Design For Home

Universal Design means planning the spaces that everyone finds easy to use. Kitchen design is a sea of opportunity filled with potential. There are certain areas that require consideration when a homeowner is remodeling or renovating the kitchen. It is important to ensure the basic principles of kitchen design are kept in mind, while incorporating innovative ideas. Once found only in the rear of the house, today's kitchen design takes the kitchen out the background. The challenge for kitchen design is in creating a more open-faced kitchen that is part of a dining area, a family room or a great room.

Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. The French Country Kitchen design is one of many classic kitchen design themes that you could consider. Tuscany a region in north central Italy is known as a warm place almost year round and Tuscan kitchen design should reflect this. In Tuscany families tend to eat and cook together. A good kitchen design should have sensible work triangles and the right appliance arrangements so it will be easy to move around.

Family

The design of a kitchen, the settings and the appliances vary from one person or family to another. The design will depend on how large the family is, the size of the kitchen, the lifestyle of the family and how much time is spent in the kitchen. There is no place in the house that is used more often than the kitchen. The kitchen is the nerve center of any family's operations; meals are created there, snacks prepared, often it is the area where the family will get together.

Home Design Suite

The key to a successful kitchen design is the complete understanding of the true needs of the intended user. Universal Design means planning the spaces that everyone finds easy to use. One of the most basic principles of kitchen design is offering a variety of work top heights.

The first thing to examine is the counter surface area. Look at where you put everything in your existing kitchen and where in your new kitchen design will these things will go in the new space. Kitchens need a personality and a look and feel that can liven up the senses in addition to being a functional place for the preparation of food. A good kitchen design should have sensible work triangles and the right appliance arrangements so it will be easy to move around.

Lighting

Even if the kitchen has generally good lighting, the counter areas can be somewhat dark. For these areas under-cabinet lighting can help provide more light to work in. In addition to decorative lighting which can match any style, remember to but abundant task lighting over food preparation areas. Mood lighting can accent glass front cabinets and cove ceilings. Accent lights can be located under cabinets, against walls, or other areas. Additional lighting can be added in larger kitchen spaces with wall sconces.

You’ll also want to consider how you light the island and table areas. Here is where you will want to insure that lighting is adequate, and looks great with the style of your kitchen. In the kitchen several requirements need to be met and these must be aided by precise lighting. Thus kitchen lighting is mostly task lighting and ambient lighting and less of decorative lighting. Direct lighting is achieved by using conventional recessed lights, surface lights or light fixtures that are on a pendant or chain.

Online Home Design

Many home design styles have evolved over the years and some are more popular than others. Keep-in-mind that design styles can also be trendy styles. This means that any particular trend can become obsolete in a short period of time. Consider this when choosing styles. Do you want to go out and purchase new styles when the old ones fade? Be sure you really like a particular style before purchasing.

Of course; many people like the home design styles for their look and feeling it gives a room. So, what design style should you choose when decorating your home?

That depends upon your own personal preferences. What do you like when choosing decorating items? Do you like painted furniture, American flags, soft and cozy? There are design styles which will fit your type of home. Look around and see what items you already have displayed.

If you are just starting out, it would be a good idea to go on-line or visit the library to see all the design styles available. Of course, your furniture choices could help with that decision.

Are your furnishings modern, traditional, contemporary or tropical? If so, then you are already tuned into a specific design style. Some styles fit specific regions of the U.S. Coastal areas use the nautical themes while those in the mountains and higher elevations prefer the ‘lodge’ themes.

Dream Home Design

Purchasing a home is something you will forever cherish and remember for the rest of your life. It is by far one of, if not the largest purchase you will ever make in your lifetime. For this reason, it is vital you have a home that contains everything you had hoped for. The best way to accomplish this is to have the perfect home design planned out.

Planning the design of your home can be a steep task even for professionals who do it for a living. While the final plans may take weeks or months to complete, the planning process that preceded this may have taken years to develop. As we live in our first or second home, we discover the things we like and dislike about the design. Over many years of fitting your lifestyle to the design of these homes help to shape and fashion your concept of what you want in your final home design.

