The broad spectrum of this new website offers shoppers in the United Kingdom a wide variety of products for the home interior. No items are actually sold from the site but rather helpful categories and direct links to places where the buyer can discover what they are looking for. Most of the regular domestic home interiors are included such as the bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. Also present are categories covering cookware, bakeware and related kitchen accessories.

Further categories cover dinnerware, kid’s furniture, home decorative accents and even flooring as well as various miscellaneous spheres such as wallpaper, clocks, bars and lighting. If you live in the United Kingdom and are looking for tasteful additions to your home, then why not pop on over to my new Décor and Furniture Shopfront and see if you can pick up a bargain via the categories and gateways provided.

There’s also a small blog section that accompanies the new interiors website which is being and will continue to be regularly updated regarding interesting and eye-catching designs and products based in the United Kingdom. Any news from the world of British interior design will also be highlighted. Bookmark now to stay up-to-date.

1000 interior details for the home and where to find them by Ian and Geraldine Rudge is the perfect book. It’s published by Laurence King, is available in softback and can be found on Amazon.

It’s designed to be dipped into and browsed through since there is so much to look at and enjoy. In fact, there’s far too much to absorb in just one reading.

The book is divided into seven chapters, covering walls and floors, doors, windows and stairs, heating and cooling, kitchens, bathrooms, lighting and home technology. This book however is by no means your usual interior book. Designed to appeal to anyone interested in improving their home environment, this book will appeal to amateurs and professionals.

There’s one page of text introducing each category, in the form of an interview with a leading architect or designer who has specialist knowledge of the chapters subject.

The best feature about the book is that the products selected all come with a where to buy website, which ensures that all the products can be easily sourced. The book was published in 2009 and includes some of the newest and most inspirational ideas for every space in your home.

This was a guest book review by Nerys Irving-Jones.

Country interiors that are successful often have an organic ambiance about them. By organic I don’t mean piles of fruit or vegetables stacked in a corner but rather a natural growth of possessions and collected objects that seems random and rather akin to the way flowers grow outside in places you do not always plan. There is a pervasive quality to the rural interior theme which makes the designs timeless. For a true country interior, regardless of locational style, this haphazard feel needs to be nurtured and encouraged.

This is not always easy to do. The homogeneity is based upon a number of equally important factors. These include a roughness of finish, simplicity and the colors chosen which should depend heavily on subtle choices of earthly hues. When it comes to the finish of walls and furniture, there are a variety of techniques that can be employed to render a surface looking older than it really is. Distressed paintwork techniques can be used on wooden chairs and stairs, whilst painted walls can be weathered through various means.

As well as this, the colors and pigments used in the country room themes should ideally be influenced by the surrounding landscape. A home in a chalk region might mimic the whites and light grays of the local area while forest regions could go for more brown and green combinations. Farm houses surrounded by wheat fields have the rich yellows, greens and early browns to play with. Wall stencils, perhaps portraying country life, that look as though they have been drawn freehand are ideal additions.

Surfaces of objects and decorative art should reflect the rural theme. Marble will not suit the style and will not be an honest representation of true rural living. Terracotta and rough pitted glazes work well as do a large variety of fabrics and raw materials. Raw being the important word. This doesn’t mean there should not be beautiful colors and patterns, far from it. Stencilled fabrics can be used to great effect if it looks home-made and inspired by nature and traditional country decorating.

The final touch is to bring the outdoors, indoors. Bowls of fruit, nuts, baskets of vegetables, hanging plants, dried branches and canes will all make wonderful additions to a country interior and will be a treat to the senses. Having a cat helps too.

As one would expect from a movement that began to spread across the European continent, the art and ideas began to vary as new cultures and peoples were influenced by the Renaissance. For example, in Northern Europe, the styles and designs became heavy in form whilst in England, a more whimsical and fantastical style merged with the national architecture and furnishings of the period.

However, whilst cultural influences meant visual Renaissance design varied across Europe, there was one universal characteristic that remained uniform. That of geometry. From architecture and wall décor to fabrics and flooring , geometric patterns were employed as often playful devices. Astrological images, spheres and obelisks as well as knot patterns were highly popular and can be seen in all four corners of Renaissance Europe.

For anyone considering decorating a room or house in the Renaissance style then there are a few considerations and components to bear in mind. Firstly, the designs of the period were highly influenced by images that harked back to the ancient world. These included geometrical patterns mixed with mythological imagery that were often wild and fantastical in appearance. The sun which can be seen in the image, is a prime example which can be used as a stencil in a Renaissance inspired living room or kitchen.

Secondly, Renaissance Europe was notable for its exquisite craftsmanship. When seeking furnishings that reflect the style and spirit of the period, look for fabrics and materials that highlight this important aspect. These could include silks, fine damasks, thick tapestries, polished oak, real of faux marble (simple painting techniques can be used to achieve the faux effect) as well as worked leather.

