Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Five Important Tips to Optimize Your Basement Design Idea

A beautiful and functional basement lies on a good basement design idea. Having a plan or design will tell exactly if renovation is going according to how you want it. The challenge is on what to do next. Another strong consideration is figuring out how to do it. In the process, you will have to do a little research. Perhaps this article will help you.
To get your basement design idea running, it is always easier if you know some basic tips to optimize your plan. Here are some important pointers that you should know:


- Glass fixtures can be used both on windows as well as on doors. This will allow more light to come in during the day and saves you electricity costs. Instead of using solid wooden doors for your entrance door leading to your basement, design it that you will have a glass fixed in it. It doesn't only give more light but also prevents someone from being slammed while going up in the basement stairs. This basement design idea is used in so many households today.
- The basement plan should be applicable to a multi-functional room. It gives you more freedom to explore on other concepts in optimizing your basement's usability. Especially if your den has a lot of space, you might want to check on each corner. For example, you might want to use the dark sections as a mini-theatre since light is not likely to set in. It's a very practical basement design idea everybody can agree on.
- Use colors that are light and easy to the eyes. Light colored walls tend to project an illusion of a bigger space. You might want to consider pastel colors. Mirrors are good options too but be cautious of its impact to the entire interior design. Make sure to put them in areas where light is most abundant. The basement design idea of using mirrors is not popular in though.
- Ducts and plumbing pipes should be engineered with aesthetics. Your basement is usually where the pipes and ducts are accessible and therefore visible. Considering this should help you in planning your basement design idea. Tell your architect to place those pipes in sections where it can be easily concealed. Allow more ceiling clearance at the center. Putting this in perspective will also give you more options when you hope to remodel your basement in the future.
- Select materials that are waterproof. This basement design idea must be taken seriously at all times. The basement is the lowest point in your home. This is why the plumbing and ducting fixes are done because your drainage settles and converges here. When fixes are made, spills are most probable. Make sure your basement is made of ether tiles or vinyl so it's easy to mop off the spill.
It's helpful to keep these general tips in mind regardless of the purpose your basement. Include these in your basement design idea. Ask friends or a family member what they can add to it. Your basement is also a room in your house. Think of it that way and you'll be getting better results from your concepts.
See the latest updates on the basement design idea that's right for your home. Get more free basement remodeling idea online!

Basement Designs to Stay Away From

Having a finished basement and a unique design can be a lot of fun. I didn't have such luck with my basement, but if you avoid the mistakes I made, your basement designs will go a lot more smoothly. Read on so you won't need to kick yourself in the rear later.
The first think you should look at when deciding on your basement designs is the humidity or moisture that might arise. For instance, I had this brilliant idea that I wanted a hot tub in my basement. You know, so everyone would have a place to relax. It did not turn out to be such a great idea like I had hoped. The extra moisture the hot tub would put out can turn into a huge problem.

 Too much moisture will ultimately lead to mold and rotting wood, neither of which lends itself well to successful basement designs. If you really want a place to entertain, make sure to stick with something dry like a game room or media center. These are great ways to hang out and are nice dry basement designs.
If you run a business from home you may have considered adding a shop or salon in your basement. There are a lot of things you may not have considered in these types of basement designs.
I read about a lady who did crafts and sold them very successfully. She decided to convert her basement into a shop to keep from having to lug her things to a flea market or day fair. The customers, of course, had to come in through the living area of her home to get to the basement, and some days, she just didn't feel like cleaning up.
What would happen of a customer was stepping over the dirty laundry and slipped on a hot wheels car? Unless you keep your house immaculately clean all the time, this may not be one of the best basement designs to go with. If you want to use your basement for your business, make it your personal office. Check out some other option for customers to visit.
Here are a few other things to avoid when you are choosing from different basement designs:
- Don't choose basement designs that include having a lot of books in your basement, clothing, or a karaoke machine. The books can soak up extra moisture and become damaged. The clothing can also soak up moisture, and will mildew and ruin. The karaoke machine is just not a good idea unless every friend you have is a good singer.
- Don't choose basement designs that include carpeting or hardwood floors. You will be replacing it every few years due to damage from the moisture. Instead, go for stone floors, or ceramic tile.
- Finally, don't choose basement designs that feature guest suites, guest rooms, or guest areas unless you are actually interested in having guests.
Visit Basement Idea to discover more fantastic basement ideas and simple ways to finish your basement. Good luck with your basement designs, and use the tips and ideas above to keep you on track. Ending up satisfied with your finished basement is the goal here, and you can do it if you know what to stay away from.

