Last month I woke up and suddenly the curtains looked SOOOOOO 1970s - and that is just the wrong sort of ‘retro’ for me. So, after kicking myself soundly for losing the plot, I am now sorting the windows out one room at a time with blinds - but not just any blinds

One of things I like about the internet, is the ease with which I can ’shop for style’ without having to brave the perils of the high street, and now I have found a site that does REALLY stylish blinds online - yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you have heard that sort of thing before - but I promise you, these guys are not giving me a kickback, they just do the most amazing pleated blinds (now in 2 of my rooms) and, my favourite at the moment, roman blinds (one room completed, and one order in the pipeline).

Heck they even have a blog, a sense of style and a sense of humour : Blinds 2Go Blog

I am not prone to heaping praise on vendors (unless they send me free samples - hint hint). but am happy to do so here.

If you read this Blinds 2go staff - thanks, thanks a lot.

It may seem unrelated to my normal design angles, but design in business cards needs a rethink IMO

There are a lot of boring and shoddy business cards being circulated by businessmen nowadays, but the truth is most people only keep a few. The main reason is that the business card does nothing to engage with  the people who have received them, and make them want to know more about the business. There are cards that utilize loud designs that make the contact information hardly noticeable. There are letter heads which are printed in unreadable fonts and sizes, or a paper material that is way too scented or way too glossy.

I hope I am getting my message across here, sometimes I feel like English is a foreign language to me and every now and then I may well express stuff in a bit of an inelegant way, but the feelings are very strong, and that makes me shoot from the hip. Business cards have the ability to speak so much about a business. This is the reason why the design of a business card is as essential as the distribution of the cards to a greater number of people. There are many business card printing companies that are able to come up with professionally designed cards best suited to your company or business. Whether online or offline, these printing and design experts can be of great help in determining which design, color, or lay out will give your business the best possible exposure it can generate.

You can get them cheap on the internet of course, but these are typically on poor card stock and not really very good or impressive to you potential clients.

Although there are businesses, especially small or start-up businesses who would rather print their own business cards to save on costs, choosing a professional business card lay-out designer and printing company is a wiser option. There are in fact many ways to optimize a business card. The products or services can be enumerated on the face of the card for the clients to have a clearer grasp of what the business can offer. Unfortunately there are cards that fail to include other services which may add to the profitability of the business by increasing sales.

There are almost certainly countless ways to tackle this, and my point of view is possibly no better than any other, but, for obvious reasons, it is the only view I can argue with sureness.

Furthermore, in business cards, the business logo and business name must be printed legibly on them. It is not wise to fill your card with so much information and other designs, and barely leaving enough space for your company name and logo. A business card is not a company resume, and as much as information on the company is essential, there is no sense in overdoing it.

Finally, the other side of the business card can be utilized for a number of purposes. The location map of the business may be printed, or a particular product best seller or service can be highlighted. Or the card can have a folded design so as to have more space for additional information. Business cards can do so much for any business, when optimized for exposure and sales purposes.

Whilst we are talking about cards - don’t forget it is August now - time to start planning those christmas cards for your clients. There is no need to send them ’stock designs’ - you can have cards specially made for you - try this guys - personalised christmas cards - they produce some really stylish cards that will get your company noticed.

I know I may be alone in some of these views, not everyone likes ’style’ and ‘business’ mixing - but I must write from things I have personal experience of at this time and that I feel strongly about - so there you have it!.

Right then, I have completed another page, I trust you found it useful and that you get the chance to apply what you learned in your daily life. Thanks for reading.

The problem is, how do I create the time to do this.

I work from home, look after little Amber, attend to my two dogs, and do a little housework.
Ambers mum works full time, and my web empire brings in a fair bit, so money sure isn’t an issue.

The problem is time - or lack of it.

I am not prepared to give up quality time with the family - so I need to streamline my work and plan better - that was my resolution for 2009 anyway.

Not having much success so far

The indoor garden as a place of healing and peace is explored in this article. Practical steps are provided to create this place of sanctuary and re-connect with our own sacredness.

