Bedroom Magic: Choosing Colors That Calm

Have you ever had a moment when you describe a shirt as orange, and your shopping companion, whoever they are, looks at you strangely and says, “That’s not orange, that’s a burnt red”? Color is an odd thing, and in a personal space like a bedroom, it can be especially tricky. Bedroom spaces are meant to slow us down. We go to our bedrooms to unwind and forget about the troubles of the day. The design of the bedroom should directly reflect this intent. If it doesn’t, then your bedroom is in dire need of some interior remodeling. The color palette is extremely important in generating an appropriate sense of calm. Though the aforementioned example shows that color is, in many ways, “in the eye of the beholder”, there are a few aesthetic universal truths which can make any bedroom a more restful place.

Opposites Attract

Ask some friends or colleagues to describe your personality in terms related to hot or cold. Do they describe you as fiery and spicy, or as cool and calm? If you are described as “peppery” by more than one person, than look for colors that are in opposition to your personality. This opposition should be a subtle one, or it can end up feeling disturbing. Choosing “minty” or “wintery” tones will calm, or cool, a “spicy” person down. Conversely, a person who is described as “cool” or “chill”, may want to color their bedroom with more heated or earthy tones, which will make their bedroom space a warmer place.

Design by Kenneth Brown. Photo by Mayer Bowden Photography.

Size Matters

If your bedroom is small, the colors you choose can have a large impact on whether the room feels cozy, or just cluttered and claustrophobic. Off-white shades, such as creams, beiges, pearls, or light grey tones, reflect light and make a room seem instantly larger. Avoid using a flat white, as that makes every space feel cold and impersonal. If off-white walls are not your cup of tea, consider painting the ceiling with an off-white color, as it will make the room feel more spacious vertically. Lighter earth tones, like sand, or cool tones like sky blue or pale green, can also serve to make a space feel larger.

Photo by Happy Home Zone

Color Ratios

According to rules of Feng Shui, you should endeavor to use anywhere from 3 to 5 colors in your room. Begin with the bed, since that is the space with which you are going to have the most direct interaction. Once you have the selected the colors for your bed set, then it is time to address the walls and the rest of the bedroom. Choose complementary tones for the rest of the room, and be very careful in your selection of wall color, as almost 75% of the color in your room is on your walls. If you are feeling uncertain, a good rule of thumb is to choose a wall tone that is the same, or akin, to one of the subtle tones in your bedspread. Then more vibrant tones can be used for decoration and trim to create visual accents.

Photo by by Leonid Nyshko

Remember, at the end of the day, it is your bedroom and it should be decorated in whatever way you feel is most comfortable. Your red is different than the red experienced by anybody else. So, no matter what anyone says, make sure to color your bedroom - you.

How to Fund Fantastic Home Improvement Projects

Home improvement is the aim of almost every homeowner and it is a sensible goal to have. There are numerous benefits to improving the state of your home, such as comfort for instance. Investing in new furniture or adapting your house to make it more practical can add to the overall feeling of comfort and this can only be a good thing.

Another reason for undertaking a home improvement project is to make your home look more attractive. Your house, cottage or apartment should be a place where you absolutely love spending time and the better it looks, the more you should enjoy being there.

Home improvement is also a wise decision as it can significantly increase the value of your property. An extension or conservatory, for example, could add thousands to the value of a home.

This last point leads on to another advantage of making the most of your home, and that is appeal to potential future buyers. If you have enhanced your house with a new bathroom or other improvement, it is likely to be more appealing to a buyer and as mentioned could fetch a higher price when you are ready to sell.

How can you improve your home?

There is a multitude of ways to enhance a home, both inside and out. From the garden to the attic there are home improvement projects that could be undertaken, and with that in mind here are a few ideas to mull over:

• Install a new bathroom – if your bathroom is a dated and dingy space in which it is impossible to feel truly pampered, perhaps a new installation is just what your property needs.
  
• Build an extension onto your home – perhaps you have a growing family or maybe you would just like a bit of extra space to enjoy; either way, an extension could be the answer and a great way to improve your home.
  
• Have a conservatory built – a conservatory gives you the benefits of an extension, plus you get to enjoy the great outdoors all year round, whether the rain is pouring or the sun is shining.
  
• Build a swimming pool – if you have the space at home then why not use your imagination and install something that you can really enjoy, like a heated swimming pool.
  

Find funding for your project

Of course not everybody has the cash required for such projects in their bank, but this need not stop you investing in your home. Today it is possible to secure funding for home improvement and other projects, and there are a number of options to ponder. Using your credit card is one option if your limit allows you to take out the funds necessary to pay for a new bathroom or conservatory. It is worth considering the high interest rates imposed on credit card borrowing though, so other options should be considered, such as secured loans. Secured loans, also known as homeowner loans, are secured on your home, and they could allow you to borrow more than a personal loan would. This is a way that you could free up the funds needed to invest in your home, making it a more attractive, comfortable, valuable and saleable property for you to enjoy.

