As a key speaker at an annual global Airbnb Open Festival, interior designer and Designbx co-founder Kerena Berry presented to over 300 Airbnb hosts, to help hosts increase occupancy, guest ratings and daily rates. We share some of the best tips in our blog below, plus a link to ‘The Designbx Airbnb host guide’.

There was a time when Australians denied having a distinct culture, but our popularity as a tourist destination is solid proof that foreign visitors believe we’re a unique and beautiful part of the world. As Airbnb hosts, it’s our job to reinforce our unique culture and provide the setting for our customers’ travel fantasies. 

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Travelling is one of the best things that you can do for your health. It helps your physical and mental health, and can be excellent for the soul according to Positive Health Wellness. So what type of experience does an Airbnb customer expect? At Designbx, we can help by providing a few design tips to make your home attract five star reviews.

Firstly, imagine your target demographic. What interiors do they expect from a seaside getaway, a few days in our unique inner city suburbs, or a tranquil stay in the Hunter Valley? Put yourself in the shoes of your potential customer as you complete the free Designbx Style Quiz, which will provide a visual style board.

Once you have a clear vision, let’s get to work on the foundations: walls and floors. A fresh lick of silk or satin paint, or a sugar soap scrub will provide the most common basic necessity: a visually clean and hygienic space. Choose flooring that’s easy to clean and works with your style.

Next, make sure there’s enough furniture for your guests in each area, and always assume they’ll move as an entire group between rooms. Ensure they have a wonderful sleep by using latex covers, which have memory for extra comfort.

Designbx Airbnb Project in Curl Curl, NSW

Temperature is critical, and don’t just assume air-conditioning is the one solution; think about your floor coverings, window treatments, materials and props. Feel free to overcompensate with extra blankets, feather doonas, rugs, heated towel racks, blinds & curtains. Don’t forget fly screens!

Tantalise the senses. Have soft, relaxed music playing on arrival. Spotify is a very cheap option, and you can set up playlists to enhance the atmosphere. Timer lights and heating are always appreciated. Ensure the house smells fresh and homely on arrival by using vaporisers.

Plush slippers by the door spoil guests and encourage them to take their shoes off. We even put gumboots on the veranda of a rural getaway and provided baskets labelled with the name of each chicken so guests could start their day with a little egg-hunting adventure.

Add a guestbook with tips and quirks you may be used to but could become frustrations for people in a new environment. How does every appliance operate, where do they find supplies, what are the cultural attractions? Again, imagine you are the guest.

A little guest basket champions local produce and shows pride in the community; or in situations where the house is isolated, it could provide goods impossible to find locally. These little touches remind people that you are welcoming them into your home.

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Let’s have a little fun with aesthetics. Refer to your Style Board when making any purchases. Enhancing architectural features is a good place to start. High ceilings scream for oversized artwork, and feature pendant lights look great on large kitchen island benches.

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Ensure your styling stays similar from one room to the next. Use a harmonised colour scheme, and experiment with texture to add character. Layout is crucial. Interior designers use spatial planning to place items in a room. This ensures you have a fluid path from one space to another. At Designbx we use Floor Plans to help designers and clients collaborate on layout decisions, which saves time and money.

Designbx Airbnb Project in Hunter Valley, NSW

Double the amount of dinner and kitchenware, pillows and towels you expect will be required. Make sure you provide ways to block out the sun. Use durable finishes, aged timbers, non absorbent bench tops, commercial fabrics on sofas or ever-reliable leather. Opt for poly blend or natural fibre rugs, which are easily cleaned with a damp cloth.

For more organic touches, indoor plants purify the air and add aroma while flowers use visuals and unique perfumes for a sense of wellbeing. While a bedside table is a prime position for a vase, make sure you choose a flower that doesn’t have a powerful fragrance that might inhibit the ability to sleep.

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Don’t forget to entertain your guests. In any home you would expect to find books, music, games, DVDs or a hard drive with movies, and even musical instruments. There are times when we simply want to relax and have a quiet night in. 

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Never ignore safety. Even the most minor injury to a child will infuriate your adult guests. Place everyday items in easily accessible spots: don’t store heavy ceramic bowls on high shelves, and place linen in heavy lidded chests.

