Home Design - Tips

 

Friday, December 8, 2006
Arrangement -- Understanding Arrangement -- Finding Arrangements That You Like
Arrangement

Imagine an empty surface such as a mantelpiece, shelf or table top. Then think about how many things you could arrange upon it before it stopped feeling empty and started feeling ‘full’. Then think about what object you might put on it and how you might arrange those object. Unless you are striving for a particular look, how you go about this task is usually unconscious. Whatever you choose to display just one object, or a profusion, says something about how dramatic, or impressive or even sentimental you like to be.

Understanding Arrangement

Until relatively recently, respectable taste demanded that object be displayed properly, in other words, all lined up symmetrically, each one in its own pool of space, in diminishing order of size or height. So the clock goes in the middle, with a candlestick on either side. The fashion for all things Eastern made sparser, more asymmetrically arrangements popular. But the urge to place something ‘off-centre’, to break up uniformity, is quite instinctive in some people. Others feel that the simplest possible display enhances rather than detracts from the impact of the object.

Finding Arrangements That You Like

Look at how arrange flowers in a vase, or place cushions on a sofa, or set a table. Do you choose a range of shape and sizes, clustered at random? Do you ensure that two carefully matched and proportioned items are aligned to balance? Simple elegance, unexpected juxtaposition, cosy profusion, drama?
Now, looking at the picture say which of these six mantelpiece arrangements you prefer. Which grouping most resembles how you would like to arrange the object in your home? Write down your choice and describe what you like abut the effect it achieves using up to three key words.
posted by Smithdeson @ 11:27 PM   0 comments
Bathroom--Choosing Bathroom Materials
Choosing Bathroom Materials
Many styles are established, at least in part, by the materials you choose for countertops, floor coverings, and wall and ceiling treatments. Also factor in the finishes on cabinets, fixtures, fittings, and accessories.
Just a few years ago, the average vanity top, usually laminate, included a 4-inch lip on the back. Today's higher backsplashes, however, often feature materials that are found there alone. Geometric or handpainted art tiles are popular choices. Seamless backsplash mirrors are popular, too--but can be tough to keep clean.
Floor choices are increasing. Besides time-tested tile and vinyl, we're seeing more stone used in baths--the result of newly affordable stone-tile offerings and the sealers that protect them. Wood and carpeting are also showing up, especially in detached areas away from direct-splash zones.
For painting walls, both standard treatments and faux finishes are familiar. Other wall options include tile, stone, terrazzo, wood, plaster, wallpaper, upholstery, and glass block.
Beyond aesthetic considerations, you should weigh the physical characteristics of surface materials. Most bathrooms take a lot of wear. Is your countertop choice water resistant, durable, and easy to maintain? Is the floor hard to walk on, noisy, or slippery? Are walls easy to clean? A powder room or master suite might be the place to try delicate materials that would be impractical in a family bath.
posted by Smithdeson @ 7:25 PM   0 comments
Bathroom--Killing Mildew in the Bathroom
Killing Mildew in the Bathroom
Any time you have a moist bathroom, it is the ideal environment for mold and mildew growth. Here are some brief tips to help you cope or eliminate the problem.
  • Leave the door open if you can so that steam can leave the room. If you can't do that, open a window. If you are in a window-less bathroom, there should be an exhaust fan to help circulate the air and lessen the effect of steam build-up.
  • Leave the shower curtains or doors pulled back temporarily so that the walls can dry faster. Then pull the shower curtain closed to allow it to dry without being stuck together
  • Use a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner or one that has a "disinfectant" or "antibacterial" label. But before you try any cleaner, read the instructions. Test it to make sure it will not discolor the surface you are cleaning.
  • Use curtains that are mildew-resistant.
  • Soap-scum remover will rid you of those ugly tub rings and other hard water deposits where mildew can start.
  • The area under your sick is prone to collecting moisture. Keep it dry and clean. Ditto for the floor in front of the tub or shower.
  • Launder your bath towels daily - or at least weekly. Hang them loosely so they can dry quickly.
  • Never put wall-to-wall carpeting in a bathroom. It collects and holds moisture. Even industrial carpeting is unwise. Should you ever have a spill or a toilet overflow, you'll be in trouble for sure.
posted by Smithdeson @ 7:22 PM   0 comments
Bathroom--Redesigning Your Bath: More Great Tips to Update Your Bathroom
Redesigning Your Bath: More Great Tips to Update Your Bathroom

