home design

COMFORT AND SOPHISTICATION REUNITED IN A SINGULAR SPACE

There’s something about a neutral modern apartment with a smooth color scheme that feels just right. Color scheme isn’t something that only takes into consideration paint colors and fabrics. In order to be well executed, it has to incorporate the right choice of materials and textures so that it keeps its neutral aesthetic.

The current project takes place in the hectic New York City and the final result of the design achieves an eye catching neutrality, combined with functionality and luxury aesthetic, thanks to serene elements and the mix of materials used throughout. The apartment, in which Caffe Latte leaves its mark, opens up to those who look for a moment of well-being, with the skyline as backdrop, wrapped in a cosmopolitan and unique design.

“Neutral doesn’t mean boring by adding small pops of color and certain special details that aren’t expected to keep that unique vibe that every house needs”

Entryway

At the entrance of the apartment, the light and neutral tones are immediately visible, through sublime and luxurious accessories. It´s considered the starting point for a space, to get to know better later.

Living Room

Upon entry, we come face to face with the living room, an elegant and very spacious room, with few pieces, like the refreshing Milenio Modular Sofa, by Caffe Latte, showing that it´s possible to create contemporaneity, not forgetting a touch of artistic and classic style.

Dining Room

In addition to the living area, this open space also features a sumptuous dining room, quite complete and covered in neutral tones, as Sugar Rug expresses. The golden details enhance the importance of the dining room as a great complement to the living room.

Kitchen

In another part of the house, the kitchen reproduces a smaller place, but equally comfortable and functional. The cream and white tones grace this bright and multi-faceted space, containing a kitchen island and Moka Dining Chair as main highlights.

Master Bedroom

Maintaining the principles of comfort and tranquility of the house itself, the master bedroom is a sober and accessible space, which will certainly enchant everyone for its subtlety, but also majestic appearance.

Guest Bedroom

Similar to the main one, the guest bedroom is another element, marked by elegance, but also simplicity, in which the mirror and chandelier stand out as central points, in beauty and detail, for an unforgettable night.

Master Bathroom

As the most opulent and luxurious space in the house, the en-suite bathroom is defined by the glow of gold and crystal details in all its splendour. With unique pieces and an exclusive design, this room will make the difference in any home.

Kids Bedroom

Designed to be a space of fun and magic, the kids bedroom explores, in all its corners, different funcionalities that will delight the youngest ones. The presence of color and light is essential, in order to feel the space as their own.

Office

The office, as the final point of this wonderful house, makes the perfect combo between sobriety and ostentation. The desire to be there only increases, especially when admiring the surrounding lighting and and its iconic pieces.

Dining Room

Contemporary modern style, with an exquisite touch of classic and traditional architecture, continues to stand out as a trend, reflected through this tempting new urban space that will certainly conquer those who seek for peace, amidst the turmoil of everyday life.

CAFFE LATTE modern Design’s paramount is to provide ergonomic and functionality to any room, with a modern minimalist approach. Complementing other designs aesthetics with the use of a neutral colour palette, presenting sobriety to any interior decoration project, ultimately creating a consensual and transversal design, suitable for any taste.

Summer is an incredible season, full of pool parties, barbecues, block parties, and other social events held in many homes. Summer is also that time that your family, neighbours, co-workers and friends visit you. However, as much as you might love to have many guests during summer, there is a lot of preparation needed to get your home ready for your guests.

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Besides, most homeowners perform home renovations even before the season begins. So, here is a checklist that will help you ensure your house is ready for welcoming and hosting your summer guests.

The Entrance

Make a lasting impression on your guest this summer by using a sense of landscaping and a cherry front door colour. Add a new hardware piece to your doors, as well as some potted plants close to the entrance.

Additionally, if you will be hosting parties in your yard, you can consider installing some outdoor lighting to enhance the property’s architecture and light the walkway. Is your welcome doormat worn out? If yes, consider replacing it with a gallant statement mat to establish a warm and friendly character for your home.

Kitchen

Completing kitchen remodelling during summer can be a tremendous task. It will need time, planning, money and a lot of patience. Kitchen renovation is not for the faint hearted. When remodelling your kitchen, the first thing to do is to determine your budget, decide what you want to remodel, and, lastly, create a preference list.

