Juliette Real Estate

If you are looking for your look and your style for your interior design project you should read this article. It will define a few of the basic styles of interior design and possibly give you some ideas about what style is for you.

One style of design is Modern design. With Modern design sleekness and straight lines are emphasized. Furniture, doors, etc are basic without unnecessary decorations and adornments. Another style of decorating is called Traditional. With Traditional design the style is much more elegant with rich wood finishes and more intricate wood work. Country style is a third type of design style which has simple design with distressed woods or lightly stained woods. The style is very friendly without any fancy or flashy decoration. Yet another design style is called Southwest. With this style you often have stucco or even adobe walls on the home with tile roofs. You often also see unfinished wood log type furniture and native Indian upholstery prints. This just scratches the surface of the different design styles available for more information do an internet search on interior design styles. You will see that there are more styles than you might think. The actual list of all the available styles goes on and on.

Determining the style of decoration that suits you best is the most important thing to do before beginning a design project. Do some research and look at examples so you can find what you like the best. You can then go forward with your design project.

Do your interior decorating dreams include informal, relaxed spaces with comfortable furnishings, accessories that represent days gone by, and the feel of nature? Then without a doubt you love the allure of country and cottage decorating. You will learn more about the basic characteristics that are common to these two decorating styles in the interior decorating tips to follow.

Furnishings for both country and cottage rooms are made from what we might call relaxed woods. These woods include wicker, rustic oak, and pine that have often been distressed or painted. Furnishings also include comfortable, upholstered pieces that typically have plain, clean lines. Floral prints are used quite often for upholstery in the cottage decorating style.

Accessories include antiques, birdhouses or other outdoor accessories as well as baskets and fresh or silk flowers. Vintage quilts make interesting and attractive wall hangings.Graniteware, stoneware, and pottery represent country style; depression glassware, mismatched pottery and china symbolize cottage style.

Both country and cottage style decorating make use of natural fabrics, such as cotton, linen, and simple, homespun fabrics. For cottage style rooms, integrate floral chintzes, embroidered linens, and crisp stripes and plaids for slip covers, cushion covers, window treatments, and pillows. Casual trimmings, such as buttons, fringe, piping and soft pleats add to the comfortable feel without being overdone.

Red, white, and blue as well as sunny yellows and spring greens are characteristic of country decorating. Cottage-style decorating makes generous use of pastel colors which may include pinks, soft reds, lilac, soft blue and mellow yellows and greens.

Hardwood floors in natural or painted wood are perfect companions for both cottage and country-style rooms. Woven rugs or area rugs add color, pattern and warmth.

Country decorating has been all about comfort and creating a setting that is a retreat from the stress and fast pace of our daily lives. Cottage is a very popular decorating style today that is closely related to and an expression of the country style.

If it’s your first time working with a designer for a home or commercial space, you might not understand everything that goes into the process. Understanding the project as a whole and each phase of design can ultimately save you time and money. Once you know your role and the roles of others involved in your interior design project, it will make the process much more enjoyable for you.

The first step is to find a design firm you feel comfortable with and that you trust has an experienced and respected team of architects, artisans and contractors. Each design firm works differently, and every project is varies with regards to how many phases you’ll go through. If your project is on a smaller scale, you might not have all the phases outlined in this article, but in general, the major phases of a design project are:

1. Schematic Design2. Design Development3. Construction Documents4. Bidding Phase5. Construction Administration

Stages of Interior Design – Explained

1. Schematic Design: This is first stage of the design process when the scope of the project is defined. As the client, you’ll be very engaged in this part of the process with the designer and sometimes the architect, if necessary. The designer (and architect) will provide rough sketches and show materials to ensure the concept is headed in the direction you envision. This phase can take anywhere from weeks to months, depending on the firm you work with and the extent of the project. It can take longer if you don’t have any idea what type of design you’re looking for. In that case, the design firm can help steer you in the right direction.

2. Design Development: The next stage aims to turn concepts into concrete action items. This stage will help to identify any problem areas that may not have been apparent upfront. In design development, the architect and interior design firm creates initial architectural drawings and material specifications. You will be involved throughout this process as the design firm will need your feedback to zero in on the details and discuss solutions to any problems. Once the direction of the design project is approved by you, the next step is construction documents.

3. Construction Documents: In this phase, the preliminary drawings that were created in the design development phase of the project are now turned into working documents, refined for accuracy and code requirements. All the materials to be used in the project are finalized and the specifications are prepared. Once this is complete, the documents serve as a tool to build out the project. You won’t be involved much in this phase due to the technicality of it, and the timeline depends on the scope of the project.

4. Bidding Phase: In the bidding phase, the construction documents are sent to potential building contractors so they can prepare bids. The bid is an estimate of the cost and time it will take to complete your design project. You won’t be involved heavily in this phase except to review the bids. Your design firm will handle any negotiations or project management tasks in this phase. The timeline depends on the availability of the contractors. It can take up to six weeks for a residential design project to see an initial bid.