When searching for a company that can design plans for your home, you want to find someone that has pre-designed homes already ready for you to choose from. This allows you to fish through the countless options available to find various amenities and features you had hoped for.

Architect Home Design

You are finally there - you've made it! It's time for you to get the house of your dreams. That big binder filled with magazine clippings - a collage of colors, textures and designs - can finally be put into a cohesive custom home design just for you.

Now, maybe you think you know exactly what you want and all you have to do is hire a contractor to take your vision and build it. For a project to this magnitude and import, hiring an architect to handle the design and to work with the contractor is a better move.

Why? Because an architect brings certain things to the table that will ensure the house of your dreams becomes just that. What are these special qualifications and how do you know you're getting the right person for the job?

Here are a few things to look for and questions to ask when shopping for an architect to breathe life into your custom home design:

1. Is he licensed in your state?

Architects must obtain a license to work in any state. If your "architect" doesn't have one, he is really just a designer. The difference is not just the piece of paper, it is the skill and knowledge necessary to get that license.

2. Can you see examples of his work?

Either on paper or in person, you always want to see your architect’s finished products. This is important not only to ensure he does quality work, but that you also like it. If a majority of his work is contemporary chic and you want traditional colonial, will he be able to handle it?

Custom Home Design

Custom log home design ideas can be used to help create the dream log home you've always wanted. Perhaps you have some custom log home design ideas on paper as you've been collecting design ideas. That's a great way to plan and organize your ideas, by making a scrapbook of the things you may want in your log home design. Here are some tips for custom designing your log home:

1. Explore and Select Your Log Home Style - select the log home style that you really want and like, a style that excites you. Will you prefer the manufactured or handcrafted log home style? Manufactured log homes are made with logs that are milled into a desired shape, producing uniform logs without taper. The logs used generally range in length from 10 to 18 feet.

A custom log home design using manufactured logs can vary considerably in shape and appearance because the logs have different shapes and there are different corner styles. You can obtain kits ranging from just the logs and fasteners to more complete systems that include the roofing materials, doors, windows and even more.

A handcrafted custom log home design means handcrafters will strip the bark off of whole logs. Using special skills and tools, the handcrafter will fit each log into place. Handcrafted custom log home design and construction is labor intensive, and the construction process takes longer and usually costs more since so much work is done manually. This method attempts to preserve the natural shape of the tree, and each log is carefully trimmed and shaped for a specific location in the log shell. The logs may be assembled at the company's yard, the pieces are numbered, taken apart and shipped to the homesite to be reassembled.

Home Furnishing

Decorating your home can be a daunting task, but it is one that will reward you many times over. Determining your personal style allows you to create a theme that you can carry from room to room, giving the house a cohesiveness, even if your style is eclectic.

Your furniture is the backbone of the home. It is important to choose wisely and then formulate your design plan around your choices. After you have laid that foundation in place, you can begin to look at complementary fabrics and colors - eventually visiting paint, window coverings, floor coverings, lighting, and accents in turn.

Discover your style and go from there. Your taste may range from traditional to country to casual to contemporary to modern, or anywhere in between. You can choose from materials such as woods, metals, glass, even plastics. You may like intricate designs or strong, simple lines, such as in the Mission style. You may want your pieces to be heavy and substantial, perhaps dramatic, or the sharp, linear design of Minimalism may appeal to you.

When you are considering your preference for what appeals to you, take into account too how you envision your home's primary function. Is it to be a comfortable haven for your family? Do you plan to entertain elegantly? Do you want a serene, cool, calming environment? Do you prefer an eclectic, cozy, warm nook? Is it to be an open, airy affair or more somber? Casual? Luxurious? Formal? Rustic?

Home Accents

There are many ways to decorate a home inside and out; there are also some that can be used in both places like candles. They can be used inside to make a room appear warm and inviting and they can be used outside to set a mood of romance among the aroma and beauty of nature.

