Mediterranean style

Apr18

Mediterranean style is continuously popular in Hungary. Usually Italy, especially Tuscany comes to mind about it. The main features can be different in the countries of the region but there is a united picture in public awareness of the interiors. The style itself is a bit rustic and rural, with a warming total effect.
Colors are the most determining during construction. Warm earth colors give the most of the palette: terracotta, oranges, several browns, sunny yellow, dull red and claret. Off-white, moderated turquoise, black and dark green appear as additional colors. From materials let’s choose terracotta, glazed ceramics, black wrought iron, natural stones and brown woods.
The floor is usually covered with glazed tiles or natural stones. This provides pleasant coolness inside the house under the warm climate. This is not so comfortable here in Hungary in winter but laying some smaller woven carpets fit to the style is a solution for this if the weather turns cold.
The walls are mostly plastered and painted. The smudgy, bleached-like, even Venetian plastered thick walls help a lot also in keeping the summer heat out. The doors and windows are made of wood. Shutters are not only functional accessories but decorative elements also. Curtains are light, let the soft breeze in but keep the most of the insects out. Roof tiles are harmonizing with the whole house. A fireplace is needed there also in winter.
The garden complements the sight. Meals are usually kept outside under the shadows of pergolas or trees. Water elements (lake, plashing, fountain) make the heat more tolerable.
Many products fit to the style can be purchased here in Hungary because of the popularity of it: pavements, ready-made wall paints, decoration accessories, fabrics and furniture. Ask for help of an interior designer for creating your Mediterranean style home!

Shoe tray

Apr4

Frosts are over, the ground becomes muddy because of spring rains and roads are wet in towns also. These can be seen on our boots and shoes of course: we bring the dirt to the porch and hallway. Only some can afford to have a mudroom where all muddy things can be left and it doesn’t matter if the floor becomes dirty. If there is no close hallway or it is small, this is a bigger problem.
Common solution is a plus mat in the hallway to put shoes on it. Its disadvantage is getting dirty soon, and if it is made of rubber, the muddy water remains on its surface and has to be cleaned daily.
A shoe-storage tray is a solution for this, which can be bought in shops also – but we can easily make one by ourselves, this way it will be unique and fit to the interior. All we need is a tray with higher edges. This could be made of metal, plastic or wood (it’s easy to make one from rods), depends on the style. If we just simply put the shoes in it, they would stand in the dirty water. So, let’s fill the tray with a material which lets through the water to the bottom of the tray. This way the soles of shoes can dry out. This material could be small river-gravels, white chads, bigger decor pebbles (black, white, grey) but even glass gravels too. These can be washed in some weeks.
Using corks is a decorative but less lasting solution. Juxtapose them tight. We can raise their lifetime by lacquering top and bottom of them. We can put an outdoor plastic or metal grille in the tray also. In this case we can fill the holes with small pebbles or put a leachy faux-grass on it. Some hard-bristle domestic brushes without haft placed with bristles-up are spectacular and useful solution also.
It’s a more creative way to reuse a fitting object instead of a tray: e.g. a drawer, an old tool box without its lid, a smaller suitcase etc. Its width is important because the biggest shoe/boot should be fit in easily. We can fix wheels or legs on the bottom of them for the more interesting look.
Ask for help of an interior designer for solving smaller problems clever and stylish.

Metal lockers

Feb26

Metal lockers in homes with a pinch of elegance

Store bicycle

Feb19

Bicycle storage in our apartment? It’s not a problem!

