Thursday, September 27, 2012

Home Decorating Ideas - Bathroom Cabinet Hardware



The bathroom is arguably one of the most important and necessary rooms in our homes. Whether you have one bathroom, one and a half bathrooms, or more, it is a room that is sure to see a lot of traffic and use in a day. For that reason, we need the bathroom to be both functional and comfortable. Our bathrooms should be a sanctuary on top of being a necessary room, so decorating your bathroom to reflect your personal style allows you to create a retreat in the home where you always feel comfortable and enjoy the time that you spend in there.

If your current bathroom décor and setup is starting to grow old and you feel it is time for a change, then a bathroom makeover is definitely in order. Unfortunately, large scale bathroom remodeling projects are not always feasible. They suck up a lot of your time, and they also suck up a lot of your finances. But even if you can't afford to do the whole room over again, you do have plenty of options available to you that will let you update the look of your bathroom without costing you something in the neighborhood of an arm and a leg.


When you think of inexpensive interior design ideas for the bathroom, you likely immediately think of new towels, a new shower curtain, and new bathroom rugs. While these certainly are great ways to get a new look for less, if you overlook your bathroom cabinet hardware, then you are missing out on a major opportunity to spruce up the room. The drawer pulls and knobs on your bathroom cabinets give you the ability to add another style element and decorative touch to the room, quickly and inexpensively. A new cabinet pull on the bathroom vanity will instantly change the whole look of the vanity, even if you do not paint or stain the entire cabinet itself. Why? Because decorative cabinet door knobs act like jewelry for your cabinets. They dress up the cupboard door while still serving as functional pieces that allow you access to your bathroom storage spaces.

Compared to installing a brand new bath tub, new cabinet hardware is extremely inexpensive. The project can be completed very quickly (unless you have a giant bathroom with as many cupboards as a kitchen does, of course), and it won't break the bank for you. So when you are ready to give your bathroom a style update, don't forget the new cabinet hardware. The new pieces will breathe new life into your bathroom instantly.

Jim is the Vice President of Your Home Supply (YHS) the definitive website for home improvement tools, and gardening supplies. Your Home Supply offers a wide range of bathroom cabinet hardware and ceiling fans to help customers with home decorating ideas.



How to Attach Wall Decor Without Drilling Holes in the Siding



Sidings are used to protect a building from rain, wind, and other harsh elements. They can be in the form of plastic, wood, metal, or cement attached to the structure. To avoid damaging it while beautifying your home, here are some alternative ways to hang a wall decor without drilling in the sidings such as:

Double-sided tape

Sidings are made of different materials and one of which is plastic. A double-sided adhesive tape is a good choice to get away with drilling while hanging a wall decor. No more using of hammer to fix a decor on place. All you need is to choose something that has lightweight since adhesive tapes are not that sturdy.


Monkey Hooks

Built-in hooks attached at the back of the decors are already popular alternatives to nails. This is ideal for wood sidings where you can push the small hook against it. It may be a weather-resistant wood such as the redwood and cedar, or a cheaper version, which is plywood. Hooks produce cleaner result that is more convenient to use. Unlike before where you have to use drills to hang decors on your wall, with the advancement of technology, everything is just a one step away.

3M hanging strips

Just like an adhesive tape, hanging strips best suit plastic as well as metal sidings. Since these are made of high quality materials, the strips are like glue that stick on the surface. Although strong, these are not made for large decors because the materials are intended to hold an average load only.

Vinyl siding hooks

No need to drill or use a hammer, just slip it under the vinyl siding and you now have an instant hook for your iron wall decor. With a capacity of as much as 10 pounds, it can be attached and removed anytime you want to. It is specially designed for vinyl, which is a handy hook that usually comes in a set of 4. Made of small metals whose both ends are curved, one end is used for fixing in place while, the other end is for hanging the decor.

Super glue

If you are in dire need to hang a decor without the creating a hole, I suggest you try a super glue to hold it in place. It has a strength that can hold heavy weight with just a drop of it. However, you can no longer transfer it from one place to another.



