Tips to Buy Duvets

Duvets have always been an important part of the bedding. It not only decorates the room, but it also helps the person to get a comfortable sleep. Whenever you visit an online bedding store, you get confused with the ample number of choices available in the market. It arrives in different designs, colour, fabric which will add to the decent factor of the room. Do not forget to note down the details about the duvet. In respect of size, colour, fabric and Tog, one should note down everything before he buys a product.

Size

The size of the duvet has always played an important role. The right size of the duvet will provide you with the right amount of the sleep. It will also provide you with the right amount of cover to the body. If you want to use the duvet over the bed, then select the piece which will be one size bigger than the bed. It will create a clean look in the room. There are different sizes of duvets available in the market. Some of them are single, double, king size and super king size. Before you buy, pay a close attention to the factors written above.

Fabric

The fabric plays a vital role in the construction of the duvet. The type of fabric used in the duvet decides the comfortability factor of the room. The duvet comprises of two types of fabrics. One is natural and the other is synthetic. The synthetic fillings contain certain advantages which natural filling doesn't. Like it creates a warm feeling in the room, it is resilient and dry much faster than the other fabrics. If you are leading a busy life, then the synthetic duvet would play a major role. Besides the duvet, one should also look at different types of covers. The duvet cover protects the duvet against spills and can create a beautiful look in the room. If you really want to ornament the room, then you can surely go with the duvet covers available in different colours and patterns. Other than replacing the whole duvet, you can just change the cover and create a new look in the room.

Next time whenever you think of buying a duvet, just note down the above factors. Browse online and consider the factors before you pick up the perfect duvet for your room. Do not choose a lower quality product and instead, go with the high-quality product available in different sizes.

Source: Brandon Freeman

Wooden sign

Wooden signs are a great decor to put on your walls or even lean them against the wall.

There are so many slogans available, some can be left out all year.

Deb x

Holiday Clean Up: Clutter Cutting Ideas for Year's End

Even in the midst of holiday cheer, it's time to look ahead to a clean and organized New Year--if you can see it, over the clutter of Christmas Past.

Ready to swing into the coming year from a clutter-free home? 

Try these year-end tips to cut clutter and start the New Year on an organized note.

Santa's Rule: Get One, Toss Two

Try this simple idea to pack a powerful clutter-cutting punch as you put away new holiday gifts: for each gift received, toss two counterparts.

As you put away holiday gifts, take time to make extra room throughout the house. For example, for every new Christmas DVD you add to the shelves, remove two older titles. 

Did Nana gift the children with new holiday pajamas? Find two outgrown sets to add to the donation bag. If craft supplies made it into your stocking, be sure to remove double their number from your stash before adding them to the craft closet.

Whether you recycle, donate or sell the tossers, each gift will reduce clutter in your organized home--and the excitement of new possessions helps cut the ties to old, outworn items.

Get One, Toss Two: short, sweet and painless way to declutter for the New Year.

Take The Holiday Mailing Box Challenge

Have mailing boxes piled up as holiday gifts arrived? Sure, you could recycle or reuse them, but for maximum end-of-year clutter-cutting, take the Holiday Mailing Box Challenge!

Your goal: to fill every seasonal mailing box with items suitable for donation to Goodwill or a similar recycler for used household items, and deliver them to charity before year's end. 

Using stacked-up mailing boxes as a yardstick, the Holiday Mailing Box Challenge a good way to be sure that holiday gifts don't create more clutter in the home. 

By filling all mailing boxes with donation candidates, you'll keep clutter down when adding holiday gifts.

Better, donating mailing boxes filled with no-longer-needed household linens, books, VHS tapes, crafts supplies or toys gets surplus items into the hands of those in need, and best of all? The built-in deadline for an end-of-year tax receipt provide extra decluttering motivation!

Observe Oosouji

In Japan, clearing dirt, clutter and the disorganization from the old year is an integral part of Japanese New Year tradition. Because each year is seen as separate and distinct, the final week of the old year is devoted to cleaning, decluttering and organizing.

To observe oosouji, Japanese homes receive a top-to-bottom cleaning. Business offices are sorted and organized and children clean out school desks. "Removing the dirt from the old year" creates a clean state of mind to welcome the New Year, and invite prosperity in the year to come.

