Interior Decoration Online Degree

For starters, it has lot of scope, and the industry is currently being dominated by women. Interior designers can take lot of pride in their work as they influence people's lives by creating lovely interiors for homes where their clients want to live and work.

If you are an interior designer you get to design homes or offices for multinational clients. Your clients can be anyone. This job gives you the freedom to use your imagination to any extent you want. Did you know that you can pursue your interior decoration degree through online? By the way, online degrees have their own advantages, with the main benefit of studying at your own leisure and time.

Some of you may like to study in the morning while others may like to put in the hard work at night. Online degrees give you that freedom to do your work as and when you please. You may be required to visit your study centre for exams or tests once in a while. Interior design course work usually consists of simple subjects like Art theory and criticism, Drawing, drafting, color, and basic design principles, Space planning, and Computer-aided design (CAD).

Once you finish your design degree, you can either become a Facility Manager, Sales Representative, Set Designer, or a Space Planner. According to studies the annual salary for an interior designer in US was $51,990 in the year 2009.

Finding Inspiration for Your Bedroom Designs

So you are looking for new bedroom designs but are struggling for ideas? If your answer is yes then you should read this article. We all have certain plans to design our bedroom in best possible way. But sometimes, we tend to struggle for new ideas. However, you need to know that there are a lot of ways that you can get some much needed inspiration before you start your decorating process. Let’s start with a look on the internet. The advent of internet is truly a blessing for finding all sorts of information and inspiration. There are numerous websites dedicated purely to featuring beautiful homes from all over the world. Available in wonderful designs, looks and fancy colors, you can spend lots of time on these sites until a design strikes you. Additionally, you can find other details like furniture, designer and cost factor etc.

If you are looking for some inspiration for your bedroom designs then easiest way is to go through magazines, art books, and other forms of literature dedicated to interior decoration. You can find your dream designs in these magazines and can also add few twists of your own to suit your taste.

You will also be able to find your favorite color scheme in these interior décor magazines and websites. We all have our own preference as far as color scheme is concerned. For instance, if you prefer red then you will first need to determine exact shade of red you would like, then you can determine other colors from there. You can also seek inspiration by looking at the houses of your friends and family.

Casual Dining Furniture

Casual furnishings are very popular in the dining areas. One can find different styles of stylish furniture for his/her dining area. As people have more disposable income, they are willing to splurge on designer casual furnishings. They can act as style statement. Casual furniture tends to last long and is quite durable. The best part about casual furniture is comfort and utility factor without being unnecessarily complex in design and functions.

Among the popular dining furniture, rounded tables, softly curved tables and upholstered chairs take the cake. Casual dining is associated with neutral colors like gray and brown. However, you do have the choice of choosing attractive palette like soft pastel shades of pink and yellow through deeper hues of green and blue. Dining room should have a calm feeling about it. Some of the popular decorating styles in casual dining designs are,

Shabby chic which basically exhibits rumpled sophistication. This style is a wonderful mix of time worn pieces and elegant elements. This style thrives on white color and mixed patterns. Vintage accessories and architectural details complete this design.

Country decorating style is very trendy and represents traditional furniture designs of early American and colonial eras. It provides a classic rustic feel to the ambience.

Ethnic casual décor represents sensibility of the owners. It could be in Indian, Latin, African or American style. This is a very popular theme for dining furniture.

Cottage style is highlighted with reused and recycled furniture. This is not a very common choice but is definitely unique. Last but not the least is Retro/vintage décor in which styles of the 1920s and 30s, 40s and 50s, and 60s and 70s are used to decorate the dining area.

Wooden window boxes

If you are looking to add some charm and beauty to your home, why not think of decorative wooden window boxes? You can plant them with a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, flowers or even topiaries. What exactly is a wooden window box? Well, it is just a small container garden that can be planted with a wide variety of vegetables or herbs flowers as you prefer. You can use them inside your home or even mount them outside your window.

As far as box materials for window boxes are concerned, many people like to go for plastic material because it can hold moisture and are pretty lightweight. If you looking to make whole thing even more attractive try selecting colored plastic container but make sure to slide it into a cedar framed window box. That is because colored plastic can fade in sunlight over a period of time. Other choices are metal or wicker window boxes. You must keep in mind the style of your house and color combination before you choose the one. Container is supposed to have sufficient drainage holes so that root does not rot.

