Long Living Room Layouts and Ideas

Decorating a room that is both long and narrow can be a challenge; you don’t want the room to feel like a hallway or a bowling alley, and it can be difficult to create intimate gathering spaces in the usual square or circular shape that you’d want in a living room. But there are some tricks to making a long and narrow room into a comfortable living space.

In most modern houses there is always a tussle for space. From the bedrooms to the kitchen, and even the living space, you can be at a loss when it comes to ensuring that your house does not look like it is stuffed with furniture and there is absolutely no space to move around. Decorating a narrow yet long living room can be quite a tough task. But, if you plan your layout well in advance, then you can create a space that looks like it should be featured in a design magazine. In this article, we give you some Ideas for long living rooms that will help you create the living area of your dreams.

Ideas to Design Long Living Rooms

• A tip that many interior designers will suggest is to always use a paper or graph layout of the actual room. Use paper cutouts to represent each piece of furniture that you own and then place them on the graph paper to create different decors. Choose a design that is aesthetically pleasing to your eye, uses the space well, and creates a conversation space that can easily seat at least five people

• One thing that you would definitely want to avoid with a long living room is to ensure that it does not start looking like a hallway. This is why it is important that you create seating area that is not affixed to the walls, but is floating in the middle area. You can also choose to create a reading area beside a window or a fireplace with a comfortable large armchair placed alongside a tiny table with a lamp on it. This could be a great conversation point.

• While choosing accessories for the room, first think about those things that are utilitarian and which you need in your room. These include the furniture for the room and the lighting in the form of lamps. Choosing lamps will ensure that you have great lighting for each of your reading spaces. Use small tables to create anchors for floating sofas and keep coffee table books on these or even smaller knickknacks.

• One accessory that works very well in any long room would be a mirror that can create an illusion of space in the room. Using ornate mirrors can also add to the attractiveness of the room in general.

Simple Bedroom Wall Decorating Ideas

Bedroom is the slumber zone in a house. This is a special room where you get the best time to relax and spend some time with yourself. If you are married, you need to have a bedroom that becomes the most romantic place in the house. Decorating as well as designing the bedroom needs a lot of creative ideas. If you stay alone or with your partner, the bedroom should be cosy and spacious. The perfect bedroom design and decorations can make it the most cherished room in the house. There are many ideas for decorating the bedroom and designing it perfectly. It all depends on the size of the bedroom. If it is spacious, you can try adding all these items. Furniture, a theme background, painted walls and curtains are the basic things that you need to decorate your bedroom. However, a rug mat, side table, lamps, spot lights, bright matching curtains and a small sofa set can be used to decorate the bedroom.

Ideas for Wall Decor

Paint and Wallpaper

Paint is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to decorate a bedroom wall. Create a cozy cottage feeling by installing wainscoting halfway up the wall, then painting the upper half of the wall a soft neutral color. Another popular look in bedrooms is to use painter's tape to create wide vertical stripes. Paint every other stripe in a slightly darker tone of the same shade of paint. This look is attractive when used on an accent wall behind the bed. Accent walls can also be decorated with wallpaper. Choose a romantic pattern and wallpaper the wall behind the bed. Finish the rest of the room off in a paint color that complements the wallpaper.

Light up Your Walls

Lights are lovely because they bring in that aura of positivity to the room, and make it appear inviting. Also, lights can work like magic and add that cozy feeling. It all depends on how you use them, what lights you choose, and where you choose to place them. In the image, you can see two lamps, one on each side of the bed. While choosing the lampshade, go for one that complements the color on the walls. This look works best if your bedroom has a theme wall, and it is on this wall that you should place the lights. Use your creativity to add unique touches to the complete look.

Photos

Photos are popular in bedrooms, especially Master bedrooms. You don't want to cover an entire wall with family photos, however. This will create a cluttered look that is not conducive to the relaxing feeling that should be created in a bedroom. Instead, choose two or three favorite photos, and have them printed in black and white or sepia tones. Then, mat and frame the photos in the same frame for a cohesive, elegant and restful look. Hang them in a horizontal row above a chair rail or headboard.

