Decorating a nursery for your little one!

It is amazing how it feels to be holding that little bundle of joy in your arms. It is indeed a great pleasure to be decorating a nursery for your child. Creating a home like place for your newly born can be exciting and can be a very fulfilling experience for you. It becomes a task of employing your creativity and your understanding about colours and their impact on the psyche of the child. 

It is said that usually babies see the world in black and white hues. With time, the babies start getting attracted towards other bright colours. Therefore, it is significant that cozy, relaxing and fresh colours like peach, green, blue are used in your child’s nursery for its overall development. The subtle colours provide a nice and soothing transition from the black and white colours towards other fantastic colours without shocking the child’s perception with the bold and bright colours at once. Use of primary colours help stimulate the baby’s interest. But if you use too much of colour then it may cause your child to have problems in sleeping.

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Terrace time-happy time

Spending time outside one’s home is good and makes one’s mind fresh. That’s why people plan outings and picnics to feel refreshed and break the monotony of everyday routine. How about creating your own little space on your terrace to bask in sun, enjoy the rain or relish the cool breeze? Wouldn’t it be nice to prepare your terrace area in a way that you can enjoy time with your family and loved ones and feel as refreshed as ever every single day? It would be great, indeed. 

Read on for some interesting ideas to make for an entertaining area outside on your terrace to be enjoyed by your family and friends!

First and foremost, get hold of some different kinds of chairs of different sizes for your terrace area. Different style and kind of furniture would add interest to the area. Place two-three side tables too in the area, not forgoing the comfort factor.

Secondly, showing off your barbecue grill is a great idea. After all you spent a fortune on your barbecue, so do not shy away from showing it off in the area. It would make for an interesting entertainment to eat and cook together for whole of your family! You can even have a terrace party and feed your friends with yummy kebabs!

Thirdly, add some green in the area. There is nothing in this world that gives solace and freshness to the mind as plants and trees do. So, reinforce the calmness that terrace anyway has owing to the open air atmosphere by adding plants to the area!

Have a happy time on your terrace! J

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Home decoration ideas and tips

Many people think that home decoration is a very tedious and tough task. However, it is not really so. Home decoration can really be fun and relaxing as an activity. It can help you unwind by letting you loose your imagination. 
 
Expression of imagination, ideas and creativity not only help you lend an interesting touch to your home but also helps you feel relaxed and energetic. Expression is really the key to happiness for it proves to helps you let go of inhibitions and of all that pressure that you accumulate in day today life.
So, put on your thinking caps and transform your home from a dull place into an amazing retreat that is unique and upto your taste. You don't have to be a professional artist or decorator to lend your home a special touch in décor. You can go through magazines, internet sources and TV programs and inspire yourself to appropriate a brilliant home decor ideas and make it your own with the comfort quotient doubled. 
 
Just think in terms of colours, think about the colours that inspire you and stir your emotions in a certain way. Notice your responses to different colours and then use the colours that make you happy, excited and positive. Though pastel colours are said to infuse calm into one's mind; it can be so that you enjoy having bright colours in your life! It is to each his own. So, think and define a colour scheme of your home with different colours that hang together as a whole and make you feel nice and pepped to be around them!

You can create a beautiful home by just letting your imagination and creativity inspire you and drive you!

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Preparing a delightful home for a delightful party!

Image Courtesy Cococozy

We all love to invite and gather our friends and family to our place once in a while and celebrate, don’t we? But sometimes the preparations - the guest lists, the taking care of the menu, the entertainment, the place for dining etc - can really make us stressed and may take a toll on us! The major problem that one can face as one starts to organize a party at one’s home can be to get the home ready for the party. Here are some pre-party cleaning tips to make your home ready for the event with ease and speed-

• Evaluate and make a list of all that has to be done. Make a list of the rooms and areas of your house that would be exposed to the guests for the party. Make sure you take care of the entry areas like the garden, the lobby and also the terrace area! Do not work yourself up cleaning the areas like the bedrooms for the party; you can always do that later!

