Infloormation

What makes this room so inviting? A number of elements combine in harmony to create a feeling of calm and simplicity.

The room itself has a natural charm. The wood floor is a lovely medium brown with personality coming from the dark brown graining and edges. This is a floor with style. Its strength is supported by the furniture choices. The black and white furniture means that the only color in the room itself comes from the floor.

Take a look at some of the other architectural elements that add to the character in this room. The French doors make a beautiful focal point. You have a combination of doors, surrounding glass panes, and wood frames and molding. Beyond the doors, the railing and view invite you to step onto the balcony. The green view joins the floor as the only other color in this room.

The fireplace and crown molding carry through on the feel of this space. Look up, however, for the most inviting element in the space – the chandelier. This elegant feature has lines that almost seem too delicate to hold the unusual glass globes. It has a vintage look with a sculptural style. It feels as if it is original to the house, but a number of stores these days carry rescued architectural elements from the U.S. and other countries, so it may have been added later.

This room is definitely traditional and every architectural feature works well with every other. But the furniture is totally contemporary. This eclectic approach works because of the simple approach to design. Lines are clean and both furniture and accessories are kept to a minimum. The final result is a space that balances warm and cool, traditional and contemporary, to welcome visitors.

If you want to make a small space feel bigger, take a few tips from this dining area. Barely the size expected in an eat-in kitchen, this space provides a comfortable and stylish entertainment space for four.

The first key to expanding the feel of this room is limiting contrast. Without a dramatic shift in color or tone that catches the eye, there are no stopping points to indicate limited space.

If you’re going to eliminate contrast, be sure to add texture. From the semi-gloss bamboo floor to the shiny white chairs, pendant lights and glass decanters in the small bar, texture is a good substitute for contrast to keep this room interesting.

The next step is exposing as much floor as possible. There are no rugs to cover the appealing floor choice, and the buffet space and bar are built-ins rather than free-standing furniture. This keeps the amount of floor space covered to a minimum. Imagine this room with a full buffet in the back. The room would seem much smaller.

Finally, expanding slightly beyond the supposed boundary of the room provides just enough additional space to handle that shelf and provide comfortable seating for four. An open space feels roomier. Add some coordinating artwork and pendant lights and you have a cohesive and inviting use of very limited space to create a valuable area to entertain a few friends.

When someone is stuck in bed or at home while recovering from an injury or difficult illness, this temporary limitation can be very trying. You can go a long way toward helping the situation by staying in touch and helping out as needed.

To start, has someone gone through the house and made sure the patient has safe and easy access to a bathroom and meals? A small area rug with a non-slip pad can cover a slippery floor or just be in the way depending upon the level of locomotion possible for your friend. Make sure there are no obstructions between the areas.

Bring the outside inside with fresh flowers or plants. Even a few flowers are a treat when you’re stuck inside. Other good gifts are interesting books or magazines. For someone without the energy to read, recordings of books or music can be good company.

Stay in touch with phone calls, visits, notes or emails. Just having someone pay attention can lift the spirits. This is a good time for some gossip – kind gossip – so that your friend doesn’t feel totally left out of things.

Think about bringing food. A take-out lunch from a favorite restaurant, homemade cupcakes or cookies, or even donuts from a good bakery can be cheering.

Finally, ask what your friend wants. It could be a simple as a fresh pillow from the other room or someone to tidy the room. Take the extra time and effort, and your friend will appreciate it now and in the future.

If you’re ready to replace flooring in one room in your home, answering these questions will help shape your shopping experience and narrow your requirements.

1. Has the room’s purpose changed or will it change in the future? If so, you need to choose flooring that will work for its current and future purpose. Good flooring will last for a long time so make sure you think long-term.
2. Do you have specific expectations or goals for the flooring when it comes to performance? Should it be low maintenance or water resistant? Will it experience high traffic or relatively little use? A list of requirements will be helpful as you start shopping.
3. Does the room’s current style match your future plans? If you intend to transition the room to a more modern or more traditional approach, plan for flooring that will work well with the future style goals.
4. Do you have a budget in place for the new flooring? If not, take the time to determine a range in your comfort zone. As you decide, remember that some flooring may make a difference in resale value, so your choice can be an investment as well as an expense.
5. Finally, are there any colors in the room or planned for the room which might affect your flooring choice? If possible, bring samples with you when you go shopping.

Taking the time to answer these questions before you go shopping could save you time and frustrations later. Asking yourself these questions may also bring up other issues for you to consider. Spend this time up front and you could end up with a much more enjoyable purchasing experience.

It’s exciting to move into your own home. Once you close, take the time to think about what you want that home to look and feel like before you move into it.

Do you want to replace flooring, put in window treatments or paint? If you have the time and the budget, you’re going to be better off getting those things taken care of before your moving date.

