Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Inspiration Newsletter |  |
- Fresh Home Full of Color and Inspiring Details
- Top 4 Tips to Know Before Selling/Buying a Home for 2010
- Fun and Functional Table With an Unstable Surface
- An Inviting Timber&Glass Home in Washington : Davis Residence
- 20 Ways to Use Color Psychology in Your Home
| Fresh Home Full of Color and Inspiring Details Posted: 09 Sep 2010 06:41 AM PDT  Designed by Jordi Vayreda, this welcoming home in shades of gray, green and pink used to be a two level industrial building. Luckily, it recently went to a complete make-over and now it looks like a vivid and playful crib. It is amazing how adding a little color can completely turn around the way a home feels. This was probably what the designers had in mind when filling this place up with colorful decorating elements such as fluffy pillows on the floor, small rugs and tiny rustic containers. Due to the white background, these items stand out and create a visually pleasant contrast. The living room, dining room and kitchen are connected not only physically, but design-wise also. We like how this home seems to be decorated by respecting a fun pattern, one that involves color and youthfulness. -via Inspiring Interiors
    |
| Top 4 Tips to Know Before Selling/Buying a Home for 2010 Posted: 09 Sep 2010 06:01 AM PDT  The last two years have produced the most turbulent home market statistics in the past 30 years. From banks not lending as much to homeowners not able to sell their homes as quickly as they used to, the real estate market can look dismal for some. Although, there is always a bright side to every negative statistic and there is promise for many home buyers. There's a lot of inventory in the housing market so if you are a new home buyer or ready to start owning instead of renting… now is the time! Here 4 of the top tips to know if you plan on jumping into the real estate market in 2010.
3.) Home values are still stabilizing: Your home used to be the one purchase in your life that you could guarantee on appreciating over the years. Unfortunately with the home market crisis this is no longer true for some. As the market becomes flooded with more inventory homes, especially ones that are trying to get a quick sale or are bank owned, the value of homes may not be what you expect. If selling your home be certain to get a professional home appraisal before setting the asking price on your home. If you are buying a home an appraisal will most likely be done if you are seeking bank loan assistance, as they will not loan more than the home is appraised for. In many areas homes that are located in desirable areas are getting back their value quicker, while in some areas the stabilization rate is much slower. Check with a Realtor to get information for the area you wish to buy or sell a home.
Freshome reader's are you in the market to buy or sell your home? What concerns do you have? Have you been able to overcome many concerns on your own? Let us know.
 |
| Fun and Functional Table With an Unstable Surface Posted: 09 Sep 2010 02:26 AM PDT  “Instable” comes from designer Aïssa Logerot and is a creative table design with an original look. You could say it is also interactive, as it responds to the actions of the user. Each object placed on this table has the ability to distort its surface, but in the same time the object’s balance is not affected. Made from wood sticks which react easily to any exterior stimulus, this table is both fun and functional. It can be used in the kitchen just like any other “common table” without fearing that something could fall. Another interesting feature is that the user can turn the wood sticks around and create interesting patterns on the surface of the table. Meaning that this furniture piece can change its appearance whenever its owners feel like doing something creative.
 |
| An Inviting Timber&Glass Home in Washington : Davis Residence Posted: 08 Sep 2010 11:58 AM PDT  Situated on a dreamy cliff site, with unobstructed views over San Juan Islands, this beautiful home was designed by Miller Hull Partnership in Bellingham, Washington. The Davis Residence measures 1400 sq. ft, including the guest house and garage. According to the architects, “the concept marries a long gently sloping roof form containing the kitchen, entry and studio with a vertical tower containing the living room and master bedroom above.The roof forms express their timber construction with exposed joist, 1×4 skip sheathing and plywood diaphragms. The high performance wood fir windows provide thermal breaks while being strong enough for the mullions to be of minimal dimension. Wood T&G paneling is stained in bold transparent colors.” We have to say we were fascinated by the warm atmosphere that this home seems to generate, not to mention its incredible vistas.
 |
| 20 Ways to Use Color Psychology in Your Home Posted: 08 Sep 2010 07:12 AM PDT  When you approach home design, you likely do so in a couple of different ways – choosing objects and colors that simply look attractive or using an existing pattern or decor theme to govern your decisions. However, color is a powerful tool that can be used to inspire emotions, create space illusions or simply set the mood and atmosphere for any particular room. Especially when used with interior and exterior painting, color psychology is a great way to create a healthy and beautiful home. The following are 20 ways to use color psychology in your home. 1.) Create the illusion of space with bright colors: If you want your home to look larger than it really is – especially when it is about to go on the market – you can use bright and vibrant colors like yellows and eggshells to add space to your home exterior. As a warning, avoid the common color white. Although it can add space, it is nowhere near as effective as tinted colors. 2.) Appeal to a highly educated crowd with complex colors: For home exteriors and interiors, using colors that consist of more than one word can often appeal to highly educated people. On the other hand, simple colors appeal to lower budgets and lower education levels. When choosing complex colors, think of names like forest green or eggshell white. 3.) Build appetites in your kitchen with red: Red has been shown to increase appetite in most people – one of the reasons that many restaurants choose red patterns in their dining rooms. Using red in your kitchen to increase appetite is as simple as blending beige walls with red shutters or cabinet doors.
