BELOW IS AN INFO-GRAPHIC THAT COVERS SOME BASIC IMPORTANT DESIGN AND DECOR IDEAS IN AN EASY TO READ FORMAT. COURTESY OF https://www.choicefurnituresuperstore.co.uk
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BASIC DESIGN AND DECOR TIPS
Modernize the Look of Your Home with Stainless Steel Balustrades
Below is a guest post from a writer in Australia about the wonderful ways a modern stair rail that incorporates stainless steel can update your home.
How to Modernize the Look of Your Home with Stainless Steel Balustrades
If you’d like to give your home a makeover but can’t afford to make too many alterations now, you’ll be surprised at the difference stainless steel balustrades can make! It can easily modernize the look of your home and make it look attractive and fresh. These also give your home a more elegant, modern twist, while carrying with them benefits such as versatility and durability. Installing these balustrades is simple, and you may choose to get the job done yourself if you’re a DIY enthusiast, or call in a professional.
IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO DO IT YOURSELF
If you haven’t installed a balustrade before, opt for a stainless steel handrail kit that usually includes detailed instructions on how to get the job done. Some suppliers also include technical support over call and videos so that you don’t have any trouble with the installation. Make sure that the balustrades are made from marine grade stainless steel so that you get the durability and finish that you expect.
GETTING PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE
Before getting professional assistance with your stainless steel balustrades, plan your budget so that you know how much you’re willing to spend, and chart out a plan for what you want to accomplish. You may choose these balustrades for your stairway or balcony, so having a proper plan in mind can help to a great extent when the actual installation is underway.
CHOOSE YOUR DESIGN
Working with these needn’t be a mammoth task. Designs are usually simple and sleek to give your home a modern touch, and most often, stainless steel alone will suffice. If you’d like to add a bit of extra ‘oomph’ to your home, complement them with glass. This helps for proper use of natural light making your home look more fresh and airy. You may also choose to pair off your steel balustrades with a wooden top if you’re using it with a wooden staircase, or if you’d like a subtle blend of contemporary and classic in your home.
INSTALLATION OPTIONS
Stainless steel gives your home a more sophisticated look and can bring out the beauty of an open balcony or bespoke stairway. Since this material is hard, durable and doesn’t get corroded easily, you can use it indoors or outdoors without worrying about rust. Even an older home can get a contemporary touch when stainless steel balustrades are used for outdoor staircases, balconies, swimming pools and terraces.
MAINTAINING YOUR STAINLESS STEEL BALUSTRADES
While stainless steel balustrades can add a modern touch to your home just with their rich, posh appearance, regular maintenance is needed if it is to last long. Be sure to clean your balustrades regularly with a mild detergent and a soft sponge. Use a window cleaning solution and a soft clean cloth to get rid of grease marks or fingerprints. While your balustrades don’t need extensive maintenance, periodic care will help to look it as good as new.
In summary, switching over to stainless steel balustrades can help you save a lot of money right now and in the long run, while modernizing the look of your home. Since it can withstand extreme weather conditions, it can be bravely used outdoors without the stress of erosion or rusting, and with minimum maintenance. You may choose to install balustrades yourself if it’s a smaller project, or call in a professional. Always choose high quality, military grade steel so that your balustrades will stand the test of time and the environment, while making your home look classy and sophisticated.
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The 5th Wall- Ceiling Design Ideas
Below is a guest post on the subject of what can be done with ceiling design. Here in Arizona many of the homes have very high ceilings ranging from 12′ to 20′ or more. Sometimes the builder of the home has thought about the high ceiling height and added architectural details to make it more interesting. Other times the ceilings ares lacking any kind of design attention and can make a space seem empty. If you live in an older home here in Arizona, you may have the dreaded popcorn ceiling texture. It that is the case, the very best and the first thing to do is to have it removed and the ceiling re-textured and painted.
From simple ideas such as paint or wall covering options, to architectural beams and coffers, the options are vast. So look up…..is there something special you can do to your ceilings in your home?
Guest Post:
How to Make Your Ceiling More Luxurious
Never underestimate the importance of ceilings. They have a huge impact on the overall impression your home gives. It’s not just furniture, window treatments and wall decorations that individualize a particular room, but the right blend of colors, décors, interior design ideas, and lighting choices.
Are you under the impression that nobody looks up? Here’s where you are wrong. Even if you don’t intentionally raise your eyes to check out a ceiling, your glance embraces the whole environment the minute you step in a room. Boring plaster finishes with hardly any décor or personalized touches will probably make the entire room indifferent.
