Insect repellents

May14

The early summery weather already requires insect protection, which can be achieved by natural methods also. Several well-known plants have insect repellent effect. So, planting of these means not only a kitchen garden addition or home apothecary’s but a more livable outdoor also. They will look good planted near the patio or potted on the balcony. Most of them has a strong and pleasing fragrance.
Here are some of them which help us to keep the multi-feet and undesirable guests away.
Basil: used as an herb. It is effective against fly and mosquito.
Peppermint: used in the products containing menthol. It is effective against ant, spider and mosquito.
Marigold: it is a useful officinal herb as ointment or tea. Effective against aphid and mosquito.
Lavender: its essential oil is used in many ways. It is effective against flea, fly, moth and mosquito.
Catnip: cats love to sniff this plant, that’s why it was named. It is effective against mosquito.
Rosemary: it is an herb. It is effective against flea and ked.
Caring of the plants mentioned above doesn’t require more work than any others, this way it’s worth to choose them for the summer.

Greige

May11

Greige (grey+beige) is made by a pinch of brown in grey paint. It works well with either cool or warm color palettes because greige is a perfect neutral color.

Old fridges

May9

Refridgerators anno

Dark brown furniture

May7

Light, painted furniture are more and more fashionable nowadays thanks to the popularity of shabby chic, vintage and country styles. Most of us immediately think of painting the antique and inherited dark(er) brown furniture to make them fit in the white, grey or cream interior where only the very light shades of wood are used for furnishing. But old pieces can be fitted in a stylish way without painting them, in their original pomp.
A showy piece of furniture can be a real focal point in a fashionable „white” interior. In fact, the dark color doesn’t fade into the view, on the contrary, it strikes the eye and underlines the light surroundings. So it’s expedient to choose a beautiful or a valuable piece of furniture which we gladly show to our guest also.
Using an antique piece will show a much more integrated view where the floor is made of darker wood. We can unite the sight by brown picture frames, upholstered chairs with dark legs, antique brass/black lamps, dark stair railing – depending on the purpose of the room.
Pastel colors (light blue, light green, powder etc.) used by the styles mentioned above don’t preclude placing dark, even lacquered furniture in the room. Naturally this is true in case of any color hue, if the colors of the furniture and the room are matched. If the surrounding remains light (proper lighting), the upshot will be truly sophisticated and invitingly cozy.
Really dark painted walls are braver but more and more frequent solutions in homes. An inherited piece of furniture can prevail here, in its original condition. If we choose a cold shade of color, for example dark blue, dark grey or even black, the piece of furniture will mark out from it by not only its lighter shades but its warm brown surface contrasting with the cold color of the walls. Maybe this results a more masculine style, but the coziness remains.
If we are doubtless sure of painting it white, it’s worth of combining them: leave some parts of the furniture in original color, namely dark brown. This can be the top of it in case of a chest of drawers, the tabletop of a table but any other combination looks good. This way we can show its beauty beside integrating it in its surroundings.
Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the proper antique furniture.

Mother’s Day flowers

May4

Make unique flowers wrapping for Mother’s Day

Color pairs 36.

May2

Color pairs: blue-pink

Botanical prints

Apr27

Botanical prints never go out of fashion, but we can modernize them with a pinch of black

Shoe-storage

Apr25

Hidden shoe storages, not for lack of space only

Baroque

Apr23

The name baroque comes from the word barocco (odd). This style of art history lasted from the end of 16th to the middle of 17th century.
The penetration of baroque began in the ages when the catholic church started counter-reformation. The marks of the style helped it and vice versa: the catholic church urged the evolution of the baroque because thought it to be an instrument for showing its own grandeur.
The main feature of baroque is monumentality that can be found not only in sacral architecture. The palaces of the ruling class showed this also and incarnated the absolute monarchy. The Palace of Versailles in France was built this time on the order of Louis XIV. The buildings were over-decorated: gilding, noble materials (e.g. rare type of woods, marble, gobelin), murals, volutes, rich colors. The domed solution was common. Sculpture and painting was marked by the scenic presentation of figures, allegoric portrayal, movement and vigorousness.
The high-ceilinged interiors were heated by fireplaces in winter. The canopy beds were protected by around curtains from cold. In that times it was fashionable welcoming guests abed, that way not only community spaces (salon, corridors, lobbies) but also the bedroom, which belongs to the private area was made for representation.
The techniques of veneer, intarsia, marquetry (bone, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, porcelain etc.) culminated in the art of making furniture. Using ormolu decorations on his furniture made André Charles Boulle, the furniture maker of Louis XIV., world famous. The seats were already upholstered (gobelin), their backs were straight, legs were arched and carved (cabriole), the frames frequently gilded. The commode with drawers appeared this time. The standing and table clocks as decorative objects also showed their owners’ wealth.
Using baroque style requires space. If we would like to apply it nowadays, in a common interior, its glimmer and monumentality should be held in – but this is not impossible. Ask for help of an interior designer creating a classy interior.