interior design company in Leicester

Streamline one room living with style

When you think of a small space for living, then some people are very uncomfortable but it is challenge and it can be easily done if you put your mind to it. Living in one room seems impossible and wanting all facilities seems impossible to adjust in one room. With all the difficulties and challenges, it can be possible. You must be thinking that how will you adjust your kitchen and bed and tv and the rest of your things in one room. Well you can start with first deciding where you can place your kitchen. As you, enter into your room, your kitchen just in the beginning so, you can save some space in the rest of your room. You can keep your bed near the window and you can push it to your wall. The center space will be free with this setting. Now, in the middle space, you can keep a center table and infront of that you can keep a flat screen TV. The middle table can be used as a dining table too and you can use it for multipurpose like for writing and doing the rest of your work.

Always add a peg board in your room, it is very useful because you can hang your hat, your umbrella, your coat and a lot of other things and it saves a lot of space since you don’t need a wardrobe for it. In one room living, you have to have a built in wardrobe. A hanging chair is a very clever idea. It saves space and looks very stylish. You can even have a built in desk which can fold back in the wall. This way it can only occupy space when it is required. The bath room can be added just opposite the kitchen so this space can be utilized properly. You can place your automatic washing machine inside the bathroom area to save space. Always buy an automatic washing machine since it is designed to spin and dry all the clothes. So, you don’t need a separate space to dry the clothes. You can have pink tiles in the washroom, since they look very nice and a black heated towel rod can be added to keep the bathroom warm during extreme cold temperature. A full-length window is very important. It will illuminate the whole room, giving an impression of space. Coffee tables are very useful. They are small but serve the purpose.

The last but not the least are the cushions. They must be big in size so they can be used as pillows at bedtime. Flat screen TV are best for small spaces. They can be mounted on the wall and they don’t even take much space. You can live in one room and it will never cross your mind that it is small because if you will plan it well. You can adjust everything in it according to your lifestyle. Click here for more information.

Colour Schemes For Christmas 2016

It’s Christmas! Finally that time of year when you can get creative with your Christmas decor and transform your home into a winter wonderland full of festive cheer.

From your front door to your living and dining room, hallways and more there’s no reason you can’t go all out with your Christmas decorating, however before you go overboard, it’s important to plan a colour scheme.

When it comes to Christmas decorating less is more when it actually comes to colours. We may all associate Christmas with red and green, however more style conscious Christmas colour schemes call for metallics and neutrals to inject festive vibes into the home this year.

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Modern day Christmas decor is of course a mixture of both Pagan, Germanic and Christian influences, so adopting natural foliage and neutral tones is a great way to keep your Christmas colour scheme both traditional, stylish and completely bearable.

For the Magpie’s amongst you who love to inject a little glitz into your Christmas colour scheme then metallic’s are your friends – mix gold and silver with sumptuous glassy jewel tones and your Christmas colour scheme will scream luxury.

When it comes to choosing which colour scheme will fit best with your home you may want to employ the use of a professional. “Someone else can decorate my house for Christmas?!” Well yes! There are plenty of interior professionals out there who can be your Christmas elf and give you a Christmas look to die for so when all your friends and family pop in for a mulled wine they’ll think you’re some sort of home interiors guru. All whilst you act completely cool and accept praise for your effortless festive style.

When it comes to calling in professional help it’s still worth having an idea of what colours you think will work well as you’ll be able to work with an interior stylist to achieve your desired look. For inspiration take a look at trends for 2016 such as the Pantone Fall Colour Chart where you’ll see teal, mustard, and Aurora Red all making headlines for 2016 colour schemes.

Ten interior designers that have changed the world

There are many notable names that have been involved with the field of interior design, and here are ten of them who have had a particularly distinctive impact. They might have inspired those that came after them, or been instrumental in bringing the field to the attention of a lot of people.

