The home is a private sanctuary away from the chaos and hectic pace of the outside world. Traditional houses were built of natural, organic materials, like clay, straw, paper, wood and stone. They also bring into play natural light, water and foliage, and is seen even in today’s design.
Japanese interior decoration is characterized by not so obvious refinement. Use of highly decorated or vividly colored items is always done with restraint, and follows the concept of yin and yang. Light and space is balanced. Light is likely to be diffused, and living and sleeping spaces are adaptable, using moveable screens.
Southwestern – comes from the American Indian and Mexican motifs; simple, minimum furnishings, and nature colors, and heavy textures and weaves
Victorian – lavish and eclectic furnishings; use of marble for tabletops and rich colors full of patterns and decorations
Contemporary – minimal abstract and geometric patterns; accessorized by dramatic pieces
Traditional Country Cottage – diverse mix of American, English and French country styles; lively and relaxed ambience and use of pastel colors
Traditional/Classic Elegance – Eighteenth Century theme; but not as serious and formal and may use any color scheme
Transitional Style – blend of contemporary and traditional; originates from Eclectic style; practical
Most furniture styles were descended from their original design. Following is a brief description of each known style.
Eighteenth-Century English – Formal, refined style; dark woods had inlaid designs and has rich varied colors
English Country – Overstuffed furniture, with cozy ambience; uses floral chintzes, oriental accessories with a mixture of patterns and colors
American Country – rustic furniture with primitive air; warm colors with plaids and checks
Country French – similar to English Country, but has French influence; with a little more curves and ornate carvings
Eclectic – a little of everything, anything goes; style and theme are held together by keeping the colors constant
Determine your budget.
Be aware of your family’s needs.
Know the family lifestyle.
Know your preference for style of furnishings.
Have a choice of color scheme.
Prepare a scaled floor plan of furniture you intend to buy.
Select a furniture piece for your focal point.
Allow for a solid or tone on tone fabric for large upholstered pieces.
Think of using pattern, stripe, plaid for smaller upholstered pieces.
Consider ordering extra upholstery fabric for a stool, bench, pillows.
It is okay to mix woods and accent with metals.
Buying classic and not trendy styles would be better.
It is best to buy from reputable stores with good service policies.
Dining rooms should make use of functional and decorative lighting. Having the right lighting could show off your fine china and family heirlooms or create a magnificent dining atmosphere with family and friends. You can add elegance to the dining area with a chandelier placed over the table located at the center of the room. The diameter and size of the fixture should be proportionate to the area of your room and furnishings. A dimmer added allows for different levels of lighting, from soft to brighter tones. You can draw attention to your walls by placing a mirror or picture. Candlestick lamps could add to the ambiance.
We oftentimes buy what we don’t need specifically if the item is on sale or just irresistible. Tempting right? Well, talking about shopping vices. If the item doesn’t work with your room’s scale, style or colors, you’ve just spent 50 percent more than you had to. Useless isn’t? Buying furniture takes time, as they say, you don’t need to rush it; give yourself plenty of chance to look around and comparison to shop. If you absolutely can’t pass up that sale item, make sure it’s returnable. If not, find stores that will allow you to take it home and return it by the following morning if it’s not right. Like any merchant, many stores offer enticing financing plans that postpone payments for a year or more. Don’t be another victim— if you have the money, pay for it now or start putting money aside every month until the balance is due. Unless the furniture is a great investment afterwards.
The easiest way to keep your home clean and organized is by cleaning it on a daily basis. Three times a week you’ll want to vacuum and dust the livi
ng room. In the kitchen you’ll want to make sure that you keep your sink free of dirty dishes on a daily basis. After each meal put the dirty dishes directly in the dishwasher and wash and dry any remaining pots and pans or dishes and put them away. Wipe also the countertops and table off after each meal. Using disposable cleaning clothes come in handy for this. Have a rack that will store your papers or the mail before it piles up in the kitchen on the counter. At least once a week clean and sanitize your bathroom. Using deodorizer and other cleaning materials will do wonders. Your bath rug won’t need to be washed once a week, but an easy way to freshen it is to put it in the dryer on low with a fabric softener cloth. This gets most of the hairs off of it and fluffs it up. The key to cleaning our homes is organization. If you are doing this on a weekly basis, I don’t think this would be a hard chore.
Your bedroom is your private breathing space. Naturally, you wanted to have the best bedding and sheets in town when you finally hit the sack from a long tiring day. Luckily, there are wonderful options with regard to purchasing these items.
When you plan to buy bedding and sheets, technically, you have to be familiar with the size of your bed. Is it a King or Queen size? At the same time, consider your desired pattern and style. Or of course, the beddings and sheets should blend very well with your room’s theme. Since there are so many different types available, having a set style in mind will help you to narrow down the options and find exactly what you are looking for. If you can afford a buying an expensive piece, consider the tread count. The higher the thread count, the nice beddings you’ll have. Lastly, if you find that you are going to need numerous pieces of bedding and sheets, then buying a bed in a bag might be the best option.
The multicultural heritage of Morocco is considered the richest and most remarkable in North Africa, ranging from the white-painted coastal villages to the traditional Berber homes along the edge of the Sahara.
The Moroccan style consists of domed roofs, arched ceilings, and Arabesque arches. A characteristic element of Moroccan design is the use of strong color to create specific moods in different areas of the home. Bright colors – royal blues, purples, emerald greens, turquoises, crimsons – are used as wall colors or accents. Warm tones – cinnamon, curry, saffron – remind us of the desert. Neutrals – creams, white, sands – are used for personal and private areas.
Some of us are tired of hitting the gym on a regular basis. As they say, exercising at home has many advantages and benefits. If you are interested in creating a home gym and making working out as convenient as it can be, you need to have a separate room which you can set aside as your workout location, and this is ideal. However, for those who have limited space within the home, it is completely possible to create a home gym in a room which is used for other purposes as well. Try searching various equipment options online and in fitness magazines to see which ones suit your interest and budget as well. Prior to setting up the equipment, you should already know where everything is going to go as it will be difficult to move things around due to the weight of exercise machines.