Underlay under rugs not only present better but also won’t curl up on the ends and create trip hazards. Place slip treads on all your stairs, especially in wet areas. Blind cords must have winding hooks (especially in children’s rooms). Also ensure you keep up to date with pool, spa and fire rules & regulations.

Add a touch of luxe. Ikea offers feather inserts for cushions that start at $5, so why risk looking cheap? Feather or duck duvets might cost more but feel beautiful and encourage guests to turn off heating, saving you money in the long-term.

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Feature toiletries in every wet room. The feel and smell of quality toiletries are lasting in the mind. Tea and coffee are common vices, so have a tea box (T2) and a POD coffee machine. With linen, opt for quality 300-plus thread count (no polyester), which wash well and last longer.

Designbx Airbnb Project in Twin Waters, QLD

Once you’ve created the perfect Airbnb home, capture your beautiful spaces on camera. Go professional, preferably with an interior or real estate specialist. Select a hero shot that captures your key feature. If the feature is exterior, like ocean views, remind browsers that it’s a home by taking the shot from inside. Soft lighting like a cloudy day is perfect, and avoid filters so people can see the real space and finishes.

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We’ve given you a few DIY tips but forecast the positive effect a professionally designed and decorated space may have on price and occupancy, and spend accordingly. From commercial interior design to personally designing your home, Designbx is an online interior design solution that is both affordable and collaborative. Unlike most freelancers out there, we offer set priced packages and access to a wider network of designers.

If you don’t know where to start you can always reach out to the expert Designbx Team for a FREE Interiors Design consultation.

 “Designbx   |   “Top interior design tips for Airbnb hosts”    |  designbx.com

The post Airbnb Hosts – Top tips to become the best Airbnb hosts appeared first on Designbx.

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1. Top tip

Mood and detail lighting is key. Hanging lights can help add that urban and rustic. Offset pendants with freestanding and wall mounted designs.

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2. Traits

Industrial style is all about exposed architecture, rustic finishes, aged timbers, industrial metals, natural fabrics, leather (worn and aged), graffiti, wood panelling concrete and stainless steel.

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3. Designers/Artists

Nexus Designers, Mim Design, Bernard Albin, Banksy.

4. Pantone colours

5. Brands that fit

Holy funk Co., Canal Side interiors, Timothy Oulton, Domayne Furniture, Loft Furniture, The Industrial Revolution, Pony Rider, Orson & Blake, Sagitine.

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6. A perfect day

A rooftop terrace together with friends and family, Boules being played on a turf strip down the entry hallway, a huge paella steaming on the cooker, drinks chilling in the bath and Grandad tuning your Indian Chieftain motorcycle in the garage. Noise, laughter and social style.

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7. Fragrance

Tom Dixon-London Candle inspired by the aroma of red bricks, London parks, nettles and the salt of the Thames.

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The industrial style look can add a raw and sleek look to home and even commercial spaces. With its use of steels, wood and other raw materials, it can be a stylish sustainable design for any space.  

The post Industrial style guide appeared first on Designbx.

1. The heirloom

Whether it be a timeless leather couch, collector coffee table or pool table, figure out the central statement piece in your space and use it to determine your colour palette. Every man owns at least one trophy item that is a non-negotiable addition to the space, so make sure your design works seamlessly with the colour and style of your favourite items.

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2. Get your friends involved

You’ll be hosting poker nights and watching sport with your friends, so involve them in the design of your man cave to ensure it’s a space where they’ll feel comfortable. Ask for any unwanted art pieces, furniture items, building materials  or decor they might have lying around the house to recycle and keep the budget down. DIY Pallet furniture is a great way to get your friends involved and create a trendy versatile unit.

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3. Keep it clean

Invest in good storage units to store essential items like movies, games, electronics and collectors pieces. Floating shelves, trendy buffet units and hidden cupboards are great for stylishly keeping the Man Cave organised, tidy, stylish…and also keeping the wife happy.

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4. Raise the bar

Be the talk of the town with a state-of-the-art and stylish bar. No Man Cave is complete without a well stocked and equipped bar. Invest in a good set of glassware and use pieces like art deco bottles or a wine decanter for that unique touch. Art deco interior design is a great avenue for those gentleman that crave a bit more of a classier retreat.

