Choosing The Right Tiles For Your Home

   








Picture: Topps Tiles

People forget how important it is to choose the right floor tiles for their home. While floors are not the first thing you notice upon entering a home, it is also the most basic structure of the house. Have you ever stepped into a home with uneven flooring, or had broken tiles? It doesn't create a good first impression at all.


In the past, tiles were used as artistic accents on the walls or floors of homes, but since they are easier to maintain than carpeting and hardwood floors, many people now choose tiles to line their floor.
There are many varieties of floor tiles available in the market today. Depending on the look and color that you want, you will be spoilt for choice. To help you narrow down your choices, here are a few tips to help you.


Style Star
The type of floor tiles that you choose for your home will depend on the style you are going for. If you are attracted to modern and industrial looking designs, then regular machine manufactured tiles should work well. But getting them all in the same size is important to maintain regularity.


If you are looking for a more rustic design, then you can opt for hand-made tiles. These tiles have uneven edges and are usually used for patios or driveways. Your contractor would need to cut the tiles to fit the space accordingly.
If mosaic tiles are more to your liking, then consult a decorator to give you design ideas on how to lay the tiles out in an attractive manner. The last thing you want is to have your contractor lay the tiles with no design in mind, which would be messy.


Size It Up
Before you can start shopping, you have to determine how much ground to cover. Exact measurements are imperative, as that would dictate how many tiles should be purchased. Tiles are usually 1x1 foot in size, so an accurate measurement of the floor space in square feet should be done.
If you're unsure about the size of your room, consult the blue-prints. Remember that any inaccurate measurements of your floor space could be a problem. You don't want to end up with too many tiles, which is a waste of money.

Hard Or Soft?
If you're looking to buy tiles for the floor, choose a harder variety. Determine how much walking is going to be done in the room. The more walking involved, the harder the tile should be. Other than that, you can choose softer tiles. Bathrooms don't need hard tiles as they aren't used as much as the living room. Determine how much walking is going to be done in the room and buy the right tile.


Budgeting
Tiles are sold per piece, so buying them for a large space could be an expensive proposition. Choose good quality tiles that are being sold at a lesser price. And if you're only re-tiling a small room, why not spend a little bit more on something luxurious. It so happens that Italians make the most expensive and beautiful hand-made tiles, often used for fountains and frescoes. So have a think about your budget before-hand.


If you're on a tight budget, then ceramic tiles are a good choice. They are the most affordable tiles on the market and are relatively easy to care for. A few quick swivels with a soapy mop will take care of most messes. And should an accident happen resulting in a few broken tiles, they can be easily replaced.

Article: Courtesy of Propertyguru.com

Turn Your House Into A Home

Think of home and comfort is the first thing that comes to mind, a place that exudes beauty and cosiness. However, in our attempt to make our abode beautiful, we sometimes go over the top, giving it an over-decorated museum-type, almost garish look. This year, create your own intimate space that is homey and cosy while being stylish and elegant. Here are some quick tips to give your home that extra character by using different colours, themes and decorations.

Life on the coast

In this tropical island nation, the ideal way to decorate is to follow a theme where you always feel close to the coast. Use colours inspired by the sun, sand and water, and replace tile floors with wood or stone. Create the mood with cane couches upholstered with soft fabrics, and place bamboo or palm trees on either side. For the wall, buy paintings inspired by nature to create a serene environment. Put dried flowers or potpourri in a glass bowl and place it on the coffee table. Light up the house at night with incense candles.

Country style

Think Jane Austen and the first thing that comes to mind is mansions, dark Oakwood furniture, four-poster beds, skirted table covers, handmade rugs, embroidered curtains, all oozing class and grandeur. Who wouldn’t want to decorate their home the old fashioned English way? For starters, do up your walls with wallpaper in subtle but rosy colours. Buy couches with flowery patterns and dark wood armchairs for the living room. A grandfather’s clock will help enhance the décor. Old chests and wall bookcases with brass and iron knobs can add that extra class. Fresh flowers and silver or wrought candle stands would be a good way to decorate the dining table.

Freshen up

Blend the past and the future to create a brand new level of freshness in the decor. Make your home a fantasy land, filled with a surreal ambience where you can shut out the troubles of the world. Decorate with drapes, cushions, bed covers and other knick-knacks in shades of Pearlescent White, Sea Coral Blue, Icy Mist, Lavender Secret, Pink, Violet and Gold. Escape from reality when you enter your very own vibrant fairytale land.

