Malaysia’s Interior Design Blog

When decorating your home, there are a lot of factors to consider. Although color, design and overall appearance are definitely crucial to the end result, it’s also important to think about functionality. After all, if a room doesn’t work well for your family after it’s been decorated, it really doesn’t matter how great it looks. Storage is a functional element of your home that you should always pay attention to when decorating. If you never seem to have enough storage space in your home, here are some decorating tips that can help you find a bit more.

Consider Your Options

Before you decide that your home simply doesn’t have enough storage space, you should take the time to carefully assess the situation. If you have a small home, there’s a good chance that you also have small closets. However, perhaps you’re not using your closets as efficiently as possible. Basements, attics, and other prime storage areas should also be considered. If you discover that you actually do have enough storage space but it’s currently filled with clutter, it’s time to clean things up. Spend a weekend cleaning your closets, garage, basement, attic and any other area that you could use for storage. Once you’ve cleaned out the clutter, you might be surprised how much space you have.

Focus on Shelves and Racks

Shelves and racks are a great home storage solution, since they can be functional and decorative at the same time. Look for ways to add bookcases, free standing shelving units and wall shelves to your rooms. Barrister bookcases can also be a good solution, since the pull-down doors will provide added protection to the items you store upon the shelves. If the bookcase has glass doors, you could even use some of the shelves to display knick-knacks and collectibles. In the basement, garage and attic, consider building heavy duty shelves designed to hold large plastic tubs. This can provide you with ample storage space while also keeping items off of the floor.

Racks can be used in many different ways throughout your home. In the foyer, a peg or hook rack can be used to organize the items your family needs every day as they leave the home. They are also handy to use in the laundry room, children’s bedrooms, bathroom and family room to help keep things neat and organized.

Boxes, Bins and Baskets

Boxes and bins are another functional and yet decorative way to add more storage to your home. Today you will find a wide array of beautiful boxes and baskets from which to choose. If you want to reduce visual clutter even more, look for boxes that include lids. A collection of decorative boxes displayed on a shelf or counter could be used to keep often-used items handy and yet still out of sight.

Bins can also be used in a variety of decorative ways throughout your home in order to maximize your storage space. In the kitchen, try using a set of pretty stacking bins to store vegetables or kitchen gadgets. Maximize your closet storage space by setting some stacking bins on the floor. In this position, they will provide plenty of storage space without getting in the way of clothing.

Hidden Storage

When choosing your furniture pieces, always be on the lookout for hidden storage areas. Benches with storage space under the seat, storage ottomans, and beds with drawers underneath the base are all good options. These double-duty furniture pieces can really be helpful when you need more storage space around the home.
Jessica Ackerman is a freelance writer and works for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com. She shares her wealth of knowledge on wall mount candle holders and decorative wall grilles.

If you want to maintain a beautiful living environment, decorating your home is an important task that should never be neglected. Appearance and functionality are two factors that are commonly considered when decorating. However, there’s another important factor that should not be overlooked – the environment. Today it’s more important than ever before to make good decisions about the products you buy and use. When given the choice between a product that is environmentally responsible and one that is not, the eco-friendly product should ideally be your first choice. If you’d like to decorate your home in an environmentally responsible fashion but aren’t quite sure how to start, here are some easy tips to follow.

Look for Recycled Products

Buying products made from recycled materials is a good way to help conserve natural resources. When shopping for decorating materials, you’ll find a wide array of recycled products from which to choose. When buying carpeting and other textiles for your home, consider those that are made from recycled PET plastic. Instead of installing new wood floors and trim, look for sources that specialize in reclaimed wood. Tiles made from recycled glass are a great option for countertops in the kitchen or bathroom. If you take the time to look, you might be surprised how many beautiful decorating and building products are made from recycled materials.

Use Products Made from Renewable Resources

Before you purchase a decorating product, pay close attention to what it’s made from. Items that are made from sustainable and easily renewable materials are always good choices. For example, bamboo is currently being used to make a myriad of home decorating products, ranging from fabrics to blinds to flooring. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. As such, it’s a good substitute for hardwood products. Organic cotton and linen fabrics are also good options. Whenever possible, avoid materials that are made from petrochemicals.

