The custom framer professional also brought up the option of adding a mat to make our posters look like art prints and while that did not work our aesthetic, it opens up the options. Think of how many other things can be made to look like a million bucks while using very simple, metal or wood poster frames. All custom frame shops should have a poster framing options, generally thin black frames (but ask, sometimes other color frames are available too) that do not distract and do not overwhelm posters which tend to be busy and colorful enough without having to over embellish it with a big, gold frame. Those same poster frames could be used for other things. Photos, actual art prints, certificates, etc, anything can be framed in a simple poster framed and highlighted with a nude, off-white mat and make it look wonderful.

Adding a mat to anything is a simple way of highlight its importance as it is a classical way to frame artwork, thus our mind makes the connection with it. Print small black and white photos of your family and use a black poster frame (wood or metal) and a white mat and present the most important people in your life elegantly. Or have fun with it and put up photos in your kid’s room with color mats with a black metal or wood frame and make it joyful and playful. Use the poster frames to decorate a play room and don’t break your budget. Think about other aspects that are more important in a place for kids: safety. Spend extra money in using plexi-glass or acrylic that is light and doesn’t break if it falls instead of buying expensive frames your kid won’t appreciate. Poster framing is an easy option to keep in mind.

Those are other great advantages of using a custom frame shop, they can offer options as far as matting (most pre-bought frames only have an off-white, ivory-ish mat) and options in glazing (glass, acrylic, non-reflective, 99% UV protective) and you have the opportunity to talk with a professional who will help you make the choice on what sort of mat and glazing will work better for your particular piece. They will explain the differences and make it easier to make decision and help you take a poster frame and make it the perfect option for your poster, photos, or artwork. When you have the options, anything can be a master piece and anyone can make it so with the right help.

Basically, contemporary interior design includes clean lines, simplicity, subtlety, sophistication and texture. Contemporary interior decorator and designer work to bring out more spaces than before by giving greater emphasis on colours, shades, space and sleekness.

They use colours that are more neutral and bright using bold and bright colours to represent contemporary style. Present day style for Interior decoration includes the neutral, white and black colours. Black is the colour of ground and neutral is meant for walls while it is bold accessories that are used to highlight the backdrop. There is greater use of tints of bright colours like green, orange, red, white, gold and cream that are widely used in contemporary interior design.

Contemporary interior design also includes few important trademarks like chrome metallic accents by using heavy mirrors and glass. A wide array of bold colour blocks, bare windows, high ceilings, and geometric shapes are used in walls as well as art sculptures. It is more of including things that define contemporary interior, and less is more here. Every piece used has its own individuality and is unique with interior design of this type.

The contemporary style furniture includes clean, smooth and geometric shapes. The furnishings used are more inclined towards natural fabrics with neutral tones and have black, white and neutral shade upholstery made of natural fibres. The coverings of furniture have fabric that is of black, neutral, white or bold colour with texture that seems like natural wool cotton, jute, silk, and linen that bring in the appeal.

The contemporary furniture pieces are inclined more towards simple without decoration of curves. Chairs and sofa sets have their legs exposed whereas beds and chairs have no skirts, fringes and trims. Wood is the primary material in contemporary style furniture instead of metal or other materials.

The thrust here is the bold, bare, basic and structural things with no ruffles, fringes, floral prints or carved details to them. More accentuation and boldness should be there with furniture and accessories that should complement with wall colour. In the case of flooring, it is the wooden, vinyl or tile kinds that are in vogue now. The rugs and carpets as used in flooring should be warm and should be of commercial type.

Many interior design plans have long incorporated space-saving techniques especially those for small apartments. These range from smart cupboards to built-in shelving wherever it is possible to fold, tuck or camouflage.

Technological developments have greatly helped in enabling people to work from home with the use of remote connections over internet channels. This further puts a constraint on the ever-shrinking home space.

The first technique that you have to consider is to use dual fold doors. These new designs effectively meet the challenges that modern day apartments pose. The slender designs of glass or aluminum dual fold doors, their flexibility and their unmatched function promotes energy efficiency as well as durability. Such doors are perfect for dining rooms and for indoor spaces that need to be separated from the natural landscapes outside. Many homeowners have chosen to use these doors in their homes especially those that want to optimize every square inch of their property.

A second technique is to use convertible beds. The idea behind this concept is to use beds that easily convert into something else or they can be stored away, turning the bedroom into a living room or a child’s playroom during the day. This room can also be converted into an office at daytime.