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5. Rug up

Often man caves are set in a basement or garage space with harsh concrete flooring that becomes incredibly chilly in the cooler months. Warm up your space with a shaggy or oversized rug to ensure you can relax in comfort.

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6. Express yourself

Here is your chance to decorate your space how you like, and not how your partner may like it. Steer away from flowers, plants, soft furnishings, candles and picture frames. Instead, seek out vintage and antique stores for collectors pieces, artworks and metallic decor to achieve that grungy,  industrial interior design look.  Decor items can include antique globes, sport memorabilia, book collections, sculptures, faux deer heads and shadow boxes.

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7. Spark up

Lighting is everything in a Man Cave, as it’s usually created in a less desirable and unused space. Explore small living room designs and ensure you have enough natural lighting coming in from available windows, if not, ensure a warm tone is established through plenty of lighting. Get creative with lighting options. Pendants and light-up signage add a great unique touch.

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8. Textured walls

Use your skills and creativity to create a textured wall. This can act as a focal piece for the man cave as well as provide functionality, depending on the material, Cork can be used as a large notice board or backdrop for a game of darts.

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Show off your Mo and interior design mojo this Movember. If you’re looking for a quick but lavish overhaul, here’s a man cave design we prepared earlier. And don’t forget to get involved with the Movember Foundation. Let’s put our moustaches to good use.

The post Build a Man Cave worthy of that Mo! appeared first on Designbx.

1. Start with a wooden floor

First of all, start with a clean, fresh base. Wooden floorboards are the ultimate Scandi trademark. Opt for light tones to open up the space and to give as much lightness and airiness as possible. Think about your walls and ceiling colours as well. Your interior will look bigger and brighter instantly — the more white the better.

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2. Use a muted palette

Once you have your base mastered, move on to the big block pieces. For larger items, like your sofa, table, chairs or curtains, try using neutral colours. We especially love using a myriad of greys (avoid a white couch that you’ll be stressing about when the little ones get within a 10-metre radius of it). To master the look, add touches of wood here and there to incorporate warmth.

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3. Add colour by using splashes of pastels

Although a neutral-based style, Scandinavian interior design colour schemes are often infused with soft pastels. Our favourite is blush pink, as it is the perfect complementary colour to any wood. Mint green is also a fun way to add some colour into your Scandi kingdom.

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4. Create a complementary feature wall

So how best do we style our walls in a Scandi home? It can be hard to figure out how to add different pieces of wall art without making it clash with a neutral interior, but by adding pops of pastels you can creating a striking look.

Be creative! Use photos, prints, paintings, quotes or even drawings that your mini-me made! You can create a fun art project for the kids by encouraging them to create, using your colour palette.

By using similar frames throughout and some clever pre-planning, you can ensure your unique feature wall works harmoniously with the Scandi style.

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5. Layers, layers, layers!

The great thing about Scandinavian interior design is you can go wild with textures. As long as the colours are harmonious and neutral, you can mix as many as you like! This is what adds depth and character to Scandi spaces. Use leather, linen, jute, metal, fur, wood…you name it, you layer it!

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6. Get some Scandinavian furniture

The cleans lines, simplicity and beauty of these timeless pieces are undeniable. By adding even just one or two of these beauties, you can completely transform your space. There are so many affordable options to finding Scandinavian-style furniture without skimping on quality and practicality. Try Pop and Scott, MRD Home, Sokol, Eadie Lifestyle, or Mr & Mrs White.

Combinations that are paving the way into 2018 are:

• Woven pastel leathers, featuring in seating, wall hangings and rugs
• Tibetan fur, dyed in striking neutral  or jewel tones is a key trend for children’s bedrooms and playrooms
• Raw hand-crafted materials like pottery and rustic timbers, paired with the traditional curved and clean lines of Scandinavian design – this new style is being echoed as Japandi (a fusion of Scandinavian and Japanese design movements).

