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Saturday, June 2nd, 2018
Fine Furniture Design’s Regal Collection is regal yet homey at the same time.
Did you know that it takes just a few steps to spruce up your new house? You see, a house is just a structure, it’s nothing more than a dwelling place. The form or structure of the house really does not matter, what truly matters is what’s inside. There are special things and, of course, people that are needful in transforming a house into a home.
Begin from the Ground Up
You might not think that this is the first area to begin your activity but the floors are the very elements that can significantly unite the place. Carpeting and the installation of area rugs are one of the best ways to do this. These are perfect sound absorbers.
Do you remember how the sound echoed when you left your last home? Then you would surely not want that with your new home. Have it filled with warmth and softness by the introduction of these floor elements.
Add Meaningful Things
You can also slowly add textiles to create a more lived-in appearance. Textiles are vital elements in the creation of moods. Interior designers make good use of textiles when they are out to set the tone in a home. They choose the textiles with the correct patterns, colors, and textures which match the style that the homeowners have chosen for their new home.
Let There Be Light
Even the Bible has set the importance of lighting to human existence, so, take heed. If you want your lighting to look awesome, then it is best to hire a professional to install the lighting systems in your home. Most electricians can do this but you have to set your foot with regard to the type of lighting fixture that you would want for each room.
More often than not, houses are provided with the simplest lighting. If you want to stand out, then veer away from basic and boring. Making the room cozy is by replacing boring bulbs and fluorescent lighting with chandeliers, wall sconces, and pendants.
Store Properly
An important lesson that every homeowner needs to learn has a lot to do with functionality. A lot of interior designs are aesthetically-based but then all these fail if you do not have the basic storage necessities.
Remove those piles and stacks of stuff that you no longer need and then have them donated. Keep clutter at bay in your new home. Focus on displaying only the stuff that can make your house feel like a home and, believe us when we say, clutter isn’t going to be one of them.
Storage can be pretty straightforward. Use handmade baskets that are easy-on-the-eye. You can also invest in drawers and cabinets that could store items that you will be needing soon. This is the time to learn to display only the things that matter while storing those that are not to be used yet.
For the rest of the clutter, they will have to find a new home in your garbage bins.
Personalize
Artwork isn’t just for the elites. An effective way to decorate your house and make it look like a home is to have it decorated with stuff that you own. Frame those photographs of your family travels and have them conspicuously displayed on walls and on the piano.
Use paintings to liven up the living room or just about any room in your home. Do you have special interests or collections? Then you can have those displayed, too. Be sure to highlight your collection in such a way that the architecture or the design elements around them serve as its frame.
If you have a collection of books, then you have to invest in a lovely bookcase that would prominently display it. Again, proper lighting is also crucial.
Lastly, what could better personalize a house than to have it filled with boisterous laughter?
Tags: creating a home, homey ambiance, homey atmosphere, house to home, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Decorative Elements, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on House to Home in 5 Steps
Friday, April 29th, 2016
FFDM’S Summer Home Collection is featured in this corner of a home. Foamed furniture such as the chair here is effective in controlling the overflow of sound.
The open floor plan concept in offices came into existence in the 1960s. Since then, hundreds and thousands of companies all over the world, embraced this concept. Some believe this concept is a source of stress, noise and nuisance. If you look at this floor layout, though, you would immediately begin to see the benefits that it offers.
The open floor plan fosters collaboration among employees. This used to be imposed among workers which made it one of the most used layouts in the world today.
In France, alone, individual cubicles exist as a minority. About 34% of employees still work in partitioned workstations according to a 2015 study.
The early 20th century showed that the open offices flourished. Frank Lloyd and the likes of him perceived the partitioned office as a facist, totalitarian trend. Because of this perception, more flexible plans allowed employees to be free from the confines of small work areas.
Right after World War II, the development of the tertiary sectors was accompanied by a new perception on the workplace. The idea of an open workspace originated in the 50s in Germany. Eberhard and Wolfgang Schnelle came up with the idea of an office landscape where partitions are no longer a necessity.
The work areas were decorated with green plants fostering open communication among the workers. By 1964, Herman Miller, an American company, came up with Action Office Series 1. These were modular offices that were created with panels and various workspace heights. These easily adapted to the workers’ various activities. It was observed that their interactions became more regular and their movements, more fluid.
It was in 1968, though, that Robert Probst came up with the cubicle which is an office space with partitions that can be removed.
The Ultimate Family Design
The open floor plan can be the best kind of family or entertainment space but if you bring in the kids and pets to the picture, you would end up with discord.
This is why there is a need to understand your tolerance level if you are choosing to employ the open space layout in your home. You might have started with how you will use the space on hand but you might have forgotten about the possible noise that could come from family members, pets and appliances. This is especially true if the room features audiovisual components.
