The Integrated Fridge

A fridge can sometimes stick out like a sore thumb in the midst of your interior decor, especially when it's hard to find a fridge that can fit in with the theme of your decor. Having a seamless integrated fridge might just be the thing for you.



Article is taken off interioguru.com

The Integrated Fridge

I think most people would agree that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where all the meals are prepared, where everyone goes to fetch a snack or a drink, and where family members often gather. It’s a room you spend a lot of time in. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that this room is receiving a lot of attention when it comes to building and remodeling. Lots of new trends have come along for kitchens in the past few years. One of the most dramatic is the fully integrated kitchen, including an integrated fridge.

What’s an integrated kitchen?

An integrated kitchen is one in which everything matches – cabinets and appliances. There’s a seamless flow, with no metal appliances visible. An integrated refrigerator is part of this decorating scheme. Integrated refrigerators are fitted with a wooden panel over the door that’s crafted to match your cabinetry. An integrated fridge door is stained or painted and routed or fitted with molding and hardware to completely match the wooden cabinets in your kitchen.

Standard refrigerators have to be placed where they have enough air space around them for proper ventilation, but integrated refrigerators are different. Most of them are ventilated from the front instead of from the back like older refrigerators, so they can be placed anywhere.

Types of styles of integrated refrigerators

Integrated fridges come in several different styles. Homeowners might choose an appliance that’s all refrigerator space, or one that’s a combination integrated refrigerator freezer. Configurations can include models with the freezer on top or on the bottom. Side-by-side units are also available, along with slide-out refrigerator or freezer drawers.

If you decide at some point in the future that you need more cooling area, it’s easy to add an under counter fridge or freezer that will match your existing kitchen décor. You can even add an ultra chic wine cooler!

Many homeowners are using the integrated fridge freezers in other rooms in the house, too. They make great additions to family rooms, home bars, game rooms, and mother-in-law suites. They’ll fit in practically anywhere!

The specifications

Integrated refrigerators come in several different sizes, and most of these new units are very energy efficient, which will save you money on your power bill. Some have handy alarms that alert you when the door or refrigerator drawer is left ajar – another energy-saving characteristic. Many integrated fridges also have electronic controls upfront that are super simple to use.

Another wonderful point about most integrated fridges or integrated fridge freezers is that they have specific temperature zones for different types of foods. This allows different foods to be kept at their optimum storage temperatures, increasing their storage life – yet another money-saving feature.

Why you should consider an integrated fridge

If you’re building or remodeling, consider adding a fully integrated fridge or integrated fridge freezer to your kitchen or other rooms in your home. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what a difference this type of appliance will make in the appearance of the room, and you’ll love all the handy functions an integrated refrigerator offers.

28 Red and White Living Rooms

National Day is around the corner, any plans for some red and white decor?

Article taken off home-designing.com

28 Red and White Living Rooms

Of late I came across so many attractive living rooms that use the red and white combination that I thought it was time to put in a post. Color-wise, White is subtle and Red is intense. Together these two colors seem to work really well. Not all the rooms that we feature today will use the two colors in the same manner or proportion. Each room solves the balance problem in its own unique way. For example in some living rooms, the color red is sparingly used as an accent while in others it dominates. Whatever be the ratio of usage, we can tell you one thing: some people have put very careful thought in designing these red and white living rooms!

Creative Lighting in Your Home Decor

Which lighting do you prefer for your home?

Article taken off suite101.com

Creative Lighting in Your Home Decor

Use lighting in your home decor to set the mood and add to your room designs. Light fixtures like floor lamps and chandeliers come in a wide variety.

Lighting is arguably one of the most important components in a room. Bad light will create ugly shadows, dim your view of the room's contents, contort color schemes or washout a room completely. Using creative lighting and interesting lamps or light fixtures can enhance your home and the whole mood of a room.

Japanese-inspired Home Lighting

Looking at Japanese traditional lighting, we see strong lines and a variety of strengths in the actual light from bright to quite dim. An evening living room might need some dim mood lighting, while a working kitchen definitely needs bright lights specifically located in areas for work. You can find Japanese-influenced lighting in most home decor stores, from the cheap round paper lanterns made to fit over existing fixtures, to glass box style lights. Another idea is to use a Japanese Shoji screen and place it in front of a bright floor lamp to create a dimmer and more intimate feel.

