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.

Image:

Quick Tips To Creating A Home Work Station

Get the lighting and the mood right. If there is too much light, get some Venetian blinds. If there is not enough light, get a table lamp UK. It's tiring and counterproductive to work in too much light or too little light. Depending on what your work is, you might not need anything but a little bit of sunshine. The blinds will help you regulate the light coming in and out of the room and then you can electronically regulate any more or less light that you might need. In addition, leave out the TV and the radio. Some people claim that they can't work without some background noise, so a relaxing waterfall or a noise machine might be in order, but do not put anything at your work space that will visually or aurally distract you.

Get a comfortable chair to sit in while you work, and take care of your desk! It is impossible to get anything done if you are constantly worried that your desk is going to fall apart. Make sure that your workspace is sturdy and ready to be used for what you need it for. In addition, place any appliances or work related items you need on your desk and take away any distractions or non-work related items.

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to organise your things and remove anything that isn't needed. This will make your work space a real work space and make everything else fall into place. If you are a stickler for décor, don't hesitate to look for appliances or a Venetian blind in a style that matches or compliments your desk.

Image: A Life's Design

Autumn/Winter Interior Design Ideas

It's well known that once the fashion industry shows it's latest season that interior designers will also be guiding us to the latest styles and designs which emulate the catwalks.

This season there appears to be two styles which are 'must haves' in both fashion and interior design.

The first is layering up – which means you can use a whole plethora of windows dressing at the same time if you want to be bang on-trend! Layering window dressings is nothing new – it's been around for some time the big difference this year is the amount of layers you you. Basically the more the better!

Begin with roller blinds fitted within the window casing – if you have problems with privacy Venetian blinds can be used instead. Then have full length curtains hung from either curtain poles or curtain tracks; the next layer is a sheer fabric such as silk curtain fabric or voile curtain fabric. Choose a complimentary colour which allows the alternative coloured curtains to show through and you'll have a trendy window dressing which will also help to insulate your home.

The second aspect is lace – and lots of it! You could return to net curtains as your main staple – however to be on-trend you should choose modern designs, colours and patterns. Again, use lace to layer-up your window dressing. Lace would be an ideal replacement for plain sheer fabrics and will add a touch of rough luxe to your room, especially if you steer away from white and opt for ivory or even black lace!

Image: Belle Maison

Has Your Home Got A Sunny Disposition?

It's warm and the sun's out and just as we start to shed out winter clothing so our homes breathe in the fresh air! But only if you open the windows and let the sunshine enter your home through squeaky clean windows!

Rooms which have a sunny disposition will give you an instant pick-up, keeping rooms light and airy with appropriate windows dressing which are practical, functional along with complimenting your interior design style will work wonders for your interior and your morale!

With the fabulous assortment of blinds online you can choose styles and colours which suit your home and you budget. You don't have to spend a fortune to have beautifully dressed windows. Blinds are ideal for all styles of interiors, from traditional to contemporary. Just choose a colour which fits in with your colour scheme and design style.

Wood roller blinds tick all the right boxes in terms of value, style and versatility. If you want to add patterns to your windows opt for Roman blinds which are ideal as the sole window dressing or look stunning when used in combination with the latest eyelet curtains styles.

Image: Freshome

Chic And Contemporary Clean Lines

This has to be the the epitome of a contemporary bathroom using natural stone. Providing an opulent space which is simply stunning, although it doesn't actually look usable! Who would want to spoil the look by adding the necessary bathroom commodities of everyday living?

The use of natural stone in bathrooms continues to be extremely popular, the subtle colour tones make each vanity unit or bath completely unique. Having a bespoke bathroom has to be the dream of many people and yet although this bathroom is fabulous it does lack homeliness in my opinion.

It also demonstrates to perfection the versatility of cheap Venetian blinds and the beautiful light effects they produce. Of course Venetian blinds are the perfect window dressing in any style of bathroom, irrespective of its size. The latest designs have special coatings which make them moisture resistant and ideal for the humid atmospheres of bathrooms, along with providing the necessary privacy from the outside world!

Venetian blinds are infamous for providing clean lines for windows in modern and contemporary homes and although they are still used in work places and offices they have found their way into people's homes in spectacular style!