• Do away with the clutter. Parties always mean cooking up a storm. So it is but obvious that your kitchen will look it. Therefore, before your party begins, you need to organize your food and clean up the clutter in your kitchen so that you do not end up wasting your time looking for stuff in your kitchen when your guests wait for their meals! Also, remove all the newspapers and magazines from your living room as having magazines and newspapers in your living room would distract your guests!

• Be prepared for minor cleaning during your party. There will be guests and running around so there may be certain accidents and you may have stains on your table or furniture. So, be prepared and stock up some of stain removing products. In parties, with children around and so much excitement around, these things do happen. So worry not!

• Finally, just put bring in some fresh flowers. You can opt for different colour fancy flowers and display them all over the house. It will ensure fresh fragrance and beautiful decoration as well. Lay out some elaborate and fancy table runners and table covers for the party! Take out the best cushion covers for your party and make your home look absolutely stunning. Having some scented candle lit up around the house would also be a great idea. Just make sure the candles are out of reach of the children, otherwise that may cause a problem!

Enjoy! Delight your guests with a beautiful home and an all the more fascinating party!!!

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Your room speaks volumes about your personality

Our home décor speaks a lot about us. With just one look at our room décor, it is possible to know a lot about our tastes, our nature, our personality and our temperament. Wondering how is it possible? It is. Use of certain colours in a room, with certain kinds of furniture and certain kinds of accessories tell about the person who inhabits in the room.

Let’s see some examples of the above said-

Source - Fropki

Here’s a well furnished room which indeed looks beautiful and inviting at the first sight. The best things about this room include the subtle colour of the walls, the large windows and plants! It is evident from the room’s décor that a person living in the room is someone who likes to play it safe in life and does not experiment too much. The room’s décor is close to perfect and seems universally appealing as it does not tread towards any drama or any kind of loud decoration. The blend of sober wall colours with the freshness brought in by the plants and the windows looks peaceful and induces calmness. The person who would have a room like this one would surely be someone who values comfort along with finer aesthetics as well as the selective calmness of the nature brought home by a glimpse through the windows and placement of the trees at corners.

Source - Bestmodernhouse

This room clearly has a lot of pink and a lot of coordination. The room has an absolute feminine air to it owing to the colour choice. It is easy to look at this room and be able to tell that it’s a girl’s room. The room has pink all around and definitely hints at the eccentricity of the one who inhabits here. The room is thematic in its colour coordination and décor. A décor like this would be a choice of someone who spends a lot of time in the room and is young. It is because such a décor would appeal to someone who is in awe of the colour and is ready for the overwhelming shock value that the décor in one single dominant colour might bring as one enters after a long day! A middle aged person or a working person would not like a décor which is so colour consuming and bright. Having said that, the room décor can be applauded for it’s edgy décor which includes shades of pink and well-cut furnishing!

Source - Defuturedesign

This room seemingly looks like it is decorated by a man and is inhabited by the same. The room is beautiful is dramatic and masculine. The animal skin bed cover and the unique design behind the bed are exquisite and sharp. The room belongs to a person who does not fear going bold and sharp in his choices. Not everyone would like to live in such a room as the room has a definite character and an air that is bold and excitingly dramatic. Right from the bed cover to the wall art to the metallic table with coffee maker to the solitary piece of art resting inside the wall next to the bed are some of the factors that speak volumes about the fearless and confident nature of the person inhabiting in here. The chest and the plant in the room add to the comfort and practical aspect of the personality of the room and the owner of the room!

Source - Fropki

The picture is of a room that’s extremely fancy and is very elaborate. Though the room looks nice, the décor of the room is extremely expensive and lavish. It is evident from the décor of this room that the owner of this room is someone who prefers to be flamboyant and lavish in his/her choice. The room has vintage furnishing and is complicated in tastes. It does present a picture looking at the room done up this way but it is a décor that demands time for its maintenance. The person living in this room is a definite vintage art lover and a carving fan. The elaborate bed, the curvy flooring style, the artistic lamps, the huge fashioned mirrors in the room speak in favour of the person’s artistic and expressive side of the personality. 

