idano Blog Network

Spring is just around the corner, and with it not only comes the need for some spring cleaning, but also the need for some renovating in the home. Spring, of course, symbolises new life and a new beginning, and the best way to celebrate this is by using bright and bold colors for your home design. Fuchsia is the most popular color this spring, apart from yellow, but every year it’s yellow, so I thought I’d introduce some fun fuchsia designs.

A white or pale background will give this color a great base and make it stand out even more. So, white walls, a white sofa and white or cream rugs will work well to support this bright color. Fuchsia should then be used for accessories and main features of the room. Your curtains work well as one of the main features, and look stunning in bright fuchsia. Consider made to measure curtains that reach all the way to the floor even if your window doesn’t. The long curtains elongate the window making it look bigger than it actually is.

Another main feature can be some wall art. Floral patterns are exceptionally popular this spring, and you can get some really interesting ones that you can use to create a stunning gallery grid on one of your walls. A gallery grid is simply a selection of wall art that are arranged in a grid to create an interesting picture together, or a collection of pictures which go well together.
Vases in fuchsia with pink tulips in them sitting on your wood coffee table can really complement the room, as well as interesting accessories such as different shades of fuchsia water jugs, mirrors with fuchsia frames, and fuchsia lampshades.

To make the most of your white sofa, consider having a fuchsia throw draped over it, and some fuchsia accent pillows. Different sized accent pillows will create a comfortable atmosphere as well as an interesting feature.
The best spring design looks fresh and crisp, so consider adding fresh flowers or a comforting freshener to your home on a regular basis. Lavender is renowned for its calming effects on people, as too is camomile, but you could go for some more spring like fragrances such as rose, vanilla or Jasmine.

You can use this fuchsia theme in any of your rooms at home, but it does work best in the living room, as more often than not it is the biggest room of the house, as well as the one you spend the majority of your time in.
Have fun designing this spring.

A good choice for window treatments to help bring together all the areas of the home and feel more welcoming and together is using Roman blinds. Roman blinds are fashionable window treatments that provide protection as well as style over the top of your windows. The unique aesthetic of Roman blinds can help towards a bit of sophistication to any room in your home. Many people would not realise that Roman blinds can also help towards a more eco-friendly home, they do this by shielding the light when necessary whilst also being able to let in the light in various degrees. Roman blinds can insulate a room as well. When you are thinking about what Roman blinds to order, coordinating them with the current fixtures within your room is important.

Matching Your Roman Blinds with Your Wall Color

The first way to achieve this is to find some blinds that are a similar color as the walls. This is obviously only a good idea if you are not planning to change the walls to a different color anytime soon; this allows you to choose a particular style for your blinds that will be well coordinated with the surroundings. If you choose blinds that are the same color as the wall, the blinds will blend in and not be very noticeable. However, if you go for a color for your blinds that is lighter or darker in tone than the wall color, you will create a stylish monochromatic look between the shade of the wall and the shade of the Roman blinds.

Matching Your Roman Blinds with Your Existing Furnishings

If you’re not planning on changing the existing furnishings in a room for the foreseeable future, you can tailor the perfect pattern for your Roman blinds by taking similar elements from the fixtures. You could however be planning to update your furniture at some time in the near future; in this case, you could use the colors of the Roman blinds when shopping for your new furnishings. Matching the Roman blinds with your furnishings can bring a cohesive look to the room. When multiple textures and shades are used well within a room, it can bring a pleasing look to a space. If you have a red sofa, you could add red Roman blinds to the windows. Differing from using the wall color as inspiration, the windows and furnishings are more separated, so the colours won’t fade. Alternatively you could use patterned Roman blinds. For example, if you have a blue sofa and a black rug, you can use blue and black patterned Roman blinds to bring the room together nicely.

Matching Your Roman Blinds with Your Flooring

The final option to match your Roman blinds to the interior of the room is by choosing blinds in a similar color as the flooring. The color of the window treatments and floors are noticeable against each other. An example of this would be if you had cherry floors, you may want to opt for a red, purple or plum shade. You may also want to use Roman blinds to contrast with the rest of the fixtures. But this only works with certain styles and colors.

There are many ways to subtly improve your interior décor. One of the most understated ways is to change the door handles that are featured throughout. Most people believe that these fixtures are simply functional devices that go relatively unnoticed. However this is far from the truth.

Due to the wide variety of styles, designs and colours available on the market, door handles are an inexpensive and effective way of sprucing up your home without spending an excessive amount of money or changing the whole interior. The amount of handles that are displayed inside a house is commonly forgotten about. Once doors, cupboards and drawers are all fitted with new and attractive knobs, the overall effect will be much more widespread than may have first been imagined.

It is definitely worth browsing the many online retailers who sell different types of handles in several materials, colours and designs. Deciding on a budget beforehand is also important as, when changing or replacing every handle, more than one will be needed.
Deciding on what door handles to buy can be difficult. You first have to consider what look you are striving for:

MODERN?
Brass, chrome and stainless steel are ideal for those who wish to implement a modern look into their interior. These types of handles are not only easy to clean and maintain but also stand out, making it noticeable that you have co-ordinated your entire home.

UNIQUE
Leather door handles are becoming increasingly popular amongst decorators who see the advantages involved with their endurance. Whilst other types of handles may need replacing once they become slightly scuffed, leather in fact improves with age; meaning that wear and tear will not affect its attractiveness.