Sort Before You Stow

Once the New Year arrives, most families take down holiday decorations and store them for the following year--but too often, there's a sense of "sling it in there and worry about it later" when it comes to putting away Christmas ornaments, holiday linens and outdoor lighting.  This year, pay it forward: sort and declutter holiday decorations, linens and specialty cooking items as you store them. 

Cut the non-working, the tattered, and the tired from the herd as you put away holiday decorations. Has-been decor items can be recycled or donated; stained linens can be repurposed as cleaning cloths.

Window Shutters For Your Home's Beauty And Protection

The beauty of a room depends on its interior decoration. The window covering is a very vital part of interior decoration. There is a wide variety of window coverings available in the market today. There are curtains, roller blinds, awnings, shutters and window Venetians.

Window Shutters are a type of covering which can be used both inside or on the outside of a house. They basically consist of vertical stiles and horizontal rails. There are louvers set within the frame to adjust the opening. The louvers may be fixed, vertical or horizontal. Window shutters provide more than just a covering.

Functions of Shutters:

1. Controlling the amount of sunlight entering the room.

2. Controlling the amount of air entering the room

3. Providing privacy

4. Providing security

5. Protecting against the weather

6. Enhancing the aesthetics of the room.

There are basically two types of window shutters.

Interior Shutters:

These are installed inside the house. They consist of a fixed size frame that fits perfectly in the window opening. This frame is hinged to the sides of the window opening and functions as a single unit. The purpose of an interior shutter is to bring an optimum amount of light by partially or fully covering the window. Interior shutters can be single or multi- tiered. A single tiered shutter is one which consists of one shutter from top to bottom of the shutter. Whereas, a multitiered shutter is one in which top and bottom tiers can be opened independent of each other.

There are two main varieties of interior shutters

Traditional shutters: They have narrow stiles suitable for small windows

Plantation Shutters: They have wide stiles and are better suited for large windows.

Exterior Shutters: 

These are installed outside a structure. They are made of vinyl, wood, composite wood or fibre glass. They are hinged on either side of the window or on the top. They can be swung closed if required. Exterior shutters have fixed or movable louvers. These louvers help in shedding rain, allow air transfer and filter sunlight, etc. Different types of exterior shutters are used for different purposes.

Shutters with operable louvers are used when light and ventilation need to be controlled.

Solid Panel Shutters are used for protection against severe weather conditions.

Nonfunctional Shutters are used only for decorative purposes to enhance the appearance of the building.

Due to their versatility and multiple applications, shutters are becoming popular. They are considered as an option to the traditional window coverings. This is because they not only enhance the appearance of a room but in addition provide security and protection against weather.

Window shutters are a way to decorate your home and also protect it.

Source: Kanika Saxena

5 Ways to Celebrate Boxing Day

Boxing Day is an important part of the Christmas Festivities much like Christmas Day. For those who are unfamiliar with Boxing Day, the name of this holiday came from the tradition of giving Christmas boxes or gifts after Christmas Day.

Today, there are many other ways to celebrate Boxing Day aside from giving and receiving gifts. Here are some ideas that can help you decide on how to celebrate the day after Christmas this year.

Look for discounted deals

Much like Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving Day, Boxing Day is also known as a shopping holiday. On this day, you can find a lot items with huge price deductions. Take advantage of this day and shop for the things that you need. You can browse the Internet for the best locations to save yourself some time.

Watch football or rugby matches

In some places such as the United Kingdom, it has been customary for different football and rugby leagues to hold matches on Boxing Day. This is also done in places such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Aside from football and rugby, there are also many other sports events such as basketball in Australia and the United States, horse racing in Britain, bandy in Sweden, and ice hockey in Canada and various other countries. Moreover, Boxing Day has become one of the most important dates in the hunting calendar particularly in the UK as well as the US. During this day, you can participate or watch your favorite players. Go out with your family and friends to watch a match and to cheer for your teams.

Have an open house

Boxing Day can somehow serve as an extension of Christmas Day. Invite your friends over for a simple gathering at home. You do not have to prepare an extravagant meal for the day as most people are probably still filled up after Christmas Day.