Convertible beds include folding and wall beds, kids’ bunk beds and many other forms of children’s beds. Did you know that there are also beds that can be converted into office desks in under a minute? The bedroom can then be used as a space to socialize with just an easy, single motion mechanism. Imagine the way this trouble-free kind of furniture has evolved into something that can have dual functions.

Still about beds and bedrooms, a lot of experts suggest maximizing the layout and to dress up the room according to your mood. For utmost comfort, you can actually buy a king or queen-sized bed even when in a small apartment, just make sure to raise the platform up to 7″ in order to have more storage space for baskets or bins underneath.

And haven’t you always positioned your bed against the wall that is closest to the door? This time, try having the headboard positioned right on the opposite wall. This should give you a sweeping view of the entire bedroom, making it visually larger.

A third technique is to optimize kitchen floor space in your home. These days, there are just so many ideas over the internet that it is impossible not to find something that can help you save space in this room in your home.

Get the most out of this room by having drawers installed since they are the most excellent space optimizers. Cabinets allow full access where there is ample depth rather than having just the front half. Go for those full extension drawers so you get a full visual each time you pull the drawers.

A fourth technique requires you to exchange those bulky sofas to ottomans or benches that fit beautifully in many modern living rooms. You will be surprised at the amount of extra space that you can create by ditching your bulkiest seating furniture.

Also for the living room, consider having wall-to-wall carpeting installed so that you can have a warmer yet visually spacious effect. Adding colors and patterns through wallpaper or paint can help create a tranquil mood. Good lighting also helps a great deal in opening up some more living room space.

Many people tend to look at their reflection in the mirror since the moment they wake up and it’s evident that as we go through our morning routine to get ready for work or school we look at the mirror several times; whether it’s brushing our teeth, combing our hair, or putting on make-up, mirrors form an essential part of our lives because our image matters to us.

But mirrors do more than just help us with our self-image. They enable us to decorate our homes and even create certain effects. Mirrors, especially large ones, can make areas of the house like a living room seem larger which would be especially beneficial for a small house. Another good idea to keep in mind when deciding the location of a mirror is what you want to see reflected in the mirror, you know, besides yourself. You can place a mirror in front of your favorite ornament or anything that you find attractive in your house so that you can also see it reflected in the mirror. A tip for choosing a mirror is taking into account the color of your walls. Try to contrast colors, for instance if your wall is painted in a light color, go for a mirror with a dark frame and viceversa. You also want to keep in mind that size matters! Make sure the mirror you hang on the wall isn’t bigger than the furniture it has below.

Remember that mirrors also serve as decoration and a way to use them to enhance your house is to get several tiny mirrors, especially the kind with creative frames, and group them together on a wall to get a unique look. Always remember that mirrors do more than just enabling you to know how you look. They can definitely be used as decoration for the home or any other place, as you can appreciate in this picture. Next time you go mirror shopping, remember to choose the one that not only helps you look good, but also makes your house look good!

Decorating with mirrors is fun and one of the top advantages is that your home will have its unique touch, after all not everyone is as creative as you are!

Chandeliers have played an important role in transforming a place from looking drab to looking fab! What was earlier just chosen at random has now become a thing of fashion. A chandelier is given utmost importance while beginning to do the interiors. It has been seen that sometimes people have done up the interiors of the house after choosing the chandelier of their choice.

A variety of chandeliers have come into the market in the last few decades that have transformed the whole idea of lighting in houses. A wide range of chandeliers both contemporary and conventional have come into the markets that have been made with extreme delicacy of craftsmanship. These also include shiny and elaborate crystal chandeliers and delicate and sleek modern lights that are not as out there.
Choosing a chandelier that matches your home will not only make your home look customized to your taste and choice but also make the home look well in sync with each element. Matching the decor with your chandelier becomes important especially when you are choosing a look that is extreme. For instance, if you are choosing a look that is edgy, clean and sharp then going in for something that is very elaborate will make the chandelier look out of place, on the other hand if you choose the same chandelier for a room that is traditional and laden with things that speak of conservative comfortable surroundings the same elaborate perhaps crystal chandelier will fit right in.

Whether I was consciously aware of it or not, I learned early on that being surrounded by things that make you feel good can help you survive in any situation. The older I get and the more life’s challenges are thrown at me, it serves as my motto. Being an interior decorator in my heart and also as a side profession, I find myself always trying to make a nest no matter where I land. My husband and I have moved a number of times and while there have been some really cool settings that we’ve lived in just by virtue of the home itself, there’s been other times when it only became a true home and respite by means of what we did with it.

