From time to time we can fell ourselves positively glow with creative interest. This might have been spurred on by someone we know, something we saw or read, or simply waking up one day feeling like this is the best way forward. Designing your home for a new artistic project can be exhilarating, as we not only get to submerge ourselves in a new craft, but to find our very own style within it. Artistic projects could denote anything, but for this article we’re going to focus on the accepted and standard definition of something creative and expressive, such as painting, sculpting, or even something physically expressive like dance.

Heading to a dedicated club can be a great method of meeting new people and becoming introduced to this in perhaps one of the best ways possible. But often, it can also be extremely important to practice at home in order to train yourself in the best manner possible. It can pay to separate a singular room for this activity. The design of which could be helped by the following efforts:

[Photo courtesy of  Daian Gan /pexels.com]

Storage Options

Most hobbies will include some form of expense, and that expense often means equipment or some other form of apparatus to help you conduct your activity. If completing your activity at home, you’ll likely need storage space for these options. A place where you can store your paintbrushes, fold out your floor mat, hide and dry your canvas or simply store your other equipment to help the room serve a dual purpose when you’re not partaking in the activity can all be worthwhile. Consider adding shelving, store cupboards, or storage hanging baskets here. If you look around, you will often consider how purpose-built options can often relate the most comfort in the long term, and this can give you a worthwhile effect.

Considering Your Flooring

Consider your flooring. It can be extremely worthwhile to ensure that it’s are correct. If painting, it might not be the best to have thick shag carpet from wall to wall. Laminate floorboards are great for a variety of reasons, such as being the easiest to clean, the easiest to install, and worthwhile for a variety of uses. If you wish to conduct a physical activity such as yoga in the space, you can always purchase and place supportive mats down on the floor, which might be a little inconvenient to do on carpet. Not only that, but laminate flooring can often be the most cost-effective when redesigning your flooring, and so we needn’t elaborate further

Considering Noise

Noise can sometimes be an annoyance when partaking in your activity. It might be that you can only conduct your hobby to loud music, you want the room to be your peaceful escape from the world, or perhaps hobbies like yoga can be distracted by its presence. If you’re a musical person, it’s not hard to see how this can annoy the neighbours, and get you into a all sorts of personal disputes. Thankfully, soundproof shielding is easy to install on a wall, and can prevent the inpour and outpouring of noise completely. Be sure to install this and experiment with its application.

With these tips, you’re sure to design your home in the best manner possible for whatever project you wish to indulge in.

Do you desire a warm, rustic Southwestern-style home but don’t want the hassle of a major interior design overhaul? Whether you’re short on time or funds, you can achieve the look you want by making just a few decorative changes. Best of all, these design tips make it easy to transform any space on your own.

Accent with Area Rugs

While area rugs may seem like a modest change, they can alter the vibe of a room instantly. Incorporating southwestern area rugs with hardwood flooring or terracotta tile is a great way to add depth to a room and highlight existing furniture. Most stores offer a variety of traditional and contemporary designs, so you can find the ideal rug for your unique space.

Select Earthy Paint Hues

Both homeowners and interior decorators know that paint is a cost-effective way to transform a room. You can choose bold shades for your color scheme as long as they provide a warm, inviting feel. Natural tones of red, blue, green and gold are all popular options. The size of the room should also be considered. Darker shades will make a large space seem cozier while bright colors add volume to smaller living areas.

Add Terracotta Pottery Pieces

No Southwestern home is complete without the addition of beautiful terracotta pottery. You can display the pottery in its natural orange shade or paint it with bold, bright colors to add contrast. These traditional pots and vases can be used throughout the home to add a personal touch to any room.

Choose Rustic or Vintage-Style Furniture

Whether you prefer wood, leather or wrought iron furniture, items that have a distressed or vintage feel work best. You can even distress furniture on your own with a few basic items including sandpaper, paint and polyurethane. The furniture you select shouldn’t compete with your flooring colors. For vibrant furniture choices, an area rug in neutral tones from Roth Rugs is one safe option.

Finish with Accent Accessories

Once you’ve made some basic changes, you can slowly add Southwestern accent pieces to your home. From rugged animal skins to delicate Hopi Kachina dolls, you can create a separate theme for every room.

With all the warmth and personality Southwestern decor has to offer, it’s easy to see why this style never loses its appeal. With a few fresh coats of paint, some new area rugs and traditional pottery art, you can transform your home into an inviting desert oasis.

Now that the winter is finally leaving us, many people are starting to think about projects they can do in the home. You may fancy getting your hands dirty in the garden, ripping out the bathroom or simply painting the walls a fresh new colour.

With it being the first few months of the year it can be difficult for us to afford larger home projects without having to take out signature loans or dip into the holiday fund. However you can still make some fresh changes to your home without having to spend the earth.