Thirdly, where at all possible, pick bargain items from second hand shops that enhance the ambiance of age and the aura of the period. These might include hidebound books, stone ornaments, classical maps, furniture which has been delicately carved, old pewter, old glass and even urns. Along with these, focus on the use of colors that symbolise the Renaissance such as the earth colors of leather and wood, plus the deep hues of Italian marble floors. You’ll be able to find more great color combinations for this style in books on the period which can be found online.

The financial benefit of doing it yourself is probably the biggest positive factor. I know from experience that when a professional home decorator is hired, the costs soar. This isn’t necessarily from any underhand business practices but rather the enthusiasm that results from the beautiful drawings, mood boards and suggestions a professional brings to the equation. Soon we are agreeing to an extra window treatment and then an extra item of furniture and then a different paint color for the walls and so on.

When you are doing your decorating and home improvements yourself, then realism and the financial factors become more clear and it’s unlikely you’ll be forking out as much money.

The second major benefit of DIY home decorating is the satisfaction gained from such an enterprise. Even with the best of professional interior designers and the most intricate of descriptions, it’s usually the case that there are some regrets later down the line when we are not in full control of the decorating process. We know what we want and often we have known since our childhood days when we sat on the porch dreaming of our future home and what would be placed inside.

There’s nothing quite like the intimacy one gains with the materials, styles and furniture pieces when we do our home decorating ourselves without the help of a professional. We can mull over what will work and what won’t work, before making a final decision. It’s not difficult to change things if we have designed a room ourselves and decorated it with our own hands whereas it can often be overwhelming and intimidating to change something an expensive professional has made for us.

The final factor that makes do it yourself home decorating more attractive than hiring a professional is the time constraints. Once we hire a professional designer, it’s usually the case that the sooner the job is completed the better, if only for the sake of our expenses. This leads to rushed decisions and even feelings of guilt. Whereas when engage with ‘do it yourself’ home decorating, we have all the time in the world to sit back, contemplate the changes and research or brainstorm further before making new additions.

Many people imagine DIY home decorating as a time consuming task that they just cannot commit to. This is a fear that can easily be overcome with some simple time management and taking things one room at a time. The whole house does not need to be completely re-designed within one week, that is impossible and would make even the most experienced home designer sweat. Take your time and complete one room before moving on to another.

Invite friends and family round to help you paint the walls or go browsing the antique shops and furniture stores with you. Including other people in your ‘do it yourself’ home decorating schemes will make the whole process much more enjoyable and later you can return the favour when they embark on their own home decorating. They might even be inspired by the results they see in your own home.

Hopefully this post has given you some pointers as to the benefits of ‘do it yourself’ home decorating. If you have a low budget or just desire to be more hands on, then re-decorating your home interiors needn’t be akin to climbing a mountain nor does it have to be expensive. With the wide array of home décor books, videos and magazines in stores and on the internet, there is really no excuse to be at a loss when it comes to designing your own rooms.

As with many words in the English language, “faux” comes from a French word meaning false or fake. In Interior Design, the word is used to describe something that is an imitation of something else, usually another material. The results of these imitations can result in the truly awful to the wonderfully successful, where the latter is often an understated recreation of marble or stone that is near impossible to discern from the real deal. How you go about using faux painting techniques in the home design arena will largely depend on knowledge, skill and practice.

There are many different faux painting techniques that deal with a whole host of settings, materials and effects. It is possible to hire professionals to carry out these jobs but they are usually expensive and if you’re keen, then it’s much more fun to try the techniques out for yourself. The best way to learn the multitude of faux painting techniques is from those who have trodden this path before and that’s where one of my favourite books comes into the picture.

The book is filled with pictorial examples of the many techniques as well as detailed instructions on each. Pierre Finkelstein, the author, is an award winning decorative painter and instructor who manages to convey the complexities of faux painting techniques into simple instructions that a novice can follow.

You can buy the book here: The Art of Faux: The Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes

It was fashionable in the 19th Century Europe for aristocratic and upper-class families to commission artists to represent their home interiors in watercolor paintings. These were collected in albums and became heirlooms to be passed down from one generation to the next. The most beautiful were also given to visiting guests especially if they were royalty. The House Proud book showcases these 19th century watercolor interiors together with historical facts on the social, political and economic developments of interior design for the domestic home.

‘House Proud’ is an ideal gift for someone you know who admires 19th Century Interiors and who has an interest in this period of time, particularly in Europe. The splendid cover of the book means it will make a wonderful coffee table book which can be displayed for casual reading when guests and family visit. There’s something exquisite about watercolor interior paintings which I first came across at Art School and has never left me.

You can buy this book from here: House Proud Book – 19th Century Watercolor Interiors.

125 illustrations in total.

