Monday, May 5, 2008

Romantic Bedroom Décor

Romantic Bedroom Décor



Romantic Bedroom Décor has a secret that all interior decorators make use of for that professional-looking lovable huggable cozy bedroom. It is meant to stimulate all your senses and awaken your body senses to their heights. Here are some practical tips for you to turn your bedroom into a room exuding love and passion:

* A small bar drawer with choicest wines, a Champagne bottle and sparkling white Champagne and wine glasses complete the mood of a romantic bedroom.
* Bright harsh lights are a strict no-no for a romantic bedroom décor.
* Choose all your furniture, furnishings and accessories to make the room as intimate and comfortable as possible.
* If you have a sweet tooth, you may keep strawberries, chocolate-dip and whipped cream ready for a late night snack on your dresser too.
* Light up fragrant candles for special occasions to lend that surreal look.
* Make use of those canopy beds and hang sheer light-fabric draperies around the bed to make it ready for your fragile princess.
* Peaceful romantic bedroom needs silence enough to let you hear your partner's breathing and moaning and block out any other distractions. So keep your television in another room or block out the noise of traffic by hanging thick curtains on your windows.
* Soft romantic music is a must for any romantic bedroom setting and thus, keep your CD system around for easy use.
* Use opulent red or other bold colored satin or silk sheets that are soft, have a rich smooth texture and fluffy soft plush pillows.
* Use soft and comfortable mattress that will make you and your partner to plop into the bed immediately.
* Use soft filtered light and you may use colored incandescent lights with soft red or pink glow to add romance.
* You can use fragrant room fresheners, aromatic incense sticks, scented sachets of soft fragrances such as lavender and rosemary or add a thin coat of perfumed oil on your light bulb.
* You may sprinkle your favorite fragrant powder on bedsheets to make the bed smell sweet and musky.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

How To Remove Ink Stains

How To Remove Ink Stains


Seeing that ugly patch of ink stain on your favorite pair of jeans can break your heart! Even though you wash it several times over and over again, the stain remains and refuses to budge, making you all the more miserable. Are you caught in a similar situation and don’t know what to do? Fear not! Here we come with easy solutions for removing that ink patch off your clothes in no time. Removal of ink stains from fabrics should not be a problem from now on, as you have the perfect way to do it in the following lines. So read on and know how to remove ink stains from clothes and fabrics.

Removing Ink Stain from Clothes

* Take a clean piece of wet sponge and dab it on the area where the ink is. Dab it till no ink is lifted from the stain.
* Allow it to dry off naturally. Do not blow dry or leave out in the sun. This will ease out the ink particles, which will be easier to remove later on.
* Now, take some hair spray and spray it on the ink stain. Hair spray is very effective in getting rid of the ink stain on clothes.
* Take two clean paper towels and sandwich the stained area between them. Place one paper towel on top of the stain and one right below, on the inner side of the fabric.
* Keep extra paper towels with you and blot the ink till it is completely soaked out. It is advisable to keep changing the paper towels and use clean ones after every 30-40 seconds.
* It is always better to blot the stain rather than rub it. Rubbing can spread the stain further or may damage the fabric.
* Now take some laundry stain remover and apply it on that area once all the ink is blotted out. Soak it in warm water and wash. Let it dry naturally and avoid putting it out in the sun.
* In case you do not have hair spray, you can use Denatured Alcohol, which is as effective. Take a good amount of cotton swabs and dip it in the alcohol and dab it on the stain. Try to use as many new cotton swabs as you can when you blot the ink. Allow it to dry after the ink has been blotted and then wash in warm water with mild detergent.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

How To Identify Mold

How To Identify Mold


Mold is the name given to fungi that include all species that grow in the form of multicellular filaments, called hyphae. Molds are usually found in places that are damp and are found thriving on organic matter, under room temperature conditions. Though most of the people can tolerate low exposure to mold spores, it becomes a problem when the fungi start making a colony. In such a case, they release millions of spores into your living area and when inhaled, these spores can cause major problems. So, it is advisable to constantly keep checking your house for presence of mold, so that you are able to get rid of them before they become unmanageable. In case you want to get some tips on identifying household molds, read the information provided below.

