Decorating a modern Victorian bathroom

Decorating a modern Victorian bathroom can be a rewarding home improvement project. The classical Victorian element blended with a contemporary design brings just the right appeal to bathroom decor. The transformation from the 1800s to the modern age has brought about a refined interest in the decorative elements of generations past. In a modern Victorian bathroom, you will still find rich floral patterns, dark wood cabinetry, and feminine curios that permeated bathrooms more than a century ago. However, contemporary decorative design has added plush warmth to the Victorian decorative motif.

 

Victorian Bathrooms are in-keeping with the traditional bathroom. But you can mix new with the old for a great clean look. Whether its just an old fireplace or hanging old picture frames.. 

 

 

 

Try www.victorianbathrooms.com for roll top baths etc or for great accessories try searching www.conranshop.co.uk

How to Decorate with the seasons

1. When the cold weather arrives, have a collection of cozy, fluffy throws to place on your furniture for snuggling. Remove them or replace with soft cotton or silk throws for warmer months.
2. Remove the toasty down-filled duvet from your bed in the spring and substitute a light cotton matalasse bed cover or a simple cotton blanket.
3. Floral arrangements of pine and holiday colours can be changed for light, colourful ones for the spring and summer. Put away dark brass or pottery containers and bring out clear glass or crystal vases.
4. Change dark-patterned decorative pillows by covering them with fresh, floral prints or plaids for warmer weather. Either change out the pillows with a second set or alternate the decorative covers.
5. If you have a collection of plates on display, put classic holiday designs away for the winter and replace with pretty floral china from grandma.
6. Have your draperies made so they are reversible allowing you to easily turn them from lively to neutral with the seasonal changes.
7. Be sure to put garden magazines and flower books out on the coffee table in the spring and summer. That will help bring the outside in and add color to your interior.

 

Tips:

Keep spring and summer colours and accessories light, both in feel and colour.

Changing with the seasons gives you an opportunity to get out some long-lost pieces and make them the center of attention for a while.

The change of decor can come all at one time, like spring house cleaning, or over a period of several days or weeks. You'll be surprised what a difference just a small change can make.

If winter seems especially long, forget the calendar and get your spring things out even if there's snow on the ground. You may still need the warm blankets, but the look can be light and uplifting.

Recycle your old paint!

 

Anyone who aspires to be truly green will want to extend this to their home, and so when the time comes to redecorate there are lots of ways that you can make environmentally friendly choices for your decorating.

 Get out all your leftover paints and look at them to see what your possibilities are, e.g - Blue and Red make purple! Add colour drop by drop, stirring well after each addition and alternating if you're adding more than one. Dab your paint onto paper or another surface to test, then paint one wall with your new colour and make it the focal point.

Most of the eco-friendly paints on the market are water-soluble and use plant oils such as linseed oil and plant resins to form the paint solution. The pigmentation comes from minerals or plant dyes. Some eco-friendly paints are supplied as powders, which you dilute yourself. This reduces the weight and size of the paint, so the environmental damage from transporting the paint is lessened, and large metal or plastic containers don’t have to be manufactured to hold the paint on its journey from the factory to your home. 

Many of us find we have half a pot of paint sitting in our shed or garage that we no longer need or can’t even remember why we bought it! If you want to donate your paint to a good cause, Community RePaint collects reusable domestic paint in reasonable condition for redistribution to community and voluntary groups, charities and individuals in social need. Visit their website to find the nearest collection point to you.  http://tiny.cc/1rcjd

A facelift for wooden furniture, a cheap option.

The cheapest furniture by far is from charity stores and junk shops. Or you may have some pieces already. It’s easy to give them a face lift.

 

For the most effective furniture makeover, choose pieces made from solid wood, and check that joints are well made and sturdy. Do any small repairs before painting/varnishing. Don’t waste time on rickety chairs or flimsy drawers. Change any handles for that final finishing touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will need:

A shave Hook, An old cloth and/or sponge, bucket, washing-up liquid and white spirit, medium-grade sanding paper and mask, small brush, your choice of finish (whether primer and paint, or varnish), and brush cleaner.

These flexible sanding blocks make light work of those difficult areas and uneven surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painting your furniture

 

A painted finish is easiest as you can usually paint over old varnish or paint. Good quality brushes are a must! Try the Harris Brushes range, they have natural bristles and high performance synthetic filaments, with new comfort grip shaped handles. http://www.harrisbrushes.com/brushes

For this project, we updated four plain, wooden kitchen chairs. Allow around three days. It is not particularly labour-intensive but drying times are essential.

1. Make sure your furniture is free from dirt. Wash it over with warm water and allow to dry completely. If your furniture is very dirty, add a few drops of washing up liquid to the water, use a soft scrubbing brush, and give a final clean rinse.
2. Sand the surface to smooth out rough areas, scratches and dents. Wear a mask to avoid inhaling dust. Use medium-grade sanding paper, working with the grain, and then wipe over with a cloth dampened in white spirit.
3. Using a small flat brush, apply a primer and allow to dry for at least six hours.
4. Choose a good quality gloss paint colour for the final surface. Apply two coats, allowing at least 16 hours between coats. Clean brushes.

