Unconventional Ways to Find Interior Design Inspiration

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You want the rooms of your home or office to speak to your tastes. But what are those, exactly? In an effort to get inspired we often jump the gun and start with things like favorite color or a style we’re vaguely familiar with. Soon our best intentions turn into mismanaged approaches and the result is a less-than-ideal look to your interior space. We’ve all been there before.

The obvious first step is to try and think like an interior designer. However, DIY interior design doesn’t need to be all dense theory and academic absorption. Inspiration can and ought to arrive in all sorts of ways. The following are just an example of some of the many unconventional methods to achieving desired interior design:

• Look through homes for sale in other parts of the world. For example, San Diego real estate listings are sure to offer a glimpse into one-of-a-kind forms of architecture and interior design. Color combinations, use of space, and application of light are all things that can be seen in photos meant to try and sell a home. While your budget may call for a scaled down version, looking through the swankier listings will showcase the most original interior design styles to draw inspiration from.
• Pay attention to art direction in movies and on television. Film and television studios pay good money to make sure the sets and scenery look perfect. Sometimes this means making sure the underbelly of a viaduct has just the right color scheme of spray paint, but most of the time it means making sure an interior space is in harmony with the production’s color palette. This typically leads to immaculately executed interior design styles, especially if the filmmakers are particularly known for striking visuals. Take notes when you like the look of a room in your favorite TV show - a lot of work went into making it look good and you can base your own approach on the design.
• Go beyond the basics. Let yourself be inspired by animals, paintings, cars, or even music - it doesn’t simply have to be space, wall color, and furniture found elsewhere. The aforementioned array of graffiti along the walls of concrete canals can even serve as a launching pad for the mind. It may sound hippy dippy, but such an approach is how many successful interior designers choose to work.
• Dreams: write them down. Some people have vivid dreams in terms of locale. This is particularly the case if interior design is weighing heavily on your mind during your waking hours. Keep a sketchpad and 120-count box of crayons by the bed and draw out (the best you can) any memorable looking spaces in your dreams. While you might end up passing on the octopus tentacle ceiling fan blades and the shag carpeted walls, you might find just the look you were wanting all along.

We all want to pull off professional-grade interior design when attempting to 'do it ourselves.' However, it’s easier to end up with a pedestrian look to a room than something spectacular when we opt to go at it alone. Too much energy is forced on trying to make inspiration happen, rather than letting it happen. Go out and take in the world to find interior design which suits your taste and budget.

Top Home Design Trends to Look for in 2016

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With a solid economic recovery underway and renewed consumer confidence, the housing market is predicted to continue strong in 2016. Among the real estate trends we’ll see in 2016 is a growing interest among home buyers in building a new home versus purchasing a resale home. By choosing a new construction home, buyers have the chance to customize and create a home that is the perfect match for their family and lifestyle. So what design choices will be popular in 2016? Check out the list below to see the top trends in new home design.

Style

Many new home buyers are looking for a contemporary or modern design in their 2016 home. Although these styles have unique elements, both favor simple and uncluttered spaces, the use of simple, neutral colors, clean lines, and decorating that adds a pop of color and artistic flair.

Another overall style trend is the importance of personalization and customization in 2016 new homes. Home builders are showing off their craftsmanship with stunning staircases, custom built-in shelves and other fine details. Homeowners are also personalizing their homes by taking risks with bold paint colors, wallpaper, and patterns.

Layout

In 2016, home builders will continue to see the open concept floor plan the most desired layout among home buyers. This layout opens up the main living space so the kitchen, dining, living and entertainment areas all flow together. This layout is perfect for entertaining and bringing families together.

Overall, the layout of 2016 new homes is set up to have 100 percent usable space throughout the entire home. This means clean design, fewer hallways, a single staircase, and no tiny, wasted rooms.

Kitchen

In 2015, the biggest kitchen trend was white everything, including white cabinets, walls, and countertops. While white will still be a top choice in 2016 new homes, the latest kitchen color trend is now gray, which can be used in everything from cabinets to backsplashes. Combining white and gray will also be very popular in 2016.

