Defining your Home’s Style

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If you’re an everyday homeowner with a family and pets, chances are that your living room has no particular decorating style. Cottage décor is a dream and contemporary decor a frightening prospect of a total room makeover. You have a mish-mash of furniture and accessories that you try to pull together every once in a while and then get discouraged. 

 

Incorporate your lifestyle

If you have a mish mash of looks in your living room, you just never defined your decorating style. Style is about your personality and lifestyle.

How do you do it? Have a look around your living room and choose your favorite pieces.

What style are they? If you’re choosing chintz and florals, you are more to traditional style. If you choose simple line furniture  there is a chance you prefer contemporary. 

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What decorative style speaks to you?

Try thumbing through interior magazines or surf the internet for inspirational home interiors blogs. See what type of styles have elements that you love. This will give you a clue as to what style speaks to you.

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Elle Decor    Country Homes   House and Garden

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Examine your personal style, lifestyle and what speaks to you in your home. You will be surprised that choosing and defining a decorative style for your home is easier than you imagined. 

Renia

Adding Space with a Functional Kitchen Island

 

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If there is one thing that all homeowners enjoy is a nice spacious kitchen and the ability to perform more functions whenever possible. Kitchen islands are a fantastic way to house more kitchen amenities in one area. From your sink and appliances to additional counter space for cooking preparation, serving and display area, the kitchen island has many advantages for your home. Here are tips to bring your heart of the home more function and attention with the addition of a kitchen island.

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Shape of your kitchen island

Depending on the shape of your kitchen and how much free space you have will help decide how functional your kitchen island will be. Here are a few configurations that will help:

• If your kitchen’s work area in an L shape, U shape, or G shape, they tend to work best for a kitchen island addition.

• A kitchen needs to be at least 100 square feet (30sqm) to fit an island.

• Make sure you have enough space all around the island so it doesn’t block the flow of the room, minimum passage requirements in a kitchen 42 inches (105cm)to avoid that ‘let me just squeeze past you ’ syndrome.

For smaller kitchens consider using a table, a butcher block movable cart or smaller kitchen island without compromising on space. Also consider using old farm tables, display store counters or salvaged furniture for a kitchen island that will make your kitchen unique.

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Personalize your kitchen island

While your kitchen island performs a function to house amenities it also is a place to show off your personal decorative style. Many kitchen islands house shelving for books, display of mementos and even lighting to focus on heirloom and vintage pieces. Overhead pendant lighting or a chandelier can bring a focal point to the island and seating to compliment the rest of your adjacent dining room can unify the spaces. Sit down kitchen islands are becoming more popular as family and entertaining while the chef cooks is an essential plus of having a kitchen island.

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Make your kitchen island the life of your home with these helpful tips. From choosing which size and shape island will work best for you and your family to accessorizing with personal touches of home, your kitchen island can add personality to your everyday cooking and help you enjoy your space. If you are feeling overwhelmed by choosing the perfect island for your needs, ask an interior designer or kitchen planning professional to help. Your kitchen island should reflect the heart of your home.

 

Renia