A Scattering of Cushions

When moving into rented accommodation which has been let fully furnished the chances are the furniture will not be wholly to personal taste or choice. However, there is an easy solution, by using throws and cushions a rented property can very quickly be personalised and be transformed into a home very simply and stylishly.

Throws can be used on the sofa and chairs in the lounge to bring a clean feel to the room, a scattering of cushions with contrasting or coordinating colours and textures can be used to add the finishing touches.

Chocolate Afghan Cushion

Tactile Afghan cushions with a matching suedette fabric back are a fashionable accessory which will look great on sofa, there are some trendy colours to choose from including a funky chocolate and bright vivid red which coordinated beautifully with cream throws.

A variety of different cushions made from mixture of fashionable fabrics and textures offers a brilliant visual effect to liven up a dull and tired looking sofa.

A two tone cushion with a modern embroidered suede design are stylish and chic, suitable for all styles of traditional and modern suites and chairs. Burgundy red and cream look striking against a plain throw adding an subtle injection of colour into the room.

Having to constantly worry about spills and marks can make life very stressful, the great advantage of using a throw to cover or partly cover a suite or chairs is that the chances of any accidental spills marking the landlord’s suite are reduced. Cushions and throws are machine washable and can be kept looking at their best for a long time, as they are inexpensive, they provide a cost effect method of having peace of mind and enjoying a home.

Window dressings can also be a problem in rented property, like the furnishings they are not always to personal taste or choice. A great way to freshen a room is to use silk curtains in colours which match or coordinate with the cushions and throws. This light weight fabric does not require curtain tracks they can be hung from fashionable curtain poles and swept open from the centre to provide a stunning window dressing.

Fashionable flock printed faux silk curtains provide a touch of elegance to a room which look equally stunning when used as the sole window treatment or used with blinds to soften the edges of the window.

Duck egg blue faux silk curtains with an unusual contemporary flower design in black velvet effect provides a chic and stylish window treatment to compliment both traditional and modern furniture. Alternatively a taffeta curtain with vertical stripes will provide the illusion of height and space as the vertical lines draw the eye upwards. Colours such as onyx, with dramatic dark colours are the ideal choice for creating a orderly and elegant look in a dining area, while a rich colour such as peacock with small diamantes embroidered onto the faux silk offers a touch of flamboyancy and flair to a bedroom, using contrasting coloured faux silk cushions piled at the head of the bed adds a touch of stylish luxury.

Let the Sun Shine In

Make the most of the autumn sun and use vertical blinds stacked back to allow natural light to fill a conservatory to provide warmth. If, due to privacy stacking the blinds back fully is not an option the versatility of the blinds enables the veins to be tilted to offer both light and privacy.

Vertical Blinds

The wide range of vertical blinds available make them the perfect choice of window and door treatments in a conservatory, beautiful pale and neutral colours coordinate with furnishings to give a stylish and modern look.
Conservatory furniture made from cane or wood need to be protected from the ultra violet rays of the sun to help reduce fading. Dim out vertical blinds made from 100% polyester flame retardant fabric are ideal for providing much needed shading.

Vertical blinds are available ready made, which are easy to fit and can be shortened by simply adjusting the length of each vein. Alternatively a wide range of ‘made to measure’ blinds are also available, providing blinds to fit windows and sliding doors exactly, with an option as to which side the blind stacks back.

A beautiful sleek and stylish look can be achieved by using fabric vertical blinds which have a subtle jacquard leaf pattern in white or cream, coordinated with fabric curtains in any room, blinds which are made from damp resistant fabrics are the best choice for bathroom or kitchen use.

Contrasting or coordinated curtains can be used in conjunction with a vertical blind to offer a more traditional style of window dressing. With the vast range of discount fabrics to choose from curtains made with deep headings, swags and tails can be left undisturbed at night with privacy being provided by closing the veins of the blind, providing a window treatment that looks stylish at all times.