Living Room Decorating Ideas - How We Used Our Bath Panel in the Living Room



Just over 12 years ago we purchased our first family home in the legendary City of Robin Hood Nottingham. As money was tight we had to stretch our budgets and be extremely creative. This included using our old bath panel as part of the décor in the front room.

Sounds like and interesting challenge doesn't it? Well here is how it all came about.

The home we purchased is in a really leafy suburb of the city. Both my partner and I had stepped up moving to this area and decided to buy the best house we could afford in the best area. I guess we had taken to heart the mantra 'location, location, location'.

As a result we ended up with a real fixer-upper that required massive renovation. In our new home all the floor boards and joists where rotten, the windows needed changing plus we needed new electric, gas and heating services. The garden was somewhat Jurassic looking although it did have some fantastic rose bushes in. All in all we had taken on a massive money draining task.

Not to be discouraged we set about turning our newly acquired project into a home. One of the attractive aspects of the house was all the original 1930's features. This included fantastic internal doors which we got stripped professionally and also some really nice original cast iron fireplaces.

The fireplaces really created a central feature in both the dining and living room areas. However both fireplaces needed some serious work and desperately needed restoring.

We used special chemicals to strip off all the old soot and scorch marks from the fires themselves. Then we removed and replaced the wooden surrounds with new ones which had a rustic feel and maintained the overall look.

The challenge came when we removed the hearth in our living room. Replacing this seemed to be really difficult. Firstly we did not have much money which limited our choice of new tiles. In fact we ended up looking at dozens of tile swatches from the budget ranges which whilst nice did not fit in with the whole theme of the room.

It was then that I had an inspired idea. A couple of days before we ripped out and replaced our old bath from the family bathroom. In fact at this point it was sitting on our driveway waiting to be loaded into a skip and taken down to the dump. My partner had commented about the lovely black marble panel and how it was a shame to dump it. My idea was to take this and get it cut down to be used as our new fire hearth.

Finding a stone mason just took a quick look through a local business directory and a couple of calls. I am glad we found a professional as not only did he cut it to size but also offered us advice on how to care for a new precious fire hearth.

We installed it quickly using cement to hold it in place. I then took a trip to our local discount ceramic tile warehouse and purchased some matching mosaic tiles to go around the edge of the fire itself.

The end result is outstanding and even to this day we find guests to our home commenting on the lovely feature fireplace in our front room. Needless to say they are always amazed when we come clean and explain our resourceful use of our old bath panel.

Small Kitchen Design

If you are reading this then it is possible that you are looking for a new kitchen that provides better functionality of the space available to you. This article about small kitchen designs is equally applicable to larger kitchens if you are wanting to add more storage or just make your room look bigger.

Dedicating a small room for a kitchen is usually a challenging decision for kitchen planning, but a well-thought use of said space can result in a functional, comfortable and pleasant room. There are many kitchen planning tips that can help us make a successful small kitchen design. Here are some ideas for kitchens that are needed to make the best use of tiny spaces.


1- Use as much vertical space as possible: cover the walls with deep/slim cabinets, shelves or racks, and install hanging hooks for your utensils. There must be plenty of floor and overhead space for you to work comfortably. Look for clever small kitchen design solutions like hidden plinth drawers, pull-out tables, etc.

2- If possible, install an island to add counter and storage space (drawers and hooks on the side) in the centre of the kitchen, and try to make use of the space above it (hanging hooks, floating racks, etc.). It could be wise to put a couple of electric sockets with security lids in the island.

3- Maximize light: more light will make the room seem bigger. A glazed ceiling would be an optimal solution where possible, but otherwise, large undressed curtains are suggested. Install lights under cupboards that are above the counter to ensure you get plenty of light when cooking. Light colours and glossy or reflective surfaces help to make the kitchen look even more spacious.

4- Use a simple colour scheme to avoid visual clutter: choose only soft, uniform colours for counters, walls and cabinets or splash it with a bold, contrasting tone for details. Alternatively, you can define the look of your kitchen in terms of materials and textures: metal, glass, marble, wood, exposed bricks, etc.