5. Construction Administration: In the final phase, the manual work begins. A good design firm will ensure deadline expectations have been established and ensure you’ve approved of them before starting construction. The actual materials to be used are presented to you for a final approval prior to installation. You should be able to make appointments at any time to view the progress (if you are living off-site). Your interior designer should be available throughout this phase to answer any questions or address concerns. At the end of this phase, your design project is complete!

Home interior decoration can be overwhelming. Numerous details are accounted for, a variety of “Do- it- yourself” techniques are confusing to the point abandoning the entire process. In the long run, you’ll end up wondering if it is worth all the effort. In the end, you realize that you not have started anything. One would be tempted to just call in the professional and let them do the job and just pay them.

By virtue of the recent financial set-back that was experienced, homeowner’s are inclined to do it personally rather than hire a professional after considering the cost it may incur. Interior Home Decoration is fun and very demanding at the same time. The thrill of doing it youself is irresistible but the fact the one has no experience on what to do it is simply humbling.

Basic considerations on Interior Home Decoration should identify in order that the desired result is realized.

AREA:

Renovating and decorating will involve the entire house or just the specific room. Floor plans are to be considered to correctly. The scale of the furniture to be used is important. A well designed floor plan will not make the area look cramped or suffocating, but rather it should radiate a welcoming gesture to its inhabitants

BUDGET:

Upon deciding which room requires the needed decoration, one has to consider the budget of the whole project that has to be put out upfront. Materials needed for interior decorations would be expensive and others are simply extravagant. Budget conscious homeowners normally consider recycling old furniture to cut cost in remodeling expenses. However, in using recycled furniture one has to consider its use and how well thus it blends with the contemporary ones.

MATERIALS:

Choosing the right materials is difficult. Materials intended to be used in home interior design must conform to the needs of its inhabitants. It must simple yet functional, not extravagant to the point of exaggeration.

THEME:

Possibly the most common concern in interior design is the color. One should to stick with primary colors to be safe. These color schemes normally complements basic furniture and fixtures that is introduce in the given area or room. It creates a sense of unity to the diverse decorations found in the room.

Aside from the basic consideration, interior home decoration shall also consider the aesthetic aspect of the project. It must possess the underlying element of the homeowner’s personality. The addition of owner’s personality in creating the interior decoration is the very element that gives it a unique touch and a separate identity from other interior decoration project. Thus, no matter how diverse your choices of furniture or fixture are, these elements shall add up to the entire concept or theme of the area. It must possess unity from all perspective; otherwise the area would only be labeled as storage space with an assorted collection of furnishing and accessories.

The first interior designer to get involved with re-modeling the Kennedy White House, Sister Parish was born Dorothy May Kinnicutt in Morristown, New Jersey on July 15, 1910, the only girl among four boys. This led to her being called ‘Sister’, a name that would conjure up images of a nun who has an eye for interior design. But her rise to prominence in the 1930s would more deeply represent the working woman who was making her presence felt in 20th century America.

Sister Parish did not acquire a high school diploma, but her designs nevertheless exuded quality, something that would draw wealthy clientele even before Jacqueline Kennedy sought her services for the White House. Sister was married to investment banker Henry Parish in 1930. The Great Depression had a negative impact on Henry’s career, leading Sister to share the breadwinning responsibility for the family. In 1933 Parish opened an interior design firm in New Jersey, which was extremely successful, as the high class society were easily drawn to her designs.

Parish insisted she never had a particular look to her designs. What she did have was taste, an eye for style that was God-given but was undoubtedly shaped by her high class upbringing. She was said to remember the time she appreciated the appearance of the sitting room in her home when she was just six. Parish was consistent, though, in her use of color and she wasn’t particularly hesitant to use bold and bright colors. One example is her concept of a room with red walls and the floor in another shade of red. Custom-made furniture, heirlooms and inexpensive items would all be blended to create a virtual masterpiece. Though she had her own conception of how a room or house should be, she ensured her designs would go well with the personality of those who occupy it. Her ideals wouldn’t trample the client’s desires, though she didn’t want the latter to challenge her concepts.

Parish’s designs are timeless and have especially contributed to our impression of the American country look with painted floors, quilts, rag rugs, four poster beds, etc. From the late 1950s, Parish was associated with various design projects of Jacqueline Kennedy, which inevitably got her the famous role of re-designing the Kennedy White House. Though for some reason she was shortly dismissed from the task, she did manage to showcase her skills in the Family Dining Room and the Yellow Oval Room.