I think this is a very important quality to develop because with the economy the way it is and especially in certain localities where the cost of housing is almost over the top, we don’t always get to choose our dream house. In fact, most times, not! But, with some creative imagination one can transform their living space into one which makes them just crave to walk through the front door, even if the outside does not have the idyllic setting found in a Universal Studios neighborhood set. Choosing items in colors that fill us with warmth and good memories along with pretty colors of paint can truly take us from ick to ahhhh. After all, isn’t home suppose to be where the heart is? So, put your heart into wherever you live, even if it’s a rented room in someone else’s house. Make it your special space where you can feel safe and recharge your spirit.

In one of my earlier articles entitled, Bohemian Baby, I mentioned that I’ve always thought outside the box… and I have not just been this way when it comes to decorating my own home. When I have done work for a client or even a personal friend, I always step outside the norm when it comes to creating an inviting space. Currently, we live in a rather large space which provides me with endless opportunities to create little vignettes, which in a subtle way invites a person to sit down, read a magazine or have a cup of coffee and just feel ’embraced’. Since we live in a Anaheim, a very old city in Orange County, we are surrounded by some really interesting and historic houses. They are not all buffed out in true decorator style, many have been left rather ramshackle, but they still have a lot of character. So, every time I see one which is in the latter condition, I think to myself, ‘how could I simply but remarkably turn this into a place where the resident just loves coming home?’ People often think you have to put a boatload of money into your house. Not true. So many things can be made attractive by colorful paint, inexpensive flooring and replacing a few fixtures and lighting. Play off what’s there, bring out the best and don’t let size, non-ownership or lack of wealth stop you from making your space special in some way.

I recently was commissioned to re-style a small commercial bathroom in a building which contained a non-working urinal and had been used strictly as a “men’s bathroom”. The unsightly fixture obviously worked at one time, but was not worth repairing as it was just one of a number of bathrooms in the building and was not really needed. The building had been cosmetically enhanced and they wanted to make the little bathroom one that customers could enjoy using. So, after a major cleaning of everything, two colors of paint were chosen and a quick trip to one of my favorite thrift store venues to find some eclectic items for the wow factor. I knew the client was wanting to keep the cost minimal so thrift stores were an excellent option especially here in Southern California. The choices of decorating items I find are endless and frankly there are some real smokin’ deals if you have a good eye.

So, creating an ambient atmosphere does not end with just the homeowner or renter. It includes commercial retail settings also. Remember, if a customer feels comfortable and ‘at home’ in a store, they will linger, perhaps finding more to purchase. Your ‘feel good’ barometer may not include geranium pots on the windowsill, but let it serve as a metaphor. Do not let economics and location stifle your ability to feel good wherever you are, whether it be in your own personal living setting or even a work office. Life as we know, does not always treat us fairly and go the way in which we hope, but we can nurture our spirit and our heart by finding whatever serves as our ‘geraniums on the windowsill’.

The best little house in the whole town

The complete transformation of your house requires that you pay scrupulous attention to each and every corner of your residential premises.

First step: clean out unwanted things

The primary step in commencing with the makeover is that you clean out your home of everything that is no longer needed. Look for any old tables that do not match your furniture, any lamps that have no purpose to serve and discard all those random pieces of furniture that you have no idea why you bought.

Begin with the bedroom

Your bedroom is the first place that you have to give a makeover to. Since this is the place that should provide you with utmost comfort and relaxation, you need to bring in the right kind of bedroom sets that are a sight to look at while being comfortable.

The complacent living room

Since this is the place where you spend most of your time, make sure that you make it the most comfortable too. Add a lot of seating space to cater to your whole family or to accommodate any guests or friends. You may add comfortable and stylish recliners, or elaborate sofa sets to add luxury to your living room. The addition of an entertainment center will add to the beauty of this room and provide for entertainment aptly.

Set up a home theater system

Having your very own home theater system will make your home the favorite place to hang out with all your friends. Add the finest home theater seats to give comfort a whole new meaning. Enjoy your favorite movies with friends and family within the warm comfort of your home.

The grand dining area

This is where the family discusses its most important agendas. So make sure that you have ample space to accommodate all the family members or any guests that come to visit. Also, make sure that the place is well lit to provide for maximum culinary indulgence.

As far as bedding, there are lots of choices and styles available, and almost every color can go with hot pink if it’s done well. For example, since this color is so bright, it works well with calmer or less bright colors. Picture a room that is mostly white, or a neutral color like beige, with a bright pink comforter set and shams. Very pale colors, like pastel pink, or other pastels can work too. Bright shades like hot pink can predominate the room, or add a little drama. Teal and light teal look great with hot pink, and black, white, and grey look fabulous. And how about lime green? There are so many colors that will work with this that there’a a lot of room for creativity.

