From the Floors Up

Interior Design Hacks for Your Home

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Moving into a new space can be an exciting change, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Unless you are having your home custom-built, chances are, you will have to do some work. Tailoring your space to your personal style takes time and money. Tackling it all at once can be nearly impossible; however, some simple design hacks can help improve your home on a budget and quickly. Here are four design hacks you can do today to help improve your space:

Large Mirrors 

Mirrors are great for opening up a space visually. We continuously demand more space, so mirrors allow us to give off the illusion that walls do not exist. You can also use mirrors to help move natural light around your space. This simple trick can really help improve the visual aesthetics of a room.  

Trim 

Paint and flooring can improve a room’s aesthetics; however, adding lighting is the next step to help completely change the feel of your room. That being said, have you considered adding new trim? Trim around doorways, windows, flooring, and even ceiling trim can give a bland room a more sophisticated look.   

Paint Cabinets 

Kitchen and bathroom remodels can be quite pricey. You also do not want to invest a lot of money prior to starting a project just to give it a temporary fix. However, painting your cabinets can be a great solution as a temporary fix to these spaces. Find a color that will help customize your space, and you can transform kitchen and bathrooms with a low-budget solution to help improve the environment.

Light Bulbs 

Here is a trick you may not have considered! Since light helps us perceive color; a dull room can come across boring. Natural lighting is an ideal method to help brighten up a space. Next would be adding more lighting. A quick solution is investing in new light bulbs. If your room demands a warmer feel, try investing in warmer tone lights. If the room lacks a cool tone, add some bright LEDs to help enhance the space. This simple trick can really transform a room. 

Using your personal creativity is a great way to design your home. Since every design project does not need to be the final solution, you can just put some simple tricks in your arsenal to help enhance your space immediately. 

What short-term solutions do you use? We would love to hear your thoughts below in the comment section! 

Understanding Masculine and Feminine Design

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Designing your space can have many outlets and options to help to tailor your home to your style.  Generally, homes are designed neutral or genderless to help with resell value; however, your home is a personal escape and designing it to your needs comes first.  If you are looking to make a man cave or a female hangout area, there are several ways to go about it.  To help, we broke down some great options to incorporate in your own home to help design these spaces.  

Masculine Design

While both masculine and feminine designs generally accept many of these options, certain elements and colors are traditionally used in masculine design.  Leather sofas and chairs are great additions to help create your man cave.  Colors like blues, browns, and blacks can be affiliated with masculine characteristics. Darker palettes are also typically used. You can give homage to rough or distressed look with natural elements like stones, woods, even metals.  Masculine design can also be associated with geometrical patterns.  Whether used on curtains, paintings, or decor, geometrical patterns are great for forming the space.

Feminine Design

Colors and shades can typically alter a room’s feel.  Lighter shades and pastel tones can be associated with feminine characteristics.  Pinks, whites, and creamy greys can influence a space to feel more feminine. Where hard lines and geometrical patterns flourish in masculine design, soft curvy furniture can be appreciated in a feminine style designed space.  Consider floral and damasks patterns in your feminine themed spaces.  Feminine design can also appreciate good artwork with meaning and portraying an image rather than just shapes. 

Harmony

While both feminine and masculine design can appreciate each other’s styles and no element is distinguished particularly for one over the other, some of these elements can help enhance a style.  Try using these in your own home or mixing and matching to create balance. Both features can help the balance of the other to create a stunning space. Limiting your space to gender-specific décor can hurt your atmosphere.

Allow both designs can be used to help one another. While both masculine and feminine can enjoy both design styles, it can be most beneficial to mix and match. Masculine and Feminine design styles are slowly fading away as we move along in Modern Era. Incorporating both to your space can be truly beneficial.

How to Capture “Zen” in Your Design

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Zen is more than the feeling tranquility and peacefulness. Today, we often find that chaos is the “norm.” Our hectic lives demand more from us than ever. The traditional work weeks have been growing longer and our personal time slowly dwindles away to mere nothingness, and we tend to get caught up indulging in the illusory aspects of the world but fail to enjoy the moment. Creating a relaxing environment in your home is one thing. Zen is wisdom that the cosmos is a harmonious system.

Minimalism

Let’s be honest; clutter equals chaos; therefore, you should eliminate what you do not need. It may seem like stressful at first but eliminating clutter and letting go of attachments will be revitalizing. An open space will feel refreshing without the heavy burden of clutter weighing down the room. Additionally, you will want to stick to a neutral color space. Colors can have psychological influences on the environment, and a neutral space will keep the mind from wandering.

