Tropical Color Palette

The rich colors of the tropics provide the perfect backdrop for your tropical bedroom oasis, and you can also choose to bring in some soothing neutral shades like sand or khaki, to mix with inviting and warm earthy tones like cozy brown or deep green.  Vibrant colors that are reminiscent of tropical flowers are also fitting, such as bright pinks and banana yellows.  The colors of your favorite tropical drinks can also provide inspiration for your bedroom oasis.  Think about the coral color of a tropical daiquiri, or accents for your tropical themed bedroom that are trimmed in off-white, like a pina colada. Paint your walls in a neutral color and tone to make it easy to coordinate your bedding, linens, window treatments, and more within the room, and dress up your walls with wrought iron door toppers and wrought iron decor.

Tropical Accents

With a tropical theme, there are so many different tropical accents that you can bring into the space to lend an air of authenticity that makes you feel like you’re staying in a tropical resort, right on the sands.  Think about adding touches of palm tree art, tree wall hangings, art featuring sea shells, and so on.  You can invariably add shell collections, potted palm trees (either real or artificial) and other elements of nature that will add the feel of a true oasis to your space.

Tropical Furniture and Furnishings

Select furniture for your tropical themed bedroom in deep, rich mahogany tones that remind you of the abundance of teak wood that is used in the tropics. If you want to keep your existing furniture, you can invariably refurbish your furniture to achieve this look.  Another type of furniture that goes well with a tropical theme is furniture made from wicker or bamboo, either in its natural color or finished in white, antique cream, or off-white.

Window Treatments for the Tropical Retreat

When choosing window treatments for your tropical oasis, go for light, airy, and billowy sheers.  If privacy is a concern, you can install mini blinds or even layers a heavy curtain with the sheers to achieve almost the same look.  Another option is to install privacy film on the windows that allows the sunshine to penetrate your space without allowing any prying eyes to see inside.  This type of film is simple to install and can make a huge difference in the look of your tropical bedroom retreat.

1. Add a Cowboy Theme

When you think of the west, you probably automatically think of cowboys. Adding a few cowboy touches to a room is a quick and easy way to establish a distinctly western look. Try adding a few pieces of cowboy Western metal art to the room. Metal wall art with a cowboy theme is a great way to add a strong focal point. Or, you could take a more subtle approach by displaying a couple small bronze cowboy statues on the mantel or on a shelf. You can also accentuate the cowboy theme by decorating the room with cowboy gear. For example, a pair of well-worn boots could be the perfect decorating accent beside the fireplace. A wooden peg rack could also be used to display a couple of cowboy hats to add a decorative and authentic touch.

2. Decorate with Metal Art

Just as is the case with other popular decorating themes, metal art can really add a lot to the look of a western style room. A rugged piece of eagle metal art can be used to highlight the overall theme of the room. For example, a wall sculpture depicting a cowboy hat, a pair of boots, or a herd of horses or cattle could become the focal point for the entire room. Art pieces made from rustic wrought iron, bronze, copper or steel can add a warm and attractive look. Wagon wheels, lassos, horseshoes, and other western motifs are also popular when depicted as wall art.

3. Western Furniture

Western style furniture is often large, heavy and well-crafted. Overstuffed sofas and chairs are quite common, as are furniture pieces made from leather. Although some wood pieces have a rustic look, you’ll also find many pieces that have a beautifully gleaming polished finish. Bronze, copper, iron, silver and other metal accents are sometimes used to add a decorative look to furniture pieces. Because of the larger size of western style furniture, you might find that a sofa combined with a couple of chairs will be all you need to furnish a room.

4. Western Decorating Accents

Since furniture, floor and wall colors often adhere to a more neutral color palette, decorating accessories can be a great way to add a splash of color. Try adding a vibrantly colored throw rug or a great western-themed tapestry wall hanging. Decorative pillows and tapestry throws can add comfort as well as color to sofas, loveseats and chairs.

When you start a home office project, you first need to choose a location. Find something that you can isolate from the traffic – behind a door is best, but even a side alcove of your living room cut off by furniture and defined by strategic placement of area rugs works. By defining the area, you may even also be able to write it off of your taxes in some cases, so be very deliberate with this step.

Once you have a place set aside for your office, you need to consider the following features: equipment, furniture, office supplies and accessories. These give the area functionality and definition. Properly done, they can also give your area style and that air of professionalism you want when clients come over.

