Home Improvement

I remember my days on my college campus fondly. The smell of fall in the air as the first semester of the school year started. It was not long until I was assigned my first design projects of the term. Being over ambitious, of course I wanted to make the most impactful and awe-striking presentation boards. The only problem was that I lived on the opposite corner of campus from the interior design instruction facility…ugh…which meant the larger the boards, the more “sailing away” would happen during the travels to and from class. If you don’t already know, design boards are heavy, large, awkward and expensive! So the last thing you want to happen is to have your project glide away in the wind, or worse yet, having the large flat object cause you to glide into traffic!

Designers have come a long way in the last 5 years in regards to presentation methods. I reckon as an industry we have become a small more mobile, streamlined and all around “slimmer.” I am not saying a excellent ol’ fashioned presentation board isn’t ever called for – I have just experienced less and less requests for them. They cannot be altered as easily and quickly as digital presentations, not to mention they can take more time to fabricate, as well as to be shipped or delivered. So, as we become more tech-savvy and digital as an industry do you reckon we are losing something?

The “green” side of my brain says no, but the side of me that enjoys classical music and board games says yes! In regards to designers being more environmentally conscience, I reckon by making more digital presentations, we are drastically reducing the amount of embodied energy we place into developing end results (this does not mean we skimp on brain power and the wonderful intangible parts of design work). The amount of shipping that takes place to get samples and then the amount of mounting materials it takes to make presentation boards can be substantial…not to mention that the more digital we go, the less chance there is to experience accidents with Exacto knifes and hot glue guns! I bet you did not know being an interior designer could be so perilous.

In the end, I still reckon making work more portable through online meetings, graphic presentations and research via the internet is inevitable in order to keep up with the pace of business today. But it is still nice to see a well crafted presentation board on show and reckon…yeah , I could still do that!

 

 

 

In Mark Oser’s world, light is art, and the most vital design element in a house. A trained painter, he prefers white walls to showcase canvases and sculptures, and dramatic lighting to highlight the architectural details of his 6,000-square-foot modern home in Holland.

It’s not your typical Bucks County fare, but that’s not why clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida call on Oser, an interior designer for 20 years who now does many design/build projects.

His own home features glass for staircases, stainless steel for curved walls, granite for floors, and open spaces for paintings that make it feel like a modern museum or a slick movie set. A comfortable one, though.

“My main goal was to make an ultramodern [house], but warm at the same time,” says Oser, 44. “I softened all of the hard materials with warm lighting, thick carpets, and warm touches of color.”

 

 

Building his home from the ground up was a challenge, Oser says: “I have been exposed to so much over the past 20 years and had so many resources that I loved to use. How do I narrow it down to what I like?”

First, he had to find where to build. He wanted to be in Bucks County, but he didn’t reckon a huge development would be right for him, his wife Lisa, and daughter Halie, now 9. He found a community of 10 homes where the builder would allow him to design and construct the interior.

Like the rest of us, Oser had to contend with that dreadful word budget.

“When I thought about all of the things I wanted in this house, I thought, ‘I can’t afford myself.’ If there was something I wanted that I could not afford, I tried to do it with more cost-effective materials.”

It took Oser a year to design the whole house and another year, after they went in in May 2001, to design the lower level. He bounced thoughts off his wife, who was involved in the projects.

“My most vital requirement was that my home feel inviting while being warm – modern design sometimes has a cold feel to it. Mark blended a modern style with a sense of warmth,” Lisa Oser says, crediting his use of lighting with making that happen.

The basement that took so long to design? It features a six-seat theater with ticket booth, a bar, a seating area, a gaming area, and the requisite home gym. The rooms have a movie theme, and there is even a life-sized clay sculpture of a movie attendant in the ticket booth.

The soundproof theater has fabric walls and dramatic sconces, and a 125-inch movie screen behind remote-controlled curtains.

“This is my favorite room,” Mark Oser says, “because you feel so different here. It takes me away.”

“You can do anything using this screen: show family photos, play games, and watch movies, of course,” says Oser, who often hooks up his computer and works there.

Adds Lisa Oser: “My friends and Halie’s like this house. It is really set up for entertaining.”

The bar and seating area have fun pop-art touches such as puzzle-piece ottomans and chairs done in fabric that looks like film reels. Oser painted an “Al Pacino in Scarface” movie mural onto the wall near the pool table.