7 Great Basement Design Ideas

Do you have a big, cold, wasted basement under your house? If you do, this is a great opportunity to turn that room into something exciting and in some cases even free up more room upstairs. Basement design ideas are as good as you want to make them. The more you use your imagination, the better ideas you will come up with. Here are 7 time tested basement ideas that can add to your home and make it an exciting place to live:
1) Basement Home Theater - Or maybe just a big TV room if you choose. With the proliferation of reasonably priced LCD flat screens now. this basement design idea is one of the most popular. If you turn your basement into a movie/TV room you can set up great speakers and have a great movie experience whenever you want. It may even save you money on movie tickets!

 2) Basement Workout Room - More and more people are buying tread mills, weight sets, and elliptical machines and what better place to put them than in the basement. Do up the room nicely and you have yourself your own private gym!
3) Basement Workshop - If you have enough lighting and door space to get things in and out, a basement workshop might be right for you. Working in your basement in the cold winter months would be a lot nicer than in that cold garage.
4) Basement Bar / Entertainment Room - If you don't have enough space to entertain upstairs, you might consider moving the party downstairs. This is a great idea for some smaller houses. If you can put in a mini kitchen in the basement and some fun furniture you are ready to party!
5) Basement Office - Many people need to work at home in today's modern world and moving the office downstairs to the basement is a great idea to separate work from play. Making a basement office also frees up a bedroom or the den where the office was.
6) Basement Game Room - Put in a pool table or a ping pong table along with a big TV and you have yourself a game room for everyone to enjoy. Adding a pinball machine will really add to the ambience of the game room!
7) Guest Bedroom - Turn your basement into the guest bedroom and free up a room upstairs for yourself. This will work best if the basement has a bathroom and a shower of course.
Do you want to read more about some of these ideas such as basement game room ideas? If you do please visit my website Basement Ideas.

Monday, March 14, 2011

5 Retro Home Decor Items For a Perfect 1950s Rockabilly Kitchen

One o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock...Rockabilly! You've ended your countdown and now is the time to start on creating your retro home decor dream kitchen in true Rockabilly style. Don't worry, we're here to show you how to get the look with 5 easy and inexpensive pieces.
1. Rockabilly Neon Clock
What would a rockin' retro 1950′s kitchen be without a soda shop style clock, and what would it be without neon, and of course what would it be without TIKI! A Neon Tiki clock combines all 3. How cool is that!
2. Rockabilly Table and Chairs
You can't eat your hot dogs standing up that's for sure, so have a park at a table just perfect for your rockabilly kitchen. A white table top and chrome will do just the trick. Don't forget the chairs, Black cushions with white trims or go for a bit of color with Red and it might even match your T-Bird...how 'bout that!

 3. Rockabilly Lamp
Of course a dark kitchen won't do, you simply must shine some light on it! Can't find Betty Paige? Don't worry, there's always Betty Boop, and she'll look great on a side table, or front an center. The cute Betty Boop lamps are plentiful these days as she's come back in notice of many.
4. Rockabilly Fan
For those hot days don't forget to make sure you're nice and cool. Don't do it with air conditioning, get a couple of 50s retro style fans. Choose a retro style one in pink or Avocado green and any heat from the stove, will be sent right out of the windows, and look good while doing so.
5. Cherry Print Apron
Last but not least, no Rockabilly babe should be without one of these, so whether it's for yourself of your best girl, you just wouldn't have a true Rockabilly Kitchen without it!

Kitchen Wall Clock - What Your Time Should Look Like

You know, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. Every morning I'm sitting at my kitchen table having my usual cup of coffee or two. If I happen to be at home during the noon hour, here I am, back in my kitchen fixing myself something to eat for lunch. In the late afternoon, once again, I'm back in my kitchen preparing the evening meal for myself and my family.
I have noticed over the years that the one thing most kitchens have is a clock hanging on the wall. I have also noticed that the style of kitchen clock hanging on the wall can make the difference between dull and unnoticeable and charming and sensational.

