Interior Design, Design News and Architecture Trends

Author: ION

Practical Home Design Tips for Mixing Antique with Modern Furniture

Did you just move into a modern home? This can present a dilemma if you have some existing antique furniture. Worry not, though; there’s no need to store those vintage furnishings in the attic or public storage. While it may seem a bit counterintuitive, antique items, in fact, do mix well with a contemporary home interior.

Photo credit: Design Ultra

Misconceptions About Antiques in a Modern Homestead

Before listing home design best practices, there are some confusion surrounding vintage décor and contemporary-style decorating that should be cleared up. One big misconception is that everything has to match or be an even 50/50. Too many homeowners also believe period furniture or décor are incompatible with modern homes and vice versa. Again, this is also false notion. Rid of your mind any ideas that home design needs to be done in a certain way. Even if these notions are decorating rules, well, aren’t rules made to be broken?

With this in mind, here are a few tidbits of advice for achieving home interior harmony using antique items in a 21st-century home.

Be Mindful of the 80/20 Rule

Photo credit: Jobbind

Who hasn’t heard of the 80/20 rule? It applies across various facets of life and especially in home decorating. In the context of this post, it means you need to choose a primary theme. In this case, it would either be the contemporary element or the antiques used for evoking old-world charm. Whichever you choose as the dominant theme, the other would be the supporting element.

Unless you have multiple pieces of antique furnishings, it’s generally easier to go for 80% with contemporary and 20% with the old-style antiques. This means the bulk of the room would have a modern design with two or so antiques as an accent piece.

If you lack antique furniture, then aim for smaller vintage décor. This especially works well for home offices. Smaller vintage items may include leather-bound items, such as desk blotters, leather document cases, etc.

Leather, by the way, also creates a country-style ambiance. If you wish to create a contemporary/rustic-hybrid room, then incorporate plenty of leather.

Pair Non-Matching Items with Similarities

Photo credit: Home Stratosphere

While you can certainly match non-compatible items together, it’s recommended that you pair items that at least have one attribute in common. You may, for example, pair a vintage wooden work desk with a contemporary chair if they are similar in some way. This may include having a similar hue, being made from the same material, or having similar grain texture. There is a lot of leeway here especially when coming up with a table/chairs combo for the living room or dining room. Instead of purchasing these furnishings as a set, buy them separately or replace one of the items with an antique or contemporary item of a similar attribute.

This is a great way to add an antique item that otherwise may seem out of place in a modern interior setting.

Distribute Items Evenly

Placing all the antiques in a single area can make the whole space feel unbalanced and sectioned off. If you have multiple antiques, place them throughout the room. Let’s say, for example, that you have an antique nightstand in the master bedroom. The other nightstand in the opposite end is a contemporary piece. If you have smaller vintage décor items for the nightstand, place those antiques on the contemporary nightstand. Any modern décor accessories would then go on the antique nightstand. This creates a visually balanced room.

The exception to this distribution rule is if you have a few vintage items that you want in one place as the focal and accent area. This means you want eyes to naturally gravitate towards those items. In this instance, consider using a lot of neutrals throughout the rest of the room to help the antiques stand out amid the uniform backdrop.

Antiques have their place in any type of home or apartment. Antiques are meant to be shown, so don’t be afraid to proudly display them even if conventional wisdom may tell you that they’re out of place in your modern home interior.

Hannah Hutchinson is an interior designer based in London, currently blogging for Westland London. She’s always chasing new ideas and likes thinking outside the box when it comes to incorporating fresh ideas to her clients new homes.

February 14, 2018
Turn your Dreams into Reality with Top Notch Landscape Designing Services!
Which home owner would not want to have a beautiful property? It not only wins you accolades, but also ensures that you come back to a welcoming home and not a dreary one. Remember that the exterior of your home is the first thing that people notice.

Landscape designers across Sydney, work hard to combine your preferences with their experience and expertise to create a mesmerizing landscape.