Eastern Asian Lighting Ideas

For more detail and a deeper ethnic look, try Egyptian/Moroccan style lamps. Extremely detailed metal covers with tiered levels seem to permeate this theme. The black and light colors match most decors, and they make an excellent showpiece in a room that also serve a function.

African Style Lamps and Light Fixtures

African style lamps sometimes have colored glass which can create a very different effect. Perhaps more for an evening feel, or something out on the veranda or porch. These lights often remind me of treasure or treasure-filled caverns and the Arabian nights!

Other World Lighting Ideas

Other countries have their own style of lighting, however you don't have to go traditional. Russian-inspired lamps can be colorful and fun without being too serious, such as those that resemble traditional Russian architecture. They serve as a beautiful light fixture as well as a great addition to an ethnically themed home.

For something different, yet still in a world theme, try looking for old British lamps or lighting. Rough metals and candle style lights set a slightly castle tone, while something more Victorian can be playful and stylish. These lamps can be found at second hand stores or antique shows, and often aren't too pricey. They cast a moody glow and fit into most rooms.

Light fixtures and lamps give you a ton of variety and serve as a way to theme a room in a very useful way. Mixing up the decor with other world cultures can immediately change the mood of the area. Make sure you look at a few options and weigh them. Warm light versus cool, gentle light versus stark, and floor lights versus ceiling.

Finding Art for Your Apartment

What is Art to you?

Article taken off movingtoday.com

Finding Art for Your Apartment

Everyone has a different definition of art, but one thing is certain - whatever is beautiful or compelling to you qualifies. Finding art for your apartment can be an adventurous hunt or a surgical strike. Read on for ideas of how to adorn the walls of your apartment with artistic delights.

What’s your artistic style?
Look around your home. Perhaps your style trends towards the modern, with sleek metal and light-colored wood furniture. Contemporary prints or photographs would blend well with this style, or even industrial pieces: metal railings and window frames can create a modern urban atmosphere.

Are you a classical art fan, or one of the “found art” variety? Perhaps you enjoy a rustic country or retro environment instead. Old signs, magazine ads and classic posters can all work with these styles.

Mix and match elements of your favorite milieu. You can even create room themes to match your mood or the room’s function: soothing impressionist paintings for the bedroom; vibrant, vintage fruit and food prints for the kitchen; and forest scenes in prints, posters, photographs, oils or watercolors.

Where to find art
You can find art almost anywhere you want to look. If you’re looking for an original piece, try visiting local galleries. On a tighter budget, you might try antique stores, thrift shops, or eBay. Prints of classic photographs and paintings can be found in chain stores or online. Since art can be anything that hits you where you live, you might discover that a rusty old sign or a scarred piece of wood may speak to you as powerfully as a Picasso or Renoir. Be open to whatever appeals to you in order to create a look that’s all your own.

Other types of wall decoration
What adorns your wall doesn’t need to be in a conventional frame or hung on a single nail. You can use the entire wall as a palette. How about a montage of things that you care deeply about — photographs of friends and family, fliers from shows or exhibits you want to remember, or a collection of old clocks? These beloved objects can surround you with familiarity and create a unique atmosphere in your apartment. You can also use temporary wall art stickers to create new looks as they suit your mood.

Do remain aware of the terms of your lease as you add art to your apartment walls. You will want to be able to return the unit to its original condition if you move.

Finding art for your apartment can be like the icing on the cake of your design adventure. Whatever style of art you choose for your walls, be sure it reflects your true passion and taste, creating an atmosphere that makes your home truly your own.

What do colours mean in the bedroom?

What does colour say about your bedroom?

Article taken off sharps.co.uk

What do colours mean in the bedroom?



We all associate different colours with certain moods and meanings. So within a bedroom, what does it say about the person if they choose to decorate their space in a certain colour? This is what we discovered…

Red is generally associated with danger, adventure and passion. The best room in the house to have red would be the dining room as it evokes sociable and sprightly feelings all that while stimulating the appetite. Red can be overpowering if used too much but if it is your favourite colour for the bedroom consider having a feature wall or choosing red wardrobes – our Metropolitan range features warm burgundy doors that create a sensual feel.

