Modern penthouse – classic elegance
Classic penthouse
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Valentine’s Day
14th of February is Valentine day and celebrated worldwide. This is the day of love. Its origin is not clear. The mating period of birds starts at the middle of Februery, maybe this observation led to the emergence of this feast. Traditionally love is assigned to this day, but we can give surprises not only our love, but our family and friends as well.
Its traditional decoration motives are rose, heart, Amor, arrow and pigeon. Customized colors are red and all shades of pink. Celebrate this day with a complete home decoration, not only a romantic dinner. Hang a heart shaped decoration on the front door made of red roses or pink paper flowers. Place colourful candles, garlands made of hearts and small puttos on the mantle. In the bedroom, we can change the blankets and the cushions to red, the lampshades can be decorated by boas, cushions can be scattered with flower petals and a heart can be formed by candles on the floor. In the bathroom, place candles to the bathtub and shelves. Hang out red or red edged towels. Pour rose scented bubble bath into the bath water. Dinner table should be decorated by candles and red plates, which can be part of the everyday, other coloured dinner set. Red glasses and damask nepkins are also decorative. A bucket of rose looks good everywhere. If you feel red color too dominant, combine it with lot of white, thus only the important motifs will strike your eyes. For a less formal, youthful mood let’s apply the hues of pink instead of red.
If you would like to surprise your loved ones with a special Valentine’s Day mood, ask help from an interior designer for decoration.
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.
Color pairs 2.
Color pairs: yellow-orange
Variations 1.
Variations for a theme: shipping
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.
Bird cages otherwise
Useful and decorative bird cages
Grey
Who says that grey is unfeatured and boring?
Art Déco
Art Deco inspirations
Christmas
Christmas is the most beautiful holiday of the year. All homes are being decorated. If the nature does us a favor also, it covers the roads and gardens with snow that results a really sparkling spectacle.
Christmas decoration means a challenge for many of us every year. Fashion changes continuously, if someone tries to keep up, all decorations should be changed regularly. For classic interiors, there are eternal an elegant decorations that are independent on the fashion and still looking good.
The colors of Christmas depend on personal taste. What is important: to provide the emotions and shining of the occasion. Don’t save up decoration: it’s nice if there is a little surprise waiting for the guests in every hidden corner. Let’s start the decorating outdoor: place a wreath or other ornament. Put some evergreen branches and outdoor lights on the handrail of the stairs leading to the house. If it is solvable, emphasize the line of the roof, the contour of windows and doors also with some light strings. Buy a door mat with Christmas notes or figures for this month.
Since the hall decoration gives the first impression, this should not be neglected. Put garlands above the mirror and hang off glass spheres from the lamps. Another wreath can be hanged to the inner surface of the entrance door. Inside, poinsettias in decorative pots or lighting decoration should be placed on the window sills. We can also attach some snowflake shaped stickers on the glass of windows and internal doors. The stair handrails can be decorated with garlands and light strings also inside. Do the same with curtain cornices. Near the Advent wreath, further candles and candies can be placed to the table in glass dishes. If you have a fireplace, you can hang Santa Claus socks on it, even if the presents are not being put in them. Hang spherical ornaments or holly and mistletoe bouquets from the chandeliers. Branches, flowers and berries can be combined with shiny glass decorations and strings. Light will give the sense of the whole scene: candles, fire in the fireplace, light garlands and lighting decorations. From the last two, choose the ones having warm white light.
The crown of the home is the Christmas tree in the season. Although the synthetic pine tree saves a lot of work to us, the real one is much more beautiful and has a lovely scent also. Let’s purchase a pine tree in pottery or with soil ball, that will not die and can be returned after the holiday.
If you would like a classic-elegant Chritmas decoration at home, ask help from an interior designer before the holiday.
