Be more Productive with these Home Office Design Ideas

Having an efficient home office design helps people increase their productivity. Home offices are an added benefit for any professional who enjoys working from home. A good home office design combines the best of both worlds, the productivity of your office, with the comfort of your own home. Whether you control your entire business from home or you use it once a year during tax season, having a home office design that increases your productivity while away from your work office is the most ideal situation.

Home organization experts can help you maximize all the space available for your home office design by asking you a series of questions to glean what you want to get out of your home office. Here are examples of a few popular solutions:

·         Desks with a fold out workstation for more room. Home organization specialists know that a desk needs to have room, not just for a computer and a printer, but a space to spread out your work and stay organized without cluttering a small area. Having a fold out desk portion allows you the extra room when you need it and keeps it out of the way when you don’t.

·         Overhead cabinets with lighting underneath are a great way to provide you with a task light while you work as well as storage for your office equipment and paperwork.

·         Pull out necessities. A pull out wastebasket will help keep all of your trash and debris located in one central location out of eyesight. A pull out keyboard tray will provide ergonomics and also keeps the keyboard out of harm’s way when not in use.

·         Multiple workstations and an Italia peninsula. Depending on what type of work you will be doing from your home office and what type of business you run, you may want to think about incorporating multiple workstations and separating them with an Italia peninsula. An Italia peninsula is a desk running perpendicular to the other desk spaces that you can easily turn to for extra space or to collaborate with your other work space partner.

·         Making effective use of your corners is crucial for having a home office design that utilizes all of the available space. Customized desks that span every inch of available wall space are going to increase your productivity by helping to reduce your clutter and boost your cleanliness. 

Whatever your use is for a home office you can design the perfect space for you. Add your own style to your home office space and create a space that evokes productivity through implementing custom organizational features. 

Tasteful Decoration for Halloween

If you want to have a great, tasteful Halloween party this year for yourself and a few friends or family then there are a few tips and suggestions that might help you decorate perfectly.

When deciding where to host your party open spaces are always good, I find a conservatory an idea area because of the weather protection and open view, they’re generally big enough to hold a few friends and a dinner table or buffet table – depending on what you want to serve at your party.

Candles are always a great asset to a Halloween party, the flickering light has a slightly eerie look to it and tall candle sticks have a traditional old gothic look that suits a creepy party perfectly. Fake bats and spiders can be hung and placed just about anywhere, though always make sure you decorate in moderation – don’t make the space look cluttered but have enough to spread them out.

Image courtesy thisnext.com

When you want to be tasteful with your party little things can generally make a bigger difference to your party, a few wooden carvings or a vase of dead flowers would be a subtle but nice touch, generally low lighting and a few fake spider webs are associated with Halloween – you’re generally trying to make your home look deserted. Fake cobwebs over picture frames to slightly obscure the images or around commonly used areas such as doors, drawers and kitchen utensils can be the perfect was of making your home look creepy and abandoned.

If you want to get original a fake skeleton can be great fun, you can sit them down at the table, place them in a chair with a paper or even dress them up. It’s the sort of thing that will amuse your guests and give your home that little bit of extra generic Halloween appearance. Putting out mirrors in the candle light can be a good way of startling your guests should they catch their reflection in the corner of their eye.

There are countless Halloween decorations around, with skulls set on the tables and a few lanterns on the window sills you’re bound to have the party everyone remembers. 

Have You Chosen The Right Bathroom Furniture?

What many people don't realize is how important it is to choose the right bathroom furniture. With such a wide selection of items to choose from for a bathroom in terms of design and size, the right choice can make a huge impact on the room, making it a place to be proud of.

A bathroom needs to be stylish in design while offering seamless functionality and performance. This is done by choosing the right bathroom furniture according to the size and layout of your current bathroom.

Stylish Design
Your bathroom furniture should make a statement; it should ooze style and sophistication. There are so many choices available when it comes to bathroom essentials that it's easy to compliment any bathroom, whether it's small or large.

Choosing everything from the shape and size of your shower tray to the design of your toilet can make a huge impact on the space. When it comes to toilets you have a range available from the traditional two piece elongated styles to the floating toilets, which are guaranteed to offer your bathroom that wow factor.

Work According to Available Space
The size and shape of your bathroom also plays an important role. Adding a huge free standing bath to a compact bathroom will make it feel claustrophobic, removing any floor space you had. In these situations a corner shower will give you the style you need.

Then again, a large spacious bathroom with a tiny corner shower would look out of place and bare. So you need to choose your bathroom furniture wisely from the design of the furniture to the overall size. You want your bathroom to be comfortable.

For the larger bathrooms that are in a perfect square you can take advantage of the space you have available, I always suggest a roll top or slipper free standing bath in the centre of the room or under a large window, this is the centre piece of the room and something to work around. A large vanity cupboard under the sink in a rounded shape in the finish of your choice can add that extra style to the space.