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Philippe Starck’s influence and experience has been put into a number of different fields. He designs the home accessories that many other interior designers use to complete their assignments. He is responsible for designing chairs, toothbrushes and even electronic appliances. The first time that he came to international attention was in 1982, when he received the commission to design the interior of Francois Mitterand’s apartment.
Karim Rashid is an Egyptian born industrial designer. He is widely considered to be one of the best in his generation, when it comes to that particular field. His work straddles the line between interior design and art, as it is included in many exhibitions across the world. Rashid is also experienced in the worlds of fashion, music and lighting.
Patricia Urquiolais known for creating unique interiors, as well as being an architect and designer. One of her most famous accomplishments is the work that she did in the W hotel and spa in Puerto Rico. She allied the most distinctive features of the hotel with the natural beauty surrounding it, creating something that was very calming and peaceful for the hotel guests.
Federico Delrosso was initially a architect, but is well known for being a highly conscientious and detail oriented interior designer. He works with contrasting materials such as wood and metal, and one of his most well respected assignments was a family home that he created in Monaco.
Martin Brudnizki is one of many young designers that are particularly fascinated by New York and London. Brudnizki is famous for ‘minimalist deluxe’ and is in demand across the world for his ability to make the simple look luxurious.
Thierry W. Despont, is a multi talented man, working as a designer, artist and architect. He has travelled widely and worked in many countries across the world. He was part of the team that worked on reconditioning the Statue of Liberty, and has worked for many high society clients.
Miles Redd, used to be a set designer and uses that previous profession to his advantage. The experience that he gained during that period of his life, has led him to work to design the home interior to reflect the owner’s personality. His interiors mingle antiques with modern art, and often each room has it’s own distinctive personality.
Michael S. Smith is an American born interior designer who has had the prestigious assignment of designing the interior of the White House since 2008. He usually makes the home seem comfortable and stylish at the same time.
Catherine Widawska and Thomas Widawskim,grew up in a family of highly successful Polish architects. They have won a number of awards for their modern, airy and almost futuristic interior design They are highly detail oriented, and use colour to accent each room, placing bright home accessories such as lemon yellow carpet.
Robert Baileymixes functionality with design, comfort with class. His work on a apartment in Vancouver, showed his ability to find a balance between giving rooms a distinctive character while making the home feel united.

Let There Be Light! Innovative Home Lighting Solutions

Lighting is so important when it comes to creating distinct areas with different functions and atmospheres within the home. The interior designer Leicestershire understands the best ways to use lighting to your advantage whatever your goal. With the right planning and expert advice you can transform almost any space in your home at the flick of a switch.

Drawer Lights
Is your chest of drawers in a dark corner of the bedroom? Do you have to get up regularly while it’s still dark and fumble around for the right top while your partner sleeps, not wanting to turn on the light? If any of these questions ring true then low-cost LED drawer lights can be your friends and solve your problems, while adding a touch of style to your pants drawer!

Task Lighting
So-called task lighting is essential for all hobbyists and budding sewers and knitters as well as those of us who like to curl up on our favourite chairs with a good book. Let the world of lamps light your way to a well lit area in which to indulge in your craft.

Do you only have space for small bedside tables?
Don’t worry – with some well positioned wall lights you can save on vital table space leaving room for your obligatory glass of water and a place to leave your book and glasses.

Update fixtures when redecorating
If you’re planning on jazzing up a particular room, giving it a special theme or striving for a certain atmosphere, be sure not to ignore those old light fittings. Going for an olive green feature wall? Perhaps think of a botanically themed fixture or woodland shade. Opting for a calming blue? Perhaps you could really conjure that maritime vibe with some nautical pendant fittings. Or maybe you’re catching the industrial bug and going down the concrete or mock concrete route. In this case there are some amazing steampunk machine age lamps that can add to the industrial feel and serve as a real talking point.

Add a variety of lighting types
We already mentioned task lighting, but ensure that each room has lighting to perform different functions. This can include mood lighting, accent lighting to highlight works of art or architectural features.

Fallen in love with some shades, but don’t want more lamps?
Hang some down lighters over the kitchen table and embrace the shade love!

Nifty Shades for May: a Brief Guide to the In Colours for 2015

When looking at your home with a fresh pair of Spring-inspired eyes, one of the most satisfying ways of freshening up your interior design is by giving your interior a new colour or shade. As an interior design company in Leicester, we have taken steps to unearth some of the more exciting colour trends for Spring and beyond.