Image: Haven and Home

Blinds On Blinds!

If you don't want curtains in your bedroom why not take inspiration from the idea of using two different types of blinds?

Venetian blinds fitted inside the recess of the window provides the privacy you need without the use of net curtains, whilst a linen blend Roman blind style breaks the starkness, adding a soft and gentle touch which is ideal for bedrooms.

The great advantage of using two types of blinds is the endless possibilities of colour combinations you can use! White Venetian blinds provide you with a crisp clean look, as well as the versatility of being able to control the amount of light entering the room, whilst you can have a fabric blind which matches or coordinates with your bedding sets to bring the room together and provide a sense of balance.

This style of window dressing becoming increasingly popular as it a great money saver! Not only can ready made Roman blinds be bought inexpensively, you can also make your own Roman blinds which opens up a whole world of wonderful fabrics to choose from. Double layering window dressings is also a good way to help reduce heat loss via your windows, especially if you select a medium weight fabric for the Roman blinds.

Image: two ellie blogspot

Beautiful Festive Colour Schemes

You have probably already chosen your Christmas colour scheme this year, if you haven't try fabulous turquoise! This gorgeous colour is sure to brighten any home style as well as complimenting neutral décors.

Irrespective of what colour scheme you choose the key is not to get carried away and add so many baubles and tree decorations that your tree looks completely swamped! Remember the less is more 'rule'!

The other thing is to buy a tree which suits and fits comfortably within the size of your room! Placing it in front of your lounge window is a great idea just so long as it doesn't interfere with the opening and closing of curtains or vertical blinds.

Whilst it is the season to be jolly, you also need to be jolly careful that you don't expose your house and its contents to the world as sadly opportunist thieves are prevalent over the festive season, particularly if you leave your curtains or blinds open when you are not at home. Of course if you have Venetian or vertical blinds you can simply adjust the angle of the slats or vanes to give you privacy from prying and inquisitive eyes!

Sounds cynical? Or just a reflection of the times we live in?

Image: House of Turquoise

Viva Venetian Blinds!

If you like to keep things stylish yet simple within your home Venetian blinds have to be one of the most practical and versatile window treatments you can use.

The old fashioned metal Venetian blinds that clanked and clucked their way into many offices have been re-designed to suit all styles of home interiors perfectly.

White remains one of the most popular colour choices, basically because the colour blends effortlessly with any other colour within the room. Venetian blinds are very practical for use in bathrooms and kitchens as the latest designs have special coatings which make the moisture resistant and some also have coatings which help prevent dust build-up which has to be a big plus for anyone! The controls have also been modified over the years, with easy to use wand controls replaced pull cord systems.

The choice of colours has been greatly improved over recent years and along with the latest in-trend sherbet colours vibrant primary colours and gloss black are now available, even you really want a real change there are some fabulous faux leather Venetian blinds in black or chocolate brown which provide the same versatility with chic and modern design styles to suit modern lifestyles perfectly!

Image: My Notting Hill Blog

Black Venetian Blinds Provide Style And Impact To Modern Interiors

Metal Venetian blinds have been available for years with many people being more used to seeing them in offices than people's homes. However, their versatility and practicality has made them a very popular window dressing in all styles of homes.

Recent manufacturing concepts means that the clanking, noisy Venetian blinds are a thing of the past, smooth operating systems and a diversity of different colours provides a chic and stylish window dressing either when used on their own or in conjunction with ready made curtains.

Black Venetian blinds provides an understated impact to a window and it the perfect choice for creating contemporary monochromatic colour schemes.

If privacy is high on your interior design agenda than Venetian blinds tick all the right boxes! Enabling you to have complete control over the amount of light entering your room, along with ability to tilt the blinds to provide complete privacy from prying eyes without restricting natural light. If you don't have passers-by looking in then you cab simply pull up the blinds to your desired height to provide maximum light along with chic interior styling! Angle the louvres upwards and it is possible to bounce the natural light off of a white ceiling back down into the room.

Image: Little French Nest Blog

Are You Prepared For Potential Floods?

According to UKCIP (UK Climate impact Programme) 'In the next 25 years, 80,000 homes could be affected by flooding..'

