. [ via: Constance Guisset ]

2. Local River:

Created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, Local River blows the idea of a unique domestic “refrigerator-aquarium” that breeds freshwater fish for eating and grows vegetables at the same time.
[ via: Mathieu Lehanneur ]

Put a permanent end to untidy piles and scattered accessories around your bedroom by taking stock and buffing up your storage space.

Where and how you store things can only improve the bedroom environment.

Besides wardrobes and dressers for clothes and toiletries, make sure you allot space for paper storage; this takes the frustration out of hunting for necessary items in unkempt piles of clothes, shoes, blankets and linen.

Regardless of the size of your bedroom, there are plenty of ways you can compartmentalise and neaten up your room with a few basic bedroom storage plans:

Wardrobe: If you own plenty of long coats and dresses, choose a full-length wardrobe accordingly to ensure they don’t drag on the ground or lie in crumpled heaps. Go for the maximum height you can afford. For smaller and more intimate items, ensure the wardrobe has shallow shelves to accommodate neat packing and avoid unsightly creases.

Add an interior light to illuminate the contents and prevent clutter. Use illuminated hanging rods, door-activated overhead lights or a pull-cord ceiling fixture. If your bedroom is small and wardrobes threaten to overcrowd it, look at other space-saving measures:

Besides the obvious function, bathrooms have become virtual spas for relaxing therapies and refreshing massages.

More so than ever, the emphasis is on sophisticated, elegant décor to create a tranquil, gracious haven, which is why the selection and positioning of vanity cupboards is crucial.

Part of creating a perfect bathroom environment is getting the bathroom vanity element right, with equal doses of subtlety and style.

A principle element of bathroom furniture, vanity cupboards can change the way you perceive the bathroom and the way you store essential goods.

What to know before adding vanity cupboards?

Because they come in different models and can be adapted to suit the theme of your bathroom and home, bathroom vanities offer plenty of scope for improvisation and adding a personal, graceful touch.

Position: Wherever you add the vanity cupboards, try to ensure they do not occupy too much space and cause congestion; under the basin is often a good bet because it occupies space that would normally not be utilized. Make sure that you still have plenty of space to move around.

In addition to ensuring your child is happy in his/her environment, decorating a nursery means finding a theme that suits the theme of your home and economizes on space.

While the focus is on a soothing, pleasant environment, everyone has different tastes and ideas on how to put it together.

Dealing with a child who is unaware of how to match his/her imaginative tastes with the overall theme of an ordered home could also present problems to the décor-conscious parent.

Before selecting and buying furniture for your child’s room, decide on a colour you think would suit your child’s personality best, then set about selecting a cheerful nursery theme. Nursery themes, ranging from cartoon characters to virtual playgrounds, are as endless as the minds which dream them up.

Furniture: Start by selecting bedding to reflect your child’s individuality. Choose a base colour to match the overall theme of the bedroom and expand from there with cartoon characters or small prints which marry with wall colouring themes.

While bright colours are cheerful and stimulating, ensure there are plenty of softer pastel colours to keep the tone soothing and nurturing.

Whether it’s bedding, comfy chairs or play accessories, adding furniture to your childen’s bedroom should both soothe and stimulate the senses.

Choose kid’s furniture with care and pave the way to developing an active, responsive imagination. Opt for impermanent, movable furniture which can adapt to new décor to accommodate quick growth and change in interests.

Because the formative years are such crucial building blocks, the atmosphere in which your child spends most of his/her time needs to be carefully monitored.

When selecting furniture, be sure to follow a few basic principles to make the selection process easy and keep your child out of harm’s way.

Adaptability: Because children grow so quickly, you need to ensure that the furniture you choose is adjustable. By doing this, you will minimize the costs of buying new furniture for your kids on a regular basis.

Safety: The most important area of consideration when selecting children’s furniture, safety needs to be top of your list, especially when it comes to baby’s rooms. Because children are sensitive, naive and powerless to remedy an injury as small as a scratch, make sure that the furniture does not have any sharp edges or lose stability easily.

One of the most precious commodities in a busy, overcrowded world, privacy is probably top of most people’s priority lists after a hectic day at work or running after the family.

However, maintaining a sense of privacy in your home, especially if you have a small living area, can be a tough challenge.  More than any other living area, it requires special attention to every aspect.

Follow this advice to make the most of your personal space and design a private world where no-one can disturb you.

1. Use curtains

Rather than adding additional walls or doors, hanging curtains is an absolutely ideal way to divide a small room into sections without taking up extra space.

A major bonus in using curtains instead of room dividers is that you can remove them whenever you don’t need them or feel like a change of scenery. Select to match or complement wall colour as well as flooring.

2. Add plants

Besides adding a natural element to the home, tall plants or indoor trees, like palms, can create exclusive pockets of privacy even in a small living space. The advantage of using plants for privacy is that they enhance the beauty of often solid surroundings, are inexpensive and can be changed frequently. Just make sure you water regularly and that there is someone to do the same when you are away.

Whether you are moving to a new place, buying a house or spicing up your current home, the kitchen and bathroom are the most important rooms in terms of adding value.

The bathroom, where private, sensual moments are spent, is possibly the moodiest room in the house and fixtures are constantly evolving way beyond the mundane.

From smooth marble floors and elegantly arched faucets, to subtly scented towels and atrium gardens, the possibilities for pampering are endless.

If you’re stuck for inspiration, use these tips to turn your bathroom into a luxurious haven: [Bathroom Designs]

1. Fabulous fixtures and faucets

Faucets and fixtures add a dazzling edge to your bath, basin and shower. Exercise imagination, but choose with discrimination: complement the color and mood, but stay within your price range. Whether it’s arty, classical or practical you’re after, bathroom fixtures are constantly evolving and the only limit is your judgment.

2. Aesthetic area rugs

Besides providing a cushion for weary feet, soft area rugs add color, texture and depth. Explore the wide variety of rugs in a wide variety of stores, and match your mood to your budget.

From chic symmetry to nature-inspired futurism, fireplaces have evolved from earthy hearths to state-of-the-art conversation pieces. Glass, metal and remote control gas take on an eco-conscious dimension as log burning is relegated to the ash heap.

1. Rotating Fireplace:

Complete with optional remote control, this futuristic rotating fireplace from Spartherm radiates warmth to every corner of the room like a sun in the solar system. Running on gas, the Diva can be rotated at the touch of a button and doubles up as a stove. [ via: spartherm ]

2. Oakland Wall Fireplace:

Besides the visual impact, the unique asymmetrical design of this fireplace makes a cosy home fire a visual feast. The enameled front of lava stone comes in a range of bright colors to tempt your inner artist to greater heights. [ via: brisach ]

3. Design Fireplace:

Inspired by nature, the floral chic marble surround of this fireplace combines serious and frivolous elements. Both austere and fun at the same time, the rectangular shape makes for plenty of fire space and eye candy at the same time.

Chazelles’ juxtaposition of warm and cold elements makes for an interesting dichotomy for every stylish living room. [ via: chazelles ]