Use Second-Hand and Re-Purposed Items

Before you buy new items for your home, consider buying them from a second-hand store instead. Utilizing second-hand items is a great way to help keep usable items out of the landfill while saving money at the same time. Garage sales, estate sales, and flea markets are also places where you can discover great decorating finds. It can be a lot of fun to find new and decorative ways to use old items throughout your home. In many cases, you’ll even find that older items are more sturdily built than the mass-produced items on the market today.

It’s also a good idea to look around your own home for unused items that can be utilized in different ways. For example, why buy a new wooden dresser when you can simply refinish the old one that’s stashed in your attic? A lone wooden chair that no longer has a matching table could be used as a decorative accent piece beside the fireplace, or in the bathroom to provide a convenient sitting area. By thinking creatively, you’ll find a myriad of ways to utilize the items you already own, thus eliminating the need to consume more natural resources.

Metal-Wall-Art.com regularly features articles by Alyssa Davis on decorating with metal wall art sale and horse metal wall sculptures.

Are you itching to dive into a home improvement project? If your sander is feeling lonely and your paintbrushes are grumbling for lack of use, now is the right time to have fun and spruce up the house at the same time. Which of these weekend projects will keep you busy?

8 great changes for your kitchen

These projects don’t require any hard-to-use tools or cost an exorbitant amount of money. In fact, you might find that most of these can turn into fun family affairs during a long weekend.

1. Replace the faucet. The sink is one of the centerpieces of your kitchen, so make it shine with a new faucet. If you do a lot of cooking, look for one that rises high enough to accommodate large pots. Want something fancy? Look for a faucet with levers or motion sensors.
2. Use vinyl tile. Very affordable and easy to use, self-adhesive vinyl tiles can transform your kitchen floor in a weekend. Remember to take your time, measure each piece twice, and don’t forget to ease the tiles under the baseboards for a more polished look.
3. Paint the cabinets. Take the doors down, clean and sand the finish, then get to work with your paintbrush. If you have a bigger budget, go for a full cabinet refacing.
4. Change the hardware. Don’t want to take the time to paint? Try new hardware for a splash of handsome color. If you don’t want to fill or drill holes, take a sample of your current hardware to the store with you and match up the sizes.
5. Update the lighting. Brand-new lighting can not only give you a nicer work area, it can create a better ambiance. Look for a lighting fixture that stands out for its beauty and charm.
6. Add more storage. Are you tired of seeing those appliances everywhere? Does your pantry need a makeover? Make it happen with an appliance garage or stand-alone pantry that you can assemble yourself.
7. Paint the walls. A burst of unusual color on at least one of the walls in your kitchen can make the entire room seem like a different place. Choose a color that suits your personality and the existing colors in your kitchen.
8. Build an island. Got a bit more cash and need a bit more space? Opt for a rolling island with your choice of countertop material. These can be built from scratch or made from a kit. You will be in prep work heaven by the end of the weekend.

These quick and easy changes can make your kitchen much more fun to live and work in. If you want to do all of them, set aside a month of weekends — just in time for summer parties!

I’ve always enjoyed walking into an Aino Living store – full of colours, interesting items – almost always well priced. Having rebranded themselves from Aino Kitchen to Aino Living, expanding on their offerings beyond kichen installations, this sure is a dynamic company that seems to be heading in the right direction – targeting the middle to upper middle income class.

About 10 minutes ago, I found out that Aino Living was doing daily online deals which they’re calling ‘Online Grab’. I came to know about it via an email that was sent to me regarding today’s deal. Having visited their site, I found out that there will be a daily deal at a vastly discounted price from April 30 – June 1. Today’s deal features a CLAYTAN Wonderland Dinner Set that normally retails for RM139. Deal price is RM49. Hurry now to Aino Living’s Online Grab page if you’re interested.

If you’d like to view upcoming deals, the site provides a preview as well to help you plan your future purchases.

When decorating a home, there are many different factors that need to be considered. Of course, you want your home to be beautiful, neat and decorative. But it’s also important to make sure that your home functions well for your family. After all, even the most beautiful home will seem awkward and unwelcoming if it doesn’t contain the features your family needs in order to be comfortable. If you’d like to make your home a bit more functional while making it beautiful at the same time, here are some decorating tips that can help.