5.) Warm up your home with deep tones during the winter: Using reds, oranges and yellows in your home paint decor can make the home seem more welcoming from the outside or warmer on the inside – especially during the winter. If you are selling a home during the winter and are planning to paint, keep this in mind. 6.) Cool off in the summer with colder colors: Along the same lines as warm colors in the fall, cool colors, especially blue, can make your home seem fresh, cool and clean during the summer. A white exterior with blue trim is a popular choice for summer homes and painting projects.
8.) Use relaxing colors in relaxing rooms: In your bedroom and bathroom, cool colors can form a relaxing atmosphere with paint. Consider shades of blue, green or even lavender to calm yourself in your escape rooms. When using this technique, remember that the darker the shade of color you choose, the more apparent the effect. 9.) Stay away from red if you have high blood pressure: While it can increase appetite in your kitchen, dark shades of red are often associated with high blood pressure and irritability in other rooms of the house. If you would like a darker color paint for your bedroom or living room, go for a cooler color rather than a warm one.
11.) Combine moods for an aggressive workout room: While it might make sense to use red paint in a workout room, this can actually overdo the sensation of feeling hot. If you want to use a warm color in your workout room, consider a delightful blend of blue and yellow paint on the walls. You can also go for a relaxing green-blue combination for a cooling effect to extend workouts. 12.) Concentrate in your home office with green: Green inspires concentration in a home office setting. And, after all, the faster you get your work done, the more time you will have to spend with your family. In addition to a green plant, try painting the room with a light green. However, don’t turn your home office into a jungle. Over doing it can be distracting. Any painting contractor will tell you green is one of the most popular colors being used right now in home design.
14.) Don’t be fooled by purple: Although purple signifies wealth and romanticism, it is very rare in the natural world and can be very artificial within your home decor. If you really want some purple in your home, try blending it with more natural colors like subtle yellows or greens. 15.) Blend brown for a natural look in your den: If you love the look of wood or leather or already incorporate this earthy natural look in any room of your house, adding some brown paint can amplify the appearance. You should be warned, though, that brown can cause depression in some people.
17.) Use pink for tranquility in a meditation room: If you are lucky enough to have a separate area in your home just for meditation or relaxation, you might surprised of the effects that some pink can have in your paint scheme. Some sports teams actually paint the away team’s locker room pink as it has been shown to cause a lack of energy. 18.) There’s a reason bathroom fixtures are usually white: White not only symbolizes fertility and cleanliness, but it also makes cleaning easier in the bathroom. You don’t want stains to be hidden so they go without being cleaned. Knowing that the bathroom is clean and fresh with lovely white paint can put your mind at ease and inspire relaxation. 19.) Trust orange for a sick room or asthmatic child’s room: Orange is often associated with improved lung function as well as increased energy. As well as working well in any workout room, a mild orange can be very helpful to those recovering from illness or with lung problems.
BIO: This article was written by Philip Rudy who helps to run and maintain a painting contractor website.
 |
2.) Getting a bank loan is stricter than in past years: In past years, the requirements for qualifying for a home loan were relatively lenient and the average individual could find terms to meet their financial situation. After the fall of several bank and lending institutions in 2009, banks have stricter rules, require more documentation and will require your credit to be higher than in past years. This shouldn't discourage you if you don't have all items in perfect condition. It should be a red flag to you to start getting these items in order and visit a home mortgage loan specialist that can guide you to getting on the right track for the future. 
4.) Use foyer blends to naturally combine interior and exterior paint: One of the best ways to wow your guests as they enter your home is to use a blend of your interior and exterior colors in your foyer or entryway. You can also use your exterior paint color on parts of your interior to achieve the same general effect.
7.) Use colors from your past: Many color consultants will say that using familiar colors from your childhood that remind you of fond memories – especially in the kitchen – can bring those memories back and create a pleasant mood. If you can’t remember any colors from your kitchen when you were growing up, just remember that reds and yellows are perfect for playful yet sophisticated kitchens.
10.) Flatter yourself with a familiar color in the bathroom: Love to wear a particular color? Consider that color in the bathroom. Think you don’t look very good in a color? Avoid this color for the bathroom at all costs. You want to look good when you check yourself in the bathroom mirror. Having a favorite color in the background really does help.
13.) Inspire optimism with yellow: As you might expect, yellow is a perfect color for a sunroom. However, a great way to use yellow inside your home is in an entryway or enclosed front porch. As you leave for the day to go to work or school, the yellow paint in this area will give you one last boost of optimism before the daily grind.
16.) Black isn’t just for a teenager’s room: Black can be a tough nut to crack if used to paint your walls. The problem with black is that it gives the illusion of tight space. If you would like to satisfy your teenager’s cries for a black room, consider a black ceiling with a few stars. If you want to go all out, you can decorate with a nighttime landscape theme across the room.
20.) When all else fails, look to nature: When using color psychology in your home, choose paints that remind you of nature. Colors that appear in nature will blend perfectly in your home interior. However, with the exterior of your home, bright colors are, more often than not, the best choice for a more welcoming living space.| You are subscribed to email updates from Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
