interior decoration

Alvaro Uribe FurnitureFor the people who want some modern and sophisticated designed furniture, check out the Alvaro Uribe masterpieces. The use solid colors, accented or highlighted stainless steel and an industrial element that focus on functionality and influential designs.

As many people discover after purchasing their first home, it is much different from living in an apartment. When something needs repairing, there is not a landlord to handle the situation. The new homeowner must learn how to manage various maintenance tasks on his or her own in order to keep the house comfortable and inviting. If you have recently purchased your first home and need some help getting into the swing of maintenance, here are a few ideas that may help.

One of the first things to understand about home maintenance is that there is almost always something that needs to be fixed. Some tasks are associated with various seasons of the year while others are routine maintenance that must be performed on a consistent basis. Still, some of these tasks should be completed every few years in order to keep the house in top condition. Organizing these tasks into each category is the first step to creating a manageable home maintenance schedule.

Routine tasks that can be performed every so often may include action items like replacing the air filter on the heating and cooling system, or checking the batteries in the smoke detectors around the home. These tasks are not very time consuming and they can be accomplished in a few minutes.

Seasonal tasks often involve preparing the home for the upcoming season. For example, you may need to install storm windows in the autumn, making the home more comfortable in winter. For homes with a working fireplace, cleaning flues should be a part of the fall maintenance routine. For spring and summer, window screens should be checked and replaced as needed, making it possible to open windows and allow fresh air into the home without worry of mosquitoes and other flying insects.

Additional home maintenance tasks may take place on an annual basis. Tasks of this type include checking the plumbing around the house. This includes examining faucets for any signs of leakage, looking at exposed pipes in the basement and under sinks for any sign of deterioration. Cleaning out the ductwork for the heating and air conditioning system, at least once per year, is a great way to keep the air in the home relatively free of allergens.

Other types of home maintenance that may occur include tasks such as painting the exterior of the home, replacing deteriorated window casings, or checking the foundation for cracks. It is often a good idea to plan to perform these tasks every three to five years, depending on the general condition of the house.

One of the easiest ways to fall behind on home maintenance is avoiding writing down the details of your maintenance. Creating a master plan for maintenance can make it much easier to balance your tasks in a manner that allows you to approach each one in a timely manner, and thus prevent falling into the trap of having things pile up and become overwhelming.

To structure your maintenance schedule, create an outline with four categories: monthly, seasonally, annually, and as needed. To keep things in proper perspective, include subgroups in the seasonal category for spring, summer, autumn, and winter tasks. List the tasks under the appropriate header, since this allows you to organize when each should be completed. If a particular task should be completed three times a year, list it less than three different seasons.

With a plan of what must be done and a general idea of when it must be accomplished, you can now assign target dates for each task. Using a calendar, identify a specific date to handle each task. This allows you to schedule monthly and seasonal tasks on days you know that you will be free, such as on weekends. Annual tasks should also be assigned a specific month and day, again taking care to make the assignment for a day when you know you will be home. For larger tasks, include a start date and an end date.

Post your maintenance schedule in a location that you see often. People who spend their time on the computer can use electronic calendars to create reminders of upcoming maintenance tasks. Individuals who are less technologically inclined can use a desk blotter calendar or even write notes in on a simple wall calendar. The exact medium is not important, as long as it informs you of what needs to be done and when.

While this may seem like overkill for some people, the fact is that most homeowners forget essential tasks quite often. They are usually reminded when tasks either pile up or something drastic happens and they realize an important task was forgotten. Since big problems can be costly to repair, you can save time and money by planning your maintenance schedule in advance.

So how do you choose the perfect bedroom wardrobe? Is a fitted wardrobe right for you, or would a tailor made free standing wardrobe be better? Where do you start?

First Things First
The first place to start is.. does it look good? Fit with your bedroom furniture? Wardrobes are usually the largest item of furniture in your bedroom, so its essential they look just right. Wardrobes in high gloss lacquer are the current modern vogue, but regardless of fashion the first thing to think of is 'Will a very, very large expanse of this colour/finish look good in my room?'. Many people tend to try to match the wall covering, which is a good idea if you want to maximise the appearance of space in your bedroom, & gloss/mirrored wardrobes reflect light back into the room so can be great for smaller spaces, or bedrooms without much natural light.

Dark woods or dark colours are best only really if you have other dark furniture in the same finish & have a large bedroom & of course whites & neutrals usually work well, as they are unobtrusive. But wardrobes don't have to blend in with the walls - lime washed French style Armoires can be a feature in themselves. Whatever you choose look at the outside first. You will be spending a lot of time looking at the outside so you will need to like what you see!