Small kitchen design need not be a troublesome headache if you follow some or all of the advice above when searching for ideas for your layout. Make good use of the knowledge of your kitchen fitter, or visit a store that can provide kitchen design services, this is normally provided free of charge especially if you are purchasing from them as well.

Let PE Interiors think outside the box for you: they can present you with the best ideas for Small Kitchen Design, not only making the most of your space, but also giving a unique, customised solution to your specific needs. The job will be done in a clean and orderly manner, to reduce to a minimum the disruptions in family life.



Interior Wall Painting Ideas



Interior wall painting ideas are a lot to choose from. But in this article we shall discuss a few of the more popular ones. Are you a single professional living in an apartment all by yourself? Or are you a married couple looking for some homely style? In both these cases, your choice of wall painting will differ. In this article, we shall discuss some of the recent developments in the school of wall painting that you can try by yourself. They are fun!

Now professional looking results are not all that hard to achieve. But do not give a lot of importance to the exact copy of professional designs that you desire to emulate. The same pattern cannot be created repeatedly. So do not be over critical of your performance. There are many interior wall painting ideas that are fun and easy to do. Here are some of them.

One of the interior wall painting ideas is the concept of rag painting. It has a very cool look and you can try it at home. Rag painting involves the wetting of a rag with a paint of your choice that you want to see on the wall. Remove the excess paint and dab it to the wall.


After some point when the paint runs out, reapply the paint. Use slight pressure while doing this. Gradually the rag will become saturated with paint. Then replace it with another rag. With a simple process as this, it is possible to make your paint job seem like marble wallpaper.

You can also try out sponge painting. In this type of painting natural sponges are used. They are dipped in colors and then dabbed on the face of the wall. Make sure that you try out the pattern on a rough scale before applying it on the wall. Use random movements and make sure the sponge is turned in every possible direction. This gives rise to an indiscriminate pattern.

These interior wall painting ideas are not only cheap, they are also unique and fun to do. Whether you do it with your family or alone, it can be a very refreshing experience. Try these interior wall painting ideas today.


Sunday, September 23, 2012

Home Design: Interior Design Ideas for Contemporary Homeowners



Coming up with a good home design does not happen overnight, especially since this concept requires specification and time in order for you to achieve the look that you want for each corner, ceiling, wall, and other important nooks in your home. In this modern world, you can find various home interior design ideas, especially on the Internet. Most of these ideas can be easily accessed for free for you to use and implement so that you can successfully design and decorate your home with both elegance and class. Your home is one of your biggest possessions so it is just right that you want it to look best. Each corner will need proper concentration and in order to help you out, here are several interior design ideas that might be of help to you should you decide to give your house its much-needed touch-up.

Different Folks will Need Different Strokes

Spinsters and bachelors would certainly have different home design needs as compared to families, whether there are kids or none. There are many home interior design ideas that are suitable for bachelors and married individuals. Meanwhile, self-employed individuals and those who are working will also have different needs when it comes to house spaces. Since different people also follow varied hobbies, this should also be taken into consideration when coming up with a home design. Simply put, home design will practically depend on the status of the person who owns the house, as well as his or her way of life.

Setting and Furniture

As far as interior design ideas are concerned, the type of furniture that should be chosen will depend on the number of individuals living in the house and their particular age group. The kind of room should also be taken into consideration when coming up with a home design in order to identify the if there is a need to add or move fixtures in order to make the living area more comfortable, convenient and stylish. There are different color combinations that can be chosen for ceiling and wall in the different rooms in your house and if you want, you can also pick a particular theme that will best suit your home design.

Ask for Professional Advice

If you want to achieve the best home design, you always have the choice to get the expertise of a professional interior designer or home decorator. However, you should take note that you might need to spend some money in order to get expert recommendations and suggestions. Take note that good services will always call for equal compensation. It only goes to say that if you will be spending money on a classy and stylish living arrangement, you are assured that you will have a really worthy cause. But at least, you are given the assurance that even the tiniest details will be given attention and your dislikes and preferences will all be taken into consideration.

A good home design can definitely change the way your home looks and by choosing the best home interior design ideas, you can certainly create your very own personal haven

Author Vishal Saraf explained above how one can come up with various interior design ideas while approaching any new home design.