 In order to compliment the style of your kitchen with a wall clock that will be a charming sensation, all you have to do is know what wall clock will add these attributes to your kitchen's atmosphere.
So okay, let the truth be known that the thought of writing this information on kitchen wall clocks wasn't all my idea. I received an email from the contact page of the website the other day. It was a note from a lady by the name of Catherine.
Catherine had written me a note saying that she was browsing through the website and came across "Wall Clocks." As she further explored this section of the website, she was so impressed by the information on kitchen wall clocks, she decided to write me to express her appreciation. So this is actually how I got the idea to write about wall clocks for this special room.
So let me see. Where do I start? How about I go over different styles of kitchen decor and then I will make suggestions of what style wall clock might be the perfect match.
When it comes to kitchen styles or decor, you have Art Deco, Country, Modern and Retro. The colors of this room may or in some cases may not influence the style of wall clock you hang on your kitchen wall. This all depends on basically on the type of wall clock you choose to hang.
I will start out with the Art Deco kitchen. This type of kitchen decor usually has some sort of wall art hanging on the walls. This could be plaques in the forms of fruit or vegetables. Also, the kitchen backsplash walls will typically have mosaic tile murals running above the counters with pictures of Horns of Plenty, Wine Bottles with Platters of Fruit and Cheese or Baskets of a Colorful Fruit and Vegetable Arrangements.
The Art Deco kitchen could be accompanied by several styles of wall clocks. These clocks include the Recipes Decorative Wall Clock which starts its life as an actual painting which is then transformed into a kitchen wall clock. In this style of wall clock you also have Whimsical Teapots, Cappuccino Decorative and The Vitis wall clock that features a Vitaceae vine design. These are more than kitchen wall clocks. These are works of art.
So now let's take a look at Country Kitchens. Here there are a variety of themes to choose from. You have to ask yourself is your Country Kitchen theme based on flowers, farm animals, domestic animals, fruit, vegetables, wild birds or frogs (yes, I said frogs).
If your answer is flowers, then you might want to choose the Sunflower with the Brown center wall clock, Red Garden Wall Clock, the Daisy pendulum wall clock or the Bouquet Tiny Times Clock. Your choice is just a matter of which clock will best match up with the colors and style of your kitchen.
Next we will take a look at the Modern Kitchen. Here you have stainless steel appliances with metal wall tile walls and backsplashes. Glass top tables with acrylic chairs, chrome pot racks and multi-colored small appliances sitting on counter tops. So now you ask me, "What style of kitchen wall clock would be the perfect solution to this modern day mess hall?"
Well let's have a look. You could go with the Stainless Steel wall clock and keep the metal thing going in your kitchen. You could go with the Round Mirror or the Thin Mirror kitchen wall clock. That is, of course, if mirrors in your kitchen are your thing. You can go with the Studio 24 Collection. This stunning contemporary wall clock will turn heads.
This rectangular wood wall clock, finished in Black Coffee, features a curved front with recessed brushed nickel bands, with complementing brushed nickel finished hands. This kitchen wall clock features a curved pendulum that is supported by a bold brushed nickel stick to match the case. You never know what style wall click will have you friends saying, "Wow, where did you get that clock?"
Now let's turn our mind's eye to the Retro Kitchen. For those of you who have the Diner style kitchen in your home, these kitchen wall clocks are for you. You know who you are. You have the red Formica kitchen table with the chrome table edge and four red padded kitchen chairs with the bent metal chrome chair framing. You have a checkered tablecloth and a jukebox table top music selector that just happens to be a combination AM/FM Radio/CD Player/MP3 Player.
Well let's see. What kind of kitchen wall clock are you looking for? You could go with your standard Retro Round Metal Wall Clock in you color choice of red, green, black, silver or white. Then you have the Deco Retro Kitchen Wall Clock. This white porcelain frame is accented wonderfully by retro-styled red Arabic numerals and a red center dial. Maybe?
For those of you who really want the finishing touch to the retro diner look in your kitchen you have to go with a retro logo wall clock. Here you have clocks such as the Coca Cola Double Bubble Clock, the Nesbitt's LTD Edition Double Bubble Clock and the Orange Crush Double Bubble Clock. These are reproductions of the same clocks that hung on the walls of diners across the USA in the 50's and 60's.
So now you know that when it comes to kitchen wall clocks you have choices. So many choices that it is mind boggling. My suggestion, take your time to before you choose your time.
Barbara Tobiasz is an expert in interior/exterior decorating. Along with her husband Joe, they own and operate Wall-Decor-Concepts.com. For more information on Kitchen Wall Clocks, go to Wall Clocks at: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com

