Living Room Remodeling

Remodeling a garage to a room is often a cost-effective way to add living space to your home

In some areas, failure to build to local code can require that you restore the space to its original condition before you sell the house.

TV Stands

Many modern television sets come with built-in TV stands, but for those which don’t you may have several options available to you. TVs can be mounted on a wall, but if this isn’t for you, there are plenty of other options.

The first thing to check is that some televisions are only compatible with particular TV stands, often those produced by the TV manufacturer. You’ll still usually have a choice of styles, but be careful to check you get one that fits your particular model. Make a note of the model number (which you can usually find on the instruction manual) before buying.

If your TV doesn’t need a specific stand, you’ll need to make sure that whatever you choose is suitable for the size of your screen, both in terms of width and depth. You’ll also need to check it can cope with the weight of your screen: the size of TV stands isn’t necessarily a guide to the weight it can bear as this depends just as much on the design and material used.

A floor stand usually involves a solid base and then some form of pole which then attaches to either the base or back of your screen. In some cases, a floor stand will have some shelves attached to the pole for storing DVD players, video recorders, satellite receivers and other similar equipment. There may also be a built-in cable tidy to keep the wiring looking neat.

A pedestal stand consists of a fairly heavy base which usually has one or two metal rods which go up and into your screen. The base is designed so that it won’t tip over. Because your screen will need built-in holes to house the rods, these TV stands are usually specific to a particular brand of television. The stand then goes on top of a table or cabinet, so you’ll need to make sure that whatever you put it on is wide enough to take the stand, and capable of holding the weight of the screen.

A desktop stand is similar to a pedestal stand but usually either snaps into the base of the screen (which usually requires a specific make and model) or grips the base. The main difference between these two TV stands is that a desktop stand often allows you to swivel the screen easily. You probably won’t use this option that often, but it can be handy if you have a window in the room which means the sun shines brightly onto the screen at certain times of the day.

Another option is a cabinet, which will usually have some form of attachment on top to hold your screen in place. These range from having a couple of shelves underneath for storing audio-visual equipment to larger models which can even surround the entire screen with shelving to store CDs, DVDs and other media. Some cabinets come with glass doors at the front, which can be useful for keeping young children from fiddling with equipment while still letting you use remote controls. If you need to switch cables around frequently, look for a cabinet with an open back so that you don’t need to take equipment out of the cabinet.

Sanitary ware

Wall Mirrors

Adding that special design element with a wall mirror or wall mirrors can be a great way to elevate your indoor spaces from ordinary to extraordinary. Wall mirrors serve as both decorative and functional aspects of home décor. Whether you’re working with a small sized room or a grand, palatial room, a mirror can do wonders to liven up your décor.

Wall mirrors are also a great way to brighten up any space since they reflect light. This is great for small spaces because a mirror will actually brighten the space and make it appear larger. That is why decorating with wall mirrors is ideal in places such as the entryway and bathroom where space is limited.

Mirrors can also be used in home décor just as would exquisite pieces of art. You can create eye-catching and elaborate wall groupings using wall mirrors by grouping one or more mirrors together with other exciting design elements such as flowers, art or sculpture.

There are five basic shapes associated with wall mirrors: square, oval, round, rectangular and irregular. Any one of these shapes can work well in any style of home décor. No matter whether your décor is Traditional, Contemporary or Eclectic, you will be sure to find wall mirrors to suit your individual tastes and budget.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider when selecting the right wall mirror for your space is the frame of the mirror. The frame adds to the look of the mirror and identifies it with its particular style such as Traditional or Modern. Choosing a mirror with the wrong frame will make your mirror seem out of step with the rest of your décor. Other things to consider when shopping for the perfect wall mirror or group of wall mirrors is the size and shape of each individual mirror. You should have a good idea where you are going to place each mirror and how you are going to group them together before you make any final purchasing decisions.

Here are some other tips to follow when decorating with wall mirrors:

*Instead of purchasing one large mirror, explore the possibilities of purchasing a group of small mirrors. Doing so will add an element of design and interest that cannot be accomplished with other types of wall hangings.

*When using a group of mirrors, concentrate on choosing interesting frames in a variety of shapes and sizes. To create a cohesive grouping, you may want to consider using mirrors with the same or similarly colored frames.

*When mounting your chosen wall mirror or mirrors on the wall, start by hanging the largest mirror first. Then, add your other mirrors to the grouping while making sure to space them evenly.

