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Steps to Hiring an Interior Decorator to Transform Your Living Space

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You have an idea of what you want your living space to look like, but bringing it together is more challenging than you realized. From coming up with ideas and concepts to pairing the right pieces and remaining on budget, there’s a lot more to interior design than meets the eye. Property owners who don’t have the time, patience, or resources to decorate a room or house decide to hire an interior decorator.

What’s An Interior Decorator?

Commonly confused with an interior designer who is skilled in structural and aesthetic design, an interior decorator is an expert in enhancing the aesthetics, functionality, and comfort of residential or commercial space. Whether you need help with an entire design idea or you need someone with the creative eye to bring your ideas to life, these are the interior decoration experts you want to call.

How Do You Know Which One To Hire?

If you were to do a Google search for interior decorators near you, chances are you’d be routed to several service providers. Since you’ll have to pay for and live with the result, it is vital that you take a few precautions before signing a contract. Below are some steps to make hiring an interior decorator easier.

Define Your Personal Style

Your personal style must be incorporated into your home’s interior design. When coordinating with your decorator, you want to have some ideas of what you’d like to see. Even the smallest plan provides them with the inspiration they need to create a space you’ll be pleased with.

If you’re having a hard time thinking of themes, colors, or concepts for your living space, you can also get ideas from the internet. From social media platforms like Pinterest to online magazines like Better Homes & Gardenshttps://www.bhg.com/rooms/living-room/, there are several sources to draw insights from. As you find things you like, be sure to bookmark the site for future use.

Decide on a Budget

Before getting carried away with home decor ideas, create a budget, determine how much you can afford to pay for an interior decorator. While each service provider is different, you will likely have to pay an hourly or flat rate for the services and the cost of materials. Of course, the best way to pay would be with cash that you have saved up for this particular project. If you’d prefer to pay with a credit card or loan, be sure that you can afford the monthly payments without neglecting other financial obligations.

Education, Professional Credentials, and Experience Check

Now you’re ready to begin narrowing down the interior decorators servicing your area. Don’t overlook the importance of doing your due diligence. Check company websites or social media profiles to learn more about their background. What kind of education did they have? Do they have the necessary credentials to be an interior decorator in your jurisdiction? More importantly, how much experience do they have with home decorating?

Portfolio and Client Reviews

As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. You should never hire an interior decorator blindly. Find out what skills and capabilities have and the quality of their service by checking out portfolios and client reviews. An experienced home decorator is going to have several photos for you to look at and draw inspiration from. They’ll also have a list of clients you can contact to find out more about their satisfaction with the services they received.

Get An Estimate

By now, you’ve likely narrowed your list of options down significantly. A critical factor to remember is the expense. While you may like a particular decorator, if they aren’t willing to give you want at a price you can afford, you’ll need to move on to another expert. To get a general idea of how much it’s going to cost, the interior decorator may ask to schedule an in-house visit to get specific details.

Based on the information you gathered from the above steps, you can now make an informed decision on which interior decorator you’re going to hire. After making your selection, the only thing left to do is schedule an appointment and prepare to see the magic happen as they create a living space you’ll love.

Upgrade the Appeal of Any Room with the Artichoke Lamp

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Lighting is both an art and a science, and the Artichoke Lamp pays tribute to both categories with its unique structural design. Sometimes appreciating the handsomeness of this product is easier than deciding how and where to place it. To assist your designing venture we’ve compiled a few suggestions and ideas that make use of a wide array of themes, colors, rooms, and options to satisfy all kinds of preferences.

1. The perfect chic living room retreat:

Minhacasaminhacara

If you’re looking to cast a halo of inviting glow then the Artichoke Lamp is the choice for you. Available in silver, copper, and white, this signature piece will instantly elevate your living rooms outlook. The entire arrangement featured here is attempting to capture a bright, airy and cheerful room where you can host brunches, tea parties or laze around with family. By surrounding the light with a variety of articles ranging from patterned cushions to pure white couches, dark-colored seating arrangements on and around wooden elements and a wide open bay window, you create a wholly eclectic aura that appeals to modern sensibilities. Placing a large mirror parallel to the lamp and alongside natural lighting plays off well as it systematically enhances the amount of light and open feelings in the room.