Vertical blinds have seen a huge revival in recent years as the range of colours and patterns continues to increase. The traditional white ‘office’ like appearance has been replaced with soft pastel shades and vibrant colours to suit all styles of homes and decors. The versatility of vertical blinds makes them an extremely cost effective and durable window dressing as well as replacing traditional net curtaining in a modern approach in offering privacy throughout the home. Vertical blinds are easy to maintain and keep pristine with a variety of different cleaning options such as wipe clean, hand washable and machine washable veins available.

Vibrant blue provides of crisp clean look which can be used effectively in a guest room, for a warmer feel a salmon pink or deep red blinds coordinated with neutral tones or creams are ideal choices.

For a trendy and fashionable contemporary look, slate greys or blacks are the perfect choice when coordinated with white or deep rich coloured furnishings and décor. A minimalist look can be achieved by using the sleek and unfussy elegance of black or white vertical blinds as the sole window treatment with stylish, yet simple furnishings which have clean straight lines.

Invisible Blinds and Curtains

The key to good interior design is consistency and coherence: ensuring that the various elements in your room complement each other and create a balance that gives the room the effect that you are looking for.
Blending different colours and textures through your choice of furniture, wall coverings, and details requires careful thought and consideration so that the room looks and feels right.  At all stages of the interior design process you need to consider what impact each individual addition will have on the whole, and determine whether it creates the right effect for your room.
Minimalism is really “in” at the moment, and this fantastic look can be difficult to achieve, as even the most discerning designer will sometimes find that they clutter their vision with unnecessary additions to the room.
While some consider the stark and geometric look of a truly minimalist room to be a little soulless, it is the ability to use the room as a canvas, and bring out the true character with tiny well thought out details that truly impresses your own personality on the space.
Paring a room back to the basics to achieve a truly clean and breathtaking minimalism often confounds designers, but thanks to a new range of invisible blinds, curtains and drapes from top Scandinavian design house uFul, it is now easier than ever to bring a modern and clean feel to any room in your apartment.

Invisible Traditions

Impact of Invisible Curtains

Of course, invisible curtains will complement any room.  Here, they are used strikingly within a traditional living room to create a quirky and individual living space, where a fruit bowl on the footstool is used to whimsical effect.

Classic Invisible Living

Class Invisible Curtains

By combining the invisible curtains with a range of plants, this room within the Glen Campbell Castle Hotel brings the outside in to create a natural and beautiful space.  Views of the misty mountains in the background are juxtaposed with the unexpected inclusion of a teddy bear chair to show how stunning invisible window dressing can elevate an ordinary domestic scene to one of artistic perfection.

Invisible Minimal, Chic

Huge impact of the invisible blinds

In this room by noted designer Aaron Zed, the theme of the unseen is brought to a stunning conclusion.  Inspired by the uFul invisible Venetian blinds that he used on all 4 windows in this installation, the designer sourced an invisible rug and incorporated the latest air chairs from the leading Swiss furniture makers Fflid to create a truly open and inspiring room.  This room won the gold frame award at the 2008 International Interiors Symposium, and was nominated for a coveted Misoke leaf.

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Bedazzling Bathroom Blinds

Every home has its own unique interior design which portrays the occupants fashion taste and style. With the recent fall in house prices in the UK many people are preferring to spend money on re-decorating their homes rather than move.

Changing the theme of a room is an ideal way to bring a completely new look with little cost. With a fresh coat of paint on the walls, a new window dressing and a little inspiration a room can be transformed!

Small bathrooms with a cottage appeal can be achieved by using neutral tones to maximise both light and space with a roman blind in delightful soft tones of pink and green fabrics to add a cottage garden feel, the same or coordinating fabrics can be used to create chair cushions and for the more adventurous a strip of the fabric sewn along the width of a towel adds interest when folded over a towel rail to complete the look!

Family bathrooms can be decorated with fun themes such as beaches and underwater scenes which will be appreciated by the younger members of a family. Natural stone and pebble colours are ideal for walls while the window dressing can continue the theme with fish patterns or cheap roller blinds which depict oceanic blue shore lines. Focal points such as fish shaped towel rails and mirrors are both a practical and fun way to bring the theme together.

