Interior Design Tips

How to start the designing work for your dwelling house without involving high renovation cost yet can create an atmosphere that you wanted?  

Here I share some of my thoughts and give you some guidelines. 

- To create a focus point in a room, you can paint a strong colour on one of the wall which the eye needs to be directed where to look first. Add 1 or 2 spotlights will enhance the focus point. 

- To make a room visually wider and more space, mirror will bring out the effect.  

- Colour like off whites, cream & beige will give you an appearance of more space while warm colors like red and yellow will give an impression of a smaller space. On the other hand cool colors like blue and green will give an openness appearance. 

- Avoid use gloss paint as it will show uneven surface specially when you open the lights at night. - If you have a low ceiling space, install your picture frames on eye level as putting them high on the wall will makes your ceiling look lower.  

- If your floor is tiles finished or any stone material, put a rug to make your room cozy. Rotate your rug once in a while to even out the wear and tear. 

- If your couch is beige/ white or light colour, place some yellow, orange, red colour cushion on it. Instantly the couch will look more interesting. 

- To create a romantic mood, install bedsides lamp with coloured blubs like amber, rose, etc...

Interior Design Ideas - How to Spice Up Your Living Space

I know…I know…you’ve just finished watching that home design show on HGTV. Now you want to redesign your house as well. The good news is that even if you don’t have a lot of money or a consultant, there are some very simple things you can do to make your home feel brand new. In this guide to inexpensive interior design ideas, we’ll explore some quick and affordable tips to giving your living space a face lift.

Don’t Throw Out the Old Furniture…Paint It!

Paint is inexpensive, and the color choices are endless. Of course you might not want to paint that old cabinet a neon orange! But there’s also no rule that says you have to stick to neutral colors, like black, antique white, and tan. If you’re feeling bold, you can try a sage green or deep red. Or perhaps you’re looking for something more tranquil, like various blues, greens, and yellows. And while you’re at it, save some paint for the walls, too.

Glass Is Fragile, But It Can Be Quite Stunning

This may not be the best idea if you have small, rambunctious children. But if you don’t have to worry about things getting broken easily in your house, adding some glass is a great idea. Head down to the discount store for an inexpensive, yet trendy glass lamp. You can even find places where you can take an old vase and have it converted over to a lamp. If you want something with more pizzazz, you can purchase some artistic imported glass fixtures. Other ways of using glass to add décor to your home include French doors, window treatments in the bedrooms, and changing out some of those kitchen cabinet fronts with decorative glass insets.

In Short…Keep it Simple and Spacious

You don’t’ have to go all out to design a home. Keeping things simple and spacious can make a big difference. When choosing a window treatment, you don’t have go get a bulky curtain that you can’t even see through. Try an elegant, see-through curtain such lightweight Roman shades. Also consider the fact that less can sometimes mean more. If you remove some of the knick-knacks and anything that could be considered cluttered, it will open up your rooms and make it seem larger. Plenty of good interior design ideas simply rely on rearranging the things you already have.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Murren

Considerations For the Interior Design of Bathrooms

One important feature to consider in the interior design of bathrooms is the bathing needs of the entire family. If space is limited, and you rarely if ever take the time to soak in a tub, for instance, an interior designer might suggest the replacement of a large bathtub with a simple shower stall. This will save on space and make your bathroom appear more open and less claustrophobic. On the other hand, if that leisurely bath time is important to the homeowner, the interior design of the bathroom in your home may include the installation of a larger tub so you can relax in comfort.

The Bathroom Sink

Another feature that will come under scrutiny in the interior design of bathrooms is how to best utilize the sink area. Many homes have a vanity sink which offers a storage area beneath. However, more in vogue now in the interior design of bathrooms is a free-standing sink, which helps to give the bathroom a feel of having more open space. But since interior designers are concerned with function as well as form, shelving might be added to the Interior design of bathrooms in your home to compensate for that loss of storage space beneath the vanity.

The Bathroom Toilet

At first glance, you may not consider the toilet to be something that will be changed much during the Interior design of bathrooms. But that decision can be left up to your interior designer. Since the interior design of bathrooms is not concerned only with what's in the bathroom, but also how it's placed, your interior designer might move the toilet to a spot where it's less cramped. Or perhaps the existing toilet can be changed out to one with a tank recessed into the wall to save even more space.

Generally, these kinds of changes are accomplished with careful sketching and, nowadays with the use of modeling software, in order to get a clear picture of how every feature in your bathroom will fit together. In summary, while an interior decorator might be concerned with wallpaper and cabinet colors, an Interior Design will be working to see how everything in the bathroom fits together as functional space and then making clear attempts to improve it. Applying interior design to your bathrooms can make the difference between simply changing the bathroom's appearance to changing the way it feels.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Hopkins

Tips to choose the renovation material

The right materials make a difference. But how to choose the right material for your floor and wall?

We have to consider the durability and long term benefic.

Let’s explore the strengths and weaknesses of some common use materials.

