The earth is filled with strange varieties of flora and fauna, vast deserts and diverse rainforests as well as bucolic surroundings and urban landscapes yet its life is sustained and its growth is unceasing. Every little thing in this planet coincides with each other resulting to a magnificent spectacle of natural beauty hence, the earth can be considered as one of the quintessential representations of the success of diversified combinations, the symbol of the marvelous eclectic. Just as a branch of a tree is part of the whole, a home is a silk thread in the gigantic web we call earth and what applies to the much larger dwelling of mankind will also be fruitful for a smaller home of the family.

Most grand architectures of colossal proportions and interior designs of a smaller and more intimate scale originated from different realms of the human mind but they are cohesive when planned and executed. However, rare occurrence and extraordinary ideas can sometimes give birth to refreshing and innovative creations unparalleled for their harmonious multiplicity. The fascinating becomes adored and eventually adapted which is what happened with the success of the Art Deco style. With its emergence, the adjective eclectic finally found the most fitting subject to describe.

Eclecticism in the realm of the creative
The art world welcomed the birth of a genuinely distinctive style in architecture and visual arts during the 1st quarter of the 20th century. Art Deco style astounded the artistic community when it was exhibited in the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in the year 1925. The exclusive territory of the brilliant and the creative has never experienced a refreshing interplay of various elements such as this because prior to its emergence, art styles have been predictably constant and consistent. The Art Noveau period showcased a grandiose masterpiece of every curving form swirling and intermingling with each other which produced captivatingly intense movement and fluidity. Art Deco graciously interrupted that period’s nostalgic existence and brought about contained art forms that were not at all customary but incredibly unique and unexpected. The most renowned and ingenious artists and designers composed of Jean Dunand, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Edgar Brandt, Jean-Jacques Rateau, Eileen Gray, René Lalique and other prominent movers and shakers of the art circle were the successful proponents of this lavish and glamorous style. However, its name Art Deco wasn’t officially used during the 1920s. It was only introduced when the historian Bevis Hillier had a book published on 1968 about it, entitled the Art Deco of the 20s and 30s. Historically, its famous luster was diminished during the period between the latter part of the 1920s and the first part of the 1940s but fortunately experienced a rebirth when Hillier’s book was published. One of the most famous architecture that embraced the Art Deco style was the Chrysler building in New York. With the stylized and cleverly manipulated sunburst design of its tall spire, repetitive arch-shaped design and stainless steel exterior, it stands mightily as the best example of Art Deco architecture in the world.

Art Deco design characteristics
Art deco gathered its components in the most extreme of origins. It is only in this unique style of decorating that one can see the juxtaposition of a multitude of design elements coming from the fascinating Egyptian and Assyrian period, classical features of Greek and Roman arts and architecture, and the opulent design flavors of Africa and Mexico. It is truly a grand phenomenon how these elements came together and collided magnificently. Extremely singular motifs such as geometric and subtle curvilinear forms and shapes were utilized in interior and furniture design. The repeated chevron patterns on the flooring materials, as well as the Egyptian fretworks in decorative interior screens and wallpapers spell Art Deco in its most visible appearance. Sunbursts, ziggurat, trapezoids and other polygonal shapes are just some of the various motifs incorporated in interior furnishings and accessories in the house. The gates, doors and windows that were designed when this style was popular tended to be intricately detailed with a repetition of these motifs as well as diamonds, curves, overlapping fans and arch shapes. They were made from glass and wrought iron framed in wood.

The latter part of the period that generated the Art Deco style launched a new component to its already diverse world. The fresh design ideas were injected with a streamlined effect evident in modern motifs such as elements of aviation, skyscraper buildings and ocean liners. Thus, modern materials such as stainless steel, aluminum and lacquer were introduced.

Art Deco Furniture
If there is one aspect in the Art deco style where eclecticism is successfully depicted, it would have to be in furniture design. Upon seeing the diversity of materials and patterns of the furniture pieces designed in this style, one can easily mistake items to be from a specific design period such as Neoclassic, Egyptian or Mexican because of their particular derivations from these art periods. Perhaps, the revealed secret of the Art Deco style is the unexpected possibility of beauty that these varying elements can conjure up when they are combined.

Art deco furniture commonly uses inlaid wood with glossy and reflective finishes. Their coffee tables, dining and corner tables have inverted arch-shaped bases that are raised in a rectangular platform. The surfaces were mostly rounded and in the case of foyer and console tables, semi-circles. The shiny wood marquetry on the top surface and the body of the tables is stunning and eye-catching. Art Deco console and display cabinets used similar wood marquetry and they were mostly circular in shape. The polygonal shaped cabinets incorporated inverted trapezoidal forms. Most armchairs had continuous semi-circular arms to back shape that utilized wood and fabric upholstery. The Art Deco mahogany leaf back boudoir chairs were exceptional in silhouette and they were very attractive when two pieces were paired together. Just as a pair of Parquetry style chair in zebra print is captivating to look at. An individual club chair that is fully upholstered with leather, designed in the 1930s is a classic Art Deco piece that showcases masculine simplicity. Such ingenuity conceived and displayed is what makes these furniture pieces remarkable and sought after even in today’s modern interior designs.

Art deco lighting
Art deco chandeliers and wall lamps were designed to take the center stage in an interior space. They had magnificent gold and silver ensembles with opaque glass concealing the light bulbs. The designs were extravagant and awe-inspiring with fancy crystals in multiple drop layers forming the most exquisite patterns. Rene Lalique’s designs were phenomenal and inclined towards the creative rather than the reinventions of the classical. The pendant lights, wall and floor lamps of this style used interesting and attractive motifs such as shells, fans, lotuses and sunbursts. These lighting fixtures were highly decorative and their designs were as diverse as the furniture designs of this period.

Art deco accessories and adornments
Beautiful sculptural vases by the Swiss-born artist Jean Dunand are great decors for a modern interior that aims to adapt the Art Deco style. The vases of this period made use of enameled glass, malachite, frosted colored glass and ivory materials that produced a variety of designs that are almost too undistinguishable to have belonged to the period. Iron Art Deco mirrors, however, were identifiable designs with polygonal shaped frames and elaborate scroll-work detailing. Paired with marble topped console tables with similar iron bases, they stand out in a room with classical style sofas and armchairs. Mahogany wood framed mirror cabinets as well as wrought-iron pedestal mirrors with gold leaf details are equally successful in representing the Art Deco style. The wide assortments of ornate screens of this style period are quite splendid in designs and silhouettes. Three paneled folding screens with iron details are wonderful accessories for the bedroom and living room especially since they have the most interesting patterns of rippling circles, endless frets, continuous diamonds and stylized images of Egyptian landscapes and mythical deities of Greece and Rome.