For a completely different look walls can be painted in rich warm tones of pink and purples to create a warm and relaxing atmosphere. Roman blinds with overall patterning in coordinating colour tones such as gold add a touch of sophistication and elegance to a bathroom. A classical white suite and wicker baskets filled with sensuous potpourri scents and an abundance of candles provides a very romantic space in which to relax at the end of a long day.

Oak Bamboo Wood Roman Blind

White bathroom suites combined with sleek dark wood furniture adds real sophistication to the room. An oak coloured wood weave roman blind at the window continues the theme by using natural materials while also providing privacy and a practical window treatment which is easy to wipe clean. Additional touches such as soft, fluffy white towels and exotic flower displays bring the entire theme together beautifully.

The latest fashion trends in bathrooms includes roll top free-standing baths, these offer a truly elegant feel to a bathroom. Roman blinds which fall in gentle folds and give a ruche appearance soften the window especially when two tones of colours are used on the blind by way of pretty delicate bows. Coordinating fabrics can be introduced on chair cushions to offer a truly stunning place to unwind and de-stress.

Alternatively, wet rooms are also becoming increasingly popular in contemporary bathroom designs. Patterned or vibrant coloured roman blinds at the window allows natural light to flood the room through opaque or frosted glass during the day and at night can be fully let down to provide much needed privacy.

Home From Home

Moving home is among the most stressful situations in modern life. People move home due to all manner of reasons, some through choice such as more space is needed with a growing family or job relocations. With the country’s current economical situation many people are giving very serious consideration to moving home in an attempt to reduce their monthly expenditure, however, the housing market at present is also finding it extremely difficult as new mortgages are not being considered by many financial institutions as well as the value of houses being on a downward trend.

Those who already have their house on the market are being advised to make their homes as appealing as possible without spending excessive amounts of money in an attempt to make a sale. One of the most effective selling strategies is to completely de-clutter to show potential buyers the optimum space available in every room.

It is well known that a clean appearance inside and out will attract more potential buyers through the door, first impressions really do count, the photograph or videos shown by estate agents can make all the difference to the numbers of potential buyers. Therefore, each room should have sparklingly clean windows inside and out and fashionable window treatments, house viewer’s eyes will automatically be drawn to natural light sources. Curtains made from modern or classical printed materials which are hung from traditional curtain tracks offer an elegant style which shows beautiful pleats and folds in the fabric. When swept open from the centre and held in place with tiebacks a chic window dressing can easily be achieved.

Leaving the curtains and tracks in place and including them either in the price of the house or as a negotiable extra is now common place, more particularly if the curtains are made from high quality materials and fabrics which compliment the room’s interior design colours. Many people do not have the spare cash once they have moved to buy window treatments throughout the house, therefore making a point of telling potential buyers that they will remain is an all important selling point.

Having said this, bare in mind that everyone’s taste differs and therefore for people to actually want the curtains left they have to be of a good quality, in colours and patterns which are attractive and in styles which suit the style and age of the house.

Curtain Fabric

If curtains have been made to compliment soft furnishings then it may well be more economical to take them from home to home, this is dependant on the new windows being of the same size and proportions. It may be relatively simple to make curtains which are too large smaller but should they be too small a whole new approach will be needed! Adding contrasting strips of fabric to the edges and along the top and bottom may prove effective in providing a fashionable look when a fabric with a contrasting texture such as faux suede is used, a bold contrast colour or pattern may offer a new lease of life to plain curtains especially if the accent colour is chosen to match a new home’s décor.

Make a Real Entrance

Hallways should be given as much attention to detail in terms of interior design style as any other room in a home. First impressions really do count, therefore it is essential to make a hallway elegant, chic and stylish in colours and tones which are stunning and practical.