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7. Be minimal with the little things (less is more)

The easiest way is to think about what you really need, and forget the rest. Marie Kondo wrote a best-selling book on how tidying up can be life-changing and not only declutter your home but your mind as well. To that we say, yes please! But keep the items you absolutely love. And no, you don’t need those 50 jumpers you haven’t worn since high school.

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8. Use greenery in the right places

Plants are a surefire way to bring texture and contrast to those neutral walls. In spaces that just need a little something, sculptural, oversized and grouped plants will work best. Your pot is as important as the species of your plant, so pick wisely.

A single or dual tone will last the test of time. Our favourite brands include Designtwins, Pop and Scott, Ivy muse, Urban Eden, and Milk and Sugar. To not overdo it, just add one large potted plant to each room. Make sure you use plants that can survive indoors and don’t need much light. If you’re not into big plants, or can’t keep one alive no matter how hard you try (we’ve all been there), then why not add a simple cactus? They’re always a nice, easy way to add some greenery.

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9. Install a fireplace

Living in Australia, we may not all need a fireplace, but if we were to embrace them, either for function or pure aesthetics, they would look a little like this. The Scandinavian ‘staple’ fireplace would be tall, thin and likely to be perched in a corner. We may not ever install one of these but we love these different styles to ooh and aah over. If the real thing is impractical, a faux fireplace creates a setting to do a vignette of artwork, greenery or personal items.

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10. Be meticulous and creative with lighting

Last, but certainly not least, lighting! It’s so important in any space, but the fun thing with Scandinavian interior design is that you can incorporate various sizes and shapes with great success. Try using cool bulbs, lampshades and garlands.

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Scandinavian interior design gets us so excited, and makes us spend way too much time on Pinterest, but we hope this has inspired you to redecorate.

Do you want to find out what your ideal style is? Check out our style quiz and get your dream home project started right away!

The post How to create Scandinavian interior design appeared first on Designbx.

Modern and minimal bathrooms are still the design styles of choice. As we head further into the new year, design trends will become playful and the home’s decorative décor will spill into your bathroom.

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2017 and 2018 will bring loads of personality with texture, colour and quirky accessories. Wall mounted book stacks, ottomans, built-in modular shelving and quirky towel hangers are just a few of the ways bathrooms will reach beyond their functional role to become eye-catching spaces.

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Bring an element of playfulness to your bathroom by mismatching the tiles, using dark and bright colours together, and a collision of colour in similar hues. Combining multiple types of tiles is a simple way to get a totally customised bathroom. Pair a monochromatic palette for striking visual impact, and play around with layers of subway, hex and square tiles for a cool bathroom makeover.

Don’t be afraid to use darker tiles in your small bathroom, especially if you paint the cabinets to match. Contrast with natural textures, like a jute rug and a wood-framed mirror. This is the Boho style at it’s best!

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Also, be brave and wallpaper your entire bathroom. Yes you heard it right! It’s never been more on-trend than this year. It will bring instant character into the room. Just make sure to use proper damp area wallpaper, and of course, have it professionally applied.

With bold tile patterns, colourful wallpaper and quirky light fixtures playing a key role in bathroom decor, it’s important to keep things in balance with minimalist cabinet shapes. Clean white cabinets with simple handles and tapware ensure the space won’t feel too crowded, no matter how small your bathroom is.

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If you wish to have a more tranquil vibe, try matte black showerhead and taps. It looks stunning paired with pastel walls, modern cabinetry and vintage accents.

Last but not least, don’t forget to include green, living plants into your bathroom ambiance. Plants are not only a fashionable garnish but also enhance the atmosphere, freshen the space and appeal to your sense of smell. As we always say, bring the outside in!

So there you have it – a few innovative bathroom design trends that will help you create a space with a definite wow factor. Of course, this does create one issue: now it will be even harder to get people out of there!

The post 2017 Interior design trends – Contemporary bathroom design leading the way for home interiors appeared first on Designbx.

Also known as canopy chairs, porters chairs, balloon chairs or Versailles chairs, this mainstay of traditional design is finding a home in unexpected spaces. Let’s take a look at the reinvention of a striking style of furniture that can adapt to any space. There are a number a different methods for making the most of dome chairs in a room. Probably the most subtle and inclusive approach is to upholster in the lighter shade within your colour scheme. This will allow the dome chair to blend in and be seen as an interesting addition rather than the key focal piece.

