Home Decoration

Setting up a gym at home is a very good idea, especially for people who find going to the gym a big chore. It helps you set up your own pace of exercise and most of all; you can adjust your exercise time as per your requirements. You can easily go from exercising in the evening to exercising in the morning, without having to bother about informing anyone about the same. However, setting up a home gym is not a very easy task. You need to keep a number of tips in mind, especially while buying the equipments and decorating your exercise room. To help you out with the latter task, we have provided a number of ideas below. Just follow them and make your exercise room an inviting and inspiring one.

Tips and Ideas for Exercise Room  Décor

• “A picture speaks a thousand words”. Put up a few motivating pictures on the walls, like that of a person with a hot bod. It will help you in tiding over those days when you are not at all in the mood for exercising.
• Exercising in a completely silent room can be boring and tire you out soon. Put up a music system in your home gym, along with some CDs with fast tracks. I would advise you against TV, as it is more likely to distract you than motivate you.
• Go green. Keeping 2-3 live plants in your home gym will not only give it a fresh look, but also help clean and purify the air. In short, you will get aesthetic as well as health benefits.
• Make sure to put up the right type of lighting, at the right place, in your exercise room. Adjust it in such a way that it flatters your figure/physique. If you look good in the mirror, you will be motivated to work out more.
• Rubber mats and cushioned mats are one of the basic items in a gym, especially for doing yoga or floor-based exercises. Be a little creative and get mats of different colors and textures, which contrast with the color of the walls and ceiling.
• The exercise room should look inviting. Putting bright colored wallpaper or painting the walls in a bright color will go a long way towards building up your mood. Pastel shades like cream, beige, etc will make the place look dull and boring and in turn, dampen your spirits.
• While buying machines and other items for your gym, take the size of the exercise room into consideration. Buy only those equipments that you plan to use and please do not overfill the room. It will not only be an eyesore, but also make it hard for you to move around.
• You are bound to get thirsty while exercising. Instead of carrying a bottle around with you everywhere, why don’t you keep a mini fridge stocked with water and your favorite juice, sports drinks, etc.
• Last, but not the least. Decorate the gym in the way you would decorate any other room in your home. Put up things that would make you want to come here. You can place a fish tank, your own pictures or any other item there, as long as it makes you feel welcome.

Bathroom is the place where we go to freshen up and look better. It is the room which we visit first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It is very necessary that it looks refreshing and bright. A dull bathroom can give a dull start to your day and make you feel depressed while going off to sleep. One of the best ways to give the bathroom a vibrant and dramatic look is by choosing the right tile color, tile shape and tile design. Maximizing tile shapes, size and textures can work wonders for your bathroom. In the following lines, we have provided a number of ideas, which will help you in choosing your bathroom tile design.

Bathroom Tile Ideas

• Decide the color of the tiles to be used for the floor of the bathroom. If you are planning to use a solid color for the same, you can use light colored tiles for the border, and vice versa.
• You can contrast the color of the tiles on the bathroom floor with that of the walls. It will create a great visual effect.
• If you plan to use the same color for the floor as well as the wall tiles, you can choose different shapes. For example, you can have square tiles for the floor and diamond-shaped tiles for the walls.
• Go for a grout color that contrasts with the color of the ceramic tiles. You can alternate between white and red, cream and yellow, and so on.
• Using shapes or graphics is one of the best ways to give the bathroom a contemporary look. You can adorn plain backgrounds by making use of bright and bold colors, with shapes or graphics.
• A newly wedded couple can give a romantic look to the bathroom by using floral tiles in muted colors like pink, light green or light blue. Adding hand-painted ceramic sinks will only add to the look.
• If you want to give your bathroom a completely different look, you can go for the Mediterranean style. For that, use an assortment of terra-cotta tiles and Mexican or other hand-painted tiles for the floor. For the walls, you can go for hand-painted tiles, combined with plain colored ones.
• For making a small bathroom look bigger, go for light colored tiles. They give an illusion of space. At the same time, maximize on natural lighting and use mirrors on your vanities.
• While going for a mosaic design, you can make use of some white tiles in your pattern. This will help in brightening up the bathroom and giving it a bit different look.
•  Make sure to select the right tile texture. You can have matt, gloss, bumpy, un-filled travertine, porcelain or even glass tiles. All of them give a different look to the bathroom.