Quality - How Long Does It Need To Last?
Let's face it, sometimes buying an inexpensive option is the right thing to do. If you will not be in the property for too long, or if you are renting the property out you may not want (or need) to think too long and hard about the long term implications of your choice. Whilst an unattractive, badly fitted wardrobe will detract from the value of your property it is possible to be cheap AND chic as long as you keep a close eye on the aesthetics of your choice.

But for the longer term its probably better to spend a little more. Of course flat-pack wardrobes will always be the cheapest option, but they're never going to be as durable as professionally assembled or hand-made designs, so in 2 years time you may well be replacing it all. When shopping for wardrobes look at the quality of the hinges and how well they're attached, & the drawer mechanisms - if they're difficult in the shop they'll be impossible in a few years' time at home.

The best quality wardrobes are made in Europe (Italy or Germany seem to have the monopoly) & usually needed to be ordered to your requirements. Delivery can take up to 12 weeks, but the advantage is that you will be able to customise your wardrobe, choosing from a huge range of internal fittings not available with less expensive wardrobes, & choosing from a huge variety of carcass & door sizes. The other huge advantage of these wardrobes is the number of finishes available. Gloss & matt lacquers in virtually any colour, unusual textures & patterns (doors in faux crocodile look amazing, believe it or not!)

Fitted or Freestanding?
It is somewhat of a misnomer to think that only traditional fitted wardrobes can be used where you have a specific size to fill. Although fitted wardrobes truly are made to measure the good ones are very expensive. & you won't really get the choice of doors as the makers of fitted wardrobes don't make other furniture you can 'borrow' designs & finishes from. Having a fairly set range of door options is the only way a fitted wardrobe maker can be viable, and practicality not design is their strong point, but for really awkward spaces they may be your only option.

Freestanding wardrobes fall into two types. The 'what you see is what you get' type that can not be customised. These are generally the least expensive option, & if what you see is what you want & need then they can be perfect.
Colour ranges and options for types of finish tend to be less varied, and dimensions are fixed. Internal fittings are usually limited, although some manufacturers can offer a limited range of options. Generally a range of matching bedroom cabinets and chests will also be available to complement such types of wardrobe.

Customised free standing wardrobe manufacturers offer a much wider range of possibilities, so that although still made to a set design, the specification can be more closely tailored to individual circumstances. Both hinged and sliding doors are offered, a much wider choice of colours and finishes, lacquers, wood and glass. Component units are made to standard sizes, but units of different sizes can be combined to make a complete large wardrobe. Different heights can be offered to more closely suit the room. Corner units can fit round internal or external corners to make the best use of space.

A wide range of internal accessories are available, such as pull-out trouser and shoe racks, drawer units, extra shelves and hanging rails. Useful internal lighting can be fitted, with sensors to automatically light the wardrobe when the door is opened.

Summary
If you are looking for something to suit your needs rather than just a generic wardrobe a customised free standing wardrobe will give you the style, size & features you will need, without compromising on quality. However, as with anything it all comes down to how much you are prepared to spend. If you can afford a freestanding customised wardrobe then you will end up with something beautiful & practical, if not then you will need to do your homework to find something suitable.

Where your bedroom wardrobe is concerned you have an array of choice open to you, a choice that is only limited by the amount of space you have in your room. They are an important element of your bedroom and the one piece of furniture that you really can't do without; by not including it in the make up of your room you will find that the room often looks incomplete. So what should you be looking for where this piece of furniture is concerned? The answer to this question should be approached by first looking into what storage and the amount of storage you require from the use of a wardrobe. Basically this should be a well designed furniture item for your bedroom and as such should allow you adequate space for clothing, shoes and accessories. Depending on the type that you have, depends on the amount of space that you are provided with. For example, if your bedroom has space for it, why not install a walk in wardrobe?

If you like the idea of a finding all of your clothing, shoes and accessories as well as coats, bags and hats all in one convenient location then a walk in wardrobe could be exactly what you are after. If you have a closet or a box room in your home that isn't being used then this could be the perfect location for your walk in wardrobe.

There are so many styles available where this piece of furniture is concerned, fitted wardrobes and sliding wardrobes are just two more examples. Both of these have the potential of including drawers in order to give you even more storage space. You can have these pieces of furniture with double doors or with three doors as well as made in a certain shape so they easily fit into corners of your bedroom. The options that are open to you are almost endless.