Source - Rental Decorating

This room is simply marvelous. It is a room that’s not only classy but is contemporary. The person to be using this room would definitely be someone who has a fine understanding of colours, their effect on oneself and their impact when put together in one space. The room has an air of practicality, confidence and sobriety along with class which infact must be true of the taste and personality of the person living in it. The dark wood furniture (comfortable bed stand, tables, chest with drawers for storage, mirror) looks fabulous against the sober, neutral and calm walls. Ample lighting, a spare seating aside that too in neutral colour with a red throw, the carpet on the floor, the plant peeping from the corner and the bright curtains make it an exquisite and very tastefully done space. The person inhabiting this space is definitely someone who is tasteful, peaceful, confident who knows the balance between aesthetics and comfort.

What does your décor say about you? Let your home décor speak of you!

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Living alone? Learn about the bare essentials

What are some of the most important home tips one needs to keep in mind even while living alone?

First and foremost, there is never a set rule to decorate household. It depends on the taste and personality of people who live there. Think about the kind of look that you want to give to your apartment. It is a proven fact that maintaining very delicate furniture when one’s living alone and one has little time to take care of it all, is a tough thing to do. Also, make sure that the furnishings that you choose are not high maintenance and they do not cramp the space available to you.

Instead of proper beds, it is more convenient to have mattresses as they can be removed incase one wants to add more space to the room. Mattresses can be easily picked up and put anywhere as one wishes to. Also, instead of proper sofas, choose comfortable cane chairs and bean bags to avoid the over-done kind of appearance that will capture your place. Certain furniture items like side tables, center tables, chairs are absolutely unavoidable be it in any home so you have no choice but to go for them. A wise thing to do will be to go for sturdier and smarter furniture elements.

Make sure that you have spare bedding when living alone as there would be parties and sleep-overs for friends when one would need to have proper options for comfortable arrangements. One doesn’t want to feel embarrassed after all if one’s relatives or friends decide to crash in for sometime! Also, make sure that you have proper cook wares and crockery; obviously otherwise, hosting a party or even having relatives around would create trouble if your kitchen is not well-furnished. Don’t forget to have these basic things to make life simpler when living alone!

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Home Sweet Home

A home is where you belong. The feeling of belonging comes from feeling of knowing and association. Association with home comes from the memories of the moments that one spends and has spent throughout in that place called home.

When one moves into a new house, it becomes a home when one spends moments of togetherness, sharing and caring with the family members and the loved ones. A house is a home when sentimental value gets attached to the architecture.

The sentiments are associated with the time that one spends in one’s home through times that are joyous, times that are unhappy. There may be times that are beyond smiles and tears. Words can’t always express what one feels with one’s loved ones in one’s home. 

                                         

What really makes home more special and ideal? Or should we say that special and ideal home adds on to the sentimental value that one may attach with the place to call it home? It is both. If one feels happy and warm thinking about one’s home, if one’s home is a happy place to be in, then home becomes ideal with the mind associations that one has. These sweet and warm feelings towards one’s home makes one try a little extra to decorate one’s home in a way that speaks a ton about oneself. Being in a space that home speaks of you and you reflect your home is what makes it special. It is true otherwise too. For instance, if one decorates one’s home with a lot of thought and a lot of understanding as per one’s taste, the attachment from all the things that contribute to make the home comfortable become high on emotional value and quotient, making the home an ideal place to be in.

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Diwali and Home Improvement

Diwali season is here and so is your season to revamp, refresh and clean your home. Diwali season calls for home improvements, cleaning, scrubbing all around the homes to ensure fresh and positive home environment.