● HOW CAN LANDSCAPING IDEAS ENHANCE YOUR PROPERTY’S LOOK?

Whether it is a season change or a change in preferences, homeowners would need to change the look of the outdoors and make it look attractive. The home owners can take on such projects for the simple reason that it enhances both aesthetics and property’s value. These awesome ideas can help you create a lovely landscape around your property:
- Creating an Entrance: Entrance is the gateway to your beautiful home, but that does not mean that you do not pay attention to the look of the entrance. It can create the first impressions about you and your property, so add some greenery or take the help of experienced landscapers who have numerous ideas to implement.
- Walkways Revival: Walkways are perhaps one of the most ignored parts of the property exteriors during renovations. Maintaining or remodelling the walkways along with the other parts of the home can help improve the overall look of the home. Whether you want concrete pathways or timber ones, take the advice of experts from reputable agencies and they will help create walkways that enhance the look of the overall property.
- Beautiful Patios: Patio is perhaps a safe haven for many after a hard day at work, where you can unwind and relax. Who would want to be greeted by a dull looking patio? Decorate the patio with lovely decorations of various size and shapes. Landscapers have a good idea about what can enhance the look of your patio and make it look welcoming, while maintaining the elegant look of your property.
- Paved Driveways: Driveway is another part of your property that passerby, potential buyers and guests will definitely notice, so you need to make sure that it looks attractive. Many homeowners feel that a simple patch-up job might be okay for the driveway, but the truth remains that for a beautiful property you need an amazing driveway.
- Pool Decks: Landscaping companies and agencies also offer services to enhance the look of your pool deck. Whether you are enjoying a dip in the pool or lazing on the poolside with a book and a drink, you would want a wonderfully decorated deck. It will not only win you accolades from guests, but also add to the aesthetics of the property.
- Retaining Walls: Retaining wall is a concept that has gathered popularity due to its versatility and practicality. On top of that, if used intelligently, it can also enhance the aesthetics of your property significantly.
- CAN PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPERS AND GARDENERS ACTUALLY HELP BEAUTIFY YOUR PROPERTY?
Are you considering a DIY project for all of these additions to your outdoor? Some think DIY projects are economical, while others do it for winning accolades, but have you considered the problems you might encounter completing such a project? You could end up making mistakes or worse hurting yourself, which cost much more than calling in professionals.

Experts, on the other hand, offer their services at affordable rates and have knowledge about the latest trends that can help enhance your property’s outdoor area. There are numerous reputed agencies and companies with experienced professional landscapers and gardeners, who will work to create a property of your dreams.
February 14, 2018
How to Start a Logo Contest at LogoMyWay

If you are in need of a new logo for your business, starting a logo contest at LogoMyWay is one of the simplest and most effective ways for you to ensure that you receive a top-quality logo that is exactly what you are looking for.

To better understand why logo contests are so beneficial, we’ll take a look at the advantages of this design format as well as how you can put it to work for you today.

The Benefits of a Great Logo

Before we can look at the advantages of starting a logo design contest, it’s important to understand just how beneficial designing a great logo can be for new companies.

Logos are a statement about your company, a centerpiece for every new ad, webpage, and product that you roll out, and more. Many companies are defined by their logo, and they use it as one of the main tools in their marketing toolbelt.

With this being the case, it’s not good enough for your logo to feature a meaningless design. Effective logos need to say something about your company and subtly convey to potential customers the value that your company offers. Only then will you have a logo that you can use to its fullest potential.

Advantages of Starting a Logo Contest on LogoMyWay

Now that we’ve established the importance of a great logo, what’s the best way to ensure the logo you have designed is the perfect one for your company? While there are several ways to go about this, by far one of the most effective ways to secure an amazing logo is to start a logo contest.

Starting a logo contest at LogoMyWay comes with a number of benefits. For one, it gives you plenty of options to choose from. Within hours of launching your contest, you’ll start receiving designs from talented designers all over the world. Depending on the option you choose, you’ll end up with anywhere from 40-500+ logo designs to choose from. Instead of having to worry about getting it right on the first go, starting a logo contest allows you to try out dozens of different variations to see which one you like best.

