Archive for October, 2010

Simplify Chores by Organizing the Laundry Room

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Even though it is often one of the smallest rooms in the house, it is also one of the busiest. While it’s not so important to decorate the walls with southwestern wall decor or asian wall art, laundry rooms are a place where many household chores are completed, so it is important that the space be allocated efficiently and that the entire room be organized.

Photo credit to natapics.

Add Shelving

One of the easiest ways to organize a laundry room is to add shelving or cabinets along the walls. Cabinets are a great storage solution:  When the doors are closed the area looks neat. To store smaller items on open shelves, it is helpful to organize them in larger bins so that the shelves present a unified appearance. Using walls for storage frees up work space on table tops, and it opens up the floor area, offering room to move around and get work done. Shelving or cabinets can also be tucked into corners or hung over the washer and dryer, taking advantage of otherwise unused space.

Folding Table

When planning a laundry room it is always a good idea to include a place to fold clothing. Even in a very small laundry room placing a fabric covered board on top of the washer and dryer can make an excellent area to fold clothing. If the washer and dryer are front loaded, then the board can remain on top of the appliances, otherwise, it can be removed and stored in a cabinet or between the wall and the appliances. Another space saving option is to add a folding table that can be raised and tucked out of the way when not in use. For laundry rooms that have a little more floor space available, adding a utility table that doubles as a laundry folding table is a very useful plan; when purchasing the table, make sure that it is a comfortable height for standing while folding clothes.

Handy Hampers

Another great thing about having a table in the laundry room is that it creates the perfect space for storing laundry hampers. Adding casters to the laundry hampers allows them to be easily moved in and out from under the table, so that they are close by and convenient to use, and just as easy to tuck out of sight. Even if laundry hampers are spread throughout the house in bedrooms and bathrooms, it is helpful to have a central area in the laundry room to sort clothes as they are being laundered.

Organizing Ironing

While ironing is a task that is not as commonplace as it was in years gone by, it is still necessary to iron articles of clothing from time to tome. So whether ironing happens in the laundry room frequently or just once in a while, it is still a good idea to add an ironing board. One of the neatest ways to accomplish this addition is to add a wall mounted ironing board that comes in its own cabinet. If space is really tight, another good option for an ironing board is to store it on a rack on the back of the laundry room door. It is important to fold the ironing board up and put it away when not in use so that it will not become home to a pile of clutter.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Cleaning and Declutter | No Comments »

Trendy Themes for a Teen’s Bedroom

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

When redecorating a teen’s room, it is a good time to leave the trappings of childhood behind and embrace a more contemporary style room. Creating a more modern design in a teen’s room can be a wonderful way to add an updated look and feel to a young adult’s bedroom.

Enlist the Teen’s Help

Before settling on any particular style or design, it is probably a good idea to check with your teen first to see what ideas they may have for decorating their room. By allowing them to inject a little of their own personality into the space, it will be a comfortable place to hang out with friends, do homework and listen to music. If the room is large enough, add some fun by giving them a cool seating area where they can play video games or watch movies.

Basic Black and White

Some themes can be classic and modern at the same time. Take a black and white theme for example. Creating an entire room in black and white is a great way to bring a fresh look to the room. Add a splash or two of color throughout the room, and this accent color will add energy to the room.

Another theme that works well in a black and white room for a teen is a music theme; or for a girl, a wild zebra print is fun and hip. Decorating a room in black and creates a really contemporary feel that any teen would love. Add a platform bed with a bold patterned comforter to complete the contemporary look of the room.

Somewhere in Between

Sometimes by the time a child reaches the teen years, they have had enough themed bedrooms to last a lifetime. In this instance, it is probably time to take a little more adult approach to the room’s design. Since a teen is somewhere between a child and an adult, it may be time to design a room that speaks to their more mature interests and tastes. It is important, however, to still keep a youthful feel to the room, maybe by introducing a collegiate flair to the design. Another idea may be to offer a nod to their interests like favorite hobby or sport. A teen girl may love a shabby chic look that features painted furniture, french wall art and garden style landscape art decor. It is not necessary to have a theme for a successful room design for a teen’s bedroom.

Go Green for Teens

Many teens are environmentally aware, and may be interested in having their bedroom designed in a planet friendly way. Finding furniture created from recycled material, like paper or plastic, or bedding made from sustainable materials like bamboo is becoming easier than ever. Adding LED lighting to a bedroom not only offers cool lighting, but it is environmentally friendly too. So, for the teen who wants to help save the planet, decorating a ‘green’ bedroom may be the best way to go.

Designs for a Teen Boy

Remember, if decorating for a teen boy, to keep things as simple as possible. Find basic, modern furniture pieces that provide enough storage for him to keep his room picked up, while allowing him to kick back and enjoy a video game with his friends. While the style of the room can be very simple, make sure that the fabrics and furnishings are comfortable and functional.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bedroom, Children room, Interior Design | No Comments »

Comfortable and Cozy in a French Country Cottage

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

Anyone who enjoys an eclectic style of decorating, will love decorating with a French country cottage style. This style of decorating is comfortable and cozy, and it includes a lot of personalization with collections and accessories. The country cottage look can be achieved very inexpensively, and it can include favorite collections or heirloom pieces that have been in the family for generations. And if you need to build a collection, a trip to the thrift store or a few garage sales is a very cost effective way of creating an instant vintage collectibles.