Orange is a warming colour and is said to offer stability, reassurance and is rumoured to aid digestion! So it’s a great colour for the kitchen, but painting your bedroom in the colour could make the room look smaller. If you do want to inject some zesty orange in the bedroom, use accessories such as this orange Conran bed throw.

Yellow depicts sunshine and energy, and is said to stimulate the intellect, making it a great colour for a study. It you put a few desk accessories in this colour it should help you get down to those books. Add a lamp, chair and notice board to get colour flowing through your home office.

Green is the colour of nature and energy. It’s calming and restful making it ideal for the bedroom due to the soothing effect it has on your mood. The right shade will circulate a fresh space where you can relax and unwind at the end of the day.

Blue has always been seen as a soothing colour but has lots of other beneficial qualities too. It encourages intellectual thought and prevents nightmares – perfect for the bedroom!

Pink can be just as peaceful and restful as blue, but it depends on the shade. If you choose a sweet baby pink, this evokes calmness, whereas a hot fuchsia can introduce passion.

Purple rooms evoke creativity, fertility and joy. It is also associated with magic. Similarly to red, it can become overpowering if used too much. Perhaps to balance this feeling you could have a feature wall such as this Tahiti wallpaper or choose a wardrobe such as our Cosmopolitan in aubergine.

So tell us, which colour would you choose?

Types of Wood Used to Make Furniture

Have you taken an interest to wood furniture lately? Here are some basics you should know.

Article taken off ehow.com

Types of Wood Used to Make Furniture

Wood types are usually categorized as hard wood or soft wood. Typically, soft wood comes from evergreens, or trees with pine needles, and hard wood is from trees with broad leaves. Most often, hard wood is used for making furniture as it has higher durability, although soft wood is becoming more popular for furniture making.

Open-Pore Wood
Some woods have small holes, called open pores. These pores give the wood a distinctive texture. When finishing woods with open pores, stains can accumulate in the pores making those areas seem darker. Some open-pore woods are ash, oak and walnut.

Tight-Grained Wood
Cherry, maple and alder are types of tight-grained wood. These wood types have a tighter grain, are smooth to the touch and take stain well.

Red Wood
Cherry and mahogany woods will lend a red-colored quality to your furniture. Cherry is less expensive than mahogany.
Insect Resistant
Teak is good for furniture making if you are looking to craft for outdoor purposes. Teak has a natural oil that repels insects and water. Cedar is known to also repel insects.

Easy-Crafting Wood
Soft wood such as pine is typically easier to work with. Pine also holds up to humidity better than many other woods. Cedar is a soft wood that is also easy to craft.

Exotic Wood
Lacewood from Australia is often used for accents. Granadillo from southern Mexico can be used for all furniture crafts. African mahogany from Ghana can be used to make any type of furniture.

Custom Home Decor And Personalized Photo Wall Art

Fully utilize your personal photos to give your home a unique home decor!

Article taken off home-decorating-made-easy.com

Custom Home Decor And Personalized Photo Wall Art

Custom home decor is the latest of many interior design trends and one that is here to stay.
Whether you’re redesigning your home or helping clients find their decorating style, it’s about infusing more individual personality into the space you call home.

One of the most popular, easiest, creative and effective ways to accomplish this is with the use of personal photos. Billions of photos are snapped, uploaded and shared online every month. When decorating or redecorating spaces, people select photos and personal images that mean something to them for display on their walls and around their homes. For years, picture frames and canvas prints have occupied center stage in home decor, without actually being considered ‘decor’. They were more keepsakes than creative expressions.

However, today’s photo personalization technology combined with the digital photo sharing explosion and innovative product catalogs has changed this view.

Photos, today, are not merely an part of the background but the central element in personalized wall art and custom home decor accents.

Photos Create Custom Home Décor

There’s no shortage of photos in any home, thanks to digital cameras and the ease with which we can now take and share digital photos. You probably have hundreds of them stored on a CD, on your computer or on an image sharing site. Facebook alone is estimated to be hosting over 60 billion photos. As enticing as online photo sharing is, there’s something about turning photos into physical gifts and displays that can’t be achieved with mere online sharing. Now, what if you could choose the best among your digital photos and turn them into tasteful photo accents and personalized wall art for your space?