If you aren’t sure what direction you want to go with your logo, this can be especially beneficial. Having hundreds of different talented designers send you ideas and mockups is no doubt one of the most surefire ways to pin down the direction you want to go with your logo. Once you’ve found a designer and a vision that you would like to move forward with, you can work with that designer to make any edits or changes you’d like to the design they submit.

Another advantage of a logo contest is the fact the competition breeds excellence. Designers who submit a design to a logo contest know that they have to put their best possible work forward if they want to stand a shot at winning. This type of competition often brings out the very best in our talented designers.

How to Start Your Logo Contest

Starting a logo contest at LogoMyWay is simple. Just visit this page, fill out your information, and select your desired options for the contest and you’ll be ready to start receiving designs from talented designers all over the world. In a matter of hours, you’ll start receiving designs that you can review and request changes to.

Through our logo contest, we’ve streamlined the process of creating a great logo and have given businesses near immediate access to hundreds of designs to choose from. If you are ready to get started designing a logo that will set your business apart from the competition, we invite you to start your own logo contest today!

February 13, 2018
How to hide cable cords in your house

Many people have a big problem with cable cords in their houses and no one knows how to solve this problem. But the resolution is really simple and you need just a bit of imagination to hide the excess cables of your devices.

The first and simplest recommendation: remove all unnecessary devices

Of course the fewer devices you will place, the fewer of wires will be in your room. That’s why first of all you’ve got to ask yourself: do I need this device? If no, don’t hesitate to remove it or to sell it. Moreover, if one device can replace all functions of other. For example, you can use your laptop instead of DVD or monitor in place of TV.

Use Wi-Fi routers and other wireless devices for reduce the number of cables

Today we are already living in era of wireless devices. It is becoming more and more numerous and perfect, so, you don’t have to resist this evolution. Install Wi-Fi routers instead of wired connection and use wireless HDMI. If you are interested, you can read this review about different types of wireless HDMI systems and be aware of all its strengths and weaknesses.

But some people think that wireless devices can be dangerous for the health because of their waves. At this moment these issues have not yet been well investigated, so, now it is impossible to do a clear conclusion of this question. Anyway, you can combine different types of connection in your house.

Hide residuary cables

It is not very difficult if you apply a few tricks. For example, you can use cable covers. Hollow or flexible covers are ideal for hiding cables, and are fitted onto a carrier strip mounted on the wall. Very simple idea which does not require a lot of expenses.

If you won’t buy a new cable cover, you can mask your cables using different designer techniques. Make a decorative fence along the wall instead of cable covers. But ok, it is not always easy to make this construction. If the parameters of your room do not allow to make a decorative fence, you can attach the cable to the wall and decorate it with beautiful clips, like this:

Or with wooden clips along the wall for the long cables:

Replace your landline phone by mobile phone

Well, oddly enough, there are still people who use landline phones in their houses. Maybe someone consider it comfortably, but really it makes more harm than good. It will be better, if you use mobile or cordless telephones.

February 8, 2018
Property disputes with neighbours – what you should do
It’s never good when you have issues with your neighbour. Living next door to someone that you are not getting along with can be a nightmare. This is why it’s a good idea to try and prevent problems from occurring in the first place. If you are intending to have a late night party, tell your neighbours about it beforehand; if you want to change the fence between your properties, have a discussion about it.

A common problem between neighbours is a dispute over property. This can happen if you feel that your neighbour has built a structure that encroaches onto your property. So, what should you do if this happens, and how can you prevent such disputes before they happen?
- The importance of defining a property boundary
It’s usually a good idea to define the boundary between your property and that of your neighbour, when you first move in. First check if the boundary is already legally defined. It’s not good enough to just assume that the boundary is where the fence is currently positioned as this may not be the case. If the boundary has not been defined, then you should hire a construction surveyor to map out the boundary. Once this is done, it’s illegal for anyone to build across that boundary.
- What you should do if a dispute happens
If you think that your neighbour has built across the boundary between your property and their property, it may be a good idea to discuss the issue with them in the first place. You should do this as soon as you can see that there may be a problem, and not leave the discussion until the structure is completed.

