Basic Principles Of Interiors & Decor For Beginners

We all talk about Interiors, Décor & Designing etc. all through our days but seriously I feel that deciding how to decorate your home can be a daunting task. Some people look for inspiration in the pages of interior & decor magazines, or the colours of a favourite painting & artworks, even the pattern of a carpet or curtain fabric. Then there are tricky questions of how to find an overall style? What shapes of furniture to chose and how to arrange it to so that the layout of a room is stunning, cosy and comfortable (all at the same time) but still spacious and easy to more around? All these things make it difficult to know where to start with your interior journey?

There are tricks of the design trade and all sorts of information available on interior websites and through interior designers and decorators, but the aim of our blog “The Interior Directory” is to simplify and structure the basic principles of design so that they are easy to follow, whether you are starting a scheme from scratch or reinventing an existing space of your own office or home.

As you gather design ideas it is helpful to put them in a file or folder, especially pages taken from interior magazines showing the particular drape of a curtain or piece of bedroom or living room furniture you like, plus swatches of wall paint colours or fabric that might work for your decoration ideas. Also carry the specific note pad in which to keep useful phone numbers, colour references and lists that you can tick or amend as you progress with the project.

Good design achieves a sense of place, somewhere with an interesting and memorable appearance. This can be done by highlighting features, using colour effectively and careful arrangement of furnishing and accessories. As with fashionable clothing the most successful “looks” are achieved by mixing and matching brands and labels, as well as things that are old and new. I would take the liberty to say that the same principle applies for home decoration too.

A complete, head to toe designer outfit will be memorable for the designer label rather than person wearing it, but if you customise the outfit with your own accessories and mix in a different shirt or belt, then the outfit will take on your look rather than that of a designer. The same rule applies when decorating a room, it is how you interpret and adapt a scheme that makes it unique & matchless to you.

Don’t be intimidated by the vast array of choices and the mass of information available. At least in interior designing – ‘less the better is the rule’. It is only a matter of editing it down until you find what suits you, and remember you don’t need to be wildly bold & daring to make an impact. Subtle shades, humble furnishings and few well placed accessories can be effective while creating a calm, comfortable and relaxing home.

    Humming Bird

Humming birds are adorable, colorful birds with iridescent feathers and truly some of the most amazing creatures on the planet.Tiny, pugnacious, and jewel-like, Humming Birds are pretty easy to attract to a garden and fun to have around. Same ways, she is our most petite & wonderful contributor to some of the most amazing Home decor & Interior Articles. Her articles are always around small things which makes the best impact to any decor theme and theory…You may follow her.

Three Stages Of Styling Your Living Room–Part Two

I am writing this in continuation to my previous article on Three Stages Of Styling Your Living Room-Part One . If you missed reading it, you must do that before reading The Third and Final Stage in Living Room Decor series. For all my other avid readers, today I present the final stage in living room decoration.

The Third & Final Stage

The third stage comes when the space becomes fully functional. You would be surprised by now, looking at the place from where you had started and how things have taken shape. Many a times, when you start a decoration project, you start with something specific in mind, but gradually when you move ahead, things start to change and your thinking changes. Now you would find that your Living room is looking better than you anticipated. When you have reached this stage of thinking, it is time to undertake some more tasks. It’s time to say good bye to some furniture pieces like TV console table, which you may swap with full entertainment Centre that might add some chic touch to your living room decor. Stage three in living room decor project is all about improvisations. Think and think, what improvement could make your space even better than before.

A floor lamp might be a great addition and a best way to up the ambience in your living room. And after all the exercise, if an extra seat is required, then get an accent lounge chair. You would surely get some ideas of these lounge chair in our Photo section. You never know, some of them you might fall in love with.

Always remember that Home is something which requires constant maintenance & care, be it gadgets or furniture. Taking good care of all items is very necessary. Only then you would always find them appealing and amazing.

Now, as I always sum up, once you are done with your Living Room Decoration Project, don’t forget to add some lovely pictures into your “My Diary” and let our wonderful users feast their eyes.

    Design Devil

Design Devil is a multifaceted designer-writer-design analyst who touches upon conceptual interior development, communicate about the essence of designs and talks about design theories. Severely critical in his design analysis and approach, he is the best we got!!! By following his articles , you would get the best in global design information which no one else may share with you …. So follow him

Delightful Tradition Of Kanelbullens Dag – National Cinnamon Bun Day, Sweden

Swedish food is famous for its simplicity and taste, many recipes are legend from Sweden like meat balls and in dessert or midday snacks, their cinnamon bun is perhaps the most famous. You can buy these cinnamon buns from cafe’s to supermarkets and even stores at petrol stations. Swedish Cinnamon Buns actually is a sweet bread dough rolled up with a swirl of sweet buttery cinnamon throughout the bun. The Swedes traditionally sprinkle these with pearl sugar which doesn’t melt at high temperatures and creates those pleasingly distinguishing white pearls on top of the buns.