Natural Elements

To achieve Zen, you will want to add natural elements to your room. Running water can be used to help alleviate stress. Water has a mesmerizing effect; perhaps, you would like to try having a fountain or even a fish tank with running water in your room. You can also use essential oils in a diffuser to give your space a peaceful scent like eucalyptus or lavender. Bamboo plants, rocks, and hardwood floors can all be influential on your space. Plus, you can even incorporate some of the elements of Feng Shui. Even natural light can help calm the room. All of these natural elements can be utilized to create Zen.

Spot to Reflect

Whether you choose to meditate, pray, or just unwind sometime during your day, your room should offer a spot to reflect. Self-reflection and time of solitude can help you gather your thoughts. You can have time to eliminate the stresses of the world and focus on yourself. You may want a chair, yoga mat, or stool in the room–just remember that this spot is essential to achieving proper Zen.

What are the properties of Zen most essential to your life? Acquiring true peace is more than having a tranquil environment. True Zen is a lifestyle; not getting worked up about the little things and the pursuit for knowledge. Do not end your journey of peace by just adding a couple of things to your room. Remember to reflect, unwind, and absorb knowledge daily.

How To Prepare For Guests and Be the Ultimate Hostess Part 2

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Part 2 – Kitchen, Guest Bathroom, Pets

Moving right along let’s continue with more guidelines as to how to be the best possible hostess when guests come to stay in your home. The goal is ensure that they feel appreciated, relaxed, and a little bit at home.

Kitchen

  • Set out everything your guest might need for morning coffee or tea. You’ll get extra points if you arrange it prettily. Fold a napkin, place a spoon on it, and set an empty mug next to it. In the morning set out the cream, sugar, and tea bags.
  • Ensure that your guest is comfortable and well taken care of by also preparing your refrigerator ahead of time. Before their arrival ask what they like to eat. Not just for a formal meal. Ask what they like to snack on. It will be much easier to keep them satisfied and save yourself excessive food prep time if tasty, easy-access food is in the house. Such as fruit, nuts, sandwich ingredients, etc. Plus, nothing says guest of honor like a spread of food that was clearly purchased with your guest in mind. 

Guest Bathroom

  • Prepare the guest bathroom by overstocking it with clean towels. Even if your guest only uses a few of the towels, there is something about extra towels that make a bathroom feel luxurious. Make sure to stock all the necessities of bathing. Even if your guest brings their own, they won’t have to ask for anything they forgot and they’ll realize how thoughtful you are. Things to include are shower gel/soap, razors, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, extra toothbrush, q-tips, cotton balls, and lotion.

Pets

  • If you are allowing pets into your home everyone will have a much better experience if you plan ahead. First, remove or block off anything in the home that absolutely cannot support the presence of an animal. Next, create a space on the floor for the animal’s food and water. By deciding ahead you can avoid the inconvenience of randomly placed pet dishes under foot. Give your guest an extra house key if they will need to leave for a short while to walk the dog when you’re not home. Provide doggy waste bags to ensure your guest doesn’t upset your neighbors. Last, ask you guest to bring along a pet carrier or crate if you aren’t comfortable with the animal running loose in your home when everyone is out for the day or night.

How To Prepare For Guests and Be the Ultimate Hostess

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Part 1 – Guest Bedroom

It seems that in nearly every facet of life society has become less formal. Day-to-day clothing has become more relaxed, our words have become less rigid (the word “jeggings” is now in the dictionary!) and we eat rather than dine, often in the car.

Some people are huge fans of this relaxed way of life, yet others miss the controlled and deliberate way of conducting one’s self. In either case, when guests come to visit your home, you have an excellent opportunity to excel in the area of good manners and conduct.  No matter how kicked-back you are, guests bring out our more formal entertainment skills.  No one wants their guests to wander aimlessly trying to figure things out.

Help your visitors by following this guide to being the most welcoming and thoughtful person with whom your guest has ever stayed. 

Guest Bedroom

  • Wash all bed linens. Even if no one has used the guest bed in a long time, at least rewash the pillow cases. Otherwise the bed may feel or smell dusty and musty. You want your guest’s olfactory experience to be pleasant and relaxing.
  • Speaking of pillows, spend a few bucks and buy new ones if needed. Replace them if the ones on the guest bed are poor quality older pillows that were banished from another bedroom. Pillows can be found at very low cost and a fresh bit of poof will feel lovely under your guest’s head.
  • Add extra blankets at the foot of the bed. People’s bodies operate across a wide scale when it comes to temperature. Even if you feel like you are always hot, a person who usually feels cold will really appreciate those extra blankets.
  • If possible, have a TV and/or white noise machine in the room. Some people fall asleep well while watching television, and others are very sensitive to sound and will sleep better with the hum of a fan or something similar.

Next read Part 2 – Kitchen, Guest Bathroom, Pets

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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