Recession blues: How to save money on home decorating

10 Comments »

It seems that the much feared recession woes are hitting every industry and the best advice that most finance experts are giving today is to save what you have. But if you have just started thinking about decorating your home or office, does it mean that you put the plans away for several months now? Obviously not, as there are plenty of ways to redo your home without spending loads of cash on it. Here’s how …

save money Recession blues: How to save money on home decorating

#1 Pick a theme for your home and stick to it strictly

Planning is the most important part of saving money when decorating and the entire process starts in the mind. Pick a theme for your home and this will streamline the stuff that you need to purchase and will give you a clear idea about what exactly you need. Some themes are obviously better than others when it comes to saving cash. A minimalist theme is the most preferred when it comes to saving costs while a grand Victorian style is not really advisable.

#2 Love your décor and buy only the necessary stuff

If you are bringing home a piece of furniture and accessory, make sure that you really love it and will not be tempted to change it within no time. Make sure you stay away from the temptations that salesmen throw at you. It happens so many times that we go shopping and plan to buy one thing but we bring home another.

#3 Research extensively and shop online if needed

Before you buy something, make an extensive research  where it’s available at the lowest cost. Don’t forget to inquire about the shipping charges. The web is a good way to get started as most sites offer some real cool deals and ship stuff for free to your doorstep. Of course, make sure the dealer is reputable and you’re not being cheating with a cheap fake.

#4 Use DIY solutions to save money on decoration

Look up all around and you will find various solutions to your needs. All you need is a bit of creativity, time and patience to transform something useless into something unique that you could use. It might take time, but it will save you loads of cash, give you great satisfaction and reduces the trash that you need to get rid off. You can craft doormats out of old garments or make your own shelves out of plastic waste. Just let your imagination fly!

#5 Sell the old décor to generate money for the new

If you have old stuff lying around and it’s unlikely you will ever use them again, then sell it and buy new décor with that cash. Sure, it may not cover much, but whatever you earn with the sale will reduce your decorating costs.

The most important thing to do is to have a perfect proper plan before you get started so that you do not get confused in the middle of it all and end up wasting money and time. Saving costs with home decorating requires patience and an eye for the smart deals…

So keep those eyes open!

Get your Daily Dose of Interior Design Inspiration by Subscribing to our Newsletter via RSS or E-mail

Published by Alex Ion 05 Mar 2009 in Tips & Tricks

Carpet Clues: How to bring home the right carpet

0 Comments »

Your home is much more than the four walls that surround you and most often people tend to ignore the fact that the ceiling above them and the floor under their feet need to compliment for the perfect look. But getting that flawless carpet for your home is not just about the looks but also to ensure that you keep the flooring secure as you pamper your senses. So here are a few tips that will guide you through the process of picking out and bringing home what you need.

black wool carpet Carpet Clues: How to bring home the right carpet

#1 Consider the space available and the usage

Like in the case of the furniture you pick, the single most important factor that you need to keep in mind is the space on offer and the traffic the carpet has to bear. For your living room, go for wool because it’s generally the highest quality material. You can choose cheaper for the walkway or patio. Just make sure you have the exact measurements of the room that you are buying the carpet for.

#2 Check for the twist in the yarn and the quality of the fabric

There are so many varieties of carpet fabric available today that you better do a good deal of homework and background check before you go out to pick one. It is a general accepted norm that the number of twists in the yarn gives you a fair indication of carpet quality. Buy quality …

white wool carpet Carpet Clues: How to bring home the right carpet

#3 Ensure that the color and design match your interiors

The color and the design of the carpet should match that of your existing interiors. If you have a minimalist style going then pick the neutral shades along with blacks and whites. Dark reds can go well with a romantic theme while light green is obviously the way to go if you love nature. If you wish to remain neutral and yet trendy, then try cool blues along with whites. Bright shades accentuate the lighting of the room and make it more intense.

#4 Check for stain, static and soil protection

Modern day carpets are nothing like the ones that were once sold. They used to need a great deal of maintenance and care. These days there are ‘magic’ carpets that have soil, static and stain protection. You might have to pay a lot initially, but once you do bring them home, you can say they’ll last longer with far less attention and time devoted. So spend your cash wisely for long term benefits.

fluffy wool carpet Carpet Clues: How to bring home the right carpet

#5 Get the right padding and go to a reliable dealer

The level of padding under the carpet is determined by the surface it is laid on and the amount of traffic that it needs to withstand. Get a professional to lay it down for you and ensure that you get extra padding. Get your carpet from the right dealer and check for warranty before you bring it home. This will save you hassles later on.

Remember that buying a carpet is a long term investment and you need to decide exactly how much money you are willing to spend on it and how long you will use one before you opt to change. Keep the above tips in mind and look out for some good deals and you will not be disappointed!