Having a fireplace in your living adds that element of old-world charm in your house. Not only does it provide warmth in cold weather, it also lends a touch of classic beauty to your home. If you have a specially built vent for a fireplace at your home, why don’t you consider decorating it or remodeling it? You may have to do a bit of research and consult decorators for that. Or if you are planning to have an artificial fireplace, you need to know the important specifications in order to bring out the real beauty and charm of it. Here are some tips as to how to go about decorating and remodeling a fireplace.

• First, you need to understand that decorating and remodeling is different for bedroom and living room fireplace. A living room fireplace needs to be more elegant and classy, while a bedroom fireplace needs to be cozier.
• The mantle for the bedroom fireplace is best decorated with a few ceramic or porcelain miniature figurines. It depends on what both of you like or believe in. One can use Feng Shui figures like a Buddha or a turtle or candles, family photographs, etc.
• Co-ordinate this look by adding a couple of rocking chairs or recliners or single sofas with cushions. The idea is to make the bedroom a cozy place where both of you can unwind together or with family. Spread rugs a bit away from the fireplace in order to avoid any fire accidents and have a low raise stool where you can keep coffee or books.

Design Ideas for Living Room Fireplace

• The living room fireplace design needs to be decorated or remodeled to make it the

  

  focal point of that room. You can get highly sophisticated tools like brush, tongs and poker designed in the most elegant manner to go with your living room. Keep these arranged properly in a thin, hollow circular stand right next to the fireplace.

• The mantle piece can be decorated with elegant figurines, abstract statues, clay figures, vases with flowers, etc. The idea is to create an elegant and classy look with a personal touch. Make sure you don’t have clutter like loose change, car keys, etc on it! You may also frame a certificate of honor or a photograph of yours with a celebrity and place it as the centerpiece.
• A fireplace in living room should preferably have a rectangular opening. You may always go for a modulation like having a slightly arched top or sides that open outward in flares. Co-ordinate the fireplace with your room. If your room has a brown, orange or yellow paint or wallpaper, you can go for a brickwork fireplace as it looks very rustic and classic. You can also go in for a contrast to highlight the fireplace like having a border of a different color.

One thing that almost every kid grumbles at is, taking a bath and cleaning up. The very sight of a dull bathroom with the soaps and the brush can make any kid gripe in frustration. But what if you could transform that drab bathroom and instead make it into a fun place where your kids can actually have a great time! Yes, it is very much possible to accomplish this feat. What’s more? You can do this by yourself and in fact involve your kids in the whole event. They will feel that they are an important part of decision making and will bond closer with you. Check out these design and color ideas for decorating a bathroom for children.

Plan Beforehand

Have a solid plan at hand as to how you want the bathroom to look like. What kind of theme would you be following, what colors would you like to use, what wall-papers would you use, etc. should be decided beforehand. With a solid plan in hand, you can proceed from one task to another without any hassles and confusions. Involve the kids as it is their bathroom and ask them if they have any plans or ideas in mind. Organizing is the keyword here and if you have helping hands, delegate some responsibility to them also.

Shop Hopping

Now that you have a plan in hand as to how you want to go about decorating the bathroom, it is time to go to the stores to get what you require. This includes paints, glue, stencils, clip-art knick-knacks, wallpaper, brush, etc. Let your kid pick the stencils for art work on the walls. The most popular paint colors to go for would be very light shade of blue, green, beige or a sandy color. Pick a wallpaper to go around the borders of the bathroom in a similar shade. Buy paint brushes of appropriate sizes and you may also buy thinner for the paint.

Getting Started…

First things first. Make sure that you take adequate precautions so as to keep injuries at bay. Take down the shower curtains, previous borders, cosmetics, toiletries, and other bathroom accessories. Make sure these are kept in boxes outside the bathroom so that the paint drops don’t spoil them. Cover the floor with newspapers to protect the flooring from accidental spillage and dirt. Start by cleaning the walls and removing cobwebs and dust. Use sandpaper if necessary. This is important since the new coat of paint must give a smooth look to your walls. With kids around, it should not take more than half an hour to get done with this.

