Notepad Corner

It is human nature to make mistakes, especially when one is undertaking something as overwhelming as a wholesale home redecoration or renovation project. This can be anything from taking a sledgehammer to the wrong wall to choosing the wrong curtains – they can be catastrophic or cosmetic, although to some people the latter might well equate to the former!  It tends to be the smaller things – in size, not necessarily function – that escape notice. This is because the bigger, centrepiece items will be foremost in your eyes both literally and figuratively, as they draw the attention. But you ignore these things at your peril, as with just a little more attention you can get seriously increased functionality and style in your bathroom. Tap Out Now, you are well within your rights to say taps are taps, and that’s the end of it. How much complication can you introduce to an item of such straightforward utility? Well, as in most things, it’s the details that matter. I am sho

Choosing the right colour scheme for your home can be a challenge, but it is also a very powerful tool to spruce up your interior and let your personality shine. You should never make a half-hearted decision when it comes to colour. Make sure that you think long and hard about which palette will be right for you and right for your home. earth tone color by nuttakit - freedigitalphotos.net Have Fun When choosing colours for your home, don’t feel as if you need to follow any rules or predetermined techniques. You can do absolutely anything that you choose. Be creative and experiment with colours and ideas that are quirky and out there. You’re never going to know which scheme is right for you unless you try as many options as possible. Keep your mind open and your colour senses tingling. Think About Your Furniture One of the biggest mistakes you can make when choosing a colour scheme for your home is to forget to consider the way it will look with your furniture. Nobody w

To make our planet a better place to live in, more and more people are now turning into living a healthier and greener life. Starting from eating healthy foods to using environmentally-safe and socially responsible products to home improvement such as green roofs and now the use of LED lighting. You can change the light quality of your home and create a more comfortable and sustainable atmosphere through using the LED lighting system. Light-emitting diode or better known as LED is a semiconductor electronic light source. It is the indicator light we see in our home appliances and devices.  Through technology advancements it was recently increasingly used for home and business general lighting source. You can use LED lamps and bulbs anywhere around your home and make a stylish lighting improvement to make your home an enjoyable and cozy place to live in. Image via digsdigs.com

Whether you've chosen to build your new home or renovate an existing structure, choosing the right flooring for you and your family can often pose a daunting question. While there are benefits to all styles of flooring, you must consider which is best for your lifestyle, cleaning and comfortability. Having children and pets is often a major deciding factor when choosing your flooring, as most parents will consider hygiene and cleaning a big part of their choice. For some more information when choosing the right flooring for you and your family, read on to discover the benefits and disadvantages of carpet, tiles and timber flooring. Carpet Flooring Photo credits:  photostock - freedigitalphotos.net For those home owners living in a cooler climate, there's often nothing nicer than stepping out of bed on to a warm, plush carpet, as stepping onto ice cold tiles in the morning can be quite a shock! Carpet is often a great choice for home owners who are trying to create a w

Taking the first steps on the bath to a bathroom redecoration can be a fairly daunting exercise. What is seemingly one decision actually breaks down into multiple other choices, which can bewilder and confuse. One of these big choices is what type and style of shower to plump for. This is not just a consideration of setups and other technical considerations such as connections and systems, but also one of style and looks, too. I like to think I’m a helpful soul, with time for everybody. To that end, I have thrown together a short list of three essential points to consider when you set out to get yourself a brand new shower. You are most welcome. Going Thermostatic?   For those that aren’t aware, the main selling point of a thermostatic shower is that it will automatically maintain your chosen temperature. A standard mixer shower will require your input to accurately balance the taps to achieve your desired heat. The advantage here is that you avoid what can be a

I’m afraid even I am not immune to the glitzy allure of the celebrity. Millions of pages – web, magazine and newspaper – are now committed to this most postmodern of phenomena, and as I would love to bring you the best in bathroom design news it is inevitable that I will turn to the elevated brethren of the gossip columns. So, while affecting my best David Frost, allow me to take you through the plughole and take a look at some famous people’s bathrooms. Well, there’s a sentence I never thought I’d ever write… Robin Van Persie I am unabashed here about starting with one of my heroes, the beloved Netherlands and Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie. As Arsenal fans will tearfully confirm, RVP used to be located down south, and his previous bathroom is a marvel of minimalism. A shower cubicle with simple glass door complements blocky ceramics, while the black storage drawers making for a delightful counterpoint for the muted tiles. There’s even a TV there so he

