Correct furniture placement is integral to maximising your space and save you from any furture dramas that might result from inadequate planning. Good planning will allow for a smooth, unblocked pathway from the sofa to the other areas of the home and contributes highly to the overall flow of the room. Proper planning means you,ll get to watch TV in comfort, chat easily with guests and may even have space to squeeze in a separate seating area for quite reading, intimate conversations or games.
Layout Tips
Identify walkways within the room and keep pathways clear and clutter free.
Break up large rooms into two or more activity zones, such as TV areas, conversation zones and stroge space.
Dont fall into the trap of thinking that all major pieces must have their backs against a wall. Play around with configuration to ease traffic flow and make it safe and confortable for the entire family.
Never blovk windows or doors with accessories and decoration that make it difficult to open and close them.
Be sure to provide a table top beside or near each seat in the conversation area so guests have easy access when needing to rest their drinks or personal belongings.
Ensure that chairs are no more than three to four feet apart within a conversation area to allow for personal space without causing your guests to strain their ears or voices.
Don't over-clutter rooms with furniture you like, but don't need. When in doubt, opt for basics ( Eg sofa, coffee, table, arm chairs, TV console ) and slowly build up the room. Dont buy excessively or you'll find you won't have the space for it all.
We can read books and magazines, watch TV shows, read online articles, and visit decorating showhouses to find all sorts of wonderful advice on things to do to get a beautifully decorated room.
But it's hard to learn ahead of time what things to avoid before you even start a decorating project.
Here is our list of the top things NOT to do, not now, not ever!
Don't Let Someone Make Choices for You
Your home is your personal space. Don't let someone else tell you what you should do. If you need help, ask for suggestions. But when the time comes to make decisions, they should be yours. It's your home and you should feel comfortable with the choices.
Don't Paint First
You can buy paint in every color under the sun. In fact, you can have paint mixed in any imaginable color you might want. Choose fabric, carpet, and upholstery first.
Don't Choose Paint From a Paint Chip
A small chip of a paint sample might look great in the fluorescent light in the paint store. But a whole wall of it might be overpowering. When you've decided on a color, purchase a quart of the color and paint a small section to see how the color looks in the room with natural light. If you don't want to mess up the walls, paint a piece of cardboard and tape it on the walls in the room where you plan to use the color.
Don't Decide on Colors in a Store
Never buy fabric, flooring, or paint on your first visit. Ask for samples of paint and carpet and swatches of fabric so you can see what they look like in your home. Check them out in natural light and in the evening with lamps.
Don't Settle for Blah If You Love Bold
A gallon of red paint doesn't cost any more than a gallon of white. You get my point! If you love color, find a way to use your favorite colors in your home. Choose colors that express your personality and coordinate with things you love.
Don't Make Your Favorite Color the Main Color
If you love red, you don't have to choose it for your walls. Instead, choose a more subtle shade to provide a background that will let items in your favorite color really "pop."
Don't Ignore the Psychology of Color
Don't think that you can create a relaxing sanctuary in a room with red walls. Blue and green are more calming and relaxing. Choose red and orange for play rooms or family rooms where the action is. Select a color scheme to create the atmosphere you want in the room.
Don't Forget Color Undertones
Not all blue is blue. Not all whites are the same white. Look beyond the main color to see if the hue is light or dark, crisp or dull. Choose coordinating colors with the same intensity.
Don't Force a Color Scheme
Don't "make" things match. Just because you have a red print sofa doesn't mean that it will coordinate with any red stripe draperies. Choose your color family, identify the major pieces, decide what you have that will have a place in the room, and then recover, repaint, and coordinate all the elements. Find another place for or get rid of anything that doesn't fit your plan.
Don't Ignore the Focal Point of Your Room
Not every room has a focal point, but if yours does, make it important. Arrange the artwork and furniture around this important element.
Don't Let Your Furniture Hug the Walls
Don't arrange the chairs, sofa, and tables all around the room unless you have no choice. Make groupings of furniture for conversations and pull pieces into the center of the room for a warmer feeling of comfort.
Don't Build Barriers
Don't put a chair in front of a door or a table in an obvious traffic area. Leave room for easy access and movement within the room.
Don't Settle for Cheap
Don't choose a piece of furniture because of a pretty cover or fun color. First, see if it's well made, has interesting details or classic lines. If it does, you can always recover the upholstery in a fabric you choose or refinish the frame.
Don't Invest in Trends
Don't break you budget on pieces that are trendy. Trends come and go. You'll want to spend your precious resources on pieces that will last for a while. If you are attracted to crystal studded or fur-covered furniture, experiment with a less expensive crystal embellished lampshade or faux fur throw.
