“Experimentation” – this is the buzz-word in the arena of contemporary furniture. Intuitive designs that mix form and function are the latest trend this year. Let’s take a look at some of the dominant trends.

1. Patterns are back
Just until recently, patterns were thought of as outdated. But the latest news is that patterns are back with a vengeance. Among the most popular choices are florals and geometric shapes on a white or a light background. Match those with brightly colored accented chairs to create a chique look.

A room in the attic is often really tiny, and it may take lot of imagination and creativity to furnish this tiny area in a way so that its size somehow seems accentuated. Here are a few ideas on furnishing a room in the attic.

1. Tone it down: Conventional wisdom has it that white creates an impression of a space larger than actual. However, be careful in choosing plain white, because this may give the space an institutional feel. Instead of going for plain white, try testing out muted palettes of grey, brown, or olive green to give the space a home-like feel.

2. Create your own wall art: A tiny room can be made cozy by filling the walls with wall art. Not inclined to spend on wall décor items? Go for digital photographs of yourself and your loved ones, have them printed out, put them into photo frames and hang them up! Convert the wall into a fabulous gallery! There is a lot of space for your creativity in choosing the frames and identifying a pattern for hanging the frames on the wall.

3. Go low: Attics usually have low ceilings. Opt for furniture that is less than 3 feet tall to avoid making the space look cramped. 

4. Invest in ceiling lamps: For the attic, the one thing that is unconventional is the ceiling. Why not accentuate this with equally unconventional ceiling lamps? Replace table lamps with ceiling lamps hung at various heights across the room, so as to save some floor space (by not using side tables).

5. Do a disappearing act: Go for furniture that is foldable, or that is dual-purpose. For example, you could opt for dining table that can be folded onto the wall when not in use. Likewise, you could go for a convertible sofa that can be comfortably converted from a couch to a bed when required. This will generate enormous space saving opportunities, and enable optimum utilization of the small space.

Consider these simple tips when furnishing your attic, and see the space feel cheerful!

Color plays an important role in our life since it affects us physiologically and emotionally. Colors stimulate our nervous system. Every individual color has its own specialty and importance. Color is also a key to our mood. You may be surprised to learn that colors can change our mood.

Let us take a look at the effect different colors can have on our moods.

BLUE: the color blue is a symbol of calmness. This color is said to have the ability to lower the blood pressure. This color has a soothing effect on people. It is often used for bedrooms. Since the bedroom is a place for relaxing, blue color is most suitable for the bedroom. Additionally, any light colors such as lavender or baby pink are advisable as bedroom wall colors.

BROWN: Brown color gives a feeling of strength. Brown color furniture, if placed in a home may give the feeling of being “connected to nature”.

GREEN: Green is the symbol of fertility. A majority of people tend to like this color. This color is a good option for painting the home. It creates a pleasant mood and relaxed state of mind.

YELLOW: Yellow color is considered the color of joy. This color gives us the joy of sunshine. Yellow color is said to have an energizing effect.

RED: Red color is commonly considered the color of danger. This color brings out powerful emotions such as fear, anger, etc. But this color is also considered the symbol of love and hence may be used in the bedroom to paint some specified part of the wall. But do not use red for all walls in the bedroom.

PURPLE: Purple color is considered the symbol of wisdom and royalty. You may want to use this color for your furniture. It conveys a different look to visitors and is attractive. This color symbolizes sophisticated and professional attitude. It is also great for painting the walls.

ORANGE: Orange color evokes excitement, enthusiasm and energy. This color can be used in exercise rooms as this color has the power to provide energy and may result in better workouts.

Before painting your home this season, do a bit of a research into colors, and choose the ones that best suit your personality.

Fresh bedding can be an excellent way to give your bedroom a new look and feel as often as you desire. It is a relatively cheap way to keep reinventing your bedroom’s character. A change in your bedding brings about a freshness that can be very satisfying.

Fine bedding products are usually of quality and have a modern look. I personally prefer bedding that is hand made from the best fabrics. And who doesn’t like decorating their house with fresh colors and great styling?