I'm staging a home that is over 30 years old and in dire need of updating. There are 2-1/2 baths that need my attention. If you're in need of updating your bathroom, here are some more tips:

  • Choose a reliable design specialist. I know it's hard, but take the time to get estimates, review references, compare costs.
  • Ask yourself what tasks you want to perform in the bathroom. Do you love steam showers? How about body sprays? A heated floor would be nice.
  • Browse through magazines and cut out pictures that have the elements you like. Show these to your designer. If you're looking for a calm retreat where you can relax, say so.
  • Note the existing architecture and try to stay true to it. Take the old and let your designer reinterpret it in a new, refreshing way.
  • Don't settle for annoying little problems. A door that won't close smoothly must be fixed. If hooks and hangers are not in appropriate places, move them. Don't settle for what doesn't work.
  • Get to know your installers. Only hire people you trust.
  • Expect them to be late. They almost always are. Expect them to take much longer than they say they will.
  • Be ready for the unexpected. Have a Plan B in case something goes awry in Plan A. Do your research. Plan ahead.
  • When in doubt, choose classic materials. You can never go wrong there.
  • When several people or more than one company is involved, don't be surprised if there are scheduling problems. That's going to happen. Be patient and try to look on the bright side.
  • Take "before" and "after" photos of the space for your portfolio if you are a home stager or interior redesigner.
  • Don't pay in advance except for a deposit.
  • Get a lien release signed upon completion. Never pay the balance until or unless you are totally happy with the end result.
    Quick Picks
posted by Smithdeson @ 7:19 PM   0 comments
Bathroom--More Bathroom Remodeling Tips and Ideas
More Bathroom Remodeling Tips and Ideas

Experts will usually agree on the following concepts, whether it's for remodeling or redecorating a bathroom, or just about any other room.

  • There are design teams and design teams. Not every design team is the right one for you. Pick someone you feel comfortable working with. This person should be easy to communicate with and someone who listens to you and who will accommodate your wishes and goals into the design.
  • Require the design team to put their ideas down on paper for you to see. The more that gets put on paper, the easier it is to see if there is anything missing or anything that's not going to work.
  • Remember that your bathroom is part of a larger picture. Design it so that it "fits" the rest of the home.
  • Think about the view from adjoining spaces. You want all the space to coordinate.
  • Place the water closet as close to the bedroom as possible to avoid extra steps in the middle of the night.
  • Make room for a "wet area" that allows enough room to dry off after a bath or shower. A chair or bench would be nice if one needs to lift a leg to wipe dry. As you age, these types of small details become more important than ever.
  • Decide what accessories you will want handy and in plain sight. Make a place for them early in your planning.
  • Spend a lot of time developing your fundamental plan. If you don't get this right, no amount of fixtures or cabinets will be satisfactory later.
  • Remember to scale everything to the human scale and allow ample room for the normal activities. If the area is very large, make sure your plan doesn't require unnecessary steps to get from one part to another.
  • If you're designing the master bath, try to find a plan where you can enter, bathe, dress and leave without passing through the master bedroom again. When two people share an area, there is likely to be two different schedules at work. A separate exit from the master bedroom is a very good thing.
  • Treat yourself to a luxurious bathroom with great lighting, ample storage and personalized design details. It truly will make a huge difference.
    Quick Picks

posted by Smithdeson @ 7:16 PM   0 comments
Bathroom--How to Choose Toilets
How to Choose Toilets

Well, if you've lived in a home for any length of time, you've probably already encountered a problem with one of your toilets. Replacing them can be confusing as there are many options nowadays. So here are a few things you might want to consider.

  • How Well Does the Toilet Flush? - There are federal mandates that control the amount of water you can use to flush a toilet. The amount was reduced a number of years ago. And some toilets do a much better job of flushing than others. You used to be able to flush from 3-7 gallons of water and now you can only flush 1.6 gallons. Since the early versions didn't do an adequate job, one often needed to flush twice, thus defeating the purpose of the reduction.


  • Ask for Information - A dual-flush toilet offers a one gallon or less flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 gallon flush for solid waste. Newer models have replaced the rubber flapper (which degrades) with a silicon gasket and calibrated plunger. Even the bowls have been designed to work better. The verdict is still out on whether the "wash-down" version (which applies gravity and a wide trap-way) or the "siphonic" version is better. The siphonic version uses suction and a narrow passage. I don't mind telling you that I've had some huge problems with improper flushing, especially from my 6'2" son.