Stripping old furniture

If the finish on your old furniture is very poor (for example, uneven, cracked or flaking), you should strip it off. And of course you will need to do this if you want to simply varnish the bare wood.

Modern paint strippers can remove layers of paint with ease (eg Polycell Advanced Paint Stripper with “active gel” which can take off up to 15 layers of paint/varnish without harming the wood).

1. Decant the active gel into the lid of its tin.
2. Using a brush, apply a generous even coat over the furniture surface.
3. Leave until the paint begins to blister (from two to four hours) and gently test scrape, using a paint scraper or shave hook. You can leave it on for up to six hours if necessary. When ready, softened paint should scrape off easily. Don’t try and hurry the process: you may score the surface of your furniture.
4. Remove all of the peeling layers of paint.
5. Repeat the process if any paint remains.
6. Wipe over with white spirit to remove any remains of stripper/paint/varnish – this will avoid raising the grain of the wood.
7. Clean brush with soapy water.

A varnish pad can be used on intricate bits of furniture, such as chair backs

 

Varnishing wooden furniture

A simple way to varnish stripped wood is with a varnish pack, which comes complete with a pad for easy/quality application.

 1. Prepare furniture as described above, stripping back to bare wood, wiping over with white spirit, and sanding to a smooth surface.
2. Gently lower pad onto surface of varnish, making sure that the flock underside is evenly covered, but keeping foam pad dry. Scrape off any excess onto sides of tub.
3. Use pad flat to cover all flat areas in long smooth strokes – it’s quick and easy.
4. Use the angled front edge to reach any intricate bits, such as chair backs. You can take the pad off the handle to get between uprights.

If short of time, use a quick dry varnish (eg Ronseal Quick Dry Varnish) Or there is Ronseal Eco Varnish based on oil-based resins, with a third less petrochemicals than traditional varnishes.

Is it Black & White?

In the age when coloured photography is on its peak and required in day to day of your life yet black and white photography did not loses its shine and still demanded by most of the photographers and photo lovers. There could be significant reasons behind it because black and white photography is that kind of photography which could portray emotions and the mood quite well. This type of photographic atmosphere could not create by the colour photographs. Black and white photography is much more interesting because as they focus much more on the subject by the help of shadows and lights.

Another most important thing for black and white photograph is the selection of the subject because in case of colour photograph you may not need to do so. A photograph which looks good in colour photograph can look dull in the black and white photograph. As black and white photograph is the simplest forms of photograph and also at the same time complex as the image must be clean and fresh so that it must leave a great impact on the heart of the viewer. Most important this type of images captures the impression and emotions in nostalgic as well as in the dramatic way.

The 3 great elements:
Lights colour and shadow this are the most important elements in black and white photograph. By the help of lights and shadow you could change the whole appearance and the meaning of a photograph and also the impact of the image in the mind of the viewer. Now why colour? Yes colour is highly important because choosing the right subject solely depend upon the fewer colour of the subject. More the colour more it would be difficult to choose the right subject.

In true sense black and white photography is eternal. Many of the black and white photographs which are made by the famous photographers still knock our heart. So choose the proper subject before go for black and white photographs.

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over!
 

 

If you're the kind of decorator who likes to change your decor with the seasons, now is the perfect time to start looking at Autumn decor for your home. One of the nice things about rotating decor with the seasons is that you can keep a fresh, updated look in your home.

Redecorating an interior design needs lots of inspiration and also great imagination to create a livable home. One of the most vital and private rooms in our house is bedroom. And a new bedroom design surely would bring so much fun and refresh our mind. You could décor it with new furniture or reorganize your existing furniture.

Moroccan style is about comfort and easy living inspired by the outdoors. It's colors and designs come from a varied ethnic history influenced by the Berber culture, French Colonials, and Islam. Hallmarks of Moroccan style include large lanterns, lush fabrics, and colourful ceramics.

Try the Fabric wall?

A long curtain made from fine white fabric runs the length of the back wall to add softness and warmth to this bright room.

Great for the Autumn Air!

A hot tub is used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy. Other variants in naming include "Spa", and the trade name "Jacuzzi". These variants can be used to mean an indoor fixture, but a "Hot Tub" is almost always outdoors.

There are essentially two different styles of hot tubs:

  * Simple wooden-staved soaking tubs

  * One piece plastic tubs (usually referred to as spas)

Hot tubs are usually heated using an electric or natural gas heater, though there are also submersible wood-fired heaters, as well as solar hot water systems. Hot tubs are also found at natural hot springs; in this case, the water may be dangerously hot and must be combined with cool water for a safe soaking temperature.

Water sanitization is very important in hot tubs, as many organisms thrive in a warm, wet environment. Maintaining the hot tub water chemistry is also necessary for proper sanitization and to prevent damage to the hot tub.