Many hallways are small spaces with a narrow passage with the stairs situated to one side. Creating an illusion of space and light is paramount in this style of hallway. The use of mirrors can be used to throw natural and artificial light into darker areas, along with white or cream walls and paintwork which is easy to wipe down and keep clean. Front doors with glass panels offer natural light during the day, however at night not only will there be no natural light, the glass panels will allow passers by to see inside when the interior hallway light is switched! Having a full or half length door curtain made from discount fabrics can be used to provide privacy and are also a great way to add a splash of colour and pattern into the hall.

Spacious hallways typically found in larger homes are great for providing a wide variety of both traditional and modern interior designs. Door curtains can be made along with coordinating cushions or chair seat covers to provide an elegant and well designed interior. Large mirrors placed on the wall above an occasional table will be useful for the last minute personal appearance checks before walking outside, a habit which no one can resist! The occasional table is also the ideal place for a beautiful table lamp. The light from the lamp will bounce off from the mirror and provide much needed lighting during the evenings. A table lamp is often used in a hallway for added security as filtrations of diffused light will be seen from outside, giving the illusion of the home being occupied.

Belle Epoque Curtain Fabric

Elegant dark mahogany wood half circle tables are ideal for a large hallway to provide an area for a lamp and to display vases of flowers which coordinated with polished mahogany banister look stunning. Dark furniture works well with rich colours to provide a smart and stylish first impression. Door curtains made from fabulous discount fabrics such as Rene Mackintosh with stunning design patterns which are available in two pattern sizes, offers a striking and elegant entrance, the smaller pattern is perfect for covering an antique chair or to make cushions for a completely coordinated and sophisticated design style.

Smaller hallways decorated in crisp clean white with complimentary discount fabrics with contemporary design patterns and colours are ideal for modern houses and stylish hallways, adding a much needed splash of colour when used as a beautiful door curtain. If there is insufficient room for a table and lamp, a stylish floor light or wall lights will provide gentle lighting effects. The key factor with a hallway is to make sure it is left uncluttered. Shoes and coats can be stylish arranged on modern or traditional shoe racks and coats look far better hung on a stand rather than thrown carelessly over the newel post and banister if there is no cupboard or cloakroom to put them in!

Princesses and Pirates!

The choice of interior design in children’s bedroom looks great when a continuation of the home’s style is incorporated. This approach to children’s bedroom design is useful for more traditional style or older homes when existing focal points such as alcoves and large windows and used to keep the overall character of the home.

Victorian homes with large windows which have been stripped of paint and returned to the natural wood or given a fresh coat of white paint offer the opportunity to dress the window with fabrics which are designed especially for children. There are many different children’s curtain fabrics available to suit toddlers and very young children. Delightful pastel printed fabrics depicting zoo animals or the letters of the alphabet provide a charming and appropriate fabric which can be made into full length curtains, lining the curtains will provide extra heat insulation, reduce light and provide an elegance in the pleats and folds of the fabric. The material is easy care polyester cotton and available in blue or pink making it ideal for coordinating with walls and accessories in the same colour tones, whites or creams.

Wooden window frames look striking when dressed with children’s curtain fabrics with primary checks with a superb satin effect finish. This fabric combines the colours of the rainbow into a fantastic chequered pattern to coordinate and contrast with any colour scheme for both boys and girls. This modern fabric is also available in wipe clean PVC fabric to use as table and floor mats for protection from paint and glue when a junk modelling activity is taking place!

Children's curtain fabric

Little girls will adore a bedroom which is fit for a princess! Charming printed curtains with a Pretty Princess theme are ideal for children’s bedrooms of all sizes. The pastel colour tones used in this children’s curtain fabric offer a multitude of different principle colours within a room. The great advantage in choosing fabric to make curtains is the opportunity it provides to make a whole host of matching accessories such as cushions and draw-string bags to help the room tidy.

Boys will be delighted with a curtain fabric with a nautical theme in blue, green squares and cream background offers a unusual patchwork effect material. Each square has a cartoon style drawing, including a scull and crossbones for intrepid pirates!

