Close patio

A close patio is a treasure on frosty days

Rented flat

Tenants are frequently encounter the situation that it’s not allowed to change anything to their style. Usually wall painting, changing furniture, drilling, replacing the floor or other final changes are prohibited, because the property is owned by someone else. What are the available possibilities for the tenant (except an accurate cleaning) if he/she doesn’t want to spend a fortune for a temporary home, while the contract is considered, but wants to live in a nice place?
The bathroom is the most critical point, because we deeply expect hygiene and cleanness here. Let’s change the shower curtain if there is one. It’s quite cheap and we can choose one fitted for our taste. We can store the old one if we feel it safe for keeping good relationship with the owner. The floor can be popped up with a click barred outdoor covering. Bathrooms are usually small, so only a small amount is needed. It’s nice to walk on it and looks great. Inappropriate lighting can be better by changing the bulbs if we cannot change the lamp itself. The hidden LED ribbon could be a good solution as well, it can be removed easily if we stick it that way. The accessories are ours, so colors and patterns are variable.
We can create a comfy mood in the kitchen by laying an easy-clean runner and changing the curtain. Changing the handles of the cabinets results a bigger amount to pay (keep the old ones because they are parts of the property). Accessories (our tea towels, potted herbs, decorative coffee machine etc.) mean a lot for the view.
The unfurnished lodgings mean that at least the rooms are empty, we can bring our own furniture there. But if it is furnished, the objects in the rooms can be also a problem. The ready-made curtains fitting for the height of the room are cheap. Color and pattern assortment are quite wide. Fold the old curtains and keep them until we move out. We might also buy furniture if there is not enough storage space. Using the Internet, used furniture in perfect condition can be purchased in sell-and-buy groups at much lower price than in shops. We can resell them if we move out. A bedside rug or a carpet under the sofa can be bought this way too. Even the worst interior can be made more livable with plants, cushions, blankets.
Cheap rush mats fixed to the balustrade of the balcony (using e.g. fishing line) hide the not so aesthetic rail. An inexpensive artificial turf is a good choice for a short time. Potted flowers can be put in piled crates this way we don’t have to drill for hanging them.
Ask for help of an interior designer creating cozier lodgings.

French balcony

Sep18

French balcony is an additional part of the flat that can be hardly used well. Even we cannot step out on it, actually it is only a balustrade before the (French) door.
It’s a simple solution to dress this part with potted flowers and balcony boxes to get the illusion of a garden. It can be extended a wooden trellis fixed on the outer wall around the window. Creepers will love it. We frame the window with it and add more green to the view. Take care of the size of the pots placed on the floor that we can still close the window. Generally, only a custom-made box fits for this tiny place.
A cozy reading nook can be created near the open window if the weather is nice. Just throw a comfortable cushion on the floor and lean another one to the frame. Add a blanket and a cup of hot tea on colder days. We can comfortably dig into our book, half afield.
If we place a smaller table and a chair at the front of the open window, we can make home working more pleasurable. We gain enough space for using a laptop while enjoying the view also.
Breakfast outdoors. Almost. We can conjure a romantic place for drinking breakfast coffee with a tray hung on the balustrade and two chairs. Don’t forget the flowers planted in the balcony boxes.
Ask for help of an interior designer for clever using of such problematic spaces!

Serving refreshes

Aug11

Stylish service of summer refreshes on garden parties

Open porch

Jul21

Sitting on the open porch is a pleasing pastime on warm summer days

American country

Jul17

The American country style has several faces: farmhouses with shaker origins, seaside bungalows, Victorian houses of the south states, mountain log houses etc. They have common characteristics by which we can evoke their mood.
Usually the kitchen is in the same open area with the dining table and the living room, separated by a kitchen island. Spaces are wide and open, the ceiling is high. Visible beams and fireplaces are frequent accessories. In the case of a multi-story house, bedrooms and bathrooms are at the first/second floor, communal area, guest bathroom and home office are at the ground level. The house has a garage or car parking, front- and backyard garden and a porch.
Natural materials are the base of furnishing: hardwood floor, painted walls, wooden and wicker furniture, cotton and burlap fabrics, sisal and rag rugs, animal leathers. Ornaments, accessories are frequently antique pieces in original conditions. They can be metal-ware (e.g. trade sign, milk-can), hand-made products (carved box, bedspread) and treasures of nature (shells, driftwood).
Using the national-flag-motif and its colors (red, blue, white) as decorating elements is also a characteristic of the style. It provides high contrasts softened by browns and beiges. Black is a common additional color. Also, the flag is the base of the striped and star patterns. Unique, hand-made, often inherited objects have role. E.g. patchwork and quilted blankets and cushions are typical.
Ladder-back Windsor chairs, rocking-chairs, shiplap covered walls, sofas with soft cushions, reused objects, feeling of nature deepen the country mood.
Ask for help of an interior designer creating a cozy country style.