How to Identify Mold

* First of all, check your house for patches that look fuzzy, cottony or leathery in appearance.
* Use discolorations for identifying mold. Mold might be brown, gray, black, green, yellow, white or orange in color.
* It’s the time to use your nose. A musty or earthy smell in the house means that it has been affected by mold.
* Check out places that are most likely to be damp, since these are the areas where mold is most likely to occur.
* Look for mold in places that have leaks, plumbing problem or flooding.
* Give a thorough check to the ceiling as well as the carpets.
* Humidifiers and vaporizers also comprise of the places where the humidity levels are high and there are great chances of the occurrence of mold.
* In case your bathroom is not well-ventilated, better give it a thorough check. The steam from showers might be feeding mold.
* If you keep things like books, clothing, drywall, cardboard or wood in the basement, you are giving molds food to thrive on.
* Kitchen sink, air ducts, entryways and refrigerator seals are the other places where you should check for mold.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Bathroom Color Scheme

Bathroom Color Scheme

It may look silly to you to pay so much attention to bathroom color but it can really make or mar your bathroom decor and experience. Red walls being reflected in the bathroom vanity, where you apply makeup, can fool your eye into applying too much red on your face and make you look redder than you want to. Bathroom color choices are a part of color therapy that influences your overall experience in the bath. Bathrooms serve as our refuge from our busy lives, where we can devote sometime only to ourselves, away from all the hassles of our lives and help us to relax and even do our creative thinking while lying luxuriously in the hot water tub.

Choose bathroom paint color according to the taste of the individual, his or her emotional state and the feel you would like in your bathroom such as feeling relaxed or revitalized, energized, formal and royal, cozy, casual, creative or artistic. While deciding the color, it is best to keep a color wheel to consult choosing colors for your bath. There are some color basics that help you in choosing the right bath color scheme. Warm colors energize and are invigorating. Cool colors have a calming and soothing effect. Analogous colors or colors that are next to each other on the color wheel will make bath space look serene and relaxing. Complementary colors or colors that are across each other will give creative, artistic and jazzy look to your bathroom.

Colors schemes with high contrasts such as black and white or white and royal blue make the bath look formal and spotless. Low contrast color combination such as beige and shutter green and mint green and forest green lend a casual look to your bath. Latest trendy bathrooms can change their color according to your mood or the time of day, energizing and invigorating you in the morning and soothing you and helping you to relax before going to bed at night. The fashion in bathroom colors is to create harmonious color palettes, using the principles of color and light therapy, to help you heal and live life at best. There are showers with fiber-optic lights in different colors that can be lit selectively according to the feel you want at the moment, mood lighting in the bathroom and light fixtures that can dim down at night or for relaxing mood but can be very bright when you want them to be can help you have the best bath experience.

Give our bathroom a professional finish by painting it in unique color themes. You may get the inspiration from Nature, art pieces, dresses for a color palette. Even eggshell and pebbles can inspire you for a soft bathroom color palette. If you are choosing a monochromatic color scheme, you can add a visual balance and variety using the accessories in contrasting colors. Choose towels and decorative pieces in a shade lighter or darker than your walls. Do remember that when you are doing makeup in the bathroom vanity area, the colors reflecting in the mirror can fool you eye, whether they are bold or muted. So, you may need to compensate them with other colors for a balanced and natural look.

Colors cast shadows on each other or highlight the contrasting colors. White with beige may look dirtier than white with black. Lilac with blue looks bluer than lilac with white. To balance rectangular or square tiles and countertops, add plants and greenery to your bath to lend asymmetrical and natural beauty and add refreshing accent color to your bath. Tiles on walls and for flooring can also add beautiful colors to your bath. Blue glass tiles recreate the feel of water and sky while earthy green tiles look great for Nature lovers. Use red and other dramatic colors sparingly and with other colors to balance them out for greater effect. They are best used as accessories and towels. However, if you still want to use red in your bathroom vanity area or powder room, choose shades of red wisely such as rose and coral.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Bathroom Colors

Bathroom Colors

Popular bathroom color themes include the colors of wall, tiles, faucets, accessories, towels and napkins and accents such as potted plants. The traditional bathroom colors are neutral that can easily be given different tones according to your taste, just by changing the accent colors, shower curtains, bathroom rugs, towels and accessories. However, fresh linen white seems a good bathroom color idea to many people as it makes the bath look fresh, clean and simple and works well almost all the colors and shades. Crispy white bathrooms with light tranquil blue accents are quite relaxing and have spa-like feel. They can carry clear glass accessories and sterling silver fixtures and hardware finish well.

People who would like elite décor in their baths can choose gold or taupe paint and tile colors with black accents. It can be kept light and airy, if done properly. Bathtub with black exteriors and bisque interiors and edges, polished brass faucets, ginger-glazed medium color maple wood vanities with black granite and bisque sinks, beige color floor tiles and shower walls and accent tiles and chair rail tile all in the same color perfectly compliment the royal color bathroom theme. Creamy white bathroom walls and aqua blues and greens as accent colors remain the popular favorite theme with many people.