Marrying the framework colour of your dome chair to your surrounding furniture may be a more traditional approach, but who said traditional needs to be bland? Select a pattern from your room’s Style Board and feature on the rear of your chair. It’s a subtle and personal way to include your dome chairs, while having the added benefit of drawing attention to lines and colours of your room’s framework.

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Of course, you can throw the whole idea of subtlety out the window by creating the most plush and ornate incarnation of the dome chair – a cozy yet flamboyant feature that would look at home in any palace. Adding butting and stud work creates a real eye catcher! Buttoning works in almost every style. It’s all about the fabric finish, colour and pattern that will bring your style to life.

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The addition of another material such as rattan and the use of ornate craftsmanship in the wood framework turns your dome chair into a perfect addition to a French Accent or Traditional Chic space. In an environment that draws the eye to fine detail rather than bold palettes and patterns, focusing on shape and texture is key.

If the last thing on your mind is allowing your beautiful dome chair to become a seamless part of the background, there are many ways to make a huge impact. Using block colour fabrics in brighter tones really adds some punch to this design. Pull a colour from your palette to create a more traditional and harmonised space, or select a completely juxtaposed colour to your palette for a more modern feel.

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Pattern is a very personal preference but when done right can truly show your personality and wild side. This chair has spunk! While the dome chair certainly adds flair, it’s not exclusive to feminine spaces. Notice how using leather on the external shell creates a more masculine feel.

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In fact, with the right materials and simplified colour scheme, the dome chair makes the short jump from ‘ornate’ to ‘stately’. Another benefit to leather is its durability, but remember comfort when it comes to internal surfaces. If you need more durability, opt for commercial grade fabrics and an aptly simplified pattern.

There’s no doubting the dome chair’s lasting appeal, and as you can see from the examples, it has a talent for being a chameleon or a showstopper, depending on your use of this boldly shaped furniture.

Designbx  |  Domestic bliss- the return of the dome chair    | designbx.com

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Kristy Withers form Incy Interiors shares how an average day looks in her creative world.

When did you start this venture? I started Incy 5.5 years ago when my son was going into his first ‘big boy’ bed and I couldn’t find a bed anywhere that I liked and wasn’t super expensive so I decided to create a range of my own.

Talk us through the early days… The early days were tough because I found out I was pregnant the same time I launched the company. This was very exciting as we had struggled to fall pregnant but also wasn’t great timing. I knew I had 9 months to grow the business and get things under control.

What does it take to build a successful business? With any success comes lots of hard work! Building a successful business means making sacrifices. You don’t earn much if any money initially, you work every waking hour and lots of the time you are doing it on your own. It really does take commitment and nerves of steel!

What’s your advice for any emerging business? Make sure you are passionate, know your numbers and can make then work and go for it!

What would an average day at Incy Interiors look like? There is no typical day for me but the day generally starts at 5.30/6.00am when my husband’s alarm goes off. The kids generally come in for a snuggle before starting the day and then we start the crazy rush of getting dressed, breakfast, bags packed, etc before getting out the door at 7.45am. We have a 30 minute travel and then two school drops offs on either side of town and I try to be in the office by 9am. The day then varies wildly. I may be doing anything from marketing plans through to financial forecasts, entering orders or talking to customers. We have no egos at Incy so everyone pitches in and does what needs to be done. I leave the office 5.30ish and either pick the kids up from my sister’s (who is our nanny and lifesaver) or head home where the kids will already be. Then the crazy rush of baths, dinner, homework, stories etc begin. Our kids have a bedtime of 7.30pm so by the time I have cleaned up and put washing on it is generally around 8.30ish. I then either flop on the lounge and watch tv, have a bath (and glass of wine) or open up my laptop. Bedtime for me is generally 10ish and then it all starts again!

The Incy store family

Who or what has been the greatest inspiration for Incy Interiors? My son was the original inspiration for starting Incy but my entire family are the reason I keep doing what I do. It also helps that most of them work at Incy.