Grab some brunch at a local pub

Since you and your family or friends will probably be a bit full with good food and drinks after Christmas, you can simply opt to visit a local pub, diner or restaurant for some light brunch instead of preparing for an early breakfast at home. You may even call up a few friends who might also want to grab a bite with you. This can be a great opportunity to catch up with your friends on how your families celebrated the hectic but happy festivities.

Help give food to the homeless

Aside from going on a shopping spree, watching sports games, inviting your friends over or celebrating with the locals at the pub you can also choose to help the homeless and less fortunate people celebrate the holiday season on Boxing Day. There are organizations that host social events that advocate for the needs of the homeless. You can look up which organizations are holding benefit gigs or programs in your area. You may also donate clean blankets and coats that would surely prove useful during the cold season.

Source: www.ohladee.com

Happy Christmas!

8 Survival Tips For Shopping On Christmas Eve

This year, more shoppers than ever will hurriedly rush from store-to-store to complete their holiday shopping…on Christmas Eve. Many hope to find last-minute deals. Many prefer it because stores are less crowded. And many–a majority–are just procrastinators. In case you’re any of the above, here are some quick tips to navigating the mall this Christmas Eve.

1. Start with your list.

You’re makin’ a list, checkin’ it twice because, if you aren’t, you’ll surely end up naughty, not nice. What’s great about Christmas lists is that most people make one, so you should already know what to buy and for whom. Follow the list and you can’t go wrong.

2. Get all the details before you head out!

Know your sizes–for the kids, the spouse, even for grandma. The last thing you need to do is call your partner wondering their shoe size. In fact, remember that list we mentioned earlier? Jot down the sizes right there.

3. Map the day’s route.

Heading to the mall and then the sporting goods store and then this one particular shoe shop? Figure out the quickest routes from A to B to C to F to D to save the most amount of time as possible. Remember a lot of stores will close early on Christmas eve, which brings us to…

4. The least you could do is start early in the morning.

Between the endless shopping, hopping from store-to-store, and driving who-knows-how-many miles, it’s gonna be a long day. The earlier you begin, the more time you have to find all the gifts you need before stores close.

5. If they don’t have it, move on.

You don’t have time to traverse the city looking for a TurboMan doll like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle All The Way. The goal is to find as much as you can as quickly as possible, not to locate a single, particular gift. If you needed to do that, you shouldn’t have waited until Christmas Eve.

6. Face it. You’ll have to settle.

You’re allowed to be picky when you start your shopping in the fall. You’re allowed to wait for additional shipments, for new models, for new ideas. On Christmas Eve, the store, not you, dictates what you can and can’t purchase.

7. Just pay for the gift wrapping.

At this point, who cares, right?

8. Promise that you’ll start earlier next year.

You probably won’t.

Source: T.B.B - www.retale.com

Luxurious Decorating Tips

Having a luxurious home means having a home that is fit for royalty, from lavish spa like bathtubs to a bed that is fit for a king. Individuals that do not have an enormous bathtub or bedroom do not have to go with a modern or traditional theme, though. These decorating tips will add the perfect amount of luxury to any home, no matter how big or small it is.

Royal colours 

Royal colours are a must in luxurious homes that are fit to be a palace. Red and gold or royal purple and gold are idea, and guaranteed to impress guests. As a general rule of thumb, almost any dark colour paired with a metallic colour will have a look of luxury. Other examples include: black and silver, black and gold, navy blue and silver or gold, and a dark burgundy colour with gold.

Designer fabrics are often available in a variety of colours and designs. Designer fabrics can often be purchased in bulk as well, making it cheaper than ever to create your own coordinating bedroom set or to reupholster furniture.

Larger furniture 

There is something so luxurious and comfortable about overstuffed furniture. Instead of going with simpler platform beds and modern sofas that have almost no cushioning, opt for the overstuffed arm chair with a coordinating ottoman, or the sofa that has a wealth of decorative pillows. The same rule can apply to bedrooms, where a large king sized bed with a canopy will add a certain princess appeal.

Most furniture can easily add a comfortable look to any home, especially when overstuffed furniture is reupholstered using luxury designer fabrics. Budget friendly homeowners can usually purchase the designer fabric and then make their own decorative pillows and reupholster the furniture themselves.

Gold

Gold has a certain sense of elegance about it. Luxurious living rooms will look better once a few gold picture frames are added to the walls, and designer fabrics that have patterns with gold vines and flowers add a feminine touch to any room. Other options for adding gold to a home include: candle holders, wall art, clocks, and maybe a cute nicnac or two on the end tables.