Over the years, bedding products and styles have evolved. There is a great variety of options available on the market today. Fine bedding can be made from various kinds of fabrics. Specially engineered fabrics that provide more breathing space, and are incredibly soft are now replacing the older fabrics. Likewise, designers keep experimenting with unique styles and colors to give you a vast collection of beautiful products. Special emphasis is laid on “couture sewing”. Experienced craftsmen carefully sew each piece of the bedding, putting attention and emphasis on the smallest of details.

Fine bedding generally comes as complete sets that include the Duvet Cover, Pillow Shams, Pillow Cases, Decorative Pillows, Bedskirt, and also the fabric by the yard. Always go for the complete set. This will give your bedding a uniform look and feel. Since these fine bedding items are made with so much care, special care should be taken in maintaining them. Read the care instructions, and strictly follow them to ensure that your fine bedding remains in good shape as long as possible.

Choosing the colors: There are various colors and designs for different “moods”. You could either go for serene, harmonious colors such as taupe, bronze, copper and pewter, or crisp and fresh colours such as sunflower and tangelo. Among the casual and relaxed colors are vanilla, grass, and apple green. If you like sunny, hip colors, then you could choose from colours like gold and silver. If you have a bigger budget, then you could choose from the collections that have extensive tailoring work and couture sewing, refined styling, and rich details.

Indulge in luxurious bedding, and feel the difference for yourself. It really is fun to make investments that create a whole new look and feel for your bedroom every time you change your bedding!

Picture Elle Decor

Plants play an important role in purifying air by maintaining healthy levels of oxygen in the air. This same benefit of plants applies to in-house air purification as well. There have been systematic studies to prove that plants contribute substantially to indoor air purification. Several types of plants can filter out harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from the air. It is thus definitely a great idea to have plants in your home.

“House plants” are a special category of plants that are best suited for the indoors. These plants are characterized by their ornamental looks, easy-to-grow capability, and air cleaning ability. Thus, house plants offer “functional decoration”. Also, greenery brightens the room and helps in creating a relaxing and refreshing ambience. In 2008, a group of researchers from the Dutch University of Twente investigated and confirmed the stress-reducing properties of natural plants in a healthcare environment. They demonstrated how indoor plants increase the attractiveness of the room, thereby reducing stress.

Houseplants are easily available and can be potted into any container of your choice. Do make sure to ensure that there are one or more holes in the bottom of the container to allow the flow of water. Without holes, roots can drown, and the plant may die prematurely. For houseplants, special potting soil should be used. The regular soil from the yard can bring in insects and pests, which is most definitely undesirable. You will be surprised about the kind of innovations people have come up with to make houseplants easy-to-maintain. There are special time-release fertilizers and moisture retaining polymer crystals that minimize regular maintenance of your plants. Make sure to choose the right kind of plant, depending on the location. For example, choose a plant that does not need direct sunlight if you want to place it away from direct sunlight. Likewise, go for plants that survive with occasional watering (for example aloe vera) if you are gone a lot.

House plants can be placed on coffee tables, cocktail tables, or side tables. Balconies and patios are also excellent places to have houseplants. These places generally receive some amount of sunlight during the day, and can house many different kinds of houseplants. Some of the most common and functional houseplants are aloe vera, spider plant, Gerbera, Snake plant, golden pothos, Chrysanthemum, etc. Most of the houseplants are very resilient and are known to help filter out chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene.

Jump into your nearest gardening center, and bring home some of your favorite house plants and decorate your house green. Let the vibrant colors of spring paint your house in a truly natural way.