Home décor is as diverse as the family that lives in the home, some people like the appeal of the modern décor and home accents while others find beauty in Victorian home accents or antiques.

There are a few things that will help to determine what type of accents will look right in a home, there is the furnishings to consider, the colors of the walls, the amount of light in the room and materials. If a room in a home has dark colored walls and modern furnishings then Victorian accents may not bring the warmth and appeal the person would like. However, if the walls are a deep color and the furnishings are a Victorian style then Victorian accents would do well in this room to give it a finished look.

Home accents come in many different materials such as glass, wood, metal, stone and others, which means that there is some type of home accent to complement any furnishings. Glass and metal often fit will with modern furnishings, while colored glass, wood or even stone will fit well with Victorian or antique furnishings.

Home Decore

Have you been looking for a Florida oceanfront condo or Florida oceanfront home for your family? Have you always wanted a property that would be yours – a place where you could watch the sunrise from the beach every morning or, better yet, from your own balcony or back porch? Are you looking for Florida oceanfront homes that will allow you to have a place to connect with your family, a home away from home that you can return to year after year?

One way to ensure that you choose the right Florida oceanfront home for your family is to consider your needs. Are you looking for a free-standing, oceanfront cottage where your family can relax and unwind? Or are your needs more simple: would a Florida oceanfront condo be enough for you?

For those looking to invest in a Florida oceanfront home, there are a number of options. The Cottages at Ponce Inlet will give you both privacy and beach access. This oceanfront vacation home would allow your family to explore the beach, visit the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and take advantage of a number of great restaurants.

Perhaps more importantly, however, these Florida oceanfront homes will give your family more than just the comfort and privacy that you are looking for. While you are away, you will be able to rest assured that your vacation home will benefit from the conveniences of exterior care and lawn maintenance.

Home Decorating Style

Determining your home decorating style can be difficult, especially if you have never decorated anything before. However, with a careful examination of your personality, your color and hue preferences, and geometric shapes that you find pleasant, you can quickly begin to shape your use of furniutre and decorating personality.

The home décor you choose will reflect the things that you find pleasant in other aspects of your life. If you think back to when you were in school, you probably had a favorite subject. If you preferred math, you will probably prefer to decorate with clear, concise lines that imitate geometric shapes and can be measured in real numbers. However, if math wasn’t such a pleasant experience for you but you loved art class, you may like the more abstract, flowing type of design, with intricate weavings or carvings and delicate drawings and images.

Modern furnishings tend to be quite geometric, while the neo-classical furniture style takes into account the need for a contemporary design while still being compelled to love the ornate and robust. Neo-classical integrates the two cultures into one decorating style that can please those who are torn.

Free Home Decorating

If you choose to go with a modern theme, you'll want vibrant and bold colors in your home decorating fabric. Usually, when you go with a modern theme, the rooms are big and spacious and the concept is "open." This is meant to draw your attention to the room's details, including the fabrics used.

Decoration your home, it's important that you find the right home decorating fabric. Whether you're going modern, Victorian, or classic, the theme of your home decorating will be influenced by the type of fabric you choose. If you already know what particular theme you want, do a little research online to decide which fabric will fit best. You can also choose to look at home decorating magazines or books.

Another popular home decorating theme is Oriental. With this, use elephants, Chinese dragons, screens and fans. This makes the room visually interesting and unique. The colors used are rich red, coral, jade and ivory.

Home Decor Design

Home wall decor is one of he many major elements in home interiors that decide the kind of mood, the space will finally create when it gets finished. The reason for this is quite obvious. Wall occupies a major visual field in the interiors of any building.

Wall decor can be carried out in every imaginable way, you can think of. However some of the most common ways to decorating a wall are.

1) Plastering and painting the wall

2) Applying a wallpaper on the wall

3) Cladding the wall with tiles

4) Keeping the wall exposed (exposed brick walls)

5) Keeping the wall without plastering

6) Creating a mural on the wall

Which type you want to go for, largely depends upon what end effect you want to create. It must be noted that every wall decor finish will have a major impact on the interior design theme of your home.