The word for ‘paradise’ comes from the Persian word for a garden and has always meant the same thing in every culture. It is representative of ‘paradise on earth’ and is our opportunity to own a little bit of heaven – here and now. It has a restorative significance as a healer when we understand that gardens provide us with a place of sanctuary and well-being.

The garden has the potential to provide a place of refuge from stress, “the health epidemic of the 21st century” according to The World Health Organization. Medical doctors suggest that stress resulting in illness is the causative factor underlying 70% of all visits to the family doctor. The ability of the garden to provide this place of healing and peace becomes crucial as more and more people succumb to this dis-ease of ‘modern day life.’

It matters little whether an indoor garden is a few pots on a windowsill or a lush garden room, what does matter is that plants add a dimension to the home/and or workplace that literally changes the energy and adds life. There is something about caring for plants and tending to them whether watering, re-potting, or touching the leaves that re-connects us on a deep level with an overwhelming sense of awe about this miracle of life of which we are an integral part. As we plant the seed or see the cyclical nature of the gardens we nurture, time stands still, and we bask in the knowledge of our relationship to the earth, and to the spiritual aspect of ourselves.

Reasons for creating an indoor garden include: corners in rooms and on furniture are softened when plants are introduced and placed in these areas; living plants create feelings of calm and well-being; starting seeds indoors provides a jump-start on spring for those of us who get twitchy fingers in January and allows us to grow different types of plants not usually available from greenhouses; growing herbs indoors facilitates our ability to cook with fresh herbs all year round; teaching children to garden provides an opportunity for the healing aspects of gardening to become a life-long aspect of their lives; indoor gardening is a stress-management tool taught in various classes related to providing a higher quality of life for people dealing with loss through death, divorce, or trauma in their lives.

Steps to Creating your Indoor Garden

1. Purpose – what do you want to achieve – healing, meditation, growing herbs for cooking, or a project with the children?

2. Space – how much space is available – a closet, basement room, living room, corner of the bedroom, windowsill?

3. Seating – is there room in your space for a seating area?

4. Characteristics – create a specific type of garden such as a collection of Ficus, orchids, herbs, or ferns.

5. Features – include water features such as fountains, art, sentimental objects, wind chimes, aroma and/or colour therapy, candles, and /or music.

6. Location – is the location conducive to gardening indoors?

7. Light – is the light adequate or will you need artificial lights?

8. Plants – what plants will you grow?
Indoor gardens can include anything from a tabletop garden, herb garden, healing garden, meditation garden, container garden, water garden, or wildlife garden. Thomas Moore wrote, “We may have to learn again the mystery of the garden: how its external characteristics model the heart itself, and how the soul is a garden enclosed, our own perpetual paradise where we can be refreshed and restored.” In other words, the indoor garden can provide a place of sanctuary where we can take a moment and re-connect with our own sacredness.

Carpets are one of the most romanticized consumer items which have a long history dating back to 4th millennium BC. The romance still lingers on in the Arabian world which is evident from the value they place on owning expensive carpets. A gold laced pure wool carpet was among the wedding gifts received by the reigning Sheikh of Saudi Arabia in 1978.

Carpets and rugs are not the same as is confusedly interchanged by some people. While carpets are generally used as floor coverings rugs are used on beds and tables.

Types of Carpets

Carpets can be classified into three categories regardless of their end uses, either domestic or industrial.

1. Loom produced woven carpets: You can have multicolored carpets having intricate designs, woven to cut pile. The multiple color and intricate designs are woven by using different colored yarns. Woven carpets command the highest price in the market.

2. Tufted carpets: These are produced by high speed tufting machines in single colors yarns. Only basic patterns are possible in tufting machines and are sold as low end carpets.

3. Needlefelt carpets: These are used in high traffic places such as hotels etc and are made on high technology machines by synthetic fibers. These are of high quality and cost a lot more than the other two.

