The Revival Of Floral Curtains

This year interior designers are focusing on interiors which are inspired by nature. As such floral curtains have seen a revival in a wide variety of different styles and designs.

Contemporary and modern interiors can opt for big and bold with vibrant flower blooms, foliage and trees whilst more traditional styles homes can adopt a country cottage style by selecting small floral prints depicting quintessentially English garden flowers such as roses, in pastel shades and hues.

If you want to create the illusion of windows being taller than in reality or need to give more height to a room it’s a good idea to use floral patterns which have tendrils of foliage or flowers which are in vertical lines as these will naturally drawn the eye upwards.

The latest easy care eyelet curtains are ideal for all styles of homes and can give completely different looks just by the type, style and colour of curtain pole they are hung from. Antiqued brass curtain poles and wooden curtain poles are perfect for traditional and modern interiors, while contemporary interiors look stunning with metal curtain poles in gunmetal or pewter effect finishes.

Pewter Marisa Ready Made Curtains

Remember to coordinate the curtain pole with the colour and texture of the fabric of the curtains. Curtains with a satin finish or sheen such as Marisa curtains are ideal for use with metal curtain poles whilst antique pine is the perfect selection if you are trying to create that homely cottage look.

Dressing windows is more than selecting curtains, they should be included within the overall desired look and design style if you want to achieve a stunning interior which has cohesion and balance.

Are You Having Trouble Sleeping?

What could be used to create a more relaxing bedroom space? Little else required if you are to take advice from sleep therapists! Today’s modern and hectic lifestyles are leaving maybe people unable to sleep peacefully as such sleep therapists are suggesting that bedrooms become devoid of anything but the bare essentials needed to sleep, which basically means a bed, window dressing and very little else!

Image: Rooms of Inspiration

Today’s bedroom trends are quite literally going back to basics. Televisions and any other distractions are to be removed. The focus is purely on the bed itself which must provide comfort and correct support for the resting body, bedding sets which provide just the right amount of warmth as well as comfort. Scratchy irritating bedding is a definite ‘no-no’, sheets, pillow slips and duvet sets should be breathable cotton blends.

The window dressing should include blackout roller blinds or Roman blinds used on their own so that they look refined and elegant but do not cause any distraction to the eyes. A surface to place your clothes or place an extra blanket along with a suitable plain floor covering and that is all that is needed!

So if you’re having trouble sleeping take a look at your bedroom furnishings, bedding and décor and opt for the bare essentials only! A great way to become clutter free!

Beautiful Black Bedding

When you think about bedding what colours does your mind conjure up? It would depend on the style of your home and your colour scheme presumably. Women may have pretty pastels in mind whilst men would probably opt for more masculine colours – we are making stereotypical assumptions without even trying!

As this years trends are all about comfort, eco-awareness and textures why not opt for something such as luxury bedding which breaks the mould of what you are used to? Dare to be different and bring black into your living space, select bedding which includes tactile velvet, taffeta and simple sequins and embellishment to add refinement and opulence to your bedroom.

Black doesn’t have to be dark and mysterious, it can be teamed with a wide range of other beautiful colours to create stunning looks.

Monochromatic is always popular and yet there are so many other colours which coordinated so well with black. Add bright lipstick red to create a warm and sensual look, or team with graphite greys if you don’t like white! A sunshine yellow would certainly make a real difference, alternatively coordinate with purple for a regal and majestic look.

Broaden your horizons and your colour palette to bring a new lease of life to your living space this year!

Happy Australia Day!

Happy Australia Day to all interior design bloggers down-under! Whilst the UK is still snuggling down to see through winter, of course it is summer in Australia where rather than having bedding to keep them warm they are sleeping with just low tog rated duvets and cool sheets!

We all know that the whole lifestyle is different for those who live in warmer climates as they use curtains and blinds to help their homes cool rather than trying to keep their homes warm and draught proof!

Whichever hemisphere you live in having luxury bedding which coordinates with curtains and blinds is an easy and effective way of creating stunning bedrooms. Printed duvet sets which provide a crisp summery look are the perfect solution to brightening a room with very little effort.

Image: A Life's Design

Large floral prints are among this year’s world wide interior design trends which can be used throughout your home. Using a combination of floral or abstract patterned eyelet curtains hung from white metal or wooden curtain poles, along with wooden blinds or wood-weave blinds offers chic styling to you windows, which suits all styles of interiors.

Create Your Own Bespoke Roman Blinds

Turquoise is one of this years hottest colour trends for interiors. As with most colours there are varying shades of turquoise which can be used to suit all styles of interiors. Bright and vivacious turquoise is ideal for modern homes to inject colour whilst coordinating with many existing décors to give the overall theme a boost with a fresh new look.

Another of this years trends includes the revival of making your own window dressings which provide a unique look to windows. Roman blinds are the ideal starting project for those who need to either refresh or learn some basic sewing skills! As Roman blind kits are widely available the make the job even easier, as basically all you have to do if choose the curtain material online in a colour and texture to suit your room and your pocket.

Make your own Roman blinds from the wide choice of wonderful curtain material online

Different textures play a large part in successful interiors and making your own blinds or curtains enables you to bring a wide variety of different textures and detailing into your home.

Opt for silk or taffeta which has a raised embroidered finish to add a touch of refined opulence to your your rooms, which will look a million dollars but only have cost a fraction of the price many bespoke curtains have attached to them!

