From the Floors Up

A Zen-Inspired Design

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Zen is the philosophy of encapsulating the peace found in nature and bringing it into your home. While this minimalistic style is visually aesthetic, it also can create the perfect relaxing environment. When you think of a Zen-inspired atmosphere, you probably envision a spa. With some simple tricks, you can capture this peace and relaxation and put it into your own home. Zen is the structure of tranquility in a home, so here are several ways to help create this feeling in your own home:

Flow

To create flow in your atmosphere, you will need to make a less obtrusive environment. This reason is why most Zen designs are very minimalistic. Doorways are an extremely vital aspect of allowing energy to travel between the rooms. A good Zen atmosphere will let doors be unobstructed. It does not take much décor to help create this flow. Try to stick to a very nature-influenced design.

Natural Elements

When adding elements of nature, try to add stones, water, bamboo, and candles. Even scents and aromas can have an impact on mellowing out the atmosphere. A truly Zen-inspired design has peace at its core. Try to involve all the senses from music to the warmth of the room. All these small details can allow your atmosphere to feel authentic.

Reflection

Have an area to reflect and relax. Some individuals will allow this spot to be outdoors since natural elements have some considerable influences on the design. You can create this by making a Zen Garden. Most Zen gardens will have simple seating to reflect. Plus, they incorporate running water as well as stones. Creating this tranquil garden outside your home is a great way to capture the values of Zen.

Zen takes the elements found in nature and emphasizes them in helping you find peace. Therefore, make sure to incorporate nature into your design. Peace can be found through your color choices, fragrances, space, and lighting. Allow minimalism to work its magic in your home by giving everything more meaning. Remember, the less you use, the more impactful the object you do choose can have.

How to Add Character While Using Neutrals 

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Neutral color themes in homes are always a great choice. They are traditional and timeless designs that work in any environment. However, neutral colors are not typically found on a color wheel. They agree with almost any color without giving influence to a warm- or cool-tone atmosphere. That being said, colors are wonderful for adding character to a room. So without adding color, is it possible to achieve a full-of-character space? Of course, it is! Neutral colors can still have powerful impacts. Understanding other elements in your design theme can allow you to indulge in the neutral color palette and still create a very versatile and lively atmosphere.

Texture

While color can add a dramatic effect to your space, texture is another great tool to consider. Think of a room that was completely white from the floors and walls to the furniture and décor. What makes this room “pop” is the textures. A marble countertop has an entirely different texture than stucco walls or a plush carpet. Putting together different elements of texture like smooth, rough, fine, or coarse can make a room have more appeal. It does so by allowing each texture to stand out against one another.

Hard Contrast

When you are designing with all neutral colors, you are using colors like beiges, browns, blacks, whites, and grays. To create more depth to your design, allow for hard contrast. Black and white are very opposing colors. Having a white marble countertop with black cabinets can create a very hard contrast. These hard contrasts help create depth in your design. This depth is a great way to allow neutral colors to have an even more powerful influence in your home.

Metals and Woods

Neutral colors are commonly called “earthy tones.” Without incorporating warm- or cool-tones, you can still mix in woods and metals to your design. These materials will also add more character to your room since wood is full of character with its grainy texture and design and metal can also add a sheen or shine to your design.

These subtle but powerful tools will create your neutral-themed design and make it truly awe-inspiring. Neutral themed designs are perfect for any home, especially a home going into the real estate market. While not everyone may want a room with painted pink or lime green walls, generally speaking, neutral colors are accepted by everyone. A home can always feel the move-in ready with these tips and tricks.

How to Design a White Room

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An all-white room is a blank canvas for you to create whatever you like. Perhaps, you love the crisp and clean feel of a white atmosphere. And while monochromatic spaces are rooms that use only one color in their color palette, white can be tricky. Unlike traditional colors like red, yellow, blue, and so on, you do not have the privilege to play with hues or darken the color. However, this does not mean making a monochromatic white room is impossible. There are several tricks for decorating and designing a white room that you might want to try. Let’s take a look!

Texture

With a monochromatic color palette, texture is vital. Texture will help create depth and contrast in your home. And since white on white does not pop, adding some texture will create clear, crisp lines.

Add Warmth Subtly

White is as neutral of a color as you can get. You will want to warm up your home with subtle influences of color. Never add too much to take away from the all-white look, but just enough to add warmth. Consider adding some light pastel tones to pillows or décor pieces in your room. These soft, muted colors will not distract from the overall design, but help enhance the space.

Wood

Another element you can add without taking away from the design is wood. Consider adding hardwood or wood furniture to the room. This feature can help give a classy and sophisticated look to your all-white color palette. Plus, wood will also help stay neutral and support your design rather than overpower it.

Plants

A key secret to any design is adding plants. Plants will add vitality to a room and help spruce up your space. This greenery is a great way to add a little color without distracting the eyes. With such a clean and crisp color palette, your plants will also work as a natural air purifier in your home as well.

Metal Accents

There are metal accents in many areas of your home. From door handles, accent pieces, trim, furniture, and drawer handles, all of these items can have metal to them. Making the metal trim agree in your design will help bring it to the next level!

A monochromatic room is a tremendous and foolproof way of styling your space. Simply buy everything in the color of your choice. When tackling white; however, remember to keep some of these tricks in mind. They will help make your monochromatic white room feel aesthetically pleasing and well balanced.

Art Deco Christmas Decor

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As Art Nouveau faded out of style, a new era of Art Deco began to take its place in the interior design industry. Prior to the 1920s, very robust and extravagant styling was compacted into interior design; however, Art Deco began to take a more minimalistic and futuristic approach to this styling. While keeping very bold pieces and lavish styling, Art Deco included very geometrical patterns and bold statements throughout the design. This style is still used today by people who love Art Deco for what it was. If you love Art Deco or have your home styled after Art Deco, you may have a difficult time decorating for Christmas. Many traditional Christmas decorations would look out of place in this design; however, there are still many ways to decorate for the season while still giving homage to this exotic, glamourous style.

Christmas Tree

What makes up many focal points in Art Deco are metals and geometric patterns. Consider creating your own interpretation of a Christmas tree. A triangular figure with consistent lines or a gold, metallic, or chrome frame can be the perfect way to incorporate this into your home. There are many Art Deco Christmas tree designs to explore. In fact, there are several unique and fun ways to have this past interpretation of a futuristic look and adapt it to Christmas. Just remember, with Art Deco, you want your Christmas tree to stand out and be bold.

Lighting

Lighting can be your connecting-ground between the two styles. Art Deco often uses metallic finished or glass lighting to help create the theme. Be creative and try to find ways of making your Christmas lighting complement the style of your home. Plus, it can also be a chance to use color lights in order to add more colors to your space.

Décor

Remember, lavish and stunning details help create this glamorous look. Whether ornaments or another décor piece, think bold and shiny. Adding some flare to your space can go a long way in Art Deco. Look for repetition in geometrical patterns to help create this style throughout your home. Allow your space to feel uniform while also festive.

Art Deco is a fascinating style. It can take some time to master, but once it is done correctly, it can be quite stunning. If you have this style in your own home, do not let your holiday décor clash with it. Find a way to have the two themes complement each other and thrive together in creating the perfect Art Deco Christmas oasis.

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! 

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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