Small is Big

It’s all about the small touches, the little things that add character. Give your living room wall a personal touch by hanging tiny wooden frames with pictures of family and friends. You could even buy a brand new vase for the floor or the dining table and fill it up with artificial or dried flowers. Tiny decorative artifacts can do a lot to brighten up and give a new flavour to your living space, but ensure that you don’t over-do it. Too many knick-knacks can clutter and take the charm out of the decoration.

Teen theme

Plan a colourful theme for your children’s room. Buy bright printed or striped curtains and bed spreads. Decorate their study table with flowers and pictures and place colourful bean bags on the floor. Put pictures of their favourite sportsman or rock band on the wall. You could even hang an electric guitar or a baseball bat on the wall, depending on their interests.

Laid back

While fancy couches can make your home look chic and elegant, a comfortable lifestyle theme ensures that you get your quota of peace, quiet and relaxation at home. Decorate your living room with reclining chairs with printed upholstery in bright cheerful colours. You could even put hammocks by the windows to lie back, relax and take in the breeze. Bead curtains and carpets in shades of Rosy Blush, Bronze Metallic and Dark Burgundy, can do much to accentuate the theme.

De-clutter

Too much furniture can make the room look cramped and small. If space is of the essence, you can replace bulky couches with floor cushions and place them on a rug. Cushions in lively colours can light up your room while making it look spacious and super comfy. Keeping your home tidy and free of clutter can also give it a spacious and bright look.

Stainless steel

While all our energies are usually directed towards revamping and decorating our living area, the kitchen is often forgotten. From drab and dreary tiles to modular kitchens, today, stainless steel makes the statement. Get stainless steel cabinets combined with vinyl flooring and make your kitchen look fresh and trendy.

The ageless antique

The colours of the past, charcoal gray, coffee, champagne, beige and a spicy red can give your home a very retro look. Classics can be styled to look trendy, while they continue to emanate an elegance of the past. You could hang an antique door from India as artwork, or add a fresh coat of paint to antique cupboards and cabinets. Style them with drapes and upholstery in vibrant colours. So whether its classical art or war-era furniture, let these vintage pieces from the past be an inspiration for the future,

Lighting

Lighting can make or break the way a house looks and feels. While ceiling lights give the home a cold feel, lamps exude warmth and coziness. Buy stylish table and floor lamps and place them in your living room and bedroom. Complement the lamps with soft textures on your furniture and drapes. You could even buy small and delicate chandeliers with soft lights, which can create the perfect ambience for a party. Big bay windows will ensure plenty of sunlight during the day making your home bright and cheerful.

By Sunaina Anand (Courtesy of ProperyGuru)

A Bigger Bathroom Through Lighting Techniques

As is the case when selecting lighting for any room in your home, an important thing to consider is the design and layout of that space. The illumination of a room affects our perception of space proportions as light reflects from various surfaces including the walls, floor, and ceiling. Most often for bathrooms, we want to make the space seem larger or wider.

To create the illusion of a larger bathroom using lighting, select décor and furnishings with reflective surfaces. Keep in mind that a substantially lighter color on the ceiling (compared to the walls) visually lifts the room, creating the illusion of a higher ceiling. Dark floors create the illusion of a dropped floor, instantly lengthening the room. By directing lighting upward and keeping light saturation on the walls, you can visually expand your bathroom.

When choosing lighting for your bathroom it’s important to remember that optimal lighting has 3 layers: general/ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. Layering light creates a tranquil atmosphere while having a function and purpose.

The first layer is general light. This layer of light illuminates a wide or general area. Ceiling lighting or overhead lighting is typically used to create this first layer. With ceiling lighting, keep in mind that the farther away light is, the larger the surface area that’s illuminated. For recessed lighting, consider a spotlight bulb as opposed to a floodlight bulb for a more even distribution of light. If ceiling height is not an issue, consider creating a chic or luxurious feel in your bathroom by adding a chandelier over the tub. The width of the chandelier should be twice the width of the room, but in inches rather than feet (a 12 foot wide room should have a chandelier no wider than 24 inches in diameter).

Task lighting is the second layer of light to consider for your bathroom. It illuminates specific areas as opposed to the general area. The most popular type of task lighting for the bathroom is vanity lights. When selecting bulbs for your vanity, keep in mind that the amount of light released into the bathroom is directly proportional to the clarity of the bulb. Frosted bulbs will cast less light than clear bulbs (depending on the paint job in your bathroom that might not be such a bad thing).

The final layer of bathroom lighting is accent lighting. This layer sets the mood of a room and can be used to draw focus toward its pleasant features while making the room seem larger. As an example, indirect or accent lighting could be used to highlight crown molding on the ceiling.

By choosing a light ceiling color and directing light upwards, you can instantly add length to your space. Layering light is multifunctional as it helps create a soothing environment while providing task specific illumination. Be mindful of small and large details of your bathroom’s décor, as this can affect our perception of space proportions.

