Home Decor

Talk about creating a romantic home and the first things that pop into mind are frills and lace.

Crystal or glass chandeliers, whether plain or sophisticated, add a touch of glamour and romance to any room in a home.

But a truly romantic home is not about adding flounces and an abundance of floral fabrics, it’s more about creating an atmosphere that is soft without being overly feminine and comfortable or pretentious.

While florals do play an important role in creating a romantic home, these are not fabrics that dominate and overpower a room; they are more subdued and faded. Traditional romantic interiors place more emphasis on the style of furniture and accessories in a setting, like the detailed fretwork on demilune tables above and vintage silver accessories below.

A more modern take on romantic interiors is to add a dash of florals into a setting and combine this with an eclectic mix of modern and rustic elements. Pastel hues and jewel tones combined with metallic elements are just as important when creating a romantic setting. These colours imbue a feeling of relaxed comfort and, when combined with heavy wooden reproduction or vintage furniture, pastel tones and pale neutrals balance the setting and add a soft touch.

A romantic home interior is not bounded by a particular style – it’s more about atmosphere. You can create a romantic setting in a cottage, modern or traditional home since it’s all about the elements that you introduce.

Bedrooms and bathrooms decorated in a romantic style are restful and tranquil.

Pink is a predominant colour choice for decorating a home with romantic style and it is a wonderful colour to combine with grey and black. Whereas grey and black on their own, would be cold and stark, the introduction of a soft muted pink creates the perfect modern romantic living room.

Crystal or glass chandeliers, whether plain or sophisticated, add a touch of glamour and romance to any room in a home. Crystal glassware, silver accessories and crisp white table settings enhance and set the mood for romantic dining. A floral arrangement or vase of freshly cut flowers finish off a romantic dining room.

Bedrooms and bathrooms decorated in a romantic style are restful and tranquil. Pale muted colours, an abundance of soft flowing fabrics and a dash of floral accents, with just a hint of glass or metallics will set the stage. Dress the bed with silk or pure cotton bed linen and throw on plump pillows in faded florals or muted metallics and keep window treatments or a bed canopy simple and elegant.

Furniture can be dark or light hardwood, or even modern detailed with brass trim or mirrored finish.

SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za

Contemporary bathrooms are on-trend right now, but achieving a minimalist bathroom that is functional and stylish can be difficult.

A pivotal theme in any contemporary bathroom is simplicity, and as such, it is important to ensure that all aspects of your bathroom design follow this theme

They are popular for their sleek and clean design, which has been so popularised by the luxurious bathrooms featured in many of the world’s most exclusive hotels. Minimal bathrooms are not ornately decorated rooms, but they are by no means boring and remain incredibly well articulated – where every element of the design is practical, yet striking.

Here are some handy tips on how to transform your bathroom into a contemporary and stylish space:

 Keep it Simple

A pivotal theme in any contemporary bathroom is simplicity, and as such, it is important to ensure that all aspects of your bathroom design follow this theme. When choosing bathroom accessories and sanitary ware for your contemporary bathroom for example, look specifically for clean, geometric shapes – these add striking visual interest to the space, often standing as designer features in their own right, while remaining ever functional elements in the room.

With regards to colour, simple neutral and monochromatic colour palettes are best. Neutral colours are also always a good choice when aiming for a contemporary look. Think of nature-inspired patterns and colours, and keep the palette either purely monochromatic or comprising various tones of a similar hue.

When it comes to minimalistic bathroom design, the make-or-break of a truly outstanding bathroom design largely depends on how well the finer details of the bathroom have been planned and implemented.

Bathrooms are places in which you should be able to relax – a retreat where you can unwind and wash away all the stresses of everyday life. Just like a good pair of shoes can make an entire outfit, so can the choice of high-end fittings and accessories create that ‘wow’ factor in a space.

Accessories and fittings made from pure and sleek materials are ideal for contemporary bathrooms: Stainless steel is perfect for bathroom applications as it is easy to maintain and clean, and it is stain and rust resistant. Its sleek and high-gloss appearance remains classically simple, yet striking.