Reshuffle

Rather than going out to the furniture store and buying a ton of new items for your home, why not have think of what you already have? Take a look at the way your living room is currently set out. Is there any way that you can move things around to create more space and light? Sometimes, simply moving the TV to the other side of the room can have a massive impact on the way your living space feels.

Lighting Is Key

The right lighting can instantly make a dull room feel so much brighter and modern. If you have an old fashioned light fitting with yellow light beaming into the space, your home will look dull and old. However simply by changing to a modern fitting such as a spotlight and using a cool toned light bulb, you will add a sense of light and space into the room.

Soft Furnishings

If you can’t afford to buy a whole new sofa for your space, don’t fret. You can update your living room easily by covering up your sofa cleverly with soft furnishings. By investing in a soft fleece throw and some brightly coloured cushions you will immediately be able to make the space feel put together.

Mirrors

Mirrors are your absolute best friend when it comes to decorating your home. A mirror can make a huge impact on the look and feel of your living space. No matter how small your living room is, a well placed mirror can add length and depth to your living space. It won’t cost you the earth and can add that missing element to your living room.

Paint Everything

Sometimes all you need to make your room feel brand new is a lick of paint. This weekend try buying a tin of white or pastel coloured paint and using this to revamp your walls and the ceiling. You can even paint wooden floors to add a new design feature to the room. If you have an old or tired bookshelf in your living room, a great way to change things up would be to paint the bookshelf white and then add colour to the back of the shelves. This will make the room feel instantly bigger but also give you a new design features that you will love.

Plants

Every room looks better with a plant in it. If you have some space in the living room which feels as if it is missing something, a great idea would be to add a houseplant. It will make your home feel much more lively and add some texture to your design.

Curtains are part of any home decorating ideas. Their presence can be magical when they create a beautiful artistry in homes, offices and hotels. It is no wonder why interior designers would include the curtains in their top ten lists. A window without curtains looks motionless and boring. Curtains are comparable to your dress and they create a convivial atmosphere with their unique designs and style.

Among interior designers highly recommended curtain style are the pinch pleat curtains. They are the typical curtains that look formal and cool. The pleats are intricately sewn to give the curtains fullness while hanging on a decorative drapery rod. Jacquard, floral and prints are ideal fabric designs for a pinch pleat curtain.

[Photo courtesy of Unsplash/pexels.com]

The simplicity of the pinch pleat curtain makes them ideal for any type of architecture. They do not go out of style if they are adorned in baroque and Gothic inspired homes. What’s more if you adorn them in a contemporary or log house. Their appeal is overwhelming and creates an illusion of wealth and fame.

When your room is adorned with pinch pleat curtains, you can feel the luxurious ambiance of a hotel room. As you wake up each morning, you don’t feel like going out from your room. For bedrooms, choose bold colors to keep the emotions burning with passion while having your romantic interlude with your spouse. The most ideal color is burgundy, crimson or any shades of red.

The kids’ room should be adorned with playful colors such as red, yellow, pink, orange, aqua blue and floral prints to keep the mind active. Students are encouraged to adorn their bedroom with red curtains to stimulate their brain and increase the body processes and blood circulation. Rooms with patients who are suffering with psychosomatic illness are advised to hang yellow curtains to purify their minds from any negative thoughts.

If you have ever been fortunate enough to stay in a fine hotel or upscale resort then you know that hotel style home decor is different than what you have at home – the luxury pillows and bedding enhance the experience and you leave feeling relaxed, refreshed and invigorated. With some savvy shopping it is actually possible to experience many of the best hotel amenities at home in your bedroom and bathroom for less than even the cost of one night in a luxury hotel.

Start with bedding – look for fine quality Egyptian cotton sheets with a high thread count and invest in the very best set you can afford. When you think about it you spend almost a third of your life in bed and the sheets are in direct contact with your skin; this is not the place to cut corners. If you spend money on nothing else than top-quality sheets you will still have invested wisely and will enjoy a more restful and comfortable night’s sleep.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

A mattress pad can help to improve the sleep surface, especially if your mattress has some age to it. There are mattress pads designed to address a variety of issues so if you seek a less firm or more firm sleeping surface you can achieve it. Look for memory foam mattress pads along with mattress pads and toppers designed to reduce motion transfer and relieve pressure points. Much like sheets, mattress pads are available in a variety of sizes ranging from twin and twin extra-long to queen, king and California king.

Pile on the pillows – hotels use lots of pillows to make the bed the focal point of the room plus they are comfortable to lean against while relaxing, reading or watching televise while in bed.

Want your home to look beautiful, but don’t have the funds to hire professional decorators? No need to fear, there’s plenty you can do yourself without breaking the bank! Here are a few points to bear in mind if you’re new to decorating and want to have a go.