Don't Keep Mismatched Furniture
If you inherit or end up with a lot of pieces that don't match, find a way to tie them together in your decorating scheme. Paint odd wooden furniture frames to match or recover pillows and upholstery with coordinating fabrics.
Don't Be Extravagant on Useless Pieces
If a piece doesn't serve some function and won't last for years, put your money back in your wallet. Save your funds for the necessities unless you just can't resist.
Don't Keep Things Because You Think You Should
Don't feel obligated to keep a piece you've inherited. If it doesn't appeal to you or it doesn't fit your space, either fix it or get rid of it. After all, it's your home. They'll understand!
Don't Allow Ugly Anywhere
Of course, ugly is in the eye of the beholder. But don't think you can learn to like something if you really don't. Get rid of it!
Don't Display Every Personal Treasure
Don't overcrowd your home with collectibles. Make each piece be important. If it isn't or if you don't have room, store them away and change your collection from time to time. You'll be glad when it's time to dust!
Don't Forget the Details
Don't just paint the walls and put the furniture around the room. Learn about details that make your decorating style unique. Find interesting lamps, arrange books neatly, add decorative pillows to furniture, and include fragrant candles and flowers.
Decorating is fun! If you follow our advice, you'll be able to avoid most of the major decorating mistakes and have a home you love to come home to!
Decorating Dos and Don'ts
Decorating rules can focus your planning
The rules of interior decorating can be as solid as a rock or as open to interpretation as the sky. But many experts agree that learning the rules can be the first step toward freely breaking those rules when necessary. Here are some of the decorating dos.
>> Do sketch your floorplan and record the room dimensions, window sizes and placement, and the location of special features, electrical outlets, and so on. Take your floorplan with you when you shop.
>> Do take the time to discover your personal style by reading shelter magazines, attending showhouses, and browsing online and in stores to learn what styles and colors really appeal to you.
>> Do identify the focal point of the room (a fireplace, a view, a bed, an armoire).
>> Do define a room's style in writing , being specific. (Not just "country French", but "French Country with a rooster motif, chicken wire cupboard fronts, and a color scheme that includes black and gold.")
>> Do pick a signature piece to focus your decorating decisions. It could be a beautiful fabric, an area rug, a picture, a piece of pottery, dishes, or a postcard. The item should embody both the color scheme of the room as well as the style and mood you hope to create.
>> Do coordinate fabric and flooring choices before making any major purchases, and before choosing exact paint colors.
>> Do purchase large elements first (rugs, draperies, upholstered furniture) whenever possible, and use the exact colors and style of those major pieces to coordinate all other choices.
>> Do use a mix of patterns -- large-scale, small-scale, checks, stripes, geometrics, plain -- when coordinating a room.
>> Do allow for natural pathways in a room (such as from the door to the closet) and try to arrange furniture with those walkways in mind.
>> Do consider the uses and function of a room before deciding on furnishings and arrangements. For example, if your dining room will also be your study, then you'll need room for a desk, books, lighting, and files as well as the dining room table and chairs.
>> Do consider using unifying elements such as trim color, wood tone, flooring, motifs, fabrics, or materials.
>> Do use the principle of repetition when planning shapes, colors, fabrics, and patterns. One red accent in a room may look like an afterthought whereas several red accents here and there will contribute to the color scheme.
>> Do plan ahead for appropriate task, general, and dramatic lighting by using a mix of light fixtures on dimmers for maximum control.
>> Do purchase the best quality furniture you can afford . Learn more about quality construction and materials that can prolong the life of furniture and make it a better buy in the long run.
>> Do read more decorating dos on the next page.
Part 2: Focus Your Project
Decorating "dos" continue on this page with more about fabrics, color, and accessories.
>> Do use contrast to add interest to a space. Placing furniture and accessories against a contrasting background will highlight each piece.
>> Do crosslink your rooms by repeating colors, fabrics, and themes in varying combinations.
>> Do balance a room's furnishings by paying attention to scale and visual weight. Balance a large stone fireplace with a large sofa or armoire placed opposite.
>> Do arrange conversational areas to be within an 8 to 14 feet square area.
>> Do anchor spaces in open floor plans with area rugs and furniture groupings to define each space.
>> Do pair seating in conversation areas with side tables and lamps so that there is a place to set drinks, books, etc. as well as adequate light for reading.
>> Do choose accessories that reinforce the color and style theme of a room.
>> Do use scale and pattern to create interesting focal points.
>> Do use pairs of items to underscore symmetry and balance.
>> Do use odd numbers of items (3, 5, 7) when grouping accents for tablescapes. Do place items (high, medium, and low) within an imaginary triangle to add interest.
