by Sarah Oxley

Spring is in full swing, but it’s never too late to use those spring colors to give your home a redesign and really welcome the season into your home. To make this easier for you, I’ve taken a look at this season’s top colors and have come up with some ideas on how to incorporate them into your design.

There are several very popular spring colors to choose from this season. You can choose between two very different, but very charming bright and bold colors, and you can also combine a collection of subtler colors together to create a fresh and light room.

The first spring color will be of no surprise, but its shade may well be. Yellow is notoriously the color of spring due to its association with spring flowers and with new energy. As a recurring spring color, it often appears in different shades for each season and also has different uses. This year instead of it being a supporting color, it is the main color of the room in its bright sunshine yellow shade. A great way of incorporating this bold color in your design is through interior accessories. Consider painting your walls in a crisp white, and having panelled floors in a pale pine. Then add curtains, cushions, wall art, vases, lamp shades, accent rugs, fruit bowls, even water jugs to the room, which are all in sunshine yellow. This creates a stunning design that will truly stand out. To save money, be sure to shop around for your accessories a bit. If you can’t get a good deal in the right color at the flea markets, try searching the web. You can be anything from lamps to curtains online these days.

You can follow the same design idea with this season’s second bold color, which is fuchsia. This will create an equally stunning design, but give you a different tone to your room. If you like mixing colors, then fuchsia can be supported by silver for a very contemporary look. Consider mixing silver and fuchsia cushions to your couch, or fuchsia curtains with a silver stripe running down them.

For a subtler look, you can combine pastel brown with a pale blue green color, which has been defined by Pantone as cockatoo. Although a pale color this shade of blue adds some flair to a room, and the pastel brown grounds the whole color scheme to tie it all together. For this design consider having pastel brown cupboards in your kitchen with cockatoo handles and a cockatoo edge to each panel. Other accessories of your kitchen can also be used to highlight your spring design. For example, a retro metal kettle in cockatoo, cockatoo knife set or chopping board, wooden kitchen chairs painted cockatoo next to a pastel brown table.

These are just some design ideas with which you can use the spring colors of 2012. Remember that as long as you like it, anything goes in interior design. I hope you’ve got some inspiration from this article, so go and get started on your spring redesign.

by Sunny Popali

A bed is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make and a good bed can last a lifetime.  You want to pick a bed that suits your personal style but occasionally you may have reason to want a bed that will fit in with any décor.  Perhaps you are buying a bed as a wedding gift for your children, or you think you will be moving in the next few years, or you are buying a bed for your guest bedroom and may change your decorating scheme in the future and you want to make sure that your bed choice will fit with any décor.  Here are five great choices of beds that will fit any décor and will never go out of style.

Wood:

Slats – Sometimes called Missionary or Shaker style, slats are thin, usually square poles, placed about two inches apart along the headboard and footboard.  This is one of the most popular bed choices.  It is an economical choice but never looks cheap.

Plain Panel – This is a solid wood panel, usually square but can have a rounded top.  Sometimes it will have scroll work engraving, or two large squares etched in it.

Metal:

Tiara–Named after the woman’s beauty pageant crown, a tiara bed has a bar on top of the headboard and footboard that curves down in the center and up at the ends forming a semi-circle shaped like a smile.  This simple and elegant bed is good for smaller spaces because it has trim lines.

Circle – These beds have headboards and footboards where the semi-circle curves so the center is higher than the ends (like a frown).

Divan beds:

The word divan came originally from Persian divan, meaning lounging couch.  A divan is usually a simple headboard with no footboard and is often cloth covered.  They come in various shapes, square, slightly rounded top, and scalloped shaped.  While they are not as commonly used as wood or metal they may be a good choice for people who like to change their décor often and want a homey touch.

Make your bedroom a haven:

Try placing your bed in a few different positions in your room to see which you like best and try changing it every few years for a different change of pace if the room set up allows.

Remember to consider buying a mattress when you are buying a bed frame.  If you will be using your previous mattress for a while longer than that must be a consideration with the new frame.  Also it is important to flip the mattress every three to four months.  Even though it is a hassle, it is worth it to save wear and tear on your mattress.