Carpets are generally rolled open from wall to wall covering the entire area of the room. They are always exposed to dust and stains such as inks and tea. Carpet cleaning is a specialized service you can hire for cleaning and removing tough stains. But there lot many things you can do to take care of them.

Carpet Care At Home

Since carpets enhance the looks of the room, maintaining them calls for utmost attention. Here we are not talking of cleaning carpets after they are stained. Dirt and sand damage the tiny fibers if they are allowed to stay there. Use rugs outside the front doors which remove maximum dirt there. Avoiding shoes over carpets help a lot. Vacuum clean the carpets regularly.

Don’t allow stains to dry, rinse immediately using a stain remover and after you did it, remove the stain remover too. These solvents, if left over, will affect the fibers and colors slowly but surely. How will you remove stain remover? A domestic vacuum cleaner will do. Soak the spot where the solvent is applied and extract it repeatedly until you are satisfied.

Wood flooring is beautiful and increases the value of your home. They continue to be loved more than stone flooring or slate flooring. Wood has depth and warmth that looks great and gives your home a warm feeling.

A variety of choices are available in both hard woods and other wood types. The type of wood you will choose depends on your personal preference and the décor of your home. Wood is suitable for nearly every room in your home. It may not be best in kitchens and bathrooms due to the amount of moisture found in these areas.

Choices in Wood Flooring

Hardwood remains a popular choice in wood floors. You have the choice of several different hardwoods. Popular choices include oak, cherry, hickory, maple, walnut and bellawood. These can be stained a variety of shades and tones. Consider leaving the wood in its natural color. Some hardwoods, such as walnut and cherry have a rich tone without the need for staining.

Once you have chosen the material, consider your finishing options. You may decide to purchase pre finished wood. This is already stained and protected with a clear coating. Pre finished is generally more expensive, but saves a significant amount of time.

Another option is to install the floor and then finish the wood. You will need to sand, stain and urethane the floor. After each coat, the floor will need to be sanded. This process takes several days to complete. The more coats of urethane you need the better protected the surface.

Another option is distressed or reclaimed flooring. These floors don’t have a smooth texture. However, they are beautiful and have character unlike other finishes. Another major benefit of these is they won’t show scratches as easily as urethane floors.

You have some choices other than traditional hardwood. Laminate flooring offers a choice in flooring. These are made to resemble real hardwood at a lower price. With good quality laminates, it can be difficult to tell the difference between this and real hard wood. Companies such as Armstrong flooring make high quality laminates. Other choices include cork flooring or bamboo floors.

Caring for Wood Flooring

Proper care will ensure your wood flooring has a good, long life. Whether you choose hardwood, laminate or other options, the care is basically the same.

o Sweep or vacuum the floor regularly to keep dirt and dust to a minimum. Dirt and grit on the floor wear away the surface and leave scratches in your floor.

o Use mats at the entrances to your home. This way feet can be wiped, preventing much of this dirt from entering your home in the first place.

o Lightly clean the floor when needed. If occasional mopping is needed, use a nearly dry mop. Too much water can seep between the slats and damage your floor. This can cause warping, damage the surface or cause water to become trapped under the floor. This can result in damage to the backing and mold can grow under the floor.

As previously mentioned, the type of kitchen remodeling you plan on doing will have an impact on which supplies you will need. For example, if you are planning on replacing your kitchen cabinets, you will need to find new cabinets to install. The same can be said for kitchen flooring, lighting, and countertops. If you need to purchase a fairly large number of kitchen remodeling supplies, say if you are planning on remodeling all or the majority of your kitchen, you may want to shop at one of your local home improvement stores. Most home improvement stores have a fairly large selection of home remodeling supplies and materials, including laminate countertops, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, light fixtures, and cabinets. Purchasing all of your remodeling supplies at once will help to save you time. Of course, if you really want an easy life and a great looking kitchen, then bespoke kitchen design is probably what you need.

