US Housing Renewal

Archive for the ‘Interior Design’ Category

As a professional London Interior Designer, I meet with clients all the time who simply crave more originality and personality in their interior spaces. It is such a delight for the interior designer to be able to transform a house into a home by judicious use of lighting, stencils, photo frames, rugs and frames, to name just a few. Each of the different classes of accessories allows the professional interior designer to lean into a certain style, emotion or personality framework in order to create stunning results. In this article, I will draw on my experience in London’s design community to suggest a few great options if you’re looking to spruce up your home this winter with some interior designer magic.

LIGHTING. If there are nooks and crannies that just don’t get enough light, interior designers may recommend low-voltage illumination to make your interiors look larger and more welcoming. This can also boost your mood – perfect for the gloomy and overcast London skies that are all too common this time of year. Some professional interior designers will recommend theatrical lighting moods, so that you can flip between settings to choose either relaxed, or atmospheric and edgy, or task-orientated, all according to your needs.

Read the rest of this entry »

In their training, student interior designers often learn about the history of their profession. This can be a really important way to give context to their subsequent careers. In this article, I will draw on my experience as an interior designer and educator to discuss the history of this exciting field.

The earliest professional interior designers were based in London – the British had become intrigued by Egyptian techniques of decorating household objects and wanted the same for themselves. London families became desperate to employ an interior designer to create magical spaces and accessorise their interiors. As interior designers came to be recognised as professionals, they increasingly found a need to draw on history to create fabulous results. This was particularly true when creating designs for historic London mansions or listed buildings – they saw historical reflections as a way of preserving the past while also looking to the future.

THE ANCIENT ROMANS

In Ancient Rome, citizens demanded comfort, luxury and wealth. These elements are still important in the work of interior designers across the world today. The lavish decorations, tapestries and iconic stonework today remain as timeless and popular in London as in Tokyo or Sydney. The Ancient Romans adored bespoke furniture and loved quality textiles and expensive fabrics.

MONASTIC TIMES

After the collapse of Roman rule, the church assumed power and largely discouraged the most creative interior designers. Opulent interiors were taken out and interior designers were instructed to install quiet and simple oak panels with dark lines and sharp edges. This influence was felt throughout Europe – from London all the way to Florence.

RENAISSANCE AND REVIVAL

The Renaissance saw the emergence of professional French or French-inspired interior designers. It was a new age of elegance and sophistication, which saw the rebuilding of the London Interior Designer community and a fresh take on creative and beautiful living spaces. A “palatial” feel was rediscovered, and interior designers began to take advantage of new transport axes going through London to the continent and to the Americas in order to rediscover their profession and herald the next generation of design.

This brings to an end my article on how the work of interior designers has changed over the ages. In my next article, I’ll reflect on how interior designers use interior fashions for great effect.

All people love drinking wine in some special occasions. Wine can become an icon of celebration and happiness, that is why it is always there and enjoyed in all celebrations and special events. There are many people who collect some wines at home. As many as the wine ages; it will be increasingly delicious. Wine can also become something prestigious when it is the great collections.

If you are one of them who love wines very much and have some collections at home; you certainly need a rack where you can arrange the wines well in a corner of your home. You can build the rack by yourself if you need it. Just choose good quality wood and nice design to make the rack so that it also can become decorating furniture inside your home. About how to build the wine rack well; you can visit Guidezee.com and read the article of Building a wine rack. You can get complete information about what you should prepare and steps to build the rack as well.

Just visit the site to see the information and also what kind of rack that you can build with the information. It must be pleasing if you can build your own rack and arrange your wine collections on it.

The majority of older houses in Britain have suspended timber floors (also known as hollow floors) in the ground-floor rooms. However, during and after the Second World War, timber became scarce and restrictions were placed on its use and availability, so other forms of con¬struction were employed. The solid floor was introduced as a suitable and economic alternative at ground level.

Suspended timber ground floors
A suspended timber ground floor consists of a number of boards sometimes tongued-and-grooved – or sheets of man-made boards such as chipboard or plywood, laid over and supported by timber joists. The joists are 400mm to 600mm apart and are supported by 100mm x 50mm timber wallplates which are in turn supported by the main walls of the building, or by sleeper walls built up from a layer of concrete beneath the house, or by a combination of the two. To prevent the timber floor from absorbing any moisture, the wallplates are bedded on top of a suitable damp-proof course.

Suspended timber upper floors
Like suspended ground floors, upper floors consist of timber boards or sheets of man-made board laid over and supported by timber joists. Suspended timber floors which are not at ground level are often called single floors because the joists bridge a single span they run from wall to wall.