Get your Daily Dose of Interior Design Inspiration by Subscribing to our Newsletter via RSS or E-mail

Published by Alex Ion in Tips & Tricks

Dazzling delights: How to light up a room beautifully

7 Comments »

No matter which part of the room you are decorating and how you wish to improve the beauty of your home, you will always find decorators telling you that lighting makes or breaks the entire effort. Creating the perfect lighting conditions is the difference between an attractive home and dull interiors that are pale and lack any luster.

light room Dazzling delights: How to light up a room beautifullyImage Source : Pörrö

But lighting is far harder than just putting up bright lights in one of the corners of the room with even often experts struggling to create the perfect look. Here are some ways of lighting up your room beautifully, which will offer you a direction in your efforts to create a better space around.

#1 Mix direct lighting with plenty of ambient lighting

Many rooms use just one lighting source. This creates an uneven distribution of light as everything is concentrated in only one spot. It is a good idea to mix the standard lighting solutions with ambient light options to create a tranquil, laidback and soothing environment in the room. It will work great on majority of occasions.

modern light room Dazzling delights: How to light up a room beautifullyImage Shource : UNIJAK

#2 Utilize a simple combination of dim lights to eliminate dark corners

Shelves in the living room or decorative closets are perfect to be pimped with simple dim lights that can be switched on only when needed. Apart from adding to the beauty of the room, this also helps eliminate the ark corners that are formed from uneven lighting. Beautifully lit corners make any room look simply stunning.

#3 Use a mix of chandeliers and scones with simple table lamps

If the room is tall enough and grand enough to sport a giant scone or even a chandelier, then bring one in without any hesitation. But go a bit beyond. Have you considered using corner lights and table lamps that create a separate area that can be easily altered? It’s both a practical and sensuous solution to the lighting needs of the room.

retro light room Dazzling delights: How to light up a room beautifullyImage Source : jacqlennon

#4 Focal lighting to highlight the significance of a special collectible

If you have a rare art piece or even an expensive collectible that you would like to display proudly, give its own special spot in the room and highlight it appropriately. Of course, take good care of the effects of such lighting on particular pieces of art before you put it under the spotlight. Your exquisite painting could sensitive. That means you’ll need a more dim-lighted atmosphere.

#5 Use under-counter lighting with intensity-adjustable options

These lights can be used in rooms with counters, in kitchens or even in your bedroom. Because they create a more romantic atmosphere. Make sure that you can adjust the intensity of the lights as you desire and the room effect will be magical.

light room2 Dazzling delights: How to light up a room beautifullyImage Source : *JC*

Ensure that natural lighting merges well with artificial lighting

The best form of lighting one can use during the day is natural light. Hence, provide for options like skylights wherever possible and allow for maximum natural ventilation. And only try to merge this natural light with any artificial lighting options to create a wonderful and flowing look to the entire room.

Lighting is a matter of aesthetics at its very best and it takes plenty of time, effort and right approach to get it right. So, do not get disheartened if you do not get it right straight away as sometimes even the experts are challenged endlessly in an attempt to strike the perfect balance.

Get your Daily Dose of Interior Design Inspiration by Subscribing to our Newsletter via RSS or E-mail

Published by Alex Ion 02 Mar 2009 in Tips & Tricks

Shelving Knowledge: How to decorate your own home library

3 Comments »

A home library is not something for everyone, but if you do have an inclination towards books or even love collecting the rare ones, then this can really add immensely both to the look of your home and how people view you when they come for a visit. A home library talks about your personality, shouts about what kind of a person you are and it also ensures that those who walk in, leave with something added to their wisdom. It can make for a great topic of conversation and earn you some great new buddies.

home library Shelving Knowledge: How to decorate your own home library

Of course, a whole library at home looks hard to put together, but with these tips, you will find that it is not that hard as you thought.

#1 Pick the perfect room and devote the required space

The most significant aspect towards building a grand home library is to pick the right room. Obviously, preferable it should have a high ceiling along with space for racks and other accessories. You can of course, devote just a part of a certain room for this purpose, but an entire room that is totally dedicated makes it a lot more wonderful. Also make sure it’s large enough to accommodate your entire book collection and maybe the ones you are going to add in the future.

home library5 Shelving Knowledge: How to decorate your own home library

#2 Choose the type of shelves that you feel would be apt

You can either go for built-in shelves, racks that are made of wood, separate standings sshelves that occupy more space or the ones that hang from the ceiling. No matter which variety you pick ensure that they all go well with the furnishings you have in the room and are all crafted from wood. Wooden racks give your home library an authentic and original feel that cannot be achieved by other modern materials.

