Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter

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• How to Easily Make your Dining Room Formal and Casual
• Storage Unit Combining Functionality and Elegance by Designer Ka-Lai Chan
• Well Planned Small Apartment with an Inviting Interior Design
• Original Wooden Espresso Machine by Oystein Helle Husby
• Fascinating and Luxurious: Pimalai Resort & Spa in Thailand
• Modern Flexible Storage System with Numerous Features

How to Easily Make your Dining Room Formal and Casual Posted: 22 Feb 2011 07:08 AM PST For many homes that have a formal and casual dining room, the flexibility of entertaining and dining in two separate spaces is a wonderful option. For those home owners who have one dining space and have to juggle between how to make the casual space look formal enough for a dinner party, or the formal space suitable for everyday dining, there are several challenges. Luckily, there are creative tips to help you transform your dining room between the two without any worries! Assess your family's dining style: The biggest challenge for versatile dining rooms is to assess your family's entertaining and dining lifestyle. If you are a family that enjoys having big formal Sunday dinners then opting for a grand dining room table with a center leaf that can be removed for weekday dining may suit your family. While if your family spends most of the time grabbing quick bites to eat, and formality isn't your lifestyle, than simplicity may rule over complexity! Whichever is your family's style, make it versatile for you. Look to your chairs for versatility: Believe it or not the difference between one set of chairs and another can make all the difference of the formality of the room. By leaving the same dining room table formal chairs that have a straight high back or upholstered varieties will bring formality instantly to your dining table. If you'd prefer to have the setting feel casual, consider lower profile chairs with shorter backs, and more playful materials such as metal, wood or even plastic. Alter the decor around your dining room: Without touching the seating or the table use playful decor in your place settings, candle holders, and table linen to bring about formality or casual aesthetics. If you are entertaining adults one evening, a linen table cloth with attractive candle holders and formal china and centerpiece can transform your casual breakfast table! For a casual dinner with the family use natural woven placemats, unbreakable dishes and fun decor on the table to make an adult-only dining room now feel comfortable and familiar. Choose dining room colors to fit your lifestyle: For casual dining opt for lighter and muted tones to convey relaxing and casual interiors. If you prefer formality, consider using deeper tones such as deep burgundy, rust or burnt orange. If you want to keep the room versatile, opt for neutral tones of beiges, coffee brown, gray, white and black to help you dress up or down the space with little energy or thought. The easier you make your dining room adaptable, the more likely you will be to entertain and truly enjoy your dining room. A versatile dining room that can go from formal to casual is an ideal layout for any home owner. The ability to change your setting based on your entertaining lifestyle and family daily life is important to enjoy your home. For ideas on how to decorate your versatile dining room look to fine furnishings magazines and online designers. You will be surprised what inspiration you can get from surfing the web. If your kitchen is the heart of the home, your dining room celebrates your family's togetherness. Enjoy it! Freshome readers what style is your dining room? Do you use one space for all your dining needs? We'd love to hear your comments. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! How to Choose the Perfect Area Rug for your Dining Room How to Choose a Chandelier to Beautify your Dining Area The Mismatched Dining Room : Tips for creating a well-balanced mismatched style Fashionable Chair and Table Collection from Casprini How to Bring Earth Inspiring Brown into your Home 11 Inspiring Dining Room Designs From Hulsta Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Storage Unit Combining Functionality and Elegance by Designer Ka-Lai Chan Posted: 22 Feb 2011 05:26 AM PST Ka-Lai Chan is a talented product designer currently living in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Her motto is creating designs that use personal experiences, emotions and fascinations for inspiration. For today we would like to showcase one of her latest design ideas, completed earlier this year.  Found on plusMOOD, SheLLf is unique furniture piece that can be characterized by elegance and functionality. Its name is a combination of the words “shelf” and “shell”, emphasizing on the original shape of the project. The compartments which make up this shelving unit have different forms, orientations and depths, making it possible for them to store a variety of objects. Their appearance is highly elegant and the wood contrasts pleasantly with the black frame, making this product adaptable to a large variety of interiors. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Storage Unit Flap Red & White Media Cabinet from Wud Furniture Functionality and Creative Elegance: Kinesis Chair and Ottoman Isokon Penguin Donkey – Storage Unit Colourful Alphabetized Storage Space or Room Divider Small Wooden Storage Unit : Chin Up by Lisa Sandall Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Well Planned Small Apartment with an Inviting Interior Design Posted: 22 Feb 2011 02:50 AM PST The small apartment that we would like to showcase in this post can be characterized by tastefulness, space and functionality, despite its modest size (40 square meters). It consists of one room and an alcove, plus bathroom. The living room is the core of this beautiful crib. The openness and direct contact with the kitchen makes this apartment the obvious place for entertaining and socializing. The wide windows ensure a proper amount of natural light which during day time is reflected by the white walls, creating the feeling of expansion. A charming wooden dining table and a home office were also well integrated in the living room. The alcove accommodates a large bed and three cabinets for storage above it. For a more secluded and private bed, a good idea would be placing a door between the sleeping area and living room. All in all, a charming small crib and a good source of inspiration when decorating. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Small Apartment Ideas by Tori Golub Simple and Elegant White Apartment Swedish Inspiration: Turning a Small Apartment into a Gemstone Cute Small Apartment on the Edge of Modern Style Small Apartments(Lofts) Interior Design Ideas Delightful Swedish Crib or How to Make the Most of a Small Apartment Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Original Wooden Espresso Machine by Oystein Helle Husby Posted: 22 Feb 2011 01:01 AM PST Developed by Norwegian designer Oystein Helle Husby, the Linje expressomaker is an unusual coffee machine featuring a striking wooden finish. Found on Mocoloco, the product has a unique appearance and a well defined personality. Here is a description from the designer’ blog: As most of you know, coffee production is based around the equator. But we wanted to make the Nordic coffee. Not through the production of coffee beans, but through the users experience of making the coffee. The design would be our tool. So, what distinguishes nordic design? Wood, we thought. We have plenty of it, and the qualities of the material are many. By defining the core values of Norway and Scandinavia, and transforming these values into a design language, the result is a truly unique product. The machine is similar in function with other more common espresso makers, but its design definitely stands out. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! World's Fastest Washing Machine from Mitsubishi Detergentless Haier WasH20 Washing Machine Original Wooden Bathroom Board, Milan 2010 Tripple Espresso Lamp Waterless Washing Machine Cleans Clothes With Nothing But Air Save Space in a Small Bathroom with “Washup” Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Fascinating and Luxurious: Pimalai Resort & Spa in Thailand Posted: 21 Feb 2011 09:27 AM PST Freshome readers, here’s a post that we believe will raise your spirits. For today we decided to showcase this impressive resort and spa located in the beautiful Thailand. Found on adelto, the luxurious 5- star Pimalai “refuge” blends with the natural environment creating unforgettable experiences for the tourists who decide to spend their holidays here: Peace, Serenity, Solitude. These are the words that come to mind for Pimalai. Located well distant from crowded beaches and other boutique resorts on Koh Lanta (or Ko Lanta) and close to Lanta Marine National Park, the only sound is that of the waves sliding in and out and slowly breaking onto the sandy beach. Built within the rainforest as it meets the silver ocean strand, you would hardly know Pimalai was there. This boutique beach resort occupies 100 acres of tropical vegetation with direct access to a 900 meters stretch of pristine sandy beach and offers 121 accommodation units. Have a look at the amazing photos below and tell us if they manage to bring any inner serenity. Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Experience Wildlife, The Luxurious Resort of Singita in Africa X2 Resort Kui Buri – Bungalow Eaglemont Resort-Style Luxury in Melbourne Banyan Tree Resort in Corniche Bay This Might Just Be the Best Looking Villa in Thailand Comfort and Relaxation in the Swiss Alps: The WhitePod Alpine Ski Resort Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