Article by Bellacor : A one-stop showroom that promises a new way to shop the entire lighting and home furnishings industry from the comfort of your home by providing superior personal service and access to the largest collection of lighting and home furnishings on the web. Bellacor offers access to over 500,000 products from 700 manufacturers.

Top 10 Home Decor Trends in 2011

When it comes to decorating a home, everyone wants a stylish, trendy and functional look without burning a hole in one’s pocket. Whether it’s a new home or refurbishing an existing one, style it a la mode. Here are the top trends for 2011.

Go Green
With climate change weighing down on our planet, becoming eco- friendly is the mantra for the coming year. Furniture made from re-used wood is in vogue; it could come from a discarded shipping boat or simply an old door. The colours and ‘imperfections’ in the furniture reflect the previous life of the wood before it was made into a dining table, shelf or lamp, giving it a distinct character of its own.

Say it with Plants
You can go green literally too. Leafy friends add that x-factor to your décor. Go for big indoor plants like palms, ferns or smaller trees. Or clump small potted plants together in a basket and cover them with pebbles to create a chic look. Cactus or plants with colourful foliage look great indoors. Also with Chinese New Year just around the corner, bring bamboos into your home, and enjoy the luck, serenity and positive energy they bring.

Mix and Mash styles
Classic antique ornate pieces work very well against modern clean cut furniture pieces, creating depth with contrasting elements. Play with artefacts’ – a classic pot can be enhanced by metallic handles or a traditional chandelier can be coloured unexpectedly. Eclectic styling, seen particularly in the revival of colonial furniture in Singapore and a mixing of periods, allows for a home to convey the personality of the owner. Hang an antique door as artwork in your otherwise contemporarily styled room to give it an edge. Furniture and accessories, which incorporate metal, ceramics, wood, iron and brass will be in vogue in the coming year as will furniture with a raw look.

Just pure Vintage
If mix-n-match is not your style, you can go pure vintage. It’s timeless and always in vogue. Nostalgia and old world designs from both the east and the west will be the rage in 2011. Antique furniture pieces can be given a new lease of life with modern re-upholstery. So whether it is antique cabinets or armchairs, go splurge.

Space Savers
Spacious bungalows are passé, and with property prices rising year on year, studio apartments have come to be in vogue. Space is of the essence, and the furniture in your home can reflect that. Go in for that sofa-cum bed, or a sofa-cum-massage chair, a coffee table with in-built cabinets, a bar which doubles as a dining area, or an L-shaped cabinet for the corners which will help maximise your living space while being stylish at the same time.

Metallica
Furniture with an industrial look made its mark in 2010, and is here to stay. This furniture fits in with most room schemes, whether its minimalist, modern, traditional or luxuriously detailed settings. Wrought iron furniture is most popular in this category. It’s fancy, cost effective, and can give character to your drawing room as well as your terrace garden. Whether it’s a gold coloured coffee table, an ornate bed, or a chandelier with leaf motifs, these wrought iron products can add that class your living room was missing. You can even style your outdoors with wire garden chairs, tables or gazebos.

Invest in Art
Gone are the days when one cluttered the walls with tiny paintings and artefacts. Today a huge, stand-alone painting can be the mainstay of your living room. It’s time to invest in an expensive piece of art, even if you don’t understand it. Not only will it adorn your wall for decades to come, it will also appreciate in value and can be a nice gift to pass on to your kids.

A Splash of Colour
Just repainting your house can give it a new dimension. Mix colours in a room or contrast the wall colour with the furniture. A light, airy, citrus yellow will be in vogue in 2011. Vintage wine is also a good option when paired with leather couches or wood finishes. Or try a deep brown base with a hint of smoky violet to make your home look magnificent.

Go Wicker
Woven wicker furniture gained immense popularity earlier this year and promises to be a hit in 2011 as well. Couches and coffee tables made out of woven wicker are low maintenance and UV- Resistant. They look stylish indoors and are practical for the outdoors as well.

Rugs
An intricately hand woven or Persian carpet, can do wonders to your room. Put it in your living room to add vibrancy to those couches or use it to sit on in your study. Cotton or sheep skin rugs come in different sizes and are perfect to lounge on, and you can mount some colourful cushions on it to add some character.



By Sunaina Anand (Courtesy of PropertyGuru)

How To Use Mirrors To Open Up Smaller Spaces

Mirrors are great for creating an illusion of space and are an affordable and easy way to open up a room or hallway.

• Place mirrors on the sides in narrow hallways to make them less claustrophobic.


• If you have a wall just in front of the entrance then placing a mirror here opens this up.