Lavish Luxury

Bathrooms are places in which you should be able to relax – a retreat where you can unwind and wash away all the stresses of everyday life. As such, all bathrooms ought to be luxurious spaces no matter what style they are. However, creating a contemporary bathroom space with a touch of luxury is not always that easy – the contemporary style often leads to bathroom spaces that err on the more clinical side of design.

However, with a bit of thought, this can be easily avoided. Creating a sense of cosy luxuriousness in your contemporary bathroom is easier than most people think. The trick is to appeal to as many senses as possible, including smell, touch, sight and sound. You can include scented candles, plush memory foam bath mats, oversized soft towels, as well as good lighting, heating, and lavish visual aspects and various textures, such as orchids, textured feature tiles and mosaics, as well as windows or skylights with views of the outdoors for example.

For optimum functionality and luxuriousness, Bathroom Butler offers heated towel rails that can be individually controlled – this ensures personalised all-year-round comfort because you can select your own temperature settings.

Form and Function

The key to maintaining a clutter-free contemporary bathroom environment is to include adequate storage – there needs to be a specific place for every single item to ensure that it is all neatly stored away. Storage is in contemporary bathrooms where clutter is seen as the enemy. The key to maintaining a clutter-free contemporary bathroom environment is to include adequate storage – there needs to be a specific place for every single item to ensure that it is all neatly stored away.

Sleek, oversized vanities, glass shelves, toilet roll holders, shower caddies, towel rails, soap holders – all these items are crucial additions to any contemporary bathroom. Since renovating your bathroom is a costly exercise, ensure that you maximise the room’s longevity. If well designed and implemented, contemporary bathrooms boast a genuine timelessness about them. Their unique mix of sleek simplicity, their minimalistic aesthetic and their supreme functionality won’t date quickly and will arguably never go out of style.

Another important aspect of creating a successful contemporary bathroom design is to choose the best quality fittings and fixtures that you can afford. Since contemporary bathrooms don’t house a plethora of various objects, the few objects that they do house need to be spectacular – in their design, as well as the way they are made and how they are used. Always keep design at the forefront of your choice, as aesthetics count, but never forget that fundamentally, your bathroom needs to be a practical space that works as well as it looks.

SOURCE: www.property24.com

I could give you a long list of reasons why you should get organised but for some, it would be too ‘pie-in-the-sky’ and intangible. So instead, I’m going to let the money talk!

Being disorganised takes up precious time, which equals a loss of money. For example, if you spend time looking for documents or paperwork, you could lose (conservatively) 30 minutes each day. If your annual salary amounts to R300 000, the time wasted will cost your company about R18 980 in lost productivity (based on 365 days per year). That translates into about R52 per 30-minute period.

Disorganisation also undermines your company’s credibility. In business, first impressions are important. A poorly organised and cluttered work environment projects a negative image. You could lose business over this because you can’t make a lasting impression.

Since we spend so much time padding our wallets, it’s probably best that we ensure they don’t empty out faster than we can fill them. That means changing your habits in your workspace and making a lasting change.

Here’s What to Do…

1. Organise your desktop and papers using containers and trays that are functional and if you can, get things off your desk. Use the wall next to your desk. Get a good desk – one that is right for your personal work habits, business activities and other daily needs. Do you need two workspaces for computer work and paperwork? Do you need a bookshelf attached to the desk?
2. Mange your time better. Be more realistic about how long it takes to complete a task. Envision yourself completing a task from start to finish and what actions you must take. Until you get an accurate estimation, add 25 percent to the time you think you’ll need to complete the job.
3. Throw away old papers. Many people accumulate paper clutter because they’re worried they’ll need it, but in reality, 80 percent of the paper you save ‘just in case’ is never needed again. Get a shredder to minimise paper waste.
4. Make faster decisions. Clutter happens when you put off making decisions. Try getting into the habit of quickly deciding whether you should keep paper; keep the mail or any other items.

