Make a good house a GREAT home » Bedroom

Bedroom Photos – A different idea

James — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 22:22:30 +0000

Here’s an idea that my wife and I stumbled on, and we’re finding that quite a few people do already.

Like most married couples, we have photos of each other next to our bed on the bedside table. Of course, I have a photo of her on my side, and vice-versa. The only difference is, the photo of her is a photo from her EARLY school days. And her photo of me is also a school photo, from when I was about 4 yeats old.

I wish I’d thought about it sooner, because it’s the cutest thing in the world…

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Electric Blankets – Cheap Winter Warmth

James — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 08:14:35 +0000

I asked a friend the other day what he learnt this winter. He said that buying an electric blanket was one of the things he did, and, he learnt that electric blankets use less power than an oil heater. I can’t verify his fact about saving power using an electric blanket instead of an oil heater, but I would think it might be true.

My mother swears by her electric blanket. She says it’s mainly due to the fact that the bed is nice and warm when she gets into it. Something that is a real plus in an ice cold winter.

I have a feeling America and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere are in for a SHOCKINGLY cold winter this year. Especially after the heat wave they just had this summer. So, if you feel like saving money AND keeping warm, try the electric blanket.

Let me know what you think. Especially if you have (or have tried) an electric blanket. I’d love other people’s opinions on whether it’s worth getting one.

Oh, and did you know, you can get Electric Blankets on Amazon? Just click the link below to check them out. (I must say, some of them look REALLY warm).

Electric Blankets on Amazon

P.S. This is not a picture of my mom. She’s cuter than that

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Plasma TV in the bedroom

James — Tue, 30 May 2006 15:55:56 +0000

When travelling recently, I stayed in a hotel room that REALLY impressed me. Forget the fact that it had free hot chocolate in the room, or heated mirrors in the bathroom (something I REALLY want). The bedroom had a Plasma TV mounted on the wall.

In my mind, a Plasma Television mounted on the wall in a bedroom saves an ENORMOUS amount of space. ESPECIALLY if it has a built DVD player, like this one had, which slides out from the side.

Of course, Plasma TVs are not exactly the cheapest way to put a TV in your room, but if space is limited, you can very easily mount it on the wall. But, if you have cupboards in front of your bed, and you don’t mind a bit of manual labour, another method to make your bedroom look cool is to build in a TV INTO the cupboard, making the screen flush with the cupboard doors. I also saw this in a hotel room, and had to look closely to realise that we didn’t have a fancy Flat-Screen TV

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Beds, Beds And Beds…

James — Tue, 02 May 2006 09:24:02 +0000

In my last post on Granite Counter Tops I mentioned that you should phone the Granite company and see if they have any left over granite that you could use to make your counter top. What I didn’t mention is that you should create a template of your needed granite counter, cut to size and shape.

BUT, even though this should make life SO much easier, it doesn’t help if the Granite Counter manufaturer doesn’t follow the template. I’ve just received my new counter top, and luckily the granite piece matches the rest of the granite counters in the kitchen, but it’s 40 CENTIMETERS TOO LARGE!!! It looks like you have to double check their measurements as well.

This is probably something that is common knowledge to most people, but make sure you double check things before you leave the granite “factory”. It’s REALLY no use having one granite counter in the kitchen that is out of whack…

This might just be a once-off situation, but be careful anyway…

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Have a good night’s sleep

James — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 07:56:16 +0000

At “A Bed Fantastic” there’s an interesting post on “8 Tips to make your Bed More Comfortable“. This is what they have to say:

1. Clear away all those throw pillows.
2. Remove the clutter from underneath your bed for good feng shui.
3. Get a goose feather pillow.
4. Invest in an orthopaedic mattress.
5. Buy a down duvet.
6. Get an overlay or a topper pad for your mattress.
7. Treat yourself to new sheets – cotton in the summer, flannel in the winter.
8. If you have allergies, cover your mattresses and pillows with allergy proof encasings.

Regarding #1, I hope you’re not sleeping with the throw pillows on the bed… Otherwise, keeping them on the bed during the day for decoration is not a bad idea.
They promise to go over each point in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that…

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Home Decorating Tip #9 – Give each room a function

James — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 16:34:14 +0000

Give each room a function, and make sure that each function can be fulfilled in the room.

2 obvious examples:

The lounge needs seating, but also a coffee table for people to put their cups down. Try not to force people to do things they don’t necessarily enjoy doing, like holding a hot cup of coffee until it’s cool enough to drink. You can definitely make your coffee table a feature of the lounge.
The bedroom definitely needs a bed to sleep on. But it is really helpful to have a bedside table next to the bed, and even possibly a bedside lamp on top of that…

So, things to go shopping for today: Coffee tables, lamps and bedside tables… All very useful, and yet all necessary extras for the room they will go in.

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Click here to view the Ten Tips list.

