Incorporate Themes Into Your Decor

Build Better Design For Your Home's Interior With Repeated Motifs

Pull your decorating ideas and elements together with themes. Using motifs to create that finished look is one of the secrets of good interior design.

From the traditional to the humorous, creating an inviting and compelling home environment is the goal of any decorator. With all of the many tools at your disposal, what is the best way to finish a room, make it memorable, and still retain its fundamental feel? Detail.

Use Detail to Your Advantage

Style is about knowing how to use detail to your advantage. Writers, painters, and other artists recognize that repeated themes and metaphors make their works richer, deeper, and more significant. That same philosophy works with décor.

You understand about the importance of color, but do you understand about the importance of theme? Theme is repeated in a well designed home the same way color is used to enhance, showcase and contrast other elements. Whether it is a shape, like a heart, an image, like a fictional character, or an idea, like love, using theme can be the common thread that joins disparate elements in your home, and makes a statement about both you and your family.

Create a Focal Point

Start with a focal point, one quality representative object displayed in a prominent place. Organize wallpaper, coffee table books, upholstery or curtain fabric around the colors and ideas associated with that object. Extend that vision to other tastefully grouped objects that are related to your focal point. Bathrooms and kitchens are excellent places to indulge in more dramatic groupings, while living and family rooms can reflect more subtle touches on mantels, specialty tables, and in designer alcoves. Try grouping odd numbered objects together and varying the height and size of objects. Use complementary colors to create interest, and try pairing different textures too.

Extend Your Theme

Blend bold touches with subtler reflections of your theme in sheets, curtains, and tablecloths. You will be able to create unity among hundreds of different objects by using this technique. Remember to always create a focal point and then add objects that enhance the effect you are trying to create. Use this technique, and you won’t have to worry about creating a cluttered look. Try to vary the sizes of your display objects, and illuminate them attractively. Indulge in curio cabinets that will showcase your unique and interesting collections while providing a dust free and beautifully illuminated environment for them.

Don't Forget Your Collections

Integrate figurines, candles, and curios into your design. Build a collection that will make a statement, make people think, or laugh out loud. Use your imagination, and visitors to your home will be given a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of the real you, while enjoying the attractive and pleasant environment you have created for yourself.

If you have ever hesitated purchasing figurines or curios, wondering how you could make the best use of them, try this decorating technique and indulge your desire to start a collection. If you are a collector, incorporate your collections into your home décor and bring your passions into your living space. If you want to personalize your home and give your decor depth, cohesiveness, and flair, create themes in your decorating, and display objects that extend those themes throughout your home.

Author bio: NecoleHardison, writer and editorThewritemyessay.com

Necole graduated Harvard Business School and studied many executive education programs. She is a business strategic expert by day and essay writing fanatic by night, writing all sorts of great content. Necole already helped a lot of people with an essay writing and does not plan to dwell on it.

Tips to Help Your Living Room Look Brighter, Lighter and Bigger

If you are planning to give your living room an absolute treat then go ahead now. Of course, a well planned and designed living room is always a treat to watch. So, try to add in some beautiful interiors which would never let you stay out from admiring your own room. Include pillars and wooden flooring in your living room, which would offer a cabin like experience. Whatever you do, make sure that in order to create a great living space you need to be clear about your objectives.

First and foremost if you are starting afresh then you get a huge scope to design your living room as you have dreamt of. Secondly, if it’s a renovation, you need to identify the areas and then draft a wish list accordingly.  Here are a few important tips that would help you design your living room:

Decide on the Right Place

Come with an idea that would work both visually and practically. Try and establish the idea which you have already thought of. If your living room is an open plan or large then zone the space accordingly. With the help of fretwork panels, screens, pieces of furniture and its strategic positioning, you can divide as well as subdivide the living room area into smaller zones.

If you plan to have an open space, maybe a new extension, then work on the position of the kitchen. Depending on this, it would dictate the position of the dining arrangement. To segregate the zones, use rugs using the idea of open shelving.

Work According to the Shape

If you have got a rectangular, long room then it’s obvious that both dining space and living area will be combined. Set your sofa right in the middle where you can put a console table at the back. This would automatically create a focal point along with display room and space for table lamps. As it is a long and rectangular room forming an L-shape can be simply divided into zones. The smaller part can be set as a home office or maybe a dining area.

If your room is a square one then it would have a boxy look, thus creating a focal point becomes more important. Choose a bold design for your curtains and then place the sofa right in front of the window.

Use Mirrors

In order to add a brand new perspective to your living space mirrors will be a brilliant pick. Mirrors bounce the light around the entire room thereby creating an illusion of a spacious room.  Usually, more or less everyone has pretty good thoughts on where to hang a mirror in the home. In fact, the ideas often turn to be more versatile than people usually think it to be.