Diwali is all about beautiful decoration for your home. People put up lights of all shapes, sizes and kinds on Diwali to deck up their houses. Colourful lights outside homes are very common on Diwali. People make rangoli in their houses to decorate their space on the occasion of Diwali.

Since, Diwali is associated with the victory of good over evil, righteous over unrighteous, obedience over disobedience and general good over bad; it is normative that people on Diwali that people opt for refreshing their homes. People opt for painting their houses afresh. Painting houses is one form of home improvement while getting damages fixed is another form of home improvements. Both, painting and damage fixing increases home value a great deal. People also go in for installation of new countertops, new flooring and tiling to give their homes a nicer and fresher appeal.

Cleaning homes is another important thing associated with Diwali as de-cluttering one’s home is a part of letting go of the old and making way for the new. Sometimes it happens that we are not able to let go of the things that we have had for lifetime as the feeling that they might be needed again in future never leaves us. In such cases, we tend to stock things as we feel that they may be used in future. Make sure that you are not stocking things for the heck of it and de-clutter your space to let in positivity of newness in your life.

Get your house painted with Dulux paints to give your house a fresh feel. De-clutter and improve your space. Choose from a variety of exterior and interior paints offered by Dulux to paint your home this Diwali.

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ENHANCE HOME DÉCOR USING VASES

Creativity is something that you can truly express when it comes to your home decoration. You can opt for different kinds of vases and even innovate in the ways you use vases to enhance your home decoration.

Vases are easiest and classiest pieces for decoration used most commonly around the houses. Generally people choose different kinds of flowers to display in vases to add a touch of colour, beauty and style to their homes. You can choose pairs of vases of different shapes and put them together with colourful flowers or even without flowers together or around the house to add a touch of style to your home decoration.

Try out sand art in your vases. First thing you need to do while trying sand art is to procure some sand which is coloured using powder colour paint. Secondly, arrange for a tall glass vase and then put in colours with the help of a funnel into the vase. Add coloured sand too, to enhance the beauty of the effect in the vase. You can try putting in sea shells and some glitter into the vase to make it look colourful and stylish.

Vases look classy and are evergreen choices for home decoration and flowers add the touch of nature and vitality in home décor making the room look positive, lively and fresh. People nowadays also put plants in glass vases, for instance, bamboo plant is considered to be good, according to feng shui and people display bamboo plants to bring in good luck and also, for aesthetic purposes. Green quotient vibrating positive energy is a healthy symbol and merges the positive edge of nature into your home decoration!

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PAINT IT MAROON

Do you like to go bold with colours? Are shades of red family… your favourite? Do you ever wonder about going wrong with the bold hues and overdoing colours in your home? There are definitely ways in which you can balance out even the boldest of colours by correctly fusing in the furnishing with the bold colours on the walls.

In this picture, one wall has been painted in deep maroon and the rest of walls are white. Combination of maroon and white is doing the trick here when it comes to balancing a bright and a light colour. The side table and centre table used are in dark wood which is complimenting the dark wall of the room. The tables used are low and have drawers which are more spacious as well look classy.

To even out the dark tone in the room, cream furry rug has been used to add in the light shade in the room. Also, the cream sofa is the major element which is taking away the focus from the dark coloured wall and breaking even the shades in the room from getting monotonously dark.

The maroon cushions are supporting the sofa and making it fuse with the wall and the wood flooring in the room. The wood flooring looks judiciously chosen to support the wall colour. The white window panes look fabulous with the whole décor.

The creatively displaced candle is placed at a corner, however, it definitely is adding onto the room’s style. Candle peaking in from apple shaped case is a very distinct touch that the room is adorning. The vase standing at the floor near the sofa is at a solitary position decorating the room, but it definitely is connecting the room décor with an element of base and simple style!

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USE LAMPS TO ADD STYLE TO YOUR DECOR

Lamps have been here for long. Right from earlier times till now lamps have been used, either for their functionality or for aesthetic purposes. Nowadays different kinds of lamps are being used to accessorize homes.