If you are not happy with the outcome of the discussion, you will need to take action. You first need to check whether the boundary has been legally defined. If this has not happened, you can request that your neighbour has this work carried out. If the structure which has been erected does encroach on your property, you can then take the matter to court. The judge may ask for the structure to be removed, they may award you compensation, or they may order that the boundary line is moved. Once this decision has been made, it must then be applied, according to the law.

You can see that it can be a lengthy process, if you want to resolve a property dispute with a neighbour. This is why defining the property boundary in the first place is a good idea. Doing so does not just protect you from your neighbour potentially building on your property, it also means that if you decide to build an extension to your property, you know that you are doing so legally. After all, the last thing you want is to be the cause of a dispute with your neighbour, because you commenced a building project before doing all of the necessary research.
February 7, 2018
A Guide To Smart Home Automation In 2018

As 2018 gets into gear, many are predicting that this year the smart home revolution will enter the stratosphere.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Domestic automation has never been more advanced or more affordable, so what are some of the devices and systems that are set to define the next 12 months?

The Hubs To Watch

Image by fancycrave1 from Pixabay

Back when Apple first introduced Siri with the iPhone 4S in 2011, the idea of talking aloud to a voice-controlled virtual assistant seemed faintly preposterous. Cut to seven years later and people are much more at home with the concept, not least because the rise of smart speakers and hubs has helped to eliminate a lot of these inhibitions.

By far the most prominent product range in this niche at the moment is offered by online shopping stalwart Amazon. The Echo family of smart speakers, including the full sized model, the more compact Echo Dot and the touchscreen-toting Echo Show, have brought Alexa into millions of homes worldwide. And in doing so, expectations about what smart home hubs should offer have skyrocketed.

From allowing users to order their groceries and play tracks from Spotify to integrating controls with home cinema systems and a slew of other connected tech, Echo in combination with Alexa is giving the masses a glimpse of a smarter future. Amazon’s solution is by no means perfect, but it has the benefit of a huge public profile that could help it to steamroll the competition.

Discerning fans of home automation who are looking for a hub that goes a little deeper and leans towards the premium end of the price scale will probably turn to the Wink Hub 2 in their droves this year. It lacks the brand recognition of the Echo range, but packs a huge list of features and impressive compatibility capabilities, allowing it to work with everything from the smart light bulbs sold by Philips to the voice-controlled Home speaker championed by search giant Google.

Critics have raved not only about the Wink Hub 2’s excellence when it comes to interoperability with other devices, but also its consistency. While some hubs might suffer glitches and ticks, this is solid as a rock and the gold standard for unobtrusive operation. Furthermore its sleek looks lend themselves to being displayed in contemporary living spaces.

The Cameras to Consider

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A big part of the growing interest in smart automation has been driven by the superior security and surveillance capabilities that homeowners can access without having to splash out vast sums on complex, wired CCTV setups. Being able to monitor a property remotely via a smartphone is another asset offered by modern devices. But the upcoming crop of cameras kicks things up a notch.

Netgear is arguably ahead of the pack with its Arlo range, encompassing outdoor cameras that are built with smart home functionality in mind. The Arlo Pro 2 is the current flagship, and this is reflected in its fairly steep price point. But with a beautiful design ethos, 1080p video capture, cloud storage and compatibility with Amazon’s Alexa for streamlined voice control, it goes a long way to justifying this.

The less wallet-punishing options around today include the Secure Lynx Indoor from Tend Insights. The brand name may not carry much weight, but it more than makes up for it with its wealth of baked-in features. Impressive after-dark performance means that it is great for overnight in-home surveillance, while its extremely compact form factor makes it easy to install almost anywhere without being intrusive or unsightly.

