Lifestyle: the way you live
Assessing your lifestyle can be revealing and surprising. You may not realize how much time you actually spend in your home. If you have small children it’s more important to have a generous play space where they can enjoy themselves and learn a generous play space where they can enjoy themselves and learn through play, than to live in an ultra-organized and tidy environment. If you are out for much of the day you will be less likely to accumulate clutter, so you will need less storage space and have more opportunity for the stylish display of artworks or collections of various kinds. If you work from home you will want to incorporate your working or office space into the general style of your home, unless you have the luxury of dedicating a room solely to your work. The gregarious and party-minded will require spacious clothes storage, while the hospitable will want a home that is welcoming, with a carefully organized layout that creates a feeling of spaciousness, no matter how small.
“You may not realize how much time you spend in your home. The hospitable will want a home that is welcoming; with a carefully organized layout that creates a feeling of spaciousness, no matter how small.”
IN ALL DAY Comfort and facilities for different activities are all-important for a family. You may have to give up the idea of complete order and neatness for a few years. But do make sure there is a table, floor playing area, and well-planned storage.
OUT ALL DAY A breakfast bar with stools takes up minimum space and will allow you to enjoy quick meals on your way in or out. Minimal furniture and décor will provide space and a good back ground for paintings or other collectables.
WORK FROM HOME Home office shelving doesn’t have to be just for books and files. Mix and match photo frames of loved ones to add some personality to your space. Global-style ornaments on the top shelf do the same job in the scheme, and actually add height to the space. White walls and minimalist white shutters allow the glossy green desk to take centre stage.
ELEGANT TABLE DECORATING IDEAS With your basic place settings in place, you can start to experiment with the actual decoration of your table. This is the fun part, where your imagination can be your guide. The one rule to keep in mind is that you want to set a table that will make your meal a comfortable experience for your guests. For instance, if you plan on serving food that will need to be passed around the table, then using lots of candles on your table may make passing that food difficult for your guests. Likewise, make sure your centerpiece decorations don’t obstruct the field of vision of your guests – you want them to be able to chat freely across the table. After your table settings, the single most important part of elegant table decorating is choosing your tablecloth. A simple white table cloth is the most classic and the easiest to dress up and down. Of course, you can also use color, especially if your china is white. Steer clear of checkerboard tablecloths and tablecloths with loud designs – these are best used during your more casual meals. If you decide to go with a white tablecloth, a table runner can be added to brighten things up a bit.
SMALL THINGS MAKE A DIFFERENCEYou might not be able to afford redesigning your kitchen cabinets. Don’t let this stop you from being creative. If your cabinets are solid and in good condition, you can replace the doors, re-stain or paint for a new fresh look. Don’t forget to change out the hardware and door pulls or knobs.
SIMPLE ADDITIONS Let your imagination run riot and your creativity flow to unprecedented heights. An important aspect of designing is to use various accessories to highlights the color of the walls, or to add color to the room. Sometimes things like painted canvases and large and colorful rugs serve as the focal point of a room. Arrange the furniture around this! Other additions to the living room are – Pillows, cushions, flower vases and crystals. Remember to try and keep the living room uncrowned, doing this will ensure that the overall effect is just perfect!
LIGHT CHANGES EVERYTHING Lights are my favorite addition to a space. With the range of lights available in the market, it is now a known fact that there is a light for every dark space! It is important to have adequate lighting in the living room; this is possible by using updated overhead fixtures to provide general light. For task lighting, you can add a few lamps around the room. Apart from the light that is emitted from electricity you can include candles to spread the lights. You cannot go wrong with the wide range of metallic, stone and glass candle stands and beautiful and colorful candles that are available in the market.