Equipment

includes all of the tools of your trade – computer, phone, fax, printer, copier, shredder etc. In a regular office, they will be very prominent. In a home office, they need to be less so – after all, you have a limit to the area you are using. Often a good computer desk can discretely contain and organize the majority of this equipment, so check around for your options (more on this later). Consider also multifunctional equipment. An all-in-one printer/copier/scanner/fax machine can take the place of four pieces of equipment and is often compact enough to tuck inside a desk cabinet.

Desktop or Laptop ?

Another consideration is whether you want to use a laptop or desktop computer. Each offers options – convenience and mobility in the former, economy and ease of use in the latter. One way to have the best of both worlds is to put a docking station for your laptop on your desk. This will give you the full size keyboard, mouse and screen of a desktop while still allowing you the mobility of your laptop all in one convenient package. This option even beats having two computers because you never need to worry about keeping them in synch with each other.

Furniture

Furniture of course includes the computer desk. For your home office, you will WANT desk space and storage, so consider a corner desk with overhead bins in a material that goes well with the image you want to project. This will give you more than enough space to store office supplies and even keep your equipment discretely gathered up and together. Get a comfortable ergonomic chair for yourself and extra seats for clients. If you have the space, a coffee table would be ideal to lay out presentations, but if this is impractical, consider at least a side table or two.

Accessories

Finally, consider accessories – pictures and wall coverings that are conservative and stylish, an oval area rug to establish a walkway and perhaps something strong like a bamboo area rug under the desk on top of the tile flooring, perhaps a plant or two. You should NOT be putting too much here – your office should feel clean and uncluttered and too many frills will run counter to this goal. Once your decorations are in place, you should have an elegant and stylish place to conduct business at home.

Resources

Check this website if you want a Graphic Design Degree: http://www.graphicdesigndegree.com

Color

The first thing that you want to do when designing an in-home day care space is to make it colorful and appealing to the children who will be in it.  You can choose from a primary color palette that makes ample use of red, blue and yellow or go with a softer, more neutral color palette that focuses on white, brown and blue.  No matter what color scheme you feel most comfortable with, make sure that the accent pieces that you plan to use, like the beautiful dragonfly metal art that is perfect for the science nook, match the chosen colors.

Storage

Creating enough safe storage areas in an in-home day care setting is important.  Not only do you have to take into consideration the size of the storage containers, but you also need to make sure that they do not topple over or present a hazard to the children.  Rolling carts that can store a variety of different supplies and toys are especially good, because they are so versatile in their placement.  Open storage shelves are also popular, because their open design allows children to easily access and replace toys that have been played with.  In addition to the safety concerns, it is also a good idea to make sure that whatever storage containers you use are washable and easy to disinfect.

Furniture

Kid-size furniture is important to have in your in-home day care space.  Child size chairs and tables can make all the difference in children staying on task and being safe.  When they feel like they are being given the things they need to grow and learn, children become a lot more receptive to being in school.  In addition to kid-size tables and chairs, toy furniture is also important.  Just like the storage containers, make sure that any plastic houses, slides or kitchen units are easy to clean.  If the furniture is porous or difficult to launder, you may need to search for alternate ideas.

Your in-home day care room does not have to be the fanciest room in the house, but it does have to be bright, cheerful, safe and appealing to children.  While you might think that having car metal wall art on the walls will instantly make the space kid-friendly, a better alternative might be hanging up the children’s work instead to recognize their unique talents and personalities.

So what kinds of plastic furniture would you use to decorate your home? And where would you put it?

Plastic chairs are ideal for your children’s furniture. In your children’s den, for example, you could buy a low table with a set of small plastic chairs. The great thing, apart from the low cost, is that these chairs are fairly durable and as they are light it is less dangerous if one of your toddlers were to pull one of them on top of himself or to fall off one. They are also extremely easy to clean and are therefore ideal for eating from or for arts and crafts. In the same way, a large plastic toy box is great for storing toys. However, you should look out for any cracks or breakages. If plastic is broken, it can create sharp edges that could make nasty cuts.

Another great plastic storage device is a set of drawers. Plastic drawers are not only good for your children’s toys. You can also use them in your own den for anything from storing papers to tools. They are light, cheap, and these days come in quite tasteful designs.