Upstairs, in the main living spaces, but, “I wanted to have an art gallery effect,” says Oser, who mixes his own work – his take on a Roy Lichtenstein is on one wall – with that of other artists.

For the kitchen, he wanted sleek and angular mixed with curved design elements. The granite floors match the countertops, and white custom cabinets hide small appliances. The eating area has a Jetsons-like triangular table and colorful seats.

In the square family room, Mark Oser wanted curves. He made them with flooring cut in a wave shape. The room features a built-in TV over the fireplace and, on an opposite wall, an airbrushed sky effect with the words COOL in 3-D.

“Paint can be changed, so if I get tired of it, I can easily change it,” he says.

The master bedroom needed lots of storage. Oser tucked it away behind curved brushed-steel and lacquer custom cabinetry that looks like an architectural element. A fireplace and TV are built into a wall opposite the bed, which rests on a glass-block base, lit from within.

“The lighting and glass make a floating effect,” Oser says.

He painted the molded ceiling a warmer color than the walls, and tucked away cove lighting to give the space a wonderful glow. And he made a meditation area for his wife, who owns an insurance-brokerage agency.

Three years ago, Oser took his talents outside, adding a pool that transports visitors to his favorite state, Florida. He brought in sand from the beach and palmlike trees, worked his magic with lighting again, and dotted deck areas with art and sculpture from favorite artists.

“The best part of living in a modern house is it is open and airy, unique and timeless,” Lisa Oser says. “I feel like I am on vacation in Florida or California in my own home.”

Mark also thinks of it as a living portfolio.

“I could have a showroom,” he says, “but I choose to live in mine.”

 

Feng shui interior design describes using design elements to improve the ‘qi’ or energy of the home. Each room of the home serves a specific purpose and the interior design of the individual rooms will perform that purpose with the help of feng shui. In this respect, different principles and techniques must be applied to the different rooms. One size doesn’t fit all in this case. Make the most out of every individual room by using really unique cures and remedies.

The aim of the bedroom is usually to be the room inside the house that promotes rest, relaxation and romance. This is meant for being an area that brings out calmness and tranquility. As a way to do that, colors play a necessary role. Loud colors are the very last thing we wish to use, because they are too much of a distraction and really promotes restlessness. Furniture placement is also a key factor. The bed should be the main feature of a room and has to be showed at a commanding position, which is diagonal with the door. There are many other techniques you should utilize to optimize the bedroom, many of which are associated with like. The like corner is another central part of a bedroom, make excellent use of this area to attract like or maintain excellent relationships.

The purpose of the living room is to be the room in the house for get togethers. It is usually meant for family gatherings and entertaining guests. Because of this, the living room must be an area that promotes conversation and should be optimized for family bonding. To be able to do this, the main focus is on how the seating of this room is arranged. Sofas and chairs are supposed to be placed in a semi circular shape to accomplish this purpose. Family photographs also needs to be a feature of this room. Other fantastic additions include artwork and live plants.

The aim of the kitchen is to feed and nourish the entire family. It really is considered one of the primary rooms of the house, because it symbolizes growth and prosperity for each of the members of the family. The stove is the primary focus of the kitchen and its burners really represent wealth. A stove situated within an island often is the ideal position, since the cook should manage to have a excellent view of the entire kitchen. It’s always vital that one can see who comes through the door. If the stove is constructed against a wall, a very excellent feng shui remedy is always to add mirrors behind the stove so anything in back is still visible.

The aim of a home office is to be the part of the home that work is completed, it must be optimized in a way that promotes productivity and will help guarantee success. In this case the desk is the most vital piece of furniture inside the room and has to be located in a commanding position with a clear view of the door. Using a map bagua, locate the wealth and career corners for further feng shui design. The home office is an ideal room to utilize live plants such as the money tree or lucky bamboo, both of which are used to attract wealth.

As you are able to see, there are many different feng shui interior design techniques for every room of a home. Making the best balance between all these rooms is what makes everything come together. The different areas of your life is really harmonized as a result of making this fantastic balance within your home. With the bedroom working towards like, the living room promoting your relationships, the kitchen helping to generate wealth and the home office building success for your business, all these different areas of your life starts to fall in place.