Art Deco style incorporated in modern interiors involve a manageable process of applying distinct elements of this style and matching them with simple and contemporary furniture pieces of today. The elements included here are already eclectic in nature thus adding them to other bolder and conspicuous designs from different style periods will be excessive and inappropriate. A balance of style combinations and an adept talent for editing designs is needed for the job. The combination of very attractive Art Deco accent armchairs in a living room with a tastefully feminine style can match fully upholstered and floral patterned Neoclassical or Victorian sofas and chaise lounges. Their designs offer a pleasingly unique appeal to the interior which asserts eclecticism as a beautiful interior design style. Art Deco iron mirrors can complement a Rococo Revival inspired living room and the elaborate chandeliers can provide a sense of sophistication and glamour in a magnificent octagon shaped foyer with entrance arches on each of the eight sides. These Art Deco pieces can stand on their own which make them excellent choices for accent pieces in any interior space.

If you are considering pendant lighting, you will of course have to take into account your own personal design preferences. There are many styles and sizes of pendants to fit pretty much any situation. Some very creative people and artist types even enjoy creating their own light designs. I aske my friend Jasmine, the interior designer, to write a bit about her take on pendant lights. I think you will find some helpful tips in her rather poetic approach to the subject.

This Home Design Art Glass is an inexpensive way to use accent lighting in your home. Click on the image to get more details.

The world of darkness departed from its confines by the emergence of light, marvelous and beautiful light. No one can ignore the enchantment of light especially if it is presented in an artistic and creative stage, enveloped in colors and forms that capture its illumination in order to enhance its brightness. The sun is better to look at in all its warmth and splendor than a naked fluorescent bulb that strikes the eyes quite offensively. Artificial lighting needs to be wrapped in ribbons and trimmings to make them more functional and more appealing. A ceiling-mounted circular bulb that is covered by a frosted glass diffuser lightens up a bedroom up to an appropriate extent so as to calm people’s nerves instead of agitating them with its steely glare. Imagine a chandelier with exposed ugly bulbs and wires in an elegant dining room. It just wouldn’t do. It has to be enfolded in tinted glass and Swarovski crystals to be presentably suited to the interior’s intimidating and classy ambiance.

Modern interior design recognizes that sometimes, less is more. The elaborate adornments of light bulbs within hanging chandeliers have been simplified in the form of inventive pendant lights. They have a sophistication that is characterized by their contemporary silhouette, streamlined yet very attractive. Their modern versions have artistic designs that create a strong impact to the interiors where they are used. Pendant lights differ from chandeliers in their form. They are composed of a single hanging light fixture while chandeliers have multiple intertwining lights.

Modern pendant lights have three variations, namely the conventional, inverted and mini lights. Conventional ones have umbrella-type forms with their opening at the bottom. Inverted pendant lights on the other hand, have their opening at the top. The mini type as their name implies are small hanging lights with similar sizes and varying heights. The ideal choice for small dining rooms would have to be the conventional and inverted types because they are singular and they serve as a focal element to the space. For large dens and corner areas of rooms, several mini pendant lights can be used for mood lighting and to create an artistic spectacle to an otherwise dull and boring area. One to three small hanging lighting fixtures focusing on the bar counter provide task lighting and enhances the mood of the area. You may also use pendant track lighting that has a connection among two to three mini lights. Do not limit yourself to three identical lights, you can be totally artistic with the combinations.

photo credit: SOCIALisBETTER

There is a wide selection of designs for pendant lighting fixtures. They vary in sizes, shapes and colors. The prices also differ depending on brands and materials used. Huge sculptural pendant lights have interesting and awe-inspiring designs such as sharp and pointed glass, round and colorful with mosaic mirrors and laminated glass, edgy and metallic with swirling forms, etc. These attractive and very noticeable designs can be designated in hotel lobbies, grand ballrooms and high-end restaurants with high ceilings. Simple and functional conventional pendant lighting can be hung at the ceiling of large industrial kitchens, main working areas in factories and school canteens because they distribute task lighting liberally and small inverted pendant lighting can be assigned to illuminate desks in private commercial and home offices. Mini pendant lighting will look great in bars and restaurants because they add to the inviting ambiance of these commercial establishments.

Creating your own pendant lights is an inventive way to personalize your homes. If you are a restaurant or café owner, you can also experiment with design variations in lighting fixtures so that you commercial space can have interior elements that look like no other, a sort of identifiable trademark to attract patrons and customers. You can start by exploring the use of different materials for the cover of the light bulbs. Then you can play with sizes and colors that will enhance their look.

• Lantern paper formed into a hollow cylindrical shape to accommodate the light bulb and using exposed twigs of trees for support can fit a country style dining room.
• You can use curtain or upholstery fabric, with any possible pattern you can conceive of and adhere to a metal frame with funky geometric shapes. You can poke holes on the fabric to allow light to go out and for interesting effect.
• You can add layers to the pendant light in reference to its height. You can use three bulbs and encase them in inverted glass covers and make them drop down in three layers.
• Small wine bottles or glass jars with different colors can be used as mini pendant lights by inserting the bulbs inside and securing the nozzle for the wires. You can have several of these hanging down in different heights in your foyer or your bedroom. You do not have to follow standard headroom clearance by placing them in room corners or near the walls where they will not be touched or bumped into.

There is a fulfilling sense of accomplishment once you have reached another level of the career ladder. You will be faced with new obstacles and challenges that will motivate you to aim higher and to reach for the pinnacle of success.

In starting a new chapter of your professional growth, one of the most important things you can have is a place where you can formulate your ideas and work efficiently every single day towards achieving productive career goals. A well-designed executive office that will cater to your professional needs and preferences can help you jump start any new career endeavor.

The interior of an executive office says a lot about the character and achievement of the high ranking man or woman occupying it. There has to be a certain degree of dignity taken into consideration when designing the area. It must have that straightforward edge and at the same time exude a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Upon entering the room, employees should feel welcomed yet mildly intimidated, and the clients should be impressed by the marvelous scene presented in front of them. The occupant of the office should be the one to mainly benefit from the features of the office. He must be satisfied with the design and the ambiance so he can work productively on a day to day basis.

The main structural elements of the interior, namely the walls, ceiling, and floors should be treated with strict and thorough consideration so that the other elements can either provide substance to the interior or enhance what is already in existence. The executive office furniture pieces should be carefully selected to suit the theme of the office. If the look you are going for is traditional, then choose a desk made of solid wood with carvings and fancy hardware accessories.   If however, you prefer to have a modern executive office, then desks and cabinets with sleeker lines and lighter structures would be suitable.