Applying the Paint

Now comes the fun part! Take the paint in a small bucket; add thinner if you think the consistency is too thick. Start by painting a single coat on the walls one after the other. Usually 2-3 coats should suffice. Don’t apply more than 4 coats as it may peel off sooner than you think. Moderation is the key here. Allow the paint to dry before applying the final coat. If you want, you may get the adhesive wallpaper border which is easier to apply.

Modern Art!

Get the stencils and carefully draw out the shapes at strategic places like just below the shower, near the windows, near the sink, above the door, etc. Fill them with color carefully. Now place the accessories and knick-knacks that you have bought according to the theme you have chosen. Your kid will love to do this so don’t hesitate to involve them. All they need is clear-cut instructions as to how to go about it. Place the bathroom accessories, toiletries, etc. back as they were after the paint dries. Your lovely bathroom for children is ready!

Loft is the name that is usually given to open spaces, devoid of bedroom doors and brick walls. However, loft is a wider term that also encompasses a pad with an unfinished look, like cement walls or cement columns. It might also consist of an industrial look, with steel beams running along the ceiling. A huge hall, without any proper partitions for making separate rooms, is also termed as a loft. Many people prefer to live in lofts, considering it to be modish and urbane. Decorating a loft is not a very easy task. To help you out in the same, we have provided a number of loft design ideas and styles below.

Contemporary Loft Design Tips

• You just have a single room and whatever you put up there will be visible to everyone else too. Make sure that you put something worth showing to others.
• You can adorn the walls of the loft with vintage ads and posters, available at local antique shops. You can even experiment with trendy mirrors. They not only make the loft look good, but also make the space look larger.
• You can hang picture frames, with black and white photos, on the wall. Putting up shelves, with a variety of decorative items, is another good idea.
• Lighting plays a very important role in giving the right look. Lofts usually have cement or unfinished ceilings, so track lighting or cable lighting will work the best. Use the lighting to highlight specific parts of the loft.
• As for the kitchen, stainless steel appliances will work the best. Since the kitchen will be an open one, they will look much better than others.
• Appliances like kettle, blender, coffee machine and martini set, displayed on the kitchen counter, serve the purpose of accessories.
• Never ever underestimate the power of a classy spice rack and chic wine rack. They not only serve your needs, but also add spice to your décor.
• Use contemporary pieces of furniture, in neutrals shades like white, beige and tan. As for the dining table and coffee table, materials like wenge wood, frosted glass, stainless steel and even marble tops are popular.
• If you want to add a little color to your room, you can go for an assortment of bright colored vases, kept together.
• A house without some greenery? Nah! You can either keep potted plants in the loft or even create your own Zen garden.
• Remember it is your place, you have to live in it and you have the right to decorate it the way you want to. Just be yourself, mix colors, fuse styles and be creative. The only thing is don’t create a mess.

Kids and children have to have their separate playroom as they grow up. There has to be an extra room in the house, dedicated just for the little bundle of energy. If you don’t, consider turning your store-room into a playroom or covering a part of your verandah or terrace into one. You really don’t want a screaming kid running at full speed across the living room with an airplane in hand, threatening to break that crystal vase into tiny pieces! Kids need their own space for playing and jumping around. Here are some ideas and tips that will help you in deciding the décor of your kid’s play room.

Choose your Color

It is always easy to choose the color first, before going forward with the décor. With a fixed color in mind, you can co-ordinate the designing of the rest of the playroom with it. The traditional choice would be to go for pink if it is a girl and blue if it is a boy. But what if, you have both? Choose patterned wallpapers in colors like light green, yellow, lemon, peach, mauve, etc. You may also paint the room in these colors. The beds, tables, pillows, sheets, curtains etc. can be bought in co-ordination to the color of the walls.

Dream Theme

Choosing a practical theme would be the best choice for decorating the kid’s playroom. You can always ask the children if they have any ideas for the theme. Don’t underestimate kids; you will be amazed by their co-operation and ideas. Either choose popular Disney characters for the theme or keep in mind the special talent of the kid while decorating the playroom.