It is essential to hire a contractor who can help you design a New Kitchen. Therefore, make sure they know about your timeline to ensure you are all on the same page to get the project finished efficiently.

Yard 

The best part about summer is that it allows you to enjoy the outdoors. Therefore you will need to prepare the outdoor area for all the partying. Make sure that your yard is clean and attractive, and as much as you don’t have to renew the entire yard, at least make it look its best.

Get the lawn mowed, the trees groomed, and the walkway cleared. Besides, you are allowed to get a little creative when preparing your yard; you can bring in some flowers and give your outdoor furniture a nice touch.

Pool

If you have a pool at home, you probably know about the maintenance practices involved. To prepare your pool for summer, you will first need to ensure that the water is safe for all guests. You can consider getting the swimming pool cleaned by a professional or getting the needed supplies and doing it yourself.

After cleaning the pool, it is essential to make sure that it is ready for summer parties. Bring in some pool pontoons, elegant pool lighting and artistic decorations all around the pool.

Living room

Besides making your home ready for guests, you will need to create some extra room for them. And depending on the weather, it is vital to remember that your furniture should be waterproofed. You can protect your furniture by having your patio enclosed.

Conclusion

There are numerous renovation ideas if you are in a hurry to prepare your home before your guests arrive. You can also spruce up your home for summer by doing a summer cleaning, adding some green and some summer scent to your home.

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If you have a small garden, you may find the space somewhat frustrating. You may feel that it is too cramped, and that you don’t know what to do with it. You may also feel like you do not have a lot of privacy, as a lot of small gardens are looked in on from surrounding buildings. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some top tips for making the most of your small garden.

• Choose colours wisely – With a small garden, it is even more important to select your colours with care. For small spaces, bright shades work really well, making a garden appear bigger and lighter.
• Pave diagonally – Lay paving so it is in a diamond shape, as this will create the illusion of a larger garden. You should also look at different rocks to provide drainage to your plants without taking up space. Check out the best rock for drainage online.
• Compartmentalise – By dividing your garden into sections, you can create hidden areas, which will make your garden feel a lot bigger. This is because you are unable to see everything in one go.
• Use height – It is so important to use height in gardens that are small in size. From the side of your fence to garages and walls, it is all good space. Think about it: inside your home, you use walls for cupboards, mirrors, wall art, photographs and such like. You can do the same thing with your garden by using trailers and creepers to adorn high spaces.
• Create privacy – As touched upon in the introduction, a lot of small gardens do suffer from a lack of privacy, and so it is important for you to create this. You can do this by installing pergolas and arches to make a secluded seating area, and then cover these with climbers. You need to stay away from species that are big and grow quickly like Virginia creeper and wisteria, as they will quickly take over the space and thy demand a lot of pruning.
• Use containers – Containers are ideal for small gardens, as they can be moved around with ease. Plus, they make your garden a lot easier to maintain.
• Call in the professionals – Last but not least, if you are really struggling to design your small garden, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are plenty of companies that can landscape your garden for you, so all you need to do is maintain it. Needless to say, quality is so important when it comes to a service like this, so make sure you read reviews and look at the work the company has done so far before making up your mind.

So there you have it: some great tips to follow to make your small garden flourish. If you follow the advice that has been provided above, you are guaranteed to wow with your small garden and create a space that you actually enjoy being in.

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There is no doubt that period homes hold a unique appeal to many home buyers. If you own a period home, it was probably its charm and character that led you to buy it in the first place. There is certainly lots to love about period properties; from their ornate cornicing to decorative fireplaces, these homes exude style. But, as well as providing many benefits, older homes also come with their own unique issues. By their nature, older homes are likely to have experienced a lot of wear and tear over the years, which may result in repair work needing to be dealt with. As the fixtures and fittings used in an older property may not comply with modern standards, you may find that you need to get replacements fitted that are compliant. Here are some of the essential maintenance tasks that will help your property to stay looking just as good as the day it was built.