• Executive Desks

The desk is perhaps the most significant element for the office because it is what the guests will see first when they enter and it is the most useful piece of furniture for the occupant of the office. It is where he will put his files, his phones, and his laptop, and where the main work will transpire. This will dictate what interior scheme will be adopted.

On one hand, a huge desk made from ½” smoked glass with no drawers spells an extravagantly modern corporate atmosphere. It will seem like its not even there and the things on top are floating thus creating an illusion of futuristic space, plus it minimizes the clutter in the office interior. On the other hand, if the occupant wants an old school office that conveys authority and respect then a heavily-carved solid wood desk with multiple drawers and exposed copper hardware can be an excellent choice. It all comes down to a matter of functionality and taste.

• Swivel chairs

A smart-looking swivel chair that characterizes comfort and style with its adjustable height, reclining backrest and of course, its swiveling mechanism is a boss’ best friend. The classic Eames lounge chair is a perfect choice to impress your clients with. It has a strong masculine form with very comfortable upholstery. With its matching ottoman, one can achieve the professional yet relaxed aura desired for the office. Swivel chairs vary in forms and materials so the best way to go about it is to choose the one that is most comfortable to you and the most consistent to the interior scheme.

• Loose chairs

Chairs facing the desk can accommodate visiting guests and clients. They can be the simpler versions of the swivel chair or they can have entirely different designs. Many modern chairs make use of fiberglass, acrylic and stainless steel legs. Some are upholstered and others have form-fitting designs that suit the occupant without the aid of cushions.

• Console cabinets and shelves

You can purchase ready made office cabinets in any furniture and home improvement store. There are also a wide variety of these shelves found on-line. You can browse through them and select the ones that will best suit the interior of your office. They do not necessarily have to be office cabinets with regards to their appearance. Some residential console tables with drawers can be what you need for a specific interior theme that you have chosen.

French console cabinets with elaborate carvings and moldings can be an interesting piece in your contemporary executive office. A prized piece of antique furniture like that can add to the dignified and tasteful theme of the interior. Give your guests an element of awe by placing this in a wall with modernly sleek built-in shelves above. The eclectic vibe is sure to captivate their attention. If, however, you decide to take your consistently modern interiors to another level, why not choose a console cabinet that is made with a stainless steel frame and glossy, laminated black cabinet drawers. Next to a glass wall, it will create a fluid fusion of cool bluish hues and reflective surfaces.

• Sofas and Lounge chairs

In a large executive office, a lounge area can also be allocated. This is where the guests and clients can wait while the executive is on

his way or when they are starting with an informal chat before a meeting. The sofas take on classic contemporary designs that mimic Barcelona three-seater sofas with bold colored upholstery. Scandinavian armchairs that are form-fitting and functional can also be paired with a fully-upholstered leather sofa with stainless steel legs. A modernized wicker coffee table can be used to top off the contemporary eclectic look. The lounge area can be treated as the living room in your home would be, however they should not be too comfortable.  The guests should not wish to stay longer in this place than professionally necessary.  A professional atmosphere should still be maintained.

If money is no object, you can find an amazing selection of desks and other executive office accessories either online or at retail shops specializing in outfitting offices. The images above are actually examples of some more reasonably priced pieces available on Amazon.

Perhaps the luckiest person on earth is the one who wakes up in a bedroom fit for a king. It is indeed a pleasure to welcome a new day in the confines of luxuriously soft sheets tucked in a modernly plush four-poster bed.

There is no limitation to designing your dream master bedroom save for the condition that you need to have everything you want in the one place you deem the most important. It is okay to indulge in creative and one-of-a-kind ideas in the largest and the most essential bedroom of your own home. You just have to bear in mind that this is a place for rest and relaxation. One of the secrets of modern interior design is to put in the things that are close to your heart without sacrificing comfort and a clutter-free, private atmosphere.

Comfortable Sleeping Quarters

The key to designing an exceptional master bedroom is the layout. It is ideal to enter the bedroom without immediately seeing the bed. Privacy and an element of surprise are the reasons behind this. If, however, the space will not permit such an arrangement, then try to situate the bed where its edge will not directly point at the door. The bed should also be placed where natural daylight can be allowed to enter and shine abundantly. The best place will be in front of a window overlooking a glorious view outside. Full-length curtains are more appropriate to vertical or horizontal blinds in the master bedroom because they have a softer and grander appeal. If you are fortunate enough to have a room with a bay window, then you can place built-in seats and have patterned roman shades to diffuse the glare of sunlight. Some large master bedrooms have foyers and comfortable living area sets adjacent to the main room. Thus the design theme of these areas should coincide with the entire space.

Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy

The bed is the core element of a master bedroom design. You can be very selective with this furniture. It is a functional investment that will last for years and it must serve your sleeping requirements to its utmost potential. That being considered, the king-size bed should be a combination of the personal preferences and tastes of the occupants. It will be neither, too feminine or too masculine in its features. For its design, why not choose a contemporary platform bed with hardwood base and a 6”-8” firm mattress. When you are shopping for it in furniture stores, check it out and lie on it to get an actual feel of how it will suit you and your bedroom. The headboard can be of a different style completely separate from the bed. Headboard designs can be personalized. You can make use of padded walls or an accent wall that starts from the floor up to the ceiling or mid-height. Install cove lighting at the back of the layered wall to give the back wall/headboard an interestingly warm glow. Consider accessorizing with some unique artwork or linear shelves for an amazing detail. The embellishments shouldn’t stop there. There are large and small pillows to be selected. Duvet covers or throw fabrics are also must-haves to add character to the bed. You can mix and match textures, patterns and shapes. Placing console benches at the foot of the bed is also great for the design. Standing and table lamps for the side of the bed will also enhance the ambiance of the bedroom. It’s always fun to accessorize. It’s also a way of personalizing the look of your bedroom, making it a place where your wants and interests merge harmoniously.

Tranquil Study Area

A mini-library in the bedroom is an option that is not for everybody. Nonetheless most people do need a small study desk to read books or keep confidential documents and files safe. In the master bedroom, a small area can be dedicated to this need. It could be visible from the bed or partially hidden by a low-wall divider. The design could be integrated to the bedroom wall with floating shelves for books and a built-in modern desk with detachable shelves and storage cabinets. Add a light-structured swivel chair and you have a functional study area. Lighting fixtures like a study lamp and some cove lighting beneath the hanging shelves completes the space.