2. A glorious dining room:

Ylighting

A transitional hanging fixture like the Artichoke Lamp emphasizes the seating area in the center of the room, granting you the ability to frame a sophisticated communal area. As you can see in the image above, most of the furnishings are following a theme of classic elegance, from the large vintage portraits to the enormous fireplace and exquisite candle ornaments. However, the inclusion of bright carpeting and neon wall colors against the light create an intriguing combination. Furthermore, the chandelier-like appearance of this lamp earns it the title of a regal, state-of-the-art, contemporary lighting tool that adds a dimension of the aristocracy to the layout.

3. A chic and cozy arrangement:

Flickr

The symmetrical grace of the Artichoke Lamp makes it a charming decor piece to add to any residential zone. One might consider it redundant as there are already lamps and natural light from the large European style windows. However, the Artichoke Lamp is an accompanying lighting layer that’ll prevent the formation of unflattering shadows. It is imbued with vibrant properties that bring dynamic energy into the place.

4. Showcase your personality:

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Accessories are considered the finishing touches that complete any room and complement the designing scheme of the very same room. The trim design, handcrafted contours and sharp geometrical characteristics of the Artichoke Lamp allow you the chance to experiment. You can fluctuate between vintage, antique, conventional, contemporary or as shown in the illustration above. You can lay down the framework to a creative and unorthodox layout that represents the workings of your inner mind. Its eccentric nature works well in rooms that are host to neutral ceiling and flooring schemes but are littered with quirky and unconventional ornaments. It is a hybrid of a trendy, individualistic and fun gizmo. The only limit to the creative aspect of the layout is your imagination. So you’ll have to think outside of the box when dealing with this unorthodox yet good-looking fixture.

5. Add interest to simpler interior schemes:

Pinterest

Portrayed above is a mundane representation of a decidedly contemporary interior of the living room. It offers an uninterrupted theme of light-colored, wooden furniture articles. The Artichoke Lamp is a mid-century classic that offers an oasis of unfettered tranquility. The effect is enhanced when it is placed amidst similar pastel colored environments. You can create a wonderfully humble setup with warm and inviting tones. You’ll get a charming aura that is almost akin to rustic elements. Because of the embellished natures of the lamp itself, it’s best to minimize the presence of excessive decorations, artwork and additional decor item/ They’ll make the space too claustrophobic.

There are of course an infinite number of layout designs out in the sea of interior designing. But regardless, this detailed guide should be your go-to. It assists experts and novice designers and homemakers alike.

Create a Bedroom That You Absolutely Love

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Your bedroom is much more than just a bedroom. It is a haven where you can unwind, relax, and escape from your busy day and the outside world. There are a number of ways to create a comfortable bedroom that you won’t be able to resist. It doesn’t matter if you have a small or a big bedroom either. You can create the perfect space no matter what the size of your room is.

When shopping for a new mattress, it pays to do your research. Shop around, and if you have a health condition, talk to your doctor to see what he or she recommends. Try out your new mattress. Go to a mattress store that will let you lie on their mattresses for 10 to 15 minutes to get a feel of how comfortable they are. A mattress that your best friend loves may not be ideal for you. When you get recommendations, remember that you’ll still need to try a mattress out for yourself. Recommendations are a good starting point, but test it out first before committing to buy.

Although things, such as the paint color of your bedroom, your choice of linens, and other details are important, your mattress is also very important. You could have a bedroom that is worthy enough to be featured in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens. If your mattress is not comfortable, you will not only wake up with a sore body and feel like you got ran over by a bus. You simply won’t be able to relax.

There are many different kinds of mattresses to choose from; simple to high-tech ones that give you the power to adjust the firmness of your side and the side of your partner. You can even get cooling sheets and pillowcases if you find that you are often hot at night. It is always best to keep the temperature low when you are sleeping as well for a better night’s rest.

It is best to keep your bed for sleeping only and not do work on it or even eat or watch TV. This is a hard rule to follow sometimes. You see that big comfortable area and think how nice it would be to watch some TV or check your phone. But if you begin to do these things, your bed will become just another work area. If you stick to only sleeping on your bed, you will be able to associate your bed with only sleep and will be able to drift off easier.