Double-Duty Furniture Pieces

When choosing furniture for your home, look for pieces that can serve multiple functions. For example, a bed with storage drawers underneath can be a great option for small bedrooms.  In the family room, a futon can be a good option. Not only will it serve as a sofa during the day, but also you’ll be able to transform the room into a spare bedroom if you suddenly find yourself with an unexpected overnight guest. In a large living room, a full height freestanding bookcase can provide extra storage while also serving as an attractive room divider. By thinking creatively, you’ll be able to find many different ways to get extra functionality out of your furniture pieces.

Focus on Comfort

When you hear the word “functional,” do you find yourself automatically thinking of work-related tasks? Although you definitely want to make it easy to get work done in your home, it’s also important to consider your family’s comfort. When decorating your home, look for ways to add beauty and comfort at the same time. For example, throw pillows and decorative blanket throws can definitely add a touch of beauty to your living room or family room, while also making the sofa or loveseat a more comfortable and welcoming place to relax. Area rugs can add a touch of color to a hard surface floor, while also providing children with a comfortable, warm place to sit and play. Many times it’s the small decorative touches that can make a room more beautiful as well as functional.

Utilize Spare Space Wisely

If you want to get the most out of your home, it’s important to utilize its space wisely. If your home is like most, there’s a good chance that space is being wasted somewhere. Whether it’s a spare bedroom that is hardly ever used or a basement filled with clutter, there’s usually room for improvement. Start by identifying at least one key area where space is being wasted. If clutter is the primary problem, start by getting things cleaned up. Then look for ways to add functionality to the space in an eye-catching way. For example, although you might need a spare bedroom occasionally, you might need a home office on a daily basis. By adding a roll-top or armoire desk and a bookcase to the room, you can have the best of both worlds. If you need more space in your office, consider installing a wall-mounted Murphy bed to free up floor space when you don’t have overnight guests. You might be surprised how functional and comfortable your house will become after you’ve reclaimed some of its unused space.

Metal-Wall-Art.com senior staff writer, Alyssa Davis, specializes in designing with iron art and horses wall decor.

What’s the single most important thing to setting the mood and feel in your home? And what’s the one thing that almost everybody except professional interior designers pays too little attention to getting just right? Why, it’s lighting of course.

If you get the lighting right – everything else tends to follow. This is the single most important variable in setting your home off to good effect. It’s far most important, ironically, than what’s in it or how well it’s decorated. I say “ironic” here as so many people rightly go to endless lengths and a huge amount of expense in deciding exactly what things to put in their homes, yet lighting – which is relatively cheap – gets neglected. This doesn’t make any sense at all.

It’s far more logical, in fact, to take exactly the opposite approach.

Getting the lighting just right in a style to suit your home is worth spending time and money on. Good lighting combined with, say a cheap dining table and chairs will still make a dining room look great.

But if there’s one aspect of home decoration that it really is worth leaving to the experts, it’s lighting. Getting it just right – and including natural light in this process – is an incredibly complex job. Film makers, retailers, restaurateurs and others know this very well – but for most of us in decorating our homes – it tends to be thought that it’s something we can manage for ourselves.

Don’t fall into this trap. Get the experts in and save money elsewhere. There are some amazingly priced sofas around – like Harveys sofas, for example, which look superb – and particularly so in the right light. Such choices can save you a small fortune – spend half these savings on planning and buying the right lighting and you’ll be making a wise choice that will transform your home for the better.

IKEA’s new foray into the technology zone has produced an affordable console that houses a HDTV, Blu-Ray/DVD player and a 2.1 surround sound system for around USD950 (plus a 5 year guarantee reportedly). Teaming up with HCL Corporation of China, IKEA is now able to retail an all-in-one entertainment console less the wire clutter. The Uppleva features Wi-Fi connectivity, capability to play DivX files as well as multiple USB and HDMI ports for added peripheral connectivity.

The UPPLEVA is due out in autumn and I’m sure will be a hit amongst folks with small living spaces. Those who are often irked by cable clutter will find the UPPLEVA quite appealing too. I sure am hoping IKEA Malaysia carries this product when it’s available.

