Be Inspired by Mother Nature

Look at the different types of textures that Mother Nature has to offer, see how serene a Silver Birch is for example and the shine of its bark could throw up many an interior design ideas to decorate your house. Look at the texture of a pine-cone and think how you could incorporate that look in a rustic way; maybe it reminds you of winter, therefore simply by adding brown rugs you can replicate the thoughts of the warmth a crackling open-fire brings.

Likewise, this season (it's now officially Spring!) conjures up thoughts of nature casting off its winter coat and springing into life with green buds giving up bursts of colour, daffodils, blue-bells and tulips provide us with vibrant colours – use these in your home as accessories and soft furnishings such as cushions and throws, rugs, ready made curtains and ready made blinds and make your home burst into new life!

Having a well balanced and well thought out room that is decorated from the inspiration that nature gives us, is perhaps one of the best themes to have going through your home, especially if you are lucky enough to live in the country, but even if you are not, you can bring the countryside in to your home where ever you live.

Image: Belle Maison

Interior Design Tips for Decorating A Nursery Part 2

In this post I'm going to carry on sharing interior design ideas for your baby's nursery; this time looking a colours, possible wall decoration, and window treatments.

Colours:
Colour is very important in decorating and when it comes to a nursery, you should keep the baby's development in mind. Newborns see everything in black and white while reds and yellows are the first actual colours they can perceive. You might want to avoid red and yellows, as they will kind of jump out at your baby from a what they see as a colourless room. Instead, use pastels, blues and violets in your nursery decorating attempts.

Decorating Walls Budget Style:
Are you looking for some economical options for wall art? For a few pounds, you can frame pages from your favourite childhood books. This is a simple and cost effective way to add colour, decoration and a bit of nostalgia as well. Baby blankets and quilts your child has outgrown are potential wall decorations as well. As your child grows you can use this same principle with album art and film posters.

Window Treatments:
Childrens curtains with blackout lining will help your baby sleep during daylight hours. There are a whole host of plain or patterned children's curtain fabrics online in a wide variety of gorgeous colours to compliment your nursery furnishings and colour scheme.

Decorating the nursery is an exciting endeavour for first time as well as repeat parents. There are all kinds of themes you can use from simple gender specific colour coordination to licensed character décor such as Strawberry Shortcake, Sponge Bob Square Pants and Toy Story or Shrek. Remember to choose age appropriate toys and accessories for safety sake and use furnishings that are easy to clean.

Image: Blogatlantahomesmag

Interior Design Tips for Decorating A Nursery Part 1

If you are expecting your first baby, decorating the nursery is new territory. The first order of business will be to choose an overall theme, if you plan on using one. For example, many parents to be will wait until they can determine the sex of the baby and then choose gender appropriate themes. Princesses for little girls and sports themes are common for boys, though these are far from the only option. Current animated television shows and films are often used to decorate a new baby room.

Lighting:
A nursery should have a variety of lighting options. Overhead lights are great most of the time however, there will be times when you want nothing more than a night light for late night feeds or area lighting for specific tasks such as reading to your baby at bedtime. One simple way to create mood lighting is by installing a dimmer switch. You can also use strategically placed cheap table lamps and small night-lights.

Flooring:
As your baby grows, messes are going to be a familiar occurrence. If you want to protect your carpet while adding a splash of colour to the room look into a large area rug. You can use one large rug or several smaller area rugs, either way make sure they are made of easy to clean materials as they will take the brunt of the dirt and damage.

Image: Interiorimprovementblogspot

Enjoy Your Decorating!

Creating your personalised home décor does not have to be difficult, but it may take some time to get it all down 'pat'. Do not look at home decorating as a chore but more as a challenge if you will. It might be challenging to try to figure out how to pull your home together, but it is not impossible. Talk to friends and family throughout this process; they will be more than happy to give you feedback on your decorating and interior design ideas!

Need more space?
There are many ways to give the illusion of space in a small room. Light colours, good lighting and carefully chosen and place furniture are just a few tricks you can use to open a small room. You will also want to avoid installing shelves or other protruding pieces on the wall. You can make a huge difference in a small bathroom simply by removing shelves!