Now let’s talk about National Cinnamon Bun Day, Swedes adore their cinnamon buns so much, they even celebrate their own annual day in honor of these buns - kanelbullens dag. The Interior Direcrory.Com finds our more …. Every year on October 4th since 1999, the Swedes rejoice Cinnamon Bun Day. Cafes, restaurants, and convenience stores across the Sweden offer these spiced Swedish buns.

The holiday was conceived in 1999 by the Home Baking Council (Hembakningsrådet), a club of baking ingredient producers across Sweden.

The cinnamon bun has been a cherished pastry in Sweden since the 1920s. The Swedish cinnamon bun is much less sticky and sweet than other rolls like American cinnamon roll. Another essential difference in Swedish cinnamon buns is the cardamom spice in the dough, which adds another dimension of flavor.

The buns are baked for just a few minutes in a very hot oven, making them fluffy with a golden brown touch. They are then topped with grains of "pearl sugar" to give them Swedish touch. No extra glazing is used

These days cinnamon rolls can be found across the globe, but in Sweden they've got that extra something - a touch of Scandinavian simplicity of tastes.

Cinnamon buns are not the only food so perfectly Swedish that they are celebrated in Sweden with their very own day. Fat Tuesday is irrevocably associated with semlor, and Waffle Day is always March 25th.

So dear readers, we would also like to celebrate this lovely day, sharing the recipe of Swedish Cinnamon Buns, so you can also celebrate this day with buns and coffee.

Please note down the ingredients, we would be making about 24 Buns and it would take about an hour to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 400ml milk
• 110g butter
• 2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast
• 110g caster sugar
• 750g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 tablespoons of pearl sugar
• 1 egg, beaten

For the filling inside the Buns

• 110g soft butter
• 90g sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Directions

• Melt the butter in a large pot gently on a low heat and then add the milk.
• When the mixture is lukewarm, remove from the heat and add the two sachets of dried yeast, whisking to incorporate.
• Mix the flour, sugar, salt and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. Make a well and pour the wet ingredients in. Using a wooden spoon mix until you have a rough dough.
• When the dough has taken shape and is no longer sticky, turn out onto a clean floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes. Dust with a little flour if you find the dough is too sticky.
• Transfer the dough to a floured bowl, covered by cling film and a towel and let it rise for 45 minutes in a warm dark place.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C.
• To prepare the filling, in a bowl, beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon together until you have a smooth paste.
• When the dough has risen, punch it down in the bowl and cut it in half. Roll one of the halves into a rectangle about 3mm thick, and then spread the filling all over.
• Then, from the long side, roll the dough so you get a snail effect and slice into approximately 12 pieces. Place the slices in a nonstick mini pie tray with six holes, (you could also lay them flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper) face up and coat with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the buns with pearl sugar.Reduce the heat to 190°C and then bake the rolls in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
• Repeat the process with the second half of the dough. The buns are incredible eaten just warm from the oven. You may even store them for a few days.

Happy Cinnamon Day , Have fun with your buns….!!

    Mr. Baker

Who doesn’t want to know him…the provider of best recipes to us at TheInteriorDirectory.Com. Every time we receive some post from him, the heart fumbles & tumbles and you get onto a gastronomic journey with him…so it’s best to be in touch with him…

Redefining The Concept Of Car Luxury - Maserati Quattroporte GTS

Getting into the Quattroporte is like entering an exclusive lounge. Although extremely intuitive, the on-board controls are understated so that they don’t steal the limelight from the real stars: the surfaces and materials.

High-Class Interiors Thoroughly Created In The Best Hand-Crafted Tradition

The Poltrona Frau leather, the fine wood and the contrast stitching, styled according to the finest hand-crafted traditions, seamlessly follow the sleek lines of the dashboard, central tunnel and doors, enveloping the passengers in an atmosphere of luxury

Elegant, Tapered Dashboard That Emanates Speed

The tapered lines of the dashboard, with its broad central band running across the entire width of the car, are a celebration of speed and elegance. Simplicity and quality are taken to new extremes, to achieve the priceless sensation of Italian authenticity ineffably expressed through finely crafted details. Such as the brushed aluminum that frames the display of the Maserati Touch Control, in the middle of the dashboard.