Walk-in Closet for Two

It is a wonderful dream for a woman to have a walk-in closet brimming with expensive shoes and designer dresses. What is even more wonderful is not to have to share this space with anyone else, especially her disapproving husband. It is her fairytale boudoir except that it looks sleeker and more contemporary. A man many times cannot care less about what he wears, but would appreciate a closet with his shirts neatly folded in one area and his suits and pants hung in an orderly way and not lost among his wife’s big dresses and fancy blouses. It is the aim of efficient master bedroom design to hear these whims and complaints and do something about them.

There are many ways to go about planning a walk-in closet for his and her needs. The usual workable layout is to assign each closet room on opposite sides of a corridor leading to the bathroom or it can be two long rooms interconnected with each other that again points out to the direction of the bathroom. If you opt for an open layout with just one large room which is divided in the middle by an island cabinet, then you can designate the built-in closet for the man’s apparel on the right side while the left side is reserved for the woman’s clothes and accessories.

Smart Closet Makeovers are a great way to eliminate clutter.

The walk-in closet can have its own design theme, a subtle variation if you want one to look feminine and the other masculine, but it must conform to the overall look of the bedroom. You can apply this change through colors. The closet and shelves could have the same form but with varying shades in materials. The wood and ply board can be stained and finished differently to distinguish one space from the other. An old trick that will work is painting them with gender-oriented colors, subdued hues of oranges and reds on one side and silvers and blues with metallic sheens for the other side.

You can have your built-in fixtures made by carpenters if you have already decided on a concrete design however, if you have inhibitions about not being able to maximize the space or get the exact look that you want, then you can ask for the help of an interior designer or a supplier who specializes in building closet organizer systems. You can dictate the way you want your closet to look and they will show you several layouts and design schemes for you to approve. After your planning is in order and you have decided on the final design, they will proceed with the fabrication and installation. You can have your very own clothing boutique with free displays of dresses, shoes and bags lined up on open shelves and cabinets a few steps away from your bed.

Exquisite Bathroom

The bathroom is a place of private tranquility and relaxation. You would want to experience refreshing baths and much-needed rejuvenation from a strenuous day in an immaculately clean and exquisite retreat. Bathrooms for the master bedroom are expected to be spacious. If the room is already defined and all it needs is an interior design touch, then you must work with its existing shape to determine the most feasible and the most inviting layout.

Upon entering the bathroom, you can be welcomed by a large, classical, pea-shaped tub with magnificent ball-and-claw golden legs located at the center of the room. If you’re going for the contemporary look, built-in tubs with decorative granite tiles tucked in the back wall with a cascading water feature at the side resembling a spa bath haven can be just the thing for you. You must have a scenic picture of the outside view so the tub should be positioned where it can have at least a 180-degree perspective of the outdoors. That may be considered overindulgence, but it is the master bathroom we are talking about. It must resemble a waterfront hotel balcony with a Jacuzzi, only concealed, a private oasis.

The shower area can be enclosed by glass dividers either from floor to ceiling or similar to the door height. It can also be exposed as long as the space has sufficient room enough to not have water spilling over the dry areas of the bathroom. If you prefer the open shower, then you can separate this space by lowering the floor level for this area one or two steps down. Raising its level can also look amazing but the drain must be adequate for getting rid of excess water immediately.

Installing water heaters can pose a problem to the open layout, especially today when steam baths are also incorporated in to the shower area. These heating features need enclosures to work. Shower designs also affect the plan of the area. Ceiling-mounted showers are an ideal option but if you prefer to have latest models of multiple showers mounted on the bathroom walls, then the shower has to be closed. Glass enclosures are not limited to clear and frosted designs. Textured and laminated glass are also available in a wide range of colors and designs. There are pre-fabricated enclosures at home improvement stores, but they can also be installed by the suppliers if you specify unusual designs and if the size that you want is not standard.

Another essential thing to cover in the master bathroom is the location of the toilet bowl, bidet and lavatory. These three fixtures should be near each other or at least aligned so the plumbing pipes will be straight. The installation of pipes is more costly if you have longer ones with several connections going in different directions. The lavatory can be of the pedestal type but the new floating designs are more preferred today. They have a Zen-like look that is suitable for a contemporary bathroom. The toilet bowl and bidet should naturally be hidden from view but not necessarily placed in a fully enclosed room. Modern designs allow the bathroom elements to be unified thus permanent partitions are avoided.

Bathroom walls are the perfect background for a creative color and texture palette.  There are so many tile patterns to choose from for the walls. Their textures shouldn’t be an issue, but with the tiles for the floors, make sure they are not so fine as to be slippery or so textured that they will be hard to clean. Aside from tiles, treated wood can be a good option for the walls and leveled steps in the bathroom. They give that earthy look to the space especially if you add glass skylights which allow natural light to peek through the ceiling. Plants can also provide that soothing effect you seek when you go to the bathroom. Distribute them liberally throughout the room and you will feel a refreshing calm and peace.

There are many aspects to modern bedroom design.  In previous posts we have discussed bedroom themes and how to go about choosing what is right for you.  We have also focused in on specific projects like designing a master bedroom.  Some people like to follow a theme to the extreme.  We addressed that when we examined the sometimes challenging possibilities of using all white furniture in a bedroom.
We have also previously taken a look at using color schemes in our interior design plans.  It is an immensely important consideration when you are getting serious about your home designs.  You can pack the most expensive and well designed furnishings into a room, but if your colors are off, things will just never really click.  This is another visit back to the topic of color in the bedroom.  We will take a look at why certain colors and styles should be encouraged or avoided.  Of course, the most important thing is that you are happy with the design you choose.  You are the one who will be spending the most time in the rooms you design.  Don’t ever let someone else’s opinion make you go against what makes you the happiest when it comes to designing your home.

To sleep in a beautiful bedroom with a marvelously comfortable bed, wrapped in silky sheets and spiced up with fluffy pillows of different sizes and shapes is an undeniable luxury especially after having a productive and exhausting day. Somehow it just seems like you deserve to be comforted and pampered. You need a bedroom that can soothe your spirit and help you re-energize for more productive and exhausting tomorrows. With the right kind of interior design touches, you will be guaranteed an enjoyable and relaxing rest as well as a pleasant and peaceful sleep. The selection of the perfect bedroom colors is one of these special enchanting touches.