There are ways to make your ceilings luxurious. Let’s just start by saying that there are expensive and inexpensive ways for doing so, and so it will depend on your budget, how much you want to spend on a specific room, and whether there are reasons for completely transforming a particular ceiling or not.
by BGLiving
Evaluate the space first
First things first. Look up! What do you see? What’s the height of the room? What’s the current condition of the ceiling? Which room is that? In order to make the right decisions, take one step at a time.
Is your ceiling high or low? And what impression would you like to give?
High ceilinged rooms are considered luxurious because they are impressive on their own, but watch out. They can make the room cold and impersonal. In this case, you have two options: you should either use tricks to lower down the ceiling or take advantage of the height and just make it elegant.
by Zillow
If the ceiling is low, things are a lot harder. Low ceilinged rooms warm up faster and better in the winter and make your life easy when you simply want to change a light bulb. But if the space is not large or it is overcrowded with furniture, and there are no big window openings, it will be claustrophobic.
Are there damaged ceiling parts?
Roof leaks are often more than enough to have catastrophic effects on ceilings. So before you talk about remodeling your ceiling and make the fifth wall more luxurious, it’s imperative that you fix it. If you need to hire a pro to do some ceiling repairs, you might want to consider some extra labor work. This might be your chance to install a coffered ceiling.
Are you interested in improving the looks of your dining room, bathroom, living room, or hallway ceiling?
It’s actually up to you whether you want to spend money on transforming the ceiling of a private space (like your bathroom’s ceiling). If you ask any interior designer, they will tell you that it’s worth transforming any ceiling. And that’s true! The question is how much are you willing to spend? It will also depend on whether you want to change the looks of one room’s ceiling or all of them.
by Accenthaus
In the case of the latter, think smart. Choose inexpensive, but smart solutions for ceilings at private spaces and spend more to transform ceilings in the dining or living room.
How to make high ceilings look gorgeous
Whether you have a vaulted coffered ceiling or a plain, white one, as long as it is high you can do wonders by playing with colors.
Since the space already breathes from the height of the ceiling, you can use intense colors and install ceiling medallions in historical designs.
Use ceiling stencils. There are amazing patterns on the market. You can either decorate the entire ceiling or parts of it. Depending on the design you choose, you can leave the ceiling white or paint it dark red or blue.
by SWZ Architects LLC
If you select dark colors, you bring the ceiling down. So, if you want to give the effect of a lower ceiling, choose dark shades and dare to go for a black ceiling too. Black is back and gorgeous. It will make a greater impression if you install white crown molding. It will bring out the elegance of the black color.
You can also lower the ceiling by using complex patterns in intense colors. Go for coffered ceilings with particular designs. The more colorful the better!
Get inspired by Italian frescoes. If you can afford a modern “Michelangelo” to do some art work on your ceiling even better. It can’t get better than “The Creation of Adam”!
If you have the money to install wood panels, go for it. But make sure the rest of the room’s setting is simple-white-chic. By keeping décors in neutral colors, you bring out the character of wooden ceilings and won’t make the room heavy.
How to give the impression of high ceilings
Low ceilings are practical and make rooms cosy. And yes, they can be extremely elegant, too. Here are some interior design ideas:
by Elad Gonen
How about dressing the ceiling with wallpaper? Just avoid intense colors and complex patterns. Wallpapers on ceilings are an excellent idea for bedrooms. White plaster ceilings look more exotic with some woodwork done on the top.
Use slim stenciled patterns. Make a difference by investing in golden or silver colors. Give an elegant and original impression by petite flowers and green leaves at the edge part of the ceiling and all around the crown molding.
The truth is that most people are not happy with what they have. If we have high ceilings, we struggle to lower them down. If we have low ceilings, we do our best to increase their height. Since you cannot rebuild the house, here are a couple of things you can do to make the ceiling look higher.
Paint the ceiling in high or semi-gloss neutral color. Glossy light shades will deceive your eye in believing that the room is higher.
by Pepe Calderin Design
You can also remove the plaster and expose the initial ceiling structure. This will literally give you a few more inches of space. Avoid installing coffered drop ceilings. Crown moldings will look lovely, but avoid oversized ones.
In your effort to make your ceiling look higher, you will discover that you can change many things in the room apart from repainting the ceiling. Here are the best tricks:
Use striped wallpapers or paint the wall in stripes. Vertical stripes make us look thinner and taller. They have the same impression on our homes, too.