Although it may be a good idea to shop at one of your local home improvement stores, you may not want to. If this is the case, you should examine the internet and what it has to offer. There are a number of online retailers that would be willing to deliver their kitchen remodeling supplies directly to your door. In addition to traditional retailers, you can also find other individuals and companies who specialize in producing quality, customized products, such as kitchen cabinets. Whether you can’t find what you are looking for locally or if you want to have something, such as your kitchen cabinets, custom designed, you are advised to look online. A simple internet search should return the results that you were looking for.

When it comes to home improvement projects, it is important that you get the items or materials that you need, such as floor tiles or light fixtures, but you cannot complete a home improvement project without the right tools. If you do have some home improvement experience, there is a good chance that you may already have most of the tools that you need. If you need additional tools or if you don’t have any at all, you will need to purchase yourself some. The tools that you need will all depend on the remodeling that you are doing, that is why it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with project instructions, as well as the tools that are needed before you get started. If you are purchasing your remodeling materials from a home improvement store, it may be a good idea to save yourself an extra trip and buy your tools at the same time.

As the one in charge of remodeling, you can shop for materials, supplies, and tools wherever you want to. Despite the fact that you have complete control over your kitchen remodeling project, as well as what is or isn’t being used, you may want to take the time to compare the prices of everything that you need to buy. As long as you get the tools and materials that you need, it really shouldn’t matter, but why pay more money than you need to?

When it comes to adding value to your property, the experts in real estate will agree that to capitalise in the bathroom and kitchen almost certainly guarantees profitable returns.

If you’re considering making your home appealing to potential buyers, then one of the first places to start is in the bathroom. With countless accessories and appliances on the market, making a decision that will ultimately allow you to reap the rewards is daunting.

When it comes to bathroom design, what is it that most people really want? Would choosing a spacious whirlpool bath above a traditional bath be financially beneficial in the long haul?

Wouldn’t designing your bathroom be a much easier task if you were armed with a guideline of what tickled the fancy of potential homebuyers? If you’re going to design your bathroom get it right the first time round to avoid flushing away hard-earned pounds.

Hello simplicity

From as far back as the 1960s much focus was placed on bold colour in the bathroom. Patterned wall tiles of nautical creatures and over-the-top colours were the trend, along with plastic. Plastic bathroom décor was the craze, from bold orange, olive green, mustard yellow and chocolate brown coloured toothbrush, soap and towel holders, to thick patterned plastic shower curtains that screamed colours of the boldest nature.

As the times moved on, the 1970s and early 1980s became a period when gold bathroom fixings and furnishing, such as taps, towel rails and toilet roll holders, were considered very stylish. These ostentatious gold trimmed features were all the rage, and bathroom décor was ‘loud’. Added to this were those once delightful bathroom suites in colours avocado, coral pink, and chocolate brown. Bathroom colour has changed dramatically over the past decade, and shades have become more neutral, sometimes with a hint of colour that adds a complementary vigour to the overall scheme.
Of the many hundreds of people who took part in Plumbworld’s recent bathroom survey, an overwhelming 82 per cent said they “hated” the once glorified avocado and coral pink bathroom suites, colours remnant of 1970s and 1980s, which are typically characterised as being dark and dull.

According to the survey, chrome bathroom taps were much preferred to gold.

So, when designing and decorating your bathroom keep those dark colours at bay, consider white suites, and opt for chrome fixings and furnishings instead of flashy gold.

Shower power

When planning the design of your bathroom, one of the most important aspects to consider is placing a shower. Some bathrooms don’t have adequate space to include a shower cubicle, so assess your options. Consider installing a shower over the bath if space is limited.

The survey showed that 94 per cent of its participants believed that a shower in a bathroom was very important, and 81 per cent said they preferred a separate shower enclosure in a large bathroom. Almost 65 per cent said their ideal would be a power shower, while 27 per cent preferred mixer showers, and only 12 per cent opted for electric showers.

If you have chosen a shower over the bath, then think about placing a fixed glass screen instead of a shower curtain. It may cost a few extra pounds, but more than half of the survey’s contributors preferred a fixed glass screen to a shower curtain.