Add something new to lift your mood!
Add cheap rugs to brighten up dull or faded flooring – it's an inexpensive way to create a whole new look, especially if you coordinate the colours with your curtains, cushions and throws; and no one need know that they're not designer labels!

Image: Belle Maison

Contemporary Interior Design Ideas: In The Bedroom

Who said the only furniture in the bedroom has to be the bed, bedside tables and dressers? When you want to add form and function to your bedroom consider adding some seating. This will of course only be possible in a larger bedroom, but if you have the room, an elegant chaise can completely transform it into an luxurious parlour. You could also create a cosy corner with an overstuffed chair, end table, small lamp and a footstool. When you need to create a place of escape within your home, this is a good option.

Add elegance to your bedroom with full length pencil pleat curtains in a soothing, chic colour – again if you've got a large bedroom – have the curtains extend further than the end of your windows to create a chic hotel look. Statement headboards are also part of the contemporary design scene – make your own by choosing fabulous patterned curtain material online. It's a good idea to add extra height to get the full effect and if you can tie-in your bed's valance with the same fabric it will bring a sense of balance and cohesion to your room.

Image: Belle Maison

Contemporary Interior Design Ideas - Squaring

One thing that stands out about contemporary and modern design is its sharpness, its concern with function and function as the design itself. Square angles are incredibly functional – it its basic form it maximises space, it is most conducive to guests facing each other while they sit, it gives the easiest option for placement of tables and other accents.

The look of the square design in a lounge is about creating a subtle paradox – the angles and placement are square and sharp, but some of the pieces are curved and sleek and all serving an exact purpose and function. It is related to the use of and shape of the people who are in the room and this creates a really cool relationship between the people, the design and the pieces.

By having this style and it's objects placed in a square fashion, not only does it increase space – which of course makes everything seem bigger and more open, it gives the visitor more time to reflect on what is in the room and its relation to the space.

These shapes also cause us to be extra aware of the space around the object. A square shelving unit on the wall for example, holding books or decorations inside, but carrying nothing on top is a bit of fun tricking on the mind's eye. It is about function and here is a spot where the function is ignored – it can be used, but is not. This causes us to reflect on the space around it and thus on the piece itself.

Take some of the latest interior design ideas and use them in your home – you'll be amazed how different your rooms will look!

Image: decorology

Using Colour – Going Green

We're probably all getting fed up with the cliché 'going green' and yet this timeless classic colour has survived through the decades in various shades and continues to be many people's choice of colour in any room in their home.

Darker shades of green, Regency or racing green for example, are ideal for large living areas. Going dark on an accent wall and bringing the room together with dark green ready made curtains, cushions and throws can creates a refined and sophisticated look. Paler shades are ideal to team with soft pinks for an on-trend look which suits all styles of homes; while acid or lime greens are the perfect colours to use with white, aubergine or hot pink in contemporary living spaces.

You don't have to go over-board, as too much of one colour can be very overpowering, however, buy adding pops of green, such as lime green curtains or a green rug, you can rejuvenate a tired looking room instantly without having to carry out a complete makeover.

Green symbolises growth and new life, making it's the ideal colour to use to give your home a fresh new look this spring. Add floral designs in soft furnishings to create a country cottage look, a majestic and sophisticated look can be achieved using darker hues and for those who want to inject the latest trends should opt for lime, neon or acid greens!

Image: Belle Maison

Using Colour - Natural Palettes of Shades Part 2

Carrying on from our my last post - once a base colour has been selected and applied to the majority of the wall surfaces, accent colours can be use to highlight feature aspects of the room; nature-based shades of brown, blue and grey work really well but equally splashes of bright, contrasting colours can be used to add interest and excitement; maybe some fuchsia pink cushions and matching throw or a stunning display of bright red silk flowers in a tall vase. You may like to swap and change these from season to season to give your room a quick and easy update.

Texture is very important when using natural shades; it helps to add layers and depth to what might otherwise be a rather “flat” scheme. In keeping with the simple and uncluttered theme of the Natural décor, a few well-chosen and stunning pieces work better than lots of random items strewn around the room. Again, borrowing from nature offers an enormous choice of beautiful items for your room; sea shells, rocks, smooth pebbles, drift-wood, leather, metals, both shiny and matt and natural fabrics like Hessian and calico.