Avoid tall furniture. Keep everything in average size so that items won’t suffocate the room. It’s best to have floor to ceiling bookcases and fill all shelves with books and displays up to the last one at the top.
by Webb & Brown-Neaves
Put framed pictures all the way up to the ceiling and even over door casings. They give the impression that the ceiling is high. Avoid pendant lights and chandeliers.
Paint a diagonal wall stripe to give the impression that there is a staircase going up. It will create the illusion that there is more spaceand give a movement feeling to the space.
If you are interested in installing wainscoting, prefer vertical beadboards that will give the same impression striped walls do. Hang drapes as high as possible and let them touch the floor. Install 1/3 sized wainscots and keep the upper wall side the same color as the ceiling. If you want to add color, paint the beadboard.
by Jeremy Kohm Photography
Go wild with unique ceilings
Not all ceilings are flat. Some are cathedral, some are curved and some are octagonal. You can use thick stripes, intense colors, and Asian inspired stencils or go for more sophisticated solutions like designs imitating Italian art and the Renaissance period.
The truth is that the higher the ceiling is the more things you can do to decorate it. The kitchen and dining room will simply look lovely if is painted blue and complemented by wood boards. Pendant lights definitely give a dramatic effect as they travel all the way down from a vaulted wood ceiling. So, do explore your choices.
by K2 Design
A few tips to get you started
All types and sizes of ceilings can become luxurious. It’s good for you to remember that. The most important thing is to identify the pros and cons of your ceilings, use your imagination, cross check what’s available, and don’t forget to check your bank account before you start planning. So, these are some last tips to get you started:
Spent time thinking of colors. They make the greatest difference. The right shades will add glamour; the wrong ones will be disastrous.
Pay enormous attention to lighting. If you like chandeliers but the ceiling is low, hang one at one corner and over a small table or chair.
Remember that your ceiling becomes more elegant with hidden lighting all around the trim.
by Drewett Works
Don’t forget that ceilings do not stand alone. They are part of the room. The most gorgeous ceiling in the world will lose its appeal if the rest of the room is messy, overcrowded and too colorful.
Use different architectural ideas in each room. After all, all endeavors aim at improving the looks of the entire space and not just the ceiling. Every room serves a purpose and must have a unique character. So, play with variations. Use contrasting colors in the dining room but smooth transitions from wall to ceiling for the bedroom.
Our ultimate advice? Let your imagination travel, stick to your personal tastes and enjoy every minute of it!
URLs to resources used in article
inexpensive ways
http://www.houzz.com/inexpensive-ceiling-ideas
install a coffered ceiling
transform ceilings in the dining or living room
coffered ceilings with particular designs
White plaster ceilings
installing wainscoting
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/wainscoting-designs
Pendant lights definitely give a dramatic effect
http://www.houzz.com/high-ceiling-pendant-lights
enormous attention to lighting
http://www.ofdesign.net/interior-design/33-ideas-for-ceiling-lighting-and-indirect-effects-of-led-lighting-beautiful-3102
different architectural ideas
http://freshome.com/ceiling-design-ideas/
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Livable Garage Space
Below is a guest post on the subject of converting your garage into livable space to then rent out as a source of income. Maybe a good idea , maybe not….but even if you don’t want or need to do a conversion of the garage to lease out, you may still want to use it as additional living space for yourself. Perhaps a teen hang out space? Or a men’s den?
While it is not as easy to do as simply putting down an area rug and adding a sofa, it can be done much more easily than building an add on structure from the ground up.
Converting Garage Into a Living Space
Cities all around the country are experiencing tremendous growth in real estate and asset prices, and people are looking for ways to cope (or cash in) on the recent spike in rent prices. If you are a homeowner who perhaps is recently out of work, or just are looking for another stream of income, then perhaps you should consider converting your garage into a living space.
Perhaps your child has just graduated college and is having trouble finding work. While their old bedroom has been demolished and rebuilt into your new library, the garage is still a viable spot for them to live, with a quick renovation. San Francisco, New York, and other cities in the United States are seeing astronomical rent prices, so there’s a chance that your new rental space could be quite a cash cow, even if it is just a spruced up garage. here are several reasons to consider renovating your garage into a living space. There are several aspects to consider, which we have outlined below.