Whatever type of bed you choose remember to think of your bedroom as a sanctuary with your bed as the mainstay to build your refuge around.

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About the Author

Sunny Popali is the Marketing lead at Mattressnextday. Mattressnextday offer the full range of common mattress sizes including: small mattress, single mattress, double mattress, memory foam mattress, king size Mattress, super king Mattresses, and odd size mattresses.

by Sunny Popali

A bed is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make and a good bed can last a lifetime.  You want to pick a bed that suits your personal style but occasionally you may have reason to want a bed that will fit in with any décor.  Perhaps you are buying a bed as a wedding gift for your children, or you think you will be moving in the next few years, or you are buying a bed for your guest bedroom and may change your decorating scheme in the future and you want to make sure that your bed choice will fit with any décor.  Here are five great choices of beds that will fit any décor and will never go out of style.

Wood:

Slats – Sometimes called Missionary or Shaker style, slats are thin, usually square poles, placed about two inches apart along the headboard and footboard.  This is one of the most popular bed choices.  It is an economical choice but never looks cheap.

Plain Panel – This is a solid wood panel, usually square but can have a rounded top.  Sometimes it will have scroll work engraving, or two large squares etched in it.

Metal:

Tiara–Named after the woman’s beauty pageant crown, a tiara bed has a bar on top of the headboard and footboard that curves down in the center and up at the ends forming a semi-circle shaped like a smile.  This simple and elegant bed is good for smaller spaces because it has trim lines.

Circle – These beds have headboards and footboards where the semi-circle curves so the center is higher than the ends (like a frown).

Divan beds:

The word divan came originally from Persian divan, meaning lounging couch.  A divan is usually a simple headboard with no footboard and is often cloth covered.  They come in various shapes, square, slightly rounded top, and scalloped shaped.  While they are not as commonly used as wood or metal they may be a good choice for people who like to change their décor often and want a homey touch.

Make your bedroom a haven:

Try placing your bed in a few different positions in your room to see which you like best and try changing it every few years for a different change of pace if the room set up allows.

Remember to consider buying a mattress when you are buying a bed frame.  If you will be using your previous mattress for a while longer than that must be a consideration with the new frame.  Also it is important to flip the mattress every three to four months.  Even though it is a hassle, it is worth it to save wear and tear on your mattress.

Whatever type of bed you choose remember to think of your bedroom as a sanctuary with your bed as the mainstay to build your refuge around.

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About the Author

Sunny Popali is the Marketing lead at Mattressnextday. Mattressnextday offer the full range of common mattress sizes including: small mattress, single mattress, double mattress, memory foam mattress, king size Mattress, super king Mattresses, and odd size mattresses.

by Jack Oldham

Whilst curtain poles do serve a purpose, it would be criminal to ignore their aesthetical potential too. Many people may be surprised at just how many options there are when it comes to sprucing up your curtain poles, and although leaving them as standard shouldn’t be frowned upon as you could find that you’re missing a trick by doing so. Here is a quick guide to getting even more out of these window treatments.

Finials
Finials are perhaps the simplest way to add more character to your curtain poles and give them a different dimension. For those not in the know, finials are simply decorative additions that slot easily on to the end of a curtain pole. Chances are that you see them in everyday life, but just don’t pick up on them. The design of the finial can vary massively, and is often influenced by a period in time. Many take inspiration from the medieval period, whilst contemporary designs are also extremely commonplace. The materials used also take influence from this with the more traditional types, for example, being made from wood whilst those of a more modern persuasion are more likely to be glass or metal structures.

Midials
For those people that aren’t quite grabbed by finials, then midials offer a good modern alternative. Whilst finials protrude from the end of the curtain pole, midials take up less room as they tend to slide on to the curtain pole around 10 centimetres from the end. This is obviously particularly handy for those homeowners for whom space is limited. One downside to midials is the limited range of choice when it comes to design, as they tend to only be available in circular or square designs. Having said this, the variety of patterns and colours on the market makes it easy enough to find a midial to match the existing décor in almost any room.

Rings and Gliders
These are a more subtle choice to accessorise yet can still have an effect. Standard curtain rings and gliders are extremely plain and tend to add absolutely nothing aesthetically to a room, so it could be wise to invest in a different set. Like finials, these are readily available in an extremely wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes, and are easy enough to incorporate into the existing décor in most rooms.