People spend a lot of amount in decorating their homes. However, they can easily bring a refreshing air to their rooms by just adding beautiful, colourful lamps around the corners of the house. A space can easily be accentuated by using a bright, colourful lamp.

Ceiling lights, no doubt are much more effective in terms of function but lamps really add on to the aesthetic value of any room. There are different shapes, designs that one can experiment with.

You can try putting lamps:

· Near a painting to bring out the mystic effect and make the artwork look beautiful.

· On a table in the corner alongside your seating in the living room, to add a touch of warmth and style together. Lamps definitely provide a finish to your décor.

· Close to the plants. Leaves will cast shadows on the walls making it look extremely exotic and mysterious at the same time.

· To highlight your book shelf. Lamp lights falling onto the glaring covers of your books will create a beautiful effect.

· In your kitchen to add to the décor and make your kitchen look stylish and contemporary.

· In your bedroom, at the side table. This will help you read in bed. You can read books; magazines cuddled up in bed and even leave the lamp on if you like little light spreading across the room while you sleep.

Have fun decorating your house!

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CHOOSING AN APPROPRIATE SOFA FOR YOUR SPACE

Be practical while opting for a sofa as a sofa may look pretty but may not be as comfortable in using. Make sure the seats of the sofa you choose are comfortable and cushiony. You can use separate pillows, cushions in different colours, shapes and sizes etc to make your seating more comfortable. There are so many types of couches, sofas available in the market these days. You need to choose one which suits your needs the best and gives you the comfort that you require. Choose a colour of your choice that complements with the rest of the theme and décor.

Understand the dimensions of the sofas. If you use your drawing room is more or less your living room, then make sure you have a sofa or a bed that is your length. You may sometimes want to relax and watch T.V. on your sofa or couch. So it is important that you have a comfortable place to crash in and relax onto.

You can choose amongst traditional sofas, recliner sofas, sectional sofas, sleeper sofas, home theater sofas. Traditional sofas are popular and are liked by everyone. They are elegant, traditional and classic. Sleeper sofas look like bed and have bed frame and mattress. These kinds of sofas come in handy when you have guests at your place and less space to give to them to stay. You can turn your sofa into a bed and use it as a bed when required. Recliner sofas have mechanism by virtue of which one can recline with half-lie position. Sectional sofas are made as modules and have to be just moved in and used as whole sections to be moved in altogether. Home theatre sofas have built in cup holders, magazine holders and remote control arm rests. Choose from a wide variety of choices and enjoy comfort of a sofa as you want!

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PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR DOORS

Doors usually are left ignored while one is busy taking care of the rest of the home decoration. There are a lot factors that have to be taken into account when it comes to choosing doors for your home.

Overall style of the door is important. You need to make sure what style you like the best for your doors. The style should definitely agree with the rest of your décor. If your décor is rich and royal, then heavy antique design doors are best for your room. If your décor is classy and contemporary, then you may choose glass doors or lightweight doors. Also, you need to pick from panel doors, glass doors, flush doors etc.

Consider the material of the door while choosing doors for your home. Solid wooden doors would be expensive than others but are always a great choice to lend a traditional and evergreen appeal to your décor. You need to choose the kind of glass that you are using if you decide to opt for glass doors. Synthetic doors are also available in great styles and colours.

Keep in mind the safety and security issue as well. Opt for a multi-lock system and good quality doors for the areas that lead to gardens, terraces and other open out of the house areas. Make sure the quality of your doors leading to the exterior of the house is very good and sturdy so as to have proper safety and protection for your home and family.

Choose colours of your doors as per the colour of your walls to make a perfect blend of style in your home decoration. You can choose colours of your walls from the wide variety of shades of hues Dulux provides. Match the doors with your wall colours and your home decoration to create a balanced and harmonious look of your space.

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Attractive Features in a Home

High ceilings, floating staircases, exposed brick, and big windows are all great assets to a home. If you have a large home, it might be okay to have all of these because they would all be spread   out between the rooms.