Modern Flexible Storage System with Numerous Features Posted: 21 Feb 2011 07:49 AM PST The Front Flexible wall-mounted or freestanding storage system was designed by Stockholm based Skala Design. Used for beautifully storing and displaying magazines, newspapers,  books, pictures, letters, postcards, photos, journals, notices, brochures or any other things like that, the storage system also brings a modern twist to the room. With panels on which you can mount glass or Plexiglas ledges with vertical and/or sloping fronts, the Front Flexible System is also available with a magnetic whiteboard or a notice board in grey cork linoleum or covered in fabric. The storage system: “is secured to the wall using a metal rail. Front components include glass-fronted ledges, coat racks, a glass planter, display boards, panels, storage shelves, flexible panels and freestanding screens – all available in oak, birch and a choice of eight standard colours. Accessories include wooden dividers that slot on top of the glass fronts to divide each shelf into compartments, magnets for the whiteboard and castors for Front freestanding units.” Ready for more amazing design ideas? Check below ! Flexible Storage System From WilliamsSorel Giralot Storage System: Swivel Around for Space Small Apartment but Flexible by Setmund Leung Capillair, an Ingenius Shape Adaptable Storage System Storage Units from Dimora Design Home Theater Wall System – TROLL Click here to connect with Freshome on or on

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