This versatile colour also coordinates well with any other colour, making it a great choice regardless of what the current colour scheme is.

Wall art

Adding a bit of wall art to a home can instantly add a high end look to any home, regardless of the size of the home or location. A few pieces of canvas artwork can often be ordered online at a discounted price, and these come in almost every shape and style, making them the perfect addition to a home to make it more aesthetically appealing.

Homeowners that are new to re-decorating are advised not to overdo it when it comes to wall art. In this case, less is often more. The smaller a room, the less artwork there should be so it captures the attention and works as a great conversation starter instead of overwhelming the senses of the guests.

Re-decorating is usually either expensive or it looks cheap. With designer fabrics, every do it yourself project around the house will look as though it was professionally made. Material can be used to make everything from pillows and curtains to reupholster furniture. 

Homeowners that choose to purchase material in bulk can guarantee that their entire living room or bedroom has a luxurious look, and the colours will all perfectly coordinate with one another for a one of a kind look that will not be found anywhere else, making this one of the most popular ideas for luxurious redecorating.

Source: James Tubbrit

One living room three ways: how to create very different glamorous looks for Christmas

One living room three ways: how to create very different glamorous looks for Christmas

Is your living room looking a bit drab? Do you need to up the style stakes with a bit of seasonal sparkle? These stylish looks take three different angles on the timeless theme of glamour – simple rustic, vintage and urban – and each one will give your living room a chic new style.

We took three key pieces as our basics for each scheme:

Aalto three seater sofa, £1,527, from Sofa Workshop
Esturoy Cloud flooring, £39.95 per sq m, from Gaskell Mackay
Vittsjo shelving unit, £65, from Ikea

Using these three key pieces we show you how to create three different looks all with a glamorous style…

Simple rustic glamour

A smart sofa, simple flooring and lots of rustic wood are the perfect basics for putting together an elegant country scheme. Swap neutral accessories for sophisticated silvery greys and choose an understated, sparkly wallpaper to add subtle pattern and an overall look of refinement.

Sonara Sterling fabric Prestigious Textiles
Silver Birch paint Wilko
Merietto Gull wallpaper Romo

Vintage glamour

A pale green sofa is more versatile than you might think – it’s the perfect partner for soft pink. Go old school Hollywood with metallic wallpaper, faded velvets and touches of brass. Gilt frames enhance the vintage look, while the bookshelves have been sprayed with gold paint for added glamour.

MPU 01 Desktop

MPU 01 Mobi

Angel’s Sigh paint Valspar at B&Q
Foil Diamond wallpaper Albany range at Wallpaper Direct

Urban Glamour

If you love green with silver, go a step further and pair it with gold. The soft shade of the sofa cools down the glowing gold wallpaper perfectly, while the basic shelving unit really pops in glossy black. Glitzy accessories add extra shimmer and can easily be changed for something more spring-like when the weather warms up.

Burnet Antique Gold fabric Harlequin
Striking metallic paint Crown at Homebase
Sparkle wallpaper Albany range at Wallpaper Direct

Source: Ideal Home

Pantone trends Spring 2017

Coco Chanel

Source: Pinterest

How to Create Magical Christmas Lighting

1. Silent night

There’s nothing quite like having a cosy winter’s evening in by candle light. Create your own centrepiece by gathering a few candles and decorating with a little bit of fresh greenery. Alternatively add the scent of Christmas to your home by adding orange peel, cinnamon, rosemary or even the Christmas nut mix with a candle inside a hurricane lantern. Nordic House has a gorgeous array of candles and candlesticks for an atmospheric scheme.

2. Jingle bell jars

Bell Jars are a stunning way of creating your very own ornamental lighting and look truly magical. Battery powered string LED lights, such as Terrain’s Stargazer lights (similar ones are available from Cox & Cox) create an ambient glow against the light-reflective surfaces of the glass jars. A collection of different sizes and shapes can look quite the statement when arranged together – place them on sideboards, on the mantel or along your Christmas table. 

3. Deck the halls

It’s not just your tree that needs Christmas spirit! Festoon your hall and entryways in fairy lights and decorative string lights to give a beautiful, sparkly welcome. Copy these looks from Ikea and House To Home to get that Christmassy feeling the moment you walk though the door.