Always think of sound as something that is liquid. Water will always look for a place to flow to so it can seep through spaces and cracks.
This is also true with sound. You need to plan for an escape route for any kind of noise.
Consider also the shape of the room. Surfaces made of stone, metal or concrete tend to bounce sound at a louder level.
If you want a modern, clean, no-curtain room, then see if you can install rugs that would deaden the sound. Know how to control the noise by lowering the ceiling, having the columns in a room wrapped in wood, or replicating this kind of ceiling along the rooms.
Should noise become an issue, then it is best to break up the rooms by creating doorways in between the living areas. There is no other way to contain the sound without disturbing the flow.
Interior designers know that fabrics can be used to muffle sound. Empty rooms are noisy but once you bring in the furnishings, draperies, especially the carpets, you would soon notice that the room has become a lot quieter.
Use same color on your walls and draperies. Add texture as well as interest without totally closing off the other rooms. Make good use of soft surfaces like upholstered pillows and chairs to manage the sound.
Tags: 1950s, 20th century, homey, homey ambiance, homey ambience, homey interiors, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, open floor, open floor layout, open floor plan, open floor planning, open space, open space design, open space layout, open space theme
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
Thursday, February 11th, 2016
Uttermost Accessories Daymeion, Screen 20278
Fire is known to be an essential element to man. It is primal but is key to man’s survival. Fire can be used to describe passion, deep love or hatred, even vengeance. Fire is essential in shaping the world. To come into existence, it needs three elements – air, fuel and heat. The fireplace is a great way to bring in the lovely flames into your home. If you have a fireplace in your home, have you ever wondered how to dress it up?
Fireplace in the Middle of the Living Room
Having an open fire right in the middle of a room can have its benefits as well as disadvantages. The biggest advantage is that you won’t have to worry about heating up the living room. With fire comes smoke, though. While others love the smell of smoke because of its tanginess, others do not want the hazardous smell to emanate inside their home.
In order to control the smoke, or if you want to clear it out of your home, the simple solution is to cut through the roof. The smoke will automatically go up there. The hole will allow the smoke to escape but, of course, you do not want a simple hole to become a part of your home. While the smoke would waft up there, that hole is not at all appealing.
Now say hello to the chimney. The fireplace and the chimney are companions that always go hand-in-hand. This union was invented in the 12th century. These features were considered as part of castles and homes of noblemen.
Extra care was taken in making brick or stone fireplaces. By the 1500s and the 1600s, the fireplace had become a regular addition to people’s homes.
Beginning during the Medieval Period, homes in varying grandeur were built with fireplaces and chimneys. These were also built with brick or stone. The brick pipe, long stone or vent channelled the smoke out of the houses. The smoke box which is the chamber down the chimney pipe is used as a buffer against any downdraft. The firebox is just below the smoke box and is where you should start the fire. The hearth is the brick or stone platform where the firebox and chimney are both built. These sometimes extend out of the firebox to the room, to offer protect from rolling logs.
Uttermost Accessories Daymeion, Tools, S5 20338
Fireplace Advantages
Fireplaces are lovely parts of a home. They offer numerous advantages. This means living in a home where the fire is now safely contained inside a room. There is also the stone chute to make the smoke disappear from the room. These are big improvements from just that single hole on the roof.
In smaller residences, the fireplace can serve as a heater as well as a place where food can be cooked. Fire can keep the house warm while providing a place to heat pots or pans of scrumptious dishes.
While the fireplace became more renown, it has become a part of many homes. A totally new industry sprung up, aiming to supply accessories and equipment used in fireplaces.
The fireplace grate was invented long ago (1600s) and were a development from the andirons. Andirons can hold huge logs, even chunks of firewood but the fireplace grate contains the fire, charcoal, kindling and fuel (wood). Grates vary in sizes from the smaller grates to the larger wood-burning fireplace grates.
Fenders can be made of iron or brass and are used as fireguard. These prevent ash or rolling logs from burning that beautiful carpet right in front of your fireplace.
Add the dust bin, bellows, fireback, fire screen and other tools and you’re ready to start enjoying the crackling flames in your living room.
Tags: designing a fireplace, fireplace, fireplace design, fireplace elements, homey, homey ambiance, homey ambience, homey atmosphere, homey interiors, living room accent, living room accents, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Accents, Bedroom Design, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Living Room Design | No Comments »
Thursday, February 4th, 2016
This Flexsteel Living Room Sofa 7399-31 spells urban fashion and comfort.
You may just be in your mid-30’s or 40’s but if you have already accomplished a lot of things in life, then you deserve to have another feather in your cap. The next best accomplishment for you at this point is to obtain your dream home, try urban living, and dress your home up according to your liking.