ELEGANCE
There are a number of options for those who wish to implement elegance. Porcelain, glass and crystal, although slightly more expensive is a great way of doing this. This type of material does, however, require a substantial amount of cleaning and polishing for it to stay in pristine condition.

Purchasing door handles, thanks to the internet, is now easier than ever. There are several options available to people. Going directly to hard ware and furniture stores will allow for the opportunity to get a close and thorough look at the fixture. However, there are many sites that offer a much wider variety of choice and free delivery.

Solar power is one of the most efficient ways to cut your reliance on big energy companies and make big savings on your utility bills. Using natural sunlight for energy reduces your carbon footprint and can result in regular payments using the FiT scheme in most countries. An American study has shown that modern solar panel installations can even add value to your home in the eyes of prospective buyers, as well as save you money on electricity.

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory studied around 72,000 homes in California, comparing the selling prices of the 2000 homes with solar power systems against those without. They noted that existing homes with solar power installed at a later date sold for up to $17,000 more than newer houses with solar power built in. They found that solar panels set a home apart from others selling in the area and sped up the selling process as buyers were more interested.

Prospective house buyers could have been put off by the look of older solar panels, as they often stood out and contrasted harshly with the roof and the look of the house. In the past solar panels were bulky and the silver/blue colour of the panels didn’t fit in with slate and brick tiles. Panels are now available in a wide range of colours and styles now, for instance black panels are available for homes with slate roofs, and red solar panels the size of roof tiles can now be re-tiled into existing roofs. These offer extra insulation during the winter as well as being almost unnoticeable when viewing the house.

Perhaps a more expensive and invasive option would be to re-tile the roof and put in an in-roof mounted system, which would leave the solar panels lying perfectly flat with the roof and out of sight. The panels would need to be fitted into the rafters, so this option would be best when a re-roof is needed or in a new build house. Otherwise a large area of roof tiles would need to be removed in order to fit this system.

When it comes to selling your house, it is best to discuss the positive impact solar power has on your home with your estate agent or realtor, as they are often unaware of the energy and money savings associated with solar panel systems. By telling prospective buyers how much energy they will save on utility bills and how much carbon footprint is reduced, you could be setting your property apart from others they have viewed and they will become aware of the extra value in purchasing your home.

As children grow it is only natural that they require more room, to work, rest and play. Your home that once seemed spacious can seem cramped because there isn’t enough room for the children to run around and enjoy themselves. But fear not, there is no need to go to the hassle of moving to a different home or the expense and red-tape of building an extension to your home. Log cabins are a great cost effective alternative that not only give you the added space desired but also create a beautiful focal point for your garden.

Adding on an extension can cost tens of thousands, and often require lengthy and complicated planning permission, which you are not guaranteed to get. In addition, should you have the funds and get clearance from local authorities then your next challenge is finding someone reputable who you can trust to undertake the project. In the end, many families simply give up and make do with what they have because of the hassles, hurdles and expenses.

The idea of putting a shed in the garden doesn’t appeal to some people because they picture yesterday’s designs and building methods that created eyesores that started falling down before they were worn in. However, things are much different today and a well-designed log cabin can actually add to the aesthetics of your home. Once you see the cabin in place, you will see how it actually adds beauty to your home. That is something that cannot be said for those older garden buildings from years past.

A log cabin can actually add to the look of a home whilst providing the extra space your family so desperately needs. These beautiful and economical alternatives to messy and expensive construction projects have a contemporary look that is a superior alternative to yesterday’s concrete or metal sheds or garages.

Even better, these cabins come in a variety of styles to blend in well with your home’s design and a variety of sizes to fit every budget and garden size. Smaller cabins provide a simple space away from the rest of family where one or two children can play in the safety whilst the bigger models can offer your family two or more rooms to enjoy.

You can put a playhouse anywhere in the garden, and if you really want to go all out, and have the budget, you can create a mini playground in your own back garden, with swings and slides. Find a small table and chairs so the kids have somewhere to sit, or an old sofa you or a friend no longer use. When you’ve got the log cabin set up, your children can use it for whatever they want; one minute a house, the next a spaceship, or a castle. Their imaginations can keep them occupied for hours, while you can relax knowing they’re safe in the back garden.

It’s likely the kids will decide they want to do everything in their new den, and why not? Let them eat a few meals outdoors if the weather allows, and they’ll probably find homework a lot more exciting when they do it in the playhouse. In summer you may even decide to let them camp out in the playhouse a few nights!

One of the beauties of a well-built log-cabin is that it will last years, even decades, meaning that as your children the playhouse can evolve. When your children started needing a quiet place to study then they can turn it in to their own private office. Alternative, if they grow into the musical type they can have their own practice room for them and their bandmates, ensuring that your house remains peaceful when you’re trying to unwind from a long day at work.

Even further down the line, once your children have flown the nest then the logeivity of a log cabin that means you can use it yourself for whatever you want, beat the crowds at the gym by having your own personal fitness suite at the end of your garden, alternatively you could create an art studio, poker den or anything else you desire, the only limitation is your imagination!

One of the least expensive ways to get a playroom to add enjoyment to your home is to get a log cabin for the garden. Since it is also one of the quickest and most appealing alternatives to an extensive and messy extension, it is very likely the right choice for your family.