Choosing your bath tub

Contrary to common belief, adding a whirlpool bath to increase property value doesn’t always do the trick. So if you’re contemplating selling your property, try to avoid purchasing a whirlpool bath in the hopes of gaining additional profit.

The survey revealed that close to 53 per cent of its participants were not phased by them, while only a small 38 per cent of participants “loved” them. Surprisingly, 62 per cent said they had “no strong view” towards corner baths either, which means the traditional rectangular baths still hold clout against their spruced up counter parts.

Bathroom flooring

Try to avoid the urge to place carpets on the bathroom floor, according to the survey it is not too favoured. The survey showed that the preferred floor covering was tiles, with 75 per cent saying they “loved” a tiled bathroom floor. Popular vinyl flooring has not yet lost its place in the bathroom, with more than 61 per cent saying they didn’t have any strong likes or dislikes towards it.

When choosing your bathroom flooring, tiles is the favoured option, but if the budget is tight, then vinyl flooring won’t let you down.
Apart from the flooring, make sure your windows look appealing. When it comes to dressing your bathroom windows, steer clear of those bathroom nets and fabric curtains. The survey showed that 94 per cent said they favoured blinds in the bathroom to curtains.

Keep it clean

If you are planning to put your home on the market, inspect your bathroom for those small generally unnoticed flaws, like mould on the silicone sealant around the bath, and even on your shower curtain if you have one. Potential homebuyers may notice these small faults, which could send then running!

Decorating your home can be a daunting task, but it is one that will reward you many times over. Determining your personal style allows you to create a theme that you can carry from room to room, giving the house a cohesiveness, even if your style is eclectic.

Your furniture is the backbone of the home. It is important to choose wisely and then formulate your design plan around your choices. After you have laid that foundation in place, you can begin to look at complementary fabrics and colors - eventually visiting paint, window coverings, floor coverings, lighting, and accents in turn.

Discover your style and go from there. Your taste may range from traditional to country to casual to contemporary to modern, or anywhere in between. You can choose from materials such as woods, metals, glass, even plastics. You may like intricate designs or strong, simple lines, such as in the Mission style. You may want your pieces to be heavy and substantial, perhaps dramatic, or the sharp, linear design of Minimalism may appeal to you.

When you are considering your preference for what appeals to you, take into account too how you envision your home’s primary function. Is it to be a comfortable haven for your family? Do you plan to entertain elegantly? Do you want a serene, cool, calming environment? Do you prefer an eclectic, cozy, warm nook? Is it to be an open, airy affair or more somber? Casual? Luxurious? Formal? Rustic?

If your style is casual, and you are looking to make an inviting home for you and your family, you are likely to want the warm glow of woods, either light or dramtically dark, and soft, inviting fabrics. If you prefer a more traditional, formal look, you are likely to choose rich fabrics, including damask and velvet, and woods, such as cherry or mahogany. For the modern approach, you may incorporate many materials - light, blonde woods, sleek metals like chrome and aluminum, and simple fabrics.

Whatever your taste, you can find fabulous pieces that express your style.

Despite what you may read in the trendiest kitchen design magazines, updating the look of your kitchen really does not require that your spend a lot of time and money. There are some simple and inexpensive ways to give your kitchen a brand new look.

Some small change here and there that you can make in your kitchen can still create a big effect on how your kitchen looks. You can get ideas about what you would like incorporate into your kitchen decorating and remodeling project from books, magazines, and internet sites dealing with kitchen design ideas.

There are 7 relatively low cost kitchen-decorating ideas to create a beautiful kitchen:

1. Replacing the cabinet doors and fronts. Then you can reface the remaining fixtures. This will greatly change the whole look and feel of your kitchen.

2. Painting your cabinets white and changing the hardware, such as knobs, handles, or pulls.

3. Using solid core MFD doors, which are medium density fiberboard or timber. They can be fitted to a solid door base. This type of door can be painted to create any look you may want.