What does your kid love to do? Paint, sing, build amazing shapes with blocks? Then, make sure you allot a special corner in the playroom or use it as the theme to allow him/her to use and enhance that skill. So the next time, you daughter uses the walls of your living room as her canvas, consider giving her a personal space in the playroom where she can have her own drawing board, colors, etc. to channel her talent.

Spacing and Arrangement

There should be enough space in the room to let the kid move around without any inhibitions. If the room is a small one, don’t place too much furniture and make sure the room is not cluttered. There should be a shelf or a rack where the toys can be arranged properly. If there is enough space, you can arrange rocking chairs, small tables and chairs for the child to sit and relax. Windows should be covered with curtains, which should be coordinated with the color of the room. With these things in mind, you can easily create a special playroom for your children and see them smile wide!

It is kind of tough to decide the décor for a teenage boy! But, when did we say it was impossible? In the growing up years, most boys prefer a tough yet cool look, be it for themselves or their room. Cleaning it up considered no less than a sin and they have to have the posters of their favorite football team or thrash-metal singer adorning the walls! The very sight of a dirty room can make your guts wrench inside you and instinctively you will want to decorate and clean it up. So if you are looking forward to remodel your teenage boys’ bedrooms, you might want to have a look at these decorating ideas given below!

• Firstly, talk it out with your boy as to what kind of a theme he has in mind. Children can be really helpful if you genuinely go and ask them. This way, you will get an idea as to how to go about decorating the room in way that would appeal to the young boy.
• Next, decide on the color scheme. Are you using one solid color or are you going in for wallpapers? Choose colors like blue, mauve, greens, or even browns and oranges. You may also use two shades of the same color. For instance, you may paint the walls in a light blue and line the doors and windows in a darker shade of blue.
• Allot a space for sticking his favorite photographs for a personal touch. You can probably leave one corner of the room for his personal posters and photographs. You may get a board for sticking his pictures so as to make a collage and at the same time not spoil the walls.
• If your boy has a certain interest or hobby like music or painting, you may decorate the room in that theme. You could allot a personal space for his guitar or get a drawing board with a stand to hold pencils and colors. Get a life size poster or a picture of his favorite singer or a famous painting to decorate the main wall.
• Leave enough room to move around. If you plan to have a bed at the center of the room, make sure that rest of the furniture like a study table, chairs, etc, are neatly arranged on one side of the room or arranged in an L shape along the bed.

Bathroom space saver ideas can help you squeeze in all the comforts and luxuries you can accommodate in your small to tiny bathroom. Open up your bathroom by lighting it well. Use recessed lighting in the ceiling to focus on a workspace and add warmth to the room using wall sconces and countertop lamps. You may brighten up the room using natural sunlight by installing skylights or larger windows in your bathroom. Replace a large vanity with that luring nice storage space with delicate pedestal or wall-mounted sinks to make your bath feel more open. Opt for a small shelf for storage instead or fish out some space in a linen closet nearby. Vanity cabinets take much floor space and removing it can free some of this space for you to put to better use.

Anything that sticks out makes the bathroom shrink. So, cut back shelves, hanging racks, furniture and decorative accessories that stick out and cuts back the space. Install only what is absolutely necessary and find alternative storage area elsewhere. If you must install cabinets and shelves, do it high on the wall and near the ceiling, so that they do not form visual barriers. Create illusions of expanding a small space placing a large mirror in front of the bathroom sink to reflect light well and let no dark corners creep into your bathroom. You may also consider artistic placement of smaller mirrors instead of one large one to distribute light more evenly.

Use light color paint on the walls and a light colored flooring to make the bath look larger. If you are in a rented apartment and cannot change the color of your floor, use light colored rug to cover the flooring instead. Try to keep small accessories to the minimum as they look like clutter in a small space. If you must, use one or two that are either made up of crystal clear material that lets light pass through it or have reflective surface such as steel. Sleek and angular accessories look beautiful in smaller bathrooms. Opt for a clear glass shower door instead of a frosted glass bath or just use a shower curtain that can be pushed back when the bath area is not in use. Choose your wall finish wisely as different wall finishes can cut down or open up a space depending on their reflectivity.