3 Kitchen Lighting Styles That Will Give You the Retro Look Your Grandparents Loved

If you want to relive the memories of the past, one of the best ways to do it is adapt a retro look in your home with the right lighting. By simply incorporating the dominant colors used in interior design during the 50's, 60's, and 70's and choosing the kitchen lighting style reminiscent of those very times, you can easily achieve the look you want.
To help you with the kitchen renovation, here are the basic designs of the previous years. To get additional information on these interesting styles below, simply search in your browser for them and you'll have plenty of pictures to give you additional help.
Ball Lamp
The ball lamp was a prominent design during the 70's. The sleek design and striking colors make it a dominant feature of the retro look. If you recall the old Hollywood movies, you usually find it in the dining room as well as the living room of the elite and rich.

 You can bring it back to life by using the same kitchen lighting in the same places. To incorporate the retro look to you lighting, choose colors like orange, yellow or blue or any combination of these. Keep in mind that the retro look portrays a powerful combination of bright colors, so don't go soft and muted with your colors.
Victorian Style Lamp
The Victorian style lamp is a popular type of lighting fixture used in the past years and still the favorite of many modern designers of today. You can incorporate the fixture in your kitchen lighting especially in your buffet table. The added vintage or antique effect gives you the feeling of traveling to the past with ease.
Pendant Lights
Pendant kitchen lighting is also a popular design to achieve the retro look. You can choose from the different designs of the shade that depicts the life of the 50's. Depending on your preferences, you can either choose the old hat design or the vintage umbrella look. If you are a fan of wooden fixtures, get lights made out of wooden materials that were used at that time to add to the effect that you want to achieve. You can find these original light fixtures at various yard sales or even at several online auction sites.
Even up to this time, incorporating the retro style in kitchen lighting still looks good and depending on your home decoration, you might just give it that extra touch with using it. By simply adapting the retro theme and look, you can have a glimpse of the life of your grandparents and get to enjoy being in the past for a moment.
Drop ceiling lights are also in fashion again and should warrant a second look in my opinion.
Visit Lamps at aboutlamps.org to learn more.

Retro Dinette Sets - Back to the 50's

Let's face it, retro furniture just never seems to go out of style. Nothing says retro quite like a retro dinette set that you can use to create a little fun in your kitchen or dining room. It's difficult to say why this style of furniture seems to always remain so popular but my personal opinion is that it is just fun. And when you live in an economy like we do today it's nice to be able to have a little fun now and then.
We know for a fact so undeniable that people come in different sizes, personalities and physical appearance. Some are born cheerful while others prefer to be "emo"; some are brash and others are prim and proper; some can be sweet and there are just those that make your eyebrows rise an inch.

 My personal approach is not to worry about what other people think about my fashions sense or my sense of style - I know what I like.
Oh well, same goes with dining rooms - some are all wood, and yet some are filled with so much color and filled with so much vibrancy. Painted cabinet, kidney shaped-glass coffee tables colored teal are just so 1950's! You almost can't help but be cheered up a little when you come back home and walk into a kitchen or dining room with a classic looking retro table.
Retro dinette sets are very popular due to the reason that they keep coming back...from the past. There is that sense of fun nostalgia that can make anyone smile without a doubt. There is something about those bold colors, checkerboard floors and vivid, shiny chromatic patterns that scream "JUKEBOX!". Almost makes me want to go out and buy a coco cola, or maybe visit a soda shoppe - no wait a minute, we don't have those anymore - unless.....
You can color your kitchen candy red or your refrigerators buttercup yellow - yes, build it up, buttercup! You can even add some lava lamps to add more retro appeal to your dining room. And when your guests see how alive and vintage your little place of dining is, they'd be more than excited and happy to come back...and they'll keep coming back for more.
You can go all out with retro and you wouldn't get that feeling that you have gone too far! When you Marilyn Monroe your kitchen or should you decide to go Audrey Hepburn all the way, your family would thank you and love you more for it. Who's lucky now?
A retro dinette set is a great and simple way to add a little pizazz in a small kitchen or dining areas. For some really great looking new ideas take a look at Tiffany's site kitchen tables for small spaces, for a few creative decorating tips and featuring her favorite kitchen tables for small spaces like a retro dinette set