home library2 Shelving Knowledge: How to decorate your own home library

#3 Colors, shades and usage of materials

Dark and Victorian styled colors are often used in libraries to give them a more antique feeling. The same can be done for your home library. Once again the use of woodwork grained in darker textures helps a great deal in capturing this essence. This will go well with any collection or theme you chose. Such as the French, Spanish or Italian collection. The appeal for such interiors is almost universal.

home library3 Shelving Knowledge: How to decorate your own home library

#4 Accessorize with rugs, lamps, tables and chairs

Use tables and chairs inside your home library according to the space available and the comfort factor. You can get a bit unconventional and even go for a couch so that you feel more at home. A small television that is put in a closed cabin, a fine rug and an antique lamp will do wonders to the interiors. This though is a matter of individual choice and you can go the way you chose with accessories.

home library4 Shelving Knowledge: How to decorate your own home library

#5 Use lighting to add to your book collection

Use lighting smartly so that it brings the beauty out of your rare and specially bounded books while it hides those rugged looking old copies of the paperbacks. Your home library can be altered and changed by using lighting in various different patterns. The lighting must be most often soft, ambient and must reflect the studious mood inside.

Apart from all those, one can also add a dash of class with sculptures and plants which will bring life to the home library. Since the walls are already full, it will be such standing decorative that will bring added beauty to your home library. If you are willing to spend a tad bit extra, then you can create your very own favorite library in your own home.

Get your Daily Dose of Interior Design Inspiration by Subscribing to our Newsletter via RSS or E-mail

Published by Alex Ion in Tips & Tricks

Freeing Up Space: How to Get Rid of Clutter

3 Comments »

Decorating is a lot more than just getting all the fancy stuff from the nearest store and throwing them inside, without any sense of order or form. It is not about how much you can cramp into the given space, but is more like the way you do it to accentuate the beauty of the home with what’s available. Failing to understand this, one often tends to clutter their homes hoping that use of excess accessories will actually bring beauty to the room. On the contrary, it makes your home feel suffocating. Here are a few ways on how you can get rid of the mess and move towards gorgeous interiors.

cut the clutter room Freeing Up Space: How to Get Rid of ClutterImage Source : Cao Viet Cuong

#1 Stuff you no longer use in one way or another

If you are not using something since long and feel that you will not use it anytime in the future, then just throw it out ruthlessly. You can either have a yard sale for all such stuff or even give them away in charity to people who really need them. There is no point having that old chair you never use or that lonely table in a corner which made way for the brand new one.

#2 Do not buy anything that will be too large for your interiors

If you do not need it or if you feel that certain furniture will be too large for the dimensions of your home then do not buy it. The most important aspect of getting rid of clutter is making sure that you actually do not get more useless stuff into your home. Shop smartly and do not bring things home impulsively. If you do, then you will find that the interiors of your home always appear cluttered no matter how hard you try.

cut the clutter room2 Freeing Up Space: How to Get Rid of ClutterImage Source : jinkazamah

#3 Create a separate and well-defined storage space

There is stuff lying in our home that we use sparingly, but cannot afford to throw away (”I’ll use/need them at certain point”). This could be all the mess in your bedroom, kitchen and even in your living room. Instead of spreading them all over the home, create a separate storage space and put them in there. No one is going to check it out, so you can shove in. This will assure that the rest of your home feels more spacious.

#4 Decorate each room around a centerpiece

Each room needs to have a centerpiece which will ensure that there is order and method to the way you decorate stuff. The furnishings and accessories must be spaced evenly and need to be spread across the room rather than forced in a single corner. Uneven patches of free and cluttered space make a room look poorly decorated. Your centerpiece could be a fireplace, a TV in the living room or maybe your bed in the bedroom.

#5 Switch to smart furniture and modern shelve spaces

Switching to multi-purpose furniture is a way to save on space immensely and this gives a larger look to your interiors. There are many such options available today which allow you to use a couch as a bed or a center table as dining space. You can also use the folding shelves such as the modern ones provided by IKEA in corridors to hide away the clutter.

cut the clutter room3 Freeing Up Space: How to Get Rid of ClutterImage Source : Enhancejoh

#6 Maximize the usage of storage space

By maximizing the available space – using the walls for storage by using hanging shelves for example, you can always create more walking space and avoid the feeling of being cramped in the room.

The key to getting rid of clutter is to ensure that you know exactly what you need and what you can do away with. When your mind is clear, then so will be your home!

Get your Daily Dose of Interior Design Inspiration by Subscribing to our Newsletter via RSS or E-mail

Published by Alex Ion 28 Feb 2009 in Tips & Tricks
Pages: Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ...16 17 18 Next