White walls and cabinetry, pale aqua floor tiles, accessories in darker aqua shades, towels in complimentary colors and shower curtains having a bit of all the colors as the unifying factor make a beautiful bathroom. If you are decorating a big bath space with high ceiling, you may even add a beautiful sparkling chandelier to the ceiling. Bathroom wall and tile colors of course set the backdrop of your bathroom and are important but if you are on a strict budget, you can do renovation of your bathroom by just adding a colorful bath rug to it! Some quick, easy and inexpensive ways to add or change colors to your bathroom include wall decoupage with vivid and bright color, luminous and freckled tissue paper and coating it with water-based polyurethane.

You may also hang a poster board on the wall and change its colors whenever you want. Repainting the walls and/or ceilings of the bathroom can make it look in just one day. Pretty colorful fabric window treatments and shower curtains can make a drastic impact on your color scheme, so coordinate them well with the walls. You can even customize the empty bare wall with bright batik bedspread in a jiffy. Fun accessories in bright and bold colors such as flower cases or art pieces that are waterproof give a classic touch to your bathroom. Do not put expensive items in heavy-traffic bathrooms such as guest bathrooms as they may get damaged. An inexpensive way to add more color to your bathroom is to put up bright posters with large prints in cheap poster frames. You can find some good and funny bathroom art items in estate, yard and garage sales for bathroom art.

If you are living in rented apartments and cannot change the color of our tiles, use accessories to add accent colors, highlight the colors you like and downplay the ones you don't like. Pastels of old times can be revved up with popular chocolate-brown accessories such as towel racks and curtains. Color of mirror frames can be one such accent color. Do not use dark colors in bathrooms that don't get enough natural light or use ample of artificial light to compensate for it. Dim light in dark bathrooms make them too dark to shave or apply makeup. Too odd a color in the bath can actually look frightening in the mornings, so steer clear of lime green, peach and certain shades of yellow.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Bathroom Countertops

Bathroom Countertops

Counter tops provide additional workspace in the bathroom. Wood is not recommended for bathrooms as it can be damaged by the moisture, so use synthetic material resistant to water, moisture and dampness for bathroom countertops. Bathroom countertops are generally custom made and can be tailored to your bathroom design in terms of color, pattern, size and shape. Thus, they usually take a back seat in bathroom decorating and are made only to provide a workspace near a major fixture such as shower, whirlpool, bath tub or vanity sink. Plastic laminates that are water resistant and are quite decorative are quite popular for bathroom countertops and come in many different finishes and looks ranging from low luster to metallic to high gloss.

Plastic laminated bathroom vanity countertops are generally available with recessed sinks with self rims and under-mounted bowls. However, plastic countertops can get damaged by excessive heat and can sustain scratches from sharp objects or damages from ceramic or abrasive things dragged across them and are not suitable for bathrooms that are accessible by kids. They are easy to clean using soft, non-abrasive cloth and a mild household cleaner but scouring pads, abrasive powders, steel wool and sandpaper can scratch their surface. They can be easily stained too and that too permanently by dyes and other staining products and one needs to apply self cleaning wax periodically to avoid such stains.

They are economical and may prove long lasting, if used very carefully but water seeping in the seams and under sink edges can cause the laminate to separate by damaging the substrate. Thus, they may prove cumbersome to maintain. Bathroom marble countertops look elegant, are functional and have wide range of colors and styles. Cultured marble and cultured onyx is quite popular for bathroom countertops. It has a rugged, hard, waterproof and stain-resistant surface. They can be easily repaired and a little sanding and polishing the countertop can make it glisten like new. The common problem with bathroom marble countertops was crazing or formation of hairline cracks, which has been solved by cultured marble option.

It is easy to clean and polish and a protective coat of wax provides the perfect finish to marble countertops. Avoid using abrasives and scouring powders on these countertops as they can dull its shine. Corian is one of the expensive options for countertops and is made up of an advanced blend of natural materials and pure acrylic polymer. It has a smooth surface, comes in variety of colors, is nonporous, is resistant to mold, mildew or bacteria and resistant to moisture and stains. Corian bathroom countertops are easy to clean and maintain, hypoallergenic, nontoxic and chemically non-reactive. It offers three countertop finishes - matte, semi gloss and gloss. However, heat-generating appliances or hot pans should always be kept on a hot pad or trivet or it can damage its surface.

