Archive for October, 2009

Creating Feng Shui with Mirrors

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Feng shui Luopan compass
Image via Wikipedia

A mirror provides a beautiful reflection in any room and allows light and color to bounce back for the viewer to see. Mirrors also enlarge a small space. If your room seems to be pressing down on you, use large mirrors to make it appear larger than it actually is.

There are several ideas taken from feng shui that can apply to the mirrors in your home. This Chinese philosophy helps to arrange a space so that it provides good luck and positive energy. Whether or not you follow all the ideas of feng shui, these tips will help you if you’re stuck arranging the mirrors in your home.

There are two main purposes of a mirror. It can reflect positive images or deflect negative images. If you have an area of the room that feels dreary, you can place a mirror there to reflect a more pleasant view of an item across the room, or you can place the mirror opposite the dreary spot to metaphorically reflect the bad energy away.

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Matching Chairs and Tables

Sunday, October 25th, 2009
Aeron Chair in an office.
Image via Wikipedia

Chairs and tables are key pieces of furniture in a room. They are versatile and can be as plain or as stylish as the decorator wants. Mismatched chairs and tables can throw off the design of a room, however, and great care should be taken to ensure that both function well together.

Contrary to what you might think, the chairs do not have to be identical to the table. Many times a homeowner will buy the table first and purchase the chairs later. It does help if all the chairs match each other, though if they use the same colors and shape you can get away with slightly different designs.

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Creating Minimalist Styles with Contemporary Furniture

Friday, October 23rd, 2009
BERLIN - JULY 22:  A visitor looks at furnitur...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Contemporary furniture compliments the minimalist style very well. They are both interested in taking the world of design in a new direction, and they play well off each other. No matter whether your style is strictly minimalistic or only has touches of minimalist style mixed in, contemporary furniture offers choices that fit all these styles and everything in between.

As with any design project, you should start with the furniture. Consider what each piece will be used for and narrow your selection down to the pieces that will work the best for you. In your kitchen, for example, you may need two tables or you may that find only one will suffice.

Contemporary furniture can be simple with smooth textures and solid colors. An excellent table choice might consist of a solid glass top with a large, black column as the only support underneath. It is a powerful image without ever using any detailing or extravagant decorations.

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Choosing Mirrors: Framed or Unframed

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
{{en}}: A mirror, reflecting a vase. {{es}}: U...
Image via Wikipedia

Mirrors are a popular accessory for the home and the office. When choosing a mirror there are a variety of options, from what shape to what size to get. Another important choice is whether your mirror should have a frame or not. Some mirrors have quite elaborate frames while others have no frame surrounding them at all.

Before comparing mirrors, take another look at the room where the mirror will hang. How complex is the room? Is it full of elaborate designs or does it follow a more minimalistic style and use simple patterns? This will be important to keep in mind when choosing your mirror.

Those who want a simplistic design should look for a smooth mirror with either a simple frame or no frame at all. Square and circular mirrors without frames are very simple and still add light to a room. A square mirror with a square black frame and few details will match a simple style without appearing too boring.

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Choosing the Perfect Bed Frame

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Bed Jump
Image by jamesjyu via Flickr

The perfect sleep only comes from the perfect bed, and that in turns comes from a perfect bed frame. The bed frame isn’t just there to support the bed. It’s part of the design of the room and contributes just as much as the furniture, accessories, and paint do. A bed frame can be simplistic or fancy with curves, lines and different colors. The most important aspect is that it functions in the room and helps create an atmosphere most productive for sleep.

Depending on the design, the same elements can be classical or modern. Take curves, for example. A classical bed is created from curves that go up in the middle, or a few simple curves set into a metal frame. Curves that create an asymmetrical design or create complex patterns, however, are very modern in their design.

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How Angles Benefit a Room

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
Living Room with furniture and curtains
Image by blmurch via Flickr

Curves can create a certain atmosphere in a room, but too many become boring. Angles help to balance a room and, when used correctly, can be used as the only decorative element in a room. Angles help define and divide different spaces, lead the viewer around the room, and liven up a dull or sleepy atmosphere.

Angles are found most prominently in furniture. While you may not think about it, you are constantly surrounded by angles. They’re in many tables, chairs, and shelves that make up our rooms. Angles are crisp, clean, and give off a secure feel. A piece of furniture appears more solid when it is made of angles, such as the ninety degree angles created between straight legs and the flat tabletop.

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How Curves Benefit a Room

Monday, October 12th, 2009
SVELT Reception Area- furniture
Image by fallentomato via Flickr

Often a room falls into one of two categories. It can be full of sharper, more defined angles, or it can be made from curves and flowing forms. Each has its own advantages depending on the type of feel you’re trying to create. Curves can create tranquility, harmony, and unity in a room. They are excellent for use in a social setting, and work well with modern design themes.

Curves create movement and draw the viewer’s eye around their form. When used properly, curves can cause a viewer’s eyes to travel across the entire room. Imagine the room is a river and the viewer is flowing through it. Sharp angles can stop the viewer’s progress, causing them to be stuck in one area of the room, while curves can keep them moving so they take in the entire room first and then go back to examine the details.

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Choosing Stylish Table Legs

Saturday, October 10th, 2009
A chessboard is often painted or engraved on a...
Image via Wikipedia

Table choices today are endless and have come a long way from the traditional rectangular table with straight legs. Now tables may be rectangular, square, round, oval, or any combination in between. Best of all, table legs can curve, move in circles, and bend inward while still providing the table with the strength and support it needs to function.

While you may have an idea of the shape you’d like your new table to be, have you considered what type of table legs you want? With all the choices on the market, this is an important question to ask yourself. Consider first the style of the table itself. Your table will typically reflect your personal preferences and the style of the room it will be used in. This should give you a clue as to the type of table legs that would work best.

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Buying Comfortable and Stylish Chairs

Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Danish Modern TEAK LOUNGE CHAIR
Image by Stewf via Flickr

Despite their functional purpose, chairs can also be stylish. Furniture works best in a room when it follows a certain style or theme, and when each piece compliments the others. The chairs in a room, while technically considered furniture, can be thought of as accessories. They should compliment the other furniture yet they shouldn’t overshadow the rest of the room.

Yet when buying chairs it is easy to forget that a chair must not only be stylish but should be comfortable. An uncomfortable chair isn’t functional and becomes useless and is cast aside and forgotten. Before purchasing, decide on the shape of the chair and the theme you’re working with. Should the chair be curvy, angular, modern, or classical?

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Buying Glass Accessories

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Roman glass beaker from second half of the 4th...
Image via Wikipedia

Glass is a beautiful material that works well in both furniture and accessories. Glass accessories work well with any decor. They can create a calm tranquil feeling or they can liven up a room. Their reflective quality helps lighten a dark room and make it truly shine. Glass may seem simple at first, but there are several aspects to consider before buying new glass accessories for your home.

First the shape of the piece should be chosen. This is the easiest step in the process. Examine the room the accessories will be used in and determine whether there is a more peaceful, curved flow or a lively, angular flow. Choose an angled or curved shape for your accessories based on this.

Next the design is important. Some glass accessories are smooth and clear while others have designs etched into the surface. Do not use too many accessories with complex designs. While one or two can create a focal point, too many create chaos and unease in the atmosphere.

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