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The effect of light on color
The effect of light on color
Licensed interior designers and color consultants consider the direction a room faces. Whether it is north, south, east, or west, makes a great deal of difference to the choice of color scheme. For instance, a bedroom that faces east and receives strong sunlight in the early morning will look very different when next seen late at night in artificial lighting. A west-facing room that has a warm glow in the evening can look dull in the mornings. Your choice do colors should take this into account.
Of course, an ideal aspect is not always possible for everyone. City flats may enjoy little naturally available light and be overlooked on all sides.
A north-facing room can expect less sun than a south or west facing one; but whatever the aspect, with clever lighting and color scheming the interior can be made to feel welcoming and attractive. The style of house you live in can also make a great deal of difference to the amount of available light in an interior. A country cottage may be in a superbly sunny location but have low ceiling and tiny windows, which can make the interior, feel dark and gloomy.
Modern homes with spacious open-plan interior and large picture windows will be even more affected by their characteristic and seasonal changes. If there is a living room with a patio or conservatory attached which is used as an additional seating area during the summer but not in winter, the decor will have to be flexible enough to accommodate the changes. For people in doubt over lighting and color schemes some top interior designers suggest painting a room white before making a final color choice.
This is a good way to observe how changes in natural light affect an interior and helps you make the most of it when choosing a color scheme.
Window and walls will appear darker as they only receive reflected light; ceiling always looks darker than walls painted the same color.
The effect of artificial lighting on curtains is better seen if a sample gauge of fabric is pleated and held upright. Put samples flat on the floor and move them around the room to see how different positions and lighting conditions can affect the color.
Posted in Bedrooom
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Some Small Kitchen Design Tips
Some Small Kitchen Design Tips
If you have a small kitchen to design then the problem of designing a great kitchen boils down to just what you can fit and where. There are many different cabinet designs and surface patterns that can help you provide your small kitchen design with a sense of space.
To create the small but efficient kitchen design, you need to work on three major areas of small kitchen design: storage, lighting, and appliances.
Small kitchens may seem to be a very difficult design challenge, but they can also be functional, beautiful and efficient. Even with a small budget and building restrictions, you can find that there are many options open to you to transform your kitchen into something more ideal for your needs.
To create a more spacious look for your small kitchen design the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) recommends designing more unique storage solutions, mixing natural and ambient lighting, taking advantage of more space saving appliances, and adding personalized touches.
A small kitchen design requires creativity in coming up with storage solutions. Some ideas to try include:
· Putting an island in the center of the kitchen that can provide freestanding storage that is also convenient from any spot in the kitchen.
· Using a galley kitchen design in which the cabinets and appliances line up on either side of a corridor can work out very well for a small kitchen space.
· Today’s appliance manufacturers have come up with more compact space-saving appliances make small kitchen design easier, such as refrigerators that are 24 inches deep instead of 30 inches deep, as well as appliances that can be hung underneath cabinets like microwaves.
· Other small kitchen design tricks to create an eating area in the kitchen include using a drop table or a small sized round table with two small chairs that can be tucked into a corner. Or a built-in counter along the wall with chairs to provide an eating nook.
Another interesting challenge in small kitchen design is creating an illusion of space with under cabinet lighting or under the counter. With the proper type of lighting the kitchen can be made to appear larger and more pleasing.
· The use of light colored cabinets with glass doors.
· Installing deeper counters that can accommodate more appliances and increase work space.
· Flooring tiles can be placed on a diagonal, and in a galley style kitchen hardwood flooring can be run the length of the kitchen.
· For storage you can hang up pots and pans. This is a perfect way to free up cabinet space, and they add a certain charm and character to your small kitchen design. The insides of cabinet doors can be used to hang up everything from utensils, oven mitts, and other miscellaneous items.
Pantry storage with units that go all the way to the ceiling with the upper cabinets to provide more space for seldom used items while making the lower cabinets more accessible with rollout shelves, lazy susans, and tilt-out bins.
· Install a large kitchen sink, since larger sinks are considered to be more practical than small sinks when it comes to cleaning pots and pans.
Remember most kitchens are small.
When you look in kitchen design magazines you naturally notice that the kitchens featured are large and so you might think your small kitchen in inadequate. But good small kitchen design means being able to create space and incorporating ample storage facilities and being able to fit in all the necessary appliances.
Posted in Kitchen
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Using Bamboo Blinds To Decorate Your Home
Using Bamboo Blinds To Decorate Your Home
Bamboo blinds are excellent and classy way to decorate your home. In oriental culture bamboo has been always used at homes as partitions, window blinds to allow cool breeze to come in. bamboo blinds or bamboo shades provides a relaxed and cool look to any room. It adds to the ethnic ambience and charm of your interiors and definitely environment friendly.
The distinctive grass weaves; the natural colors and fine bamboo selection used in the manufacture of finest bamboo blinds gives an elegant and inviting look. In tropical countries in Asia like India and Indonesia, in olden times people used roughly cut bamboo woven together which could be rolled up and down using thick ropes. This was essential to keep the scorching sun out and the torrential rains during the monsoon period.
Bamboo is extensive used in building houses, fences, bridges, utensils, paper, toys, musical instruments –bamboo flutes, furniture and floors. In interior decorations, bamboo has been used for centuries to accent houses and gardens.
The Chinese believed that bamboo brings long life, and in India, it is a mark of friendship. Japanese used it around their places of worship to ward off evil spirits.
Today this traditional art form of bamboo blinds have evolved into a classy style statement that has its own elegant look as well as functionality and exceptional reliability. Now bamboo and bamboo based products are a great rage in the Western world. Different varieties of bamboo blinds, shades and floors have found their way into some of the blue chip companies and sprawling villas worldwide.