As well as the shape and size you are also able to choose the finish that is placed onto them. For example a lot of people like this piece of furniture to include a mirror. With this in mind there are two ways in which you can go about it, the first is by adding mirrors to the front of the doors, but if this doesn't apply to your taste or the finish on the doors stop you doing it you can always place the mirrors on the inside of the doors.

As the majority of wardrobes are produced using wood it is important that they are protected in the right way, one way to achieve this is through the use of lacquer. This can produce either a matt or glossy finish and makes a great addition to contemporary style furniture.

Most of us will only replace furniture such as this once or twice within the time that we live in our home so it is vital that you get it right. The way in which you will achieve this is by looking closely at what you want and by keeping points such as the above in mind when you are furniture shopping.

The first thing to think about is the bed. While one may need to actually test out new mattress to find that perfect fit, like a good picture, every comfortable mattress deserves a unique, stylish bed frame to accent the other features of the bedroom. Perhaps your grandmother gave you a bedside cabinet and you need a perfect bed to compliment this family heirloom. Perhaps you are tired of sleeping on a divan bed you have had for 10 years & are ready to add some class to your bedroom with a bit of decent furniture.

There are many factors in considering a new bed for your bedroom. There may be style considerations, size considerations, and price to consider while shopping for a bed. Everyone wants the most elegance for their money, but functional considerations are important! Perhaps you have a pile of linen stuffed in your wardrobe with nowhere to go. A storage bed might be the perfect solution. A storage bed combines a mattress frame with a chest of drawers or a lift up mattress base and is the perfect solution for keeping your bedroom linen and anything else you need to store in your bedroom perfectly organized.
While choosing new bedroom furniture, you may also want to consider a king size bed.

Be sure to measure your bedroom first and make sure you have enough space between your new king size bed and the walls and furniture of your bedroom. A good 36 inches is required for walking space, and make sure your bed fits in proportion to the walls of your bedroom. King size beds are usually 160cm wide and 210cm long at least, depending on the bed, & super king beds are even bigger at 190cm wide x 200cm long. And don't forget, good Feng Shui practices would have you put your headboard against a wall, allowing to wake up and get out of either side of the bed.

Then there are the bedside cabinets. Will you want one on each side of the bed? Many people just buy one, but that isn't terribly practical if there are two of you in the bed, & you each want somewhere to put your books, alarm clocks etc. Sometimes it's better to have a smaller bed & allow enough room for the furniture rather than fill the whole room with a bed & have nowhere to put anything.

Finally don't forget your chest of drawers. Ideally it should match either your bed, or your bedside cabinets, or maybe even both. Drawers need to be roomy, yet sturdy enough to hold plenty of clothing. Of all of the furniture items in a bedroom these get the hardest time, after all, we all have these stuffed to the brim, especially in winter when storing knitwear, jeans, heavy socks etc.
If choosing modern style bedroom furniture you will need to be aware that many of the new chests of drawers are quite long & low, & may not have enough room for everything.

They look great in large Italian rooms, but in our small UK bedrooms might not quite be large enough. In this instance it might be a good idea to buy two tall chests & put the side by side. Look at the room you think you need & then double it to find the chest of drawers you need.

Remember, when choosing new bedroom furniture having enough room to store all of your clothing is as important a consideration as style, so happy shopping!

When you have been hard at work all day the sight of your bed is definitely a welcoming one; being able to walk into your bedroom and place everything away quickly and efficiently is something that should be a given, however without the right bedroom furniture this can quickly become a chore. A crowded bedroom with clothes strewn everywhere is the antithesis of relaxing, & a lack of bedroom storage can add precious minutes to every day as you try (and fail) to find the things you are looking for.

Items such as bedroom wardrobes, chest of drawers and bedside cabinets are all key to ensuring your bedroom turns out exactly how you want it to, and then of course there's your bed. Out of all the furniture in your bedroom, the bed is definitely one of the most important features. It provides you with the space you sleep in and in many cases the place where you unwind and read a book or watch TV. With this in mind it is the item in your room that creates the atmosphere of the room, it is the item that the rest of the room is focused around. So it should be comfortable, good quality and stylish. But the best mattress you can afford, it will affect both the quality & quantity of your sleep.

The bed is the aspect of the room that sets the tone for much of the remaining furniture, it is important that all of the pieces match or complement the bed when it comes to the finish and colour used - often the bed & the bedroom furniture are bought separately, & a bed in, say, dark brown leather can be beautifully complemented by bedroom furniture in Wenge (a dark oak). Moving away from the need to exactly match bed & bedroom furniture provides the freedom to focus more on design & functionality rather than buying furniture because it matches.

