Friday, February 11, 2011

Homedit.com Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

Homedit.com Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

Link to Home decorating trends

Decorating ideas for the fireplace

Posted: 11 Feb 2011 10:05 AM PST

Does your home have a lonely fireplace that is only used for providing heat? Have you ever pondered to transform it into your home's important showcases? Well, if yes then you need to decorate your fireplace. Decorating a fireplace shall make a huge difference to the fireplace as well as the room. With decoration, fireplace shall become a visible part of the room, and attract attention.

There are infinite ways to decorate a fireplace and transform it into an ornamental décor piece. However, there are several things to be considered such as the room where it is placed, the décor of the room, color tone, objects placed around, etc.

Here are some interesting decorating ideas for the fireplace –

1) The excellent way to decorate a fireplace is to make an interesting arrangement of vases on each side of the mantel. If the rest of the room boasts a symmetric arrangement then you should opt for the same style when decorating with vases. Alternatively, asymmetric decoration also looks good.

2) Use the mantel to showcase your collection. Arrange different items that are similar in size, color and style. Do not display too much items as it would create a cluttered look. Select some favorite pieces and display them. Mantel is also a terrific location to hang artwork such as landscape paintings or portraits.

3) Candles are terrific items to decorate a fireplace. They can be made to sit in front of the fireplace and even inside. Special perfume candles may also be used to create that special effect. The only thing to be remembered while decorating candles is to place them together and not spread them.

4) Flower displays are also an attractive option to decorate the fireplace during summer and spring months when the fireplace lies dormant. The displays can be placed in front or in the hearth. Besides sprucing up things, the flowers shall also hide the soot stains.

5) During the holiday season, the fireplace is an excellent place to display holiday greetings and hang Christmas stockings. You may also stack Christmas gifts on the hearth and thus create a magical display area. A flower wreath may also be added above the mantel for seasonal touch.

6) Other items that can be added to the fireplace as decorative items are fireplace fenders, fireplace bellows, fire back, screen, tools such as tongs and brush, etc.

What is the difference between wicker and rattan furniture?

Posted: 11 Feb 2011 08:25 AM PST

Many people, including salespersons who sell furniture tend to believe that wicker furniture and rattan furniture are almost alike. As a result, the terms are often used interchangeably to address outdoor/indoor furniture commonly found in homes during summer months. The fact is that wicker and rattan furniture fall under the same category but there is a remarkable difference between the two.

Rattan is a close relative of the palm tree. It is a type of a vine that rapidly grows in the jungles of South Eastern region. It grows in the shape of a pole, and its diameter varies between one to three inches. Rattan is one of the strongest woods and possesses the ability to grow up high as hundred feet. Unlike the bamboo pole, rattan boasts a strong core and is thus durable and even hard to break.  The solid core of rattan along with vertical grains is harvested, and is cut into smaller sections and is generally steamed to give varied shapes. The outside skin of the rattan pole, which is the peel, is generally used to bind the furniture joints together.

On the other hand, wicker is not a material but an ancient technique used to manufacture items out of natural materials, such as willow, rush, rush, rattan core and more. The natural materials are made wet so that they can be easily woven to create wicker design furniture pieces.

So here is where the difference lies – Rattan is a specific material, hence rattan furniture is crafted out of rattan only, but wicker furniture may be crafted out of different materials such as bamboo, straw and even rattan. Recently, synthetic materials are also being used for manufacturing wicker furniture.

In terms of versatility and durability rattan furniture scores much more than wicker furniture. Rattan features a solid core and is available in an array of natural colors. Wicker furniture, on the other hand, may or may not be strong. It basically varies with the material used for manufacturing wicker furniture.

Natural rattan furniture is sure to fade if exposed to sunlight. As a result, it is preferred for indoors only. On the other hand, painted wicker furniture or furniture made of synthetic material is not known to fade when exposed to sunlight. Hence, they can be used indoors as well as outdoors.

Practical Extendable Frame Table from Ozzio

Posted: 11 Feb 2011 07:33 AM PST

The Italian furniture maker Ozzio presents us some models of extendable frame tables. They are perfect for receiving guests or for your own use. It depends how many guests you wait for.

All the models of frame tables have a modern design and are made of fine materials such as: wood, glass, and aluminum.Their shape is simple but their most important feature is the fact that they are extendable. You can add or remove the panels so that you get the appropriate size that suits your purposes best.

In case you use it for your own meals: breakfast, lunch or dinner you can get a small table and you get more space and becomes more practical.

You can put it in your kitchen or in your living room; all depends on your intentions.

Its dynamic features is another plus that you can use it to your advantage.The fact that you can change its size it allows you to get each time a different design for your kitchen or living room.

Green Architecture in Vienna, Austria – Hundertwasserhaus

Posted: 11 Feb 2011 04:42 AM PST

The Hundertwasser House that you can admire in these photos is today one of Vienna’s landmarks, one of the most famous and most visited places in the capital of Austria. It is a very colourful building and very unusual at the same time, drawing everybody’s attention. But it is very picturesque, too, with impecabil aesthetic value. The building was first meant to be a group of social homes, but in the meantime it changed its destination and now it contains apartments, offices, private terraces. It was built between 1983 and 1986 by architects Joseph Krawina and Peter Pelikan, being designed for free by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the man who also gave the name to the building.