Some innovative and easy house interior design tips can help you make more space and make your small living area look gorgeous. Don’t be disheartened if you have a small living space. They too have fantastic potential in home decorating thoughts.

Let’s start with the windows of your small room. This is one thing that should hold prime importance in home interior design. They allow light and air to your small space so use minimum accessories to make the window look huge. Heavy accessories will only block light and make your room look even more dingy. You get some very sophisticated options of window accessories in the market. You can also custom make it to match your home décor by using matching shades and fabric. Next comes the floor space. De-clutter your floor from unnecessary bulky items. Keep smaller items on shelves or window panes if possible. You will be surprised to see how much space you can make by just shifting few things off the floor. This is one of the greatest house interior design tips for cramped up spaces. Color plays a very vital role in home interior design. Though use of more than two or three color can give new dimensions to your room, but this particular home design tip is unfit for small spaces. Use a single color to paint all the walls of the room. Use similar shades for other rooms in the house. House interior design tips rely heavily on fabrics. So when it comes to small spaces, avoid using flashy fabrics with large prints. If you do have some furniture with larger prints, tone it down with plain fabrics. Every house has a corner for emotional sentiments. Use fabrics to make depth in such areas. This will give a fantastic visual impact. Small spaces usually face the problem of limited lighting. Do not go for artificial lighting. This is not a very helpful home interior design tip. Instead see to pull maximum natural lighting into the room but positioning mirrors directly opposite the window or by using glossy wall paints that will reflect natural light. Try and keep furniture and appliances dust-free to give a better lighting effect. Plants accessorize any living space in a natural way. House interior design tips for small spaces suggest small indoor plants around the room. You can also have fresh flower bouquets on the room center or corner. But they need to be regularly changed to give the room a fresh look. Flooring plays an integral part in home interior design. But unfortunately many apartment spaces do not allow change in flooring. But you can always cover it up with better options. A lighter area rug or a light bare wood floor carpet always makes the room look larger.

Hoping these tips help you make a go with interior designing. And should you have any questions on the way, an expert is just a call away!

Decorating ones bedroom can be a mighty task but thanks to useful bedroom interior design tips from the experts, you can make a lovely, pleasant and a welcoming space for yourself and your partner.

Bedroom is undoubtedly the most vital room in your home; hence it requires a lot of thought and creativity for bedroom interior design. You should take extra care while decorating your bedroom. The right kind of furniture, color, painting, accessories and of course the bed will make your bedroom a place where you can truly relax and unwind and find solace when you most need it.

Furniture for bedroom is always given top priority in bedroom interior design. Choosing the right kind of bedroom furniture will help you make a pleasant atmosphere around the room. Your bedroom furniture should depend on the space available for your bedroom. The material for bedroom furniture should match or at least be similar to the rest of the furniture in your home. Matching home décor is very vital to give your home a uniformed look.

Master bedroom in particular needs extra thought when bedroom interior design is concerned. It is your personal space but it is the heart and soul of your house, so it needs special bedroom interior design. You need to decorate this space with items that are comfortable as well as useful.

The number one rule in bedroom interior design is to avoid clutter. This space is to relax and cluttering gives a very negative effect to the room. You won’t get peace of mind with clutter around you. Plus it’s not excellent for passing positive energies.

Choose your bedroom furniture that suits the décor of your home. If you have a contemporary look throughout your home, then choose bedroom interior design that matches that look. Classic and traditional bedroom interior design is a fantastic way to decorate one’s bedroom, provided you have the taste and budget for it. Your bedroom furniture should fit the style of your décor. Whether you go for traditional, modern, semi-classic, retro or rustic, make sure your bedroom interior design does justice to the theme.

You can also choose to mix and match styles for your home. You can use a modern look for your living room, a contemporary kitchen and a classic bedroom. These different styles should blend well though. Avoid being too out of the way. Complimenting styles always make a home look more gorgeous.

Selecting bedroom furniture can be a overwhelming task, but nonetheless, it is also one of the most vital task for any homeowner. Invest on a bed that suits your style as well as comfort. Go through as many bedroom interior design books and catalogues as possible to give you a better choice on bedroom furniture. Choose the right size of the bed. A bulky bed for a small bedroom will clog your space and clutter your surroundings.