*Take into consideration what images will be captured in the mirror when you look at it from different angles. Be sure to place your wall mirrors in such a way that they reflect and highlight your room’s best features and detract from its not so great features.

With a little bit of creativity and planning, decorating with wall mirrors can be a gorgeous addition to your home’s décor.

Colorful Glass Mosaic Tiles

Mosaic tiles are one of the most attractive wall coverings. Thanks to a very small size of the tiles you could create a great composition by pieces with different hues. You could also use such tiles as wall decorative element and combine it with ceramic tiles of more big size. New range Vetrina by Italian company Mosaico+ is an awesome example of mosaic tiles. Its biggest advantage is a very large selection of colors: 72 chromatic hues in a glossy finish and 32 opaque matt ones. All colors are based on a precise reference to the Pantone® system, which is universal chromatic standard. That allows to easy find the right color that would match with other ceramic tiles and the whole interior design. The size of the one glass tile is 10×10 mm and before to become a wall decoration these tiles are mounted on berglass sheet of 327 x 327 mm. Of course mosaic tiles are more difficult to fix than usual ceramic wall tiles but these glass tiles can create an amazing energizing effect and give unlimited creative freedom. More information you could find on Mosaico+ site.

Bedroom Design Ideas

Whether you have just shifted to your new home or want to give a makeover to your old master bedroom,you need some exclusive ideas to make your bedroom design stand out.Having a spacious bedroom does not necessarily mean that you need to fill it up with an array of furniture.It only needs to combine all the bedroom designing elements together to create an ambience.Bedroom has to be warm and cozy to ensure good night's sleep.

Decorate in Style

If you choose to decorate your bedroom by yourself instead of hiring a professional interior designer then you need prior research work.Giving your bedroom a new look is not a tough job provided you have some creative ideas up your sleeves. You will find myriads websites ready to offer innovative interior design ideas.Traditional or contemporary,oriental or western or simply eclectic – pick your style first. Decorating by style reflects good taste and artistic sense.It will also help you proceed in a systematic way while choosing furniture,fabrics and other decorative items for your bedroom.

Color is the Key

Choose colors for your bedroom wisely as colors play a key role in creating the desired mood.If you want to make your large bedroom feel comfy and warm you need brighter shades like orange, lemon yellow or rosy pink.You can think of contrast coloring schemes as well.But for smaller rooms it is advisable that you do not go overboard with colors.Lighter and cooler shades like cream,pale blue or light purple are just fine with small bedrooms.

Furnishing Fundamental

It is needless to say that your bed is the focal point in your bedroom.It is better to divide the bedroom into different zones especially when you have a large one.It makes the entire decorating process easier.Large bedroom with wide windows require larger furniture while smaller bedrooms call for space saving furniture and low-lying beds.

High king size bed with double mattress and fluffy pillows will perfectly fit in to a large picture.Position the bed against the wall in a way so that anyone entering the room cannot see it from outside.In this respect a well-decorated hotel room can be a good inspiration for designing a bedroom. Place a chic looking chest or cabinet at the foot of the bed to keep television on top of it.It also adds little more privacy to the sleeping area.

Choose large wardrobe and wall-mirrors for the dressing zone. Small wooden desk with table lamp and set of cushioned chairs in a corner can ideally create a cozy reading or lounging area in your bedroom. When it comes to selecting bedside tables and lamps go for round shaped ones rather than square ones if you go for traditional style.Modern bedside lamps come in varied shapes and size to choose from.

Textile Texture

Pick fabric wisely for your bedroom as it relates to comfort as well as privacy.Bedroom windows need double layers of curtains.Long and heavy drapes are to bar the sunlight and cold. Thin light-colored linen curtains ensure privacy while allowing ample sunlight during daytime.For pillow and cushion covers choose fabrics with attractive colors and fine texture. Bedroom is all about rest and comfort.Wide range of fabrics with different textures and price range are available in the market.So,look for variety of fabrics as much as possible before you select one for your bedroom.

Use your imagination and bedroom design ideas to create your own style statement.Hang intricately designed tapestries or a colorful painting with soft wall-lamps focusing on it at the head of the bed.You can not buy anything that appeal to your senses.Choose pieces of art work and tapestries depending on the mood and style of your bedroom design. Placing potted plants by the bed or window brings soothing touch of nature as well.Flowers and floral art works also add to the romantic charm of a bedroom.To be precise,a good amalgamation of your creativity and interior decorating tips given by experts is sure to create the spark in your bedroom decor.