But why is this building so speacil and famous? Well, if you take a good look at it, you will notice it is like no other building you have ever seen: first of all, all the floors are uneven. Then the roof is all covered with earth on which they grow grass and you can see real trees getting out of the bedroom’s windows. The architect who designed Hundertwasserhaus wanted to make it a “green” building, combining the artificial life with the natural one, concrete with grass in a very pleasant way.

Comfortable Floating House by Michael Meredith

Posted: 11 Feb 2011 04:00 AM PST

Imagine yourself far away from the noisy surroundings where you live, the problems of a hard working day and the boring routine of your daily life. You are floating by a boat, watching the beautiful sunset of a summer day; enjoying the nice atmosphere with your friends and discovering the beauties that nature offer you.

It seems to look like a holiday for you but what do you think of the fact that you can enjoy all these nice things every day of your life, on a floating house?Definitely, it will look like an endless holiday. This is the atmosphere created by the Floating House designed by Michael Meredith of Toronto based MOS.

It has a main cottage with an integrated boathouse and dock and has many separate cottages that can accommodate your guests.

The exterior, made of timber looks untouched and it creates the idea of old times. The interior and most of its parts are made of wood, a material that underlines strength and high quality.

Ways to improve your kitchen

Posted: 11 Feb 2011 12:54 AM PST

Kitchen is one of those areas of home that demand frequent improvement. This is because the area is one of the busiest rooms of the house – it is the place where meals are cooked, dishes are prepared and at times food is also shared.  Complete remodeling may not be the ideal solution always as it demands complete renovation and a decent budget too. However, the kitchen can easily be improved by employing few decorating techniques.

Below is a list of some efficient techniques to assist you improve your kitchen –

1) Paint the walls of the kitchen in relaxing or light colors. Light and bright hues shall make the room appear large and shall breathe in life to the room. Darker shades are to be avoided as they are known to make the room appear compact.

2) Cabinets wearing a dull look can easily be made the focal point of the kitchen. You may resurface the doors and change the hardware to impart a fresh look to the cabinets. If the doors are made of wood, you may paint them. Alternatively, you may also remove the doors completely and thus create open cabinets. Open cabinets are the latest trend.

3) Instead of storing food items and other ingredients in the package they come, store them in containers or jars. Purchase different types of containers for storing different items. For instance, you may select transparent jars but with different prints or different lids.

4) Install new lighting to create a fresh dramatic effect in the room. Try to install different types of lighting in different areas of the kitchen instead of a single bright light. Pendant lights, accent lights, task lights, under counter halogen are some popular options.

5) Add a mirror to the kitchen. Mirrors are amazing decoration items and create the illusion of large space. You may hang the mirror on any idle wall of the kitchen, including the wall above the stove.

6) Install hooks or hangers on one of the walls of the kitchen. They can be used for hanging pots and pans, serving spoons and kitchen cloth.Hooks are a practical option as they shall free up the cabinet space.

7) Purchase a kitchen island for your kitchen. It shall provide an additional work surface to the kitchen. It is recommended to buy collapsible or portable kitchen islands so that they can be folded or removed when not needed.

Dynamic Aquarium Kitchen by Darren Morgan

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 02:12 PM PST

Many people love to have pets in their houses: a dog, a cat, a parrot, a hamster, a fish. These animals animate our peaceful environment and make it more alive. To have a pet means dynamism, energy, life, nature. In the house the atmosphere is more animated and colorful.

Darren Morgan presents an Aquarium Kitchen. It is a modern kitchen that has a three meter long aquarium. The designer called it the "alive" kitchen because this aquarium creates a dynamic atmosphere. It is not a usual kitchen, here you can relax and enjoy your meal just like in a restaurant. Its design is attractive and make you feel like you are in another place than a kitchen.

The kitchen table looks like an island where you can rest and enjoy a delicious dish. It has interactive light settings and low energy LEDs.

Its modern and dynamic design makes your cooking become more interactive and pleasant.

Relaxing Nature Bathroom Design in Black and White

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 12:34 PM PST

The presence of nature concept in your bathroom makes you imagine taking a bath somewhere in the middle of nature. The green image makes you relax, feel fresh and comfortable. Although we talk about a minimalist design, the idea of comfort is supported well by the modern accessories. We speak about an X Gate mixer valve with volume control, deck-mounted basin spout and glass container wall model, a hand shower and much more.

It is an elegant bathroom designed in black and white nuances but the idea of picturesque and color is brought by the image of nature that it is at the back of the bathtub. You get your own natural, comfortable corner meant to create a relaxing and refreshing atmosphere for you.

Nature is the one that makes us feel fresh, full of energy and brings us peace and comfort.

This type of bathroom combines the modern facilities of technology that assure you all the comfort that you need and the freshness and relaxing atmosphere created by the image of nature.
Posted by Home Designer at 11:34 AM

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