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Up the texture In a neutrally decorated room – or one that’s all about understated, minimalist style – adding a piece of buttoned furniture will introduce subtle but much-needed texture, upping the room’s appeal. Picking a fabric with a visible weave – such as a slubby linen – will further enhance the effect.
Go over the top Decorating a room successfully is all about layering – and you can apply that to buttoning, too. What probably won’t work is choosing three pieces of matching furniture, all buttoned in the same style. An easier look to work is going for pieces that complement each other, but don’t match – and each with buttoning in different scales, as seen here.
Know your lampshades Wall lights are a highly practical choice for hallways, because they take up no floor or tabletop space – which should be jealously guarded in a narrow space. Choosing slim shades is a must – but so is picking pale-coloured, drum-shaped designs that throw light evenly both upwards and downwards, and diffuse it softly outwards, too.
Group for effect As we all know, good lighting isn’t just about, er, light – it’s also about the fittings themselves and the impression they create. A grouping of pendant lights – a big trend in dining rooms – makes for both a practical and decorative lighting solution in a hallway, too. It creates a pretty focal feature that takes up no floor space and casts plenty of light about.
Come out of the shade Believe it or not, there are decorator’s rules that apply even to the size of a lampshade relative to its base – and thank goodness because there are so many on offer, it would otherwise be a rather random business of trial and error. Follow these points and you won’t go wrong. The height of the shade should be roughly three-quarters of the height of the base, while the widest part of the shade should measure about the same as the height of the base. If you’re stuck deciding between sizes, go for the larger of the two as the light distribution will be better – unless you have a tall, narrow base, in which case a smaller shade will look more elegant!
Have a light-bulb moment When choosing the right pendant or chandelier to hang above a dining table, aim for a fitting that is between half and two-thirds of the width of the table. This will ensure everything is in proportion. The same rule can be applied to long, slim light fittings, such as the one in this contemporary barn conversion space: by maintaining the same half-to-two-thirds ratio, but applying it to the table’s length, the light fitting is a harmonious part of the room.
Keep kitchen standards It goes without saying that there are countless essential measurements that go into creating a kitchen that’s aesthetically pleasing – not to mention safe. Standard kitchen units measure between 60cm and 70cm in depth, including worktop. The minimum safe distance between two opposite rows of base units is 120cm, as it allows for safe movement even when the doors or drawers are open. However, this can be squeezed to a metre depending on the overall design of the room and the number of people who will be using it at the same time. The smallest recommended size for a kitchen island is 100cm x 100cm, and for under-counter bar stools you’ll need to allow a minimum of 30cm of worktop overhang.
Keep kitchen standards It goes without saying that there are countless essential measurements that go into creating a kitchen that’s aesthetically pleasing – not to mention safe. Standard kitchen units measure between 60cm and 70cm in depth, including worktop. The minimum safe distance between two opposite rows of base units is 120cm, as it allows for safe movement even when the doors or drawers are open. However, this can be squeezed to a metre depending on the overall design of the room and the number of people who will be using it at the same time. The smallest recommended size for a kitchen island is 100cm x 100cm, and for under-counter bar stools you’ll need to allow a minimum of 30cm of worktop overhang.
One of the most important rules for hanging pictures and paintings is not to position them too high. They should have a human scale – that is to say, they should be hung in relation to the people in the room, not the room itself. The perfect height is at average eye level, which is approximately 145cm from the floor to the centre of the picture. If you are hanging a gallery wall, as in this image, the main picture should be hung at eye level, with the others arranged in relation to it. There are exceptions, however: if you have a favourite, smaller picture, try hanging it above a sidetable or next to a lamp, which will give it a more intimate scale.
Like a pair of trousers that are too short, curtains should never hang at half-mast. To show yours off to their best effect, ensure that they either ‘kiss’ the floor – such as the beautiful ones in this open-plan living space – or puddle luxuriously. The combined width of your curtain panels should be one and a half to two times the width of the window itself. For extra-wide windows, such as this one, it’s worth looking at double-width fabrics (generally up to 300cm) as there will be fewer fabric joins.
Children's Art
Library feel with full height bookshelf
Colour Palette
Colour Palette
Colour Palette
Colour Palette
Colour palette
Colour palette
I like the rim around the inside of the bookshelves. Frames them.
Interesting for kitchen window.
I like this irregular pattern for a runner.
Nice use of internally different colours to add life tot h white.
Nice room, but perhaps a splash ore colour could really make It work for us.
Wide floor boards for downstairs.
Wide floorboards for downstairs in house.
TV's that look like art.
Grey and Salmon Pink?
Like the loose cover idea to wash regularly if you have children.
Like the pale wood look
Shine a light on texture
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