But how to really choose the best finish for wall decor?

To solve this problem you can think from different perspectives. Wall surfaces are vertical surfaces and help in two ways. The first and the most obvious function of a wall is to act as a divider between two rooms and create privacy.

Secondly walls help to reflect direct sunlight into deeper areas of the interior spaces creating an even lighting atmosphere. For this to happen it is necessary to finish the wall with the kind of decor that will help easy dispersion of light into internal areas.

Beach Home Decorating

The beach decorating style is both casual and charming. It brings a bit of nature and fun into any home and the best part is that you can give your home a great beach theme without having to spend a lot of money.

When considering a new decorating theme for any room, there are 3 things you want to think about - the colors, the furniture and the accessories. Here are some tips on how to pull together a beach theme in your home using these 3 elements.

Color

Any good beach decorating theme should tie in the colors of the beach. Sky and ocean blues, sandy tans and sunshine yellows look great. However, a white color scheme accented with blue and yellow pillows and accessories can look wonderful too. One fun idea is to paint the ceiling a yellow, the walls a light blue and use tan colored rugs - sisal rugs are great for this theme.

If you are on a budget, then paint is the perfect solution. It is cheap plus it makes a huge impact on any room. In fact, paint is one of the least expensive decorating options but makes the biggest difference.

Furniture

You want the furniture for your beach theme to be casual. Soft fluffy couches with slip covers are ideal and don't forget to include lots of pillows. You might also consider wicker but make sure it is sturdy enough for household furniture. If you are decorating a kitchen, whitewashed wooden kitchen tables and chairs go great with this theme.

Victorian Home Decorating

Renovating a Victorian home can be an exciting and challenging project.

To remain authentic a Victorian home should never have any white gloss paint on woodwork, quite simply because it hadn’t been invented and was therefore not used! If you want your Victorian house to replicate its originality steer clear of white gloss.

The Victorians did love paint and used it on walls, ceilings and woodwork to inject colour into their rooms. They also had relatively strict codes which they followed meticulously if they wanted to impress visitors.

The main focus was in the parlour. This is were all guests and visitors would be taken to sit. Parlours were crammed full of objects of interest which the owner had collected from their journeys abroad. Exotic stuffed animals, birds and insects were displayed in elaborate glass domed cabinets which varied in size according to the creatures being displayed.

The wall of the parlour were usually divided a third of the way up with a dado rail. Although many people nowadays like to strip the paint from these and leave the natural wood exposed, the Victorians always painted them. Paint was a relatively expensive commodity and to leave it unpainted hinted that you were not very well off financially.

The top half of the wall would have highly elaborate wall paper. Beautiful intricate designs such as those by William Morris were the order of the day. The lower half of the wall was typically painted in a coordinating colour. Variations of green and deep red was very popular choices.

Cheap Home Decor

Cheap home decor is just what you need if you're working on a budget. And when I say cheap, I know where you mind wants to go. The truth is there is a lot of home decor that looks great. So, you know you need to redecorate but at the moment you're unable to do anything but the most rudimentary of decorating for your home. And that's why you need some good cheap home decor to give new life to a stale room. That might sound like an impossible action to quite a few people but there are such things as good cheap home decor. You just need to do a little search about to find it.

That might, in actual fact take the most time, hunting more or less for the cheap home decor. However, it will be worth you time and energy. Since one person's cheap home decor is not the same as another person's cheap home decor you will have to make up your own mind as to what constitutes as cheap home decor. For some people, and this is genuinely a very good way to get your cheap home decor, purchasing good expensive pieces of furniture at sales agreement prices is what they believe inexpensive furniture.

Of course this isn't the way for most people as even the sales agreement prices can be overwhelmingly expensive. However, there are always other resources like thrift stores, second hand stores and even discount warehouses. Every city has them. Ask friends, family and look in the local directory. You will be suprised at what you find. Another way for you to get good cheap home decor is through the internet.

Decorating Homes

Decorating with glass does not need to be expensive or cliché. Today’s decorative glass goes far beyond colored glass bottles, mirrors, and walls made from glass blocks.