As it is not possible to give additional support to upper floors by using sleeper walls, the joists of single floors are bigger than those of hollow ground floors and usually bridge the narrowest span – often across the narrowest part of the room. If the joists bridge spans greater than 4.0m, timber or steel cross-members (called binders) may be used to give intermediate support. Joists in a single floor tend to flex, so rows of struts may be laid across the floor between the joists to make the floor stiffer.

The ends of the joists may be built into the walls, or supported by joist hangers built into or fixed on to the face of the wall. If the joist end is built into the wall, this part should be treated with preservative to protect it from decay.

The ceiling of the room underneath the floor is usually lath-and-plaster or plasterboard fixed to the underside of the joists. Plasterboard may have a plaster ‘skim’ finish.

Solid ground floors
The cross-section of a solid floor consists of a number of layers of different materials.

The first layer is 100 to 150mm of consolidated hardcore com¬posed of crushed stone and clean broken bricks. This is to level out any unevenness in the ground caused by the excavation and to provide a firm and level base for the floor slab.

A 50mm-thick layer of fine ash, sand or weak mix concrete is laid over the hardcore to bind the surface. This blinding will also give a smooth even surface for laying the damp-proof membrane on. The damp-proof membrane should never be laid directly on to the hardcore – it may puncture.

The damp-proof membrane may be placed above or below the floor slab. In the latter case, the DPM will keep the floor slab free from moisture. A wide range of materials are suitable as DPMs: hot and cold poured bitumen, asphalt, epoxy pitch compounds and 1000-gauge polythene sheeting.

The floor slab (concrete) can vary in thickness from 100 to 150mm and have one or two layers of mesh reinforcement, depending on the area of the floor and its intended use. The concrete slab may have a cement screed laid over its surface, depending on what type of floor finish is to be used.

To provide extra insulation, 50mm sheets of expanded polystyrene can be added between the slab and the screed.

Today it is imperative to build houses that are as green as possible. Hopefully they have windows that are well insulated, floors that will keep away the cold coming from the ground. The roof and the walls should be fortified against the weather outside to keep the house cool in the summers and warm in the winters. Another important aspect of modern construction with the ecology in mind is making the most of natural sunlight. This means having windows larger than usual, opting for glass front panels, glass doors and sunrooms, glass enclosures and room separators. With this kind of design it will be easy to save electricity and maintain a healthy atmosphere in the flat with plenty of natural light to work with. To open up the space and save on electricity bills yet again it is possible to use a mirror wall installation that will again reflect light and bring in more sunshine into the room, killing the necessity to use artificial lighting. In bathrooms electricity can be saved if one installs a window and shower enclosures letting in more sunlight in to a place where usually only artificial sources of light are used. This way construction can build into the future caring for the environment.

Timber floors, also known as hardwood flooring, have been a popular choice for homeowners for a long time due to their enduring and durable qualities and to their beautiful and warm looks. Any home can be enhanced by having them installed. The choices include many colors and shades to choose from that enhance and blend with the décor of your home.

They use reclaimed and recycled wood boards when constructing the floors and are widely known to be sturdy, durable and versatile.

These lovely surfaces have many excellent qualities but being easy to clean and maintain their beauty has to be one of their best qualities. Dust can be quickly and easily cleaned my vacuuming or mopping and if there are spills they can easily removed by simply wiping them up. And, they are also affordable and come in many sizes and styles.

In addition, timber surfaces make any room—be it a kitchen, bedroom or living room—lovely and inviting. There is something truly lovely about them; they have a timeless quality that can’t be denied.

Timber floors also highlights and enhances almost any interior design. Their warmth and coziness offers old-world charm while at the same time creating an atmosphere of new age. However, they require a little extra care when it comes to cleaning
and maintaining their beautiful look.

To help make the cleaning of your hardwood ones easier and more effective, just use water and a good solid mop. But, make sure that the mop is just lightly damp so that the dust and dirt come off easily. Too much water can damage your wood surfaces; so use water in moderation. In addition, you can also use a ph neutral floor cleaner. Always ensure that you not use harsh cleaners like washing detergents or harsh steel wool pads that leave scrapes or scratches Also, don’t use wax because it will leave a waxy film. Recoating helps to maintain a great shine. Always use quality cleaning materials and mops that are lint-free.

Timber floors in the summer feel cool but in the winter provide good insulation from the cold. In addition, they are a wonderful alternative to carpets because they prevent allergic skin reactions that sometimes occur with carpets—reactions that come from dust, dust mites and other fine particles. And, hardwood ones clean much easier than carpets. Carpets trap and hold on to dust stronger than timber surfaces.

The cost of installing them in your home averages around $30 per square meter. The higher the demand for it will of course, in some areas, up the price. In addition, polishing and finishing will be added to the total cost. This will be an additional several hundred dollars but if you want elegance and floors that are easily maintainedPsychology Articles, then the time and money spent will be well worth the effort.