Tell us about some of your favourite (projects/collections/milestones) One of my favourite projects is something we are working on at the moment and that is our new store in Bathurst. . It is in the most amazing old converted flour mill. We have a HUGE space and we will have not only a retail store there but also our offices and our first ever Incy outlet. We are opening on 23rd July so please come and visit if you are in the area. Any pointers on how to streamline and simplify the running of successful business? I actually need this advice myself. I have created a super complicated business model that most certainly doesn’t make it easy for me so if you get this advice, can you please pass it on?

Which global markets influence your company? Right now we have a presence in 7 international markets – NZ, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, UK, Canada and USA. We have recently launched ourselves into the US so it is our major focus for 2016, this was a huge project that involved changing the products to meet US standards, finding warehousing, setting up logistics, new companies, etc.

What’s the secret to finding great staff for the Incy store? Go with your gut. I always hire based on attitude over skill. If you have the right attitude you can learn anything whilst all the skills in the world don’t matter if you have a bad attitude.

What are the three words your company lives by? Honesty, integrity and passion

Incy Interiors is a preferred supplier for Designbx interior design online projects. 

The post Incy Interiors: Interview with Kristy Withers appeared first on Designbx.

When you want to revamp your home on a tight budget  you may be wondering what to do. We all feel like a fresh start at the beginning of a new year and one sure method is to revamp your environment. It’s a more profound change than a new outfit and certainly lasts much longer than most resolutions! Unfortunately just at the time you’d most like to shake things up, the piggy bank is usually rather roomy after the revelling and generosity that go hand in hand with the silly season. Hopes are high and budgets are low. The good news is you don’t need to spend a fortune to get more out of your home’s interiors.

One effective trick to revamp your home is to create a sense of scale by using the full width and height of your rooms. You can highlight dimensions by leaning prints on high cabinets, building multiple book stacks high or using an oversized pendent.

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Don’t relegate your beautiful pot plants to the floor-level. Elevate them by mounting them on surfaces to add height and make your greenery feel more opulent Use a mantle, buffet, picture rail, or bookshelf to create vignettes. All it takes is a themed collection of complementary items.

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These arrangements of loved objects can be grouped according to colour, style or theme, and will present a striking feature. What may have been disparate objects in assorted locations around the house suddenly build a feature that will create a definite visual impact.

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Gallery walls are another example of bringing together existing items to make a dramatic impact. In most cases, we’ve all accumulated plenty of inspiring visuals although you may want to add a signature piece. It may simply be a matter of framing and arrangement to create a striking effect. Don’t be afraid to combine an eclectic collection and range of sizes. In many cases, even the most diverse images work together. From family photos to illustration, there are no hard and fast rules. The only consideration is your space’s style. Does your room suit more textured, subtle finishes or does your contemporary space need a high gloss print?

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We’ve all done a spring clean and rearranged the existing furniture in a room, but why not break free from your traditional perception of where furniture should be placed? A quick swap can mix things up and give your space a new lease on life. Make your hall table a dresser, bring the spare chairs from the dining room into the bedroom for bedsides, or move the bookcases into the dining room from the study to give an opulent and cosy feel. Completely swap bedrooms, taking the colour palette from one room to another. You’ll be amazed by the difference.

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A little spending on paint can go a long way. From flourishes and finesse, like painting parts of furniture and insides of bookshelves, to highlighting a key architectural feature, don’t feel limited to the classic idea of repainting a room. If you decide to take the plunge, consider changing atmosphere from airy to moody or vice versa. And of course, why focus on the walls? Perhaps a new colour and finish for the floor could reinvent the space.

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Adding greenery not only provides more colour and fresh scents to a room; a space with well selected and arranged plants always provides a greater sense of wellbeing. Scale, colours, shape…there’s so much plants can offer.

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It may not be the time for more significant investments like new furniture, but it doesn’t take much to revamp your soft furnishings. Pillows and cushions can often be the most vibrant items in a room while the addition or removal of rug may change a room’s personality completely.

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Garnish, rearrange, re-colour, reinvent! A new look for a new year may be right in front of you. Time to open your mind to possibilities without opening your wallet. Want your home to have a fresh vibe for the New Year but money and time is thin? Here are some great simple changes you can make to feel a sense of new.