Plain fabrics in pastel and primary shades are the ideal solution for making curtains which will do not date. Pretty lilacs and pinks are typically favoured for use in girl’s bedrooms while traditional blues suit a boy perfectly!

Fabrics made with 100% natural material with a delightful patchwork effect of a plain pastel colour with a coordinating gingham in small checks of white and the same colour tone as the alternating ‘patches’ offers a beautiful children’s curtain fabric in a range of different shades to add a touch of charm to a child’s bedroom. This timeless children’s curtain fabric offers window treatments which suit both traditional and contemporary interior design styles perfectly. Accessories such as lamp shades and duvet covers are easily coordinated with this appealing fabric.

Sensuous and Sexy!

Traditional wedding gifts included receiving countless gifts which were either duplicated, impractical or the taste and style of the sender rather than the newly weds! Latest wedding trends include the use of on-line wedding gift lists which can be complied by the couple directing family and friends to the exact web sites and items from which to chose their purchase.

A Janet Reger J’adore duvet cover in pure white cotton and a delicate floral inspired border offers classical yet very chic bedding. The range also has a variety of matching pillow cases and accessories which can be requested on the gift list as complete or individual items to suit different guest’s budgets.

Bedding has always been included on a wedding gift list, however as many couples live together before they marry they may already have a colour scheme and interior design style for their bedroom. Nowadays it is wholly acceptable for many couples to dictate colours and styles on their gift list to ensure that presents received are both needed and more importantly actually liked!

Janet Reger Opium Duvet Cover

Designer Janet Reger has included a dramatic Opium range to her collection. This striking bedding in a contemporary wine colour with bold, black velvety print creates a dramatic look which is sensuous and sexy, the perfect gift for ’just married’ couples of any age!

If this kind of wedding gift list is not forthcoming and a more traditional approach taken guests who elect to buy bedding are probably best to err on the side of caution and purchase white or cream as these neutral colours coordinated beautifully within both traditional and modern homes. Embroidered bedding sets provide an ideal wedding gift with a wide range of different styles and designs available to chose from.

A cream and gold bedding set comprising of a duvet cover and matching pillow shams provides a real touch of luxury and understated opulence to a bedroom. The gold fabric sewn across the top section of the duvet cover and down one side of the pillow shams offers glamour with a texture reminiscent of satin. The ribbon stitching adds the perfect finish to this delightful and practical bedding set given to the couple as a wedding gift.

White bedding made in the EU in 100% cotton jacquard offers a very high quality duvet and matching pillow cases at exceptional value. This superb bedding is available in double bed, king size and super king size to suit both traditional and modern homes of every shape and size making this the ideal wedding gift.

Just married couples who are attempting to reduce their carbon footprint will adore a warm bedspread to snuggle into during the winter nights or simply to add a touch of elegance to their bedroom design. The latest interior design fashion trends include using a bedspread neatly folded back to the foot of the bed to add texture and contrast to a room.

A elegant and luxurious embroidered bedspreads with intricate stitching designs, is available with two matching pillow shams in the most indulgent chocolate brown, the perfect bedspread for a just married couple!

Wooden Blinds Offer Privacy and Protection

Hardwood Venetian Blinds

The great advantage of a holiday home is that it can be furnished in a style which is complete contrast to the principle home, incorporating the country’s interior design styles, colour schemes and local trends.

Ensuring that a holiday home is secure when it is unused is essential, many countries use wooden blinds and shutters to keep the sun from making the interior too hot and providing protection for furniture from fading in the sun as well as complete security. Wooden blinds offer practical qualities extremely well as the sun resistant lacquer treatments help reduce fading, while also offering complete privacy when the louvers are tilted or completely closed for homes without shutters.

Holiday homes typically have interior designs which are relaxing and informal, perfect for holidays! A diversity of different articles purchased from local second hand shops create a fashionable shabby chic interior by using an assortment of furniture styles and display items.