Applying the right color palette for the bedroom can enhance its beauty. A monochromatic bedroom with green as the dominant color can be very relaxing. Staring at a cool green wall with striped wallpaper of the different shades of green is very refreshing. It tells your brain to follow the simple lines rather than focus your entire attention in that particular color and keep your mind awake and restless. Shades of brown and yellow can be used in the bedroom blended in a neutral color palette to harmonize the elements within the room. The use of natural wood with brown tones on the bed frame, side tables and chaise lounge can give off an earthy feel to the bedroom.

When you use the color blue in a child’s bedroom, it reminds them of the sky and the ocean, elements that trigger their nerves to relax and engage in deep sleep. A fun bedroom in purple and pink entices a little girl’s fancy yet these colors being the lighter versions of the bold violet and the vibrant red make them more suitable for rest and sleep in the bedroom. Colors connote certain images and meanings that signify their capability to affect the mood and appearance of the bedroom. They can represent your personality when you decide to use them as a medium to express yourself. If you have a lively and cheerful disposition, light yellow pillows and sheets can be used in your bedroom as well as floral patterns of oranges and greens in the curtain and upholstery fabrics. A more introverted personality can make use of deep purple or midnight blue wallpaper preferably in only one accent wall just to showcase the interests of that person. They can be applied where display shelves and provocative paintings and artworks are hung to emphasize their haunting beauty.

With the help of colors, a bedroom can take on a more significant look. It can be the most functional area for rest and relaxation. It can persuade you to sleep with subdued colors in the walls and furnishings. Your bedroom can be your portrait with shades and hues that define your outer face as well as the face that remains concealed to the outside world.

Kitchen design has been revolutionized in recent decades. It is no longer treated as just a place where you prepare scrumptious meals.

Today a modern kitchen is a breakfast parlor, a creative retreat for a passionate food lover and a place for entertaining friends during weekends or special occasions. The designs have also taken an innovative turn in accordance to the changing needs and requirements of the people who utilize the features of the kitchen. Most of them in contemporary homes have been refurbished and made over to suit the look of industrial kitchens with steel and wood as their primary materials. There are also eclectic and artistic home owners that experiment with modern and futuristic designs mixed with traditional furniture pieces and materials to create that distinct and personalized look.

It is quite expensive to have your kitchen redesigned by professionals to update its look and functionality. A modern kitchen is not just characterized by its outward appearance but also by the essential and innovative utilities it provides. If however, you see the need to redecorate, do keep the things that are still useful and add only the elements that will help improve the quality of the space. A contemporary table with storage cabinets can be an alternative for a costly installation of an island counter with genuine granite countertop and state-of-the-art cook top.

The efficient kitchen layout has not been drastically changed. The three areas of the kitchen namely the preparation, cooking and washing areas still follow the triangular pattern. Minor alterations have been made, such as adding a bar counter and a breakfast nook. You kitchen design will depend on the specific activities that are happening in the area. The clearance needed from the work counters to the island counter will always depend on the number of people that populate the area on a typical day. Counters and hanging cabinets can be built in to a back wall either horizontally or using an L-shape. There are semi-circular counters that include the sink and the preparation area on one side which is directly opposite an island with a cook top on the base counter and a range hood floating in the ceiling.

New Functions, New Kitchen Designs

The notion of the kitchen as a place for entertaining guests and loved ones has been widely accepted by urban dwellers all over the world. They see it as an answer to the call for reaffirming personal ties in an impersonal and outward-reaching age. Instead of eating out in fancy restaurants or consuming unhealthy fast foods, they prefer to prepare meals in the presence of friends or with the group effort of loved ones in the comfortable setting of their very own abode. This line of thinking gave birth to modern kitchen designs that showcase not only the mouth-watering delights in colorful platters but also the kitchen elements that were used to make these chef d’oeuvres. The traditional all-wood cabinet faces gave way to framed glass ones. Variations of textured and colored cabinets are just a few of the options offered by suppliers. You can use stickers as substitutes for them because stickers are cheaper and you can have them changed easily when you grow bored with the old look. Hanging cabinets with exposed interiors are also a great idea if you want to display cutleries and china. A kitchen today is treated as a gallery to flaunt art pieces like imported vases, antique clocks and decorative ornaments. Floating shelves can be the simple, layered ones, but there are new designs emerging that are geometric, edgy and sculptural. You can utilize a variety of materials and fuse them together. Indigenous materials found in nature offer a refreshing twist to common stained wood cabinet doors. Laminated bamboo, weaved wicker and cork are framed by light-colored solid wood to emphasize their interesting textures. Placing storage baskets made from these types of materials within the lower shelves are attractive compensations for the cold look of the metal appliances.

Bar counters are almost always requested by owners of condo units. They are space-savers in the sense that they serve as food preparation area and dining area but they can also obstruct the open layout of the space. In a loft of considerable size, a bar can define the kitchen as an area separate from the living room.  Its structure, which can include the ceiling, makes this function possible. Bars have multiple uses for the kitchen. They can be used as a base for cook tops or washing sinks. The surface can be used for preparing food and even for eating. However, the height should definitely not be of the same level, the bar portion should be higher than the part being used for the cook top and sink.

Breakfast nooks make the kitchen a lively place in the morning, or at any time of the day when families and friends wish to hang-out and enjoy a good meal. It’s been a staple in the kitchen for decades but its look has been updated with contemporary built-in banquet seats and loose chairs. These furniture pieces do not have to match or follow one monotonous design. It is the trend today to mix different pieces together to create a modern eclectic look. Some breakfast nooks today use 3-seater sofas as banquet seats because they are more flexible than the built-in ones. An eye-catching droplight will be the last touch to set the comfortable yet animated vibe in the area.

Updating Economically

For kitchen makeovers that are workable and within the budget of most people, the direction to follow is to find alternative materials to use instead of their top-of-the-line counterparts. For example, natural granite for counter tops is exquisite, but pricey. There are artificial ones that replicate the real thing. Be resourceful with your choices. Granite tiles are less expensive than the thick slabs. Some durable ceramic tiles can also work to give your kitchen a rustic or homey touch. You could complete this look with metallic elements such as range hoods and cooking appliances with a silver sheen. Some professionally designed kitchen counters and

photo credit: urbaneapts

cabinets have top-of-the-line features that are remote-controlled such as awning-type and swing-type cab faces flipping upward and sideways, spice racks and dish racks automatically opening and closing, and refrigerators and dishwashers concealed with wood cab faces identical to the ones covering the counter cabinets. These kitchen features are custom-made. If you decide to splurge on these luxuries, do consider the functional features first before saying yes to any tempting technological enhancements that suppliers will entice you with.