4. Feast for the eyes

The centrepiece for your table on Christmas day is going to set the mood for the food. You can go simple and elegant or pull out all the stops. Simple and elegant only needs a few baubles in colours that match your scheme, interspersed with a few tea lights. But if your dining table needs the WOW factor, hanging arrangements will do the trick. LED lights mixed with baubles and a bit of greenery is all you need. Just secure with tacking nails and be sure not to pierce any wires.

Source: www.dulux.co.uk

Top 10 expert decorating ideas

1. Be prepared. It’s worthwhile spending a few hours collecting all the materials that you’ll need. Having all your tools at hand will help simplify your painting project and save you time.
   
   
2. Quality matters. Steer clear of poor quality paint. Your walls will only need more coats and the finish can often look uneven.
   
   
3. Brush up. Invest in a good quality 2-inch (5cm) synthetic bristle brush for cutting in the edges.
   
   
4. Cut in with care. This means painting the corners, ceiling edges, above skirting boards and around any windows and doors before moving onto the main walls. You should repeat this process for each wall before moving on to the next to ensure the paint blends together properly.
   
   
5. Get rolling. You’ll need a 7-inch (17cm) medium pile roller for the walls and, if you have radiators or narrow sections that need painting, then it’s well worth having a small roller as well. If your roller is brand new, wash it in soapy water before you start painting to get rid of any fluff.
   
   
6. Eliminate drips. Worried about paint dripping from the brush? Dip the bottom half of your brush into the paint to load it up, and then tap firmly against the side of the tin to get rid of any excess paint.
   
   
7. Paint by letters. If you’re painting a large space with a roller, begin by painting a ‘W’ on the wall and then fill it in with an ‘M’ without lifting the roller. This will ensure you get an even coverage.
   
   
8. Leave windows for later. Don’t fret if you get a splash of paint on your windows. Just wait until it’s dry and remove with a paint scraper.
   
   
9. Keep brushes fresh. Keep your brushes and rollers in a bucket covered with a damp cloth when not in use to ensure that they won’t dry out.
   
   
10. Clean as you go. Keep a clean, damp cloth close by and wipe up paint splatters as they happen. Dry the area with paper towel to remove any excess paint film. Tidying as you go will help reduce the clean-up job at the end.
    
    
    
    
    Source: www.dulux.co.uk

12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

Get a great result even without an experienced touch by following these basic design guidelines

I hate to break it to you, but designers don’t follow a secret rule book. There are no hard and fast laws governing what we do. We are creative types by nature and love to imagine, dream and explore, following our intuition. That said, there are some rough principles that guide us to ensure a great result every time. They are just tried and true things that work. And these aren’t tricks or skills that take years to master. Anyone can do them from day one. Consider this a foundation for developing your own quirky, creative, rule-breaking intuition. 

White T Design

1. Pick the paint color last. 

I get calls all the time from homeowners who want to pick a paint color before they move in. I get the logic. Why not arrive to walls with a fresh coat of paint? Of course you can do it this way, but in my opinion it’s not ideal. 

There are thousands of paint colors with various tints, tones and shades. And each one looks different from home to home, because light sources vary, meaning what looks good in your current home might not in your new one. You want the color that best complements your upholstery, artwork, rug and whatever else. You can pick that color only if your stuff is actually inside your home.

2. Give your furniture some breathing room. 

Resist overcrowding a room. Gracious living means space to maneuver with ease. This is really great news if you are working with a tight budget. You don’t need to fill up a space with lots of furniture. Spend more of your budget on fewer but better-quality pieces, and your room will look better than if it’s stuffed to the gills with flea market finds. The high-backed chairs shown here, for example, stand out because they don’t have to fight for attention.

Nest Architectural Design, Inc.

3. Hang artwork at the right height. 

Galleries and museums hang artwork so that the midline (center) of each piece is 57 inches to 60 inches from the floor. (The average human eye level is 57 inches.) And you should do the same.  

In a room like this, where the ceilings soar, there might be a tendency to hang the art higher. But remember: It needs to relate to human scale, not the structure’s scale.