About the author: Sam Butterworth writes for Nemo Personal Finance, who can help you with secured loans. Find out what you could borrow with their secured loans calculator for home improvement and more. 

ABOUT NEMO Nemo Personal Finance http://www.nemo-loans.co.uk is a part of the Principality Building Society Group and provides secured loans for UK homeowners with an existing mortgage. Nemo aims to unravel the complications of personal finance and to provide homeowner loans that fit individual needs and lifestyles. Nemo is a responsible lender and will only make loans available to people who can afford them.

* Consolidating your debt may increase the amount you pay back overall and extend the repayment period of your debts.

THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE SECURING OTHER DEBTS AGAINST YOUR HOME. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT.

Give a Hoot About Owl Decor

Owls are the latest trend in the fashion world and often will be seen on simple tees and necklaces. With their adorable big eyes and playful appearance, they are becoming hot in the interior design world as well. They come in various forms, from cookie jars to even an umbrella stand! If you are looking for an owl theme in your kitchen, you can also try a white owl pitcher, which will blend in well if you have your kitchen decorated with neutral colors or maybe you just need a splash of white to break up all of your achromatic color.

Spending money on owl décor items can get pricey at times, so save some of your funds by using Home Decorators Collection coupons. On their site you will also discover some additional owl décor items that will make you give a hoot about how your home will feel. Anthropologie also offers owls that will woo you with their winking eyes and delightful colors. Let owls comfort you from every corner as you look into their mischievous eyes and understand why they are so enticing to own for your home interior.

Wise Ol’ Cookie Jar, Orange – Gear up for Halloween time with a cookie jar to hold your kid’s snacks or maybe just your own cookies and candy! Even when it’s not Halloween this cookie jar would still look spunky and cute in your home. With its bright color and darling personality, a jar like this deserves to be on your countertop all year long.

Owl Umbrella Stand – If you are always misplacing your umbrellas an owl umbrella stand is a wise way to keep track of them and at the same time incorporates a décor item that you love. It’s neutral with its white shade so it won’t stand out, but passersby will definitely recognize it simply because it’s so creative.

Winking Wisecracker Jar – How can you not adore this mischievous and wise as an owl jar? The whimsical colors make this owl jar come to life with its turquoise and light pink color tones. It could easily be the focal point in a kitchen depending on its placement and keep you happy by glancing at its winking eye.

Owl Pitcher – With its charming shape and darling style, this pitcher would go perfectly in a shabby chic inspired kitchen. You might even consider placing it in your bathroom for easy to access to filtered water.

Owl décor may come and go, but you should give a hoot about this trend and make it last in your home. Like roosters, owls may become the next best thing and no matter what the styles in a home may be, if you love owls, then decorate with them to your hearts content.

An avid ocean dreamer, Sierra adores everything that has to do with the beach. Writing about fashion and style are one of her many passions, which is why she enjoys being a featured fashion blogger for JoeShopping.com, a social shopping site dedicated to saving you money through hot deals and more.

What’s New in Kitchen Design?

The housing market may have slowed down slightly, but the re-modelling market is booming. Rather than moving house, more and more people are improving what they already have – revitalizing their bedrooms and modernizing their kitchens with the latest in plumbing, floor-to-ceiling units, and stainless steel undermount sinks, or ceramic undermount sinks for those that prefer a more classical look.

Islands are in

One of the biggest trends in kitchen design these days is the use of islands. In many homes, the kitchen is "big enough", but the amount of usable space is far from sufficient. While opting for stainless steel undermount sinks instead of traditional overmount sinks will allow you to reclaim a few inches of counter space, an island will reclaim a lot of empty floor space for your use as a work surface, and can act as storage too.

Low Divide Sinks

Another trend that’s gaining popularity is low divide sinks. Many kitchen designers are finding that they’re now more popular than single bowl sinks. There are some charming ceramic undermount sinks that come in a large bowl/small bowl configuration with a low divider, perfect for those who want to retain the flexibility of a single bowl, but want to separate some of their washing.

Discrete filters

Water filters are one of the first additions that many homeowners make to their kitchens, even if they aren’t going to be re-modelling on a grand scale. An under-sink water filter, connected directly to the cold tap, can remove the need for a separate faucet for drinking water. There are filters that can last for one year before they need changed. They’re discreet, hassle free, and great value for money.

Floor to ceiling cabinets

Floor to ceiling cabinets are gaining practicality for several reasons. Firstly, they remove the hassle of having to dust the top of the cabinet (which, let’s face it, is a horrible chore). Secondly, they maximise the amount of useable space, and make the kitchen look much neater.

