Forever Art Space

It seems like open plan living has well and truly taken hold. And why not – it has so many benefits, the best one being that the cook is not stuck slaving over a hot stove on their own. With open plan, the cook doesn’t miss out.

But – and this is a big but – open plan living does have its drawbacks! This I know – having lived in open plan spaces all my adult life. One major drawback is noise – it’s very difficult to run a mixmaster or fry some food without someone complaining and turning the tv up several notches – which is my pet hate!

But even worse – there’s no where to hide the mess! Have a few people over for dinner, and there’s bound to be a few pots and pans lying about. Particularly with the current trend to put sinks out facing towards the dining area – you see this ALL the time in Australia now. Take this example below – where the sink is right out there on show. Beautiful now, while it’s clean and clutter free, but not so much when the benchtop is full of dirty dishes! The clean freak in me cringes!

So this is why I love this kitchen below. It has a bench with a high return on it, which normally screams ’80s naff. But here I think it looks stylish and it hides all the kitchen mess. I think the gorgeous stone helps.

Or if you don’t like the high return style – here’s a good idea below – leave the bench entirely free of sinks or stovetop and tuck the sink in an incongruous spot AND make the sink very wide and deep like this gorgeous butlers style sink, to hide as many dirty dishes in there until you get a chance to tidy up completely.

My poor little blog has been rather neglected lately. Life has been getting in the way. And I haven’t been visiting all my favourite blogs either!

Hopefully I’ll get back into the swing of things soon.

by: Charles Mohaney

Unless you live alone you are probably well aware that the noise from one family member can easily be heard beyond the walls of the room they are in. Even worse is hearing loud stereo systems, the washing machine and dryer or children who don’t want to settle down for bed seeping through your flooring and into the rooms below. There is a solution to noise overflow within your home and one of the best preventative measures is floor sound insulation.

Where To Install Floor Insulation

It may seem obvious that floor insulation should be installed in the floor. It’s not rocket science, right? Well, there is a little more to it than that. Ideally, floor insulation should be installed during the construction phase of a home to be the most effective. Your choices in materials include regular fibreglass insulations that have been used on your exterior walls, ceilings and in the attic. You can also install corking or rubber based floor insulations at this point.

Floor sound insulation installed during construction allows the materials to be placed between the flooring layers. The joists between floors support and plywood base and then additional sub-flooring. By adding insulation here, you are able to add thicker materials that may offer better sound proofing.

You can still improve the noise level in an existing home. The best time to install it is if you are replacing the carpet or other flooring or need to repair the flooring in a specific room. Many home improvement projects will wield better results if some updating in what is not seen is done at the same time as the cosmetic updates. Floor sound insulation addition is one such example.

When old floor coverings have been removed, new floor insulation can be added directly to the top of the sub-flooring. This can be placed under, carpet, vinyl floors, wood, or ceramic tile. It doesn’t matter what type of flooring is going on top. What does matter is what type of insulation you use to sound proof.

The best, meaning the thinnest insulation with the most noise reduction capabilities is going to be some sort of self contained material. Fibreglass insulation is that loose pink or yellow fluff that has a paper backing. It is best for walls and ceilings. For floors a rubber or cork insulation will provide the most durable under lying material. It will also not raise floors significantly and will allow such materials a vinyl to go down smoothly.

Why Go to the Trouble

As a house ages, the creaks and noises seem to increase – not too much differently than an aging body! By adding floor sound insulation as part of your next DIY project you are giving the floors more stability that will not only reduce the amount of noise seeping from the rooms above, but will help quiet squeaky floors that have had their screws come a little loose over the years or whose boards may have warped a bit.

Consider soundproofing an investment in your house. The value will be increased as you improve the quality of noise control.

Home is the ideal place to unwind and the only place you want to rush to, after a day’s work. A lion prefers his den to the wilderness and this holds good for all creatures. Living in a habitat is interesting but having a niche or a place, you can call your home is indeed a blessing.

In the past, by virtue of civilization, there have been incessant changes in trends which have by and large, improved the way of life. Today, home decor and home furnishings epitomize good civilization. Home furnishing is considered to be an art; so much so that professionals are specifically trained to add ingenuity to your home with suitable home decor.

The whole concept of ideal home furnishings can be explored and simplified as follows.

Oriental home decor- an overview:
Oriental home decor is ideally suited for Indian homes and is widely seen across Asia. The house is generally spacious and there is often ample space for wooden furniture. The very common items of oriental home furnishings include wall hangings, ethnic curios, curios with carvings, Idols of gods, artificial or fresh flowers, pottery, bamboo craft and much more. The way you arrange them will define their resourcefulness. A few key points to consider when you do up your home are as follows:

Is space a constraint?
Size does matter when it comes to your abode and it is important to decorate your home accordingly. If space is a constraint, make sure the curtains and walls are of a lighter shade. The more the light filters in, the wider the space will appear. Let the various curios and artifacts adorning the floor, tables and walls be smaller. Vertical wall hangings festooned with smaller designs and subtle hues are ideal for smaller homes.