• A mirror can be a great feature as well so consider investing in a really classy mirror and frame that stands out and complements the rest of the home décor.


• Use mirrors in bathrooms, you can be liberal here especially if the room is small.


• Make sure you place mirrors in usable heights. It can be quite frustrating and cumbersome if you are forced to bend or jump just to use a mirror
  
  How by: InsiderPropertySecrets

Top Design Tips for Your Dream Kitchen

The focal point of most households, the kitchen – not the bedroom – is where all the action happens. From preparing meals to family bonding, a good kitchen should be equally as conducive to group gatherings as it is well laid-out and easily navigable. Creating this haven of domesticity can be a tricky task, so we at iProperty.com bring you our guide to creating the perfect kitchen environment.

Before you decide
Getting an expert kitchen designer takes a lot of the hassle and problems associated with any renovation job, but have an idea of the mood and design that you would like to create. The more input you give the designer, the happier you will be with the finished product, not to mention that it will avoid time-consuming and expensive delays if you work closely with the designer to create an end product.

Kitchen suppliers normally have their own designers who can make recommendations and their advice usually come for free. Be aware though that they will steer you towards their products and contractors. It makes sense, both financially and design-wise, to shop around.
Remember, while we all love all things stylish, kitchens are functional areas, which means that they have to be practical and make efficient usage of layout and space.

Step one: Planning spaces
The amount of space that your kitchen has determines its shape. Many kitchens are rectangular or L-shaped, which are suitable for HDB units or flats where space is at a premium. Condominiums may use gallery-shape ones, while ‘island’ concept or G-shape kitchens – where the entrance is in one corner and every wall is utilised – are popular in properties, such as landed or bungalows, with a larger floor space. Consider the layout of your kitchen first in the design stages.

Form and Function
The next step is to work out the function areas of a kitchen. Generally, every kitchen is divided into four areas:
The cleaning area: including the sink and faucet
The cooking area: where the stove, oven, hood and hobs are
The preparation area: for food preparation
The storage area: including cupboards and fridge.

A good kitchen design practice is to have the cleaning, wet storage and cooking area within a distance no further than a metre away from one another. This “work triangle” cuts down on unnecessary movement by centralising your working space.

Step two: Choosing a concept
Functional as it is, you want your kitchen to look the way you imagine it to be. You will need to determine the kind of kitchen concept you want, right down to the flooring and wall colour.
A well-designed kitchen not only looks nice but is fully functional too.
In general, there are four popular kitchen concepts:

1. Modern Classic

Uses modern materials and concepts, such as glossy door panels, reflective glass and funky lighting.

2. Urban Concept

Plays around with the proportion of the cabinets. They are usually out of the normal standard size of kitchen cabinets.

3. Classical

Uses solid wood such as pine or oak with decorative glass and wood and handcrafted pieces. 4. BasicCheaper and simple in design by using melamine board with wood texture design.

Step three: Functionality
The devil’s is in the details. Now that you are closer to getting your dream kitchen, do remember the small but important things.
Get practical accessories and appliances for your kitchen such as soft closing drawer runners, soft-close lift-up mechanisms, dish holders, railing baskets and the likes to make working in the kitchen a better experience.

Article by IProperty.com

5 Easy Steps to a New Look Bedroom

A few easy changes can transform the appearance of your bedroom. Best of all, you can do most of the work yourself, save some money, and end up with a bedroom that has been given a new look. Try these ideas:

1. Clean up the clutter

This is the time to evaluate your needs and wants. Carefully assess the items in the room and remove anything except those items you wish to keep for the new room layout. Be discerning! You’ll be amazed at how much better the bedroom looks with just this one step.

2. Redress your bed

The bed is the most prominent object in the room so you can transform the room simply by changing the bedding set. Choose something that matches your personality and and use it to set the mood and theme for the room.

3. Don’t forget the floors!

An area rug is a great way to change the look of the room without a complete overhaul. Remember, darker floors will make the room appear smaller, while lighter colors will do the opposite.

4. Throw in some pillows and add some shams

Accent pieces, shams and euro shams that coordinate with your bedding provide an easy way to carry the design scheme around the room. Many companies offer entire lines of accent pieces designed to coordinate and complement the bedding sets they offer.

5. Treat your windows to a new look

Choosing longer drapes that reach to the floor will elongate the walls and give the room a grander ceiling. For a traditional look, contrast the window treatments to the color of the walls to allow them to shine as a distinct element in the room. Matching the drapes to the wall gives a softer, more contemporary feel. Alternatively, try some valances or blinds.

Article by Alan Riley

www.beautifulbeddingsets.com : A site devoted to helping people find the perfect bedding for their needs.