Now, before we get going here I should probably begin with a disclaimer: there is nothing wrong with vintage, traditional bathrooms. There isn’t! The ability to combine the best of cutting edge technology with classic style is still a fine way to go. It’s just not the only way… Yes, we are looking at contemporary bathrooms here, which is just as good a design path to take as traditional; it all depends on your taste and your home. But the trick is how to achieve a gloriously modern look in your bathroom while still maintaining the high level of functionality that you will need. image courtesy of bathempire.com Well, here are a few suggestions. Ceramics The suite elements of your bathroom are, undeniably, going to be the ones that really grab the attention. To this end, you must ensure that they correspond to modern styling. A back to wall toilet offers minimalism due to its concealed cistern, for instance, while take pains to pick out basins and baths that ev

Monty Python’s hilarious and controversial 1979 film The Life of Brian contains any number of seminal scenes, being as it is one of the greatest comedy films ever made. Set in the Judea of the Roman Empire around the time of Jesus’s crucifixion, the film, as the name suggests, charts the life of Brian, who has the bad luck to be confused with a messiah – the Romans were not big on dissent, as you probably know… Anyhow, the scene shows a meeting of misfiring rebels who, traducing the Romans, demand ‘what have they ever done for us?’ What follows is a long list of societal benefits, including sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health. One thing they missed there, however, is central heating. The fools… Yes, those ingenious Romans pioneered what we would now call central heating. This didn’t require radiators, as a hypocaust system would heat the air via a furnace and circulate it under floors to provide warmt

The eyes are the vital organ of vision. Having good eyesight is an important part of wellbeing as it primarily helps us to see things better in performing our daily activities. It is one of the most important parts of the body that truly needs proper care to ensure that they keep working in good condition. Based on an informal study, it said that 90% of the body's energy comes from the eyes, when the eyes are tired, no matter how much you think your body can still make it, your body will give in to the call of your droopy eyes and before you know it, you'll be snoring in no time. There are a lot of ways for us to care for our eye health - eating a balanced meal, resisting the urge to rub your eyes and wearing your prescription glasses or contacts all the time and replacing your home’s old fluorescent lights with dimmers. Dimmers will not only make your home seem cozier, it will also help you save on electricity and will help you keep your eyes healthy as well. To

When it comes to flooring materials, there are several choices that you can make depending on your budget and the design you have in mind. One of the most common yet pricey options is the granite tile and the marble comes in next. But the growing popularity of limestone tiles now makes it the preferred choice for both residential and commercial flooring needs. You will notice that more and more establishments have turned to limestone tiles due to its durability and low maintenance qualities. Apart from this, it also give any space that clean and healthy feel because of its anti-bacterial capability. For home flooring, limestone is a classy, ideal choice and will suit both grand and simple home decoration. It is welcoming and admirable especially when patterned artistically. You can find limestone tiles that are honed, polished or highly polished textures to blend beautifully in any room décor. One admirable property limestone is it’s being temperate independent. You don’t have

Elegant is timeless. It does not know a specific era, and it doesn't just grow out on people. It is for this very reason that many would like to incorporate this quality in the clothes and accessories they wear; even in the house they call home. How does one make his home not only look, but feel elegant as well? There are many ways to make your house an epitome of elegance and one of them is by creating a contemporary look to it. If you have the taste and are not bothered by doing a good deal of quest for inspirations, then you might not even have to hire a professional designer. Talk about savings! Perhaps you'd be able to buy that pendant lighting piece that you have been eyeing for quite a while now. To help you in achieving that elegant contemporary vibe in your house, we've gathered some tips: 1. Minimize the use of flamboyant fixtures and accessories. Elegance doesn't take advantage in quantity -- it demands attention without having to be loud. Such

Cities such as New York, Rome, Seoul and London are known to be fashion capitals of the world. These cities are not just home to hot fashion trends, these are also the perfect hunting grounds for luxurious trends on home interiors. Some of the best Interior Designers in London have made their home base in the city and you can seek their services for exclusive home designs. photo credits: pinterest.com/pin/291608144592480115  Living in London will encourage any homeowners to put a great deal of thought in their interior decorations. There is so much opulence and artistry around this iconic city thus, only luxury will do for your home too. A well designed interior will not only make your home beautiful, it will also make you special and proud of your investment. It is more than just about choosing the most suitable paint or wallpaper – creating a luxurious home means you consider each and every element in your home and strive to achieve exclusivity and elegance. 