  • Get Good Advice - The larger trap-ways work better. They look like tubes and are located on each side of the toilet.


  • Should You Get One Piece or Two Piece? - The bowl and the tank are separate units in a two piece toilet. You'll find a one piece toilet is easier to clean because there is no crevice between the tank and the bowl to collect dirt, grime and rust.


  • Check Out the Size and Shape - Select a toilet also based on the size and shape that you need. Check out the amount of clearance to the wall behind the toilet that is needed to connect the water line. The most common distance is 12 inches. A round toilet will use less space. An elongated or oval toilet will provide a larger seating area. Since they are 2" longer, be sure you have enough space. If you're a senior citizen, you may find the 14-17 inch toilets (distance from floor to seat) will be more comfortable.


  • The Cost Factor - Here's one place where you do get what you pay for. The average duration of a toilet is 10 to 15 years, though some are known to last 30 years. The average price of a descent toilet is $150 to $400.


  • Will a Cat Be Able to Sleep Inside the Bowl? - Shouldn't be a factor in your decision.


posted by Smithdeson @ 7:09 PM   0 comments
Bathroom--Top Ten Tips for Decorating Bathrooms
Top Ten Tips for Decorating Bathrooms
Even though they are small spaces, bathrooms are a very important part of a home and should look sparkling clean and up to date. This is particularly true if you are looking to sell your home or if you're a stager working on behalf of your client. Here are some tips for the bath:
  • If the space is cool, add some warmth using natural materials. Consider wood floors or stained cabinetry.
  • Don't use ornamentation to define the space. Use the materials to define the character of the space
  • Because of it's size and scale, it's really important to keep the decorating simple.
  • Avoid creating too many focal points. Function in this room needs to be obvious and simple. Don't complicate the space.
  • Use the space efficiently. Smaller sizes are preferable.
  • Since bathrooms are typically morning spaces, keep it cheerful with fabulous lighting. You always want to start the day right.
  • Get a toilet that has strong suction and flushes well. There's nothing worse than an overflowing toilet.
  • Throw out the rules and just let the design lead you. It's not complicated. Don't let it become complicated.
  • Be sure to incorporate your wants and needs. Bathrooms are not the least expensive spaces to remodel, stage or redesign.
  • Avoid risk by hiring professionals. Interview them carefully.
  • Never pay for services in advance, other than a deposit.
  • Never pay the balance until or unless you are fully satisfied with the workmanship. Contracting companies are notorious these days for sloppy workmanship.


posted by Smithdeson @ 7:05 PM   0 comments
Bathrooms--Decorating Bathrooms





Decorating Bathrooms

Bold awning stripes never pass out of style or fade in popularity, making them one of the most enduring classic motifs. Here, they add punch to an otherwise neutral bathroom. A traditionally patterned hand-knotted rug incorporating the colors of the shower curtain and tiles both warms up and softens the chilly sleekness of the flooring. The pretty floral arrangement completes the picture, making the tub really festive and inviting. A few bathing products, nicely arranged as part of a grouping with the floral, complete the look with the needed finishing touches.






A wealth of classic touches, both large and small, create a country-style bathroom that also overflows with city chic. Tiny blue flowers on the tiles and sink reappear in the accessories that decorate the tier of glass shelves, the paneled-door knobs, the towel-holding basket and the sink-side chinaware. Midnight-blue ceramic tiles cover the floor (not shown).



posted by Smithdeson @ 7:01 PM   0 comments
Bathroom--Bathtub Refinishing:Caring for Your Refinished Tub
Bathtub Refinishing:Caring for Your Refinished Tub
Due to the non-porous surface of the finish, there is no need to use abrasive cleansers on refinished bathtubs. Any household liquid detergent will give excellent results.

To remove mineral stains, use a mild acid solution such as a liquid bowl cleaner.