The overriding trend that we noticed was one that is intrinsically linked to our ever more complicated and connected lifestyles. Mobile technology has gripped us like never before and people are choosing to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life in their homes using shades of soothing blues in their homes, instilling a sense of calm and tranquillity. Particularly prominent are the tropical blues including aqua, azure and mellow green, giving further credence to the escapist theory as we all look to bring the holiday vibe into our living space.

These shades of blues can be playfully combined with tans, burnt oranges, corals and lemony colours to revitalise your tired décor and optimize the chill out factor of your home. Once you’ve decided on the exact shades and tones for you, the question remains as to how best to use these colours.

Paint is the easiest and most obvious way to introduce colour, but even after deciding that a lick of paint is the way forward there are many ways in which paint can be used in the home. The idea that paint must be applied to every wall in a room is finally becoming consigned to history and a feature wall may well be what your room is crying out for. A good tip is to choose a prominent wall – such as the wall you first see as you go into a room and make that your statement wall, giving it your soothing blue shade and giving you an instant shot of calm.

Other ways you can boost your tranquillity and update your palette include choosing a piece of furniture – a kitchen table, chairs or desk for instance – and give them the revitalizing colour boost. Outside the realms of paint, you can even use soft furnishings, such as cushions, lampshades and curtains. Moving into bathrooms and kitchens, you have the added option of replacing those tired kitchen tiles with fresh, exciting new ones in the latest, most exciting shades. With the weather on the change and moods lifted, May is a great month to get started.

Top Window Dressing Trends for 2015

In the world of blinds and curtains exciting things have been happening in terms of what’s hot and what’s not. At the forefront of all things curtains and blinds Leicestershire,we’re in the perfect position to hand out our tips for revamping your window dressings this year.

Grey days

In keeping with the integration of concrete and concrete look in interior design, greys are very much in, with neutral greys dominating in curtains and blinds. You might be asking ‘how can I make this change without leaving my room looking stark and soulless?’

Well here are a few tips…

Contrast the grey with a splash of carefully chosen colour. Burnt oranges, lemon yellows and soothing blues are all very much in vogue and for good reason. Blues offer calming properties, oranges work stunningly with the greys and lemon is always great for a splash of vibrancy. Greys can be complemented by warm and cool tones alike – so your options are endless.

Add silver touches like candlesticks and trays, light fittings and picture frames, to lend a magical touch to the room. This is an alternative option to the grey/copper contrast that is dominating of late and is another stunning alternative.

Time tested olive greens

If the thought of a trend-driven shift frightens you, then olive greens are stylish with little chance of them going out of fashion any time soon.

Our tips for integrating olive green

Use neutral furnishings, as olive green curtains will provide a stunning backdrop.

Dip one foot into the copper trend as olive green and copper are a match made in heaven, while greys also go extremely well with the colour, so concrete effect wallpaper or grey painted walls will not only be extremely in, but will maximise the impact of your new window dressings!

Blind Faith

Blinds can also be used as statement pieces to offset a more minimal, stark wall paint and colour scheme. A hot tip for 2015 is adding to the ‘go to’ neutral of the moment – grey – with a set of vibrant burnt orange blinds, adding warmth to the room. Of course, you might already have enough warmth with some carefully chosen soft furnishings or a feature wall, in which case, art-deco inspired metallic hues are all the rage for retaining the glamour and chic. For kitchens and bathrooms, where perhaps a fresher more invigorating tone is desired, there are some great options, but green tea shades are especially delicate and refreshing.

Which Kitchen Island?

The kitchen island is a vital component of an open plan kitchen and the decision as to which design to opt for is a very important one that you will live with on a daily basis, so it is vital to think it through first. The folk involved in home refurbishment Leicestershire are there to help you decide on your plan of action.

Larger kitchens

The chances are that should you be fortunate enough to have a large open plan kitchen it is likely to be the hub of your home, where dinners, entertaining, food preparation and breakfast all take place. In this case, large, built in islands deserve their place, with the added bonus of drawers either side to tidy away all those pots, pans, scales, juicers and blenders that will not only be out of sight but also perfectly placed to be extricated and placed on the food preparation area of your kitchen oasis!