Flooring in Natural palette rooms is well suited to wood (scrubbed floor-boards rather than shiny formal parquet), stone or rustic tiles. This can be softened by putting down rugs to create a warmer feel to the room.

Image: Belle Maison

Using Colour - Natural Palettes of Shades Part 1

The possibilities for choosing a colour scheme for your room can seem endless and somewhat daunting. However, by considering various criteria you will almost certainly decide upon a scheme that you love and is just right for your room. Personal choice and favourites are a good place to start – which colours are you naturally drawn to and make you feel good? Think about the size of the room you are decorating and what the room will be used for. How much natural light is there and how much will you be relying on artificial lighting?

The colour wheel is a useful tool when deciding on a colour scheme as it guides you through the harmonising and complementary colours and can help you to decide which combinations of colours and shades work for you and your room.

The Naturals palette of shades is ever popular and timeless. It offers simplicity and a clean and calm ambience. Although maybe not considered as colours in themselves the enormous choice and variety of white and cream shades can be used cleverly to create interesting and beautiful interiors. This is particularly so when they are combined with the creative use of textures and in accessories such as rugs, ornaments, cushions and throws.

Image: Belle Maison

Using Colour – Hide & Highlight!

The clever use of colour can help to create lots of different effects in your room. Colour can be used to highlight feature points of the room or to help conceal area that you want to down-play. Cool colours give the effect of increasing space and make the walls appear to recede while warm colours create a cosy environment and tend to bring walls “closer together”. A light colour will help to make a low ceiling appear higher, whereas painting a darker colour on the ceiling will give the impression of bringing it down and reducing the cold feel of the room.

Yellow is an ever-popular colour choice for lots of rooms in the house and can be used in different ways to create a variety of looks. Yellow is naturally cheerful and welcoming, so is a great choice for halls and stairs. However, it can also work to brilliant effect in kitchens and bedrooms.
Pastel yellow shades are a good choice if you are looking to create a sense of airiness and calm.

However, care is needed when using clear yellow shades in north-facing rooms as the poor natural light can lead to a rather drab effect. Denser, more opaque shades tend to work better here. Try accessorising with cushions and throws in a strong, toning colour such as blue or green to create interest and focus in your room. Coloured-glassware and lush green-foliaged house plants will sit well in this setting and complement your colour-scheme.

Image: Belle Maison

Using Colour – Pops of Pink

If you are a true lover of pink then you might wish to experiment with varying tones from a hot pink used for wall paint to lighter blushing pinks in textiles and accessories. Do use colour samples to help you get the right tonal scheme. You might want to try something a little whimsical and unexpected with a pink toilet lid or a pink basin in the bathroom.

A rich fuchsia pink is very glamorous when used with metallics and/or mirrored furnishings - an update on Hollywood glamour you might say. When using darker pinks it is very important to get the lighting right in the room - for a focal wall in fuchsia pink, use flexible wall lights or spotlights.

For a touch of luxury, why not cover an antique chair with stunning pink velvet fabric and team with full length hot pink curtains which pool sensually onto the floor in the bedroom? The mix of old and new is bang on-trend this year and despite the misconceptions of pink being too feminine team it with soft grey or the palest of lilacs and you'll have a winning colour combination!

Image: Belle Maison

Using colour – It's Yellow in 2011!

If you want to incorporate this year's interior design colour yellow into your home there are some great shades available for both contemporary and traditional interiors.

Contemporary:
Vivid yellow - think of lemons and a bright summer sun - can be used in a contemporary setting to create a modern and edgy vibe in your room. Vivid colours give high impact and need good natural light to be seen to best effect. Preparation is all important when using such a solid flat colour as any imperfections will be all too easily highlighted. Accessories need to be in keeping with the bold theme of the room and give that wow-factor; the more unusual and eye-catching the better! Look for a range of fabulous plain and patterned curtain fabrics online to make your window dressing and soft furnishings.

Traditional:
Deep yellow is a good choice if you want to create a timeless and traditional interior; it also has the advantage of working well in rooms where natural light is limited and carefully placed lamps and lighting are utilised. Deeper shades of yellow lend themselves to a more relaxed unstructured look so an eclectic mix of simple, uncoordinated accessories such as faded rugs and old leather-bound books will transform you room into a warm and inviting space.