Investing in quality kitchen equipment and appliances can be expensive but it can save you the hassle of changing or upgrading low-cost ones again and again because of their faultiness and poor quality. You should not fret about the prices of the kitchen appliances though because there will be incredibly high ones and extremely low ones. Choose somewhere in the middle. It’s most likely a compromise between quality and price. There are superior quality range hoods that have unreasonably high prices and second-hand ones that do not have warranty anymore. There are sensibly priced ones from respectable brands that can save you money on maintenance or repair costs.

It is always wise to invest in quality furniture whether you are searching for vintage furniture or only modern interior designs. You cannot just walk into a furniture store and pick the most expensive sofa that appeals to you. The experience is unlike shopping for clothes where you find something beautiful and purchase it on impulse without even trying it on. It is however, somewhat similar to shopping for clothes if you are the type who examines the merchandise thoroughly before buying it; trying it on inside the dressing room, scrutinizing the hems and linings, contemplating on its harmony to the rest of your wardrobe and asking yourself if the price is indeed reasonable. The latter kind of shopping is the one that applies most appropriately to purchasing furniture. Sometimes, you must mull over your decision overnight or longer than that to determine if the furniture piece you had in mind is the most suitable one for your home.

The living room is commonly the most frequented area in the house. The furniture pieces found here are the ones that are used often, and just like any other furniture in your home, it is bound to wear out with continuous use. You must always take into account quality and durability when buying furniture pieces for the living room such as sofas, armchairs and coffee tables. There are plenty of displays in furniture showrooms, in home stores and on the internet, but choosing the right piece of furniture that you will like, one that will suit the interior scheme of the area, satisfy your personal requirements and fit into your budget, is a challenging endeavor.

Normally, you prepare a substantial amount of money for a long period of time so that you can purchase the sofa of your dreams but if by unfortunate circumstance, your current sofa’s frame breaks and you need to replace it immediately, then stay calm and avoid the impulse to buy the first item that you find. If you are dealing with a tight budget in a rough time, hang in there. The remedy is not too difficult to find. There are furniture suppliers in stores and on-line that can provide you a wide selection of quality discount living room furniture that you can consider and pick from.

Selecting the best discount living room furniture

When you need to buy good quality and inexpensive furniture pieces, you have to broaden your horizon with regard to your options. Some of the furniture brands offer remarkable furniture pieces that resemble the more expensive versions found in leading furniture stores. Let’s call it the look for less. Look for brands that offer quality furniture pieces with reasonable prices.

• It is less expensive if you buy furniture pieces in their showrooms rather than in large malls and purely commercial districts because these places are charged for rent and they naturally have to increase the prices of their merchandise. The factory prices are lower and you can be able to look for more designs because they have a wider selection compared to mall branches that primarily gets their stocks in the factories.
• Search for sofas and armchairs whenever there’s a sale in major furniture stores and department stores. You could find high end furniture pieces with big discounts during this time. You do have to be informed early though because you might miss the good ones if you’re late. Keep an eye out for sales on the internet, television and newspapers.
• Look for discount living room furniture sets on-line. They display images of the actual furniture pieces with product descriptions that include features, fabrics, frame materials, etc. The prices are also shown and you can contact the supplier to learn if they have an actual showroom that you can visit to examine the merchandise thoroughly. If in case they don’t have one then you’ll just have to wait for the actual product to be delivered into your place. Just make sure that you have agreed upon return policies in the event that you find something undesirable about the furniture piece you ordered.

You can do a very comprehensive search by checking out the sites of popular furniture brands that offer the best quality furniture at discounted prices or go directly to sites that present a wide selection of discount sofas, armchairs, lounge chairs, coffee tables, etc.  Some of the designs displayed may have been the reproduced versions of famous classic furniture pieces that you want to have in your own home. They could also be original furniture designs that are unique and stylish that other leading furniture brands do not have. You could purchase them and create a different and one-of-a-kind look in your living room.

Shopping at large online sites like Amazon can bring big discounts.  They do not have the overhead costs of showrooms to worry about, and they can offer low prices because they deal in such enormous volumes.

• How about buying them in sets or in bulk in one store so you can make the most of big discounts? Some furniture stores offer packages for the purchase of living room furniture sets. Just be cautious when you are deciding because you might just be lured by the low prices and end up buying the entire set when you only need an armchair. You might reason out that perhaps you might need the other furniture pieces in the future, but if you will only store them in the garage or the attic, you might as well not accept the offer in the first place.

• Look for ready to assemble furniture pieces that are cheaper than their assembled counterparts. This is only if you are actually able to complete the assembly on your own.  For some people, paying extra for having the furniture put together is well worth the price.

So there you are. You’ve been planning out that fabulous new bedroom design and chances are that the idea of choosing the right headboard for your bed never received more than a passing notice. The problem is, the headboard in a master bedroom can really go a long way toward defining the overall look of your special sanctuary. My friend Jasmin, the interior designer, offered me the following ideas and solutions. She gives such poetic answers!

A master of the world, however gallant and undefeated in battles of physical prowess and wars of the wise is no match to the potent arrow of slumber.

He must yield to the incredibly powerful persuasion of sleep.   A headboard suitable for a “master” does not necessarily have to be massive in proportion. What would make it grand is the notion that it fits perfectly with the bedroom occupant’s taste and personality. The headboard presents the bed to the occupant. It must adapt an attractive appeal that can add interest and drama to a simple bedroom. The more fascinating its design and detail the greater is its persuasive sleep inducing power which means that the design should be stylish and fashionable ones, yet tamed and limited as to what is appropriate for a private sleeping quarter. It must not be too bold and loud, which can cause restlessness or a hyper feeling to the occupant. Modern interior design will take this into account while looking for ways to make the headboard a cohesive part of the bedroom’s design.

Traditional headboards

Fashion Bed Group Dexter Headboard

The headboards that conform to the design of the bed in a very consistent way usually have inconspicuous designs that mimic that of the footboard and extend to the design of the base of the bed. Some of these traditional headboards were used during the classical periods thus their features are heavy on carvings and swirling lines such as the elegant brass and iron ones with continuous curves and twisted metal bedposts, and the elaborate hand carved ones that lend a feminine appeal to the bed and even to the entire room. The curtained walls behind the bed served as the headboards for the bed. Functional shelves placed in conventional headboards that had broken pediment motifs with cornices and carvings were also used in the past. Even the headboards that had heavy swags for gracious and exquisite canopies that framed the head of the bed were used in order to be constant and unfailing with the extravagance in the classical design of the entire bedroom.