All organic coatings must cure. They start to cure at the time of application and must cure for a total of approximately 30 days.
Top Ten List of Rules For Your Refinished Bathtub:

-DO NOT use the surface for the specified number of days or hours indicated by the refinisher who completed the job.
-DO NOT lay soap or bottles or any objects on the finish at any time!
-DO NOT let a leaky faucet go unrepaired.
-DO NOT use abrasive cleansers. No S-O-S Pads. No Comet. No Soft Scrub.
-DO NOT use loose bath mats with suctions underneath.
-DO NOT pick surface dust off with your finger. Any surface dust will dissipate in 3-4 weeks with normal cleaning and usage.
-The best way to keep your tub clean is to wipe it down with a towel after each use. You don't have to wipe it dry.
-Maintain caulking around the tub.
-Here are some good cleansers to use:
*Lysol Basin and Tile Cleaner
*Mr. Clean
*DOW
*Fantasic
-Wax tubs once every 4 months with a urethane polish (Turtle Wax 2001) You should polish your bathtub five days after it has been refinished.
posted by Smithdeson @ 6:52 PM   0 comments
Order and Chaos
Order and Chaos

Personal space is not just about what we have, its also about how we live. Practicalities first – how much order do we need, how much chaos can we take? We take the particular why that we function in our personal space so much this can vary from person to person.

Our organizational habits can be very revealing, and sometimes surprising. Not all surgeons or spacious loft apartments are tidy, any more than artist or family homes are necessarily chaotic. When two people start to share a home, the degree of order and chaos each is prepared to put up with becomes clear within days. Whatever one thought of as normal behaviour (polishing the staps after use, stockpiling food, keeping tights in the fridge) is thrown into relief by the others habits.

But judging others against our own standards is not usually helpful. Who is to say whether it is controlling our simply tidy to insist that towel are left on the towel rail rather than on the radiator? If you let your old newspapers pile up on a corner of the dining table are you easy –going or a slob? It is all subjective. In the end the only opinions that mater in this area are your own and those of the people you live with.

To be happy to your own home, you need to make up your mind how acceptable you find your own organizational habits. If it makes you happier to see your friends having a rowdy time thatit does to see every surface gleaming, than accept that even aspiring to purist lifestyle is a waste of effort. Some people barely notice the toothmarks on the sofa because they love their dogs more than they furniture. If shape, colour and form are in themselves a huge source of pleasure to you, than having beautiful things in your home is an end itself. It comes down to how perfectible you believe your home can and should be.

Is your tidiness – or lack of it – a reaction to another person in your life? Are you still rebilling against your parents by choosing live differently from them? If you still living at home well into adulthood, organizing your room differently to the rest of the space marks it out as a semi – detached household. If your parents is at the opposite end of the order – chaos axis, how much of your behaviour is to prove a point? And are you tidying up after another person because you like things to be tidy or because you do not want them to be there?

Your Place On The Order – Chaos Axis
Look at the kitchens in the picture and choose the one that most reflect the general degree of order in your own home. Write down whether you have choosen the top, middle or bottom picture.
Next read through the following sets of six statements. Copy down the one in each block (A-E) that describes the lifestyle closest to your own.
Look at your five choices as mini-portrait of yourself. Does is sound like you? What is missing? What are you proud of and what would you change?

A.
The laundry basket is usually full
I regularly send clothes to a dry cleaner
My linen cupboard is in good order
I prefer my clothes to dry in the air and sun
I scent my linen drawers
I would rather but new clothes than keep washing them

B.
I cannot bear to see things left on the floor
I have a place for everything
I am always throwing stuff out
I am always rearranging my things attractively
I like to put unexpected things together. If I put something down by chance and it loks good I will leave it there.
I often run out of supplies

C.
I always rinse dishes twice
I wash up before I go to bed
I wash up after every meal
I wash up in emergencies
I do not mind washing up because warm dishes and foam feel good
Washing up is a penance

D.
I always check my bills carefully
I file my bills away
I spend a little time on my bills as possible
I know roughly how big my bills will be
Often I cannot find where I put my bills
I would rather not open my bills, thank you

E.
Open shelves my be easy, but I do not like the way they collect dust
I love cupboards with invisible catches
If you have cupboards you will only fill them with junk
I have special places for special objects
There is nothing more depressing than a wall of fitted cupboards
I do not know what is in my cupboards and drawers


posted by Smithdeson @ 6:46 PM   0 comments
Colour Combinations--Finding Your Colour Combinations--Understanding Your Colour Combinations
Colour Combinations

Where the previous exercise looked at individual colours, this exercise help you to think abou how you like to combine colour. It can be hard to define the relationship between colours that you tend to prefer. Being able to describe what you are looking at help to distinguish what is that attracts you to a particular set of colours. The principal attribute of a colour, for example red`s ‘redness’, is known as its ‘hue’. Primary hues are red, bule and yellow. Secondary hues are purple, green and orange. There are, of course, many intermediate hues as well, such as a bluish-green.