With the open concept floor plan, the kitchen will be the center of entertaining, cooking, and dining. This will lead to a high demand for larger islands that provide more space. In fact, those who have enough room are choosing double islands, either back to back or side by side. This allows you to have one designated area for prepping and cooking, and a separate space for dining and socializing.

Bathroom

Although many new homes will have more than one bathroom, the bathroom that is getting all the attention in 2016 homes is the master bathroom. In addition to a beautiful retreat-like bedroom, homeowners want their own personal bathroom to enjoy after a long day.

In the bathroom, we are seeing a transition away from bath-shower combinations into single units. Some homeowners are choosing large walk-in showers decorated with beautiful tiling, others are choosing stand-alone spa-like tubs, and those who have room are adding both for convenience and ‘wow’ factor.

Other Rooms

Beyond the other typical rooms of the home like kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms, home builders are noticing an increasing number of requests for bonus rooms. This includes:

• Wine rooms and bars where the homeowner can nurture their love of wine and spirits with professional amenities.
• Home offices, which reflects the fact that many people now work from home or telecommute on some days.
• “Get away” rooms, which offer a place for relaxation, recreation and family time. Get away rooms can take many forms including entertainment or media rooms, libraries, formal living rooms and more.

Outdoor Spaces

As we mentioned earlier, home buyers who are building a new home in 2016 want to make every inch of their space functional, and this includes the outdoors. Because of the growing importance of at-home entertaining, new home builders are seeing requests for indoor-outdoor living spaces. For example, the main level may have a two or even three-panel sliding glass door that provides a view of nature. The glass doors may then open to a patio that is perfect for entertaining, and it may include other extras such as outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, or pizza ovens. All of these design choices are made to create a seamless flow of indoor and outdoor spaces and to maximize functionality.

With the trends featured above, it’s easy to see why home buyers entering the market in 2016 are strongly considering building a new home over buying a resale home. By gathering your ideas and contacting your local home builder, you can truly create the home of your dreams.  

Can you paint your house any color you want?

Making a decision on what color to paint your property is an important task; after all once it’s

done you don’t particularly want to be struck with a change of heart and have to start all over

again. Painting the outside of a property is a big job and starting from scratch would take far too

much time and effort. That’s why it’s important to make a solid decision on a color scheme before

you start painting your home.

One of the questions you may be asking yourself is can you paint your brick home? The answer is yes you can; brick can look great when painted, as long as you follow the right process. Any exterior

surface of your home can benefit from a paint job, but you have to take some points into

consideration when choosing a color.

Are you free to choose whatever color you want?


This is the main theme we want to address here. The question does not just apply to “can” you

choose a certain color, but also to “should” you choose it. There are certain areas and housing

associations which impose restrictions on colors that can be used when painting the exterior of a

property. The first thing that you need to do is check that none of these restrictions apply in your

area. If they do then you are going to be restricted in your color choice.

Even if there are no restrictions, you may want to give some thought to the type of area you live in.


If your home is located in an area of historical significance, where homes stick to certain color

schemes, it may go down too well if you paint your home bright yellow. It may be a bright color that

reflects your personality, but does it really fit with where you live?


What color should you choose?

Once you have discovered that you have complete freedom of choice when it comes to painting

your property, you then have to decide what color to opt for. One of the main deciding factors is

going to be whether your property is a home or an investment. If you want to settle in the property

then you will probably want to put your own stamp on it. If the property is more of an investment

then you want to stick to a clean and neutral color scheme that makes it easier to sell the property

on.

You may also want to take a look around you and see what colors your neighbors have opted for.

Sticking with the same themes or shades is often a good idea. You may be thinking that you want to

stand out and be individual. There is nothing wrong with that, but you may have to be prepared for a

backlash. You also have to decide whether you really want to spend years living in a home that is a

talking point for everyone, or would the novelty start to wear thin after a while.