A lot of the beds that are available are made in Italy, in modern designs, and with this in mind they are often slightly lower down than those that are more traditional, so this is something that you need to keep in mind when it comes to your bedside cabinets. When you are choosing the bedside cabinet that you want to place next to your bed, make sure you consider the height, it needs to be tall enough so that when you are in bed you can reach your alarm clock and lamp etc. Fortunately most of the bedside cabinets from Italy are made in a number of different finishes & heights, allowing you to choose from a staggering range of colours & sizes, so there is no need to have bedside cabinets that don't match, or are the wrong height.

One of the most popular styles available is a contemporary style. This involves modern designs and sleek finishes, including fabrics, leather, & matt or gloss lacquers, as well as the usual wood finishes. A lot of the beds in this collection are platform beds that are close to the floor and to accompany this ever growing style there are a number of bedside tables available that are low enough to work, but still include the storage aspect of drawers. Many of the very low single drawer units are extra wide to compensate, some up to a metre wide, which provides a distinctive European look, but requires a large amount of floor space.

More and more of us are opting for the contemporary style when it comes to how we furnish our bedrooms and with this in mind there is one style that stands out more than any others in this collection, this is the lacquer finish. Modern contemporary furniture that has a finish of lacquer is stylish and gives you the option of having your furniture in either a matt or gloss finish, & has the huge advantage of being available in a multitude of colours, allowing you to create a cohesive look based on a palette of colours rather than relying solely on soft furnishings to provide accents. If your bed is white, but your curtains are a mix of blue, grey & white the bedroom furniture could be finished in a lighter grey to pull the whole bedroom together as a 'look'. Most of the higher quality Italian bedroom furniture companies also make wardrobes, so co-ordinating is both easy & fun.

An added advantage of ordering a matching bedroom wardrobe from an Italian furniture supplier is the large number of available options for an Italian made bedroom wardrobe. Sitting somewhere in between a fully fitted wardrobe & a stand alone fixed design wardrobe these can be customised with handy internal options like internal chests of drawers, sliding shoe racks & trouser rails, internal lights & more. These wardrobes can be ordered in anything from a basic 2 door model to a huge composition covering an entire wall. Doors can be sliding or hinged, & can be a mix of mirrored, wood, glass or lacquer.

Creating the right mood and look when it comes to your bedroom is easy to achieve when you take advantage of contemporary furniture pieces. So make sure you keep this in mind when you are buying your bedroom furniture and you are sure to create the bedroom of your dreams.

We spend about a third of our lives in our bedrooms, so it goes without saying that we want it to be welcoming and what better way to achieve this than through a careful choice of bedroom furniture?

This is the room where we sleep and get ready in the morning - it is the place where we might watch television or read and where we store some of our most precious belongings. With this in mind you should want to make this room as comfortable as possible so as well as choosing the right curtains, flooring and design, spare a thought for your choice of furniture.

If you are planning on changing the style of your bedroom and in the process you want new features such as a new bed, wardrobe or bedside table then take a good look at your room as maximising space is almost certainly going to be a priority.

Scale every inch of it so that you get a good idea of the size and shape of it, now ask yourself what you will be able to comfortably fit into it; do you have room for a king size bed or will a double leave you with more walking space? Can you still walk around the bed with other pieces of furniture in the room?

Think about adding extra storage with clever items like storage beds - beds with a lift up mattress base & a large dust free cavity for storing extra linen or an out of season wardrobe.

You also need to think about quality, always pick this over quantity. These are pieces of furniture that you are buying to keep for a long period of time; it is not something that you want to be changing a few months down the line. In some cases you may even want to pass these items onto future generations, this isn't something that would be possible if the items you buy are of poor quality.

Size of items in one thing and even if you have to sacrifice slightly on the amount or scale of items that you can place in your bedroom, this doesn't mean that you have to settle for second best where style is concerned.

So where do you start looking where style is concerned, well, as I have previously mentioned it is important to look for quality, a concept that can be applied to the style of your chosen furniture as well, if you chose a style that is popular at the moment, chances are a few years down the line the collection you have brought will be old and outdated, which is why it is advised that you opt for a style that will last; a prime example of this is a contemporary style.

Simple and minimal as well as modern sleek designs make up a contemporary style collection. Lacquer beds and lacquer chests of drawers as well as cabinets are a prime example of this. These pieces of bedroom furniture will suit any style room and are a demonstration of modern elegance that will never age. Stay away from gimmicky colours & stick to tried & tested neutrals to get maximum value.