1. Ceramic tiles are brittle clay material baked with glaze to achieve a glossy or semi glossy appearance in colour. Itt can be used as floor tile and wall tile.

Strengths
- Come in wide range of colours and sizes
- Glossy surface makes it easy for cleaning and maintenance.
- Most ideal for Bathrooms and Kitchen walls, as they are relatively inexpensive.

Weaknesses
- When chipped the top glazed surface may reveal the whitish clay underneath.
- Gap between tiles will trap dirt easily if not cleaned regularly.
- Easy to chip off of the glossy surface upon impact.

2. Homogeneous tiles are brittle clay material with pigmented colouring throughout the whole tile.

Strengths
- Come in variety colours and sizes.
- When chips, it will not be noticeable as the colour on the surface is same as inside.
- Easy to maintain.
- More hard wearing compare to ceramic tile.
- Gap between two tiles are much more minimum compare to ceramic tile.

Weaknesses
- not suitable for kitchen wall tile as it will be more costly.
- scratch mark appear easily.

3. Marble is formed from natural limestone. It is an elegant natural stone rich with beauty. The surface of the stone can be polished.

Strengths
- Natural grain adds to a touch of class.
- Come in wide range of colours and sizes.
- Can be polished when surface cloud.

Weaknesses
- High in maintenance.
- Water and stain will seep in if the top protective coat peel off.
- high in cost.

4. Granite is formed from liguid magma. Granites are usually medium to coarsely crystalline. It is hard and tough.

Strengths
- Glossy surface adds to a touch of class.
- Can be used for counter tops.
- Less maintenance compare to marble.
- Can be polished when surface cloud.

Weaknesses
- High in cost
- Water and stain will seep in if the top protective coat peel off.

5. Slate tiles is a homogeneous and fine grained rock that split into many layers.

Strengths
- Natural looking.
- Come in wide range of colours and sizes.
- Natural slip-resistance makes it great for wet area.

Weaknesses
- Algae may grew on the wet surface when sunlight is abounding
- May cause hurt as it's surface is generally rough in textured.
- Restricts the changing of design as it will not match easily with comtemporary look.

6. Laminated flooring is a type of flooring that exists of different layers of material that all have different qualities.
There are a decorative surface (made of a resin-based melamine
that is hard wearing), a wood-based core (which is the main component of a laminate floor),
and a backing that is bonded to the underside of the core, which gives it its rigidity.

Strengths
- High in scratch resistance.
- Cheaper in cost compare to real wood flooring.
- Wide range in colours of grain.
- Easy to install.
- Easy to remove as there is no glue involved.
- Easy to maintain.
- Ideal for bedroom and raised flooring.
- No hacking is needed as it may be laid over existing tiles.

Weaknesses
- Too much monotony in the grain and pattern
- Discolouring may occur if exposed to extreme sunlight.
- Can only clean the floor with "dry mop"

7. Solid wood floor is milled from a single piece of hardwood, real wood.

Strengths
- Beauty of naturel wood grain and colour.
- Can be sanded and refinished over several generations of use.
- More hard wearing compare to laminated floor.

Weaknesses
- Gap will show up due to it's nature expansion and movement.
- Higher in cost compare to laminated floor.

Interior Design's History

The Egyptian and Roman Era

There is plenty of evidence that interior design was of great importance to the Egyptians and Romans. Obviously, at this point in the history of interior design, it was limited only to the wealthy. The proof of this period in the history of interior design is in the architecture and in the various records that have been uncovered. The Egyptians, for instance, left us lavishly decorated tombs of the pharaohs, which were intended both as a final resting place and as a way to supply the comforts needed by the pharaoh in the next life.

The Romans left us evidence that their rooms were carefully planned around the way that each room was to be used. This is a key part of modern interior design. Wealthy Romans, for instance, created separate living rooms for summer and winter seasons. These were designed for optimal comfort during either the warm and cold months. There are indications that both the Romans and the Egyptians did take some care to partake in interior decorating as well, which is another important feature in interior design.

The Era of the Renaissance

The next major expansion in the history of interior design came in the Italian Renaissance. It's during this era when all arts experienced a surge in popularity, with wealthy patrons readily supporting the arts with their finances. It was especially during this time that interior decorating and interior design began to more closely resemble what we know of it in later years in the history of interior design. Rooms began to be designed with function and form in mind. Some of the most prominent examples were the lavish interior designs of the palace at Versailles, which continues today as an prime example of royal decadence. Still at this time in the history of interior design, such things were completely out of reach of the common people.

Interior Design in the Industrial Revolution

The transformation in the history of Interior Design that opened it up to the common man was the Industrial Revolution. This massive change made cheaper goods possible for home decoration as well as created an economic revolution in the United States. Now middle-class families had expendable income to put toward extra expenditures such as interior design. During this time, interior design magazines came into vogue and the profession of interior designer took hold, and now is its own industry by the start of the 21st century. Essentially, the history of interior design has been shaped through the decades and centuries by artistic, economic, and technological revolutions throughout history.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Hopkins