A Pillow Is Worth 1000 Words

Okay, okay – whilst my title mightn’t make the utmost sense, pillows in your home definitely do! If you’re seeking an easy fix for that dull, daunting-looking old room, decorative pillows may very well present a viable solution. They are among the most inexpensive ways to update your home decor, and can help brighten up any space and tie accessories in a room together. Follow this post and learn how to update your homes appearance today.

Choosing The Right Pillows
The addition of a pillow to any bed, couch or chair can help revitalize it entirely. There are just so many choices and different styles you can opt for, it’s difficult to make a decision. Keep an open mind when shopping, and opt for pieces that will tie in with the overall decor of your home. If you’re looking for a rustic, older look, drastic flashy pillows mightn’t work well. If you know exactly what you’re looking for – purchasing custom might be the way to go.

Home Comforts offers a selection of latex, European and Goose down pillows to help bring a little colour into your home. And remember, you can present multiple ideas in one room. Whilst you might want something hip and loft, you can also bring a sophisticated edge to that same room. Pillows can be used to highlight or dull down a room. A more confrontational room might benefit from a single shade pillow, whilst a calmer room may look best with a grabbing pattern, colour or texture.

I also thought it might be worth sharing this cool make-shift homemade pillow.

Find Balance
Like everything, finding balance in your home is also important. Trying to complete a room without overdoing a certain colour or pattern can be difficult, one way to ensure you’re on the right track is to pay attention to the seasons. Light yellows and greens might represent moving into summer, whilst a blue or darker shades are more representative of a cozy winter hideaway. If your bedroom is looking bland, try coupling throw pillows with a large euro square pillow; artfully arrange the throw pillows at the front. For a luxurious look, go for designer style, once again custom sewn is an excellent idea.

Accessorize An Entry Way
Get creative! A stylish bench, with some elegantly decorated pillows can provide the perfect place for visitors to leave their shoes upon entering your home. For a cozy, rustic look, try a country bench with plaid pillows. If modern is more your style, something in steel or glass may be the way to go. Decorate this with silk pillows.

Choosing Your Colour Scheme

Having trouble picking the perfect colour scheme for your home or project? Here’s some inspirational ideas to hold your hand along the way. Remember, colour scheme is subjective, there are virtually no wrongs or rights, it’s a matter of taste. In this article, we’re going to outline some core steps to deciding upon the perfect choice.

Dark/Light Colours – Dark colours can accentuate depth and space in a room. Should you opt for a warm, welcoming room, a lighter scheme may be a better choice. A darker room may help set the mood in a bedroom, theatre or ‘mancave’.

Art – Allow art to influence your choices, it will add personality and create the foundation for the style you are looking for. If you’re choosing your colour based on your art, ensure that you use a shade or two lighter than frame of your artwork to really make it ‘pop’.

Pick Your Favourites – Why go past your favourite colours? You’re sure to love your room if you choose colours you like.

The Classics – If you’re stuck for originality.. why go past the classics. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel after all! Blue and white, red and brown, you simply cannot go wrong. To bring a little spark to the old-school look, accessorise!

Don’t Forget The Windows – Dress your windows elegantly, allow them to be a focal point of your creation. If you opt for a feature wall, dress your windows accordingly. Our brown feature wall is complimented by a brown shade – and it really did justice to the room. Try to incorporate similar colours through your furniture, in your chairs, couches and tables.

Pillows – Draw inspiration from your pillows, if you wish for the pillow to be a feature of the room, opt for more neutral colours for your walls; or soft salmon or pink for instance. This technique seems to work exceptionally well as these rooms are dressed by professionals that know exactly what works.

A Theme – Whether it’s modern or ancient, a theme is another perfect starting point. To liven things up use contrasting modern colours. To make things look a little ‘older’, use simple, elegant colours and accessories.

Use Your Closet – Love the blazer hanging in your wardrobe? The warm fuzzy jumper you wear the second winter comes around? Use it for inspiration to set the tone of your room. Bring pieces with you to the shop, you never know what you might find that will match.

Set The Scene – Serene, cozy or vibrant? Set the scene for the room from the moment you walk in. The white, elegant linen used in this image produces a cozy, welcoming vibe. Assume the feeling you want when you step into that room, associate this with colours that make you feel that way.

Furniture – When looking at a blank room, it’s often difficult to know where to start. Have a piece of furniture placed in the middle, and center the theme of the room around that. If your feature furniture is bold, your walls should be more subdued. Accessories with a colour that pops will compliment nicely.

Paint Or Wallpaper?