Other Simple Tips for Organising Your Work Environment…

1. Straighten your desk at the end of the day and more especially at the end of the week so that you can start each morning with a clear desk. Centralise your daily planning and have a master to do list for your day.
2. Pre-sort your mail and paperwork into categories that make sense to you. The generic way of doing this involves having separate piles or trays of to-file, to-read, to-contact.
3. Organise your desktop and papers using containers and trays that are functional and if you can, get things off your desk. Use the wall next to your desk.
4. Your filing must make sense to you but generally using lots of files takes up a lot of space so a drawer system is more space-efficient and manageable.
5. At the end of each project or event, organise paperwork and file or store it.
6. Straighten your desk at the end of the day and more especially at the end of the week so that you can start each morning with a clear desk.

It can be difficult to change your habits and it’s relatively easy to slip back into disorganised chaos, but if you consider that the average person can lose an hour each day trying to sort out the mess, you’ll realise that your habit is costing you money.

Imagine all the shoes and handbags you could buy with the money saved.

SOURCE: www.property24.com

Using mosaic to tile a backsplash is far easier than using standard tiles since their smaller size allows you to fit tiles in and around appliances, in tight areas and with less fuss and mess.

Not just easy to install, glass or natural mosaic tiles add colour and texture that cannot be achieved using standard wall tiles. Take a visit to the tile section at your local Builders Warehouse and you will see a selection of glass mosaic tile sheets in colours and textures.

If you can’t find the mosaic tiles at your local Builders store, most tile suppliers offer a selection of mosaic tiles that you can choose from. Suppliers such as Tile Africa offer mosaic tiles in glass and natural materials.

Not just easy to install, glass or natural mosaic tiles add colour and texture that cannot be achieved using standard wall tiles. Choose a colour that complements your existing kitchen, or go bold in a white kitchen and choose colours that stand out and allow your kitchen to shine.

Glass mosaic tiles are extremely durable and you will need to use a diamond-tipped cutting blade when cutting glass mosaic tiles. Mosaic tile comes in various designs, from small or large squares, to rectangular strips. Place the rectangular glass mosaic tile sheets on the horizontal or vertical to visually widen or heighten a kitchen.

For coloured glass mosaic tiles, after laying the tiles apply grout sealer to protect and seal the grout and allow for easy cleaning. With a wide range of colours and textures to choose from, you can transform a dull kitchen in a weekend with glass or stone mosaic tile.

Good to Know:

When using natural mosaic textures for a kitchen backsplash apply polyurethane sealer over the tiles to ensure that they are easy to keep clean. You have the choice of using a satin or gloss sealer depending on your personal preference.

For coloured glass mosaic tiles, after laying the tiles apply grout sealer to protect and seal the grout and allow for easy cleaning.

Whether you opt for small or large glass mosaic tiles, you will still find it far easier to work with than standard wall tiles. Mosaic tiles are sold as sheets, with the tiles held together by a nylon mesh, making it easy to remove individual tiles to fit.

SOURCE:  www.home-dzine.co.za

Whether you read home décor  magazines, watch home improvement TV shows, or browse the internet for design ideas, you will have seen the ‘before and afters’ that show how to transform a plain room into a spectacular space on a limited budget and in no time at all.

If you love the look of wood floors but don’t have the budget, perhaps you should take a look at vinyl flooring. The secret to the success for many of these projects is to cheat… just a bit.

Architectural Detail

Check out the range of cornice and skirtings from DAS Products and Park Lane Decor. Affordable polystyrene products can be used to enhance any room in a home.

There are more than a few ways to give your home a refreshed look without spending a fortune, and while we take the liberty of calling it cheating, it’s more about do-it-yourself crafts that will give your home a new look without the expensive price tag that comes with hiring a designer or forking out for expensive (usually overpriced) accessories and furnishings.

A decorative strip of crown moulding around a room adds a finishing touch and ups the level of architectural detailing.

Its simple things like crown moulding, decorative skirtings and added trim here and there that can make a big impact on any room – for less than you might think.

Extruded polystyrene moulding and skirtings only cost around R250 for a length just less than 3 metres, which means you can afford to decorate an average-size room for around R1 000. Not bad when you look at the ‘wow impact small items like these can make to a finished project.

Aluminium and wooden blinds are available at most home décor stores in a variety of colours and styles.

Do-it-yourself installation is also easy and painless. You will find everything you need at your local Builders Warehouse, including a selection of polystyrene mouldings, Pattex No More Nails solvent-free adhesive, as well as a mitre box and backsaw to cut everything to length.

