Home Interior Design

By Marc Sanders

Do you want to change the way your home looks but don’t want to spend money? Believe it or not you can make dramatic changes without spending a dime. Of course, a fair amount work on your part will be required.

The tips in this article will exploit some of the basics of human perception. What exactly do I mean by this? Well, have you ever noticed how different your old home looks when you’re moving? Everything inside has been boxed and is waiting to be placed into a moving van or truck. The inside of your home doesn’t seem the same does it?

When we get used to the way our environment looks, we start to take it for granted. We stop noticing the details and they become practically invisible. So all you need to do is to shake things up by a strategic relocation of the furniture in your home. You will feel like you’ve moved to a new home without going anywhere.

The best way to do this is one room at a time. Once you decide on the room, you should get rid of the clutter first. Start with things laying around that have a home. Put them back in their closets, bookcases, drawers, etc. Then proceed to the items that don’t have a home. Decide if they should be thrown out or placed somewhere. Deciding what to throw away is a difficult decision for many of us. If that is you, ask your significant other to decide for you. Read the rest of this entry »

By Gina Smith-Motley

Sometimes we designers become too pre-occupied with mono-toned colors for area rugs, sofas, and drapery or matching all wood finishes. Contrasting colors can be pleasing to the eye if done well, especially if combined with textures in furniture and accessories.

Some examples are contrasting dark wood furniture with white or ivory colored and textured fabrics. Adding texture to fabric or furniture also tones down the contrast effect. A rattan or banana leaf woven chair with a white herringbone tweed covered cushion is not as cold in a room as a black lacquered chair with white polyester cushions.

Even the color red will not be so shocking if done in small splashes of accessories or pillows with textured patterns. A fabric providing a nap like chenille or faux suede gives a different shade of color each time you brush it in a different direction, thus, softening the color red in a room. Other textures like embroidery, quilting, and braiding can also soften a contrasting colored fabric.

Other ways to soften the contrast effect in a room is by placing a nice balance of nature in a room. A variety of plants can provide color and a more relaxing feel to the room. Black or ebony finished
wood furniture(not lacquered) looks great next to wood pieces with a natural wood finish allowing the beauty of the natural grain to show. Ebony finished wood next to natural finished wood is another
understated form of providing contrast. Dried plants can also provide a feeling of being surrounded by nature and harmony in a room with contrasting colors. Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Reynold

Often regarded as a dull little room, a cloakroom should instead be a room to treasure. Sadly neglected by many home owners, cloakrooms all too frequently become a dumping ground for broken bicycles, discarded footwear and malfunctioning deck chairs. If treated with a little (but not too much) respect, your cloakroom will serve as a useful convenience for your guests while allowing you privacy in your own bathroom (where your wrinkle cream, old school face cloth and worn-out toothbrushes remain for ever a secret!).

Requiring minimal space (an area as small as lxl.5m will accommodate the essentials), a cloakroom can be sited practically anywhere so long as suitable provisions can be made for the plumbing and, if it adjoins a living room or kitchen, there is a lobby between the two. A space on the floor below an existing bathroom will in many cases minimize disruption.

What does the good cloakroom contain? Essential, of course, are the WC pan and cistern. From a decorative point of view, a built-in cistern is neater and also provides a shelf on which accessories can be displayed. Should your cistern not be built in, you can still install a removable shelf supported on brackets over it. If space is limited, you will need to fit either an extra-small hand basin or one that will fit across a corner position.

In a larger cloakroom it is a good idea to select a more generous basin with a swing mixer-tap arrangement – so useful for filling a bucket, watering can or kettle. The basin can also be set into a vanity unit to give it a less utilitarian appearance and to secure extra storage below. If space allows, the inclusion of a shower unit may help to relieve pressure on a main bathroom. Read the rest of this entry »