Image: Atticmag

Interior Trends 2011 – Eco-Decorating and Technology

Neither of these are particularly new trends but both are rumoured to continue to play a large part of interior design throughout 2011. The main changes will continue to be the choice of materials used to construct homes as well as the materials chosen for interior designs from flooring to lighting and everything in-between. The use of sunlight and natural light is going to be emphasised with reflective surfaces and the clever use of glass to bring an abundance of natural light into all rooms of our homes. You should also expect to see elements that reflect nature come to the forefront of interiors, but to be really cutting edge and keep abreast of all the current and emerging trends this year keeps your eyes looking towards the environmental movement and the ways you can adopt their approaches and interior design ideas into your living space.

Technological advances are happening so fast that they are not only a trend they are fast becoming a way of life. The technological revolution has already encroached and affected most of our lives and its thought that it going to hit even harder this year. Unless you chose to 'opt out' completely of this technological way of living we'll soon be seeing home theatres and entertainment rooms as part of everyday living. Computer game exercise systems will undoubtedly be included into every home gym within a few years.

Image: Pure Contemporay Blog

Interior Trends 2011 – Transforming Perspectives

Interior design and ultimately designers are always being questioned – which is why we have so many different perspectives on how our homes should look each year, let's be honest it would be pretty boring if we didn't! This year's trend of transforming perspectives is more about defining the boundaries between the real world and the virtual world – question the boundaries between art and design to enable them to create innovative radical new designs which are characterised by glass and metal and complemented with hard and soft plastics that combine to form a changeable surfaces.

Another slant on transforming perspectives which will be seen this year is the move away from people looking to live in the biggest and 'best' homes, rather they will be content to live in smaller, beautifully designed homes which have ecc-friendly stamped all over them inside and out.

So how can we, the consumer equate this into our humble abodes? We can of course look to out interiors and embrace the new trends by looking at the materials we choose – we can incorporate the use of glass, metal and plastics, if they're recycled all the better. As DIY will be part of the new trend we can also start looking for curtain material online from fabric wholesalers UK, look for user friendly patterns and guides such as Roman blinds how to make online and have a go at making our own soft furnishings for our homes.

Image: An Indian Summer

Interior Trends 2011 - Re-balancing

The third aspect of interior design which will be seen this year is re-balancing – the experts believe that we, the consumers, have become tired of being constantly bombarded by marketing and are looking for products which are personal and enable us to turn our houses into homes. Within this 're-balancing' trend the emphasis is on simple structures and soft natural materials such as wool.

The keywords for spring and summer are Soften, Energize and Excite. As we saw in my last post colours are predominantly ash grey or black with vibrant injections of bright colour. These colours are being described by words such as airy, waxy and silky. The materials and fabric you choose for your soft furnishings will embrace these keywords so look for curtain materials online such as voile, silk, wool and organza. The natural materials such as wool can be used with beautifully designed floor rugs which will also help to ground your chosen colours.

When trying to re-balance the environmental issues regarding new products we'll need to consider energy consumption, disposal, waste materials and renewable fibres. Interior design is not purely about aesthetics but is about embracing the content and thinking about the style of your interior, questioning where and how products are manufactured, how you'll dispose of them and whether they'll help to lower your carbon footprint.

There's a lot to think about this year and as always interior designers are at the forefront of what's available on the market and how products and materials can be translated into our lives effectively.

Image:belle maison

Interior Trends of 2011 – Surprising Empathy

The second of the interior design trends that will be seen this year is 'Surprising Empathy'. The world's interior design gurus say that consumers are no longer satisfied with re-imagined concepts which is forcing interior designers to push the boundaries to create new innovation and products. The trend is characterised by angular structures, with greys and black highlighted with splashes of yellow or orange; which enables us to use bright neons and coral tones which will be taking red and pink to new levels of concentrated use.

It's all in the detailing:
Detailing and your own personality will mean a lot around your home in 2011. You'll need to ditch the high-tech and return to items which are true to your heart – basically anything which has meaningful purpose to you – an heirloom or your own art work will be right on-trend in making your home truly unique. In smaller living spaces, where comfort is the main focus, make sure your interior design ideas are meaningful and have their own story to tell. This doesn't mean you have to turn to fantasy or characters from books, although these won't be snubbed if they're true to your heart.