Options for smaller spaces

For the smaller kitchen there are some space savvy kitchen islands that do not compromise on storage, using vertical space, with the elevation allowing for storage underneath. A nifty tip is also mounting a long towel bar on the side of your island for those tea towels, aprons and oven gloves. However, some small kitchens will need a compromise and that can be made in the way of a mobile ‘cart style’ island. Options range from cheap and easily mobile trolley style pieces to more elaborate islands on wheels that can look as good as their fixed cousins.

The upcycled option

Do you have an old dresser that you no longer use or want out of the bedroom? It could, with a little bit of imagination and elbow grease, be turned into a stylish and economical kitchen island. Add some dividers and give the dresser a shabby chic makeover with some vibrant colour – blue or green perhaps – and you could have a storage-friendly talking point in your kitchen! The upcycled option could even involve taking a butcher’s block (auctions often feature them) and adding legs from an old piece of furniture. This will not provide storage, but it will look incredibly satisfying.

The upgrade

Perhaps your kitchen island ticks all the boxes in terms of size, storage space and style but is rather tired and in need of a revamp. A new countertop or some sleek wooden panels can transform an existing island and cost much less than unnecessarily scrapping your island and replacing it with a more expensive model.

Inviting Spring into Your Home

As the winter months become a cold memory and the snowdrops and bluebells warm our hearts with news of spring, it is time to look at our homes in a new light and think of how we can re-energise them with the vibrancy of this season of change. With a little thought your home can be transformed.

Spring clean

It may not be the glamorous option, but a top to bottom spring clean of your home will not only leave your house looking wonderful, but it will leave you feeling energised and you will become fully re-acquainted with your home, helping the ideas as to how to revamp and re-style your property flow. With the car boot season ready to rock now is the time to turn up the music and get those boxes filled with unwanted knickknacks that will free up valuable space.

New carpets or wooden flooring

There’s nothing quite like the satisfying smell of a new carpet and with all those scintillating colour and textile options, new carpets can provide a breathtaking platform for change. Perhaps, on the other hand you’ve always dreamt of that stylish, dust-free wooden floor. A super stylish option is a distressed oak floor, which may have you embarking on a mission to find those statement furniture pieces to do up in a shabby chic style to match.

Bright statements

Nothing says fresh and spring-friendly like a splash of life-affirming green or ocean blue. A bright tiling or wallpaper revamp in the bathroom may seem drastic but those energising blues and greens can make a bold spring statement. This principle can be carried on into the kitchen with whites and greens sure to brighten up your space. Perhaps some green and white chairs for the breakfast bar and a nice shade for that pendant light above the bar might to the trick?

Into the bedroom

For that splash of spring life in the bedroom, now is the time to add that feature wall. There are so many wonderful wallpapers out there that enable you to add a feature tailored to your tastes to your boudoir. With spring in mind, perhaps you could choose from some of those wonderful butterfly-themed pieces or opt for something with those garden birds that have kept you company through the winter and will flourish with the advent of spring.

The fresh spring vibe can be channelled throughout the home with a bit of a clean-up and a splash of colour and the interior design company in Leicester is ready to help you on your journey.

Gas fires vs. Wood-burning Stoves: Modern vs. Traditional

In spite of the fact that winter is finally just a memory, now is the time to get planning if you are considering adding or renovating an existing fireplace in your home in time for the next frost. There are very few homes with rooms that would not benefit from a fireplace feature as the centrepiece and even fewer people for whom the idea of huddling round a fire in the depths of winter with a glass of wine does not hold great appeal. The challenge of you dreamers as well as the interior designer Leicestershire is selecting the right fireplace for each home.

This choice may represent country cottages with traditional inglenook fireplaces that simply cry out for a traditional wood-burning stove, or Edwardian houses with a blend of period features and modern touches that could look great with either a traditional option or a glass fronted gas fire with a sleek black surround that sits comfortably below a wall mounted flat screen high definition TV.

When choosing the right fireplace for you and your home, you should ask yourselves the following questions.