Headboard

The wall behind the bed is usually the focal wall in any bedroom. If the bed does not have a headboard, the wall will look empty and bare, even if you decorate it. Therefore, the best decoration for this wall is to create a headboard for the bed. This can be done with a simple piece of plywood, some batting, fabric and a staple gun. For directions on how to put a headboard together with these materials, see the link in the Resource section. You can also create the illusion of a headboard by attaching window shutters to the wall. Lay one or both of them horizontally for a distinctive look.

Choosing Kitchen Appliance Buying Guide

White appliances are still the classic favorite, followed by black. Stainless steel, with its professional look, continues to grow in popularity. If you covet a simple Shaker-style space or a luxurious Italian villa setting, however, you may want to hide the fridge and dishwasher out of sight. To meet this need, savvy cabinet manufacturers offer coordinated cabinet fronts that adhere easily and provide a custom-designed look. To further the traditional, low-tech look, you can opt for small-appliance depots in countertop-height cabinets. You can even choose a specially designed under-counter oven. In this article, we will examine Most Useful Kitchen Appliances, including:

Cooktops

To begin exploring options for cooktops, one must consider gas, electric or induction. Gas is a very popular cooking medium but did you know that you lose about 40 percent of heat from burner to pan with a gas stove? An induction heat flat cooktop is a much more efficient system and induction cooktops can bring a pan of water to boiling faster than gas cooktops. These are things you will want to learn about when choosing your appliances.

Refrigerators

With any appliance, before you get enamored with all the whistles and bells of how beautiful it looks and all of the gadgets assess your lifestyle. With refrigerators consider how many times you and your family cook and eat from home.  For larger families, larger capacity units will be necessary, as well as the ability for longer preservation of food. Higher end models that offer dual refrigeration, on-door controls, and energy efficiency may be more important for your families needs. While singles or those who don’t cook a lot may prefer a snazzy stainless steel or built-in model that looks fantastic, but doesn’t need all of the accompaniments.  Also consider if your home would need separate wine refrigeration storage, or possibly refrigerated drawers for easy access.

Kitchen hobs

Without a doubt, hobs are also crucial for any kitchen. The trend today is to go for induction hobs which are not only energy-efficient, but safe and offer quick and fast cooking as well. These induction hobs work by heating only the pan instead of the hob itself, so it is safe even with younger children around. You can also opt for gas hobs, which offer immediate heat – today, you can even choose glass-gas hobs which come with touch-button controls and a sleeker, more modern look.

Ventilation system

One area of your kitchen that is forgotten when considering appliances is the ventilation system. Range hoods overhead, or down draft systems that are integral into the countertop or cooktop are great for unobstructed overhead views. Depending on the size of your stove/cooktop and if you have an integral grill, griddle, burners, and other heating elements may increase the need for higher ventilation systems overhead. Research your favored appliance manufacturer too see what type of ventilation system is recommended for your kitchen.

Dishwasher

Similarly to your refrigerator, your family’s lifestyle will largely dictate what type of dishwasher will be ideal for your home. Lower end models tend to have simplified controls, while more elaborate ones will have energy efficiency qualities, hidden controls, and noise reduction qualities – especially helpful in small homes or open floor plans. Dishwasher drawers are also available for smaller amounts of dishware and can save water usage when you don’t have large loads to clean.

Uses for Epsom Salt In The Home And Garden

Keeping a home garden healthy and productive is not an easy task. But it’s rewarding and one can make the whole work easier with just a few tricks. One such shortcut is so simple you’d wish you knew it for ages. The many Uses of Epsom salt in your home are not limited by the kitchen area. Besides medical purposes (for example in relieving pain from bug bites and sunburns) or cleaning ones (this type of salt has proven an effective helper in scrubbing dirt), Epsom salt is perfect for growing vegetable plants, like tomatoes or pepper. The magnesium found in the salt actually helps the whole growing process.

Get Rid of Raccoon’s –   If the masked marauders are poking around your trash can, take a few tablespoons of Epsom salt and spread it around the cans. It will deter that pesky raccoon; they don’t like the smell of the stuff. Remember to reapply after it rains.

Make your Grass greener - Epsom salt, which adds needed magnesium and iron to your soil, may be the answer to your green lawn. Add 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon to water. Spread on your lawn with a garden sprayer and make sure it soaks into the grass.

Bigger, better, and more produce - Studies have shown Epsom salt increases production of peppers, tomatoes and blooms. 1 easpoon per a gallon of water sprayed on your plants every 1-2 weeks, can create show stoppers.