For compact bathrooms, concentrate on your shower from the overall shape to the enclosure. Whether you choose a framed or unframed shower door, sliding or pivot, you can use the shower as your center piece and add your splashes of color with your towels, candles and blind to finish off the room and make it look spectacular.


With so many things to choose from when looking at bathroom furniture, measuring your space before you start shopping can help you find the perfect furniture for your spectacular bathroom.

The Right Way To Decorate Your Kitchen

There's a bit of interior designer in everyone. Today, there’s a wealth of assistance available in social media, online and with new software applications that provide ways to draw up plans for designing and decorating a kitchen. These software applications are intentiontally user-friendly and offer a broad selection of ideas and choices of styles for redecorating. This is interior design the right way for novices.

Begin Interior Design With A Plan
Individuals settle into regular routines when it comes to the kitchen. For some, breakfast may be "drive by". For others it's a early morning end run to daily chores. Families with young children may spend lunches together in this busiest room in the house. Nearly all families find a need to gather together at dinner time. Routine sets the tone for the type of kitchen to be designed and decorated. Create a plan of interior design by taking stock of available floor space, the number of appliances, size of counter space and seating availability. This assessment will determine how large the interior design project may be. For major alterations to walls or floor space, seek assistance from a professional. If the changes are relatively small, consider using a comprehensive software application to provide virtual projections using accurate sizes, widths and spacing.

Choose Your Style For Design
Before advancing to the design phase, it's important to know personal preferences regarding styles. Should the design reflect an ultra-modern look or something more traditional? Consider existing furnishings before choosing new room decor. Today's trends allow for a mix of styles to create greater levels of contrast. For instance, furniture can have a classic country style and be blended with modern decorations like wall clocks, sconces and trivets. Consider also the convenience of "zoning" certain areas of the room such as cooking prep zone, clean-up zone and a dining zone. By compartmentalizing areas of the room, it's easier to decorate each zone to fit the type of use it receives. This method also helps save valuable space for additional storage if needed. For instance, a cooking prep zone can add space by the use of a hanging island for pots, pans and other cooking implements. The dining zone can be separated, if floor space allows, by a serving/prep island and a cozy breakfast nook near to a window.

Floor Coverings And Lighting Adds To Room Decor
When planning changes, don't overlook floor coverings and lighting fixtures. For some redecorating projects, upgrading floor coverings with modern designs like travertine tiles or design-enhanced, resilient vinyl tiles can make all the difference to the appearance of the room. The right lighting makes a wonderful style statement. Opt for the types of designs that generate interest and eye appeal and provide sufficient lighting for working and dining. Check online for the best choices of flooring and lighting for updating the lighting system in the room. Look for lighting that offers maximum energy efficiency and balanced illumination of the entire room.

This post is brought to you by Carol Jackman, a well respected interior designer. When it comes to her kitchen needs, she recommends Kitchen Etc., which specialize in kitchen renovations & kitchen cabinets Ajax, Scarborough & Pickering.

Making Your Bedroom A Sanctuary Of Calm

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For many of us, especially us mums, a quiet sanctuary where we can get away from the chaos is essential. Often this is only possible in our bedrooms. Our Bedroom is the only place we can call ours.
If you have children in the home then you know how they take over. There isn't a room in the home you can call your own, except your bedroom. Your bedroom should be your quiet haven, a place you can relax at night and enjoy some along time.

Make a Change
Turning your bedroom into a quiet sanctuary for you to relax and unwind is easy. You will need a theme, maybe a soft rug and a selection of beds to choose from. Maybe an underwater theme, a forest theme or a beach theme is on the cards. Think of where you feel most relaxed and what you need to make this room the one place you can just be you and not mum.
Your theme should be reflected in the beds you look at, the colours you paint the walls and the rug you choose for the floor.

Get Started
The sooner you take the time to get your bedroom started, the sooner you will be enjoying the space. Once your theme is chosen, head down and get your paint. I always find a pale blue is relaxing over a harsh or bold red colour. My room is in a beach theme, with light blue walls and one bold blue feature wall with floating shelves.
Of course the idea is that you let your own personality shine through when doing this. Once your walls are painted you should have one feature wall. Not only does the feature wall stand out, but it looks stunning and sophisticated when guests have a sneaky peak into your private oasis.

Furnishings
Your furnishings should be luxurious and comfortable. It's all very well having a stunning bedroom but you are not going to relax on hard and awkward furniture. A plush rug at the end of the bed, maybe a sofa under the window can all add to your oasis comforts.
When looking at beds, choose with your spouse. The bed should be comfortable and yet supportive. It should fit into your theme. Luckily there are a wide selection of beds to choose from including modern floating beds, stylish sleigh beds and traditional four posters.