Canvas prints are not new to us, but have you really considered them as home décor accents and not just ways to display your photos? With a little creativity, you could decorate your whole house with photos as the central theme. Seasons, colors, family, modern, nature, travel – whatever you decide as your theme, you can pull it off with photos on canvas and other wall art.

Imagine turning your pictures into incredible accents for every room. These include tabletop, countertop and desk accessories like desktop organizers, photo mouse pads, photo mugs, photo coasters, personalized water bottles and more. Additionally, you could also create stunning wall accents like canvas prints, framed posters, mounted prints, photo calendars, tile murals and more that weave your favorite visuals into your walls in an elegant, fashionable manner.

Whether your taste in décor is traditional or modern, eclectic or Asian-inspired, you can easily use photo accents to incorporate your ideas into your space.

Photo Accents For Every Room

The beauty of personalization is that it blends with any décor and room. If you’re looking to lend a classier feel to your living room, a wrapped canvas and mounted prints are perfect choices. A keepsake box would add a touch of personalization to your bedroom while providing handy storage for your earrings and other valuables on your dresser or night stand. A growth chart wall cling is perfect for the family room or your child’s bedroom – where you can actually watch your kids grow…personally! Frameless photo panels are also great addition to a child’s room, as they are durable displays with no frame or glass. Photo calendars and photo magnets make your kitchen a little brighter, while helping you stay on track with the family’s upcoming schedule. The fact that you can add your photos to all of these items is what truly differentiates your home décor from everyone else’s.

Personalized home accents are easy to create online, affordable and give your existing digital photos a new purpose and platform. So, go ahead and create custom home decor with personalized photo accents.

How to Declutter and Brighten Your Home for Summer

Let's light up your home with these simple tips!

Article taken off oprah.com

How to Declutter and Brighten Your Home for Summer

1. Create a Winter Storage Area

Create a winter storage area in your attic or basement, using a canvas-covered clothing rack and heavy-duty plastic shelving. This makes everything easily accessible—and lets you annually appraise inventory and throw away or donate things you no longer use or wear. (Dry-clean your coats before storing them, and use cedar blocks to keep away pests.)


2. Replace Dark Throw Pillows

Replace dark throw pillows and slipcovers with affordable white or bright-colored versions; clean and store winter fabrics with your linens. Consider adding an extra lamp to further lighten things up.


3. Add Brighter Accents

Swap out dark photo frames on your shelves for white. Ask kids to pick their favorite piece of artwork each week and drop it into a frame; toss the rest (after photographing for posterity).


4. Keep Surfaces Clear

Keep surfaces clear by instituting daily cleanups ten minutes before dinner, when everyone puts away his or her own possessions. Cynthia Tobin, like many moms, finds it easier and faster to pick up after everyone herself, but "why bark when you've already got a dog?" says Walsh.

Painting the color red

Follow these steps and you will get beautiful red...

Article taken off home-decorating-made-easy.com

Painting the color red

If anyone know's anything about painting they will tell you that red is the most difficult color to cover on walls. Here are some important tips when using the color red...

Tint your primer grey and the same shade as the type of red you are using. This helps the red pigment seem like it is filling in as a solid even color and not a transparent mess. This is the most important tip of them all.

- Use a quality brush and sleve for best coverage.

- Make sure to use a flat finished paint rather than a semi-gloss or eggshell.

Following these tips will make sure your red covers successfully in two even coats.

Easy and Cheap Home Decorating Ideas

Do you know that you can have a new home decor without spending big money?

Article taken off ihavenet.com

Easy and Cheap Home Decorating Ideas

Redecorating a room is one of the best ways to breathe new life into your surroundings -- and help you feel more energized. But the word “redecorate” can be intimidating; dollar signs start popping into your head, as does your packed schedule, leaving you wondering where you’ll find the time or money.

Fortunately, you can redecorate on a budget -- one of money and time.

There are plenty of easy, cheap and quick things you can do to change a space, says Stacey McGarity, a partner in the interior design firm Acquisitions for the Home in New York City.

Check out her low-cost, high-impact decorating strategies:

1. Embrace Accessories

“Swapping out items like decorative pillows and a vase can transform the look and feel of any room in five minutes,” McGarity says. A new or different rug also achieves that fresh feeling.