Use Lightweight Fabrics

If you want your living room to be airy and calm then try avoiding the heavy materials because they make your room look heavier. It is said that heavy fabrics or materials tend to absorb the maximum light. So, choose lightweight fabrics for your living room like light linen curtains that would make the room feel well-ventilated, light and airy.

These tips would work brilliantly if you try them in your new apartment. Like, if you are in Kolkata and planning to shift to a new location then this is the right time for you to try out new ideas. Usually 1 BHK flat would require such ideas because here living rooms are small and need tips to look spacious. For example, in Kolkata, if you buy a 1 BHK flat near IIM Joka, then make sure you help yourself with the abovementioned ideas.  

Industrial Winter Safety: Dos and Don’ts To Take Care of Yourself This Winter

Winter is an enchanting time of the year, one of snuggling up by warm fires and enjoying the glistening of freshly-fallen snow. It is a time of short days and extended nights. It is also a time of seasonal dangers.

Ice, snow and sludge make things trickier, from navigating on foot to driving a car. Some extra care is needed during the coldest months of the year-for both comfort and for safety. 

image:pixabay.com/en/snow-winter-transport-system-3119721

Consider the clothing you wear.

Layering clothes is essential during winter, but what kind of clothes are you putting on? Tighter clothing reduces blood flow and constricts movement. Loose-fitting layers offer the wearer greater mobility and comfort.

The sun is still a factor to consider during winter, as you can become sunburned even when the temperature has dropped near the negatives. Hats, sunglasses and gloves will limit your skin’s exposure to the sun, keep you warm and protect some of the most vulnerable parts of the body from the brutal elements.

Learn to identify the signs of hypothermia and frostbite.

These conditions can appear quite suddenly, and do long-lasting damage nearly as quickly. If you can identify the early symptoms of these problems you can get yourself or someone else to a hospital where they can receive timely care.

Symptoms of frostbite:

·         Prickling sensation and/or numbness of the skin

·         Skin that has turned red, white, blue-white or grey-white in color

·         Waxy-looking or hard skin

·         Stiff joints and muscles

·         Blistering once the skin becomes warm again

Frostbite occurs most commonly on the ears, nose, fingers, toes and chin. Because numbness is attributed to simply being cold in cold weather, someone might not notice until extensive damage has taken place.

Symptoms of hypothermia:

·         Shivering, especially shivering that abruptly stops

·         Dizziness

·         Difficulty speaking

·         Difficulty moving in a coordinated way

·         Sleepiness

·         Increased heart rate

·         Confusion

·         Apathy

If you or someone with you is experiencing one or more of any of these symptoms, hypothermia or frostbite could be the cause.

Don’t keep your hands in your pockets.

It might seem like the best thing to do, but keeping your hands in your pockets can make things more dangerous if you slip on a patch of ice or snow. You should have your hands free in order to catch yourself if you do fall.

Warm up before any physical exertion.

Some warm-up stretches before going outside to perform a task (like shoveling) will limber you up and minimize the risk of hurting yourself. The cold makes it easier for our joints and muscles to become stiff, so it’s best to work against that whenever you need to do anything that involves a lot of movement.

Take breaks whenever possible.

We know that you’re busy, and taking breaks isn’t always easy. But it helps to take a few minutes here and there to warm up before going back at your task. If you find parts of your body going numb from the cold, you could actually hurt yourself without realizing it.

Consider protection such as Power Blanket for your heating devices. If you are using any kind of heater to improve the condition of your space, make sure that there is proper ventilation to get toxins like carbon monoxide out of there. For this reason you should also avoid warming up your car in an enclosed garage. Carbon monoxide can cause poisoning and even death.

Clear all pathways for walking and driving.

Just like city plows reduce accidents by clearing the roads of snow, you can reduce your home or worksite by doing the same. A shovel or a snow blower, plus some salt to melt ice and provide traction on your walkways will greatly minimize the risk of falling accidents.

Don’t forget to rehydrate.

You still sweat in the winter. You’re just not as aware of it as you are in the summer, when the temperatures reach sweltering levels. Stay hydrated no matter the time of year to keep your body operating at peak performance.

Mind your footwear.

The shoes or boots that you choose will shape a lot of your winter experience. For optimal safety you want shoes that possess the following qualities:

·         Slip-resistant soles

·         Insulation

·         Proper fitting

·         Rubber treads

Sometimes there is no avoiding the accidents that are brought on by the conditions left by a sudden winter storm. But if you slow down, take the weather and your safety into consideration and act accordingly before you leave the house, you’ll be less likely to experience these accidents.