Modern contemporary headboard designs

The popularity of padded headboards has spiraled in this decade because of the emphasis on luxury and modern elegance. Aesthetic appeal has been redefined and classical carvings have taken a backseat, yet modifications and simplifications of their elaborate silhouettes and details are continually being explored by interior designers who want to incorporate traditional charm into the picture of fresh and current designs. Aside from the fame of linear padded headboards with sleeker forms and monotonous colors, padded bedroom headboard designs have also infused their contribution to modern designs. Large fan-like or shell-like cushioned headboards are combined with curvilinear bed forms and plain platform beds to serve as accent pieces on the back wall of the bedroom where the bed is tucked in. The contrast of the simple and the elaborate work effectively in the modern eclectic mold that innovative interior design trends have embraced, nowadays.

These are a few of the headboards available on Amazon. Click on them to learn more…

Personalized Headboards

It is exciting to create your own headboard. It permits your imagination to wander and allow your resourcefulness and inventiveness to come forth. You need to channel your inner creativity so that you can settle on a headboard design that will truly reflect your personality.

• The most personalized designs are sometimes the ones that come from the favored ideas and preferences of the occupant. For example, a person who is fascinated with flowers can have a padded headboard with floral printed fabric or perhaps a stylized petal shaped headboard carved in wood and painted with a single floral color.
• Materials that are readily available in your home can save you a lot money for fabrication or purchase of a new headboard. The exquisite rustic wood faces of your old cabinets can be recycled as a headboard. All you need is fresh paint or wood stain that can uplift the outdated look of the cabinet façade. With their intricate carvings, fancy knobs or pulls and decorative textures, you are guaranteed with a headboard that’s amazing and infused with unique characteristics that will make it stand out in your bedroom.


• Incorporating themes for your bedroom can also include the different design elements in the room specifically the headboard. Japanese shoji screens used as headboards can represent an Asian element in an eclectic bedroom. Canopied headboards with striking colored fabrics can further define a Moroccan theme for the space just as a plain wood headboard filled with hand paintings of tribal, geometric patterns and bright colors can spell Egyptian or African interior design scheme successfully.
• If you want to explore your creativity with bedroom headboard designs that are structural and functional at the same time, then you can purchase prefab shelves or create your own floating shelves that you can experiment with in terms of orientation, layout and location. Horizontal stripes created by alternating white shelves and black paint can alter the look of your bedroom into a more current and modern design.
• A floor to ceiling headboard with wood plank flooring materials of varying stains piled on top of each other to create large brick patterns is an attractive way to add that extra charm to your well-designed bedroom. You need not limit yourself with the choice of materials. Driftwood, metallic or elegant patterned tiles, decorative latticework screens, large colorful fans and other creative and unexpected materials can make a truly one-of-a-kind headboard that you can claim as your own personal design for the most intimate and significant room in your home.

We need to connect with strangers and re-connect with friends in a place where the vibe is great and the ambiance is brimming with life and leisure. Weekends and summer are the perfect times to frequent these places when people program their minds to think about fun and exciting activities; to dance and party at the hottest clubs in town and to check out hip and newly-opened bars. It is a wonder though how some of these places stay popular and fully packed each Friday night and others change their names or owners after just a short time and close up eventually.

Starting clubs and bars, like all other business ventures, is risky. There are a lot of factors to be weighed and considered if one of these establishments is going to prosper. The owner must know his target market; what age group will be interested in the place, the social status of the people it will attract, and the focus of the bar, which could be the food, the selection and presentation of drinks or the kind of entertainment it will provide, or all of the above. When all of these factors have been analyzed and considered, the next step will be to find out what will make this bar or club stand out from the rest at the onset and what will help it sustain its luster on a long term basis. Advertising is a tool to introduce this bar to the public, however advertising without a concrete idea of the product is a futile task. What this bar needs first and foremost is an evidently fresh design; its own identity.  This is what will create the ambiance of the place which in turn will determine if the bar is worth checking out or not. This is also where modern interior design can come into play.

Imagine a bar with a dining area and a dance floor. You need a huge space for these two main area requirements to fit in. Below are the bar interior design ideas that will come into play in this type of space.

• Spacious Bar lobby

This area should be interesting and well-designed because this will persuade the people to come and join the hyper-energetic vibe of the party going on inside. In most upscale clubs this is equal to an exquisitely luxurious hotel lobby with a grand staircase leading up to the main bar and dance area. Think red carpet and famous celebrities having their pictures taken by the media and local socialites mingling with the most fashionable people in different industries. The bar lobby is where the guest-listed people and VIPs are welcomed so the reception desk should be long to accommodate several event promoters checking who gets in and who stays out.

The queue of party-goers will be designated accordingly, so the aisles should be wide to fit in two to three lines at the entrance and if the space will permit, the exit should be in a different location so the crowd doesn’t get out-of-hand and confused. Some bars that just cater to the drinking group can have the traditional main door that will lead to the dining area and the bar counter directly,  just like in many restaurants.

• Efficient Bar Location

The road to profit for bars is not just in the entrance fees and VIP reservations, but most basically at how many glasses of liquor, cocktail drinks and food are ordered in one night. In that respect, the bar should be visible at first glance when you enter the main area. It is the oasis for alcohol-thirsty clubbers and the means to having an enjoyable time for some visitors. There are clubs with two or more bars, one situated at the center of the dance floor and others at the back of the space where the drinking area is located. Preferably, they are placed at the side of the dance floor as accessible refilling stations.

These bars can be raised to a level higher than the dance floor or vice versa so that area division can be defined.  Often, they look more attractive that way. The multi-leveled steps can be lighted by neon lights or LED so that they glow in the dark. Intoxication blurs the mind but with a little help from well-lit steps, you might still navigate your way through the bar without falling over and spilling your drinks.

• Flexible Dance and Drinking Area

The dance floor should be wide enough to accommodate the throng of dancers in the bar. The choice of floor tiles should be textured and durable so as not to be slippery. The dance area could be elevated or lower than the drinking area or separated by rails for division and also for crowd control however, there are some places where the dance and drinking areas are combined. Pub tables and bar chairs are scattered sporadically on the dance floor where people can place their drinks and rest a while. More often this set-up is for cocktail parties where the crowd is a bit more tamed than in rave parties.

The stage for the spin table of the disk jockey or the ledge for some dancers can be placed in the most outrageous of places. Here the designer can experiment with theatrical and technical designs. The ledges can be revolving or a moving platform form side to side. The spin table can be placed very high to be visible but just enough so the disk jockey can still communicate with the crowd. An interplay of lights for the ledge and the dance floor can be programmed by a computer near the spin table. With audiovisual technology getting more advanced everyday, who knows what the experts can come up with in the future?

