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  • Creating a Shabby-Chic Look for your Kitchen

    Looking for ideas to create the perfect shabby-chic kitchen? We have a few that you may want to try out yourself.

    If you have a vintage door that’s been sitting in your garage for years, you can turn that into a table. Simply varnish it, put some legs under, and a glass over it and you already have a dining table that suits your taste. You can also place a vintage clock or a DIY vintage lamp with warm light to give your kitchen that scruffy faded look.

    If you are after something subtler, you might want to try painting your walls white or cream then your fixtures be pastel. Adding small vintage items to create your desired Shabby-Chic look.

    Whatever it is that you want to do with your kitchen, make sure that it’s plain and simple. One or two vintage centrepieces is enough to accentuate the kitchen leaving you with a lot of room for cooking and eating space.

  • Adding vintage furniture to your home

    Vintage furniture is becoming a popular option in new and old homes, with more people seeking for individual styles.

    Vintage furniture can certainly add character to your home, and create the perfect interior design options. Finding vintage furniture can sometimes be tricky, however, sometimes you may see an item appear when you weren’t even looking for it.

    Many Second-hand furniture stores will offer you a variety of vintage furniture options, however, they can be a little pricey. If you are for a bargain, you may want to try out your local auction house, where you can bid on a particular item and set yourself a price limit.

    If you aren’t having much luck finding any vintage furniture suitable for your home, you could try and create your vintage look on some modern furnishings. Sanding them down and painting them to create a shabby chic look. Whichever option you go for, you have so many options to choose from and remember that interior design can take time, so being patient can pay off.

  • Creating the perfect office work environment

    If you, like many others have opted for starting your own business or are working from home, finding a place to do your work can be difficult. We have complied some tips on creating the perfect office environment for getting your work done.

    De-clutter- a clear space gives you are clear mind, throw away all rubbish and sell any unwanted items.

    Get organised- have a filing cabinet that is fully organised helps with getting the work completed quicker, as you can find documents easier and faster.

    Window space- having a large window helps, however if this is not possible, having a inspirational picture should do the trick.

    Comfortable desk and chair- keeping yourself well is very important, including your posture, having a chair and desk that is the best height to suit your needs, will defiantly make a more comfortable working environment.

    Distractions- Avoid a high traffic area of your home, keeping your work space separate from others works best. Close the door and ask others not to disturb you, will minimise interruptions and distractions from others.

  • Creating a shabby chic look in your living room

    Shabby chic decorating in your living room is still a big trend right now, it came back within the last 5 years and it’s not going away anytime soon, especially in our living rooms.

    This unique decor is all about being casual and inviting. There are different ways one can achieve this look by using furniture, accessories, and colours. Depending on your personal preference, you can maintain the vintage look of your old furniture, or add a coat of paint to give your furniture some freshness, but as long as you’re able to balance rustic, wear and tear items with light colours you can create a truly stunning style.

    Iron curtain rods are also very popular for this style of decorating but when it comes to accessories, choosing pastel coloured cushions, curtains and blankets can work well. Lace cloth, soft floral fabric, and sheer fabrics are also a part of this modern decor. Throwing a comforting and casual rug will take the style even further and make your living room feel more inviting.

  • Bringing an exposed brick wall as a feature to your home

    With friends and family updating their stylish homes, we often feel that we may not have the knack for interior design. That there are rules we need to follow, ideas we need for innovation. A great addition to your homes interior design is an exposed brick wall. An exposed brick wall gives your home an industrial yet rustic look, while adding endless character and charm. We all know how important accessorising is, especially for an edgy home décor. Exposed brick walls encourages that, you can add photo frames, paintings and statement shelving too.

    You can mix it up with exposed bricks in your home, such as different coloured walls, a whitewashed exposed brick wall and a plain navy blue adjacent wall, to get a contemporary look. You can add white coloured hardwood and polished concrete or some vintage and weathered elements to get a modern look too.

    Exposed brick works with any kind of furniture. Finding the right furniture for your home décor and aligning them perfectly can be a daunting task sometimes. But that’s not an issue in the case of these exposed brick walls. They go with any kind of furniture, adapt to your décor style. It doesn’t matter if you have basic furniture and bright paintings or contemporary sofas and sleek wood panels, there are no rules.

    Adding an exposed brick wall is definitely a great design feature to bring to your home, choosing a wall may be a little more tricky. Make sure the bricks that will be exposed are pleasant to see, as certain bricks are made to be hidden as they do not have a stylish finish to them. One exposed brick wall is usually enough for one home as, over doing a style can hinder the effect you are going for, and feel a lot less homely.

  • Interior design ideas for your living room

    Deciding to update your living room can really make your home spring back to life. Your living room gets a lot of traffic in and out of it, it brings the family together with a good film or a game. Updating the interior of your living room is a great way to improve your home.

    As suggested your living room gets a lot of traffic and carpets can become easily worn if they are not hard wearing. Selecting a new carpet or flooring is the best start to re designing your living space. Choose a durable carpet or flooring and help it last longer by adding a funky rug.