Sister Parish’s other wealthy clients included Brooke Astor, William Paley, the Rockefellers, the Engelhaards, and others. In 1962 Parish and noted designer Albert Hadley collaborated to form Parish-Hadley Associates, a firm that outlived Sister Parish by four years following her death in 1994. Their union attracted more wealthy clients, thanks to the influence each of them exerted in the world of interior design. Hadley’s idea of modernism and Parish’s traditionalism brought about a fruitful relationship.

Doors are one of the most important parts of any house; we have a lot of doors in our houses from front door to patio doors and in side the house many interior doors, but same old straight piece of wood or vinyl hanging in wall. Don’t you feel bored because of these monotone scenes, so let’s be creative and show your aesthetics and get a change in your interior? I will give you some simple but creative ideas for your interior doors which you can easily do that.

Mirror: though it is not a very unique idea and you must have seen such plane glass doors before, but you just need to be a little more creative, interior doors usually have plane surface, so just cut fine mirrors in the shape of any object, or just cut into geometrical shapes and paste them on the plane surface of the door. If you color the door according to the theme of the mirror design it will enhance the beauty of the door.

Painting; you have a massive range of creativity in painting. Paint any kind of design on your door. If you are good at painting then you have got so many blank canvases just take out your pallet and start showing your aesthetics, paint a fresh scene of country site, or sun set on the beach. You can just paint an image of a window in the middle of the door which shows the actual set up of the room of the same place from that particular angle. Or if you are not that good at art don’t worry, simple pattern of polka dots with attractive color contrast will boost the beauty of your door. Simple zebra base with a striking orange flash pattern will look gorgeous.

Coins; ask your kids for a favor take their piggy bank and stick all the coins on the door haphazardly, and spray dull gold paint on the edges of the door, if you want to make it more elaborate, add few synthetic stones and give it a theme of treasure.

Chalk board; this is another useful idea, rather tip, get an original chalk board fixed in the door panel for the kids room. Children would love to have the board in their room and you won’t have to worry for the art they practice on their usual doors.

So explore your inner artist and bring out more new ideas to get beautiful interior doors.

The festive season may be over, but for many U.K folks, the snow sports season is just beginning. With cheap snow sports holiday deals to the likes of Andorra and Bulgaria offering fantastic last minute prices, more snow enthusiasts, novices, experts and first-timers will be heading off onto the piste for a little fun in the winter sun.
So, buy or hire? Snow gear can be expensive, but for the right user it does make a pertinent investment. Take the example of typical snowboard and boot hire in Andorra – about £170 for the kit for four days. In the U.K, a pair of snowboard boots & bindings (average £300) and a snowboard (average £350) could set the buyer back £650. To make the investment worth it, the snowboarder needs to visit Andorra for just less than fifteen full days of snowboarding. In the end, it’s all about investment and predicted future use. That said, there are a few protective clothing items it can pay to buy outright.
•    Goggles can be tough to hire in terms of comfort. The protective Flexible Foams needs to sit flush without squeezing and cover the right parts of the wearer’s face. Foam manufacturers produce precision designs, so trying before buying is essential. A great pair of goggles can last plenty of seasons.
•    Gloves tend to make an excellent investment. They’re easy to carry and can be useful back in the U.K.
Limiting rental equipment to larger items can reduce costs and peace of mind.

Lodge style interior decoration, also called rustic or Adirondack style, evokes a strong feeling of those days spent in a summer camp by a lake or a hiking trip taken on a wild trail. Of late, many families are switching over to this style to bring that elusive feeling of nature into their home. Lodge style interior decorating could be the ultimate eco-experience for many people; recreating the natural ambience of a nature camp seems to be one of the objectives.

However, to understand nature and recreating it in an artificial set up may be full of hassles; establishing a clear objective seems to be the first step in this direction. Just trying to visualize the natural elements and developing a clear concept is the first step in this direction. Trying to work with this motive to develop other décor will be a bright idea.

Look out for a theme as the first correct step; it might work as a dose of inspiration for establishing accessories. An artificial wall paper border is a starting point and this can be re-modified later for a better, new decorative scheme. Probably the most important factor that affects the look and feel of a log cabin will be the choice of a compatible color palette. Nature has a range of colors; profusions of dark greens and browns, milder hues of golden grass and blues and passionate splashes of brilliant reds are all part of nature. Probably nature’s own color, green is the most compatible color and no color can bring the nature inside like this color! Green is complimentary to any other color and the whole room can be more attractive along with green. However, always decorate with neutral or soft colors; cream matched with soft grey or Ming green coupled with lighter yellows is always treat to watch. A cool mountain side river border scene surrounded with green trees, bluish skies and grayish valley makes an excellent theme for a marriage of blues and greens.

The look of wood is extremely important; a mix of natural and unpainted wooden logs and pieces are often the best suited for this purpose. Furniture in craft style blends the best in lodge cabin because of its straight lines and form. Trying to find furniture that is too rustic is a better idea to recreate that log feeling. It is preferable to have minimal detailing in the larger pieces, but worn out finishes might look well. Old trunks and suitcases might serve as good coffee or side tables. They also serve as dual advantages of surfaces of storage and display.