If you are using wallpaper on your bathroom walls, choose ones with white, yellow, neutral or other light colored backdrops and an open and airy design. You can add artistic touches and depth to the wall by painting or stenciling a decorative mural on the largest open wall. You can make up for a missing window with a beautiful view by hanging a framed picture depicting Nature’s beauty, where you had want the window, to an extent. The picture can be of a garden or a beautiful horizon and seems to add space to the look of the bathroom. You can use other artistic pieces that bring outdoors inside the bathroom too but do not opt for more than one display in the bathroom.

Raise your ceiling visually by adding cornices or painting a lattice or molding design around its edges. You can also install crown molding around the ceiling in the same color as the ceiling to expand it a bit. Painting clouds and stars using light colors and white, using faux painting techniques add to the space and make your bathroom look stylish. Make sure that your bathroom is always neat and clean as it looks more spacious that way. Remove all the clutter and keep only essential things in the bathroom. Organize vanity area, linen or medicine closet from time to time and add some interest to it using your own imagination and creativity. Remember, your bathroom interior is a reflection of yourself. So translate some of your personality traits in bathroom designing.

Inexpensive, functional but stylish dorm room décor is not as hard to accomplish as it may seem at first. Here are a few ideas that you can use :

• Measure out our space carefully.
• Make a budget that you can spend on the room décor.
• Bohemian chic furniture, furnishings and home accessories are meant for college students and are quite affordable, functional and come in all sorts of funky trendy designs and colors.
• Keep your area well organized, clean and tidy and minimalist. Avoid clutter.
• Store items in a particular place so that they are easy to find and buy some cheap baskets, milk crates and drawer systems to keep your books, wallet, car keys and other things.
• Put up some portraits of your family and old friends on walls and on your desk to make your dormitory feel like home.
• Leather ottomans with storage space underneath are good options as they can be used for sitting, serve as coffee tables and can be also used to dump your magazines and old CDs in them. They look good too.
• Invite your friends sometime for watching movies or a night out and play host to have that lived-in feel in your room.
• If you love your culture or have a soft corner for a particular culture, you can use some features of their decorating style too for that special touch.

Kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home. Top-class modular kitchens, architectural elements that add lavishness to the kitchens such as crown moldings, latest appliances and stylish hardware and fixtures become the highlights of today’s kitchen. Kitchen décor has many aspects such as kitchen shapes and layout, storage space and color schemes that have to be paid attention to. Here are some practical tips for kitchen décor that you must follow:

• Classical kitchen décor uses oak wood.
• Fine-grained woods such as cherry and maple are used for contemporary kitchen décor.
  Mix and match wood finishes and different textures in countertops look interesting and add depth to the room.
• Kitchens can be made traditionally as utilitarian workspaces or as open spaces that are a part of dining rooms or living room.
• While most preferred, shape for a kitchen is U-shape to allow the person to make best use of the ‘work-triangle’ of the space; other popular shapes are L-shaped kitchens, Galley-shaped kitchens and island kitchens.
• Stainless steel appliances with pewter finish are most commonly used in kitchens while silver or gold dinnerware is undoubtedly for grand and lavish dining.
• Glass cabinets to show off your best china and wooden panels to hide the rest are quite popular.
• Space should be reserved to accommodate cooking range, ovens, dishwashers and sinks.
• Make sure that kitchen counters are durable, look beautiful and are easy to clean. Most common are granite, slate and marble slabs and tile mosaics are fast catching up to lend a unique look to the kitchen.
• Kitchen needs the most storage space with lots of hidden storage areas too and you can mix and match rollout shelves, vertical tray dividers and pullouts and drawer inserts. You will also need recycling bins and appliance garages.
• Floors
• It’s important to choose flooring material consistent with the rest of the home. Tile is distinctive, but it can be cold if not heated underneath and its hard surface may require an area rug in work areas where prolonged standing occurs.
• Kitchen flooring in bold colors are vibrant and energetic but expensive too. Neutral colors are the traditional choices and more budget-friendly too.
• Recessed adjustable lighting and decorative lighting fixtures spotlighting your kitchen island or dining area can add a dramatic effect to your kitchen decor.