You can find how to instructions for installing cornice or crown moulding, skirtings and over-skirtings on Home-Dzine.

Fake The Floor

If you love the look of wood floors but don’t have the budget, or are a bit hesitant to install laminate flooring because you’re scared they might scratch, perhaps you should take a look at vinyl flooring.

Today’s vinyl flooring is soft, durable and warm underfoot. Plus installing vinyl sheet, tiles or planks is a relatively easy DIY project.

Vinyl floors are known for sheer durability and toughness. And the option to choose luxury vinyl, while more expensive, allows you to choose a flooring that comes within your budget.

Manufacturers have re-designed vinyl floors to fit into 21st century living. You can choose vinyl flooring in sheet, tile or plank with a variety of finishes. Where a real wood floor might be out of reach, you can still add the look to your home with vinyl planks, and the added advantage is that it requires minimal maintenance to keep it looking good for years.

A decorative strip of crown moulding around a room adds a finishing touch and ups the level of architectural detailing.

Make no mistake, when properly installed, you really have to look close before you know it’s a vinyl floor… so why not cheat a bit.

Frame The Room

Window treatments can cost the earth if you have them custom made, but making your own window treatments means that you can afford to splurge a little more on designer fabrics to get the same look at a fraction of the cost.

Even if you don’t own a sewing machine, or have never used a sewing machine, making curtains is one of the easiest projects you can do. With an outlay of around R500 for a basic sewing machine you are still going to come in well under what it would cost to have curtains made. Click here for tips on measuring up for curtains.

Even if you don’t want to sew your own window treatments, there are plenty more inexpensive options to shop around for. Aluminium and wooden blinds are available at most home décor stores in a variety of colours and styles. Ranging in price from around R100 upwards depending on size, you can easily install these with a drill / driver, some bits and a tape measure and pencil.

There’s nothing wrong with using a little DIY when it comes to refreshing a home. A bit of cheating is not only rewarding, but it’s an affordable way to dress a room in designer style on a budget. So do what the experts do and cheat a little.

SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za

Rocks are well-suited for verges as they add a sense of stability to the landscape and provide something solid for the plants around them. And not forgetting that lizards love them too.

With some consideration for your community and mindfulness for aesthetics, you can create an easy to maintain and attractive verge garden that will have any Ward Counsellor smiling.

Rocks allow for a different form of gardening – rock gardens. Delicate alpine-type plants are perfect for this type of landscaping. Their small and fragile features soften the hard rock, offering a safe haven for insects.

Homeowners, however, tend to overuse rocks, especially pebbles. The gleaming white stones entice homeowners to liberally cover their verges in pebbles. Initially, these may look neat and pretty but they require hard work to maintain.

Generally, after a while, grass and weeds start growing through the mass of pebbles and the untidy mess is often left unkempt – recreating the original scene of a brown, dying verge.

Another popular form of ‘mass covering’ is chip stone. ‘When in doubt, use chip stone’ seems like a motto many homeowners gravitate towards. However, the key to well-rounded rock verges is preparation.

Preparing the ground

Kill off all the existing grass and weeds by either digging up clods of grass and roots or using a broad-spectrum grass killer.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and remember to spray on a windless day. Wear protective gear and be aware of fish pond proximity, animals and pets and whether the wind suddenly picks up.

Once the waiting period is over, remove all the dead grass and rake the top layer of soil, removing any large stones and enough soil to leave a depth of about three to five centimetres for the chip stone. Once you’re done, level the soil as best you can.

Rocks are well-suited for verges as they add a sense of stability to the landscape and provide something solid for the plants around them. And not forgetting that lizards love them too.

Put down enough black plastic sheeting to cover the entire area and curl up the edges.  You can buy the plastic at any of the larger nurseries or at prominent hardware stores. Once completed, determine where you want your plants and cut holes in the plastic. Dig up the holes, water and compost each plant well and throw the chip stone on top of the plastic.  Level it out.  Trim the excess plastic from around the edges.

If you want to continue planting as time goes on, you only need to choose your spot, scrape away some chip stone, cut another hole, dig up the hole and insert the plant, water and compost well and replace the chip stone. The plastic will act as a barrier for any regrowth, making weeding easier. However, you’ll still need to keep your eye on those weeds.