With many homes and their occupants already experienced the devastation flood waters can do to homes, there are some useful tips which may help to lessen the blow should your home be affected this winter.

Always follow instructions given by the emergency services.

Check whether your house is liable to flooding. This may sound rather daft, however, just because you haven't been affected before there is no telling whether you may be in the future, so checking is wise so that you can be prepared for a worst case scenario.

Check weather forecasts and flood alerts to begin moving as many of your possessions as you can upstairs if you live in a two or more storey house. If you live in a ground floor flat or a bungalow ask friends and family to take care of your belongs for you. Many things you may be able to replace, however, treasured photographs and mementos are irreplaceable.

If you have floor length curtains it would be wise to take them down, otherwise they can act in the same way as a wick and soak the water upwards. Replace the curtains with inexpensive aluminium Venetian blinds so that you still have privacy both day and night.

Above all else remember not to take any risks which could endanger your own or others lives.

Image: Living Art and Interiors Blogspot

Sleek Venetian Blinds To Compliment Kitchens Perfectly

Don't be a slave to your kitchen! Rather than rushing around like a maniac when waiting for a cake to bake, simply take it easy in relax in a kitchen which has been designed to suit modern living styles impeccably!

I'm not sure if bright candy pink would be my colour choice or the arm chairs, but I do like the area which has been designated to relaxation within a kitchen. This beautiful sunny window has the ideal window covering for kitchens; humble Venetian blinds have seen a recent revival within many kitchen interior designs. Easy to install and practical, you can see just how versatile they are. Enabling you to have complete control over the amount of natural sunlight entering the room, when used at windows of all shapes of sizes you can have them pulled up at different levels to give a very chic and stylish look which is both practical and affordable.

Opt for a neutral colour such as the latest in-trend graphite or steal colours as these compliment all colour schemes effortlessly, particularly in kitchens to coordinate with steel accessories, stainless steel sinks and cupboard handles.

Sleek, shiny and spotlessly clean kitchens don't have to be places in which you are slave to the sink or cooker, take time to relax whilst you fill your home with mouthwatering smells of homemade bread and cakes!

Image: AtticMag

Everything Is Going To Be All White!

Among the latest interior design styles is to have rooms which are completely white from ceiling to floor and everything in between! Whilst this design style may provide sleek clean lines is it a style which really suits most people's lifestyles?

Don't misunderstand, I adore white and yet I realistically know that even one scuff mark or grubby fingerprint can make the whole scheme look marred! This in itself does not lend to family ways of living and yet having white does have its own distinct and unique advantages.

Firstly if kept well maintained it does always provide you with a crisp, clean look every time you enter the room. It is also one of the most cost effective ways to decorate and dress a room. White emulsion paint is the least expensive on the market along with white Venetian PVC blinds which are available in a wide range of different widths and lengths to suit windows of all sizes. These are also easy to keep clean as the latest designs have an anti-dust coating which reduces the amount of dust build up!

Using large mirrors has always been an effective way to brighten a room and give the illusion of more space. Whilst painting floor boards is the in-trend thing to do rather than just having stripped pine.

Bedding is always available in white, with many people preferring to use white sheets irrespective of the colour of their duvets, and like blinds are among the low cost bedding options.

So rather than viewing an all white room with trepidations think of the stunning looks which can be achieved on the smallest of budgets and you may just change your mind!

Image: AtticMag

Don't Restrict The Use Of Blinds Just For Windows!

The humble blind has more uses than purely window treatments. With a little ingenuity and the necessity to either keep the sun light out along with prying eyes, blinds of all types can be used throughout your home.

Roller or Roman blinds are ideal to use on back doors which are half glass. Wonderful country cottage looks can be achieved using either a plain neutral colour or a beautiful floral fabric, whilst modern homes look equally stunning with bold stripes or patterned blinds.

Blinds are also a great way to cover shelving in alcoves in older styles of home as they are easy to operate along with giving full exposure to the space when it needs to be utilised. Venetian blinds can work equally as well to give a contemporary look when the latest mirrored or perforated designs are used.