What is the primary desired function – heat or decoration?
What is more important among ease of use, authenticity or fuel efficiency?
Do you have a fuel preference?

These three questions can go a long way to narrowing down your range of options before you look into the minutiae of detail and the myriad options on the market today. In today’s fast-moving and costly age the gas fireplace has gained in popularity, bolstered also by the minimal design options that match the sleek technology-centred living spaces that many people choose for their homes. Gas, despite recent price hikes remains a competitively priced fuel option and is especially attractive for those whose homes do not benefit from existing masonry chimneys. Gas fireplaces also provide comparable heat and radiance without the mess and storage required for wood-burning stoves. For the young, working couple the time, money and space saving nature of the gas fireplace is an attractive draw. Elegant and modern glass fronted gas fireplaces can look stunning even in big, old properties, a stand-out nod to the modern world in an otherwise rustic surround can be truly stunning.

This all said, if you are blessed with a property benefiting from a good masonry chimney, properly lined and with a hearty draw, there is nothing quite as satisfying as lighting a real, wood-burning stove and while it can provoke lively debate in the household (“it’s your turn to put another log!”) they really do radiate quite a wonderful heat and atmosphere and you can’t toast a marshmallow through a glass panel.

Which Kitchen Worktop?

Why go upmarket
Should I go for Granite, Corian, wood or quartz? It is one of the biggest dilemmas when designing your new kitchen, given that changing your worktop is not a habitual event and plenty of time will be spent using it for years to come. Increasingly people are setting aside a larger portion of their budget for surfaces once considered an extravagant outlay. One of the main attractions of higher end surfaces such as granite and quartz is that they are relatively indestructible and render that awful water-lifting that plagued laminate and scratching that affected stainless steel worktops a thing of the past.

Pricing
Using laminate (cheap), wood (medium) and granite (expensive) as an example, you might be able to make an instant decision according to budget. Laminate comes in at around £20 per metre, wood at around £70 per metre and granite anywhere in excess of £220 per metre. These are rough guide prices and there is plenty of variation on the market. For the purpose of this article laminate shall be treated as a budget choice and is recommended only if the other options are prohibitively expensive.

Wood
Wooden surfaces look the business and are a far cheaper option than quartz or granite, so what’s the catch? Well, given several coats of Danish Oil, months apart and care when it comes to leaving water marks then wooden surfaces can maintain their appearance, by and large, for many years. There is no getting away from the fact that more care is required than with quartz or granite, however.

Mineral/Acrylic blend Solid Surface Material
A synthetic material made up of a blend of minerals and acrylic of this ilk lends itself to kitchen worktops as it is seamless, stain resistant and can be moulded into the most awkward of shapes and spaces and there are over 100 colour choices. However, such surfaces are not as heat resistant as granite or quartz and more susceptible to scratching although marks can be simply sanded out. It is also a more expensive option.

Quartz
Quartz worktops are as strong as granite but also benefit from increased flexibility, which makes them easier to install, although they are even heavier than granite, so professional installation is mandatory. Quartz is not indestructible, but it is stain resistant and because of the colour choices available seams can be hidden well.

Granite
Quarried from the earth in large chunks, granite worktops are increasingly popular and will not discolour over time. They do need to be sealed year after year as they are naturally porous. The appearance of granite worktops is not uniform, as it is natural although they are immensely durable and should last several lifetimes! In terms of price granite is comparable to quartz although because it is not made to measure you will usually end up paying more and installation must be done by professionals such as kitchen refurbishment Leicester.

In summary, while granite remains the worktop du jour, quartz is gaining ground and the mineral/acrylic blend surface has its place when flexibility is a must. In reality either quartz or granite will, given that they are installed satisfactorily be winners – adding to the value of your house to boot – but should you not mind taking a little extra care, the aesthetics of a good wooden worktop could win you over, especially considering the potential savings.

Traditional Bathrooms: A Renaissance?

Trends and styles are cyclical. I remember in the ‘90s up until around 2008, the 1980s were considered something of a joke in musical terms, but try finding an up and coming indie band in 2015 that are not influenced by the ‘80s in some way!