Soil Prep - One cup per 100 feet will help create the perfect gardening mix for this summers bounty. Use a fertilizer spreader and mix into soil. Find more information at Gardening Know How.

Counter Transplant Shock - We’ve all seen how our plants and seedlings wilt when we move them from a small pot to a larger one, from indoors to outside, or from greenhouse to ground. Try feeding transplants with Epsom salt once they’re in their new environment to help injured roots overcome transplant shock. Remember to add a layer of soil on top of salt sprinkled in holes so roots don’t come into direct contact with these concentrated minerals right away.

Grow Sweeter Fruit - The production of fruiting bodies is the most taxing process in the life cycle of a plant. Apply Epsom salt to fruit and nut trees, bushes, and vines using the same methods and quantities stated above to boost chlorophyll levels inside the plant cells. Increased energy means more sugar, allowing the plant to produce higher yields of sweeter, healthier fruit.

Epsom Salt For the Home

Clean bathroom tiles - Epsom salt will get rid of that grungy look. Mix it in equal parts with liquid dish soap, then dab it onto the offending areas and start scrubbing. Epsom salts work with the detergent to scrub and dissolve the grime.

Remove burnt food from pots and pans - Scrub pan with about 1/4 tablespoon of Epsom salt and some warm water and rinse. Viola!

Regenerate a car battery – Give your battery a little more life with this potion – Dissolve an ounce of Epsom salt in warm water to make a paste and add it to each battery cell.

Frost your windows for Christmas – Mix 1 – 1/2 cups boiling water with 1 cup Epsom salt and 3 Tablespoons of liquid dish soap. Apply the mixture to your windows with a sponge – for a realistic look, sweep the sponge in a arc at the bottom corners. When the mixture dries, the windows will look frosted.

Small Kitchen Remodeling Ideas and Trends in 2016

Small kitchens can be frustrating, but there are ways to optimize the space for convenience. Kitchens are one of the most important spaces in a home, and when it's small and hard to use it can negatively effect the way a person feels about their home. Utilizing extra space and storage can make a world of difference in a small kitchen.

Cabinets are a great way to change the dynamic of your kitchen. In many cases, cabinets are installed in ways that waste a great deal of space and storage area. Changing your cabinets is a great way to gain more space without tearing down any walls. This strategy can also be applied to appliances. There is a certain flow that should exist in a kitchen between the space, appliances and storage. If your oven is on one side of the kitchen and your countertop is on the other this can create an annoying waste of time. Consult with a contractor, and find out what you can do to improve your kitchen.

Craftsmen Home Improvements provide ideas on how to turn a narrow, rectangular shaped kitchen into a cooking space with convenient dining zones. By redesigning the location of cabinets, appliances and sinks with added "free space” at the "L" of the rectangle, a kitchen island can be added. This will give it a modern look that adds cabinet and counter space within the extended island. The best kitchen remodeling ideas are those that reduce wasted

Concealment of Appliances: Concealment of appliances is one of the newer kitchen remodeling trends that you can try. It has become quite popular over the years thanks to many advantages. Concealed appliances offer an artistic way of saving space. Not only do they improve functionality in your kitchen, but they help better organize and de-clutter your kitchen. Hidden appliances, when revealed, are also interesting and will create a lot of attention and wow your guests.

Color Trends For Appliances: Certain colors of appliances will maintain their title as the most favored choice for the finish of kitchen appliances. Stainless steel is one of them, and it has been a common choice for over a hundred years now. Its popularity comes from the fact that it has a universal appeal and a shiny appearance, which is often associated with luxury. It also provides a more sterile surface than the others.

Cabinets: Maple cabinetry seems like it is going to be among the most favorite options this year. Different shades of white or off-white hues make good finishes, or you can go for dark natural finishes. Finishes that are either light natural or color painted are trendy as well.

There is a variety of trendy styles of cabinets available for you to choose from. There are floating units, cabinets with touch-latch doors, systems that are hidden behind sliding doors, and cabinets with innovative surfaces, such as semi-translucent glass, bamboo, and aluminum.

Illumination: Light fixtures are also in the top five. You can use accent lighting to draw attention to kitchen decorations like glassware, dishware, and frames. If you simply want decorative light fixtures, you can go for sconce lighting. They spill the light upward or sideways and form attractive backdrops. If you want to brighten the kitchen island and improve its functionality, then go for bigger decorative fixtures.