Other Spaces

But plastic furniture does not need to be confined to the den. In the kitchen, if you need extra storage, depending on the design, plastic racks are a great idea for storing recipe books, spices, vegetables, or tea towels. In the bedroom, if you need extra cupboard space but can’t afford to buy another wooden wardrobe, a plastic cupboard or set of drawers can come in very useful. In your home office, you may need a bookcase. No room to put in a heavy wooden bookcase? Don’t worry – you can always add a plastic rack or small bookcase. Need extra dining room chairs for those times when you have a lot of guests? Buy some plastic chairs. They are easy to clean and take up little space because they can be stacked one on top of the other.

Accessorize

Of course, if you want your plastic furniture to look nicer, you can always add some neat accessories. For example, a plastic table can be decorated with a pretty and durable tablecloth when it is not in use. Plastic shelves can be lined, as can drawers. Adding a pretty area rug to the room also adds a nice touch. Consider a modern area rug, or even a floral rug just to add some extra class to the look of the room.

With a little thought, plastic furniture can enhance your home in a variety of important ways.

so I said: “Yeah, I can help you, but my services are a bit pricey… why don’t I give you some tips so you can manage the work by yourselves?”

This was a dialogue with a friend of mine that just got his brand new house on a beautiful hill. He received the floor plans from the architect, but the thing is that he didn’t paid for the interior design services of the architect, so he found himself in the situation where he had to find somebody to decorate his house. He came to me, since I’m also an architect, and if I had more time, I would have definitely take the project, but that’s not the case. Anyway, what I gave him was far more valuable than the decorating project he would have had to pay good money for. I gave him a couple of principles, guiding tips to decorate his house in a manner that would invite you in, and make you feel like home. Since the main concern was the bedroom, I will explain a couple of things my friend, and you as well if you search to decorate your bedroom have to keep in mind:

1. Stick to two colors

This is the tendency nowadays, and in my opinion is a good one, because simplicity is attractive, and relaxing. The trend these days is black and white.

2. Keep a simple line of the furniture.

Dark colors for the nightstands and the closet and the bed frame. For a contrast with the walls

3. Parquet is always nice when you chose your floor

Of course, there are other solutions for the floor, but with today’s market you can find literally almost any kind of color or shape of parquet.

4. Wooden VS Metallic or plastic furniture

Well, the option is up to you, but my suggestion is to have the same material for all of your furniture objects that you will have in your bedroom.

5. Use diffuse lighting objects

Diffuse is definitely better than direct, it’s more comforting, and relaxing.

6. What Wall Finishes

These can range from simple plain colored paints to heavy decoration wall papers or even a combination of these two. Having such a wall in a bedroom can really define the dimensions of a bedroom.

7. About Decorating Accessories

The accessories you will add to your bedroom environment will add life to a master bedroom. A good idea would be a flower bearing plant that changes it’s form all the time thus creating a new charm in the bedroom every time it changes its form or flowers. Pictures and frames with simple clear forms can also bring your bedroom to life.

Hope these tips will help you create that bedroom you dream about, and if you need more tips, ideas or suggestions visit our bedroom furniture section here on archtopia.

Talk about funky design in furniture, huh? The crazy combination between colors and the fabulous icons definitely will make your eye pop. The uniqueness of this piece of furniture comes also from it’s shape. Four handles with a unexpected design and position come together to complete the design.

The Riddle drawers [believe or not, that's their name] is the perfect combination for your bedroom or why not? your kids bedroom. Awesome design! Take that Gaudi!

The Riddle

Riddle Drawers

The project and the images are copyright Cross Electronics.

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Cardboard Furniture - Reinhard Dienes

Reinhard Dienes an internationally acclaimed award-winning furniture designer , is debuting with an exclusive collection of cardboard furniture on Fashion4Home. The furniture pieces are lightweight, sturdy and 100% recyclable as well as playful. The amazing design completes the overall picture and makes it an optical highlight to every room. Whether the Bookshelf and the sideboard is available in various colors to matches with your style.

Cardboard Furniture - Reinhard Dienes

This stylish environmentally friendly furniture is a perfect choice for your home office furniture and a beautiful addition to your home interior. One more thing that I like at these pieces of cardboard furniture is that they don’t look like are made out of cardboard. The great design can fool you into thinking this is real furniture made out of wood… Well, actually is a matter of perspective, but anyway, if you are a convinced ecologist, you will love this designs.

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These bits of fantastic furniture were made to wow people entering into office buildings and high-tech atmospheres. Materials used to create these beasts include recycled metal boards, tiers, and foams as back support – for real super comfort!

When made, available in an abnormal variety of colors and sizes!

Designer: Design-Gezunt Studio