At one time glass was considered as cold and static. Today’s decorators have learned how to blend glass with color and light to create mood and bring life to a room. A new glass, UltraGlas, can be shaped into textured sheets and panels with raised designs.

It is used in everything from tabletops and windows to mirrors and showers enclosures. UltraGlas adds drama and elegance to every décor without creating a crafty or homemade atmosphere in the home.

UltraGlas comes in sheets that can be used for making everything from furniture to lamp shades. It also comes in tiles that can be used anywhere that normal tile is used, including the floor.

The fundamental design element of glass is its ability to manipulate light and color. Opaque, textured, colored, etched, and stained glass has limitless uses in today’s homes. Textured glass can be used over a window to create an open concept bathroom. It can be used as a backsplash in the kitchen.

Opaque and textured glass is a perfect cover for a glass table when the homeowner is tired of looking at their feet through the table. It also hides smudges and fingerprints on the glass.

Home Decor Shopping

Provided that you know where to start from, home decorating can be quite enjoyable. If you wish to decorate your home, first you must make up your mind on what you fancy and how do you desire it to look after you are done with decorating. Locate all the old things you possess, and decide which ones are to be kept and which ones are to be done away with. The old, unattractive things should obviously top the to-go list. Now you are ready to hunt for ideas on home décor. You may begin the search from the stores of home décor. These stores offer a vast range of items starting from photo frames to candleholders. In fact, you might also come across other accessories for home décor, like the area rugs, handmade candles, art pictures, textiles, wall hangings and figurines.

Make sure to compare the prices from various stores of home décor before buying any of the items. And do not forget the stores that maybe offering discounts and sales for clearance. Who knows, you might just get them at a mere fraction of the actual cost. Though, it is obvious that you should keep in mind the home décor stores that are reliable. Otherwise, you might end up sacrificing the décor’s quality just to save some pennies, and regret it later when you realize that the purchased items can be easily damaged.

These days, people with a hectic work schedule, who cannot easily find time to go to a local store, prefer checking out the home décor stores online. All that you need to do is to surf the websites and search for those items of home décor that you plan to buy. And after becoming sure of what you would like to purchase, you can easily order for it online and get it delivered at you door.

Kitchen Lighting Decoration

Whenever the talk is about decorating the kitchen, one of the aspects that most of the people tend to overlook comprises of the lighting. However, since a person, more specifically the woman of the house, spends quite a lot of his/her time in the kitchen, good lighting becomes one of the most important features of the overall decor. When it comes to kitchen lighting, it is vital to ensure that not only is it enough, but also that it is not too excessive. At the same time, it should go well with the architectural details and overall decoration theme of the kitchen. Let us explore some ideas on kitchen lighting.

Kitchen Sinks Design

When it comes to kitchen decor, sink has a major role to play in accentuating the charm of your kitchen. On a daily basis, it witnesses a number of activities and undergoes plenty of pressures. Therefore, it becomes of utmost importance to ensure the practicality of the kitchen sink, in terms of its functioning. So, don't go just by the looks, but also mull over its functionality. Read on to know more about sinks for kitchen.

If kitchen sink design is a major concern for you, you don't need to worry at all, as the market provides you with a large number of appealing design options to choose from. Apart from fulfilling the utilitarian purpose, the kitchen sinks today serve as a great decoration. In the contemporary times, you can find a fabulous variety of kitchen sinks in the market, differing in their designing, finish and material.

decoration in room

In the past, living room or the parlor was the place with formal settings to welcome the honored guests. With times, it has evolved into a multifunctional room meant to welcome guests, sit and relax comfortably while reading a good book or watching TV, spend some time with the family, chat and gossip with friends and for entertainment. The most common furniture pieces found in the living room are sofas, love seat, sofa with chairs in different combinations, coffee table, end tables, ottomans, benches, shelves and perhaps a desk and bookshelves. If the living space is also used as a family room, you can also find TV and entertainment center in the room along with accessories, lighting, art and crafts on display and may be carpets.