Beautiful Bedroom Colour Schemes – Pastels

Forget the cold and think ahead to spring and summer and the beautiful assortment of colours which are being used this year!

Now is the time when you should be planning out and thinking of just what to do in terms of redecorating or revamping your home to bring it right up to date without having to spend a fortune.

Image: House of Turquoise

Sherbet and pastel colours remain in-trend which makes them the ideal colours to use in bedrooms, creating a stunning style which is both invigorating and calming. Duck egg blue coordinated with a soft salmon pink offers a truly chic style which is easy to achieve.

Look for bedding or duvet sets in these colours and team with white or cream to create a simplistic charm in bedrooms which simply oozes class and refinement! The choice of whether you use cheap blinds or make your selection from ready made curtains UK, either on the high street or online is purely a matter of personal choice!

If you really can’t decide whether to use curtains or blinds take inspiration from one of the latest interior design trends and use both! As the world of window dressing becomes more part and parcel of interiors it is essential that your windows are not left until last when making your design plans.

Modern Floral Curtains Offer Chic Styling And Refinement In Your Home

One of this years main focuses within the world of interior design is to use eco-friendly products and materials wherever you can. Floral patterns will be seen on curtains and soft furnishings, including matching cushions.

Whether you want to opt for a chic feminine styling which has a vintage feel by using floral fabrics such as chintz, or whether you want a more contemporary interior design style there are a whole host of different floral fabrics and ready-made curtains to choose from.

Modern Indus curtains are ideal for modern and contemporary interiors

Contemporary designs are showing Flora and fauna in a new wave of styles which enable floral fabrics to be right up to date, including the latest colours such as turquoise, yellow or teal. Ready-made Indus curtains are ideal for contemporary interiors as they have a modern floral overall pattern which oozes elegance and refinement.

These curtains have a modern eyelet style heading which look superb when hung from either metal curtain poles which complement other aspects of your furniture and furnishings, or a wooden curtain pole for a softer and more country cottage look.

If you have French doors or patio doors having Indus curtains which match your window curtains is the ideal solution for achieving a sense of proportion, balance and cohesion within your home.

Stunning Bedrooms With Rustic Charm

One of the key interior design trends 2010 is to have simple styles using eco-friendly materials and products. Last year’s no clutter rule still applies, as home comforts are what matters this year.

People will also be looking for value for money, using durable materials without compromising on chic styling. Although many interior designers are focusing on bright colours and white bedding remains on the top of the style for many. Window dressings will focus on creating soft diffused lighting effects in the bedroom.

Roman blinds made from sheer fabrics are replacing traditional net curtains to provide privacy, whilst lined voile curtains or simple tab top curtains in neutral colours are being hung from wooden curtain poles to provide a minimalist look which still has rustic and rural charm.

Image: Two Ellie

Many interior designers are moving away from high-tech bedrooms and returning to minimalist looks with the bed as the main focus. Simple styling and the use of one or two natural old wooden objects, think along the lines of old farm implements, woven baskets, large cane platters being used as the sole or decorations.

Beautiful Egyptian cotton sheets and bedding offers exceptional value for money, with 200 thread counts they are both durable and robust. If you think along the lines of having the bare minimum in your bedroom you will be on the right lines to creating a stunning simplistic look which is easy to maintain!

Adopting 2010 Interior Design Trends

If you fancy designer bedding and yet don’t want to spend a fortune the so called ‘January sales’ have begun in earnest with many designer ranges included within the sale products.

However, before you rush to snap a bargain you need to make sure that your bedroom décor is befitting of the bedding sets you buy, more especially if you opt for a colour rather than a neutral tone or white!

If you intend to re-decorate in the New Year then you can ensure that the colours coordinate and blend with each other if you are going to achieve chic styling.

The trend of ’shabby chic’ looks set to continue into 2010 which makes design styles a little easier to accomplish, however ’shabby chic’ does not mean you can simply throw a whole host of junk into a bedroom and label it as ’shabby chic’!

This interior design style still has some fundamental design ‘rules’ which should be considered, otherwise your bedroom will simply look shabby and certainly not chic! Don’t let your spare room become a dumping ground for piles of ironing, storing children’s toys or other items you can’t find a ‘home’ for!

Make 2010 the year in which you turn your house into a home by adopting some of the 2010 interior design trends, one of which is ‘no clutter’, and yes 2009 had the same trend but it appears that this trend will remain on the top of the design trends for another year at least!

Maximise Natural Light – It’s Free!

The emphasis to maximise natural light within every room of your home makes economical and viable sense! With many people facing hefty winter fuel bills, using natural light and warm colours within your home is an efficient way of enabling you to lower your central heating dial by a couple of degrees without noticing the slightly lower temperature!

Image: A Life's Design

It may be winter but we still have plenty of daylight hours in the UK! Making the most of these is the ideal solution to help reduce fuel bills, so rather than have a dark and gloomy room which makes you automatically turn on the lights, opt for a window dressing which maximises ‘free’ natural light!

Opt for blinds as these provide you with natural light when either pulled to the top of the window or stacked to one side. If privacy is a problem Venetian or vertical blinds are the perfect choice! If you use Venetian blinds angle the slats slightly upwards as this enables the natural light to be directed onto a white ceiling where it will bounce back down and into your room.

If you prefer to have nets or sheer voiles you could change the look of your windows by having curtain rails fitted either three-quarters or half way down the window rather than covering the entire pane of glass, this style of window dressing is not only chic and stylish it also enables more light to enter your rooms.