The Best Colours to Create the Perfect Bathroom Environment

Whether you have a large family bathroom or a small ensuite, the colour you choose can say a lot about yourself. Some people want a practical space, whereas others are looking for a luxurious retreat. Here are some colour choices to help you create the perfect mood in your bathroom. 

Relax In a Sea Of Blue

If you are looking to create a calming, soothing and relaxing space, then blues and greens will work well. These colours are often used by spas and bring in influences from the ocean. There are so many different shades, ranging from pastels to bolder and deeper colours, that you can really create a unique look simply by changing the colour. If you want to make a small room look bigger then pale aqua shades are a good choice. Blues can sometimes look a bit cold, so to avoid this go for a warm shade and help to brighten the room further by the use of gold accessories, such as light fittings and mirrors. Black and white fittings also work well with a blue colour scheme.

Classic Whites and Neutral Hues

With a family bathroom you might want to adapt the accessories and bath towels as the children grow up. Therefore, a white or neutral colour scheme is a good choice. With this you can easily match fixtures and fittings and change them as required without having to re-decorate. White is a classic look, but if you are looking for something a bit more warm and inviting then add a subtle hint of colour through the paintwork. Not only are these neutral colour schemes soothing and peaceful, but they also work exceptionally well in smaller spaces where natural light is limited. If you want to bring in a splash of colour then go for a few bright, colourful or patterned tiles.

Pastels are Not Just for Girls

Any type of pastel colour, such as peach or lilac, is a good choice for bathrooms. They help you to create a stress free zone, allowing you time to think and contemplate the day's events. To bring the room alive and complement the paint work, use black or silver bath towels to create a statement style. Glass shelving will work well alongside these, as well as chrome taps and fixtures.

Let the Sun Shine Through

To create a cheerful oasis in your bathroom, go for shades of yellow, which evoke memories of the summer and endless days of sunshine, even in the middle of a gloomy winter's day. A bright and refreshing bathroom will help to wake you up in the morning and also opens up small and dark spaces. To complement the colour scheme use natural stone or wood on the surfaces and flooring.

There are many ways in which your bathroom can say something about the type of person you are and evoke a specific mood. Next time you are looking to redecorate, have a think about how you use the bathroom, whether you are straight in and out or prefer to spend a long time in there and this will help you with your colour choices.

AUTHOR BIO:

Shirley Jones writes on a regular basis on interior design for a variety of property and home websites and blogs. As an interior designer she worked with many clients looking at ways they could create the perfect bathroom, through the use of colours, accessories and bath towels.

Tips for Choosing the Garden Play Equipment That’s Right for Your Children

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Honestly speaking, I was quite surprised to find a number of selections when it comes to toys for children. One would usually see children playing with their high-end electronic gadgets nowadays. I believe, though, that these are not the ideal toys for children in this day and age, even if we are highly dependent on technology. It’s all well and good that apps and gadgets exist, but playing with traditional toys is still the best option if you want a well-balanced child.

This is why just recently, when my children asked me to buy them an iPad that they said they would share with each other, I declined their request in an instant and told them that I would buy them something else. That’s when I started looking for garden play equipment that I knew for sure would be better anyway.

To cut the long story short, my children were so amazed at how “cool” their new toy was and said that it was way better than an iPad. Since my purchase, my children have also become more active, something that I am really happy about because I know with an iPad (or any other gadget, for that matter), my children would just be sitting around most of the time.

If you are interested in buying your own garden play equipment, here are some tips that I want to share with you.

Compare prices

One of the first things that I did was to compare the prices of outdoor play equipment. I wanted to make sure that whatever I would be getting wouldn’t hurt my pocketbook too much. After all, my purchase happened on an impulse and I didn’t have spare budget for it. Speaking of which, it might be a better idea to set aside a specific budget for your purchase. Even if what I got is fairly cheap, it would still be better to know that it was well planned, financially.

Compare quality

The fact is, there are tons of garden play equipment out there that you can purchase. I would suggest, though, that you purchase the ones made of wood for two main reasons. One, they are safer compared to playground equipment made of metal (and they don’t rust, either) and they last longer compared to equipment made of plastic. Also, wooden play equipment is easier to clean and maintain.