The walls of your room have the power to transform the appearance of your house. Whilst a gloomy room can instantly be made homely with light paint, a pale room can be transformed with a darker wallpaper. After the recent downstairs renovation of our house, we’ve decided to compile a list of advantages and disadvantages to paint or wallpaper to help you make the right decision. Factors to consider are application, cost, space and versatility.

Kids or Pets?
This may be a good place to begin your checklist – do you have children or pets? Both tend to LOVE leaving marks on the walls – and it’s definitely something to take into consideration when making your choice. Opting for a scrubbable wallpaper such as vinyl, may be a better choice. It’s easier to clean than paint, and isn’t as easily damaged as paper.

Paint
– Painting offers a quicker solution to dealing with small issues. It’s a very fast way to immediately bring life back into a dull room.

– There are literally thousands of shades of colours available. Should you require paint that will match your tiles/floorboards, you can bring a sample to the paint store and have the colour matched. Painting allows you to create the exact look that you want.

– Paint offers a whole host of finish options – this includes flat, matte, satin or gloss (semi/high).

– As opposed to old-school oil based paints, today’s commonly used water based paints offer a simple clean up solution. When we painted downstairs, I couldn’t have been happier that we opted for water paints. Cleanup was a treat, and any errors we made could be taken off if acted quickly upon.

Wallpaper
– Whilst paint offers a huge selection of choices, so too does wallpaper – allowing you to mix and match whatever design you’re looking for.

– Applying wallpaper isn’t the tedious task it once was. The majority of wallpapers now have a surface that simply requires moisture to stick to the wall.

– If your walls are uneven of have cracks (like ours did) and you are looking for an effective solution to cover them, look no further than wallpaper. If you want to cover the wall entirely, wallpaper is the perfect option.

Notes
Remember, should you opt for a different colour or design, it is far easier to paint over paint, than it is to remove wallpaper, prep and re-paint/re-wallpaper. This is perhaps one of the most important things to note, paint offers more long-term ease and flexibility. Wallpaper also tends to peel away in moisture-high areas of your home.

Painting requires considerably less preparation than wallpaper. Both have their cost advantages. Applied professional wallpaper is the pricey option, however it offers more character and class in design. Painting, requires very few supplies and can be applied relatively cheaply by an amateur.

Interior Design By Rebecca Robeson

I just recently tuned into Rebecca Robeson’s interior design channel on Youtube. Episode 5 is linked below, and it’s a great look into the planning, time and dedication professional interior design actually requires. Client, Denise, wants a “home and not a showplace”, something cozy and homely.

Rebecca takes Denise on a shopping journey to take a look at what’s in, and what’s not – to gain a true perspective of what a modern home should look like. Rebecca helps Denise visualize exactly what she needs in order to fill the homely void.

She helps broaden, sharpen and create more space – take a look at the video below.

The 3D sketching is really cool!

The Thread Count Myth

The thread count simply refers to the number of threads within a certain portion of fabric. Traditionally it has been used as an indicator of quality. The higher the thread count, the more cotton in the sheet and the tighter the weave. This in theory gives you a superior, durable and long lasting sheet.

Thread count has now become just one factor to consider. A more important factor is that of the quality of cotton used. A 1000 thread count sheet, which may previously have been recognized as very high quality, may be worse off than a 300 thread count sheet with much better quality cotton.

A rule of guide when buying sheets or quilt covers:

• A basic or standard sheet will range from 180tc to 225tc.
• A 300tc or higher sheet is generally considered to be good quality. The difference between a 300 and 1000 thread count sheet is difficult to tell.

So how does the normal person select the perfect bed sheet?

1. Do you like the feel of the sheet?
2. Are they 100% cotton or a blend? eg Poly cotton.
3. Does the packaging state ‘Cotton Rich’? If so, this is another word for Polycotton and the sheets will NOT be 100% cotton.

Egyptian cotton is considered to be the best fibre used in sheets. The climate is perfect in Egypt and the soil along the Nile is extremely rich. Once again, it is important to check the percentage of cotton in the sheets – 100% cotton is best.

Choosing the Right Kids Quilt Cover

Children absolutely adore quilt covers which define their favorite colours and patterns. Their choice of bedding is a focal point of their room and helps make a design statement. Choosing a high quality kids quilt cover set is the perfect way to set the stage of your child’s room.

A kids quilt cover isn’t that different from the generic quilt cover a young couple would purchase, for instance. The idea is that it should appeal to a child, as opposed to strictly following current design trends. Upon choosing the correct set, know what should be included, what size you need, and then make your purchase based on comfort and durability.

What differentiates kids quilt covers to generic ones?
It’s quite simple; a kids quilt cover should appeal to a child! Designers do this in a number of ways – by use of colours, styles, cartoon characters and other television characters. Designers intend for the patterns and colours used to appeal to children, these are often vibrant, fun, happy designs.