>> Do use symmetrical arrangements in formal rooms. In more casual rooms go for asymmetrical arrangements of furniture and accessories.
>> Do emphasize the important elements of the room and play down the unattractive or unimportant elements.
>> Do use a variety of textures (smooth, rough, shiny, dull) when you want to add interest to a room.
>> Do use line to underscore a room's style. Horizontal lines emphasize length and underscore a calm mood. Vertical lines will emphasize height, and diagonal lines emphasize space and provide a dynamic and exciting feel.
>> Do reinforce the style and theme of a room with appropriate details and accessories.
>> Do install more details in a plain boxy room. Consider crown molding, wainscoting, and other applications to add interest and character.
>> Do consider the location of your home and the architectural style when planning interiors.
Acoustic ceiling panels are designed to improve the sound quality and block noise transmission through the ceiling. Acoustic ceiling panels can be easily installed to existing suspended ceiling grids. As they are easy to install and do not demand a lot of money these ceilings are used quite commonly. Typical places where acoustic ceilings are being used are commercial establishments, like theaters, studios, offices, training rooms etc, but also in educational institutes, for classrooms, lecture halls and gymnasiums. Lately they have expanded to residential homes, home theaters, offices and gyms.
One popular use for acoustic ceilings is to change the appearance of unattractive rooms instantly and lower the height of modern rooms in an affordable way. Heating and cooling ducts can also be hidden behind acoustic ceilings, along with pipes for plumbing fixtures and unsightly wires for overhead lighting.
Acoustic ceiling block or dampen the sound coming from other rooms above and therefore decreases disturbing noise in your home, but they not only do that, in addition acoustic ceilings also make the rooms look better. Rooms with good sound absorption increase the welfare of people working, living or just occupying the room because it is more tranquil and quiet and it helps you to concentrate on your work better or just to relax.
Installation of Acoustical Ceiling
Installing acoustic ceiling tiles is an option to consider when you have decided to change the type of ceiling you have in your home or office. Acoustic ceilings earn their name from the sound-absorbent properties that "soften" the surface of the ceiling in order to deaden reverberating noise from throughout the room. Not only does this reduce the sound reverberation within the room, but it also helps block sound transmission to other rooms as well. While noise reduction is a major component to acoustic ceilings, it is not the only advantage acoustic ceilings offer. When acoustic ceiling tiles are suspended from the ceiling grid, they are definitely handy for concealing wires and pipes, and also allow easy access to those utilities when a repair or a remodel is needed.
Acoustic ceilings have been seen as a style that went out long ago. But over the years, the acoustic ceiling industry has changed. This style of ceiling is no longer relegated to that boring, plain style of ceiling tiles that were found in department stores or government buildings. Acoustic ceilings offer various colors and styles that can bring in a wide variety of options that range from conventional perforated surfaces to textures that look like slate, stucco, or materials with the consistency of corduroy.
Because of these changes in the industry that offer so many options, now might be the time to replace that old acoustic ceiling that you have been thinking about remodeling. Maybe your family room lets a little too much sound through when the kids are in there being noisy and having fun. Perhaps you have one room in the house that seems to echo. Installing acoustic ceiling tiles can have a big effect on the noise level in that room that echoes.
If you are looking to paint your tiles, BEWARE! Most tiles are difficult if not impossible to paint properly. The holes that give the tile acoustic properties can not be filled up with paint, or the tile will lose its acoustic ceilings properties. You must also consider the range of sound-deadening capabilities. Some types of acoustic tiles make more of a difference in sound than others. These noise reduction properties all depend on the surface characteristics, as well as the weight and density of the material. The amount of noise reduction is measured by two ratings, NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) which is the noise absorbed and the CAC (Ceiling Attenuation Class) which determines how well acoustic tile blocks sound through itself. The best NRC rating is up to 80 percent. The highest CAC rating is 40 to 44.
Tiles that are specified for suspended-grid systems are the most widely used products in the market today. Acoustical ceiling panels or boards of treated wood fibers bonded with an inorganic cement binder are available in a range of sizes, from 31 by 61cm ( 12 by 24 in ) to 122 by 305 cm ( 48 by 120 in ) and they offer a stylish almost seamless appearance of the ceiling. A drawback to interlocking ceiling tiles is that once they are up, it is tough to restore the previous ceiling surface. Future ceiling style changes will also be tough, while if using a suspended grid, this is not the case. If it is time to repair a suspended grid, just remove the old tiles and install a new ceiling. Whatever type of acoustic ceiling you decide to install. Just know that the most important thing is to do your homework; research your plan.