Remodeling Essentials
When you are remodeling your garage into a living space, there are several key considerations to keep in mind. If the garage is attached to the house, then you will need to think about how the renter will be able to access this space. Will they be passing through the main house to access the space? A detached garage will require more insulation, as it is a separate structure from the main dwelling. Many people are renting out these spaces as “mother in law” units, especially in college towns where students are looking for a cheap place to sleep.
Insulation and Temperature Control
Windows and doors are where the vast majority of heat is lost from a structure, so your first priority is ensuring that these areas are insulated with high quality materials. Insulated windows and doors can do an incredible job on cutting heating and cooling bills, and they are definitely worth the investment. Since a garage door is much larger than a standard door, insulating this door is especially important for temperature control.
Living spaces likely require more privacy than the typical garage, so be sure to install blinds and curtain rods. Likewise, you will want to make sure that the door used to access the room has a lock and is working smoothly. If the floor is concrete, then it can be dreadfully cold in the winter. Installing snap-in wooden flooring is a relatively cheap way to make the space more attractive and livable.
Interior design Considerations
Garages are small, so you should focus on creating utilitarian shelving and storage spaces that allow people to organize their things and avoid clutter. Installing a wooden or vinyl flooring will ensure that the floor is more comfortable and cohesive.
Pay attention to the lighting in the room. A nice floor and new blinds won’t make up for a single lightbulb dangling bare from the ceiling, attached with a bright orange extension cord. Even a cheap overhead lighting fixture coupled with a lamp or two can make a space look much more cozy. Christmas lights are popular lighting choices for students, and they’re quite affordable to boot.
Shelving and modular furniture can be very useful for using a garage as a living space. A futon is another student staple, and the ability to use it as a couch and a bed makes it very attractive for someone living on a small budget. Tables with integrated cabinets and storage can meet a variety of needs in one piece, allowing you to save space and maximize usefulness to the user.
Natural wood materials are very on-trend and also match the rustic charm of converting a garage into a living space. Consider drying a tree stump and using it as an end table. Raw wooden planks can also be painted with bold colors for a more edgy look. No matter what decorative palette you use, it will be a hit as long as the space is inviting and functional. Following these tips will help you renovate your garage a desirable and attractive living space. Renters will be flocking to rent out your space, and your wallet will be much heavier.
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Kitchen Remodel-Big Investment, Big Pay Off
Below is an article published by Pulte Homes on the subject of 5 Kitchen Design Trends that home buyers are interested in. The article shares some great ideas to think about if you are planning a kitchen remodel. S Interior Design likes that their design is not only focused on the look, but also the functionality aspects. Your kitchen is the most functional area in your home and if it doesn’t work well, it doesn’t matter how beautiful it looks.
Kitchen Design Trends that Improves a Kitchen’s Beauty and Functionality
A kitchen is the heartbeat of a home so it’s no wonder that the kitchen is the number one consideration in choosing their next home.
Pulte Group’s Interior Designs Team will merchandise about 425 homes in 2016 and the models they decorate reflect the hottest design trends and interior innovations.
“Today’s home buyers are willing to spend more in the kitchen – from energy-efficient appliances to quartz countertops,” says Janice Jones, PulteGroup’s national vice president of interior design, which effectively acts as one of the largest design shops in the nation with 33 design professionals. “We continuously conduct consumer focus groups to best understand what they want in their kitchens and are constantly refining our kitchen designs and its elements to ensure it delivers on functionality, creative design and easy maintenance across all our buyer groups.”
Jones says that in 2016, five kitchen trends are emerging as must-haves when consumers are planning a kitchen renovation project or if they are looking for some easy kitchen updates. These design trends can already be seen today in new Pulte homes being built throughout the country.
The “Wow” Factor: Bold and oversized lighting choices add drama to the completed space. Decorative lighting is key in the kitchen and adds dramatic flair as well as functionality to the kitchen, especially over the kitchen island.
Transparency: Consumers love to personalize a space. By switching out some cabinet doors with glass doors, you extend visual boundaries while displaying “a few of my favorite things.”
Bridging the Gap: Consumers say you can never have enough storage, especially in the kitchen. Double stacked cabinets extend to the ceiling, which maximize storage space for those special occasion items.
More drawers, less doors: The functionality of drawers outweighs doors. These designs are emphasized through the use of bold hardware.
Mixed marbles and metals highlight gray wood tones. Materials are being mixed, colors contrasted, and styles interchanged to create a unique and personalized point of view.
To see more kitchen designs, visit www.pulte.com.
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