Belfast or butler’s sink: comfortable, elegant, fit to every style
Belfast sink
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Backsplash
Implementation of a backsplash surface behind the kitchen desk is an important part of design. The regular heavy duty, greasy dirts and moisture require proper solutions.
Because of the above reasons, kitchen usually has a bottom to desktop height tile cover. This can be also a good solution, but not the only one. Tile is comfortable since easy to clean and hygienic, but it’s enough to restrict it to the area that has the most heavy duty: behind the sink, oven or the the desk between the upper and lower cupboards. Other parts of the wall can be painted or even covered by wallpaper (keep in mind the good ventilation of the room).
An other solution can be the wooden cover coated with washable paint or multi layer lacquer. Grooved wood panelling fits well to several styles, can be coloured according to the needs. Feel free to use it instead of tiles!
Of course, there are washable wall paints too. This doesn’t mean high-gloss surface in all cases seen in old canteens. Non-glossy and satin versions are also produced in all colours of the rainbow, they can be used practically anywhere in the kitchen.
More spectacular solution is using a mirror. It can be antiqued, coloured or simple. We can use the wire-grid versions too, the result will be interesting and unique.
Metallic ceiling tiles give elegant and a little bit masculine look to the kitchen. Natural stone covers can be also applied, but first they have to be impregnated right after bonding to avoid absorbing moisture and dust.
For finding the back splash surface fitting best to your kitchen, ask for help from an interior designer.
My project 1.
One of my prior projects: 38 sqm block apartment in calming blue
Further pictures: https://classicinteriors.hu/en/references/21-references/35-references02
Color pairs 5.
Color pairs: yellow-red
1950s
Those 50s…
Color pairs 3.
Color pairs: blue-red
Selective waste collection
Selective waste bins at home
Photos for selling our home
When selling a property, the most important part of the advertisement – beyond floor map – are the pictures taken of it. According to the experience, it’s not quite obvious how to take some such quality photos, which will “sell” the property for us.
Before we start, let’s clean up! It’s a great mistake if we think, that the several weeks old mist or the lack of mopping will not be noticed on the pictures. Another essential task is tidying up. Everything should be put to its place and let’s check, how could be the space even more spectacular. Let’s look at a few interior design magazines and get some ideas from the photos in them: there is no mess, color- and style cavalcade or too many decorations. It’s advised to move from room to room and always prepare the given room for the perfect photo. This can be quite difficult task when the property is inhabited, since the amount of personal objects and furniture should be decreased to a level acceptable by an outsider. If necessary, move the excess chair or commode to another room during taking pictures. Most of the decorations should be placed behind closed doors and the remaining should be arranged nicely. Let’s turn on all the lights even in daylight! Use wide angle lens to catch the most of the room in one frame. Emphasize the good features, such as large window, cozy alcove or the beautiful hardwood flooring. At bathroom and kitchen, the feeling of hygiene is the most important. Here the metal surfaces should be shiny, glass doors and mirrors should be freshly cleaned to show the glamour. If possible, let’s provide a picture of all the rooms to the advertisement.
Some disincentive examples that are regularly appear among property advertising: drying underwear in the bathroom, full trash bin in the kitchen, unmade bed in the bedroom, or dirty clothes on the floor. Although the prospective buyer will purchase the property not our personal objects, yet all this counts a lot with him when deciding, whether he comes to see the apartment or house, or not. In case of a house, choose a shiny day for taking outdoor pictures for the sake of real bright colors. The principle of order still should be valid: tidy up the garden, trim the grass, even stairs and paved parts should be washed up. Take several photos of both the house and garden from different angles.
If you would like to distinguish your advertisement among the lots of others, ask home staging advices from an interior designer for the preparation.
Ceiling
The ceiling is the sixth side of the room which we often forget. In old times, the ceiling was rarely left white, it was mostly richly decorated or colored. Why cannot we evoke this practice?
The style of the room can be highlighted with the color or decoration of the ceiling, it can complement the sight of furnishing or even can be an additional twist for the mood. For these, the first and most important question is: what is the room height? The dark painted ceiling visually gets lower, while the light colored raises the eye. It can be for example coffee brown with 250cm room height also if a cozier mood is required – let’s say in the case of a library – and it can be painted in light blue with 360 cm room height if an airy effect is desired – for example in a bedroom. Note, that the color of the walls is reflected to the ceiling and vice versa. Besides colors, decoration elements can help in emphasizing the ceiling: stuccos, mouldings, rosettes. These can be made of gypsum, polystyrene or wood. Their basic color is commonly white but can be painted to any desired color. Rosettes usually placed to the fixing of chandeliers and pendants. Its diameter should be a bit smaller than the chandelier’s. But this rule can be broken if the oversized decorating element is designed for attracting the guest’s eye upward as entering. Crown mouldings hide the joint of the wall and the ceiling, this way they visually make the room higher. The mouldings are placed on the wall right below the ceiling. If these are painted to the color of the ceiling, the room seems to be lower. Stuccos can be placed in the corners or even around the rosette. The desired decoration is up to the taste. Their effect can be buffered with painting the whole ceiling to a plain, neutral shade.
A similar effect can be reached with hand-painted decoration of the ceiling instead of decorating elements (stencil, pictures, stripes etc.). This is a much cheaper solution but requires great handcraft. Even faux-beams can be placed if the style of the flat/house allows it. They don’t have to be necessarily painted to a different color as the ceiling to be highlighted. Metal tile is a showy solution also.
Get inspiration from visiting old historical buildings, it can be a castle, museum or a public institution in such a building, then ask for help of an interior designer for implementing these in your home also.
Color pairs 1.
Color pairs: purple-green