Modern contemporary styles have been around for years and they are continually picked as must have pieces for all rooms within your home. By purchasing pieces in this style you are safe in the knowledge that these items will last you for as long as you use them.

If the quality is right, & the style is right there is no reason why your bedroom shouldn't last 10 years or more - just choose your bedroom furniture with care.

Re-furnishing and re-decorating rooms in your home can be an exciting process as you know that at the end of it you are going to be left with the room of your dreams and your bedroom is no exception.

However with the amount of choice that is available to you where The bedroom furniture is concerned the process of re-furnishing your bedroom can often become overwhelming, but there's no need to worry as help is at hand.

In order to truly create a beautiful bedroom that you look forward to retreating to every night you need to ensure that you think about the items that are going to be placed into it. It is through the items that you place into this room that you are able to create an eye-catching design, & this is how you will truly make a room 'yours'.

It is these pieces that pull the overall look and style of the room together and one of the best ways to achieve this is through the use of contemporary style furniture. You will have probably noticed that this is a style that is continually featured in home style magazines and is always featured in some of the main home styling shops. Styling your bedroom as well as your home in a modern way ensures that your rooms won't become outdated.

Contemporary furniture has a very distinct design that makes it stand out from other more traditional collections. The overall design of it features sleek and symmetrical lines that are modern and elegant; it basically has a very bold as well as distinguished appearance and best of all there is a lot to choose from. It is a collection that works whatever the style is of the rest of the room. So when you come to decorate the room a few years down the line you won't be restricted by the design you can choose as the simplicity of contemporary bedroom furniture will look perfect with any decor.

There are a number of furniture pieces that you may want to include in your bedroom - these include the obvious features of a bed, The bedside cabinets, bedroom wardrobe and chest of drawers, however it also refers to aspects such as a TV unit, CD and DVD holder and possibly a desk for you to work from.

With this in mind it is important that you have enough space within the room. The last thing you want to do is end up with beautiful pieces of bedroom furniture but not enough room to display them all correctly. Buying a storage bed - a bed with a lift up mattress & a large space to store blankets etc underneath will make life a little easier.

Furniture doesn't have to just be a necessary feature of a room, you should be able to have fun with it and express style through the items that you place within it. Until the last 5 or so years bedroom furniture was all much of a muchness, bland, wooden chest & divan beds, however now many companies offer exciting new designs with practical features.

With so much choice now available on the market there has never been a better time to opt for a change and buy new pieces. Not only are you transforming your room now but you are also investing for the future, these pieces of furniture will be with you for as long as you use the room.

So with all of this in mind I think it's clear to see as to why you should consider the options that are open to you when it comes to bedroom furniture before you opt to buy any.

Look on the Internet to see the styles available, buy magazines to get inspiration (magazines like Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms & Essential Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms are a godsend), ask friends about their bedrooms. As beds & bedroom furniture are such large items its unlikely you will be able to pop down to your local shops & find just the right thing, this is going to require some homework.

But when you are lying in bed admiring your new modern bedroom you will realise it was all worth it!

Amazon is offering a 23% discount on the Home Elegance Platform Queen Bed. Retailing for $245.52, this bed has been inspired by the urban studio lofts of Europe hence the brushed nickel hardware and the clean lines. The bed is available in natural light finish and warm espresso finish with wood veneers and solid hardwoods.

The Jakarta Queen Bed with Rails seems to be the perfect amalgamation of style and functionality. Sporting a classic yet hip design, the bed from the Fashion Bed Group is available on Amazon for $549.90. Available in two finishes, Black or Mahogany, the low box platform comes complete with wood slats onto which a mattress is placed, thereby eliminating the need for a box spring. The headboard’s top rail has a slight curve and straight spindles which gives it a chic geometric vibe.

Home owners and interior designers on the lookout for new and eco-friendly furnishings can check out the new product line of eco-friendly bedroom furniture announced by the Eastbourne Bedroom Furniture collection. Their new line promises to suit any ideal interior designs required by home owners today, especially the ones leaning towards a greener and respectable bedroom layout.

The Eastbourne Bedroom Furniture Collection is as good as it gets in comfort, style, support, durability, and environmental friendliness. They have a wide array of bedroom solutions to choose from like a cottage-inspired design allows the time-honored beauty of simple American creativity to accent perfectly the natural feel of a home. The rest of the collection includes two bedside nightstands, bureau and mirror that features multi-layer finishes for a deep, rich color and traditional joinery for exceptional durability.