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
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.
9 Tips To Create A Home Office You’ll Actually Want To Work In
When I saw the title to this post we were being asked to share with our readers I thought ‘Wow, great timing, I could use a bit of inspiration in my own home office right about now!”
Home offices can be a blessing and a curse. You get to work at home, avoid a stressful commute and really work in a space that you make your own.
At the same time, I think that if you don’t have a space that you enjoy working in, it can make you unproductive or leave you unmotivated.
So, if you are looking for some home office design ideas to make your office a dream to work in, take a look at some of my easy and fun tips to achieve a home office you will actually look forward to working in.
1. Use a Theme
I know what you might be thinking, that themes are tacky are won’t work for a home office. But let me just tell you, it’s not true. Themes can work well for an office space and give you easy design rules to follow for a beautifully put together space.
One of my personal favorite themes to use is a coastal theme. This one works particularly well in a home office because it focuses on lots of white furniture, lots of light and wooden accents.
2. Decorate functionally
I know that looking at Pinterest is good for inspiration but don’t forget that the room needs to be workable as well.
Of course you can still choose a well-designed space but don’t forget to include practical items like a filing cabinet or lots of desk space.
3. Embrace natural light
I think we all know that no-one wants to work in a dark and depressing space so make sure you are making the most of the natural light that you have in the room. Use white curtains or blinds to let the light through. If you want to, you could get rid of the curtains completely to make sure that you get as much light in the room as possible.
I know that this might not be possible for everyone, and if your home office is lacking in natural or direct sunlight, you can achieve a similar effect if you add lamps to your home office. It’s not quite the same as the real thing, but goes a long way to helping you create a bright and airy home office.
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4. Add comfortable elements
Adding a lounge chair or armchair can be a great way to relax when you need to read over some papers or simply just want a break from your desk.This is particularly important because it means that when you want to sit somewhere comfortable you don’t need to leave your office and you remain in work mode.
5. Optimize Storage
When it comes to storage you need to really make the most of the space you have with an organized and efficient storage system. Make sure that you have a place for everything and that everything goes back into its place.
Before you take on this task I would recommend making sure you have all the files, boxes and storage items you need to efficiently organize your office.
6. Green Touches
This is one of my favorite tips, as not only does adding plants improve the air quality of the room, it also gives the room a fresher and more alive feeling.
If you want to keep your home office closed on the weekends, keep in mind that you need to choose plants that don’t need watering all the time.
7. Personalize
I love to personalize my house with photos of friends and family, and a home office should be no exception. Use photos and mementos of friends, family and good times to personalize your office space and add a familiar touch.
Don’t forget to rotate them so they don’t get too boring and familiar.
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8. Keep it clutter free
This might seem like one of the most obvious tips for creating a home office that you actually want to work in, but I think it’s one of the most important.
Keeping it organized and tidy can really help you work better but also keeps your motivated to work there, no one wants to work in a messy office.
9. Stock up
This one is an easy one to follow but makes all the difference. Making sure you have all the things when you need makes sure that you are efficient use of your time and you aren’t having to run out to the store all the time.
This also has the added advantage of being able to make use of bulk discounts, ultimately saving you money which is never a bad thing!
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So there you have it, some easy tips to make the most of your home office space. If you are looking for ways to create a home office that you actually want to work in, give one of these ideas a go and I promise you will be loving your home office in no time.
Hannah Hutchinson
Being passionate about beautiful interiors and architecture, I also have recently begun to write and contribute to this knowledge ecosystem. I strongly believe that the place we create around us has a strong influence on our personal well-being. Follow me for my inspirations and musings at @hannahhutch5 and Pinterest.
Tips to Optimize Your Office Space
Below is a guest post on the subject of how to optimize your office space to enhance productivity and the overall feeling in the office for employees. Choices and flexibility are two key words to keep in mind. Gone are the days of endless closed off cubicles and poor lighting. Spaces designed to encourage collaboration and social interaction are important elements to include. More and more time is spent at work and the environment needs to support this reality.
Design tips to keep workers engaged and get the most out of your office space
The office space is one of the most important parts of your workplace, designing it correctly is instrumental to maximizing productivity and ensures your staff is happy. The better the environment for your staff the higher the rate of loyalty and the less likely there will be any issues regarding staff turnover. The following design tips will ensure your employees are well motivated and fully engaged:
Wiring
The first step to a productive office is to get the wires out of sight. Wires everywhere can make a room look cluttered and this can be distracting when you are trying to focus on a job in hand. There are also risks concerning trips and spills when cables are left exposed. There are many desks designed with specific areas to hide cables in or electrical trunking can be used.
Outdoors
The outside can be brought inside by adding a few plants and reclaimed wood walls or even artworks. These items will help to make the office feel more natural and user friendly as opposed to a work station. This has been shown to improve productivity and your employees will be a lot happier and satisfied.
Workspace
Offices are changing; there are no longer dedicated seats and computers. The portable computer has made it possible for anyone to work anywhere. This has led to offices which have benches and seating areas which can be used for working at, taking breaks or even multimedia presentations.
Flexible working arrangements and height adjustable desks are encouraging staff to make the most of their space, it can also ensure that people do not feel chained to a desk or seating position; they say change is as good as a rest!
Lounges
It is important to take regular breaks and relax in order to get the most out of your time at your workstation. To encourage this it is essential to have a place where people can relax, or talk business in a more informal atmosphere. This can make it a more enjoyable working experience.