Waterfront Home Designs

The design for this waterfront home on Lake Washington knits together themes of nature, art and the science of sustainable design. The site features quite a big shade trees and great views across the lake so the design is optimized to use all its pros. The interior spaces are naturally ventilated but protected from winds. The home’s numerous exterior courtyards and terraces truly provide a connection to nature as the clients open the house to the outdoors for dining, lounging, entertaining, and gardening. Surrounded by nature the house continue its theme inside by careful choice of materials which aren’t hard for maintenance but are comfy.

Blinds and Curtains

Window blinds are versatile home design elements. They come in a variety of materials, fabrics and style to suit your tastes. We’ll look at several materials.

1) Metal. These are the original blinds. For many years, aluminum was the predominant metal used in blinds. It’s durable, affordable, cleanable and flexible. The slats come in a variety of lengths and widths to fit any space or taste.

2) Wood. This is a popular choice for window coverings for the warm touch it gives to a room. It’s not a great choice when the room is prone to humidity, such as in a bathroom or a kitchen. They’re not good choices in humid geographic areas either. Wood can warp, crack or swell, rendering them useless when they won’t open or close correctly, or the louvers won’t move. Wood is used in Venetian blinds and woven blinds.

3) Cane. You’ll see this in woven blinds. The slats are very thin, and they’re only adjustable as an entire unit, not by a single slat. Light filters into the room through the thin slats, that are usually tied together with rope. They add a very natural look to a room.

4) Vinyl. This is the most popular material for blinds. It can take on the look of wood, but it’s also very low-maintenance. It won’t crack or warp like wood, and it doesn’t attract dust like wood blinds do. Miniblinds are most often vinyl. They’re among the most popular type of blind, due to their thin slat and their versatility.

5) Fabric. Sometimes you’ll see fabric backed with a stiff material to create slats. These are exceptionally nice when they complement the décor in a room. Fabric can be used to bring a room together.

Blinds can be used by themselves, or layered with other window treatments. The severe lines of blinds can be contrasted with the softness of curtains or a valance, providing a polished, finished look.

Blinds can work in any room with windows. They can be horizontal or vertical, small or large. They can be subtly colored, and offset with a bold curtain or punchy valance.

Blinds are not only functional, as they keep light out and can act to obscure drafts from cracks around windows, but they’re decorative as well.

Blinds can make a great addition to any room. They’ve advanced so much in recent years, that you can get the look of yesterday with the technological advances of today.

Dining room Gallery

Dining room is one of the important rooms that require good design and decoration in order to build good atmosphere during the meal. We can see the important of design and decoration by notice from many good restaurant use design and decoration to attract people to come in, apart from quality and taste of the food they offer.

Now we will start to improve dining room atmosphere by using colours. You should you light tone colour with your dining room or colour that has more brightness to make your dining room looks wider, clear and clean. The colour that you should use is white, light yellow, light orange, light brown. For small dining room, you can also use mirror to decorate to make the room looks wider and clear.

Let’s move to the floor, ca we change anything to the floor to make the room more attractive? Firstly, you should consider that which style that you want the room to look like as well as furniture that you are going to use. If you plan to use wooden furniture, so you should use parquet for floor covering or if you wish to decorate the room in European style, you should use ceramic tiles or mosaic for floor covering instead.

After you consider about major factors, then you should consider about lighting. Installing one light tube in the middle of the room on the ceiling will make the room brighter so people can see the food clearly and feeling want to eat. On the other hand, using dark light tube probably make people do not want to eat as they can not see the food clearly. However, you should also consider about the reflection of the light that may reflect directly to the face of people who are sitting. You should be careful to not let this happened, which will make people feel uncomfortable during the meal.

You should use dining table that large enough to put all of the food, but not too large which will generate uncomfortable atmosphere and not convenient to walk. Apart form size, you should consider about the material that dining table made from. If you have little children in your family, you should buy wooden dining table in stead of using glass table or metal table, because glass will be very harmful to children when broken and metal surface is more slippery, so it will be very easy to fall or collapse

Table coversheet also important, you should use table cover sheet that made from the material that easy to clean such as polymer, avoid using cotton sheet that difficult to clean. You may interested to add flower vessel or fruit basket on the table to increase freshness during the meal.

Another good way to create good and fresh atmosphere is you should locate dining room near the garden. You can use glass partition to separate your dining room and garden area. In case you do not have garden in your house, you may decorate you dining room by add flower or plant pots into the room.