Kitchen redesigns should not be entered into lightly. While it’s easy enough to move around the furniture in the living room, or even in a bedroom, kitchens are more permanent, with plumbing and wiring to be considered. If you hate your kitchen, every mealtime will turn into a chore. So, before you invest in stainless steel undermount sinks, floor-to-ceiling cabinets, or any other major changes, think about what you use most in your kitchen, and what you’ll need easy access to on a day to day basis.

It may be that you need single bowl ceramic undermount sinks, because a double-bowl sink wouldn’t fit your wok. Or, it could be that you’d rather have an island kitchen than one with floor-to-ceiling cupboards – or, perhaps you spend so much time in there that you need both storage solutions! Don’t let your kitchen designer talk you into something fashionable just because everyone else in the neighbourhood has bought it. It’s your kitchen, and it should be designed to fit your needs.

This post was written by James Harper on behalf of the Kitchen Appliance Centre. James writes on subjects relating to home improvements and interiors.

DIY Shower Video

Interesting DIY shower video I saw. Looks a bit tricky for me though!

Ten Best Uses for Wallpaper (Other than the Obvious)

If you have extra wallpaper left over after you’ve covered you walls, don’t toss it. Instead, try out some of these easy DIY projects. Each is a way to use up the extra paper you’ve had lying around to make ordinary things beautiful. Even if you have never used wallpaper before, these fun projects might inspire you to go out and buy a roll.

1. Filing cabinets
   Make your boring gray filing cabinet something special by covering it in wallpaper! First, remove the handles, and pull out the drawers. If you’re covering the whole cabinet, you don’t need to paint it; if you’re just partially covering it, pick your favorite color high gloss spray paint and spray away. Measure the cabinet, and cut out the wallpaper accordingly. Use Mod Podge to stick the paper to the cabinet. Smooth out any air bubbles before it dries. Lastly, add a clear top coat and reattach the hardware.
2. Mat as art
   This is a great use for wallpaper that you love, but might be too overwhelming if you covered a whole wall with it. Instead, mat the wallpaper on foam core or measure and cut it to fit into a frame.
   
3. Room divider/folding screen
   If you already have a flat paneled room divider, you can recover it in leftover wallpaper to give it new life. If you don’t have one, just have plywood cut into divider sized panels at the hardware store. All you’ll need to do it cover it in paper (using Mod Podge or spray adhesive) and then attach hinges.
   
4. Headboard
   My favorite way to use extra paper is to make a faux headboard. There are a couple ways to do this. The first method is to use wallpaper on a large piece of foam board (see #2). The second is to cut the paper to the desired shape and size and apply to the wall behind the bed. If you want to make it look really special, buy pre-cut molding, paint it, and then install it around the wallpaper to look like a headboard.
   
5. Switch plates
   If you’re looking for a small, unexpected pop of color try covering your switch plates or outlets with wallpaper. The first thing you should do is cut the power to the switches you’re working on. Then carefully remove the covers. Clean them off and dry thoroughly. Cut your wallpaper to size, and then apply with Mod Podge. Let these dry completely before reinstalling them. Don’t forget to turn the power back on!
   
6. Risers on stairs
   Adding wallpaper to the risers on your stairs is a fun, unexpected way to add color or texture to an otherwise quiet area of the home. It’s very easy to do. Just make sure that you wipe away any dust from the steps first, otherwise the paper won’t stick as well. Measure the dimensions the riser and use spray adhesive to stick on the paper. Once dry, go over it with a clear top coat for durability.
   
7. Ceiling
   Using wallpaper on the ceiling is a great way to use paper you love without having to commit to four walls of it. This project is a little trickier than the others. You can see full instructions from the DIY Network here.
   
8. Glass coasters
   You can purchase glass or ceramic tiles from the hardware store. Cut the paper to size, and apply. Once dry flip the coasters and apply stick on felt pads to the corners. Voila! Easy coasters.
   
9. Line drawers
   This is a surprising way to add a special touch to a piece of furniture. If you don’t have enough of one style of paper, that’s okay. This is a project where you can mix and match different papers in each drawer. You don’t need to worry about it looking too busy because you won’t be looking at all of the wallpaper at the same time. Just measure the bottoms of the drawers, spray adhesive and apply the cut paper.
   
10. Bookcase
    Transform a boring bookcase into a work of art with a coat of paint and a beautiful printed wallpaper backing. The neatest way to do this is to pull out the shelves and apply the paper in one sheet. If you can’t, you’ll have to measure the backboard between the shelves individually then cut and apply each one separately.

This article was written by Erie Construction.

Bathroom Decorating Tips

I'm about to start redecrating my bathroom and got a lot of inspiration from this video!