With some consideration for your community and mindfulness for aesthetics, you can create an easy to maintain and attractive verge garden that will have any Ward Counsellor smiling.

Happy gardening!

SOURCE: www.property24.com

If there’s one room in the home that should receive a lot of consideration in terms of interior design, it’s the living room. It’s a ‘public’ room that friends and family gather in when visiting, so it’s important that it looks good and sets the tone for the rest of the house.

1. Define the Key Must-Have Items

The first point of reference is to write a list of key items you need to have in your lounge in order for it to function properly. He says, for example, you’re most likely to need some seating, a cabinet, television, coffee table, lamp, and so on.

Once you’ve figured out the best way to incorporate your existing items, consider any new items you may need. The quickest and easiest way to rejuvenate a living room is to replace dated large items such as a lounge suite.  Other examples of items that can transform the space include a set of built-in cabinets and shelving for a growing collection of books and DVDs, or an armchair, coat of paint or a corner unit by the window for reading.

More often than not, living rooms need to play double duty, so it’s important that the pieces of furniture you choose can multi-task. Use vertical storage space to clear out the clutter and store away your everyday knick knacks.

2. Take Out the Tape Measure

It’s imperative that you consider your living room space before you decorate it. You may need to incorporate several elements such as a lounge and dining area into your living room, however, the structure of the room will dictate if this is possible and if so, how the furniture should be positioned.

Measuring your space and drawing up a floor plan to scale. He says this way you’ll be able to see what furniture will fit, allowing for the best layout for easy traffic flow. Also, consider the overall balance of the room – too many big pieces on one side of the room will make it feel cramped, and having a lot of things on the ground rather than storing them in vertical storage space will make the space feel bottom-heavy.

A few quick tricks for a harmonious atmosphere include using rugs to define separate spaces within the living room. Make sure the sofa is positioned in such a way that allows easy to use walkways. Use a pair of armchairs side by side to create balance. And if you’re working with a small space, then go for a set of small nested tables rather than one large coffee table in the middle of the room. Also, vertical storage solutions are great space-savers.

3. Dream a Little

Visual inspiration always helps when dealing with a decorating dilemma, so before you do anything décor related, spend some time thinking about what your ideal lounge would look and feel like.

Generally speaking, if you go with your gut and collect images of lounges that really speak to you, then the images you pick usually end up having a common thread running through all of them. If not, he says then perhaps refine your selection down to a specific colour theme or a particular décor style.

The idea is that you use these images to create a moodboard that you frequently refer to when making decisions. This technique will help you keep the overall look refined and symbiotic, and keep you motivated when your enthusiasm runs low.

4. Get Organised

Reorganising can do wonders and make you feel like you’ve got a whole new room. So start with clearing out the unnecessary clutter lying around and storing it away behind closed doors – if you don’t love it or need it, then chuck it out or give it away.

When it comes to items you intend to keep, however, it’s always a good idea to divide them into piles of similar categories, for example, electrical cords, magazines, books, toys and stationary. This makes it easier to find storage solutions for the piles – your DVD’s may fit perfectly in the TV cabinet, while blankets could work well in a large trunk next to the corner sofa that doubles as a side table.

Set a six month rule – if you haven’t used something within six months, chances are you won’t need to in the future, so toss it, sell it or donate it. We often surround ourselves with unnecessary clutter, buying random scatter cushions and knick knacks to fill a temporary void, but if we just save that money it could be spent more wisely on key investment pieces such as a lounge suite.

Organising your space will create an overall calmness and leave you with more room for the things that really matter.

SOURCE: www.property24.com

Does your child’s bedroom still resemble a toddler’s room even though he or she is now in their teenage years? Maybe it’s time to upgrade to something a little more age appropriate.

Many parents tend to overlook the facts that as children grow up, so does the need for a bedroom that is better suited to a young adult.

So, while teddy bears may still have a special place in a teenager’s bedroom, the need for practical furniture, more room and plenty of storage space becomes a top priority.