Floating wrought iron staircases act like accessories for your home and also have utility value. They do not look imposing as you can see right through them that gives you a feeling of space. Wrought iron works well on circular staircases which are very elegant to look at but not always the most functional, especially not when it comes to moving furniture around.

High ceilings are one of the most attractive characteristics of your home. Big windows are a fabulous feature to have in a common open space of a home like in a lobby area or a living area. Big windows let in a lot of natural light and can add a very dramatic and overpowering element to a space.

Other things that have attractive value are furnishing of your house, the theme and general aura of the house. Furnishing of your house will depend upon the kind of person you are. Pillow covers, curtains, cabinets, wood work and other things add to the visual value to your house.

The décor of your house is in tandem with your taste and personality. The wall colours and kind of paint you choose also add on to the visual appeal of your house. Dulux has paints for everyone. You can opt for Magik Smooth Acrylic Finish to have a smooth and durable mall finish on the applied surfaces. Dulux Velvet Touch is a good choice to give your walls a unique glow and finish. For a rich matt finish you can choose to paint your walls with Dulux Super Smooth. There are a variety of other emulsions available at Dulux to suit different tastes.

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DINING AREA DECOR

Try experimenting with your dining area. You can go ahead and try a different kind of dining table. You can create stunning authentic look and striking contemporary décor with darker shades of wooden furniture. You can experiment with dining room. You can go in for a quirky look or you can just choose to have simple furniture.

Oak dining table and other furniture is extremely stylish and it can be creatively done up with colours and accessories. Also a dining table should be chosen wisely as per the space available to you. There are dining tables available for small family as well as for smaller spaces, as per the choice of the users. You can go in for lighter oak tables for your dining area if you have a smaller space. Teamed with a minimal décor and rest of the colour scheme you can actually make your exquisite oak table a centre point for decoration. For a larger dining area, the restrictions are lesser and there is more scope of exaggerated accessories to create an authentic and artistic effect.

You can opt for vintage accessories for you oak dining table. Vintage Accessories will include vases, artwork and dining sets. Simple and effective accessories can be candle- sticks, place mats, flowers and cushions. You can also highlight your dining space with a bold feature wall. If you’re okay with experimentation you can go ahead with bold and bright colours. You can choose colours from our Dulux inspiration and try out colours from the varied tones of colours.

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CABINET OPTIONS FOR YOUR HOME

Cabinets can really affect the look of any room. You have to experiment with the look, material and colour of cabinets you use in order to give your home a fresh touch. There are a number of options depending on your requirement, taste, your budget, your room décor etc, that you can choose from! 

You can choose from stainless steel, corian, parapan, glass etc as per your taste and availability of the material. 

Stainless Steel is industrial material and is favourable to make appliances. Corian is a solid surface resin material mostly used to make countertops. It is silky and matte finish. The doors, drawer fronts, appliance panels, countertop, and slat wall system are all manufactured from Corian. 

Parapan is a solid surface used to manufacture cabinetry and is an acrylic based material and is extremely high gloss shine. It comes in an extremely varied array of colours! Aluminum framed glass doors can also be used to give your home a nice and modern look. Mixing glass with wood and warm finishes is a very innovative option for cabinets! 

Blackened Steel finish fridge panels, oven cabinets etc are good options to give a normal kitchen, a fresh look. The dark wood tone and textural effect renders this material a very unique look. 

Wood is very popular, still, to make kitchen cabinets and amongst the many types of lumber used to make kitchen cabinets, maple remains the favourite option. You can choose from cherry, hickory, oak and pine. Natural tones and colour tinted wooden cabinets look amazing! 

Melamine can be used for kitchen cabinets and is available in many different colors and hues and different surface finishes. PVC is a durable material made up of wood fibres covered with a sheet of PVC which is said to be tougher than both laminates and melamine. Laquered cabinets are good to give your kitchen an ultra modern or even the oriental look. Store in style!

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