This couple already has a beautiful ebony wood floor. What kind of flooring do you want? If you’re replacing carpeting, it can really create a lot of dust when it’s removed. You’re better off having that cleaned up before your furniture is in your house. It’s also easier to install flooring before your move.

Window treatments eliminate the need for that tasteful sheet look when you first move in. Installing your window treatments also helps you define the right paint colors for your home. With these three elements in place, your home will feel like it belongs to you even before you move your furniture into place.

Before your moving date, take the time to measure your rooms and make a plan for furniture location. Even though you may make changes later, having an initial plan helps keep the move smooth and efficient. Label your boxes with the appropriate room also to reduce the headaches of unpacking.

Once you’re settled, consider taking some time before adding any furniture or hanging pictures. Your home will become more familiar and this will help you make the right decisions to finish your unique space.

The sophistication and style of this room stands out so that it takes more than a moment to realize that this is actually a basement space.

One reason for the high-end feel of the room is the dramatic staircase. The homeowners removed the standard stairwell and walls to create an inviting entry to their ground-floor space. However, other than this change, the rest of the room was redesigned on a tight budget. Let’s take a look at how this was done.

First, the flooring enhances the space but is less expensive than many other options. By choosing solid surface commercial-style flooring, costs were kept low and maintenance is easy. However, the high gloss turns the flooring into a strong and positive design element. First, the shiny floor mirrors the stairway above it, almost creating a sense of artwork in the reflection. The darker trim around the wall makes the floor feel almost like an area rug and adds another nice design element to compensate for the minimal use of furniture.

The wall of contemporary artwork uses simple prints matted in a number of matching store-bought frames. The layout turns this low-cost choice into another inviting and contemporary design element in the room.

There is an interesting conversation area defined by a zebra throw rug ringed by a white sofa and loveseat. Coffee table and accessories are simple but dramatic and stay with the black and white theme. Bright white walls also create a sense of light in this basement space.

With this much personality and daring, it’s easy to look past its basement origins to recognize this space as an intriguing addition to any contemporary home.

More and more these days, adult children are moving back home with their parents for a while. It may be part of a plan to save a down payment for a home, to reduce a debt load or due to downsizing. Although the goal is a temporary situation, even for a short while it’s a good idea to build a plan for the duration of the stay and to get them settled on their own again.

The most important step is setting ground rules for their time at home. This includes a time-frame for moving back out, any expenses or rent they plan to pay, and any household responsibilities they will assume. You also want to make sure they understand this is not license to be a child again. You will not be doing laundry, clearing their dishes, or in any way cleaning up after them. Set your expectations, and real consequences for not meeting those, up to and including having them leave your home.

Determine where your child will stay in your home. It doesn’t have to be their old room. If possible, give them a bedroom and private bath, but don’t redecorate with their taste in mind. Encourage them to add an area rug, furniture and art of their own to make the space feel like theirs.

Don’t sacrifice your garage or basement to store the extra accumulation from your child’s previous home. Suggest that they rent a storage unit. The cost is minimal and then you are not inconvenienced.

Remember that you no longer have as strong a parent role as before. Limit your requests to anything that inconveniences you such as staying quiet when your child gets home late and letting you know when they will miss a meal.

With a little effort on everyone’s part, this temporary sharing of space may bring you even closer together as you forge a stronger adult-to-adult relationship with your child.

As baby boomers age, many are finding that their parents are no longer able to live alone. In a number of cases, the best solution for everyone may be having one or both parents move into the child’s home. This can work particularly well for empty-nesters with extra space.

This type of change can be challenging for both parents and children. It’s important to talk about expectations before such a big transition. Activities such as sorting through possessions and choosing what furniture to bring can be very emotional. Here are a few suggestions to make the transition easier for everyone.

Before your parents move in, conduct a safety check in your house. Look for tripping hazards such as rugs without non-slip pads. Carpeting is the safest flooring for the elderly as it can help cushion falls. If their rooms have a harder surface, consider adding a piece of carpet over the current flooring, cut to the size of the room and professionally bound. This is nice looking, not expensive, and will keep their space safer.

Make sure your parent or parents have a chance to see and measure the space they will move to. This can help keep furniture plans realistic. If possible, it is best if they can have a bedroom large enough for a sitting space, or two rooms – bedroom and sitting room. It would be good to have a television under their control to reduce discussions of different program preferences.

Provide additional storage space for treasured possessions. Despite downsizing, it’s difficult to give up many things that people have valued all their lives. Treasures may not be limited to valuables. They may involve a favorite cast-iron frying pan or set of tools.

Discuss ground rules such as entertaining and noise. This is particularly important if there are still teenagers living at home. It can be a struggle to find solutions that will work for everyone, but it’s worth the effort.