Get Your Electrics Checked

The electrics in your house are one of its most vital components and necessary to ensure you can power your life and keep your home running smoothly. Every modern home needs electricity to operate, but the electrics must be safe to use. Unsafe electrics can cause severe problems and put your family’s safety at risk, so it is essential to have your home’s electrics checked regularly to ensure they are safe and fit for purpose. You may need to have your electrics updated if you have an older property, especially if the current electrics are a few decades old. Getting a qualified electrician to check your electrics and advise on the work you need carrying out is an excellent way to protect your family and your home. This work could include a complete house rewiring and having safety switches added for further protection.

Organize a Roof Survey

If your property has had the same roof for many years, it is helpful to have an inspection carried out to check it is still performing effectively. Your roof is subjected to the elements every day, so it is exposed to a lot of wear and tear, impacting its performance. A roof survey can help detect any issues such as broken or cracked tiles before they become a significant problem.

Check Your Basement

Many older properties have basements. This handy additional space at your home has many benefits and can be used for storage or extra living space. While a cellar can provide lots of useful space, it can also cause a few problems. Without the proper care and attention, your basement can become dull and damp. To ensure your basement stays looking good and does not suffer from leaks and excess moisture, you will need to ensure it has effective insulation installed to keep it dry and energy-efficient. 

Taking care of these potentially troublesome areas of your home should help your period property to retain its original splendour and ensure that you can fully enjoy living in your beautiful home.

Flooring Superstore has launched a new line of environmentally friendly rugs and runners made from recycled t-shirts. Now available instore and online, the rugs come in a stylish geometric pattern in four neutral shades – fossil grey, midnight blue, Tuscan sun, and slate grey.

All rugs are available in two sizes – small (100cm wide x 150cm long) and large (160cm wide x 230cm long) – while runners come in a standard size (60cm wide x 180cm long). Large rugs are manufactured from 19 disused t-shirts, small are made from eight recycled t-shirts, and the runners are each made of 5.5 of the clothing items. 
 
As the products are made completely from waste materials, for every square metre sold, Flooring Superstore saves 1.6kg of discarded products entering landfill.

The flat woven rugs and runners are not only eco-friendly, they’re also hard wearing, low shedding and suitable for use with underfloor heating. Plus, the runners and rugs are available in matching styles offering the option to choose a complementary pair.

The fabric waste is collected from the UK, EU and Turkey waste sites and may include other cotton items, such as curtains and pillows.

Chris Barber, chief retail officer at Flooring Superstore, said: “Sustainability is really important to us, so we’re really pleased to be adding this range of rugs and runners that are made from 100% recycled materials. As well as being sustainable, stylish and affordable, these products are a great way to give your home a quick update. Because they’re designed to be durable, they’ll last a long time too.

“The neutral colour palette means the range will add a stylish finishing touch to any home while the striking Aztec design injects a room with the latest trend.

“The addition of sustainable rugs and runners comes as part of a bigger initiative as we look to add more environmentally-friendly products to our portfolio. This includes a range of carpets made with recycled fishing nets, underlay from recycled plastic and recyclable artificial grass.”

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Basements are a wonderful home feature. They’re somewhere you can park your gym equipment or install a games room. But, unfortunately, they require extra maintenance, due to the fact that they are underground. 

Fear not, though: in this post, we take a look at basic basement maintenance and what you need to know to keep yours in good condition. 

Keep An Eye On The Landscaping Surrounding Your Home

Many of us love to keep beautiful gardens and keep various plants and shrubs close to our homes. But, unfortunately, practices like these can lead to problems in the basement if not done correctly. Many times, roots can infiltrate your foundations and water can creep in, leading to the need for underpinning. 

To prevent this, always check the landscaping around your home to ensure that it is plant-free and offers good drainage. If drainage is an issue, you will need to install storm drains to collect and channel water away from your property. 

If you really want to keep plants close to your home, keep them in hanging baskets and water them individually. 

Insulate The Pipes

Make sure that you insulate your pipes in your basement. If you don’t, they could attract condensation, and that could lead to mould buildup in your interiors. To insulate pipes, just get a professional to wrap them in insulating foam. The foam won’t cool down like the pipes underneath and, therefore, won’t provide a surface for moisture to collect. 

Don’t Dry Your Laundry In The Basement

Basements are not great places for drying laundry, having a washing machine or installing a sink. That’s because if water evaporates in your basement, it’ll stay there. In addition, you should install a powerful extractor fan. This will allow the air in your basement to circulate, removing any moisture that might be lingering in the air. 