Space Rules Superlative

On board the Quattroporte, comfort is not just a wonderful sensation, most keenly felt when on the move, but also an objective fact: special attention has been paid to the arrangement of the seats and spaciousness. The longer wheelbase has enabled Maserati to offer rear passengers a degree of legroom that few other models in the category can match.

The Music Of Our Feelings

The 8.4” wide display of the Maserati Touch Control, which is right in the middle of the dashboard, is a genuinely great control panel. It ensures easy control of the many information and entertainment devices within the car. In the Quattroporte, the pleasure of in-car music influences novel elevations thanks to state of the art car audio technologies.

Lighting With An Original Sparkle

The new Quattroporte redefines the concept of luxury from every point of view. The style of the interiors is underlined by an innovative night-lighting system: an optic fibre cable runs along the dashboard and doors, creating a mood worthy of an exclusive lounge. There is also white backlighting on the instrument panel, where the speedometer and rpm-counter are separated by a TFT display that shows the car’s dynamic data. So enjoy the ride in one of the best designed interiors of any car, under Maserati.

Crafting Ideas For Rightful Sibling Spaces

From bedtime stories to playtime, sharing a room can be a great experience for siblings. The real challenge is how to create a space that is functional and reflects both of your kids’ personalities. This is a task not just in a home with a boy and girl but also with boys only or girls only home. Surprisingly, it’s more complicated with children of same gender. Their personalities become more competing with each other. Most studies suggest that the compromise level in same gender kids is lesser than the opposite gender siblings. It then becomes the test for the parents to help them evolve their individual personalities without overshadowing each other. This task starts from their bedroom itself. Let’s understand ways and ideas to tackle this demanding situation.

More Space

Can't get your kids to agree on a decorating theme? Bunk beds offer a clever way to make each child feel right at home. If painting's not your forte, use vinyl decals to create your mural.

Bunk beds are great for shared spaces, since they give you two beds in the space of one, but we really appreciate how they bring the eye upward to make the room feel more spacious. And when you opt for a set with built-in storage, you can save even more space, since you won't need a second dresser. As a bonus, some bunk beds can be separated into two twin beds when your kids outgrow their current setup. (Trust me this happens quicker than you even realize).

More Balance

Mixing finishes from a single collection will let your little ones personalize their space. By getting your kids involved with decorating, the result will be a room they'll both be proud of.

Beds placed side by side will give each of your kids a space to call their own. The decorator in us loves this arrangement for the balanced look it lends to the room, while our parenting side appreciates the independence it allows each child. With this setup, storage beds are always an option for extra drawer space. You can even try placing two taller bedroom chests next to each other to echo the symmetry of the beds.

More Peace

Kids' rooms are more than just a place to sleep. They're a place to play, do homework and just relax. In a shared bedroom, it's important to give each child their own space—especially if you want to keep the peace in your home. Plus, if your kids don't have a comfortable place to do schoolwork, it may not get done at all. The balance in your kids’ room will help you maintain peace & harmony in your own life.

Do More

Sometimes you have to get creative to fit two desks into one room. This back-to-back arrangement makes the most of limited wall space and helps each child stay organized.

If your kids enjoy reading, they'll love curling up with a classic in their own reading corner. Armless chairs are always a great choice for bedrooms, thanks to their minimized profiles.

    Humming Bird

Humming birds are adorable, colorful birds with iridescent feathers and truly some of the most amazing creatures on the planet.Tiny, pugnacious, and jewel-like, Humming Birds are pretty easy to attract to a garden and fun to have around. Same ways, she is our most petite & wonderful contributor to some of the most amazing Home decor & Interior Articles. Her articles are always around small things which makes the best impact to any decor theme and theory…You may follow her.

Interesting Backyard Garden Ideas For Home

Many of us are lucky to be blessed with front yard garden and some of us are luckier to have an additional full-fledged Backyard to our houses. The backyard is an integral part of our house and it’s very important that we keep this beautiful and maintained at all times. Some of us have bigger spaces whereby we can even have swimming pools, tennis court or basketball court but many of the backyards are always used for raising flowers and garden besides having outdoor lunches and fall autumn bar be que parties with family and friends. Most of us like to actually practically move their living rooms out-doors to the back garden for relaxation purposes. So we thought of giving you some valuable garden tips if you would like to make an interesting backyard garden a pride of your home.