Revamp or Replace Bedroom Furniture

As far as bedroom furniture goes, there’s no reason to toss out if you can revamp the existing furniture. Pine bedroom furniture can be sanded down to freshen up and then a new coat of clear vanish applied.

Or if you want to change the look, you can consider applying a wood stain and clear varnish coat, or even whitewashing furniture to brighten up a room.

Even melamine or laminate furniture can be lightly sanded down to de-gloss the finish, before being painted with a quality acrylic paint.

As far as bedroom furniture goes, there’s no reason to toss out if you can revamp the existing furniture. However, if the furniture is dated and too small for a growing teen, perhaps you should consider buying or making new furniture for the room. A basic box bed is simple enough to make and you will find a wide variety of materials to use for the construction, as well as all the other supplies needed, at your local Builders Warehouse.

Spring for a New Mattress

If you haven’t previously invested in a decent spring mattress, this is something to consider. A foam mattress is fine for young children, but you should think about a quality mattress for a child from 12 years and upwards.

The size of a mattress is also important. If there is enough space and budget allows, choose a three-quarter or double sized mattress. Spending that little bit more for size and quality will ensure that the mattress will last for at least 10 years, and perhaps even longer.

Let your teenager be involved with the buying process, so that they can choose a mattress that they feel is comfortable. Parents tend to easily forget that they are not sleeping on the mattress and, while they prefer a spring mattress your teenager may not. You can buy a variety of mattresses these days; from spring to memory or latex foam, and each offers a different type of body support and comfort.

Expressing individuality and personality is part of the process of growing up, so let your teenager make decisions about how he or she would like the room to be decorated.

Choose Colours Wisely

When decorating the room it is also a good idea to involve your teen in the process. You will obviously want to set down some boundaries as regards to paint for wall colours and budget, but other than that let you teenager choose furnishings and accessories that match their own personality.

Choosing a light colour for walls allows you more freedom with furniture and furnishings. With white, cream or light coloured walls you can opt for almost any colour scheme to finish off the room. And if you select standard colours from the Plascon colour range, you can easily buy another can of paint for when the room needs to be refreshed at a later stage.

If you want to add colour to walls try to limit this to one feature wall to avoid overpowering the room. In a larger bedroom, adding colour to walls will not have the same effect, but choose colour wisely. Avoid too many bold colours and rather select a wall colour from accessories already in the room.

You can buy a variety of mattresses these days; from spring to memory or latex foam, and each offers a different type of body support and comfort.

If you want to add interest to walls make use of wallpaper murals, vinyl stickers, or simply add art or posters. With the popularity of digital printing you can have wallpaper murals printed in various sizes and have the freedom of selecting or supplying your own image.

Personal Touches

Expressing individuality and personality is part of the process of growing up, so let your teenager make decisions for how he or she would like the room to be decorated.

Discuss the budget that has been put aside for decorating and look at options for furniture and accessories.

Now that your child has become a young adult – respect their ideas for decorating their personal space. It might not be your style but at the end of the day, your teenager will be using the bedroom for the next 6 to 10 years, so let them decorate the space to suit their needs.

SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za

Outdoor living is a way of life for South Africans, so it makes a lot of sense to dress up your outdoor space for comfort and style.

A comfortable set of outdoor furniture on its own adds a place to sit and relax, but adding accessories turns the space into a true outdoor living room.

Just as you would add a focal point to your interior living space, this works as well for outdoor areas.

Maximise comfort with a large outdoor sofa that fills the space with plenty of seating for entertaining friends or settling down for a quiet evening outdoors with family. Choose neutral colours for the cushions and punch up the colour with plump cushions. This allows you to easily swap out the cushions if you decide to change the look later on.

Cotton, coir or sea grass rugs are ideal for outdoor spaces and nicely finishes off your outdoor lounge or dining area.

If you don’t want to have to bring in accessories at the first sign of inclement weather, have a place to store these outdoors. A coffee table that doubles up as a storage unit is ideal for packing away cushions and soft furnishings when not in use.

Transform your outdoor area into an extension of your living space with a few touches you wouldn’t otherwise find outdoors. A stainless steel curtain rod and eyelet curtains will make your outdoor area feel comfortable and homey. Choose fabrics that are acrylic or a polyester blend that will add water-resistance and ensure fabrics used outdoors will dry quickly and not attract mould or mildew.