Laying Out Your Bedroom
When choosing where to place all your bedroom furniture, you start with beds. The bed should be placed first where you want it, this is the biggest piece of furniture in the room and you can easily work around it. Often the bed looks best placed against the feature wall. Your feature wall may be a boldly painted wall or you may even have a themed scene painted on it.
Once your beds placed, you can start on the remainder of the furniture, place a plush sofa under the window. A place to sit with a good book and enjoy the quiet time. Side tables that are essential to the bedroom and any other pieces of furniture you have chosen to incorporate into your sanctuary.

Lighting – The Final Step
Your bedroom is probably starting to look the part, your theme is tied in with your furniture and it is all placed offering you that comfort and quiet space you desperately deserve. Now comes the lighting.
Lighting is an essential step, this is what offers you the ambience and either makes or breaks the room. You should have a choice of lighting, place lamps next to beds and a brighter main light. This way if you are reading you have the main light and if you are just lying back and catching a breath, you can pop on the softer lamp to help you relax.


Always look at beds that will tie in with your theme. These should be comfortable and compliment the room offering you that dream sanctuary, a place to unwind and relax after a long day.

How a picture frame can add quality to your room furniture

Your home decor usually creates the ambience which is experienced by your guests when they enter your house. Although furniture as well as table-top displays may make a great impact, walls will appear bare without photographs, art and other decorations.

Home decor does not have to include extensive remodelling as some of the best additions to one's home are the little changes which they are able to make. It is more about getting inspiration particularly from simple things in our lives rather than adding something new to your home. There might be several reasons why you feel that your home decor is lacking enthusiasm but at times this is fixed more easily than it was perceived originally.

Whether you wish to rearrange or add furniture in the living room, update the whole look of your house, before you begin to buy new things and rearranging everything, you need to look at the uncovered areas. Find out the blank space available on your walls and how you can use them. At times you can include a focal point in your living room by placing a wall art effectively. Not only does the wall art add interest to the area of the room but it is visually tricky.

By putting interesting pieces into the wall picture frames, you then draw the attention of the eye throughout the room. This is a technique of highlighting great aspects of the living room which would otherwise be unnoticed. For instance, if the room has a structure that is interesting then you can highlight the angles made by the walls by placing a colourful print inside a picture frame. In case you wish to make the art appear more professional, you can add some matting inside the frame. When you purchase big picture frames which have a gold or mahogany finish, it will give a vintage appeal to your living room.

Make sure that the prints or paintings emphasize the theme. If you want a display of colour and you do not want to change the furniture then you can purchase cheap frames and from there you can paint them as per your preference. If you wish to have the boldness of picture frames which are black for example, you can add border photos colour matting which are good for photo collages and family photos. You also need to consider other inspired arts and crafts ideas as well.

Heart Shaped Venetian Photo Frame

Lace matting for picture frames measuring 8x10 is great for cherished photos and ribbons can be used to string several photos together in a collage on a wall. There are several things that one can do to add quality to their living room decor and these do not have to be costly options. Just look into the design of the wall and purchase picture frames. This is an easy and quick fix which can bring a big difference to the quality of your living room.

Most picture frames usually look at their best when they have been treated with varnish, however at times a picture frame painted surface will look better in your living room. Deciding which kind of picture frame appears best depends on your personal taste. Varnished wooden picture frames may be restyled to complement new decor schemes in your room by painting them.

World Bamboo Day

The World Bamboo Organization celebrates World Bamboo Day every year to protect this natural resource and ensure its sustainable utilization.  This year the World Bamboo Day is celebrated on18^th of September. Through this program WBO strives to increase the awareness of bamboo globally.

     Being an eco-friendly product the demand of Bamboo is growing day by day. But it’s utilization is exploited a lot. The aim of World Bamboo Organization is many fold

• To protect bamboo
• To make its best utilization
• To promote the cultivation of bamboo
• To promote the traditional uses of bamboo

Image courtesy gardenofeaden

The general notion is that bamboo can be used only for manufacturing furniture. But this is not the case. Bamboo can be put to myriads of uses like the following

Medicinal purpose: In countries where bamboo is available in plenty it is used for curing lot of diseases like kidney disease, diseases affecting bone etc.

Infrastructure purpose: Bamboo is used for reinforcement of roads and also to construct bridges. It is common, in developing countries like India, to see houses constructed of bamboo. In fact bamboo houses are becoming a must have in eco friendly tourism.

Clothes and accessories: Bamboo is used to make eco friendly clothes and also fashion accessories like earring, bracelet etc. Bamboo toys are a rage among people looking for organic material for their kids to play with.

Furniture: Last but not the least bamboo is the major raw material for making eco friendly furniture. Beautiful and intricately carved chair, tables, beds etc can be made out of bamboo. Bamboo rugs and bamboofloor mat are picking up the market in oriental world.

Bamboo floor mat

Whatever said and done, we as people of modern world should strive to protect this natural resource. Let us do our bit by planting bamboo, building with bamboo and breathing bamboo!