With Christmas approaching fast now is the time to think of which members of your family or friends will be coming to stay to join in the festivities at your home! Therefore it also means that you have more than enough time to spruce up your guest room to make you guests feel really welcome.

Natural and neutral colours coordinate effortlessly with existing decors

You don’t have to completely re-decorate to liven up a guest room and give it a new lease of life, you can simply buy some cheap bedding to bring a fresh, new look to the room. Look out for special offers and discounts which are currently available which offer real value for money.

There are big advantages to buying quality cheap bedding;

• Firstly it will last you much longer than inferior bedding which can be prone to piling, that’s the name given to those horrible little bobbles which are so irritating against your skin!

• Superior bedding will also not fade and take on a washed out appearance which simply does nothing for your satisfaction or morale!

• Cheap bedding does not mean you have to have second best when you buy special offers and genuinely discounted prices from reliable and reputable retailers.

• Paying low prices means that you won’t feel that you are wasting money when you simply tire of the pattern or colour or when you re-decorate and change the colour scheme in your bedrooms.

Opt for colours which coordinate with your existing décor if you don’t want to re-decorate. Neutrals are the ideal choice as they blend effortlessly with any colour. Matching curtains and accessories will give a look of cohesion and balance to the room.

If you have wonder how beautiful swag and tail windows dressings are created then you may be surprised to know that swag creators are used!

Swag Creator

A swag creator basically does what its name implies! You simply push your chosen curtain material through the especially designed curled swag creator and hey presto you have the elegant look you desire!

Having swag and tail curtains are usually left in place rather than drawing them closed each evening. Privacy is provided by having a coordinated or contrasting roller blind. Another cost advantage of swag and tail window dressings is that you do not need to use as much fabric as you would with curtains which are drawn closed. It’s the illusion of the elegant refinement that is much loved and makes this style of window treatment increasingly popular in both traditional and modern homes.

You can of course elect to have made to measure curtains and even have then hung in your home by the professionals, again you may be surprised to know that this personal service is not as expensive as you may think, of course depending on which company you ask!

Patel shades are ideal for virtually every room in your home, sherbet colours are the ‘new’ pastels with names such as candy floss pink being among the latest sherbet colour trends. The great advantage with the pastel or sherbet shades is that you can mix a wide variety of colours, fabrics and textiles along with older styled furniture to create rooms which are visually appealing with their own charm and unique look.

This is very useful if you are trying to create a unique look on a tight budget. Mixing striped or checked fabrics with floral patterns is a great way to inject subtle touches of colours which harmonise effortlessly with each other.

Raspberry Meribelle Curtain Fabric

If you prefer more vibrancy within your home the psychedelic swirls and patterns of the sixties are back in interior design trends in a big way this year. Covering a chair or making cushions with these gorgeous colours is the ideal way to inject colour into your home effectively.

Lavender and green make stunning colour combinations which bring a relaxed and informal look to your home. These colours are a clever combination of using warm and cold colours with great effect which are ideal for the winter months, as well as inspirational for spring. In fact the colours are so versatile they look crisp and clean when used in virtually every room in your home.

Although one of this year’s interior design trends to to keep homes clutter free there is a vast difference between clutter free and minimalist. If you adore reading or thumbing through the pages of style books for home inspirational concepts and ideas having them neatly stacked under a glass top table is an effect way of storage which looks homely as well as neat and tidy!

Lavender and green colour combinations

Using vibrant colours as window dressings is also an effective way of brightening a room. Whilst the use of Roman style blinds enables up to adjust the height level to prevent harsh sunlight without making a room dark and gloomy.

Image: My Notting Hill

Natural Milano Carolina Natural Vertical Blind

The popularity of using vertical blinds as window dressing continues to grow from strength to strength as the range of colours has expanded from the classical white and cream to colours to suit modern and contemporary styles home interiors.

The days of only being able to find metal aluminium blinds has long gone, nowadays there a wide choice of vertical blinds made from fabric as well as the traditional metal, however the one big difference is the durability combined with practicality which has seen many homes choose vertical blinds for every room in the house, not just the kitchen and the bathroom.

The colour ways, patterns and virtually noiseless operating systems have also been keeping in touch with modern technologies and innovations, the clanking metal blinds which were first seen in offices back in the 1960s have long gone.

Today you can find a vertical blind which will suit any purpose and room, from classical white which remains extremely popular to the bright and pastel shades which are the ideal solution for lounges and bedrooms.

Long before fitted kitchens became in-vogue people used fabrics rather than doors to cover shelving to provide a neat and tidy look to a kitchen. The old adage ‘what goes around comes around’ has once again been proven to be true, as country style cottages are in-trend and fitted kitchens are taking a back seat in the world of interior design.