There is a lot to consider when you decide to paint the exterior of your home. It’s important to do

your research and spend time making a decision in order to save yourself problems and time in the

long run.

Can you paint over a water damaged ceiling?

A water damaged ceiling looks unsightly and the water can cause drywall to become loose. Both of

these problems obviously need to be addressed. The good news is that you can get rid of that ugly

water damage stain on your ceiling; it just takes a little bit of effort and knowledge.


We are going to take a look at what steps to take when painting a water damaged ceiling. This

includes the attention you have to pay to repairs that may necessary as a result of the water

damage. One thing it’s important to note before you start is that you need to ensure the source of

the water damage has been located, and the problem dealt with. You don’t want to do all of this

work only for the water damage to re-appear.


Check for loose drywall


In the case of a more serious leak there is every possibility that the water may have caused the

drywall to become loose from the joists. If this has happened the problem obviously needs to be

resolved before any painting is done. It’s easy to test to see if the drywall is loose; all you have to do

is give a gentle push in the area of the stain. If you can feel that it’s loose you will need to take some

drywall screws and fasten the panel back in place.


Check for any cracks 


It’s also possible that the presence of water may have caused cracks to form. If this is the case you

will need to fill in any cracks with spackle and allow it try dry for the recommended amount of time.

After it has dried you will then need to sand the area down.


Remove any mold


There is a chance that you may find mold on the stain caused by the water damage. If this is the case

you will need to remove the mold with a bleach solution, before letting it dry.


Use primer first


You can’t just paint directly over a water damage stain and expect it to disappear. After you have

made sure the area is repaired if necessary you then need to use an oil-based, quick drying primer.

Using this first means you will then be able to easily paint over the stain.


Painting the stain


Once the primer is dry you are able to paint the area. You should use water-proof paint that matches

the color of the original paintwork. Make sure that you paint using smooth strokes and that you start

dabbing when you reach the edge of the stain; this helps the paint to blend. You should apply two

coats.


If you carry out all of these processes then you should be able to paint over a stain that results from

water damage. It takes a little time and effort but you will soon have a ceiling that looks as good as

new again.

How long is it okay for an air mattress to be inflated for?

How long you want to keep an air mattress inflated for is going to depend on your reason for using it in the first place. The only time you will really want to keep an air mattress inflated for any length of time is if you are using it as a replacement for a solid bed. If this applies to you then you may be wondering what the rules are regarding inflation and deflation.

You will find lots of useful information if you check out the latest air bed reviews. What you may not find is any details about how long you should leave an air mattress inflated for. This is because manufactures don’t generally have any rules or suggestions for this. We are going to give you a few tips to consider, to help you out.

What problems could keeping your air mattress inflated cause?

The vast majority of people purchase an air mattress as a temporary sleeping option in their home, or for use while camping. If this is you then you probably won’t want to keep your air mattress inflated for any significant period of time. However, if you do need to use an air mattress for a longer period of time then there are some things you should be aware of.

The first thing we should point out is that there is no actual recommended time limit for keeping an air mattress inflated. The main problem with leaving your mattress inflated is that there is more chance of an accident happening if you do. If you have children or animals in your home, they can be boisterous. It’s all too easy for them to cause damage to an inflated mattress without intending to.

What could happen if you inflate and deflate an air mattress often?

If you are using an air mattress for an extended period of time then you need to consider both sides of the coin. While you may be exposing your mattress to damage from cats and dogs by leaving it inflated you may also cause damage if you constantly inflate and deflate the mattress. Although  air mattress are obviously designed to be inflated and deflated, completing these actions all the time can put excess pressure on seams. As you can probably imagine this is not a good thing as it can lead to the seams bursting. This in turn can lead to you having to repair or replace your air mattress.

Overall, if you are using an air mattress each day it probably makes sense to leave it inflated. If you decide to do this then you should try end keep the mattress away from any potential sources of damage. If you can manage to do this then you should not encounter any problems, except having to top up the air when the mattress naturally deflates a little over time.