Discount fabrics brought in the UK to make window dressings, re-cover chairs and cushions are the ideal solution to provide these necessities at a fraction of the cost of buying abroad. Keeping the interior design style of a particular country can be easily achieved by selecting fabric colours and patterns which are typical of the country.

French holiday homes, with wooden blinds to reduce heat and provide gentle diffused lighting effects and curtains, re-covered chairs and cushions made from a traditional style etoile fabric in blue, red or green coordinated with checks or stripes in the same colour tones provides a stunning interior design style which is typical in France. The French have variations of net curtains which differ from the UK, the latest trends are to have voile curtains with a pointed end from which tassels and beads are hung. These styles of curtains are made to fit without pleating and gathering, the effect is simple yet effective in providing privacy.

A Spanish holiday home looks stunning when decorated with plain discount fabrics in bright sky blues, cerise pinks and yellows. Plain fabrics look fantastic against wooden blinds and coordinated with plain or patterned furnishings. Many plain or semi plain fabrics are reversible making them stunning when viewed from inside and outside.

UK holiday homes are open to a wide variety of different interior design styles. Floral fabrics in rose pinks and greens offer a cottage garden look which coordinates beautifully with light coloured wooden blinds such as maple or pine. Soft furnishings in checks and stripes compliment and complete the look.

Interior design themes used for holiday homes near the sea which include wooden blinds which have been painted white and fabrics with different width stripes in shades of navy blue and white offer a nautical feel and clean lines. Display items such as sea shells collected from the beach or old lobster pots make striking focal points in a bathroom.

Whether a holiday home is abroad or in the UK the range of wooden blinds and huge varieties of discount fabrics can be effectively used to create a stunning interior very cost effectively in any style of home.

A Voyage of Discovery

The county’s present financial down turn has left it extremely hard for first time buyers to get onto the property ladder. As such there are many people who are choosing to renting houses up and down the country and wait for mortgages and banks to sort themselves.

There are houses of every architectural shape and size to choose from, however the least expensive and usually those which are older style terraces which may have been decorated or renovated on a low budget. These types of houses are a real voyage of discovery and can be transformed into desirable residences by adding a few personal touches and striking window dressings.

Houses and apartments which the landlord has carpeted will benefit greatly by using rugs on the high traffic areas such as a hallway and main walk through places in the living and dining areas. Rugs can also be used effectively to hide any inherited stains or marks as well as providing a personal touch to make the house feel like home. They are equally useful for covering coloured or patterned carpets which do not coordinated with any furniture or soft furnishings when renting an unfurnished property.

There are a wide variety of rugs available in a variety of different styles and designs. Neutral tones of beiges with a bold coloured contemporary pattern design or dark black with white spirals

Ming Spiral Rug

look striking against wood effect flooring or pale carpets. Large rectangular classical design rugs with a plain main colour and beautiful geometric borders are the perfect choice for both dining and living areas.

Shiraz Border Rug

Bedrooms also benefit from the use of rugs either at each side of the bed to provide luxurious comfort and softness to step onto or at the foot of the bed offering a chic and sophisticated focal point to the room. Super soft plain coloured shag pile rugs are ideal for using with patterned carpets while looking equally effective against wooden flooring.

When renting a home short term it may not be cost effective to practical to spend excessive amounts on window dressings. There are a whole host of cheap roller blinds that look great in any room. With a wide variety of plain, patterned or wood weave roller blinds to choose from making every room personal is very easy to do. High quality cheap roller blinds are easy to use on any shape or size window, available in different width sizes which are easily trimmed for a perfect fit inside the window recess. Black out roller blinds are the perfect solution to eliminate all unwanted light which is particularly useful in a bedroom, they are available in both light and dark colours.

Plain roller blinds look great with patterned walls, patterned roller blinds can be used to coordinate or contrast with both traditional and modern style homes and soft furnishings.

Cheyenne Roller Blinds

Cheap roller blinds in fashionable faux suede and linen in neutral tones and colour coordinated mechanisms provide a touch of luxury to a living, dining or bedroom which coordinates with natural coloured rugs very effectively.