Image: AtticMag

The great advantage of having fabric rather than doors is that they are a very cost effective way of bring a kitchen a whole new lease of life! Simply by changing the material, kitchens can be transformed easily to suit the personality and style of the home you live in.

For a Shaker style opt for plain fabrics rather than patterned, natural fabrics in neutral colours will provide the desired affect wonderfully. Whilst the quintessential English country cottage style can be emulated with brightly coloured Gingham or floral fabrics.

It is always advisable to select fabrics which is easy to launder, such as polyester, cotton or combinations of these two materials for use in kitchens, as it is far easier and a more economically viable option than silks or organzas which may need to be dry cleaned!

Magnolia and brown soft furnishings are seeing a revival in many modern homes, however this time around they are being referred to as ‘coffee and cream’.

Image: AtticMag

These two colour tones work so well together that are a staple of many people’s home décor from living spaces to bedrooms. Beautiful chic styles can easily be achieved with many retailers offer both country cottage styles of bedding and contemporary styles using these two colours.

For those who like these colours and have furnishings and furniture which incorporates them can easily up-date their interior by opting for cafe au lait and Jersey cream rather than the older styles of magnolia and chocolate brown.

Changing the window dressing in a room an also give an instant up-lift to a room, using lightweight fabrics such as silk and organza to create chic and elegant style or natural fabrics which coordinate beautifully with the informal yet stylish looks.

Adding unusual touches of informal picture boards rather than expensive wall art is another way people can transform the look ans style of their homes on a budget.

Image: AtticMag

It’s hot and sultry at nights during the summer and for some strange reason the majority of people who live in the UK can never quite fathom out what to do to reduce the heat in their bedrooms!

Image: A Cup Of Jo

Ultimately air conditioning is the answer, however for the few nights which make sleeping difficult air con may not be a very cost effective way of keeping cool. Opening the windows may help, but if you live in a city, the continuous noise may also prevent you from sleeping peacefully!

Having bedroom décor which is cool to the eye is a great way to embrace the latest interior design styles of using white. Floaty voile curtains are also a good option if you live in more rural areas, as they allow the breeze to drift in through open windows. During the day lightweight curtains can provide a chic look which can make you feel cooler, sweep open and hold them in place with tie backs.

Crisp, clean white bed linen are also a good idea, opt for beautiful Egyptian cotton to help you remain cool whilst you sleep.

These ideas may be mind tricks, but they work!

]]> http://terrysfabrics.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/keeping-cool-on-hot-sultry-nights/feed/ 0 terrysfabrics5 Image: A Cup Of Jo http://terrysfabrics.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/the-versatility-of-fabulous-fabrics/ http://terrysfabrics.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/the-versatility-of-fabulous-fabrics/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:30:56 +0000 terrysfabrics5 http://terrysfabrics.wordpress.com/?p=330 ]]>

Image: This Is Glamorous

Fabric is so versatile, a simple statement but one which is very true! You may not be an interior designer or an expert with a sewing machine and that is the great advantage of having ready made curtains in all different types of fabrics, styles and patterns.

With a little ingenuity and the help of inspirational interior design blogs and magazines anyone can transform their homes into chic and very stylish places quite effortlessly! Rather than have open cupboards or shelving hide everything away by using roller blinds or by simply use gorgeous fabric in eyelet or tab top curtains as doors.

The latest sheer fabrics, organza and silk are a great way to add both colour and texture to your rooms and can every brighten up the space under the stairs which are tired of looking at in a very affordable way.

Opt for these sheer fabrics if you want to keep a light and airy feel to the room or for total masking of areas you really don’t want to see either opt for blinds or thicker fabrics. The choice is yours and the outcome cheap and effective!

Image: This Is Glamorous

Stockholm designers Greatboys have come up with this ingenious piece of furniture which they have aptly named Shades!

shade-by-greatboys

Mixed reviews are being voiced, with many people saying it looks like an air conditioning unit, whilst others are saying it isn’t very child friendly. Whatever your opinions you have to admit that if you are among the hundreds of people who enjoy a minimalist look to their interiors and like to have everything matching this clever storage unit would look right at home when combined with white Venetian blinds!

It appears the operating system is just as versatile as a Venetian blind making it easily accessible and a great way to keep clutter kept neatly hidden and out of sight!

It will also appeal to those who opt for all white interiors, providing clean sleek lines. It may even be extremely useful for offices as well as ideal storage space in teenager’s bedrooms with its non-fussy appearance.

Image:  Freshome