Natural stones

Feb15

Using natural stone in our home results an exclusive and opulent effect. Marble, granite, limestone and other stones can be used for floor and wall covering, fireplace pavement, kitchen countertop, creating architectural elements, window sill, washbasin etc. However, it’s useful to know their features and proper ways of cleaning.
Marble is probably the most popular material. It is solid, resistant and well-carvable. The color range is wide (several shades of white, green, red, pink, black, grey and beige), the veins add classic look to the space. Sensitive to acidic materials, for example wine and coffee that can stain it easily. It can be cleaned with warm, mild soapy water. Strong and corrosive detergents make its surface matte, so avoid using them.
Granite can be used inside and outside also. Its surface is very resistant, no special protection is needed. Its pattern is commonly grainy. The polished surface keeps its shine for a very long time. Hues of brown-beige, black-white-grey, blue and red are among its colors.
Limestone is a more sensitive type of stone. It is porous, so it’s useful to impregnate it for long lasting. It is easily carvable and polishable, that’s why it is desired for in- and outdoor also. It can be purchased in warm colors (hues of beige and reddish and yellowish shades). It perfectly fits for Mediterranean style interiors.
Onyx has unique and strong pattern, for that very reason use it moderately. It is opaque cut in thin plates and can be lighted through from behind. It will be obviously the ornament of the room. Its colors are greenish, pinkish and brown-yellowish hues. Its surface can be cleaned with polishing liquid also.
Quartzite is a wear-proof, non-freezing, acid resistant and fine-grainy rock. This is the basic material of the so-called industrial „quartz”. Mashed natural stones and raisin are added to it for reaching the optimal features. Its surface is shiny, but can be glimmering in grains also. Generally, it is available in white, black, grey and beige hues, but it can be purchased in different shades of blue, red and brown also. It doesn’t need any special maintenance or cleaning.
Of course, there are several more stones that can be used in interior design. All of them have unique features and these have to be concerned for long lasting beauty. Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the proper stone for the function and style.

Lighting

Jan11

Light is a very important part of our home, so we need to spend time for designing the amount and quality of lighting. The sizes and numbers of windows, the orientation and the light required by the activity in the room are all should be considered.
General lighting means using diffuse light in the room. The task is replacing the natural daylight in this case. Ceiling lamps and chandeliers are suitable for this.
The main role of local lighting is supplying the working area (e.g. desk, kitchen countertop, reading armchair) with proper light. This mostly has controllable angle.
With mood lighting we can highlight some interesting details of the space (e.g. painting, plant, niche) or a moderated lighting can be provided which is used only for chasing away darkness. Modern LED stripes can be used for this which can be hidden, this way only their light can be felt indeed but a decorative floor lamp or a picture lamp can have this function also.
The role of safety lighting is informing and guiding us in the dark. In the case of a home, this can be for example lighting of stair steps, the edge of swimming pool and the drive-in way.
When using artificial lights, it should be considered whether applying cold or warm light.. In the case of modern bulbs or LEDs, the light can be cold white which is not always proper, because it can make the space unfriendly. That’s why it’s worth to use warm lighting at home which results a pleasant atmosphere.
Always take care of the colors of the floor and walls when choosing lamps and light-sources because dark hues absorb light better and need more intensive lighting. The lamps with lampshades always give more moderated light. Those with crystals and glass parts disperse the light more.
The numbers, places and types of switches and sockets have to be planned in time also, thinking over the way of life and the habits.
Ask for help of an interior designer for making the lighting-plan perfect to your home.

Colonial style

Nov16

When the British conquered India in the 19th century, they founded colonies throughout the country. Many families moved there to perform tasks and for the hope of getting rich. But the climate of the continent was very unusual for them: suffocating hot air, monsoon rain, high humidity. The houses they built and also the furnishing served for ventilating cool breeze and sheltering from sunshine, this way making the surroundings more tolerable. Colonial style was born.
The most significant features of colonial architectural style are house-length verandas, where the outreached roof is supported by pillars, huge doors and windows with shutters and high ceiling. Houses are single-floor or two-storied.
They used local materials for furnishing. Dark brown (ebony, teak, mahogany) wooden floor and furniture are typical. Moving the air was solved by ventilating fans which were made of local, natural wood or grasses also. They even integrated decoration elements and patterns. The shapes of furniture however remained British. The seat and/or back is frequently wicker. Upholsteries are airy, usually white or beige. They guarded against insects with muslin curtains which were laid on the four-poster bed too. Walls are light (white, creme) which give contrast with dark furniture and feel cooling. Huge potted palms, ferns and other green plants were placed throughout the house.
They kept the typically British elegance and comfort. Sophisticated household objects made of porcelain, silver or crystal are inevitable. These were imported from the mother country. Clothes remained formal despite of hard conditions, just the used materials were lighter and mostly white.
Ask for help of an interior designer to realize the mood of colonial style in your home.