If you’re not sure, take a picture. It’s remarkable how much a photo can reveal. Print it out or use Photoshop or an app to draw on the photo. This can give you a sense of whether a larger or smaller piece of art is needed or a tall plant might be best to fill a vacant spot. 

KDW Home/Kitchen Designworks

4. Know how to arrange furniture on a rug. 

There are basically three ways you can arrange furniture on your rug. 

All on: The rug is large enough to place all of the furniture legs on top of it. This creates a more luxurious feel. For this, bigger is better. Just be sure to leave at least 12 to 18 inches of floor surface on all four sides of the rug’s borders. 

All off: If you have a small room, keeping all legs off the rug is a great cost-effective choice. You don’t want to pick too small a rug, though, or it may look insignificant, like an afterthought. The rug should appear as though it could touch the front legs of each of the seating pieces. This approach is best suited when you’re layering a pattern over a larger solid or textured rug.

Elizabeth Reich

Front on: Put just the front feet of all your seating pieces on the rug to tie the arrangement together visually and create a well-defined space while lending a feeling of openness. 

Blackband Design

5. Resist the urge to be too theme-y. 

For example, the Cape Cod look is a very popular request. You know the hallmarks: beadboard, a blue and white nautical palette, some sailboat paintings. But this has been done so many times, it lacks individuality. In this room the coastal vibe was achieved through a palette, artwork and materials that give the effect without drawing on the obvious clichés.

OLighting

6. Create a focal point. 

There are leading roles and supporting cast members in any production. The same holds true in design. Choose your star and make it the focal point to anchor a room. Allow other items to take a secondary role. Don’t ask everything to have a leading role; it will just result in visual noise. 

Your focal point might be a dramatic hood in the kitchen, a mantel and art piece in the living room or a headboard in the bedroom. Whatever it is, choose something that will draw attention. In this room the fireplace and the lighting work together as a collective focal point, bringing your eye right to the center of the composition and anchoring it there.

Julia Cutler Interior Design

7. Consider sight lines. 

Your focal point should be free and clear from one room to the next, so that it feels like you’re being drawn between them. That’s why the best spot for a focal point is usually directly across from the entrance to the room.

Jamie Laubhan-Oliver

8. Edit your collectibles. 

Don’t hang on to a piece that just doesn’t fit. I don’t care if your great-aunt Sally gave it to you. If it’s not working for you, then find a new home for it (maybe in a different room).

The unifying theme here is the use of black in the utilitarian pieces. The balance is almost perfect. It reminds me of something Coco Chanel said about accessorizing: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” In design, know when to stop.

What to Let Go and What to Keep

Sutro Architects

9. Vary the scale. 

What looks good in the store may look like an elephant in the room when you bring it home. Or it’s too tiny to be of any significance. So always vary scale and proportion. 

The oversize sunburst mirror frame fills up the wall space nicely here, while the sand dollars make an interesting grouping below. They would be much too insignificant individually. Threes and fives make for more pleasing arrangements than even numbers.

Gast Architects

10. Add layers of lighting. 

In this kitchen seating area, the backsplash is lit, the artwork is highlighted and the cabinet interiors are filled with light. One central lighting fixture would not have had nearly the same dramatic result.

Professionals build layers of lighting to create interest, intrigue and variety. In a room where everything is lit evenly, nothing stands out. Pick a focal point and perhaps a secondary focal point and highlight those. Add general ambient lighting and some lower lighting, like table lamps, for interest.

STEPHEN FLETCHER ARCHITECTS

11. Be bold. 

Personality is what makes a space great. Make your own statement and have fun. The more you try, the more you will begin to see what works and what doesn’t. 

Incorporate unexpected elements for drama. The unconventional ottoman seats, library-style bookshelves and oversize chandelier here are all unexpected in a conventional living room, but the result has charisma. Eschew expected pieces and interpretations if you want a room that will really wow.

sarah & bendrix

12. Ignore all principles in favor of creativity. 

Having some guidelines gives people a good starting point for furnishing and decorating their home, even if some of them aren’t practical for a particular space.

Go with something personal that makes you smile and, above all, is comfortable. Overly designed rooms don’t really translate in modern life. A pillow collection and an art arrangement that are seemingly haphazard, as shown here, create a dressed-down look with plenty of style.

Source: Judith Taylor - http://www.houzz.com