Designbx |  “7 quick ways to revamp your home on a budget”  | designbx.com

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The cool bedrooms of famous monarchs are well within reach. To turn your drab bedroom into a boudoir starts with the essentials—those images that come to mind when you remember period pieces or the art of antiquity: the majestic four-poster with a large, extravagant bedhead that adds scale.

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Peach and plump!

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Buttons, studs, leather, mirror, this is pure Luxe!

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Come on folks; we’re spoiling ourselves here, so let’s do it properly. Can you ever have enough cushions? That’s a trick question of course. No self-respecting member of the nobility would settle for less than a small mountain of them, filled to excess with feathers.

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Cool bedrooms include layers of breathable bed linen. From the interior design styles of Coastal to Luxe, there’s a wonderfully excessive boudoir to fit most styles. The softness of Coastal is an obvious way to guarantee comfort (cotton, hemp and bamboo) while Luxe fabrics for cushions, bedheads, ottomans and window treatments offer a truly stately appeal.

Why not mix and match your linens to create depth…

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In all cases, start by being bold, and that includes artwork, with special attention to frames. Similarly, the use of ornately framed mirrors helps to enlarge the space. As you decorate, treat each item like art, including a signature item of furniture—perhaps a large, luxurious armchair in a corner.

Bold in size and colour

In stark contrast, colour is the one factor that requires a more subdued approach. Make your bold statements with pattern, texture and scale instead. While classic boudoirs were lavish, they were not loud. Remember that this is a space where you need to truly feel relaxed. Lighting is crucial. Like your choices of colour, avoid anything that has a jarring or abrasive effect. Stylish pendent lights are an effective way of adding a Luxe interior design feel.

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Organise the bits and bobs of your vanity area in crystal boxes and place creams in glass bottles. Along with Lucite make-up organisers, these garnishes add opulence while removing clutter. Having pampered your senses of touch and sight, don’t forget to add the right scents.

Flowers ignite the senses

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Fresh flowers provide the final touch, and give your boudoir a unique and changeable flourish that makes your bedroom feel like a hotel get-away. Why escape when you can spoil yourself at home?

The post Cool bedrooms: From Bedroom to Boudoirs appeared first on Designbx.

Designing with Pantone 2016 colours- Serenity and Rose quartz Pantone’s colour of the year is remarkable for a number of reasons, the most obvious being the fact that, for the first time, two hues have been selected: Serenity and Rose quartz.

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 This makes sense to any designer, of course, because the selection of colour combinations is probably one of the most wonderfully agonising processes when planning interiors. While environments or personalities may inspire us, triggering design epiphanies, it’s a critical decision never made without careful and long deliberation. Thankfully Pantone’s unprecedented announcement offers a ready-made palette that achieves unusual duality: a visually bold statement that also has an undeniably calming effect. 

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 “Calming tones”

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Let’s face it; our lives have become increasingly frantic. Thanks to social media, even our private lives can seem demanding at times. The arrival of these brave yet soothing tones is a tonic. This combination also continues to break down stigmas associated with gender. Since the 80s, similar combinations have helped men use fashion to rebel against tradition. These harmonious tones have a magical quality that allows them to sit well with most colours and appear natural in almost any landscape.

“Feminine touch”

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“Sharper edges with a masculine accent”

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Each established interior design style gains a unique effect. Serenity and Rose quartz offer an obvious opportunity for Modern in the form of bold colour blocking while Modern Eclectic will see these tones paired with metallics, rich fig and green tones.

“Vivid colour blocking”

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“A modern twist”

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Traditional styles will see a flirtatious use of pattern and colour. The impact of this serene pairing of colours can easily be softened or amplified when combined with complimenting tones like black, neutrals or yellows, and they have the unusual distinction of perfectly suiting sharp block shapes or fluid, loose fabrics.

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As examples clearly illustrate, whether you limit a space to these colour(s) of the year or adventurously add bold but complimenting hues, Pantone’s inspired choice seems to be at home (pardon the pun) in most settings.

“Room to be you”

Designbx “Designing with Pantones 2016 colours- Rose quartz and Serenity” designbx.com

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