Potted plants, hanging baskets or colourful containers are a must for your outdoor living space. Not only do these add colour, interest and texture to your outdoor areas, they also tie together the theme of indoor-outdoor to create a natural flow.

Click here to see tips on how to revamp old garden pots with Rust-Oleum Universal oil-rubbed bronze spray paint.

If you don’t have a green thumb, fill pots with hardy indigenous plants or succulents.

Transform your outdoor area into an extension of your living spaces with a few touches you wouldn’t otherwise find outdoors.

South Africans love to spend weekends hosting a braai with family and friends, and an outdoor dining room allows you to sit back and enjoy sunny days and cool drinks on the patio or deck.

Adding a privacy curtain is an inexpensive project that anyone with a bit of DIY savvy can do in a day. You can use copper pipe, galvanised pipe or chrome steel pipe to make a curtain rail for mounting tab-top or eyelet curtains. Or use curtain rings and hooks to mount curtains. You will find the supplies that you need for this project at your local Builders Warehouse. Shop at curtain and fabric stores for an eyelet kit if you want to make your own curtains.

Outdoor furniture can be pricey, so if you can’t afford to buy an entire set, mix it up. One or two wicker chairs, a homemade bench and a couple of affordable chairs, and you have a wonderfully eclectic mix for your outdoor dining area.

Treat your outdoor living and dining spaces like your indoor areas – accessories make all the difference.

SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za

Inside any newly renovated bathroom worth its salt, the bathroom accessory has become an increasingly important element with regards to its integrity of design, as well as the functionality it offers.

Craig Taylor from Bathroom Butler says bathroom accessories are often overlooked in the initial planning stages of bathroom design. However, he says they play an essential role in any bathroom space – both in how they make the space more usable, as well as how they add to the overall design aesthetic of the space.

For example, without soap dishes, your soap would dissolve into a sticky mess on the side of the sink, without towel rails, soggy towels would lie on the floor and without toilet paper holders, the toilet roll would sit uselessly on top of the cistern, cluttering up the space.

Beauty and function

At the end of the day, it’s the finishing touches that pull a design together to create visual harmony, as well as ensuring that the space in question is as utilitarian and user-friendly as possible. He says it’s the finer details, the smaller accessories that can make your bathroom space an absolute pleasure or a nightmare to use.

Bathroom accessories need to be thought of as more than mere accents, but usable, practical, must-have bathroom essentials, he says.

This is especially important in small spaces, where every item needs its place to ensure that the space does not become overcrowded, unorganised, cluttered and claustrophobic.

In any bathroom, where sanitary ware and cabinetry take up the majority of the visual real estate, it’s the little finishes, such as the towel rails, soap dishes and toilet roll holders that add that “wow” factor to the overall composition to make it stand apart and give it a feeling of upmarket exclusivity.

Finish frenzy

Increasingly, more people are using bathroom accessories to update the look in their bathrooms. Bathroom accessories are easy to switch out and they are affordable.

Including a heated towel rail into your bathroom composition for example, is a great way of adding some spa-like luxury and ensuring that you have access to deliciously dry towels whenever you need them.

Interior designers have been switched onto the fact that bathrooms have evolved into in-home sanctuaries for quite some time now, and in response, they have been adding every conceivable luxury to these spaces, from skylights, to fireplaces, and of course, glamorous and functional bathroom accessories and heated towel rails.

Due to ever increasing demand, many of these added luxuries are more affordable, and hence, what was once the domain of only the super exclusive boutique hotels and high-end spas, has now become commonplace in many residential homes.

Take the heated towel rail for example: before, only available to the uber rich and famous, today heated towel rails are only marginally more expensive than an ordinary towel rail, but they offer a host of benefits, including the fact that they keep your towels bacteria-free.

Choosing your accessories correctly is all about taking care of all the little details that complete your bathroom design. After all, that is essentially what any accessory is all about – paying attention to the details in order to complete the overall picture. And today, with such a wide variety of accessories to choose from, you can take care of all the finer details and use them to create style solutions like never before.

SOURCE:  www.property24.com