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Decorating Tip #1 – Choose a good paint color

James — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 01:36:00 +0000

Choose a paint that you can live with for a LONG time. ESPECIALLY for your bedroom. It’s all well and good you choose a color that makes a statement, but in 6 months time, will you still think bright pink is cool?

Things to look out for:

Generally, darker colors tend to make a room seem smaller, so, for those small rooms, like the bedroom, choose a lighter color.
Once your walls are painted, the paint will look darker than when it was still in the can. Choose a color a few shades lighter than what you originally intended.
Find the correct types of paint and what each of their effects are. For example, eggshell or velvet paint have a soft look to them. They go nicely with pastel colors, and are best suited for the bedroom.
Choose a color that complements your room’s decor. Whether contrasting or not, it must ADD to the rooms decor, not detract from it.

Once again, take a look around. There are plenty of website out there with tips on what paint to buy, why to buy it, and which room it suits the most. There are also a lot of sites you can visit with ideas (and photos) for decorating certain rooms. You could take a look at the sites/photos and see what they have done with paint and the contents of the room.

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Click here to view the “Ten Tips” list.

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Ten Tips for Better Interior Decorating and Home Improvement

James — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 10:36:00 +0000

Here is a list of 10 tips for Interior Decorating and home improvement that I thought I would share with the world. I will list the tips tips here, and then over the next few days (possibly 10) I will post articles that elaborate on these tips…

Choose a paint that you can live with for a LONG time. Especially in your bedroom. In 6 months will you still think bright pink is cool?
Make small rooms seem larger. In this day and age, people are moving into smaller and smaller spaces. Learning how to make the most out of the space you have is essential.

Don’t modernize everything. If you have a house with an old fashioned kitchen, turn it into a retro kitchen.
Decorate the walls with framed pictures and paintings. BUT, the key here is to make sure that the frames are good quality, good looking frames.
Use good lighting effects. Find what needs to be lit (is it the room, or just a painting), and do it in a stylish way.
Trash cans are not JUST trash cans. Think of the little things. Just because a trash can is where your dirt goes, doesn’t mean you can’t have a NICE trash can.
Create a focal point in a room. I have already discussed this in a previous article, but it is a key issue in interior decorating.
Create easily accessible “paths” around your house. Don’t make your guests (or yourself) climb over things or have to dodge furniture.
Give each room a function. And make sure that each function can be fulfilled in the room.
Take a look around. Browse the internet, look in the shops… You can get ideas from a lot of places.

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Make your bedroom look cool

James — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 19:26:00 +0000

Ok, it’s not really about looking cool. At the very least, it’s about making your bedroom look good. If you bring a “friend” over for the first time, you have to have a home that you are proud of.

Here are a few tips that will help you guys out there. And girls, I will just be highlighting what you already know. Right??

Get a nice bed cover. Whether a duvet, or a blanket, or even a throwover bedspread to cover your favourite blanket. This is like putting a nice shirt on before going out…
Get a base cover sheet for your bed. This is the sheet that will go on the base of the bed, underneath the matress. It will add a nice touch to the old beds. Don’t do this if you already have a nice base set, like a wooden base, for example.
Decorate the wall with a couple of B&W Photos framed in dark Wooden Frames. This is jsut an example of a decoration, but I think it’s a very stylish one – Remember this?: Focal Points
Put up nice lamps. Not just any rubbish, but something that would add to the room, and yet blend in with the theme – Read this for help: Personalize your home
Get some scatter cushions. The bane of most males, these are a pointless, yet decorative feature for a bed. I have even come to appreciate the difference that these cushions (IN MODERATION, ladies) can make to a bed and the bedroom.

Anyway, have fun, and let me know how it goes, or if you have any other ideas. Please. And remember, you REALLY don’t have to go overboard. Sometimes, simpler is better…

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Create a Focal Point

James — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 13:20:00 +0000

This applies everywhere:

Entrance Room
Front Door
Garden
Lounge
Bedroom

Take a look at this photo. The room is quite small, but as soon as you walk in the door, you’re looking at the picture on the wall. Then, you look at the cushion on the bed. This has all kept your eyes left, and you’ve missed the fact that there isn’t much space. (Well, you the reader have had no choice to look left, that’s how i took the photo).

There are a number of ways to do this.

Use an architectural feature – For example, a fireplace, or a defining Window
Use flowers as a focal point – Read this post for an idea on pot plants
Use artwork – You can use paintings, or decorative vases

The point of a focal point (no pun intended) is to give your eye something to look at as soon as you walk into a room or an area. If your eye is immediately attracted to an appealing image, well, let’s just remember the phrase “first impressions last”. But a focal point can also help reduce clutter. It can help you overlook the business of a room, by giving you a point of reference.

Just remember, don’t try to make a minor feature a focal point, when there is something distracting close by. A tiny pot plant underneath a Picasso painting will just not do it…

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