• Communal Restrooms

This type of establishment requires numerous restrooms. Its number is dependent on how many people occupy the space. For a bar with a 500 and above person capacity, a male and female restroom can each have 5-8 cubicles or more. The restroom interiors should be consistent with the design of the main bar area and must be adjacent to the dance floor.

• VIP Lounge and Rooms

You might not notice the grand interiors in the dance floor but in the VIP area it will be quite obvious. Lounging in comfortable sofas, poufs and hip-looking stools is a treat when you just want to enjoy your drink and people watch. This area of the bar should be designed with extra care. Materials made of leather are commonly used in sofas and chairs but nowadays we have gotten more creative with modern-looking acrylic and fiberglass chairs. They are easy to clean and maintain especially if they are individual pieces and not built-in. Padded faux velvet walls and commercialized wood veneer are just a few of the durable choices in materials for this area. Structural-looking and accent lighting fixtures in different shapes and color can add a splash of interest to the space.

Recommended Bar Interior Design Books

If you enjoyed this article, you might want to learn more about modern bar interior design by checking out the following titles:

New Bar and Club Design A photographic journey through the best of the newest international bar designs since the turn of the century.

Bar Style: Exclusive Hotels and Members’ Club Bar Design This is a book filled with cutting edge, modern ideas for designing a bar that people will love!  It takes a look at the glamorous hot spots the “coolest of the cool” people love to visit and frequent.

Are you struggling to come up with a theme for your bedroom? Have you narrowed it down to a few choices but just can’t decide? Maybe you are just tired of having a bedroom that is nothing special. You’ve seen the beautiful images in magazines and on websites, but you have no ideas where to even begin because you are sure that those photos you saw could not possibly be a “real” bedroom. If any of these apply to you, or, if you just need some creative bedroom theme ideas, read on. I think we can help. Don’t necessarily take each bedroom idea as a literal set of directions (unless you really like the ideas). Instead, use these ideas as a way to spark your imagination. The bedroom is a very personal area and although functionality is important, it is essential that you take this special space and make it your own personal sanctuary. We all need a special place to call our own. Why not your bedroom?

The possibilities of creating a beautiful bedroom uniquely your own are limitless, but so many possibilities can be pretty intimidating. Each of us has at least an inkling of what her dream bedroom should be like, if not completely wrapped up with the brilliant ideas about it already. Some ideas are not as original as others and others are not as conventional as some. Nevertheless, the essential notion remains; we know what tugs at our hearts and what simply flies swiftly like a nonexistent arrow.

The inspiration comes to you in the form of a sweet dream or as a self-induced daydream. In short, the bedroom theme that you have chosen is part of your fantasy world.  As an example, let’s consider Neverland with Tinker Bell fluttering her wings. What will your bedroom look like?

The first idea that will come to mind for exploration is the color. Olive green painted walls with a portion covered in wallpaper that has a repetition of the abstract image of wings in silver accents against a textured white background. A simple four poster wooden bed with light oak stain and sheer bluish canopy that gathers at the center of the bed can be reminiscent of the forest where Tinker Bell roamed. A unique pendant light with dried intertwining wood stems embraces the elements and makes them whole.

Sleep and awaken with colors

To be enchanted with colors up to the point of obsession can be a good thing only if you do not settle for just one shade of a particular color. To have canary yellow for a favorite color and to apply it liberally in your bed sheets and pillow cases, in the curtains, in the upholstery of the arm chair right across your bed, and to make the biggest faux of all in painting all the walls of your bedroom in canary yellow, is like bathing with a can of paint or wearing yellow colored eyeglasses in order to see everything in one shade. The secret approach that will save you from dull monotony is to play with the shades of one color and experiment with the patterns that you can infuse such as floral, plaids and stripes. They regulate the strong effect of color and create variety.  Try painting one wall the lightest shade of yellow for emphasis and hang either silver frames or bright yellow frames that will pop out on the wall.

Tropical paradise in your slumber

It would be amazing to wake up in a bedroom overlooking a sprawling sandy beach and gave upon a captivating sunrise every morning. Recapturing this in your bedroom would mean embracing tropical elements such as wicker furniture, slatted ceilings with wooden beams, capiz shells and wooden sliding doors, a rough textured crafted hardwood bed with sturdy base with slatted post headboard, etc. A ceiling fan made of weaved rattan and wrought-iron support is a suitable lighting fixture for this type of bedroom. The room corners can be decorated with big potted plants with gigantic leaves resembling banana leaves and a bird-of-paradise plant placed as a focal element for the area near the window. Interesting decors such as sea shells, dried corals and twigs can be combined to make beautiful mobiles to hang from the ceiling, or they can be made into bead curtains and wall accents. The use of thin and transparent gauzelike curtains that are easily blown away by the wind exudes an undeniably tropical vibe.
Some ideas from Amazon…

Vintage sleeping quarters

Have you ever slept in a room filled with history and character? From the antique bed with brass frame that was inherited from your grandmother, hand-me-down dressing table mirror your great aunt left with your mother, a rustic wooden chest your grandfather’s best friend exchanged with him, to the modified rococo bergere with floral patterned upholstery that your childhood neighbor let go of  in their garage sale  10 years ago. It seems you have collected pieces that are worth treasuring, and by adding your own special historic items such as your first portrait, framed in carved wood,  or some other memory filled item,you are engaging in the adventures of the past as well as capturing the essence of your present in relation to your past.

Eclectic elegance in your bedroom

Moroccan elements have a genuinely exotic feel that can stand out in any interior. The use of colorful Moroccan poufs and colored glass with metal detail chandeliers are attractive decors that can enliven a bedroom.  A classic oriental opium bed with all-white bed sheets and pillow cases, simple bedside tables with inconspicuous moldings, and a modified Queen Anne wing chair with a plain velvet purple seat and back cushions can awe you.  Eclectic interiors have no known boundaries and limitations save for the idea that all of the elements, though varying in style and origin, will be fused and matched until they will no longer seem different but parts of a whole.

Lucky is the individual who sleeps in a hammock with the forest as his bedroom. Fortunate is a man who builds skyscrapers in his dreams while covered with a silver and black striped comforter inside a spacious and modern minimalist bedroom in a masculine and elegant penthouse. Privileged is the woman who breathes peacefully into the deepest caverns of her subconscious beneath floral patterned sheets and pillows in a luxurious bed with lacy bed skirting and a thin silky canopy that falls down gracefully to the delicately carpeted floor. The decorating choices we make, even with the simple issue of bedroom themes, reflects the yearnings of our souls.