Now when it comes to choosing suitable plants for the boxes, first you need to decide whether you will keep the wooden box indoor or outside your window. Also give a thought to the architecture of your house. There is no lack of popular flowers and plants for your wooden box. You can opt for miniature roses or compact flowers like annulus and primulas. They will make for a good choice. Alternately, you also have the options like herbs, lemon verbena, chamomile and lavender etc.

Storage Tips

Space is the biggest problem faced by people living in urban cities. Only large bungalows or apartments have enough space but not everybody can afford living there. Most of the people reside in places with small spaces and they are clearly at disadvantage when it comes to storage space. Though, they have certain benefits like low maintenance costs, low expenses and easy to clean options but people find it hard to find ample storage space in a small flat. Let’s have a look at some of the tips for storage.

First thing you need to have is a bed with storage. That will help you in putting things like bed sheets, blankets, pillows, quilts and bedcovers etc. This way, you will save precious space in cupboards that can be used for storing other stuffs. You also have the option of using planks and drawers in bed but they get very heavy. So a better idea would be to use hydraulic springs. Install them and you won’t have to apply heavy force to lift the plank. Many people prefer to use sliding doors instead of drawers on the sides.

Make your bed little higher to create more storage. You will also get extra storage by using a wide, wooden trunk as your centre table. This will also provide an exotic look to your house. You can further decorate the table with scented candles and magazines apart from placing decorative items and coffee table books on the table. Creating space is all about making few adjustments and a bit of creativity. Try experimenting a bit and you will be able to create ample storage space to fulfill your requirements.

Gardening with Kids

Gardening is an important part of exterior decoration. A beautiful garden can add tremendous charm to the overall appeal of the house. If you are one of those who have garden then give your best to make it exciting and charming. If there are children in the house then gardening can be fun. Kids being kids, they would love to play with mud in the garden. But that’s just one part of the fun. You can actually make them interested in this hobby. Gardening can be a wonderfully creative hobby that will stay with your child for the rest of his life.

So if you are introducing your kid to the gardening begin by allocating a certain part to him. Instruct him how to grow vegetable or flowers on this part. Give him the complete authority of his part of the garden. Obviously, being the parent you will guide the kid about the process and how to care but it is important to make him feel as if he is in charge. This way, he will be able to learn how to water, how to weed and subsequently, he will be more responsible.

One of the best advantages of gardening is that it teaches patience. You cannot have the desired results immediately. You have to earn it and wait for it. So that will be a valuable lesson for you as well as your kid. Gardening teaches a lot of things about plants, flowers, vegetables, soil, manure etc. This will help child in gaining important knowledge and learning.

Retro Kitchen Decor

Though, we are living in the modern era but ironically, the biggest fashion now a day is retro look. This phenomenon is not just restricted to clothes and apparel but also to home décor. Retro or call it old and classic is something that can never go out of fashion and that’s why we humans keep going back to retro designs. When it comes to interior decorating, the retro look inside the kitchen has become instantly popular. Compared to a retro kitchen design, modern kitchen gives us more room but nothing can beat the charm and style of retro kitchen décor. Some of the common elements of retro kitchen décor are plastic, checked patterns, stainless steel, chrome and glass. Retro décor thrives on colorful and vibrant colors.

Use colors like red or orange or glossy black for true retro feel. Floor must have alternating black and white tiles. This will give your kitchen a real retro feel. Kitchen must be adorned with brightly colored plastic food baskets. You can also use plastic squeeze bottles for condiments. Retro kitchen design will get further boost with jukebox and chrome napkin holder. Using memorabilia is an innovative idea to get your perfect retro look. You can use travel and diner memorabilia, like street signs, vintage cars, Route 66 and drive-ins etc.

Additionally, use diner-style mugs and plates, plastic covered menus, checked tablecloths, period paintings and antique wall phones etc. Appliances play a major role in kitchen retro look. For example, people use stoves and refrigerators in colors like flamingo pink, candy red or buttercup yellow. These appliances are new but will give the impression of being made during 1950s. You can also consider the option of buying new appliances and kitchen sinks.