On the other hand, a larger interior space can have dark colored walls and curtains adorned with bold prints and embellishments. The artifacts can be of appropriate shapes and sizes, as space is not a limitation. Wall hangings with darker hues and bold designs may seem ideal. Dangling wall hangings, suspended cane swings or the traditional swings festooned with carvings and oriental wind chimes may be included in home decor.

Art of choosing ideal home furnishings
The type of home furnishings you choose will depend on the wall color, the type of furniture (if the abode is furnished), number of people living in the house and the type of flooring, in addition to the size of the abode as mentioned earlier. Here are a few aspects that are integral to home decor which you may find useful:

Curtains: Choose them right
Your living room and bedroom curtains need to be of thicker fabric while door curtain fabric can be the thin and flowing type, exuding fluidity to the ambiance. This not only enhances the relaxed atmosphere native to a drawing room but also adds a touch of panache to your interiors. Translucent curtains embellished with embroidery or self prints make ideal door curtains. If you do up your house in a particular pattern and want similar curtains for the whole house then go for pastel shades like beige, off white or the lightest shade of pink.

A pair of window curtains can be teamed with netted or translucent curtains in lighter shades, to enhance the look.

Furniture:
A leather couch, cozy sofa with fabric upholstery or the very oriental cane chairs, makes ideal home furnishings for a contemporary house. If you want wood in the house and do not have the space to add an ensemble, a pair of rocking chairs or chairs with elaborate carving which exude a traditional touch is recommended. This could be complemented with a magazine or paper stand in the same material. Cane furniture is cost effective and ideal for people who keep changing homes.

Bedding:
If you spend most of your time in the confines of your room, make it more appealing by including the precise elements of home decor. Match the bed cover with the color of the lamp shade. It is ideal to have lamp shades in neutral colors like cream or light beige which complements almost every shade of the curtains and bedding you may wish to use. Take care to choose the curtains too, lest it should appear out of place.

Decorative flooring for that extra element of style:
Carpets are another integral part of home decor. Not only do they enhance the look of the floor but add a distinct panache to the interiors. The color, design and quality are the decisive factors before you zero in, on the buy. The flooring need not be done up entirely in carpet, more so if the home decor boasts of attractive flooring. Besides the flooring, intricate ceiling is in. A wide gamut of artistically designed ceilings and art fiberglass for windows are the latest trend.

If home decor is on your mind now and you have been considering these options, wait no longer. Take time to analyze the house, its pros and drawbacks and choose home furnishings accordingly. Shopping for home decor at renowned outlets is no doubt a good option but if you have been contemplating buying and presenting them as gifts, an online mart is the best bet. They assure a wider product range, easy website tools and hassle free delivery. What more could you ask for?

Some people thought that owning a house is the best big investment they could ever have. In fact, according to the recent survey conducted in the U.S., 90% of the primary wealth of the people. They never knew that there is something more than what the house can offer — the house plans.

What people never knew is that house plans are the better investment.

Why? It is because the foundation, the structure, and the beauty of a house depend on the creation and assumption of house plans.

Therefore, it is important to spend some time contemplating on making and analyzing house plans. If ever the plan was not made in such a way that it would provided the optimum protection for the family, then that is not an investment after all.

Hence, it is extremely important to pay close attention to the house plan. Factors that are to be considered when making house plans should be well taken into account. Here are five things to consider when making house plans:

1. Location

Before making house plans, it is important to contemplate first on the location of the lot where the house will be built. Is it near the schools? The market? Or is it located in an area where transportations are scarce?

The point here is that it is important to consider the location when creating house plans. The design and structure of the house should match the kind of environment the neighborhood has.

2. Lifestyle

Do you prefer to live in the city, or the quiet suburban subdivision living? You definitely do not want to dig yourself a debt hole just to build a new house that conflict with your lifestyle.

When creating house plans, it is also important to consider the lifestyle. The total impression that the house will have on its visitors should greatly reflect the kind of lifestyle the family has.

3. Size of the family

Many houses now are so small because developers have to take into consideration the paying capacity of the buyers.

However, if ever you have the budget and the time to supervise the building of your new house, it is important to consider first the size of your family. For instance, the number of your children will indicate the number of rooms that you have to consider on your plan.

4. Environment

It is extremely important to consider the kind of environment the neighborhood has in creating house plans. For instance, if the area seems to be a hot spot, it is best to include some plans on proper insulation of the house so as to conserve energy consumption.