Would you want a big home right away or would you choose to have a condominium unit as your first home? You can be hands-on with the design process. Whichever you choose, be sure to review your choice of a dream home from the day you get your hands on the blueprint.
Next, find an interior designer whom you can trust. This expert should be able to discuss your personal preferences, what you would want the house to evoke, and your spatial needs.
There are a lot of responsibilities that come with your new home. If you are a hardworking professional, then you deserve to glam up your urban dwelling. You can begin with a white color scheme.
Stylish living begins with this simple color. Shades of white can create a bright and airy atmosphere while creating an aura of peace and balance. As you enter your home, you would soon understand how white opens up the space and gives the dweller a welcoming feeling. Be careful in using white, though, as it can have a stark appearance when left without complement.
Apart from white, earth tones are the next best colors to use when going with the urban look. Green, brown and yellow can be used in varying shades. If you want to contrast the starkness of white, you can bring in potted plants. Just be sure to water it daily and place it atop a side table that is not directly hit by sunlight.
Sam Moore Living Room Urban Ottoman 1061 offers patterns that will stand out in a neutral background.
Create a Homey Aura
Urban interior design makes use of the design concept where only essential furnishings are brought into the home. This means you have to let go of any trinkets or furniture that can clutter the overall look.
Choose your furniture and accents wisely. A quick look on our lovely furniture pieces will soon give you an idea on how to spruce up your new home.
Area rugs will make any living room stand out. Find one that has varied designs since you will be using a neutral backdrop. A decorative area rug will complement, say, a shiny marble flooring. Other attention-getters inside a living room can be a baby grand piano, art sculpture, chandelier and any abstract painting. These will provide the much-needed contrast for the white scheme.
When it comes to the couch, any upholstered kind will do. Here’s a tip – be sure to rotate the cushions. It’s been observed that most homeowners have a tendency to stay on just one side of a couch.
An urban dining area will also look great with a 10-seater table made with wood. Find mirror panels to reflect this grand sight. Hang a crystal chandelier right above this set. The kitchen space can have a breakfast nook right by the window overlooking the garden. Find cabinets and shelves to store your kitchenware.
FFDM’s Boulevard Collection features this streamlined bedroom piece,
The home office for someone who knows success can have an old-meets-new motif. Modern conveniences such as a laptop and LED TV can be placed in the same room as the antique manual typewriter seated on a streamlined desk.
If there’s space to spare, then take time to find an ottoman that will match your office couch. This ottoman will not just serve as a seating piece but also as a table should you nephews decide to play a board game while you’re busy working.
Frame some of your black-and-white photographs and hang them proudly on your office wall. You can also use this room to store your favorite books, trophies, and some personal items.
Have fun with urban glam!
Tags: harmony, homey, homey ambiance, homey ambience, homey interiors, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, urban glam, urban interior design, urban living
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 19th, 2016
The clean lines of the American Leather Living Room Bookcase MEN-BKC-ES should fit right into your organic interiors.
Would you like to have the ability to bring nature right into your home? This is a quest that homeowners, over the centuries, have longed to achieve. Humans, after all, love organic interiors and the organic appeal of earth’s elements because he is one with them.
Organic modern dwellings are usually soothing and have a down-to-earth feel. The natural elements such as clean lines, rustic stuff, vegetation and lots of natural light – all add a certain level of warmth to any home with modern architecture.
Bringing organically inspired elements in your home can be achieved with these guidelines –
Choose Elements That Bring Peace
This does not mean doing the feng shui each time that you move your furniture about or buying only the feng shui approved pieces. Pick materials that showcase your personal flair. Some homeowners may like the look of natural rocks as wall art while others like the sophistication offered by dark mahogany furniture or flooring. Be sure to find natural elements that show your style while connecting you to your home.
Use Bricks as a Focal Point or Backdrop
Brick making is a process that involves natural elements such as water, clay, mud and fire. These eventually produce one of the sturdiest building materials.
The appeal of brick transcends time. Its rustic uniformity makes old homes and now modern dwellings a place to marvel at.
Stanley Furniture Dining Room Farmer’s Market Table 018-61-32 at McCreerys Home Furnishings.
Never Go Without Wood
Wood is the soul of organic design. The imperfections of wood such as grains and knots are the very things that make it stand out. Wooden furniture now comes in various species and finishes. You can use this material from your ceiling beams down to your dining table, chairs, even the flooring.
Look for furniture with country and rustic appeal if you want to achieve a traditional look in your home. For those who are looking to have a contemporary setting, look for wood furniture with non-complex, free from ornamentation lines.