Weather-resistant

Another great tip to consider is to find garden play equipment that can weather the storm. In case of emergency, it would be impossible to grab your equipment and transfer it indoors. So you can either choose one that is weather-resistant or purchase a cover that you can use to keep it protected.

At the end of day, sticking to the traditional types of kiddie enjoyment is still the better option. If you come to think of it, this kind of toy fosters top-quality enjoyment, encourages your children to become more adventurous and imaginative, and helps them live a healthier lifestyle.

Only Home Shoes are Allowed inside the House!

If you notice that you must wash the carpet at your home more often and you have to keep the floor clean from dust and dirt by cleaning it more than once a day; those are probably the signs that you should already apply ‘No shoes’ rule indoors. This rule must be forced not only to every family member, but also to your guests.

Wearing only home shoes around the house and taking shoes off while entering home should become a new habit.  I’ve ever read an article mentioned that shoes –particularly in big cities- are able to drag external dirt and toxic metals into your home.  This scary fact definitely assures you more to forbid using shoes indoors.

Actually, removing shoes inside the house is a long life tradition in some countries such as Japan, Korea, Indonesia and other South East Asia countries. In Japan and South Korea, you can find a specially created small space –just after the front door- where everyone takes away their shoes before coming in a house or other building. At this spot, there’s usually placed a shoe container or shoe shelf to store the shoes.  This culture inspires you to have a similar space on your home, right?   

For the whole family members and your guests, you can provide each person the most comfortable home shoes from DearFoams collection. I think they won’t say no to your rule as wearing any pair of DearFoams slippers will give the most comfortable feeling that needed by everyone’s feet.

Leading the Way for Environmentally Friendly Sailing

Sailing is a very pleasant way to explore the world's waterways and discover new and exciting places, but all sailors have a responsibility to ensure that their travels have a minimal impact on the environment, preserving the clean, open water for many generations to come.

What are the threats?

Whether you favour inland routes or the wider coastal spaces, the waterways around the world are very beautiful and need to be well-looked after and never taken for granted if they are to continue to be enjoyed in the long term.

As more and more people opt to take sailing holidays, it stands to reason that there is increased pressure on the environment to cope. Extra traffic brings with it more emissions and while holidays are meant to be relaxing, they are never the time for complacency.

To minimise your impact think about what steps you would take in the event of an oil spillage, or vow not to disturb fragile wildlife en route to your destination. Be aware of your surroundings and follow advice when it comes to staying within certain limits or reporting occurrences of certain events. Read any information thoroughly and check restrictions.

Pollution is everywhere in the modern world, but thankfully people are much more aware these days, possessing the knowledge and know how to reduce it and ensure that travels are carefree, eye-opening and environmentally friendly.

A little more action

Some things present a greater threat than others and plastic is one of the bigger issues. Plastic substances remain a big threat to marine life and sea birds; the materials are hazardous to birds, fish, turtles and other sea life, as they are easy to ingest or get caught in, often with devastating results. For this reason it is important to use plastics responsibly, disposing of them safely and recycling wherever possible.

Another potential problem is the substances that seep into the water, such as sewage and waste. While some of this is unavoidable, there are still plenty of little changes that can be made to improve the situation.
 

Cleaning products used aboard boats will generally end up in the water and with this in mind it can be beneficial to seek out products that are free from phosphates to help improve overall water quality.

When it comes to a form of travel and seeing the world, sailing is doing pretty well on the environmental front and with a little thought and planning, everyone can play their part in keeping the seas and waterways clean and safe.

If you own your own boat ensure it is cleaned and painted regularly to remove any barnacles, algae or similar lifeforms, as such attachments can cause the boat to work harder, thereby reducing fuel efficiency. Anti-fouling is a responsibility of all boat owners and to do the best you can make sure your boat is cleaned and treated at a special facility that disposes of toxins appropriately, rather than allowing them to enter the water.

There are plenty of little things you can do to make sure your perfect sailing holiday need not interfere with the natural environment and the species which inhabit it. By being well-informed when it comes to all aspects of boating and knowing how to handle a potential difficulty, it's easier to relax and make the most of glorious water, stunning landscapes and the peace and tranquillity they bring.

AUTHOR BIO

Adriana Frederick writes regularly on the subject of tourism including sailing holidays for a range of influential travel websites and blogs. Having travelled extensively, she enjoys using her knowledge to inspire others to have fantastic holidays!