Keep the old items on hand and you’ll swap them in mid-year to create two seasonal looks. Pillow covers versus new pillows help keep costs down, and not using the same rug year-round means both last twice as long. For warmer months, try a sisal rug and cotton pillows. When the temperature drops, go for a darker, patterned rug and pillow covers in lush velvet.

2. Rethink Artwork

Pictures and paintings aren’t the only things you can hang. “Think outside of the box,” says McGarity. Your basement, garage and closets are a treasure trove. Postcards, snapshots, kids’ drawings, posters and even wallpaper and fabric scraps can all be cut and put into inexpensive frames and hung together to create a quirky personal home gallery.

Or, if you find a large fabric remnant, consider making it into a wall hanging by hemming it and sewing in a rod pocket. “You can do it yourself with a sewing machine, but a tailor charges only about $10,” says McGarity.

3. Use Your Library

Take a few of your coolest books off the shelves and incorporate them into your décor. Gather ones with similarly colored jackets or focus them on a theme, such as travel (try mixing a guidebook, an Italian cookbook, a photography book of Alaska and your copy of Eat, Pray, Love together). They’ll look great stacked on a table or tall piece of furniture.

Another tip: Purchase an inexpensive tabletop easel at a craft store and use it to display a beautiful open book, McGarity says. You can change up the look by swapping in a different book.

4. Create an Accent Wall

Painting or wallpapering an entire room is a pricey undertaking. Instead, do just one wall to create a focal point. It makes the whole room pop and you only do a quarter of the work!

Which wall should you choose? “Usually the longest in the room, but it could also be the one lined with all furniture,” says McGarity. “In general, though, you won’t go wrong with the one that feels the most blank.”

To select the right paint, pick a shade that’s in nearby furniture or other décor. “If you love the gray upholstery on a chair, for example, paint the wall behind it a lighter shade of gray,” says McGarity. If you’re decorating with wallpaper, small rooms like bathrooms, foyers and mud rooms often produce the best results. Also consider inexpensive vinyl wallpaper. It’s twice the width of regular rolls, making it a cinch to hang. Plus, vinyl is durable and easy to clean. "For a small amount of money, you can make it the coolest room in the house,” says McGarity.

The Joys of Letting Go

Downsizing? How to decide what goes and what stays.

Article taken off oprah.com

The Joys of Letting Go



The Solomons began one night 38 years ago when Angela, who was living in a "no-bedroom" in Greenwich Village, reluctantly agreed to go on a blind date with a young doctor who had just finished studying in Switzerland. "I was so not into settling down," says 70-year-old Angela, now a communications consultant for television and film clients. "It was the '60s."

The two were married on May 3, 1969—a date they're reminded of by a signed '69 Spoleto Festival poster, a wedding gift from a friend, on display in their living room. All the art in their home is the work of people close to them—everything from photos taken in Japan, India, and Paris to groupings from a school of ceramics Joel simply calls "friend pottery." The couple doesn't have children, but pictures of young relatives are everywhere. "What we wanted to hang on to in our new home is what downtown New York represents for us—it's all about our friends," Angela says. "Other than that, we wanted to cut and run!"



Of course, you can make a clean break with your fireplace tools (and heavy Persian rugs, elaborate draperies, hulking dining-room table, gilt-edged mirrors) and still have to figure out where to put everything you're leaving behind. "We had 30 years in 4,000 square feet," Joel says. "That's 120,000 square feet of stuff over the years. We clearly needed a decorator and a therapist." The couple found both in Robert Levithan.

An acquaintance of the Solomons, Robert is a counselor who works with Friends in Deed, a crisis center for people dealing with life-threatening illnesses. When Angela and Joel learned that he also consulted on the design of friends' homes, they signed him on to help with their transition.

"Moving is high up on the life stress list, which includes things like the loss of a loved one or divorce," Robert says. A thorough, compassionate listener by profession, he came up with a design plan for his clients that was part talking cure ("There were absolutely daily conversations"), part triage.



Joel estimates that in the end, half of his and Angela's belongings were given away or sold. About a quarter went to his new office and the rest fit into the clean grid and airy, serene aesthetic Robert created for the Solomons' new home. "It's as clear and light as possible," Angela says. "There's a see-through, floaty theme, which is great for small spaces. Everything has very thin legs. Everything but me," she adds, laughing. "I don't have thin legs."