Distinctly Styled Furniture

When it comes to furniture style, French country cottage design can include a variety of looks. An old rocking chair would be right at home in this type of dеcor, as would a vintage quilt, some old bookcases or a cube ottoman with storage inside. The important thing to remember when decorating in this style is that furniture should be functional and use space efficiently.

Finding Fabrics for French Country Cottage Style

One of the more popular types of chairs used in this genre is the ladder back chair. The thing that differentiates ladder back chairs in a traditional style room and in a French country cottage style room is that the country cottage chairs will be painted, while traditional ladder back chairs will simply be stained wood. Painted furniture is a signature of the French country cottage style. Since mismatched furniture is popular in this style of room design, using paint as a means to unify these elements into one cohesive look is a very effective design technique. Having furniture with aged finishes or a few dings and dents simply adds a little extra character to the room’s appearance. Very similar to a shabby chic style, in this aesthetic it is easy to combine furniture from different styles and have them work well together. Floral and plaid upholstery are popular in French country cottage style, and adding soft cushions to hard, wooden chairs gives the room a little extra charm. Include other elements that make the room feel cozy and comfortable like pillows, blankets and quilts. These accessories not only add that extra touch of charm to the room, but they also function to make the room inviting and quite comfortable. Generally the color palette in a French country cottage room is painted in white or pale pastels, with bold dashes of blue or red sprinkled throughout the room.

Eclectic Furnishings

The completed look of a country cottage room is fairly eclectic, but each individual piece of furniture is generally classic. However, these classic pieces are often used in quite unexpected ways. For example, adding a classic trunk to a room makes a fantastic coffee table, and it can double as storage, which makes extremely efficient use of the space. Ladder back chairs are traditional in nature, but when a mismatched set is assembled and painted white, it takes on the French country cottage aesthetic. Other classic elements, like a milk stool, are interesting additions that can be incorporated into the room’s design in one of many ways. For example, it can be a small plant stand, a stool to sit on or a footstool. Another classic element that can be easily worked into a country cottage room is wicker furniture, and painting it white makes it fit seamlessly into the room. Accent the walls with french wall decor or landscape wall art tapestries featuring rolling vineyards or field of sunflowers.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Interior Design | No Comments »

Maximize the Potential of your Breezeway

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

A breezeway may not be a large space, but it is an important transitional space from the garage into the main area of your home. The right decorative choices can actually make a breezeway look larger. Colors and patterns that you choose for the ceiling, flooring and walls can make the room seem larger than it is, while the right furniture can make a breezeway more comfortable and functional.

Add Height to the Ceiling

Choosing white or light colored paint for the ceiling will make the ceiling seem taller, thereby making the breezeway feel more spacious. Any molding near the ceiling should also be light and painted in the same color as the ceiling; dark molding or borders near the ceiling will visually lower the height of the room and make it feel smaller. If possible, installing one or more skylights in the ceiling will add light and bring in a airy feeling while also reflecting the breezeway’s connection to outdoor spaces.

Bump out the Walls with Paint

If your breezeway is really small, you may think it’s impossible to make the space feel larger. However, light colored paint on the walls will help achieve this effect. Paint all the walls in the same light tone to maximize this effect and use a color that closely coordinates with the color of your furnishings; light pastels on the walls will blend well with most decor. Avoid contrast between the furniture and wall color because that will make the space feel smaller.

You can also use stripes to your advantage. Painted strips or wallpaper can be used to visually manipulate the shape of the room. Stripes that run horizontally will make a wall appear wider, while those that run vertically, will make the space feel taller. Use mirrors to add light and expanded visual space. Set them across from windows to capture and reflect natural light. Wall mirrors in the same size and shape as the breezeway windows can be cleverly placed to create the illusion of more windows. Keep window treatments light and sheer to allow the maximum amount of natural light into the breezeway.

The Importance of Flooring

Patterned flooring tile can also be used to expand the dimensions of the breezeway and fool the eye. Align the pattern either horizontally or vertically to expand the dimensions of the room to its best advantage. Tile, wood flooring or laminate wood flooring in light colors are excellent choices for making the space look larger; run the wood pattern to make the room look longer or wider, as needed. Large tiles installed diagonally can make a space seem larger. Avoid carpet as that will have a tendency to make the room look smaller.

Add Comfort and Avoid Clutter

Clutter will make even a large breezeway seem small and cramped. Avoid it by keeping things off the floor. Add an armoire or, if there is a closet in the room, clean it out and organize it. A bench or hall tree with a lid offers a convenient place to sit as well as a place to keep gloves, hats and scarves neatly tucked away. Coat racks, hooks and boot trays can also add convenience and organization. Wicker or wrought iron furniture provides an inviting place to sit while still keeping the look open and airy. Don’t clutter the walls with lots of little pieces of wall art, but if there is enough space, hang one artwork, such as a landscape wall decor or cityscape wall art, that is in scale with the room while complementing your decor.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Home Improvement | No Comments »