All natural materials like old blankets, colorful vintage table cloths can be used as window toppers or pillow covers. Angling and fish trophies available in bargain sales can be hung as wall art or in display windows; this activity also enables a strong conversation with the owner. Old frames with borders can be a nice wall art and the texture of these frames can be the focal point of any log cabin. Pottery, if any, can always be mixed with books and flower vases.

Family trophies and mementos can be arranged symmetrically with photographs framed in all-wooden frames. Bamboo made baskets and art pieces, when hung look natural, lending that feeling of being in a forest. Wall scones add depth to any cabin and also help to create a strong focal point. Log style homes add variety and spice to our life; strong memories of nature are always recalled and recreated in a serene, tranquil manner. It is no wonder that more and more urban-weary people seeking solace of a Lodge cabin to seek that comfort, often missing in their life.

London is often looked at around the world for fashion and style. The same can be said for interior design trends with many people looking to achieve the interior design styles found in the flats, apartments and houses of London. There are, however, no hard and fast rules on achieving the London look as this can mean many different things. All of which fall under the umbrella of London interior design. In this article, I will illustrate some of the current trends.

Darker tones, in particular black, are becoming more and more popular to create focal points in the room. These darker areas are generally off set with colors at the lighter end of the spectrum all the way down to white. When used together, a very stylish look can be achieved. I would try and stay away from using the colors to equally though as the focus of the darker elements in the room will be lost.

Oversize furniture is finally taking a back seat and people are realizing that less really is more and embracing as much space as they can in a room. A more minimal room gives the room a much greater feel of space which is something that almost everyone can benefit from, no matter what scale their rooms are.

Bold colors and bright patterns are something being predicted by all the major interior design gurus. Bold colours bring a focal point to the room and the bright patterns will bring cheer to anyone. Especially in those short winter days that are right around the corner.

One of the biggest trends of recent times is all-white furniture. The versatility of white makes it easy to implement few or singular pieces in any surrounding no matter what your furnishings or decoration. A white piece of furniture, again, can be a focal point of the room or a nice back drop to a display or ornament you wish to draw attention to.

The final and main point I am going to touch upon is practicality. It is one thing having a beautifully designed interior but if it is uncomfortable and unlivable then all that hard work has been undone. There is nothing less stylish than a room that you don’t want to spend any time in which in the end is what this is all about.

Interior Design – Learning the Basics of Good Furniture Arrangement

Interior design is an art of putting pieces together to manipulate the architectural integrity of the interior spaces. It is concerned with anything and everything that is found inside a space and that includes the doors, walls, textures, windows, finishes, furnishings, light, and furniture. Most of these elements, if not all, are used by interior designers in creating a safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing space.

The interior design of a house gives it either a warm and inviting setting or a cold and distant ambiance. While there are many factors which contribute to a room’s atmosphere, the way the furniture is arranged or where the furniture is placed is also a great factor to influence the mood of the room.

Squeezing in all the furniture into your rooms is a lot more challenging than buying them. Sometimes furniture cannot be placed in a certain spot due to a door that swings the wrong way, a window that is too low, and many other factors, which will challenge your furniture-arranging skills.

A Short Guide on How to Arrange Furniture

It must be remembered there are no hard and fast rules in interior decoration, much more on furniture arrangement. But there are some things that may help one in arranging the furniture to give the room some enjoyable spaces where the whole family or guests will feel relaxed.

1. Good furniture arrangement starts with evaluating the area of the room or house as well as the furniture inside the room. Consider the size of the room first before buying or putting in the furniture. Measure the room or get the dimension of the room. This will give you an idea of the size of the furniture that you will put. By using one’s common sense, the furniture must fit into the available space.

2. When you plan to arrange a room or decorate a room, always take into consideration the person or persons who will use the room, the number of people who use the room, and how often these people enter or stay inside the room.

3. Determine which particular area of the room catches your immediate attention. This area will be the focal point of your room. Discover some dramatic elements in it. Let us say, the focal point of your bedroom is your large window which gives you a beautiful view of the beach, then you must put your primary piece – in this case, your bed – to that side or if not, put your bed to the other side and let it face the window in such a way that you get to have a good view of the beach outside.

4. Consider the color of your room when choosing the furniture. When the color of your paint is dark, get light-colored furniture to make the room look brighter.

5. Create a visual motion and excitement. Add furniture and furnishings that comes in two to have a symmetrical balance or asymmetry. Asymmetry refers to an imbalance such as two candles of somewhat different sizes next to each other. Symmetry is very restful while asymmetry is used to add visual motion and excitement.

If you wish to make your house or room more relaxing and beautiful, the guide above may just be all the help you needed.