In their new downtown lives, Angela says that she and Joel "walk almost everywhere." The two also enjoy a luxury they didn't have uptown—outdoor space, in the form of a terrace overlooking Washington Square Park and one of the city's last charming mews. "They are lively," Angela says of the New York University students in the storied park, "and the view will always be here."

She's true to Robert's mantra for moving with a good mind-set. "Focus on where you're going and what you're creating, not on what you're leaving behind," he says. "It's not about less; it's about different. And once you get there, everything shifts in your life, often in marvelous ways."



Angela considers her new, trim, skinny-legged dining table and says that she and Joel used to host a Thanksgiving feast for more than 30 people on the Upper West Side every year. Now they prefer to be in India, or Paris, or Indonesia. "We tend not to be in the city on holidays anymore. Place cards and the whole thing are no longer necessary," she says with relief. "Living downtown again hasn't really reinvented our lives, but having time at our discretion—and a home that fits our new lives—has. It's very freeing."



Before moving to a new home, consider Robert Levithan's strategies for relocating with the right mind-set.

• Do It Quickly: There's no point in drawing out the process or dwelling on where you used to live, mentally or physically. "You need to get where you're going," Robert says. "As soon as you're in the new place, it's very easy. You've shifted from the loss process to the creation process."

• Be Practical, Not Sentimental: If your move is about downsizing, Robert recommends that you start by identifying the objects that will go with you and those that can be left behind. If there's an item you're not quite ready to part with, consider storage. Better yet, he says, "Give it to someone you love or to a charity. You can also pass something down as an heirloom now, rather than waiting until you die."

• Entertain: "It's a good idea to surround yourself with a support system," Robert says. Include friends and family at various stages of the process—invite them over, pick up some wine, and have a box-packing party. "Then the move becomes a social rather than an awful, desperate thing. Make it a transition that includes the people in your life."

Home Aquariums, living with fish

Marine life that will lead you to a healthy environment!

Article taken off homeinteriorsjunction.com

Home Aquariums, living with fish

An aquarium can be described as an artificial habitat for marine life. Normally we think of only tropical fish when we consider having an aquarium, but aquariums can house even aquatic mammals and amphibians. Now if you are thinking of an aquarium for home, there are a wide variety of fishes and aquarium plants you can choose from. Plants enhance beauty, offer shade to fish, serve as spawning nest and food. You van even use plastic plants. The best fish for home aquarium are butterfly fish, bicolor blenny, pseudochromis, clownfish, goby, firefish, fox lace etc.

Maintaining an aquarium is a hobby for many around the world. If you are a true lover of fish, you can have your own little private collection of marine life at your home. They in their own way provide some tranquility in a world full of stress and strain.

Home aquariums can be made to replicate marine environment like the Barrier Reef or even the Amazon River. However before getting an aquarium for the home you must know how to maintain it. Tropical fish tanks may be salt water or fresh water. Experts however suggest that one should start with fresh water home aquarium, as salt-water aquarium is expensive and difficult to maintain. You can always switch over to salt water aquarium or home reef aquarium later using most of the same available equipments. A home aquarium generally consists of glass panels bound with silicone. Because of lightweight and durability acrylic home aquariums are gaining popularity. They are readily available at pet shops.Where selection of fish and supplies is concerned, the pet shopkeeper is well trained to guide you in this matter.

A home reef aquarium is usually made of glass or acrylic. The acrylic ones are attractive but expensive. Fishes like centropyge, tangs, amphiprion, mandarin fish, and dragonnettes can be kept here. Filtration and lighting in home reef aquarium is important because of photosynthesis. In order to survive the corals must produce zooxanthella.Seaworld.org, you tube.com, fullhyde.com, sea.org, aqua-fish.net may be accessed for home aquarium tips and pictures of home aquariums.

Home aquarium care is essential for healthy environment for the entire family. It has to be kept clean both from outside as well as inside. The ideal temperature is 23 to 28 o Celsius. Where lighting is concerned, colour temperature ranging from 5000-7000 0 is ideal depending upon the variety of animals. Ph testing kits should be used to determine the acidity or alkalinity of the tank water.

If a beginner,get for yourself a small home aquarium and create your own little sea world at home.

10 tips to decorate an entryway

Let's see how you can perfect an entryway to your home!