Swag and tail curtains typically are used in conjunction with a roller or vertical blinds as this enables privacy at night without having to disrupt the glorious chic look of the curtains. Homes which have pristine window dressing, such as swags and tails, which always look immaculate are created by always leaving the curtains exactly in place! This 'trick of the trade' can also be used to have stunning window dressings without having to have the usual amounts of curtain fabric, however once you have made the choice just to have swags and tails for show only, you will not be able to close them completely even if you wanted to, so give careful consideration as to the disadvantages this may have particularly during the winter months when you need to reduce heat loss through your windows by closing the curtains at night.

Image: My Notting Hill

Choosing Colours For Your Interiors!

One of the greatest things about interior design is that you can opt for any style you like, it's your home and you should feel comfortable in it! You do not have to keep up with the very latest design trends to have an interior which is stunning.

If you can't decide on which colour you like best or simply have to have them all then simple aspects such as painting your cupboard doors all a different colour can look striking and very stylish! In order that the look is not overwhelmed opt for plain white blinds which enable you to control how much light and privacy you want or need.

Using Venetian styled blinds in a kitchen is ideal, particularly if they are made from metal which has been coated to help reduce dust build up as well as being very easy to keep clean, as they allow plenty of natural light to flood into the room creating a homely, bright and airy space when stacked at the top of the window or when the louvres are tilted open. If you have small windows you can further maximise the use of natural light up slightly tilting the louvres upwards which enables the light to bounce off a white ceiling.

Keep things natural in the kitchen by having easy to clean flooring around the working areas. If you have a table in your kitchen you can opt for a rug made from natural materials to keep the theme coordinated and bring a sense of homeliness as well as cohesion to the room.

Image: Avant-garde Design

Protect Your Flooring From Fading With Venetian or Vertical Blinds

Wooden flooring has been popular for many years, either original stripped floor boards in older styles of homes, parquet flooring in the 1960s along with the influx of laminate style flooring which is being used throughout modern homes.

Interior designers have created beautiful wooden floors which have patterns set within them providing the best of both worlds in terms of both innovation and chic style! The patterns are made from using different coloured wood in the same way as marquetry is used on furniture. Wood inlay coloured patterns can be selected to blend effortlessly with your interior design colour scheme, offering a truly remarkable floor with maximum effect.

However, anyone with a natural floor needs to take care and reduce the risk of staining by mopping up spills as quickly as possible before it has time to penetrate into the wood and also by ensuring the window dressing they choose offers flexibility and practicality in helping to reduce the floor from fading in harsh sunlight. This is of particular importance if you have south facing windows as even in the UK where people may not think there is sufficient or intense sunlight which will damage floors will be astounded to know that the UV rays can cause as much harm to your floor as they can to your skin even on the dullest of days!

Venetain or vertical blinds are the ideal solution as they can look stunning when used as the sole window treatment and equally as striking when teamed with curtains. The great advantage over having either of these styles of blinds is the amount of control you have in diffusing the light or blocking it out completely. Adjusting the louvres correctly will also help furniture and soft furnishings from fading, as well as providing privacy when needed.

Image: Freshome

Fusion Table

Many of us struggle to find space to have such large games tables in our homes. Here is the solution. This beautiful sleek wooden table ‘Fusion’ has an element of surprise! Simply slide the top off and underneath is a pool, billiard games table!

The table is made from different natural woods or metal to fit into both modern and traditional style homes with ease. It makes a real change to see such an innovative design actually photographed in a ‘normal’ home setting, complete with a wall bookcase/shelving and simple white venetian blinds; it enables you to realistically say ‘yes’ I could have one of those and it would be practical and functional for dining as well as playing pool or billiards.

As those of you who follow my blog have probably realised I admit to being a bit of a ‘wood’ lover! This beautiful Fusion walnut table is simply stunning in its sleek design. No fussiness about this table, the designers Aramith have used clean lines and sturdiness in a fashionable and stylish way.

The metal version may be more suitable for contemporary interior design styles which favour white or black décor and furnishings or ‘outside’ terraced dining areas for those who live in warmer climates than the UK!

The height of the table is adjustable to differentiate between dining and 'playing'; it is even possible to choose the colour of the felt on the pool/billiard table for a completely coordinated look in the dining room!

For further details of sizes and design styles visit Fusion

Image source: www.notcot.com