Corian countertops are easy to restore to its pristine condition using an ordinary abrasive cleanser and a cleansing pad. Granite is quite popular for a high-end and elegant bathroom vanity countertop. Coarse grained pegmatite is stronger than sandstone, limestone and marble and is more difficult to quarry. Granite is very much durable and impervious to water but as it is a natural rock, it can be chipped and broken and is very difficult to repair. Any liquid detergent and warm water can clean granite countertops easily but abrasive cleaners may scratch its surface and dull the finish that can be restored by polishing and waxing the countertop. White marble bathroom countertops are more porous than granite and are easily stainable.

Vessel bowls installed on a glass counter look beautiful and elite but they are difficult to maintain, easily breakable and can often get blemished with fingerprints. They can be cleaned using any standard glass cleaner. Tiled countertops are of course custom made and ceramic tiles are installed on site. Their surface looks attractive and is best for countertops. They are durable, easy to clean, resistant to stains, heat and moisture and very easy to maintain. However, the grout between the tiles may crack and collect bacteria that can prove unhealthy but if tiled counters are properly maintained and sealed well, they can offer good service for a number of years. Counter vessels kept on beautiful countertops can steal the show in a designer bathroom.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Bathroom Cabinets

Bathroom Cabinets



Bathroom cabinet designs are available in wide range of styles that off optimum functionality and are quite versatile. These cabinets can be customized and tailor-made to your bathroom design and make the best use of the bath space. Base units are functional and look simple but elegant. They can adapt well from modern and contemporary bathrooms with clean lines to classic and traditional bathrooms. They are versatile and flexible and the designer versions of these base cabinet units look quite sophisticated too. The space saver bathroom cabinets look stylish too and are perfect for minimalist bathrooms. Bathroom vanity cabinet or mirrored bathroom cabinets are best suited to small bathrooms that need to optimize space.

Mirrors add the illusion of space to compact bathrooms while providing the storage solution to the bath space. Mirrored bathroom vanity cabinet with simple, sleek and streamlined looks is perfect at home in modern bathrooms. Add a personal touch to your bathroom cabinet by choosing high quality bathroom cabinet options in contemporary styles made up of toughened frosted glass and aluminum and stainless steel frames that look beautiful and are a perfect storage space for the modern bathrooms. Bathroom cabinets provide storage solution to organize your bathroom, keep items of daily use in the bath space such as fresh towels, cleaning accessories and cosmetics and are functional and space saver at the same time.

You can use a space saving bathroom wall cabinet or hand a stylish medicine cabinet above the sink or the toilet. If you do not have much wall space left, you can try bathroom corner cabinets or low floor cabinets that can fir into tiny spaces. Yet another beautiful option is to install designer sink cabinet with impeccable bathroom sink faucets that not only provides extra storage space but hides plumbing too. You can even find a place to keep the bathroom wastepaper bin under the pipes. Illuminated bathroom cabinets with glass front doors are good for displaying your accessories and do ambient and mood lighting by adding soft lights that diffuse through the doors and help you to relax. However, you may install bright lights such as halogen bulbs inside the cabinets to help you find things more easily.

Replace old and bulky bathroom storage cabinets with stylish and sleek hanging cabinets to give your bathroom an instant makeover and free up some floor space for batter use. Hanging cabinets are easy to install in the bathroom too. You may choose from various styles such as country, rustic, Victorian or shabby chic looks. Bathroom medicine cabinets are being increasingly expanding in their function such as more shelves to keep personal accessories, door racks, hidden compartments that provide extra storage space for toiletries and toilet cleaning supplies that are not accessible by or even visible to children, drawers that are easily organized and space to hold larger items such as towels and grooming appliances.

Independent floor cabinets or wall mounted hanging cabinets in the bathroom can determine the space available to you for other uses. Besides the traditional mirrored bathroom cabinet above the sink, cabinets can be installed throughout the bathroom as a practical storage solution and to keep it clutter free. Bathroom vanity cabinets can be topped up with bathroom storage cabinets to help you organize your bath space better. Use your wall space for extra cabinetry. Bathroom wall cabinet can be custom made to meet your requirements such as the size, shelving and partitions. Bathroom wall cabinet designs range from antique to modern and contemporary and the doors of the cabinet can have different finishes to go with your bathroom decor theme. Mirror on the bathroom wall cabinet door or glass door can optimize the functional storage solution and add a touch of elegance to your bathroom.