Colours and Theme

Before diving in with your decorating, spend some time beforehand on the planning stages. This helps to keep everything looking cohesive, and you will get the best result at the end. Scour blogs and Pinterest for rooms you like the look of, picking out different colours, design features and other elements that catch your attention. Have an idea of the kind of colours and the overall look you want to achieve at the end, this saves you purchasing things that don’t look right and wasting your money. Opting for all neutral walls is your best bet if you are unsure. They will make the room look light, bright and airy and you can bring in colour with home accessories. Paint ceilings and woodwork such as skirting boards and doors in a brilliant white for a super fresh and clean look.

[Photo courtesy of ATBO/pexels.com]

Painting

It’s always advisable to try out a few paint samples on the walls before investing in a big tin. The colour of the walls underneath and the light in the room will affect how it looks once it’s dry so don’t just take a chance. Once you’ve chosen a colour to get a few samples in different shades and paint them onto the wall so you can see which looks best. Start by ‘cutting in’ which is going around all of the edges of the room neatly with a paintbrush, and do the rest with a roller which is quick, easy and gives a smooth finish. Be sure to cover your flooring with old sheets or painters dust sheets to protect it, take your time and do a second or even a third coat if it needs it. Be sure to let each layer fully dry before moving onto the next.

Wallpaper

Adding some wallpaper to the feature wall in your room is a good way to bring in personality, and is good for those who are new to decorating since it’s a smaller area than a whole room. If you’ve never wallpapered before watch a tutorial online first. Follow the techniques carefully, and ideally have another pair of hands to help you. If you’re unsure, you could use repositionable wallpaper, that way if you make a mistake it’s easy to correct. And if you’re renting it’s easy to remove at the end of your tenancy. If you’ve painted the other walls in a light, neutral colour the wallpaper is where you can be a bit bolder. You could go for a bright or bold colour, a statement design or just keep it subtle if that’s more your style.

Do you do much decorating yourself at home, or do you usually call in the professionals?

What is it that makes a house feel like home? The people, the decor, or the accessories? It’s probably down to individual tastes, but living in a homely, personalized house is important for our sense of well being, belonging, and relaxation. There is a whole host of different things you can add to your home if you think it still needs a homely touch, from books to rugs, and everything in between.

1. Sentimental photographs

There’s nothing more comforting than being surrounded by people you love, so when they can’t be there, make your home feel special and personal to you by filling it with beautiful pictures of your nearest and dearest. It immediately adds a sentimental edge, which can be both reassuring and grounding.

2. Cozy rugs

Whether you have hardwood floors or carpets, nothing quite says comfort like rugs. Layer rugs of different textures and patterns to create a really comfortable look – faux sheepskins are especially great for this. Bedrooms and living rooms have never been cozier.

3. A fire

Is there anything more romantic than snuggling in front of the fire in a room you love? If your home is fireplace-less, you’re seriously missing out, and this needs rectifying immediately. Check out the fireplaces on this blog to choose one which fits your decor, and see how much difference a fire can make to the comfort of your living room.

[Photo courtesy of Counselling/pixabay.com]

4. Soft layers

Without rugs, blankets, throws, and cushions, homes can see quite sterile, with lots of straight lines and sharp edges. Layer fabrics to soften these harsh lines. It works in any room – dishcloths in the kitchen, towels in the bathroom, fluffy blankets in the bedroom, and you can really go to town with cushions and throws in the living room. Soft layers can really make a house a home and add a sense of luxury.

5. Feature walls

Painting all four walls in neutral colors might be the easiest to coordinate, but it’s not pushing your style to the next level. Consider creating a feature wall as a focal point in a bedroom or living room. Dark or bright paint, wooden cladding, or even a curtain wall all act as a point of interest, making the room feel cozier and more unified in style.

6. Reading nook

Every bookworm’s dream is a reading nook, and every home should have a library, so why not combine the two, while also making use of a little space that’s always been forgotten before? All it takes is a few book shelves, a wall lamp, and loads of comfy cushions to create the reading nook of your dreams.

7. Fairy lights

The soft twinkle of warm fairy lights can make a space really relaxing in the evening, but can also add classy elegance to any space.

8. Something fluffy

Every home needs something fluffy to curl your toes into on a cold winter’s evening. Whether it’s a cat, a fluffy cushion, or a faux sheepskin rug, it immediately brings the home to next level cosiness. Throw in a fluffy housecoat and slippers, and you’ll never want to go outside again.

Fill your home with beauty and things that you love, and you’ll see that making a house a home is as easy as pie.

Updating your home can seem like a huge job to take on. You may think it will involve a lot of DIY projects and decoration. In fact updating your home can be quite a simple and budget-friendly thing to do. If your home doesn’t require any work and you are happy with the decoration, then it’s all just in the finer details. So if you want to update your home without the need to decorate then here is a quick guide for each of the main rooms in your home.