Choosing Best Plants & Trees For Backyard

Choose the plants that best suit your back garden. For instance, if your back garden is small in size, go for those plants that will help to enlarge the space without making it look over crowded. Plants like trellis and vines that tend to grow over the fence covering it could be an interesting back garden idea. This makes the garden look bloomed and green always. It is advisable to ensure that you chose plants that can be easily paired with others. The plants should not be the type to become too big when they grow, as this will cause overshadowing; making the garden look unkempt.

Potted Plants

Using potted plants can also be a great back garden idea for your garden. Potted plants best fit into back gardens as the plants can be easily swapped to suit any season of the year. Potted plants can anytime be rearranged when you need to change the pattern and look of flowers like when you have an evening soiree you can easily decorate your garden with different potted plants at different corners with some candles and tea light holders. Same ways when you have a get together in the house, you can bring you garden indoors to bring that tropical effect to your décor. It would not only add a green effect on your décor but would bring some lovely nice flowery smell to your indoors.

Vegetable Garden

Transforming your back garden to a vegetable garden can also be a beautiful back garden idea. Growing different fruits and vegetables in your back garden can make the area look beautiful as well as worthwhile. You would always be at an advantage to get the best & freshest produce from your own garden. Vegetables like kales and spinach and fruits like tomatoes can make a back garden look lovely. It is therefore wise to think beyond the usual and settle on perfect back yard garden ideas that will please you beyond doubt in your garden.

    Mr. Gardner

Green Green All Around…All the Greenery Year Around. That’s the motto of our most accomplished green garden contributor Mr. Gardner. His mind blowing knowledge on nature and maintenance of gardens is unparalleled in the whole world. Do follow him to get the best of your gardens& landscapes.

Inspiring Indoor Garden Design

An attractive house is a dream for most people who love to live their lives to the maximum in them. We all need a sanctuary where that serene environment not only catches the eye because of its beauty, but also it purifies the environment around it. Having that desirable indoor garden design is not that easy to achieve especially when one does not have an idea about indoor garden designs. So let’s know something more about indoor garden ideas.

Many of us want to stay indoors but at the same time, we also want to be in touch with our outdoor surroundings. We want to touch the environment as well. This has been made possible through having a carefully designed house or office interior courtesy the modern technology in indoor garden designing. Plants planted inside the room or office not only adds to the internal decor but also purifies the air while at the same time keeping the room always cool and fresh.

We should accept the fact that most of us stay in apartments. After staying in the apartments we realize that space is luxury, so we accept the fact that we cannot have garden in apartments; however with this thought also, we cannot stop loving nature. An apartment surely lacks space for outdoor garden but with growing technology we can even have gadgets like plant growing fridge to grow plants and food at the same time without having to worry about leaving them without water for some days as the fridge will be in control of most of the basic needs. This is possible today. We just need to look for them and surely should have a budget to afford them.

We should also consider the fact that we should not over-crowd the space with plants. We must also know about the plants we want and the plants that can actually survive the indoor atmosphere. This knowledge would help us plan their rotation as per season and also the look we desire. For instance, spider plants or snake plants are absolutely outstanding when it comes to indoor garden as they grow well in relatively hard conditions. Indoor garden designing can be enhanced by the container style that one uses. A water fountain site outside an office or a home is a cool site for nature lovers. Having an indoor water fountain can also be an appealing element for you all the time. A star pendant lamp overhead an indoor garden design will give it that subtle seasonal sparkle which is a darling to many. So, I would advise all of you to surely go for your own indoor garden however small it may be, as it is going to give you the same amount of pleasure that a big garden can give.

    Mr. Gardner

Green Green All Around…All the Greenery Year Around. That’s the motto of our most accomplished green garden contributor Mr. Gardner. His mind blowing knowledge on nature and maintenance of gardens is unparalleled in the whole world. Do follow him to get the best of your gardens& landscapes.

The Right Hue For Your Home Decor-Part Two

When it comes to picking colors for your home, there's no right or wrong; it's all about finding the right hue for you. In the last part we talked about three colors – Yellow, Purple and Blue. In this part we would be highlighting the other three best and most used colors. One thing which I want to highlight here, don’t try and imitate the color which others like. Find out your own personality and choose the best color which represents your own self.

Chic Pink

Pink goes best with your bedroom decor. It adds a little playfulness to your palette. But generally pink is a sweet light hearted color and reminds of little girls playroom. In my views pink can very well add some sophistication but can’t be a foundation for an elegant living room decor.