Holdbacks and Tiebacks
Weight-dependent, holdbacks and tiebacks can be a great choice. If your curtains are particularly heavy, then these accessories are a convenient way to regulate the light in a room whilst maintaining aesthetical value. As the names suggest, holdbacks hold the curtain back with the use of a hook, whilst tiebacks come in the form of either rope or other material and, unsurprisingly, tie the curtains back!

As you can see, there are quite a few things to consider when it comes to maximizing the impact of your curtain poles. Things to bear in mind include the colour scheme you already have in a room, existing furniture and pure convenience. Adding a few simple touches to the already existing fixtures should be enough to add some character to a room without the need for a huge overhaul.

by Nick Williams

There are a few overlooked interior decorative elements in every home. Interior doors we can say without a shadow of a doubt are always one of them. A door is a door right? Wrong.

Most homes have interior doors, in fact it would be very unusual if your home hand no doors at all. We all have these doors but how many of us would actually consider decorating them or using them as an interior feature? Very little would be our guess.

This is simply because doors are functional; they do their job and are typically not an eyesore. There also isn’t very much written about the decoration of interior doors as a result of them not being the obvious design star of a home.

We love interior doors and also love the hundreds of options available to anyone looking to update theirs. This is why we put together this short post touching on a few of the most basic options:

Stripping

Stripping a door is one of the most satisfying DIY projects you can undertake. It is also one of the most rewarding in terms or what you are left with at the end. Make sure you have a door which is strippable before you start; either a period older door or one with interesting lines and made from SOLID wood (a plain plywood or composite door won’t work). The result is usually a beautiful vintage looking solid wood door, which you can either leave natural or finish whichever way you want.

Stain

Most of us have stained something at one time or another, from our back fence to decking an annual update helps protect wood from the elements. Staining a door shouldn’t be looked at as a protective measure, but more as a design update. Stains come in all shades and colours so don’t think that all your interior doors will come out a deep red brown… A prerequisite is that the door be natural (might have to strip it first) and obviously solid wood. Pick a colour that matches your colour scheme or go a bit crazy and make it a feature.

Distress

Probably my favourite thing you can do with any piece of wooden furniture let alone doors. Distressing doors gives them a really rustic and vintage feel which can really compliment light rooms and wooden floors. Once word of warning though; once you start distressing furniture and doors you won’t be able to stop… To properly distress a piece of furniture you need to completely strip it of original paint, paint a base coat colour (unless you want natural) then a top coat. Once dry you can take a host of different instruments (paint stripping tools, sandpaper, blunt objects) and work through the layers of paint.

Stickers

When you think of stickers and doors you can’t help but imagine a child’s room covered in hundreds of dinosaurs (not something you want to show your friends). Fortunately there has been an amazing amount of progress made by professional companies who specialize in full size door stickers. These stickers are designed to cover the entire area of your door and add inspiration to a typically very dull subject.  There are literally hundreds of designs available; from a period Victorian door face to creating the illusion your door is part of a castle!

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These interior door decorative ideas were brought to you by Yale Composite Doors. Yale Door produce police approved energy efficient composite front doors in a variety of period and contemporary styles.

by MeCC Interiors

Beds by Broyhill (from top right): Genevieve; Bryson; Perspectives, shown in full and as a close up of the headboard storage.

Given the abundance of small condos that are flooding the market, it is not surprising that people are perpetually wondering where they might store all their stuff if they were to move in.  When space is at a premium, multi-tasking furniture becomes imperative; many beds now offer increased functionality with great storage potential.

Space Interiors is a Canadian-based designer and manufacturer of premium and custom furniture.  Given their custom nature, they offer a build-your-own-bed feature on their website that enables you to select the size, base, headboard, and finish.  All designs can be further customized if desired.  The model shown above features eleven (11) drawers.

Bed by Space Interiors featuring Queen base DDC and headboard SO2HBARM1-I

Broyhill, a well-known North American manufacturer, offers lots of variety with its storage beds.  Unlike most, they offer some more traditional styles for those who prefer to stay away from the more typical clean lines and modern profiles.