Barn doors inside

Oct28

Nowadays beloved solution to use old barn doors as interior partitioners

Small entrance hall

Oct26

The entrance hall is a frequently neglected area in an apartment. It is often meager for getting the rest of the flat/house bigger. Although our gests see this first, so the apercu is given by this, we frequently don’t pay enough attention to it. It is rather a dump or a transition zone which doesn’t seem to be important. How can we make this room – which reflects our style – brilliant?
Let’s think it over for what purpose we will use it: taking on shoes and coat before leaving and taking them off at arriving, putting down keys and bags, storing wet umbrellas, welcoming guests. For these we will need: seating place, a smaller table or chest of drawers, umbrella stand, shoe store and a durable rug. Using space well is the most important. There is not always enough space for a wardrobe that hides everything. What can we do then? An entryway bench built with a hanger could be a perfect solution. Shoes can be placed at the bottom of it behind doors. Coats go to the hangers, hats and caps go to the upper hat-rack. We can get on our shoes sitting comfy. A mirror can be put on its back if there is no space for it elsewhere. It’s practical to order it custom-made for getting the best furniture for the circumstances. An umbrella stand can be placed in any corner. The easy-clean rug provides the transition between inside and outside. A wall shelf is suitable for holding keys, coins and other whatnots.
If we have enough space, a console table is a useful piece of furniture. Used shoes fit under it, whatnots can be put on it and there is enough space beside it for a chair and also the umbrellas.
A shoe cabinet provides place to put things on it, not only for the storing of shoes and home slippers. A wall mounted hanger could be enough accessory for it.
In Hungary the house designs without a hall is rare, in this case we arrive directly in the living room or other frequented room. If this is the situation, don’t be embittered: we can solve it with a folding screen to create a separate place for the arrivers. A hanger and an indoor mat help storing coat and shoes.
Does your hall need a refreshing? Would you like to be proud of the first sight of your home? Ask for help of an interior designer for the makeover.

Animal protection in interior design

Oct19

It may sound odd but there is a connection between interior design and animal protection. Many people like animal patterns, skins and motifs but there is always an alternative solution instead of using real materials made of animals. We can meet clients for whom it’s important that their home fulfills the animal protection principles.
Leather is the most commonly used animal material. It has several good characteristics and it is very decorative. Usually we use cow, pig, goat and lamb leather. These animals are slaughtered for their flesh, their skin-utilization is a plus, this way it isn’t waisted neither. Using this kind of leather is not against the animal protection. We can also use poromeric imitation leather instead of a real one. Its look and feel are very similar to real leathers, it breaths also and remains comfortable in heat. The material is polyurethane on textile base. It’s durable and easy to clean. Nowadays market leader textile factories produce lifelike and high-quality printed fabrics in exotic and domestic animal patterns. Exotic looking faux-furs are another good solution. These are high-quality products too and also perfect for upholstery and carpet uses.
Stags and deers shed their antlers in every year. Forestry officials gather them to be sold. These can be used for household or decoration objects looking good in classic interiors. Horns of cattle are also frequently used for this purpose. We can choose objects with similar colors and surfaces instead of real animal origin products. Many factories produce high-quality faux trophies and artificial animal leathers.
For me, not only energy saving and green architecture are important issues, but also the protection of the fauna. An alternative solution can be beautiful, chic and comfortable also, what’s more environmentally friendly.