Warm Orange

Want your room to bloom? Add a splash of orange. Its vibrant tints enliven your space, while softer shades of orange are soothing. This hue also works wonders as an accent color. I also did an article for fiery Leos on this vivacious color.

Soothing Green

Whenever you are not well, doctor asks you to change your surroundings and go for some natural space. Being Natural means – Go Green. The room in which you can really relax in is Green. Green is close to Nature, making it very soothing and refreshing. Green can also convey upscale luxury as well as soothing vibes for your interiors.

Dramatic Red

This is the color, I am always in Love with. Red is such a performance color, I can’t tell you enough about. Red demands attention and always gets our emotions flowing upwards. Use this passionate hue on an accent wall to energize your space. If you're feeling bold, paint your room red for a big impact. That’s why this is always said – Painting the town Red….fill it with colors.

    Queen Bee

A True Queen by heart, she is always bringing us the most stylish decor tips from every part of the globe.She is known as one of the best Interior & Décor Content Contributors. Stylish & Glamorous - We are always waiting for her uber chic design suggestions...you may get them too...by following her.

Three Stages Of Styling Your Living Room – Part One

As everyone always says “Rome wasn’t built in a day” that means everything takes time to mature and ripen up. So, when it come to our Living Room decor, we shouldn’t be in any hurry. Getting the right look, which you have been longing for, takes time and efforts. We often make hasty decision and later we get jumping on to sudden conclusions. It’s better to work continuously towards making your living room decor, than doing a short cut route. We all have studied, than if we want to achieve something in life, we first need to map out our goals and achieve them one by one, as success is a journey, but not a destination. Same theory holds for our living room decor as well. First we should decide - what we would like our decor to be, in terms of style and theme. And then working towards it by collecting existing and future resources. This way I am sure you wouldn’t be far away from getting your best designer living room. So guys, this time we are suggesting you a three stage strategy by which you may put together the look, you always wanted for your living room. Let’s explore them one by one.

The First Stage

As we have discussed earlier that, before embarking on the interior decor project of your room, one should decide about the Focal Point. The point of furniture, wall, art piece or corner of the room, around which you can base your room decor. So the first stage is about creating and deciding you room with focal point and ensuring some must-have pieces, like a sofa and chest of drawers. You may always opt for neutral - like wooden shade or almond shade furniture. These shade options gives you lot of liberty to bring some color elements in decor pieces, accessories, upholstery and linen etc. It may start from curtains, pillows, cushions, wall art, decor artifacts etc. It would help you in putting together even an eclectic decor theme for your room.

From the very beginning, its best to buy multipurpose furniture pieces that can be moved around the house and used in various rooms. Like our very best friend – Ottoman. Use storage ottomans stacking throws, pillows and kids’ toys. And use them for extra seating in any room any time. You may even use this as your extra coffee table or side table. You just need to place your beautiful tray over the top.

TV Console Table is another best friend among room furniture. Your TV console table can always be used as sofa table if you would like to go for whole bog TV unit and entertainment center.

Another thing which I would like to suggest here, that if your like to finish off the foundation stage of your interiors – First stage – Then include window treatments as well. May be full size curtains or even sheers. Sheers are a great piece of curtains when you would like < to have soothing natural light in the room.

The Second Stage

When we are through with our first stage and all basic items are in place, now it is time for stage two. The purpose of first stage was to create and find the focal points of your room interiors and collating basic design elements around this. Now we can add some more items to this, like coffee tables, love seat, book shelves for adding portion of charm to the room.

While choosing the coffee table, we should also pick up some similar end tables for keeping at the sides, which makes quite a statement too. These end tables can be used for keeping drinks in a soiree, or place to keep coffee mugs of the guests in afternoon get together. You may also keep a table lamp for lighting up the corners and enhancing the ambience. Try placing some beautiful area rug to set the section for seating; additionally it adds warmth to your place, besides highlighting the splash of colors.

Be ready for investing some more time in second stage of your interior decoration project. Since you are staring to make investments in some very personally liked things which also enhances the look and feel of your living room. Your living room is the face of your house. Try and bring in some extra elements like wall arts, vases, flowers, table top candle holders, book holders etc. These things go a long way in getting you the look, you always wanted for your living room.

    Design Devil

Design Devil is a multifaceted designer-writer-design analyst who touches upon conceptual interior development, communicate about the essence of designs and talks about design theories. Severely critical in his design analysis and approach, he is the best we got!!! By following his articles , you would get the best in global design information which no one else may share with you …. So follow him