Modern Style Stair Railing Ideas

A beautiful staircase can be the star of any home. But it would help to think outside the box and to come up with an ingenious idea for its design. For example, focus on the Staircase railing, try using an unusual material or replacing the typical design with something different, maybe re purpose some things. Here are a few ideas you might enjoy.

Types of Stair Rails

Nowadays, you can utilize several types of materials for customizing stair railings. In the olden days, people used only wood for this purpose and some still prefer it as it is an excellent material to work with. Oak wood is the most renowned and widely used wood for making stair rails due to its beautiful and pleasing red color. A balustrade made of oak wood can become the center of attention in a house effortlessly. It's always a good idea to match the color of the staircase with that of the railings in case you opt for wood. These days, of course, glass and metallic railings are in vogue as they are not only more eco-friendly in nature but also more viable cost-wise.

Traditional Turn

Formal foyers call for elegant staircases equipped with finely detailed stair railings. This railing, which boasts a black-painted handrail and classically contoured white balusters, takes an interesting turn at the start. The handrail wraps to the right (a right-hand volute in stair speak) on the staircase's first step and is supported by balusters and a black newel post that adds weight to the staircase's entry point.

Curvaceous Climb

Intricately detailed iron railings garner attention without blocking incoming light or views of the arched window located behind the staircase. Rising from a white foundation, dark stair railings turn at the starting steps and undulate upward to emphasize the staircase's distinguished architecture.

Detailed Design

Following the curves of a spiraling staircase, this railing combines plain steel balusters, high-polish wooden handrails, and black iron newel posts. Note how the balusters extend past the steps to fit into brackets, which add jewelrylike sparkle that works with the stair railings to reinforce the staircase's shape.

Finely Forged

Gracefully shaped baluster details create a sophisticated iron stair railing that takes a slight twist at the landing. The single railing complements the homeowner's elegant furnishings and provides a rich counterpoint to the more restrained wood stair treads and white risers.

Shipshape Silhouette

Contemporary homes benefit from staircases and stair railings that sport crisp, clean lines. You won't find a more streamlined railing than this structure constructed of inexpensive lumber stained dark gray. The railing's short length requires only two posts to support its span from the starting stair to the upper wall. Plexiglass installed between the railing and the stairs ensures safety without detracting from the minimalist look. 

Choose the Right kitchen Countertop Material

Whether you are building a new kitchen or refreshing your current one, your choice of countertop will make a huge impact in the look of the finished room. However, this doesn’t mean you should just choose the countertop that looks the most beautiful to you. You actually need to start with some more practical considerations regarding how your countertop will perform. This might take your favorite materials off the table, but in the long run you will be happier because you will not have to deal with the heartbreak of having your beautiful countertop ruined by daily life.

Natural Stone Countertops

Granite is the most popular choice for Stone countertops. It comes in a variety of colours and a choice of either polished on matte finish.  The price of granite can vary depending on its availability.

Other natural stones such as limestone, soapstone and marble are also available, however these are softer materials and require a greater degree of care.

Engineered Stone Countertops

If you’re looking for something that is even more durable and easy to maintain, engineered stone countertops are an excellent choice. They come in more colour variations than natural stone and cost roughly the same of granite.

Concrete Countertops

Quickly gaining in popularity, concrete countertops are completely customizable. Pigments can be used to add a variety of colours and it is available in three different finishes including trowel (which is smooth), ground (a sandy finish) and pressed (which will cause veining similar to that in marble).  Concrete does however require a greater degree of care and it is recommended that you seal it four times a year and wax every two to three months.

Wood Countertops

Wood countertops such as butcher block give a warm and charming look to a kitchen. It is easy to clean, and although it will scratch, the scratches can be sanded out. Again however, care must be taken with this type of countertop as it can be easily damaged by water.

Laminate Countertops

The most affordable of all countertop materials is laminate which comes in a whole array of colours and styles. Laminate is easy to clean and requires little maintenance however it can be scorched if it comes in contact with hot pans.

As discussed in our previous article, another way to customize your kitchen countertops is through the use of various types of edges which can add another element of design to your kitchen.

Still not sure what type of material will be best for your kitchen countertop? Our experienced design staff will work with you to help you find a countertop that will look great and suit your lifestyle.