Remodeling is the most sought after solution that home owners seek to improve or enhance how their home look and feel. But for those whose budgets are bit tight, remodeling projects may not possible instantly. The best option for this is to go for less expensive accents that can give you a fresher, brighter feel in your home. Apart from rearranging your furniture, you can also check out your windows and consider getting something sunny or posh curtains that will suit your home’s overall theme. It doesn’t necessary have to expensive, but there are a lot of curtain style that you can use such as the roman blinds, the French café window curtain and others. Flowers and plants are beautiful on their own and they can always brighten any day when placed in strategic spots around the house. Putting some fresh flowers in your living room can radiate a sunny and carefree vibe especially if you are expecting some guests. Anytime you feel bored and dull with your current home’s sta

Many times, the lighting in one's home is taken for granted in favor of other decorative elements which seem to have the biggest contribution when it comes to achieving aesthetic satisfaction. It is a more common scenario to see homeowners fuss over new sofas, antique jars and rugs, than over avant-garde lighting fixtures and fancy chandeliers. This is owed perhaps to the limited notion that many people have about the effects of good lighting -- especially in the living room. Why good lighting counts But really, how can lighting be so important? Lighting, as a matter of fact, has a good deal of impact on the sense of wellness of people. Imagine yourself in a dim or dark room in contrast to a well-lit one. Of course you would be able to achieve more with the latter. And according to studies, people who work in well-lit spaces are more organized and are more driven to accomplish tasks because they are less fatigued compared to those who work in dark areas. Too much brigh

Deciding on the right window treatments is sometimes a daunting task.  Not only is it important that they match the existing décor, shades and blinds have to be easy to operate, safe and functional while still remaining within the range of a budget. Advancements in energy efficiency and modern technology have made it possible for manufacturers to develop new lines of shades and blinds that can significantly contribute to conserving energy in the home while offering modern, clean lines which can very easily fit into the décor of any room.  Cellular shades , which are also called cellular blinds, honeycomb blinds and honeycomb shades, are elegant and durable window treatments that are designed to insulate the home and safeguard it against noise and loss of energy. Cellular Shades and Blinds Cellular blinds are so named because of the empty air pockets that are parallel to the seams.  Generally speaking, cellular shades look like conventional pleated shades when they are looked

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in every home as its main function is cooking and preparing food for the family.  It is also used for dining, food storage and entertaining. No matter how big or small the kitchen is, careful planning is essential before updating this space. Determining the style that would best fit for your family’s lifestyle should be considered, a look that will last the course of its time. Considering a classic modern kitchen design is mostly advised by kitchen designers. There are many options to choose from when creating a dream kitchen. A typical residential kitchen is equipped with cabinets, stove, refrigerator, kitchen countertops, a sink, a dishwasher and other electric appliances arranged according to its functional partitioning and modular design. In my opinion, the kitchen countertops play an important role when giving your kitchen a face lift as it would not only create a clean and neat look but will also add beauty in the over-all

                             Traditional Bathroom by Cambridge Architects & Designers Frank Shirley Architects Redesigning any room in the house is an arduous task that can be fulfilling. By personally redesigning and renovating the rooms in your house, you can turn your house into a home that you can proud of. The bathroom is a vital part of the house, thus the design choices that you make are vitally important. Before beginning any remodel or renovation project there are a few topics that you should consider. Do You Plan To Sell at Some Point? This question may seem useless, after all you don’t plan on selling in the next few months or you wouldn’t be considering this remodel. But if there is any chance that you will sell soon, you might want to reconsider the remodel. According to the Remodeling Cost Value Report , homeowners that renovate a home before a sale do not receive the full monetary investment back. At most they receive about 65% of a bathroom renovat

Many homeowners put off any major makeovers on their home because of budget constraints. In most cases, renovations can be costly whether it’s indoor or outdoor upgrades. So any major remodeling is slowly considered, scheduled and taken up one by one. Homeowners work around minor renovations to boost the look of their home interior as basically this is a fun and simpler to achieve. Aside from changing the motif and color theme, you can also play around and decorate home with mirrors. They are easy and inexpensive, you can up them anywhere you want and decorate them with exquisite metal works as frames. 

One of the easiest ways to improve the look and feel of your home is to recreate or redesign your backyard or front garden and have comfortable patio. Patio sets and furniture usually became the feature of a newly renovated yard because of its aesthetic appeal and it becomes the topic of discussions during events. If you’re thinking of upgrading your patio now that springtime has come and summer is not so far away, there are many styles and trends that you can look into to get the perfect furniture set for your patio.  photo credits: patiofurnitureusa.com

Designing a nursery room is the most exciting home improvement project especially for first time parents. Preparing for the arrival of the new family member is not only full of excitement but also very challenging. Careful planning should be devoted to the type of decorations and furnitures that would fit the room. More often than not due to enthusiasm, parents tend to waste money on buying unnecessary things and forget the most important things. photo credits: yellowsubstudio.com