Article taken off decoratemyrooms.com

10 tips to decorate an entryway


The access to every house, its entryway or hallway, can give people an idea of the feel of the interiors of the house. An impressive hallway will make your guests wonder about the interiors and they will be eager to explore the place further. You need not necessarily have a big hallway to make it charming. Even a small entryway can be decorated just as beautifully.

Here are a few tips to decorate your hallway.

* Consider cleanliness of the floor of prime importance as a clean entry will prove most welcoming. Use good and attractively designed rugs or mats on the floor to keep the area clean.

* Choose an appropriate space to place a medium sized table with a vase for decoration. You can use artificial flowers in the vase. In case you use actual flowers, then they will need to be changed everyday. The table top could either be wood or glass, both look attractive. If you prefer wood then you can use a pretty carved table.

* Mirrors are also a good option for entryways since they can create a nice effect when combined with the lighting of the place.

* Lighting of the hallway can work wonders for the objects in the area. As mentioned above, the combination of mirrors and lights can create an enticing view. You can use dim, smoky lights instead of bright ones since it gives the desired effect especially in the evenings.

* You can also place plants, creepers that provide greenery to the area and a refreshing view to people entering the house.

* Using candles, potpourri and air fresheners may reduce the chances of unwanted odor that may have dominated the air earlier.

* Utility items like a coat hanger or a closet or an umbrella stand may be placed for the benefit of the guests.

* If you want to give your hallway a personal touch, you may put family photographs or arrange collectibles, musical instruments, silk or crape draperies.

* Match all articles in correspondence with the color scheme of the hallway.

* Wind chimes or decorative bells are also preferred by some but put them up only if you are not bothered by the faint tinkling sounds. Wooden wall sculptures and candle brackets look stunning in the entryway.

Home Decor Gift Ideas

Here's some tips without breaking the budget!

Home Decor Tips for a Romantic Night In

Here's some advice on how you can have a night of romance!

Article taken off luxpresso.com


Home Décor Tips for a Romantic Night In


Here's what you can do:

Set a Beautiful Bespoke Table:
Using the free space on your dinner table to complement the romantic atmosphere. By paying attention to the colour palette. Add touches of red for table linen and off-setting these with neutral crockery are a sophisticated and traditional colour palette. Or use more audacious schemes, mixing deep mauves and reds with touches of gold or silver bringing richness to the overall setting.

Play with Lights:
If your dimmer switch doesn't turn down all the way to 'romantic', play with candles. For a romantic table setting, use candelabras of varying heights to cast a golden glow. The candle light will also reflect on the glassware, which will bring the whole scheme together.

Set the Right Mood:
Creating a lush environment by filling a living space like a living room with throw pillows and art deco bowls willed with petals.

Sex Up the Bedroom:
Switching your regular light bulbs for those that cast a pink or amber glow. If that's too much, use coloured sheer cloth to create said pink glow by placing them over lamp shades. Get high thread count sheets for you bed.

Sunshine Staircase and Hallway

Let's take a look on how you can actually convert a hallway into a commodious area!

Article taken off bbc.co.uk

Sunshine Staircase and Hallway

The bright yellow walls are complimented by a dado rail and wallpaper, to echo the hall's Victorian features.

Walls
Strip the walls, fill the gaps and then paint the walls a bright sunshine yellow.

Dado rail
Attach a dado rail at waist height on the wall. Below the rail, paste thick embossed paper to simulate a Victorian look. Paint the rail and the wallpaper white.

Floorboards
Remove the old stair and hall carpet. Strip the floorboards in the entrance hall and coat with a mix of 50% varnish, 50% white spirit for natural look.

Carpet
Put down a new stair carpet. Choose a deep blue to add warmth to the floor area.

Finishing touches
Complete the look with a pine framed mirror and white church candles.

Interactive Study Room

Combine elements of a period house with contemporary materials to create an interactive study room with features for both adults and children.

Article taken off bbc.co.uk

Interactive Study Room

Walls and floor
Give the bare plaster walls an undercoat of white base coat, then paint in light grey. Paint out the woodwork and coving in the same colour but in a water-based eggshell. Paint the floor in a slightly lighter shade of grey over the existing floorboards.

Table
Remove most of the existing furniture from the room and construct a large table to act as a computer/work/play table, using planed scaffolding planks attached to four junk shop table legs. Sand and paint the table in the light grey water-based eggshell.