Alongside the many people who crave the massaging touch of a whirlpool bath or Jacuzzi, which is likely to be a transient fashion, to there are a growing number who are deciding that they want to go down a more traditional path when configuring their dream bathroom.

What is a Traditional Bathroom?
The beauty of opting for a more traditional bathroom is that you can take the enduring features of bathroom design from past and present, avoiding the pitfalls of going for the latest trend only to see it fall away in coming years, rendering your dream bathroom something of a cliche.

When talking about traditional design, we often reference the period, whether it is Victorian, Georgian, Edwardian or Elizabethan. While it would be perfectly doable to design and fit an Edwardian bathroom in a modern apartment, it is often best to match the period of your house to the period of the design and fixtures that you wish to install.

The fittings
When it comes to fixtures and fittings, there is a tough choice as to whether to go the whole hog and scour the auction houses in search of that genuine Victorian tap of your dreams or with the help of bathroom refurbishment Leicestershire, select well-made modern replicas. Of course, you can do a little of both, mixing genuine period fittings with modern replicas for those fixtures that are, perhaps less prominent and harder to find.

An Example
Let’s assume that you’ve just bought a Victorian house, with a bathroom that is tired and needs a complete overhaul. You can start by removing that water-stained beige carpet and hopefully finding some lovely wooden flooring, just begging for restoration. With the old suite removed, you can opt for a beautiful stand-alone cast iron bathtub, a gorgeous cast iron radiator, painted to contrast stunningly with the colour of your bath. You can visit the local auctions for some period signs to adorn the walls and a nice Victorian chair to sit on, while dressing. However – and here’s the fun part – you can also integrate a beautiful, glass shower cubicle, one of the features of modern bathrooms that’s here to stay, achieving a stunning contrast between period and modern design.

Suffice it to say there is great merit in opting for the integration of traditional design elements in your contemporary bathroom, not least because you are looking back, with hindsight and still finding beauty and ingenuity in the design.

Planning Ahead For Your 2015 Interiors

While December is a busy month with plans for Christmas brightening the darker days, it’s also a good time to review your home and think ahead for 2015.

If you’ve got guests staying, have you got enough room or, perhaps with a growing family, would 2015 be the year to extend and add an ensuite? Maybe you don’t want or need to get to that level, but perhaps you just want to update your décor? Here’s a preview of some of the colours expected to be featuring in interiors during 2015. If you use the services of a company experienced in East Midlands interior design, such as Craven & Hargreaves, you’ll get some great ideas for interpreting the trends in ways which will suit your home and family perfectly and, by offering a comprehensive service, possibly save you money too.

Whether you like bright or muted colours, there are colour palettes for you. Subdued shades such as olive or dusty mint green, aubergine and rust add depth to a room and work well teamed with brighter shades of the same colour, or neutrals to provide contrast. A sitting room or dining room in a period house would take these shades well in alcoves paired with striped or lightly patterned wallpaper for a classic look.

Stripes always look elegant for wallpaper and immediately add height to small rooms. The stripes can be very subtle: in silver or gold, for example, but they will catch the light and add interest without overpowering the room. You could use striped paper on one wall only, contrasting with a plain finish on the others.

If you’d rather go vibrant, look for vivid shades of blue which, teamed with white, bring a room to life. Yellow and grey are also on trend partners for blue and, used for upholstery or accessories, such as cushions, will balance your scheme well. There are so many shades of blue that your interior designer will be able to suggest the ones which would work best as layers within your scheme.

Another upcoming colour palette for Spring 2015 is pastels. If you have rooms which are flooded with light, particularly if they link to the outdoors, you can have fun creating the carefree feel of a holiday home which you live in permanently! Working equally well in living areas or the kitchen, look for aqua blue or flamingo pink for your walls. Paired with brilliant white paintwork and shutters, real wooden flooring with a bleached finish or a natural fibre like coir or sisal, and well chosen accessories, you’ll always have a room to put you in the holiday mood.

Now is a great time to be thinking about ways to introduce the latest colours into your home. Start looking at interior design blogs and magazines for inspiration then ask an East Midlands interior design company to prepare a mood board based on your preferences. 2015 could be the smartest year ever for your home!

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