A tint is a hue, such as red, with white added. A shade is a hue with black added. A tone is a hue with grey added. ‘Light value’ is the amount of light of colour can reflect. All hues can be seen as white at the top of the light value scale and black at the bottom. ‘Chroma’ is the strength or intensity of colour. Strong colours have full chroma, weak colours are nearly grey.
Colour, like language, has a sort grammar. Just as words are combined in sentences to produce different meanings, so colours can be combined to produce particular effect – harmony, contrast, accent.
If you decorate only with hue, you get boldness without subtlety; if only with light value you get a monochromatic effect; fine variations of tint and shade but no contrast and vitality. Decorate only with chroma and you get a variety of colours but no light and shade.
Colours have been organized as a spectrum (Newton), wheel (Munsell0, circle (Steiner), chords (Itten), triangle (Goethe), sphere (Runges) and planes (Eastern theologies) in attempts to explain their relationship with one another.


Finding Your Colour Combinations

A Monochromatic colour combination uses shades of one hue and an Apposite colour combination uses shades of two adjacent hues to produce contrast and variety. The hues can be wholly cool (see the green example) or wholly warm (see the pink combination). Use almost any colour like this and the effect is quiet and subtle, simply because there are no jarring contrasts. Is this soothing, or does it lack excitement?
A triadic colour combination covers the three extremes of the spectrum. It will always produce two warm and one cool, or two cool and one warm colour. Triadic combinations produce a bold and cheerful effect. Think of the Bauhaus palette of blue, yellow and red, or a kindergarten combinations of green, purple and orange. Do you find this cheerful or daring, didactic or unsubtle?
The complementary colour combination takes two hues on diametrically opposite sides of the spectrum. This way, one will always be warm, and the other cool. It satisfies the eye by supplying the missing colour it expect to see. It balance the book visually. Does this combination satisfy you, or does it seem too straightforward?
Using Accented colour – adding a touch of contrasting colour to two colours that are next to each other on the spectrum – adds bite. This is colour with a pay-off. Could you resist adding an accent colour to an otherwise harmonious room?
Which of these four colour combinations appeals to you the most? Write down the one you prefer.

Understanding Your Colour Combinations

Look at your own home, and recall rooms you have decorated over the years. What colour combinations have you tended to use? Perhaps you grew up in a sea of toning monochromes and now find you need as much colour and contrast as possible.
It can often be easier to see the colour patterns in th rooms of people you know. For instance, someone may have decorated in shades of lilac and turquoise (Apposite colours) as long as you have known them. How muddy or clear the colours are may very over time, but they always return to the same basic combinations. It is not just they like the cool colours, but this particular combinations of colours has some resonance for them. Or sensation seeker may relish the heat and the clash of red with pink, or purple with red, unrelieved by any third party.
posted by Smithdeson @ 6:38 PM   0 comments
Finding Your Colour palette
Finding Your Colour palette

What sort of colours attract you? These four sets of colours cover a range of colour ‘temperatures’; which do you find most agreeable? Write down the name of the set that appeals to you most.

Look at the colours around you. Which do you tend to use for furnishings, and which for clothing? Is there a difference? Remember that your personality and physical colouring is thought to determine the range of colours, and even the variation of those colours, that suits you bring out the best in you.

Think about intensity of colour. Do you prefer intense, jewel-bright colours, or muted, chalky shades? If you feel uncomfortable with to much colour, you will probably prefer hues that are mixed with black (dulled colours) or with white (pastel colours).

The quality and amount of light to feel a home needs will affect your colour sense, too. Some people cannot bear natural light to be ‘polluted’ by colour, and want to keep the home in a neutral register. For others, the amount of daylight is less important than the intensity of the visual simulation.

As you mature, the amount of colour you can take in the home can change, your taste becoming more subtle or bolder. The specific colours you are drawn to may change, but the sort of combination you like remain constant; for example, you used to love bright blue and green, now you prefer bright green and yellow.

Try not to be influenced by external colour rules; what colour are fashionable this year, or what you think you should use in certain conditions. Perhaps you feel that where you live should dictate the colours you use. But again, this tell you something about how much you wish to impose yourself on your environment and how important harmony with your surroundings is to you.
posted by Smithdeson @ 6:32 PM   0 comments
 

 

 
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