It is a proven fact that the environment we live in has a significant influence on our mental health. As a student, I lived in a cramped apartment for about four years. This apartment, as you might have guessed, was pretty cheap since I was only earning money part-time. I never liked anything about this apartment. This one was in an old building, and had been cheaply renovated to make it eligible for renting out. Clearly, no thought was given to choosing and matching the colors of the walls, tiles, etc. The walls of this apartment room were a really bad shade of blue, such that no matter how powerful a light bulb I used, the room still looked dark and gloomy. The apartment had only one small window, and no balcony. I particularly disliked the kitchen. The walls of the kitchen were painted in bright yellow, while the cabinets were made of wood, and the tiles were green! Can you imagine this combination? I used to HATE going to the kitchen, and as a result, I ended up spending too much on take-out food. Now when I think about the days in that apartment, I get bad vibes.

Not surprisingly, once I landed a good job, the first thing I did was move to a better place. The place that I now live in is just awesome! The rooms have big windows, the walls are nice and colorful, and the kitchen is very nice. I feel refreshed every time I get home after work – yes this place finally qualifies to be called home!

Have you ever had a similar experience? Architects and interior designers unequivocally agree that living space has a significant impact on our well-being, and now consider these aspects when designing homes and commercial spaces. Even neuroscientists and psychologists agree that aesthetics affect our mind, mood, and decision making capabilities. Things like the amount of natural light and breeze coming into the house, the color of the floors and walls, and even our furniture and home accessories affect how we feel, think and perform – both consciously and sub-consciously.

Color theorists point out the importance of harmony in colors when decorating a home. After all, who would like to stay in a place that is painted in colors you don’t like. These things can sometimes be too subtle to be noticed directly but may have significant impact.



Of course, there are limits as to how much we can spend on improving the look and feel of our home. But more often than not, it is about the choices we make (rather than the cost of our purchases) that will have an overall effect in improving the beauty of the place we live in. With a little bit of effort and creativity from your side, you can create spaces that cleverly improve the aesthetics and create more joyful, pleasant, and satisfying experiences.

It is now scientifically proven – the physical environment has an impact on our mental well-being. So, what can we do to improve the space we live in, and thereby improve our own physical and mental well-being? Here is a step-by-step guide to achieve this.

1. Maximize the amount of natural light

As they say, a well-lit home removes half the darkness from your life. And why not go the natural way, and light up the home with as much natural light as possible? Sunlight can release lots of good hormones, and really make your day. Add to that the good things that Vitamin D can do to your body. If you have large windows in your house, then use them to let as much sunlight enter your home as possible.

2. Breeze

A fresh morning breeze can work wonders for the body and the mind. Try doing a bit of exercise or yoga on your balcony or in your garden, and suck in the fresh breeze to open up your mind and soul, and truly get ready for a great day ahead.

3. Color of the floors and walls

Read a bit on color theory and you will find the kind of impact colors can have on you. Try going for colors that are in harmony with each other. Blue and green are known to be soothing colors, while orange is energetic, and yellow is joyful. Avoid red, which is associated with anger and danger. Have milder versions of those colors for your walls, while you can have the brighter shades for your furniture, or a featured wall. A safe way to choose harmonious colors is to use light to dark shades of a single color. This will make a room look more luxurious than your budget might suggest. Monochromatic (shades of the same color family) schemes create a sophisticated, elegant look and have a calming effect.

4. Furniture

Choose furniture with soothing colors and texture. You could also try adding interesting twists with a wide variety of textures, from stone, steel, glass, and matte to fabric and leather. Unleash your creativity and fearlessly add character to your home.

5. Home accessories

Think of wall art, candle sticks, functional and decorative mirrors, wall stickers, votive candle holders, lanterns, fireplaces, fire lamps – I would suggest you have at least one piece of each of these in your home, placed at a carefully chosen position. Home accessories are as important to the aesthetics of your home, as they are to you.

6. Greenery in your home

Green spaces have lasting positive impact on the well-being. Go green! Use ornamental plants to decorate your home. Place ornamental and flowering plants on your balcony. Having natural beauty around you will help you feel closer to nature. Use the extra oxygen that these plants provide to jazz yourself up a bit!

With a growing body of evidence linking look and feel of living spaces to well-being, it only makes sense to invest some time and effort into improving and beautifying the space where you live. With the simple tips provided in this article, I am sure you can achieve this goal very easily. All the best!