An extra large living room may accommodate a piano, eating area complete with dining table, tennis or billiard table or even a number of plants, if your living space receives lots of direct sunlight. You may also shift am armoire to make use of the extra space for storage purposes. Living room can use maximum number of furnishings and it is a challenge to fit in all the desirable furnishings and accessories and coordinate them with carpeting, wall color, crown moldings, lighting style and window treatments among many other things. Usually, sofa or the entertainment center is the largest piece of furniture in a living room and since, placement of sofa will decide the view and focal point for the people seated in the living, room, use it as the starting point for living room decor.

Home Plans

Single story floor plans appeal to many people because they give families with different age groups various benefits. Older adults and young children don’t have to worry about dangerous stairways, homeowners have less expensive energy bills, and the house is easier to clean. There are numerous residential home styles that can be used to develop a one story home. Working with a custom home builder allows you to fulfill any desire you want with your home, whether it’s practical or extravagant. Single story houses can be large or small depending on your own personal preference.

Safe Floor Plans the Whole Family can Take Advantage Of

If you have, or plan to have children, stairs can be a main concern. Having one less worry is highly desired by parents, which is why many choose to build a single story home in order to avoid having an accident take place. Older adults who see stairs as a hassle usually prefer having every room on the same story to make moving from room to room easier and safer. If safety is a main concern, one story homes are easier for a family to vacate in the event of a fire.

For those that are trying to help the planet and choose green methods, there are many different techniques that can be used with single family houses. Not only will you be reducing the toxins in the atmosphere, you will also be giving your friends and family a healthier setting. In addition to helping the environment, you will also be saving money on bills by using better construction methods.

Home Architect

You are finally there - you've made it! It's time for you to get the house of your dreams. That big binder filled with magazine clippings - a collage of colors, textures and designs - can finally be put into a cohesive custom home design just for you.

Now, maybe you think you know exactly what you want and all you have to do is hire a contractor to take your vision and build it. For a project to this magnitude and import, hiring an architect to handle the design and to work with the contractor is a better move.

Why? Because an architect brings certain things to the table that will ensure the house of your dreams becomes just that. What are these special qualifications and how do you know you're getting the right person for the job?

Here are a few things to look for and questions to ask when shopping for an architect to breathe life into your custom home design:

1. Is he licensed in your state?

Architects must obtain a license to work in any state. If your "architect" doesn't have one, he is really just a designer. The difference is not just the piece of paper, it is the skill and knowledge necessary to get that license.

Landscape Home Design

Home landscape design matters. A study commissioned by the Professional Landcare Network states it in financial terms: Homes that have been professionally landscaped bring 15-20 percent more upon resale than those with no home landscape design. From an aesthetic viewpoint, it delivers pleasure. “The importance of home landscape design is that it creates an experience and evokes emotion as you come up to the house,” says Jeff Halper, home landscape design specialist with Exterior Worlds. “Additionally, it supports and enhances the architecture of the home.”

Home Landscape Design: The Steps

• Planning. This phase is where you get to dream. While you dream, you want to factor in how you and your family live in the space. Will your landscape design fit your needs, whether that means a pool for the kids, an herb garden or seating space for lots of guests? Would you like a outdoor kitchen for entertaining or the visual and auditory pleasures of an outdoor water fountain? What qualities do you want to bring to your landscape—do you prefer lots of color, variations on one color theme or the more subtle effect of different textures of green? Perhaps you own an outdoor sculpture that you want to spotlight or have a garden type in mind, such as a Mediterranean landscape design or an English garden design. Professionals, such as landscape designers and landscape architects, can help you make the best decisions.

• Budget. During this phase, the scope of the work is defined, including phasing in the different landscape elements. Cost factors include the hardscapes items like patios or decks; surfaces (cement, stone, brick) and walkways; fences, gates and arbors; outdoor kitchens; luxury swimming pools and other water features. Also landscape lighting; irrigation systems and landscape drainage systems; and types of grass, shrubs, trees, perennials and seasonal color.