Hot pink is popular for a girls’ room, and there are many bedding sets designed with this color. Common themes these days are geometrics, animal prints, florals, and themes, like hearts or peace signs. Girls traditionally love pink. In today’s market, it’s available in lots of variations in bedding sets, with a myriad of colors and themes. Little girls still love princesses and fairies, but bigger girls tend to like colors that pop, like neon purple, bright yellow and green, and of course, hot pink. Polka dots, zebra stripes, peace signs, flowers, hearts, leopard spots… even owls and monkeys can be found in this color on girls’ comforter sets.

A good way to start decorating a bedroom with this color is to start with the bedding and go from there. Choose a bed set you like, and there are lots available featuring hot pink, and then see what you like with it. What other colors are on the bedding? Do you want to choose one or a few for wall colors? You can do most of the walls in lighter shade of a contrast color (found on the comforter), and have one darker wall, or paint the walls white, neutral, or any shade from the bed set.

You can look online for color inspiration, or even go to Home Depot, Lowe’s, or your local paint store and get (free) paint chips that have different color combinations on them. If it has pinks like your bedding set, and you like the other colors they’ve suggested, you’ve got your colors.

Several centuries ago these floors were used by stone masons, but never used terrazzo for countertops. Only recently this material was used in countertop design. Terrazzo countertops and floors are not much different on how both are designed and made. These countertops are getting more and more popular in houses, apartments, and business buildings due to their versatile nature.

Terrazzo countertops can be beneficial to you as a homeowner. The idea of owning these types of floors was built on being “green”. The idea of terrazzo countertops are now the same. When the stone masons came up with terrazzo flooring hundreds of years ago, the idea was made to recycle materials. Back then the rich would want their floors to be made from marble and also from statue and furniture pieces. Later down the road they got the idea to add goats milk to the concrete mix to give it shine. The same idea is now being used with countertops. These are one of the most environmental-friendly additions you could add to your home. This is because they are made with recycled pieces of glass and marble.

Terrazzo countertops are heat resistant. Normally when someone moves into a new home, it is very important to them that their kitchen has counters that do not maintain or conduct heat. Marble and tile have the tendency to maintain heat for a period of time. However, these countertops do not maintain any heat. The countertops do not burn, scorch, or darken when there is an extremely hot object directly on its surface.

Another good thing about these countertops is that they are resistant to scratches. All kitchens desperately need this feature. Granite and marble can be very easy to scratch, but with much more concrete and glass, terrazzo can withstand whole lot more use. Dropping cooking utensils, sliding pans or pots across the surface will not leave any scratches. On rare occasions when you do get a scratch on your countertop you can easily buff out. Most scratches buff out with a chamois.

Almost every time we cook, clean or are just in the kitchen, we spill something. Sometimes we may not see the thing we have spilled. In a short period of time it becomes a stain, but that is not the case with terrazzo countertops. As long as you seal all the countertops monthly, you can maintain their resistance to staining.

Whether or not underfloor heating is right for you depends on a number of factors and in this article we list the pros and cons of underfloor heating so that you can make an informed decision.

Pros

1. No more unsightly radiators and of course the extra space you get from not having them.
2. Unlike radiators the maintenance costs are virtually not existent.
3. On a cold morning a warm floor on your bare feet feels amazing.
4. Water left on a bathroom or kitchen floor will evaporate much faster.
5. Most people aren’t aware that underfloor heating can actually be used with almost any type of flooring including: stone, hardwood, carpet, etc.
6. Your heating bill will be reduced around 25%.

Cons

1. Traditional radiators cover a smaller area and as such often heat up faster.
2. Certain furniture such as pianos does not fare well on a heated floor – the list is fairly short but it’s worth checking beforehand.
3. If you aren’t in the process of renovating or a new build then the cost of pulling up the floor and putting it back to allow installation can be prohibitive.
4. You need to use an expert to install it, for the same reason as point 3, if there are any issues it is difficult and costly to fix.

Electric underfloor heating systems are significantly cheaper than the water alternative when it comes to installation. However, when comparing cost for cost you have to factor in the higher energy bill that comes with electrical.

If you are looking to retro fit underfloor heating to an existing property then you need to be aware that the easiest way to achieve this is to lay the pipes/cable on top of the existing flooring and then cover this with another layer of flooring. This obviously causes the floor level to rise and means that skirting boards and doors will also have to be raised.

Undoubtedly the trend for making our homes more energy efficient will continue both for environmental reasons and to reduce costs for the consumer. Demand will continue to increase and this will lead to further technological developments. If the cost is the prohibiting factor for you today, then waiting 5 years or so may make all the difference.