Custom furniture
Customized furniture pieces make offices seem look original and modern. If your company loves a nicely-decorated open-space work environment, then you should invest in glass tables to welcome more light and add fluidity into the office. Glass is sleek type of material that comes in a wealth of types and models. Use it for coffee table as well, chairs, or desks, and your employees will become extremely fond of your unique sense of style.
Having a place to escape to can be essential to allow all staff the opportunity to distress and refocus their thoughts. It can also be an excellent spot for brainstorming as a more relaxed atmosphere can free the mind to make the most of the options available.
Color
Color is an essential way of both stimulating and soothing your employees. Pale colors have been associated with soothing, relaxing atmospheres whilst brighter, bolder colors are stimulating. You do not need to completely repaint the walls! Colors can be introduced through chairs and office accessories to give the office a funky, trendy feel. It has been suggested that the brighter the intensity of the color the more effect it will have on your employees, whether it is designed to stimulate or sooth.
Community tables
The community table gives all employees the chance to collaborate on ideas and to share work as well as providing a break from their regular working area. It will encourage team work in the workplace and a feeling of satisfaction which will encourage both productivity and loyalty.
Textures
Using different textures in the workplace can create a more comfortable, homely feel. This will help people to feel comfortable at work whilst they are stimulated and can even feel that they have a personal space; a home from home.
Offices are no longer set up and contained. Every item of furniture can be seen to have a variety of different uses and this can help to create a fun, exciting workplace for all employees. The more stimulating the workplace is the easier it is for people to feel productive and be willing to collaborate on projects.
By Charles Goodwin and TomFaulkner.co.uk!
Interior design trends 2016: Use of natural materials and tones
Below is a well written article on what is trending for interior design in 2016 (at least so far). S Interior Design is thrilled to know that natural, organic design materials are popular since we have always incorporated those design elements in our design work whenever it made design sense for the individual client we were working with. Interestingly the push to gold and brass metal finishes is still being high lighted. We have found that most of our clientele are not open to incorporating these finishes in their homes.
Every year sees a new set of trends; the colors and materials of last year are now history and it is time to make way for the interior design trends of 2016:
Materials
Copper was the metal of 2015 but the enthusiasm for this is now waning. Interior design will now favor a more opulent approach, gold, brass and precious stones; particularly those with a blue hue will be in demand. The main reason behind this is the warming effect that gold and brass can have on any space; as well as adding a touch of affluence. These materials can be introduced as accessories, gold trays, edged mirrors and even a brass light fitting. To some extent the gold and precious metals themes can be seen as a throwback to the seventies, opulence, decadence and over-indulgence were key and will be displayed in houses again over the coming year.
In addition it will be essential to have more natural materials, such as hand crafted pieces, these will generally be items which are made locally and show that you support both the environment and your local community. They will also be excellent conversation starters. Other materials to be brought into your home are plants. The theme of bringing the outdoors inside was present in 2015 and will continue to be in 2016.
Color
The general consensus for 2016 is to utilize dusty pinks with natural colors. Every room should be limited to beige, tan and other natural colors. Wood finish could even make a comeback with a variety of wooden floors and ornamental pieces being hand crafted from wood. This would be a great way of combining both materials and color to create an artistic flare.
Marble and other natural finishes should also add to the color palette of any room; it provides a simple, understated and elegant look. The emphasis will be on bringing natural elements into your home. An alternative to this is to embrace the Bohemian look, bold floral cushions and rugs can mix with tribal images and painted furniture to create a vibrant, colorful and cheerful atmosphere.
Textures and Patterns
Geometric designs, including 3D, stripes and even blocks will be a very strong influence in the coming year. The emphasis will be on a textured design which is symmetrical and inviting. It should be possible to lose yourself in a back-splash or rug as you become immersed in the design and style. There will even be room for floral displays and themed rooms, such as a jungle collection where everything feels like it is coming to life. Splashes of color will offer balance against neutral and simplistic furniture pieces.
All eyes on handmade furniture
Individuality is fundamental this season when it comes to home furniture. Exquisite personal customization and handmade pieces have gotten a lot of attention lately. Custom furniture looks exclusive; it is made of top-quality materials and it is crafted after the personal preferences of the buyer. Glass coffee tables with hidden compartments, bespoke nightstands with different purposes and foldable beds to make space are just some pieces you should look after this season. In terms of material, hardwood still rules the market. The pieces are long-lasting; they’re attentively crafted and timeless which means they fit in every type of décor.
Design of the room
The advancement of social media has thrust perfectly presented rooms into the hands of millions of people around the world. This has meant an increase in people wanting the showroom feel. This will be achieved by simple lines and minimal clutter. Features and ornaments are likely to be clustered together to create a focal point and a talking point. There will also be an increase in natural products which reflects the increasing concern regarding the environment. There will also be an increased focus on designing rooms which feel warm and inviting. A simply designed room with a homely space for gathering can be finished to perfection with a mild pastel wall and a touch of the luxury in simple gold, brass or precious metal ornaments.
There is also likely to be an increase in the themed room, whether this is a black and white feel, an exotic beach paradise or a gamekeeper’s cottage. These rooms will be complemented by the use of recycled materials and create a small taste of paradise for the owner.
By Alfred Stallion and TomFaulkner.co.uk!