Kitchen

More often than not the kitchen is the hub of the home. It needs to have the right balance between each functionality. It’s a place to cook in, to relax in and dine. There are quite a few different things you can do to update your kitchen without decorating. Perhaps incorporating a new colour scheme would be a great place to start. You could add a vase of fresh flowers in your chosen colour. Update some of the things on your counter shelf life storage pots. Perhaps adding some shelves to a wall so you can put a few pictures on there or some inspirational messages. Adding a touch of colour to this room is all it will take to give it a new lease of life.

Bathroom

The bathroom is often the trickiest room to spruce up. Without adding a new bathroom suite what can you possibly do? There is quite a bit you can do in fairness. Firstly, much like the kitchen, you could incorporate a bit of colour or a theme to the bathroom. Adding new touches like luxury towels, a new toothbrush holder and cup. Perhaps a fancy soap dispenser. Also, as much as we clean our bathrooms, giving it a once-over with a steam cleaner could just be all it takes to make that bath sparkling once more.

[Photo courtesy of Maureen Didde/flickr.com]

Living space

You could add quite a bit to your living spaces. Personal touches like photo frames with new pictures in could be a great place to start. You could also consider a new rug in a different colour. Adding a new colour will give the impression of a freshly decorated room without the need to do any hard work. Alternatively, by changing some of the lighting you could give off a whole new vibe to the room. Adding a few more lamps or candles could create a different ambiance.

Bedroom

Finally, the bedroom. A place to relax and reflect on the day. Changing this room is a lot easier than you would think. It doesn’t require an expensive purchase like changing your bed. But just by changing the bed linen it could make the room look brand new. You could incorporate a new colour scheme in here to. Perhaps add some candles to give it a more romantic feel. Or by adding some different lighting. Things like fairy lights draped over the head of the bed can make the room feel pretty and styled.

I hope this simple guide give you some inspiration to update your home.

What is it that we actually want from our homes? Should they be stark, hygienic areas for hosting a range of valuable antiques, or should they be somewhere you can unwind after a long day at work?

I think they should be the latter. We all need a space that we can relax and our environment can have a large impact on our mood. So here are some ideas for making your home that little bit cosier.

Make Your Entrance Inviting

The entrance is the first thing you’ll see but this typically tends to be a neglected area in the home. Why? People tend to concentrate on the main rooms in the house, but they forget that the tone is set as soon as you walk in. When guests arrive often they’re not treated to a livable space, but somewhere rather shabby and boring.

Having bright and welcoming colours in the entrance hall can really help. As can soft, colourful mats. Pot plants in the hallways can also work a treat for brightening any entrance hall if you have space. Don’t just go for green either. Pick a colour that really complements the style of the room. If it is characterised by light tones, for example, choose a pink or a lavender to add a bit of contrast.

Cut Through Draughty Spaces

[Photo courtesy of Harry Zilber/wikipedia.org]

Each room in your house is a big cavity. And because of the necessities of construction, these are square. But squares do not make your home feel more cosy. You want to find ways to make sure that the eye is drawn through the space. When you enter a room, have a big painting on the opposite wall. This can help.

Also, it can help if your furniture is themed, but not matching. Having different colours, textures and patterns throughout the room can break it up and make it less formal. Just make sure that the different textures work together in a pleasing way.

Finally, don’t try to eliminate space in the centre of the room. This can actually enhance the room’s appeal, rather than make it look stark.

Mix Formal With Informal Furniture

It’s really nice to have a sofa or two for settling down in the evening, as well as a nice coffee table. But you can also mix things up with a foam bag chair. These are great for reading or for people who like to fidget, rather than just settings on their bums. Check out Fombag.com if you want to know more about foam bag chairs.

Eliminate Harsh Lines

Jagged, straight lines can really dull the cosiness of a room. Long straight lines give the room a formal look. It’s hard to escape the idea that you’re at an airport or in some other public space. You certainly don’t feel like you’re somewhere private where you can relax.

Eliminating straight lines is easy. You can introduce things like round rugs and tables. And put decorative lamps in ugly, harsh corners. For more ideas on how to make your home cosier, check out realsimple.com.

To make your home more inviting and relaxing you should try to add a water feature or fountain. Indoor water fountains have become a popular alternative to traditional home decorating, they can provide soothing effect and enhance the attraction of your house, providing a unique touch.

With the many indoor water fountains available in the market it is important for many homeowners know which water fountain fits to their home and compliments their home decor. You can start browsing indoor water features at Soothing Walls their product is durable  as they are made from components like heat treated metals,  glass and aluminum, stainless steel, and lightweight slate.