Ikea's Oppdal bed frame and headboard

If you need the storage but are looking for something that will fit within your student or first-time-buyer budget, don’t forget about Ikea.  The Oppdal bed frame and headboard offers both open and drawer storage for around $500.

Though contemporary designs are certainly more prominent, there are lots of options available within all price ranges and styles, so stop cramming things into non-existent closets and creating sky-high piles.  Get organized and enjoy a great night’s sleep!

by Asha Stuttard

For many, one’s first home is either a studio or one bedroom apartment. Although these may be compact, it’s perfectly possible to make a studio homey, especially with all the clever storage solutions you can find in furniture today.

It needn’t be too expensive to kit out a small space. Look around at a furniture sale to give you some ideas of what kind of furniture you should be getting – there are often room sets which can provide you with some inspiration.

If you have a bedroom and a living room, you might want to buy a sofa bed, rather than just a normal sofa. This will provide you with easy to organize guest accommodation – and the bed will fold away and disappear back into the sofa bed whenever it’s not required. If you’re not in a rush to buy a sofa, wait for the sofa sales before you buy – you’ll save a great deal this way. Sales are usually put on to clear the last season’s stock and if you’re not too fussed about what colour or shape sofa you have, you can find some real bargains.

In the living area, you’ll need a table and chairs – even if you don’t have a dining room, you still need somewhere to eat. And if your kitchen is just a corner of the living room, the table can provide useful extra workspace to prepare your meals on.

Find a unit that will hold your TV and DVD player, but also provide some useful storage space. You could get a wall unit that has a space for the TV, or a TV stand with a cupboard built-in underneath it.

The key to making a small space work is to keep it organised, so once you have your furniture sorted out, keep the clutter to an absolute minimum and your space will remain quaintly bijou rather than poky and cramped!

by Jack Oldham

It’s possible to change the overall feel of a room and make it more appealing to visitors without performing a complete overhaul. The best way to achieve this is by carefully choosing accessories and furnishings that have a real impact on the atmosphere, whilst still making it a comfortable place in which to reside.

Whilst many people believe bold changes are required to accomplish this, there are a number of more subtle ways you can make this sort of difference.

One of the most neglected areas when it comes to home improvement is the window treatments in a home. Many people choose to concentrate on other choices, such as the wallpaper design, or the shadings of the wall paint, and simply do not pay as much attention to window treatments as they should. Many people seem to be of the train of thought that they don’t have much of an impact on the final appearance of a room. This simply isn’t true and a poor decision regarding window treatments could have a disastrous effect on the entire décor scheme in a room.

One option which can offer a number of advantages over its competitors in this case is wooden vertical blinds. According to many style experts and interior designers, these carry a more timeless quality than many alternatives. Window treatments such as blinds and curtains use different fabrics. In a similar way to clothes, fabrics and patterns can very quickly go out of fashion, rendering your window treatments out of date. The lack of patterns and varying colours on wooden vertical blinds mean that this is very rarely a problem.

Instead, these window treatments can go towards creating a contemporary look for any room, with the homeowner safe in the knowledge that not only the appearance, but the blinds themselves are made to last. The appearance isn’t as restricted as you may think either, as there are many types of wood available to make sure that your window treatments fit in with your existing décor. Here are a few tips to make sure you choose the right wood for your home.

Many people choose light woods for their wooden vertical blinds. Woods such as pine are a good choice for people wishing to create a brighter atmosphere in a room. This helps make the room more welcoming not only to you, but also to friends and family who may visit from time to time.

On the other hand, if your room feels a little bit on the large and unwieldy side then darker wood may be the right choice for you. Whilst having a large room is a nice dilemma to be faced with, you may feel that visitors could struggle to relax and kick back in your home as a result of the size. The key here is to create a cosy, relaxing atmosphere. Combining dark vertical blinds with dark décor and a piping hot fire is one way to achieve this.

Another idea is to use the blinds in conjunction with other pieces of décor and accessories to create the perfect atmosphere. Taking real care when selecting cushions, lampshades and other accessories as well as window dressings can go a long way towards making your house a home which appeals to you, your family and your friends alike.