Bamboo blinds are catching up as the latest trend and fashion in hard window treatments. They add that eco-friendly flavor and special touch to home décor.
This versatile natural product can compliment the interior furniture, which incidentally could be made in bamboo too. Bamboo blinds in their stained or varnished to embellish their natural look are more preferred than artificially colored bamboo blinds.
Bamboo blinds are relatively easy to clean and maintain. Just dust them regularly with a clean cloth and use wood polish or just plain soap and water when necessary. The cost depends on the quality, the brand and the shop from where you buy. Typically a bamboo blind of 27 x 64 inches in a walnut stain or other stain of your choice without varnish may cost upwards of $60.
If you plan to buy some unique or unusual stains then it may cost more.
The natural appearance of bamboo blinds and shades are retained with the grain and color irregularities visibly enhancing the natural look. Depending on the shade you choose, it can change the décor of your room to exotic, rustic or even casual in appearance! Whatever the style bamboo blinds seems to be growing in popularity and people are slowly opening their eyes to this all new natural beauty and elegance of bamboo!
Posted in home design
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Tropical Kids Rooms Decor
Tropical Kids Rooms Decor
Just like the rest of the home, we like to make sure that our kids rooms have the proper décor that fits with their personal style and desire. Thanks to some well minded retailers there is now a whole line of tropical kids rooms décor that will be sure to bring bright colors and a festive feeling to the entire area. Because of the surge in tropical décor, the new lines of tropical kids rooms décor is fantastic to say the least. No matter the age or gender of the child you are sure to be able to find what you need with the choices that are available. Not only that, the newest lines are durable and high quality that will help ensure that you get the most for your money with the lasting products. It is always difficult when trying to decorate a child’s room as they tend to be very hard on just about everything that they own. This means that parents need to find items that will hold up to the child and create a lasting environment for them without breaking the bank at the same time. Tropical kids rooms décor brings to life the colors of the room and adds an air of excitement that any child will love. The room will be alive with a busy tropical scene that will foster the imagination and allow for the child to be free to wonder about the décor. Nothing could be finer.
One of the finest and most popular products at this time is the great wall hangings that are new to the tropical kids rooms décor line. Unlike posters and framed pictures, these fabric wall hangings are durable and highly colorful to say the least. There is a wide array of styles and colors for you too choose from that are sure to make any child the talk of the town. These wall hangings do so much for the room that you will wonder how you ever did without them.
Check out the full line of tropical kids rooms décor and you will see that it is perfect for nearly any child. There is nothing that you can not do with the variety of items, styles and colors that are available.
Any room in the home that is occupied by a child is sure to be brighter and much more appealing with any of the fine tropical kids rooms décor items that are currently available.
Some very original tropical kids rooms decorations can be found at http://www.art-ickles.com, which sells unique handicrafts brightly colored with tropical themes. The baby bedding quilts, bumper pads, pillow covers shown in this website are of top quality, 100% hand made with the best American fabrics.
Posted in wall decor
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Wall Decals: The Perfect “Stick-on” Design
Wall Decals: The Perfect “Stick-on” Design
They’ve suddenly become the rage and for good reason. It used to be that wall decals or wall stickers, were sold primarily as an alternative to permanently alerting a child’s room for the sake of kid decor. There were wall sticker options for all sorts of children’s room themes. But, the market has since expanded and wall decals have grown up. Companies are springing up with collectives of visual artists, creating walls decals or wall tattoos that are as artistic as they are functional.
How can a wall decal be functional, you ask? Well, most of them have been engineered so that they are removable and reusable. So whether you have a phobia to commit to any one home design approach, or perhaps you want to stage your home for sale, but don’t want to invest vast sums into wall art- well, here is where wall decals can offer some practical value.
These decals are easier than paint in that they only take minutes to put on, they do not damage the wall and are, as mentioned, removable. They are usually sold as multi pack packages, that contain various decals- all part of the same theme. In this regard, you have some creative input as to how you’d like to arrange your decals. Prices generally range from $12- $165, so these creative additions can be done on any budget.
There are so many options out there that range from sophisticated art designs, to video game inspired graphics. Many companies are coming up with irreverent wall furniture. So, you can’t afford that incredible head board and all you have is an uninspired futon? You can now paste an elaborate gothic inspired headboard tattoo onto your wall. Who needs reality, when fantasy can dance about your walls?!
Of course, now more than ever, there are even more kid friendly options for wall decals. The fact that your children change their design whims on a monthly basis may not be so much of a problem any longer. Instead of sucking it up, and painting your child’s room that unbearably garish pink, you can sit down with her, and order some decals that suit her tastes. And, if next year, she’s all about black- well, then she can save up her allowance and buy some black decals. ( and thank-goodness you can avoid painting the room black…)
Really, the wall decal generation can satisfy a lot of whimsical design ideas that could otherwise turn out disastrous- or at the very least expensive, time consuming, and permanent. Here is your chance to play, and with very little risk. All that your really putting on the line, is the cost of the decal. And even then, if you don’t like them in one room, simply try them somewhere else.
Although decals can easily be applied on painted surfaces they shouldn’t be used on wallpaper, tile or paneling. Before applying, surfaces should be clean, dry and smooth. Just set-up, plan your design and stick to your heart’s content.
Check out some of these companies for the latest in wall decal trends: whatisblik.com, fermlivingshop.us, surfacecollective.com. Urban Outfitters also has some decals that might tickle your fancy: urbanoutfitters.com
Posted in wall decor
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