For those who have already started out on their smart home journey by committing to the systems offered by Nest, the firm’s latest Cam IQ Outdoor may be at the top of the wish list this year. It can record video at full 4K resolutions and goes above and beyond the call of duty in terms of both security and convenience by having the ability to distinguish between humans and wildlife. This means that it is less likely to alert owners unnecessarily if the only thing intruding on their property is next door’s tabby cat.

The Quirky Outliers

Image by HeikoAL from Pixabay

Smart home tech makes sense to most people when it comes to things like controlling the heating, providing access to entertainment and delivering remotely accessible surveillance. But as the Internet of Things continues to expand, there are some new devices on the horizon which you might not expect will be joining its ranks.

The Precision Cooker from Avona is amongst the most intriguing of these outliers, with its latest iteration offering built-in Wi-Fi connectivity so that it can be monitored and managed wherever you happen to be. Whether you are in the other room or on the other side of town, this immersion circulator lets you rustle up some succulent grub using your smartphone to check on its progress. Its boil-in-the-bag approach might not be for everyone, but its futuristic design is hard to ignore.

Even fitness is finding its way into the smart home scene, with the new QardioBase 2 connected scale system able to collect a vast amount of data on a user’s body, letting them keep tabs on their progress through a mobile app.

More than anything the QardioBase 2 manages to get its aesthetics right. It is slim, circular and subtle, seeming to float above the floor and almost begging to be left on display to be used daily, rather than tossed in a cupboard and neglected. It is just another example of how home automation is making life easier while keeping us safer and healthier in one fell swoop.

February 7, 2018
Bathroom Remodelling Tips for 2018

For a lot of people, the bathroom is their sanctuary. It doesn’t only serve as a room to wash off, but it is your private and personal spa. It is where you can relax and relieve some stress.

So when you renovate your bathroom, you create a bathing space just for you. It can be a place to get away and just be yourself for a while.

Every aspect and element has to come together to achieve a common goal of creating your personal space. At the same time, it meets the practical aspects of bathing.

If you are on your way to building a new home or have a plan for a renovation, check these design trends this 2018 that will help you achieve your dream bathroom.

Image Link

The bathroom gets small

Recently, bathrooms sizes are getting smaller and smaller. The trend for interior bathroom designs this 2018 will be focusing on small-scale luxury and efficiency.

Efficient use of every nook and cranny is on trend. Single person tubs are getting more popular. Smaller and artfully designed toilets and sink bowls begin to replace the standard ones.

Other bathroom essentials changes from standard size to smaller ones including smaller space-saving walk-in showers, shelves instead of large vanities and cabinets. In additional if you have kids you may decorating your bathroom with kids shower curtains pieces.

Small bathrooms integrate wall patterns and floor graphics that make a room appear bigger than before.

You don’t need to miss out on your dream bathroom because of the lack of space. You can do small changes here and there and turn it into your personal sanctuary.

Image Link

High-Tech Toilets

Nowadays, homeowners are starting to get interested in integrating technology into their toilets. And what better way to do this than getting a bidet?

The 2018 bidet toilets feature automatic lid openers, seat warmers, air dryers, deodorizers and many more. Other out of this world features include a wireless music player that turns on every time the lid opens.

Technology has advanced so far that even toilets are getting more advanced. Take the Bio Bidet’s A8 Serenity from Bidet Genius’ list of awesome bidet seats, for example, has an on and off aerated water flow feature. This feature lets the user widen the spray and even add air bubbles. It also has an adjustable LED night light. The best part? It’s self-cleaning.

It’s not just toilets that are going high-tech. Innovating the whole bathroom is another option. There are smart showers that know your preferred temperature and play your favorite tunes during shower time. Automatic faucets are also available; they can turn on and off when you place your hands on them.

Image Link

Vanity Lighting

Using lighting to highlight functional space and the vanity area is an upcoming trend this 2018. You can use wall scones, light bars or small pendants to light up your bathroom.