    Getting a new sofa can make all the difference, it is difficult to relax on a worn old couch, investing in a new sofa is a great idea and it shouldn’t need replacing for at least 10 years. There is no better time to get your homes interior sorted before Easter break.

  • Decorating the home with oak furniture

    Oak is a beautiful wood grain and looks lovely in a home. It blends in well with other types of decor and always has a stylish and attractive appearance. It would be an asset to any home to furnish it with oak furniture. And quite a selection is available, both online and at your neighbourhood stores. Oak comes in different finishes, including light oak, red oak and white oak. It happens to be one of the more popular wood grains for furniture. With oak in your home, you know that your furniture will have a classic, appealing and rich quality. And you may choose to decorate your entire house in oak, or maybe just a room or two, such as the dining room and bedroom. Whether your decorating is going to encompass your entire residence or just one area, you will find that classic oak furnishings are available for every room of the house.

    Oak cabinets in the kitchen are very becoming, and light oak with white is a stunning combination. You could decide to do your kitchen in light oak, your dining room in red oak, and your bedroom in white oak. Or you may want to choose just one type of oak grain and use that throughout the house. The combinations that you can come up with are only limited by your imagination.

    And if you have hardwood floors, think of how becoming it will be if you choose an oak finish that will be complementary. You might also want to buy odd pieces of oak furniture and blend them in with your existing pieces. That way, you can do some redecorating without having to change whole sets of furniture.

    Oak is available in different price ranges, from sets that are modestly priced to those that are more expensive. You will be able to find something suitable to fit your budget, as well as finding a style of furniture that will be appealing to the entire family. Do your homework, check out what is available, and dress up your home with beautiful furniture crafted from oak.

  • Coffee Shops and Interior Design

    All around the world right now there is a huge interior design trend which is sometimes referred to as urban design. Many commercial places, such as coffee shops, share some of the main features, so much so that it can be tricky to find a coffee shop that’s completely different from the others in your local town or city.

    Where did this trend come from?

    First, let us talk about what the trend actually is. When we refer to ‘urban design’ we essentially mean a particular shabby chic or rustic interior, possibly comprising of old steel stalls, bookshelves lined with old books to their walls, low hanging light bulbs, exposed brick walls, bicycles hung on walls and solid oak flooring. We’re sure you’ve been to at least one coffee house that looks like this and it’s a popular look because it has a slightly edgy interior. With character on show around the room, you can enjoy the scenery and relax with a cup of coffee, however, is this trend now being overdone? Arguably yes. Many businesses have followed suit and we’re going through a stage right now where independent coffee shops are thriving and many have this very urban interior design.

    What will come next?

    We’re not entirely sure yet, solid oak, bricks, steel and the scent of a library seem to be pretty strong right now, but it only takes a few leading players to change the game and create a new coffee space that’s different and special. Finding a quaint coffee shop used to be a tricky task but it’s now easier than ever, and we may soon see many independent coffee houses changing their interior design to a completely new trend. So do keep your eyes peeled when you’re next out in your local town or city centre.

  • Maintain style with minimalistic Christmas Decorations

    You don’t have to be a ‘Scrooge’ to want a nice tidy home around Christmas and sometimes having too many decorations and hundreds of different colours everywhere can ruin the look of your modern and minimalistic home. That said, you can buy minimalistic Christmas decorations if you know where to look.

    Creating a theme

    Firstly, you will want to decide on a colour scheme. Maintaining a simplistic Christmas style is all about balancing several colours, rather than opening up a box of tatty Christmas decorations that you’ve accumulated for years and years. By picking colours that go well together such as white, silver and gold, you can give your home a touch of bling without overdoing it. Or you can go with darker colours like purple black and silver; it’s completely up to you but you should only stick with several colours throughout if you want to maintain a simplistic style.

    Do the important things well

    When it comes to decorating your home for Christmas, there are a few areas that require special attention, such as your tree, your lights and your wrapping paper. These three elements together say a lot about your take on Christmas so pick the colours and designs wisely. We’d always avoid rainbow coloured lights if you love a modern and minimalistic style, whilst placing Santas, snowmen and elf on the windowsill is an absolute no go, all it does it makes your home look crazy and cluttered!

    Don’t overdo it

    It’s easy to get carried away at Christmas but if you work on the key areas of your home like the tree, the entrance and the walls, your home will look a lot more festive. As soon as you start adding decorations left, right and centre you’ll struggle to maintain that theme you worked so hard to accomplish.

  • Appliances say a lot about your home

    You’ve probably picked up on this when you’ve been to a friend or family member’s house; appliances can say a lot about a person. If for instance, you have a filthy old microwave, a basic box-like fridge from the 80s and a kettle that’s on its deathbed, it would show you don’t particularly care about appearance. Nice looking appliances can give your home a certain style. Take a brand new barista style coffee maker; it paints the picture of a busy individual desperate for their caffeine fix in the mornings yet still sees the importance of functionality and style in their kitchen. If a kitchen has more than 20 new gadgets on the work surfaces it would paint the picture of an individual who loves new technology and is ready to embrace the latest innovations. Take a look around now at you kitchen furniture and see what it says about you.