You should also keep your bedroom clutter-free. It’s hard to relax when you have piles of paperwork piled to the ceiling and clutter covering your nightstand. It is a constant reminder of all the things that you need to do. Just keep the essentials that you need in your bedroom and keep items on your dresser and nightstand to a minimum. You should also organize your closet and dressers so that they are neat and aren’t overstuffed with clothing. Even if you can’t see the unorganized mess, you’ll still know that it’s there and be thinking about it in the back of your mind.

Different people have different needs when it comes to getting the right amount of sleep. For example, most adults only need about seven to nine hours of sleep, while teenagers eight and a half hours of sleep to nine and a half hours of sleep. Pregnant women will require more sleep in the first three months of pregnancy.

Sleep affects your body in many different ways. Your body depends on sleep in order to reboot and to function. When you sleep, your body is able to heal and to restore its chemical balance. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can get irritable and experience daytime fatigue. If you regularly miss out on the amount of sleep that you need, you may suffer from impulsive behavior, depression, and paranoia in extreme cases.

Living With Light

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Studies show that ambient lighting can have a direct effect on our mood and productivity. It can impact us at home, at work, at school, and just about anywhere we go. Ever noticed when you go to a restaurant they have specific lighting all around in varying intensity? There’s a reason for that. Have you ever seen those gigantic lights that are used in operating rooms? Precision and accuracy are what comes to mind with those type of lights.

Technology Today

As many of us know, technology has played an essential part in the evolution of light bulbs. Great strides have been made to produce energy-efficient, long-lasting, and economical light bulbs today. Many of us are familiar with halogen bulbs and many of us are also familiar with LED light bulbs. I’m sure there was a time when we were thinking to ourselves, Halogen vs LED Lights and made considerations of various factors to make a decision.

Work

In an article from WebMD, workers are found to have a better quality of life and are more productive when exposed to natural light. The article goes on to further describe the study that included forty-nine day-shift office workers. In it, it states that “the study results confirm that light during the natural daylight hours has powerful effects on health.” So the next time you’re feeling a bit sluggish at work, try moving closer to a window or provide yourself with more light. Having more light will also alleviate headaches from eye strain.

Home

Your bedroom at home is your sanctuary. It’s a place you go to after a hard day’s work. It’s a place where you relax and unwind. Lighting plays a big role in relaxing. You want the right amount of light to settle down comfortably. You also want ample light to get ready in the morning. For instance, if you’re an avid reader before bedtime, you would want lighting that will give you enough light to read your book, but not too overpowering that you won’t be able to fall asleep. Most use dimmers in the bedroom so that you can get a wide range of settings for light intensity. Lowering the light as you fall asleep will aid in getting a better night’s rest.

Bathroom

What better way to relax than with a hot shower or a bubble bath at the end of the day. The lighting in the bathroom can also help with relaxation and rejuvenation. Turning down the lights or even using candlelight will help reduce stress while you soak in the tub. In the morning, natural light or white light can give you an energy boost to prepare for the day ahead and inspire a productive day.

Kitchen

One of the most important areas in your home is the kitchen. The kitchen is associated with appetite and nourishment. Specific colors of lighting to varying intensities of light sets the tone for functionality and appetite. Today, there are many contemporary designs that implement the use of both natural and artificial lighting. During the day, you’d want to take advantage of the natural light outside. Windows and skylights can bring natural light indoors. In the evening, soft yellow hues can invoke the feelings of comfort. Lighting plays a significant role in the types of food you create in your kitchen. Lights can inspire to create chef-like dishes or perhaps a relative’s best kept secret recipe. Like many of us, our kitchen is also a place where we eat. Having the right amount of light can certainly create an enjoyable ambiance while eating, and can aid in promoting healthier eating habits.

TV Room

So you’re pumped to watch a movie or tv show on the television. You want to be focused on what you’re watching. Dimming the lights or turning it off completely can feel like you’re at the movie theatre. The excitement remains as you sit there in the dark, snacks on-hand, waiting with anticipation. Having a dimmed or dark room will ensure minimal distraction.