The Farmer’s Market Table on the left comes with a simple scalloped pattern. This can serve as a heritage piece, one that evokes a country feel. Its French style finish, bun foot legs, and Dutch white cedar all contribute to a lovely feature for this wooden piece.
Bring in Nature in Every Room
Bringing in natural finishes in your dwelling place is no longer a new concept yet it has become a game changer of sorts to many homeowners. You can look into buying organic bedding for your bedroom. These are those sheets that come with rustic leaves or birds as designs.
A Zen fountain can make a home office feel more calming and soothing.
Design your home according to the concepts that make you feel more excited, charged, even calmed and find out how nature would play its role in your home.
When it comes to floral inspiration, make sure that you bring in the real thing. It can be frustrating to see fake greenery covered in dust inside any of your rooms. Allow nature to find its way to your interiors by bringing in potted plants, flowers, cacti, and succulents in their natural state.
Another room where you need to feel relaxed or rejuvenated is the bathroom. A water heater can make your body feel soothed. It can even transport your mind to a much needed level of serenity. This is something that you can look forward to after a long day of work.
Add wood walls in your bathroom to attain the look of a dry heat sauna. Fixtures must have minimal lines and your source of light is preferably from the sun’s rays flowing right into this room. At night, find a light source that still creates the ideal, one-of-a-kind experience in bathing.
Living in organic interiors is not just relaxing, it can also make you feel a sense of fulfillment as you help Mother Earth in the process.
Tags: brick, brick wall, focal point, homey, homey ambiance, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, natural, natural elements, nature, nature in interior design, nature-inspired home, nature's colors, organic home design, organic interior design, organic interiors, organic living, tips, wood, wood elements, wood pieces, Zen, Zen design, Zen habitat, Zen interiors, Zen living, Zen style
Posted in 2016 Trends, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes, Interior Design Trends | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 12th, 2016
Hooker Furniture Home Office Brookhaven Desk Chair
Designing your first home office can be kind of tricky. Primarily, you need to establish how the office would look and feel. If you decide to go for a homey atmosphere, chances are, you may not be able to concentrate with your work. There are simply a lot of things in your home that can take your attention away from your work.
If, however, you pick the professional style, then why place the office inside your home in the first place? One of the blessings of setting up a home office is that you have the freedom to use a style according to your preference. With this in mind, just make sure that you can separate this space from the rest of your home.
Awesome Home Office Setup Tips
The first guideline – because it is the most evident – is to never blend work and the pleasurable things that you do at home. Even if you think that you are the most focused person in your previous workplace, this will not amount to anything if you do not separate your home office from all the other rooms in your home. The two are bound to fuse so break them up from the onset.
Fine Furniture Design Home Office New Bedford Ladies Desk 1020-925 is for the delicate female professional.
Next, be sure to examine your home office now and then. Clear away game consoles, TV, and other possible sources of distractions. While you may have separated your home office from the other rooms, keeping these gadgets near your work area can still cause major distraction.
Respect and maintain the boundaries that have been set. Keep the workplace distinct from all the rooms. Doing so will have a psychological effect on how you work.
‘See that magnificent Brookhaven Desk Chair from Hooker Furniture above? The next guideline pertains to this very thing. You have to invest in a seating support that does not just look good in your home office but would also support your back as you work those long hours.
The American Academy of Family Physicians has reported that approximately 90% of adults feel back pain at one point in their lives. This means that you should pay attention to the style and sturdiness of the chair that you are about to purchase.
One of the things that are neglected in setting up home offices is lighting. Too bright or too dim just won’t work. If you want to get ample lighting, then allow your desk to be situated near a window where sunlight could come in.
If you ever felt lethargic during the winter months, then you are not alone. Research proves that people do tend to feel this way during the holidays due to lack of sunlight exposure. Boost your mood and stabilize your sleep patterns by allowing more natural light to enter your home office. If you work during the night, then be sure to get artificial lighting for your workspace.
If you are not sure about the intensity or tone that is suitable to your home office, then experiment on these. Consider the factors such as the total amount of space and number of lighting fixtures, used when making your final decision.
Apart from having updated technology for your workspace, you must also make sure that you simplify processes. So how do you go about with this?
Organize your home office often as this will increase your work efficiency. Clutter can cause distraction so invest in storage units such as a stylish office cabinet. Do not settle for those traditional metal types straight away. Try laying your eyes on a wooden cabinet or shelf that may also serve as a piece that will balance the statement piece (your office desk).
Practice minimalism in your home office and you’d never go wrong.
Tags: cabinets, creating a homey ambience, desk, executive desk, guidelines, home office desk, homey, homey ambiance, homey ambience, homey atmosphere, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, office chairs, office desk, office furniture, tips
Posted in Home Office Design, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | No Comments »
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