Image: atticmag

Interior Trends of 2011 – Emotional Austerity

Due to the financial recession the world of interior design believes that people are asking themselves questions to what they believe they need to live well. This is or has led to the emergence of simple living styles, formal or severe designs which mixes the fundamental basics and old with the newest modern and high-tech ideas. To put simply – Vintage, Modern is an interior design trend which will be seen throughout this year.
To get the latest looks you'll need to do some forward thinking by looking back in history as these time periods will be at the forefront of new trends and colours.
Tudor: This era was rich in voluminous velvets, tear-drop pears and tapestry accents.
Mayan, Inca and Hopi: Tribal influences will be seen in the use of geometric floral fabrics, trapezoids and early images of the sun.

1940s: This decade will once again influence interiors by featuring light maple, pecan and walnut, with fabrics such as seersucker, jersey and cable knits for home-made cushions and throws, curtains, blinds and soft furnishings.

Vintage, modern is an eclectic mix of old and new which enables us to revert back to old ways of hand or home-made to save money and be bang on-trend.

Image: atticmag

In High Spirits 2 - Maximising Space in Your Home

As we pack away our festive decorations we also look at the improvements we can do to our homes – maximising space is one of the biggest problems. However, whilst we're still in high spirits and still on the 'wave' our New Year's resolution now is the time to give serious consideration to the space we call home!

The idea of maximising space is becoming more and more common as home owners require space for their work/study area. Open shelving takes up the free wall space and a slim desk fits snugly under the stairwell . Make it all the more seamless and less obstructive by choosing light neutrals over colours. Wherever your windows are, you might need to consider some ready made blinds to have control over the light flooding into your new home office space – this could also be your opportunity to bring in some colour.

You could also use the space under the stairs for storing outdoor gear, shoes and school bags – just do it tastefully rather than throwing it all in the nook! Build into the nook an exact fit unit that has vertical compartments and a bench seat at the bottom which protrudes out from the nook. If you are a family of four for example, four compartments would give everyone their own space to hang up coats and scarves. The bench seat below could even be an Ottoman offering more hidden storage for sports equipment or shoes.

Image: Atticmag

In High Spirits Part 1

We are high-spirited going into the first week of the New Year and what better way to celebrate than with some whimsical décor inspiration? A touch of whimsy can be achieved by doing something surprising and unexpected with your décor – whether it be an eclectic mix, adding in humour or being creative and playful...something that will raise an eyebrow or two!

Try using garden accessories such as tin watering cans to place flowers in or outdoor lanterns hung above the island unit/dining area. Are you a culture junkie? Show off your travels with items from different corners of the Earth – a Chinese paper lantern, Moroccan mosaic tiles as a back splash and a large African drum as décor – whatever floats your boat!

Also popular with barstools and dining chairs, is having a mixture of styles but all painted in white for a more cohesive look. If you have come this far, why not highlight this whimsy with some interesting lights above the island unit – think about industrial lights in a country kitchen or the use of tinted bulbs. Add splashes of exciting colour to your rooms by choosing brightly coloured and patterned rugs in every room, including the kitchen – it's surprising what a 'lift' adding cheap rugs can do!

Image: House of Turquoise

Get The Look: A Bold, Graphic Bathroom

In this post I'm going to share more interior design ideas for creating a stunning bathroom which is more suited to modern and contemporary styled homes.

Contemporary and elegant, the graphic bathroom is high shine - so sleek and smooth! This would be so much better if you have the advantage of a large bathroom, where you can squeeze in a Chesterfield style sofa in white leather (it is good to dream!) and to have enough space that your bath isn't squeezed into a corner or even against a wall.

The bathroom suite is really seductive with its matching pieces of black toilet and sink, a white bath and all three with gloss finish. Lines are clean and modern, only subtle curves are seen in the bathroom suite and your statement sofa or armchair if you had to downsize!

Polished white tiles on the floor and a focal wall with either black polished tiles or metallic wallpaper. Finishing touches include a contemporary light source where abstracts come into play and a large mirror on your focal wall.
As with the previous post try and use full length ready made curtains if you can; alternatively opt for high shine aluminium or white Venetian blinds to enable lots of natural light flood into the room.

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