Patio

You breathe in the fresh air outside. It’s evening and you’re not ready to go inside just yet. As darkness falls, a sense of calm comes over you. The moonlight shines bright and casts silhouettes around your patio floor. Moonlight not only calms but energizes the mind. Having minimal to medium lighting on your patio should be used to maintain the ambiance.

Hospitals

Precision and accuracy are what we normally associate the lighting of hospitals with. Well-lit and bright overhead lights are used in hospitals to help healthcare professionals in caring for their patients. That is why it is important that hospitals have bright lights throughout the hospital. Bright white light also encourages and promotes patient recovery.

In conclusion, light effects us in many ways and in different places. The color, the intensity, and the type of light used vary in many combinations. In today’s technology, there are LED lights that come with a remote control and are as thin as sheets of paper. They light up in various colors and can be attached anywhere. Smart lighting is trending as well. You can automate or control your lights with your smartphone or it can automate itself by adjusting to the time of day. There are many technological advances today for lighting.

Clever Ideas for Small Baths

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It’s true that small bathrooms can be a challenging design project, especially if you have a family. However, that doesn’t mean that you cannot make the most of the space you have, and still create something beautiful, relaxing and functional. There are various tips and tricks that can make designing a small bathroom a truly rewarding process with satisfying results. If you too are struggling to find the best possible solution for your bath, check out the following possibilities.

The question of storage

Usually, storage is the biggest issue when it comes to small bathrooms, but you can approach this task creatively. In the end, if you don’t have enough storage space such as cabinets, don’t feel the need to stuff your bathroom with more cabinets. If the space is small, this won’t look or feel good. Instead, you may utilize vertical space by installing floating shelves. Open shelving looks infinitely better in small bathrooms, and it allows you to grab whatever you need instantly. This is especially important for families with kids. What’s more, colorful towels or bath products can add a personal touch to the overall bathroom design. If you have a bit more space though, you can use storage ladders instead of shelves, or stack wooden/woven crates for an affordable cabinet alternative.

Functionality and order

Functionality and order are two most important features of a small bathroom if your goal is to make it feel pleasant and relaxing. Basically, everything in your bathroom should have its purpose so declutter and remove things that simply make a mess with no real use. Once you do that, it’s important that you create order in your bathroom. You should have a designated place for everything. For example, cleaning agents can be under the sink – if you don’t have a built-in cabinet already, you can use a crate, or any other type of container that fits the purpose. You can use a sink curtain to block these cleaning agents from view as well. Another example are your bath and beauty products. Instead of having everything in a total mess, you can get an angle suction cup shelf that will help you divide your shower products from hair ones, etc. If this is not possible, even a hanging door rack can be useful for this purpose. Just make sure that you keep only the necessities, and know where they are at all times.

Design around the bathtub

When you’re redesigning any room, you should determine a focal point and continue the process from that point. The same goes for your bathroom. Even if your bathroom space is small, you can benefit a lot from a nice bathtub when it comes to both functionality and looks. After all, there are plenty of small and stylish bathtubs available on the market today. What’s more, having a bathtub is very important for families with kids, as the tub allows you to have more control over the kids as you’re giving them a bath, or have to reach for something from the previously-mentioned open shelves. Once you deal with the choice of tub, the rest of design will be easier to plan out as functionally and beautifully as possible.

Creativity to maximize the space

Your choice of colors and other accessories can affect the size of your bathroom visually. So, why not make your small bathroom visually larger and definitely more appealing? In general, keeping the main palette theme in your bath clean and neutral is the best choice. White and other neutral shades are perfect, but you can always add a pop of color. You can do this with bathroom floor tiles if you’re up for a more striking look, or other details such as towels, shelves and hanging racks, curtains, mirror frames, etc. Speaking of mirrors, don’t hesitate to use one that’s as large as it can be for your small bathroom. It will reflect the light, making the space appear bigger. The same thing happens with glossy finish tiles, so if you’re planning to add retiling to the design process, keep this in mind.

Just because your bathroom is small in size doesn’t mean that you should automatically give up on making it as practical and pleasant as it can be for you and your family. The important thing is to work with what you have in order to create the best version of that space. As it’s one of the most important rooms in one’s house, don’t hesitate to put some effort into making your bathroom suitable and comfy.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!