There are also cases wherein the type of soil is also important in making a house. Therefore, it is best to try to consider the kind of soil the lot area has when making house plans. What good will the designs be if the foundation of the house is literally weak?

5. Law and the government

There are cases wherein certain laws apply when building a particular house. These are known as the zoning laws. Therefore, it is best to consider them when making house plans because there are some laws that limits the height of the house to be built or the percentage of the allowed portion that the house will occupy in a given lot area.

The bottom line here is that the overall foundation and stability of a house is greatly dependent on the proper creation and execution of house plans. No wonder why it is considered by the others as the bigger investment. by: Robert Thatcher

The simple but elegant rustic curtain rods work well with a rustic country setting and contemporary urban home scenes. Whether you want to give a typical modern or wild countryside touch to your windows, doors or the entire home, the rustic curtain rods are simply unique for all purposes. So get some rustic iron curtain rods to hang your curtains, your home décor will get an old life touch.

Advantages of using rustic curtain rods

The rustic curtain rods are advantageous, for they are available in real low prices. Sometimes you can choose the best of the curtain rods and get them in discounted prices. You can either go shopping personally for the curtain rods or order them online after doing a thorough research of the designs and patterns available.

You should use rustic curtain rods when the décor in your home has a typical countryside flavor. The curtains with wildlife prints and patterns will go perfectly with the rustic curtain rods. These rods are sometimes available in various shapes of animals, maple leaf, tiebacks, and scroll and ivy leaf. The rustic iron curtain rods are great works of art and craftsmanship. All of these rustic curtain rods are available hammered on an anvil and brushed to increase the natural polish of the rustic rods.

The main advantage of the rustic curtain rods is that they do not get rusted. This is because the artisans protect the rods from rusting by applying a coat of protective oil over the entire rod. Since each of the rods is handmade so the sizes often vary. However, whether you want small, mid-ranged or long rustic rods, you will get all perfect sizes that will suit the door and window frames of your homes. The normal size of a rustic rod is 24 to 36 inches but even larger sizes like 36 to 60 inches and 60 to 90 inches are also available for perfect fitting.

The rustic curtain rods are available in packages of custom length drapery rods, several finials, perfect hand forged iron mounts, iron rings, mounting and placement hardware and with a typical iron patina finish. Even extra long rustic iron rods up to 20 feet are easily available in the market. Although the rods will be shipped to your home, you have to pay a reasonable amount of shipping charges for the home-delivery of the rods.

Interiors are made up of both architectural and design elements, which converge to give a space its style and ambiance. Style is based on previous designs, and historic periods, while ambiance is based on the energy and feel of the space. By understanding the basic underlying components that make up the appearance of your home, you can gain greater control over how it looks and feels.

Color is probably the most recognizable element in interior decorating. It is the spice of life, noticeable, vivid, and brilliant, it fills the world with its joyous expressions and contentious contrasting. It also heavily affects the psychology of a space, with various tones causing subconscious reactions in people.

In general, reds, oranges, and yellow colors are going to add energy to a space, while calmer greens, blues, and earth tones will make the space more relaxing and comfortable. These can be contrasted with one another to create serene havens that have just a touch of spicy interest.

Lighting is another important and very basic element of home decorating. Illumination takes everything that exists within a space, and casts it in either a bright or shaded light. Its glow can highlight certain features, while its absence can cast negative features into the dark.

Most people don’t pay much attention to the decorative functions of illumination, worrying only about whether the home is bright enough to function in. Part of the problem is that light is an almost ineffable substance, you can’t touch it, you can’t really direct it, and so most people just ignore it.

One way to take control of the lighting in your home is to sue layers of light throughout a room. Just because a space has a great overhead fixture, doesn’t mean you can’t compliment that with a series of table and free standing floor lamps. Add another layer with track lighting, and then tie everything into dimmer switches, to really become the master of your homes illumination.

Texture is another basic decorating component that most people completely overlook. The ambiance of an interior is made up of more than just how it looks, it is also important to understand how a space makes people feel. That can be a reference both to emotion, and to tactile sensation.

If a space has soft fuzzy carpeting, and lots of pillows, it is going to feel comfortable and relaxed, however if it is all stark concrete, with granite countertops, and stainless steal accessories, you will feel colder, more remote, and more professional.

Style itself is a component of the decorative nature of a space. Many decorative items are created according to trends in design that have come and gone throughout human history. As time goes on people become bored with old styles, and so they invent new ones; thus the formal and intricately detailed chair from the Victorian Age is going to be different then the groovy been bag from the sixties.

By understanding and recognizing these basic elements of decorating, you can gain greater insight into how the feeling of a space is evoked. In this way, you can take command, using various techniques to control the ambiance and the psychology of your home.