Furniture
Spray pieces of junk shop furniture to produce a flat, smooth hard wearing finish. Spray paint the dining chairs, filing cabinet drawers, a display cabinet and picture frames using a hired compressor in the light grey water-based eggshell.

Magnetic world map
To include an interactive feature and to add colour to the otherwise monochrome room, paste a large six piece wall map onto sheets of mild steel to make it magnetic. Attach it to one wall. Customise small picture magnets with photographs and images.

Fire surround and shelves
Fit an ornate plaster Victorian fire surround to highlight the age of the room and spray it light grey. Construct box shelves from 18mm MDF to sit either side of the chimney breast and paint it out in the light grey water-based eggshell.

Curtains and cushions
Replace the original curtains with traditional damask ones and dye the fabric to the light grey wall colour and print it in an illuminous fabric paint. Use this fabric for cushions on the window seat along with grey velvet and light grey linen.

Wall boxes
Make a series of small boxes from 12mm MDF to hold wooden blocks 5cm x 5cm x 5cm. Stencil the blocks with traditional letters in the light grey and hang them from picture hooks and wire along one wall to act as an interactive spelling game.

Focus On Style With Replacement Windows

How can you narrow your options and find the best replacement windows for your home?

Article taken off designingonline.com

Focus On Style With Replacement Windows

Finding the right replacement windows involves lots of research and discussions with contractors.

Styles New and Old
One important place to start is with the window style. As you narrow down replacement window styles, look at your existing windows and the architectural elements of your home. Take special note of the sizes and shapes, as well as how the window opens and closes.

Older homes often have double-hung windows, which have interior and exterior sashes that slide vertically. Newer houses might have casement windows that feature large areas of clear glass and typically open outward. Each creates a different architectural effect and changes the overall look of your home remodeling project.

Replacement: Merging Window Styles
If you are buying replacement windows for a room addition, look for a style that blends with your existing windows. The window can be larger or smaller, but should carry through the same shape, trim, and accents.

The details of the window also should be a factor. If you have windows with a divided light pattern, those details should carry through to the replacement windows. This will show consistency and make the room addition appear to be part of the original house.

Talk to a Contractor
Some houses have a mix of styles, which makes remodeling tricky. The best bet is to talk with a window contractor about which replacement window style more closely blends with the house. The contractor would look at the architectural style, the roof lines, exterior materials, and other features.

The style of your replacement windows can have a big affect on the overall look of the home. Talk with your contractor early in the process to ensure you are focusing on the right style for your housing design.

College Dorm Room Makeover by Interior Designer

Is it really a dorm? You won't believe your eyes!

Enchantment of Bold Colours

Try some bold colours in your interior design. The louder the better!

Article taken off interiorexteriorplan.com

Enchantment of Bold Colors

Purchasing a historic house is not as difficult as revamping it again, especially if your taste runs bold and modern. Experimenting with darker tones was a tough decision for homeowners, but these days, if you want to have a contemporary interior design, then you need to play with colors. Once you have purchased a house, you need some work done before moving in and wall colors are always first on the list.

When you wish to have an enchanting home interior, it is crucial for you to engage in recreation with new tones, darker shades and flamboyant tints. For an inspirational touch, you can reflect upon the modern art work. This can help you to come up with a delightful and bold color palette for all the rooms.

Bold color accents jazz up the interior decor, therefore you should not be afraid of colors. You can choose navy blue, chocolate brown or any other darker tone for your dining rooms. This enhances the ambiance even more, when you embellish your dining table with a white table cloth complemented with other dark shaded fabrics. To put a spark in an old staircase, you can paint the treads black and choose to add something exciting alongside the walls like hanging lamps.

More of red on the walls for the living space adds spice to your taste and the environment, as well. The use of rich colors makes the gatherings and get-together very cozy and leaves a deep impression on the hearts of people. This is an artistic aspect of using your creativity, which helps to make your home-sweet-home look even more beautiful. The best part is that bold colors compliment the accessory you use to embellish your décor and this way, you can also bring the outside in (garden colors).

Colors not only stimulate the environment, but also fuel up our lives. So, there is nothing to be afraid of colors. You can get your walls painted in darker tones and if you do not like them, you can get them repainted again. So, try out bold colors and feel the enchantment.