Typically, a quilt cover aimed at a child is quite similar to that of a modern design. Manufacturers create children’s covers to be more durable and to possess more vibrant colours.

What’s included?
A typical set will consist of a quilt cover and one or two pillowcases. The size of the set will determine how many pillowcases are included. Whilst a single bed set may contain one pillow, other bed sizes typically contain two. Should the child require an extra pillowcase, the manufacturer/retail shop will sell one separately.

A fitted/valance sheet is sometimes included within the set. An important point to remember is to take note of the manufacturer packaging before purchasing to know exactly what you’re getting.

What sizes are available?
Kids quilt cover sets are available in the same sizes that quilt and other bed covers are available in. Measuring the size of your quilt is important to ensure that the cover will fit on it. Whilst the majority of quilts will fit into a cover set of the same size, some quilts are slightly off and may not fit correctly. King single, single and double are the more commonly sought after children’s bed sizes.

Whilst larger sizes are available, manufacturers tend to focus on the above sizes.

Determining Comfort and Durability
Quilt covers are produced in a number of different prints and patterns, and appeal to children at large. Just as it does with bed sheets, the thread count and quality of material used affects the feel of the cover against a child’s skin. If you’re in need of a good nights sleep, I recommend choosing one of high quality!

The thread count is also a key factor in the durability of the quilt cover, typically the higher the thread count the less durable the cover will be. It is important to find the middle point, so that your child experiences a soft cover, but it will also withstand the rough treatment and regular cleaning it will receive. One brand I’ve grown to like for my children is Hiccups, sold by Home Comforts. You can click here to take a look at their selection of kids quilt covers, and other bedding accessories.

When shopping for a kids cover set online, ensure that you select a cover that will firstly fit the bed in question, before basing your judgement upon design or colours. This creates a good idea of what is actually available, and makes your decision much easier.

Bedroom Interior Design

Interior design and decorating for your bedroom is more important than any other facet of your house; for your bedroom truly is an escape from everyday life. Whilst the master bedroom is typically the most private space in your house, it is the most significant. It is a place in which you and your partner can marvel and retreat to at the end of a tough day.

I completely agree with those that stress the importance in having an escape from the world – it is absolutely essential. You need a place to experience peace and serenity, a sense of calm, to recharge you energy and entering a dreaming state.

And bedroom design, is of course, completely up to you! It is your very own creation, your own sanctuary and is based on your personal idea of perfection. There is no specific right or wrong way when it comes to decorating your bedroom. It is, however, important that both you and your partner find it comfortable and to be an escape from the rest of the world.

So how exactly do you get started? Picture perfection. Picture a room which truly sets the scene of a dream vacation.

Imagine a hotel room that excites your restful and romantic flare. Close your eyes, and imagine that you are just preparing yourself to leave for a weekend away. What would you envisage the hotel or location to look like? What is your dream destination? Would it be charming or facetious? Dark and personal or bright and vibrant? Would it contain draped sheets, or be slick and modern? Would you prefer a city, suburb or country escape?

Once your dream vacation is set clearly in your mind, you can begin to pull together elements of this dream and recreate it in your own home (based upon your space and budget). Perhaps you’ll find a gorgeous room online that sets the scene of what you want to build upon? Gathering inspirational photos is a great way to stay on track and gather an idea of what your ideal colour scheme is going to look like in your own home.

Look at the entire bedroom design scene as a whole, as you find what you like, begin narrowing down your selections. Look at the bedding used, the headboards, the walls, pillows and fabric used. Follow that up by looking at flooring, paint colours and specific lighting used. Delve deep into facets of a bedroom you like and expand from there!

Surviving Hot Nights in More Than A Bed Sheet

Restless sticky summer nights inside your winter doona/quilt can now be a thing of the past.

The reality is, many of us still like to make our bed in the morning displaying our favourite quilt cover only to throw it off or get tangled up in it in the middle of a hot, sweaty night.

It then comes down to the one thought every person that has suffered through a strikingly hot night experiences.. “what can I use to cover myself at night that is more substantial than a sheet, but much lighter than the standard wool quilt?” Okay, sure – maybe it doesn’t come out exactly like that, more-so a number of groans, followed by anger, frustration and finally acceptance.. at 3am!

If this sounds like you, a summer cotton quilt may be a go to option. It’s perfect for the hotter months, and are light, cool and machine washable. They fold up to the size of a bed blanket making storage during winter easy.  For those of you that can think of nothing worse than changing your doona to suit the seasons, consider having a cotton quilt all year round. Add additional layers such as a blanket or two as the weather gets cooler and you feel like you need something a little heavier. This is a perfect option for the ‘hot’ sleepers – believe me!