If you must use appliances in your basement, make sure that all their vents lead outside. Don’t allow any moisture to re-enter the room. 

Always Check Your Gutters

Most homeowners don’t realize it, but guttering is primarily there to prevent water damage to the basement. Gutters channel water from the roof and prevent it from pooling around the foundations where it can cause damage. 

Unfortunately, gutters don’t always function as you would like. When they are full of leaves and twigs, they become blocked, causing water to spill out over the sides. This can then pool near the bottom of your walls, causing damage to the foundations beneath. 

It’s a good idea, therefore, to check your gutters, storm drains and downspouts for any blockages, especially in the fall when trees shed their leaves. If you find any obstructions, clear them away immediately. 

Use Water-Resistant Paint In The Basement

It doesn’t matter how many precautions you take, water will find a way to get into your basement eventually. So it pays to be prepared. One of the best strategies is to use water-resistant paint. This will help to repel humidity and prevent it from becoming chronic within the walls themselves. 

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As a parent, it can be tough to keep a healthy household. Your time comes at a premium as it is, and children are lovely but often quite demanding. For this reason, simply getting through the day and making sure every task is completed can take a huge amount of your time and energy, to the point where it’s easy to rest on your laurels and fall into unhappy, unhealthy habits.

Of course, there’s no shame in feeding your children frozen food from time to time, and in fact, in the case of frozen vegetables, you can even offer more nutritional density than the alternative. As you can see, sometimes it’s not the habits you pursue, but the content of those habits that has the most effect. For this reason, considering how you can feel more confident about keeping a healthy household will ensure you keep up on those efforts without worrying what their effect may be.

In this post, we hope to discuss a few measures you can use in this light, sharing health among your entire family for good.

Keep Healthy Foods Within Your Home

If you keep healthy foods in your household, then you’re more likely to run a household that’s healthy. It might just be that you make sure your refrigerator has plenty of vegetables in stock, that you make sure that you freeze your stocks made from other dishes, and that you use brown bread, whole grains, and other healthy alternatives that serve as great complex carbohydrates.

This, combined with meal plan and prep, can help you enjoy a better weekly cooking effort that doesn’t feel overbearing, tiring, or in any way a copout. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying indulgences from time to time, but at least this way you will have curated an absolutely wonderful base from which you can inspire your children, get them involved in the kitchen, and help them grow with the best nutrients possible in that sense.

With that effort, it’s hard not to feel as though you are absolutely achieving one of the best and foremost necessities in the fight to run a healthy household day after day.

Healthy Communication

There are many different means by which to measure health. Dietary health is just one of those components, and while this is essential, it can’t help you ensure good relationships with your family members.

This is why it’s almost always a fantastic idea to do your best to communicate with your child, and make sure your home feels like a space where everyone can contribute and come together, while ensuring that everyone feels as though they are respected enough to be taken sincerely and seriously. If you can achieve that kind of home life, then odds are you’ll make most people within your home feel valued, and you can begin to work on problems together, in the best manner possible. This truly does have a supremely positive effect on everyone’s emotional and mental health.

Use Childcare Services When Necessary

Sometimes, parents that have busy schedules or work often may leave their children alone for too long, or be less involved with their children than they can be. Yet it’s essential to make sure our children feel as though they have social connection, are safe, and are loved, and so for us to be the best parents, it can be helpful to lean on a service or those we love from time to time.

This is why you may decide to find guardian day care near you, as it’s not uncommon for working families to need a little bit of support in unlocking the amount of hours in the day while ensuring no children are ever neglected. In that respect, you can make sure that your family is as healthy as your schedule permits, without having to forgo the normal necessities of a safe and loving family home.

Try Not To Compare With Others

Many families can find themselves comparing their internal communication and ‘togetherness’ with how other families function, but that only leads to feelings of inadequacy because it’s very easy to maximize the problems in your old home while getting a rosy picture of another household.

Try not to compare yourself with others. It can lead to you ignoring that which is vital and loving about your own home situation. This way, you can feel more grateful and invest more energy into those you love.

With this advice, we hope you can feel more confident about keeping that healthy household, and ultimately achieve that through and through.