These simple lighting options can help you with makeup application and creates better bathroom aesthetics.

Conclusion

All in all, one common thing is evident in all these upcoming trends. They are all ways to break from the usual and be unique. For bathrooms, they rely on tiles, technology, and lightings to turn bath time more interesting.

Bidet Genius

Website: https://bidetgenius.com
Bidet Genius is an online store which caters products that are dedicated to keeping the world clean and providing the joy of washing.

February 7, 2018
How to Spot Signs of Foundation Issues
A house is as good as its foundation. Without a good foundation, a house will not stand the test of time. Eventually the foundation might crack and become uneven and this would then affect other parts of the house.

Knowing the early signs of foundation problems can head off problems that ultimately could cost you an arm and a leg to fix. Here’s how to spot signs of foundation issues:
- Uneven or sagging floors
There could be trouble if your floors are out of level or seem to be dipping, bowing or sagging. Floors have a tendency to squeak or sag when pier and beam foundations have problems.

This is because slab foundations and pier and beam foundations are positioned differently. As such, they are affected differently.

With time, floors that appeared to be out of level may become uneven by up to three times their original level. At this stage, these floors are not only unsightly but are also very hazardous.

To avoid injuries, have the floors repaired as soon as you detect any sagging or unevenness.
- Cracks on walls, floors and/or on the foundation.
Cracks on either the walls, floors or the foundation itself may signal a foundation problem. A broken chimney, wall fissures and floor cracks can also mean trouble. Eventually, your house may experience foundation movement. This then causes shifts and gaps on your foundation.

Not all cracks however are a result of a bad foundation. In fact, it’s perfectly normal for a foundation to develop some in the first four years after construction. However, anything more than ¼-inch gap on the concrete block walls could mean something serious.
- Doors that stick or don’t open and close properly.
A sticking door is a frequent indication of a foundation problem. Exterior doors that stick are likely to hang down at the top or drag at the threshold. Double doors may hang incorrectly or fail to meet at the middle.

Usually, it’s a problem that affects all kinds of slab and pier beam foundations. And no property is immune to such problems, be it even a commercial structure.

Sometimes doors stick because of high humidity. This happens if there’s been severe flooding or heavy downpour.
- Gaps around exterior doors or window frames.
Gaps around exterior doors and window frames could signal foundation issues. You might also notice that doors no longer latch. A good signal is when double don’t align properly.

When they are not aligning as they should, it makes closing them difficult. Doors may also become impaired and crooked. Crooked floors may also occur as a result of moisture issues in the crawl space.
- Slanted mortar joints.
Slanted mortar joints are perhaps the easiest to spot. They occur as a result of foundation shifts. Generally, foundation experts will use laser lines to check against mortar joints. If something is amiss, it’s safe to say that something’s amiss.
- An unstable chimney.
A cracking or leaning chimney may signal foundation problems. In most cases, a chimney is installed at the same time as the house is built. In some cases, though, the chimney doesn’t share a foundation or footing with the house itself.
- Foundation upheaval in slab foundations.
Foundation upheaval is when your house’s foundation has moved up. Foundation upheaval is the opposite of foundation settling. Causes of foundation upheaval may include frost heave, under-slab plumbing leaks, excess moisture due to rain, and soil that expands and contracts.

Generally, heaving impacts your home’s interior, the perimeter area of a concrete slab, and the outside garage.

Excessive moisture is the number one cause of foundation upheaval. Moisture can be trapped beneath your slab as a result of plumbing problems or heavy rains. Inspect your water bill if you suspect something unusual with your slab foundation. You could be losing up to fifty gallons of water each day. Sometimes even more.

When soil gets wet it becomes heavy. And the heavier it becomes the more upward force it has. Frost heave can also put pressure on your home’s foundation, which can then result in a foundation movement.

When you spot any of these foundation issues, don’t jump into conclusions, but rather get in touch with a building contractor immediately.
February 3, 2018