Dorothy Draper was brave and determined which led her to become one of the first women to move into the male dominated world of construction and interior design. Draper was a member of American high-society and became close friends with Eleanor Roosevelt. Many rich aristocrats, impressed with her bold designs, commissioned her to re-design their expensive homes. Her career took off and an impressive body of work followed.

New York’s Hotel Carlyle re-design was one of Dorothy Draper’s major projects. She also did makeovers for Washington’s Mayflower Hotel, World’s Fair Terrace Club, Hollywood’s Arrowhead Springs Hotel and the Palácio Quintandinha in Petrópolis located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In later years she also designed car interiors and did work for groups like the Packard Motor Car Company and the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation.

However, Dorothy Draper is probably most well known for one of her books which achieved massive popularity during the mid 20th Century. Decorating Is Fun!: How to be Your Own Decorator was first published in 1939 on the eve of the Second World War. Believing that the home was a place of sanctuary in times of strife, Dorothy Draper’s book deals with creating an cheerful refuge where guests can be entertained in a colorful environment away from the troubles of the outside.

In 2004, after 60 years, the book ‘Decorating Is Fun!’ was republished in its entirety for a new generation of home designers to enjoy. Whilst it might seem old fashioned in a number of ways, the sales of the republished book as well as the positive reviews have shown that there are still many lessons and ideas to be gained from Dorothy Draper’s expertise and flamboyance. I recommend this book if you are looking for a Dorothy Draper biography and a collection of her designs.

The warm climate and colorful way of life in the Caribbean, also known as the West Indies, lends itself perfectly to interior décor and the creation of a vibrant kitchen scheme. Strong colors and simplicity are the key elements to interiors of this style. Rooms which catch the sun a lot are particularly suitable and mimic the glorious weather found in the Caribbean pretty much all year round.

One of the main colors you will need for a Caribbean kitchen is yellow. The beaches and sandy nature of the Caribbean islands is reflected in this color. If you have a wooden skirting board on the lower half of your kitchen wall, then this is a great place to paint a rich yellow color. White is also a very popular tone in the Caribbean and if yellow is a little too much for you, then white is a great alternative.

To contrast the yellow or white, it’s a good idea to go for color combinations found in nature. Again, like the yellow of the Caribbean sand, so the rich blue of the sky can be mixed with colors such as purple and cyan. The key here however is to soften the effect of the darker color buy using techniques such as lime-wash scrubbing. A rag soaked in methylated spirits can also be used to rub away some of the paint thereby creating a cloud effect much like seeing faint wisps of cloud in the blue summer sky.

Further colors can be added to the mix but with a little more restraint. Greens, oranges and natural wood tones can be used as accent pieces whether as part of furniture, table accessories or wall hangings. Older wooden furniture pieces in such woods as pine will look particularly good with the Caribbean kitchen style. Try to avoid the more polished mahogany which will look out of place.

These are just a few suggestions for color combinations if you are looking to design a Caribbean themed kitchen.

Here on Home Interior Design Themes, I sometimes like to showcase some interior images of fabulous designs and decor which will provide a spark of inspiration for your own homes. Whether those interiors are commercial, industrial or domestic often doesn’t matter as different styles and themes can often carry over to different spheres of design and setting. This is certainly the case with the restaurant and hotel interiors of Lázaro Rosa-Violán which can be seen in the pictures above and below.

It is amazing what the right lighting can do for an interior as can be seen in this image where the pottery is highlighted from below.

If you have bare bricks walls you might consider giving your interior a Mediterranean feel which will also bring more light to the room. I like how old posters can be used effectively to bring both focused history and retro decor to an interior. There is the mirror too which brings depth to the room.

Here’s a restaurant space packed full of wall cabinets. This shows with the right interior space you can use the walls as decorative storages spaces whilst at the same time gaining extra room and a visually exciting scene. You will obviously not have the need for so many cabinets yourself but you get the idea of what they could do in your own particular dining room or kitchen.

Mirrors, mirrors and more mirrors. They are a wonderful tool for increasing the amount of visual space in any interiors especially if the room is small. This particular room is large but it also has a high ceiling which could have left much of the interior too dark, lofty and somewhat overbearing. However, the mirrored wall increases the light in the room and works well with the white color scheme.

Retro-posters can add personality to an interior. This picture shows the changing rooms in a shop but can also be applied to a bedroom, walk-in-wardrobe or bathroom. If you have a fondness for movie and musical posters or old art prints, ship or train pictures or anything in-between then this type of wall collage will be right up your street.

Lastly, for those of you planning a trip to Europe for a few weeks or months, then I must recommend making Barcelona one of your locations to visit. The city is rich in culture, architecture, history, art, literature and sports which means everyone and anyone will find something they like. Of course, Barcelona can’t be mentioned without noting the famous architect Antoni Gaudí whose work you can see all across the city.

You can also see many more pictures of Rosa-Violán’s work by visiting his website here: Website of Spanish Interior Designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán.

H/T: Paloma (La Dolce Vita)