4. Using color to renovate the kitchen is another example of inexpensive kitchen decorating. You can paint your walls and cabinets. When it comes to painting your existing cabinetry, you can use decorative finishes. Some examples are creating a distressed finish to add an aged look, and faux and glazed finishes. These are all simple to do and cost effective.

5. Another area of the kitchen you can easily update is the faucet and sink. It is possible to locate moderately priced sinks that can cost from $50 $300. They are also available in many colors, and styles. Porcelain, stainless steel, and acrylic are the materials that are available for sinks. For faucets, you will find that they are available in many styles and finishes, and depending on the type of faucet can range in price from $50 to$750.

6. Another great affordable idea in kitchen decorating is to add a kitchen island. Kitchen islands are great for adding more counter space to the kitchen and provide a gathering place. If you do not have enough money or space to add a permanent kitchen island, but would like to have the advantages of one, you might consider as an alternative getting a kitchen cart. A kitchen cart can have wheels for rolling around, as well as have drawers, shelves, and places to hang utensils. Because they are on wheels they can be cleared out the way.

7. If your kitchen-decorating budget is so small that you can only afford to remodel a small area of your kitchen you might consider adding a kitchen backsplash. A new kitchen backsplash can really dress up a drab, uninspiring kitchen. Kitchen backsplashes are available in so many different styles, colors, and materials. The materials used for backsplashes can include, wood, porcelain, natural stone, glass, stainless steel, and even wallpaper. The costs vary depending on the material you select.

So you can see that redecorating your kitchen can be a simple thing like changing the hardware on your existing cabinetry or painting the walls. Just one small change can do a lot to make your kitchen look brand new.

Artists have known for centuries that color schemes taken from the Color Wheel have a dramatic effect on the final impact of their paintings. There are hot, energetic colors which leap off a canvas, and there are cool, soothing colors which recede, drawing the viewer’s eye into the distance. The ways in which these colors are juxtaposed can completely change the emotions a painting evokes, and they can do the same for interior spaces.

Interior designers who specialize in home office decorating know that the color schemes they choose will have an affect on the mindset of the home office worker, so they determine in advance if a calming, or invigorating, style of home office decorating is more appropriate.

Those home workers who expect spend several hours at a stretch in the home office should do a bit of self-assessment, and determine if they would benefit more from a home office decorating scheme which helps them stay calm and focused, or a home office decorating scheme which makes them feel energetic and confident.

Calm, Cool, and Collected

The cool colors–blues, purples, and greens–will provide a low-impact home office decorating scheme which quiets the mind and allows the worker to focus on a project instead of his or her surroundings. If concentrating is one of your weak points, stay at the cool end of the color spectrum.

Spicing It Up

If, on the other hand, you feel like falling asleep as soon as you sit down and turn your computer on, you will benefit from a home office decorating scheme which features warm colors. Yellows, oranges, and reds make their surroundings much more invigorating, and stimulate the brain. In office spaces, however, it’s a good idea to limit the pure reds, yellows, and oranges to accents and have larger areas colored with more diluted warm shades like russet. You don’t want to go overboard with your home office decorating scheme.

The Neutral Zone

If you have a very small office space, consider a neutral home office decorating scheme. Light neutral colors, when used without too many dark accents, can make a small space appear much roomier. And neutral schemes adapt beautifully to any type of furnishings. If you find them too boring for your home office decorating scheme, just enliven them with touches of your favorite warm or cool pure colors. You’ll have enough color to soothe or energize you, and a home office which seems much more airy and spacious than its dimensions give it any right to be!

For me, it is much more than that.

My house is where I spend most of my time - I want it to look great, obviously, but I also want it to inspire me, comfort me, stimulate me and finally, at the end of the day, relax me.

Having my home look the same for 5 years is a form of living death for me - like eating the same meal every single day - why!!!!

So I decorate and remodel.

And When I am not actually doing it, I am reading about it and planning it.

This site is a place for me to collect together all my research, publish my articles and keep a running total diary of what I ‘plan on doing’, ‘am doing’ and ‘have done’ in my home re-design life.

For me its a therapy - hope it helps you in some way.

Scott Farley