When the summer sun starts to beat down, attention turns to the great outdoors. Sprucing up the backyard and other outdoor spaces might seem like a time-consuming task, but making your home attractive for summer entertaining can be much cheaper and easier than you think.

7 ways to make your house gorgeous

Keep in mind that small projects can provide big impact. These inexpensive solutions can make your home look like a brand-new abode, just in time for inviting friends over for a barbecue.

1. Power wash the siding. Whether you have vinyl or fiber cement siding, a good pressure washing from time to time can give your home a clean, fresh look.
2. Make the porch inviting. Inexpensive wicker furniture, a few colorful pillows and a table to hold that pitcher of iced tea can turn your front porch into a small living area that invites neighbors to stop and stay awhile.
3. Use ivy for privacy. Want to keep those neighbors from getting too close? Consider trellises covered with ivy to mark the perimeter of your backyard. Not only will you have privacy, you’ll have a lovely green wall to look at while you’re out there basking in the sun.
4. Straighten up the walk. If you’ve got cobblestone or brick for your sidewalk or patio, take some time this spring to level out any areas that might have shifted over time. Got some cash to spare? Plant seasonal flowers along the edge.
5. Spring for new paint. Contrary to popular belief, vinyl siding can be painted. The options for vinyl siding colors are endless; take your time to find one that suits your vision for your home, then spend a week putting on that shiny new coat.
6. Add lighting to set the mood. Who says those sparkly little white lights are just for Christmas? Put them on your bushes and low-hanging trees to light up the backyard during summertime parties.
7. Make a better first impression. Replace that old front door with a sturdy steel one in a color that pops. Not only does a new front door make a great investment, it also ups the curb appeal.

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hot ways to make your house look cool this summer. These outdoor renovations can make your home the talk of the neighborhood while giving you a welcoming place to kick back and relax.

In our last adventure at IKEA, we had planned to get the Trofast shelving unit at a discounted price of RM99 but that was sold out. It’s been over a month now the children’s toy collection continues to grow at an alarming rate (thanks to the wonders of online shopping) and I don’t think the single shelf TROFAST unit would be sufficient to reduce toys clutter in the playroom anymore.

We therefore decided to get 3 shelf cascading TROFAST unit at RM239. We also got several TROFAST storage boxes of various sizes and colours to slot into the shelf and house the toys.

I chose the cascading shelf because it allows me now to be able to place certain toys out of Lauren’s reach, whilst allowing Ryan to be able to access them without difficulty. The children are happy with the shelf and are learning to clean up after they’re done playing. It’s my guess that the colourful storage boxes make a difference to children’s perception – they now find packing up more ‘fun’ to do.

I personally liked the pine frame TROFAST shelf but the cost of RM399 over RM239 for a shelf that is similar in functionality put me off. For a touch of class, the pine frame wins hands down. For us, it made sense to go with the white frame TROFAST because it fits in well with the children’s white BILLY bookcase (which to me was a steal at RM169).

Selling your house can be one of the most stressful situations in your life. Because of this, many sellers choose to have an estate and letting agent beside them to help them through the journey. Picking an agent can be hard; here are some factors to look out for.

Make sure your estate and letting agents are members of the Ombudsman for Estate Agents Scheme; this way if anything goes wrong and you put in a claim for compensation, they can help you.

Always get a second and third opinion on valuations and remember you can haggle over the estate and letting agents’ fee, it is in your interest to lower it and in theirs to make it as high as possible.

Remember to read the small print. While the vast majority of estate and letting agents are honest and abide by standard industry agreements, there are some that don’t. Read all documentation carefully and discuss exactly what it is that your agent will be doing to earn their fees.

Remember to check what a percentage fee will actually work out as; while one per cent of the sale may not sound like much, it can add up to a lot. Always ask the estate and letting agents to illustrate how much it will work out as, and remember you will have to pay VAT on top of that. There are often hidden charges involved in selling your home such as advertising fees and ‘For Sale’ boards; check if these are included, and if not – get it in writing how much these ‘extras’ will cost you.

Check if you are entering into a ‘Sole Agency’ or ‘Sole Selling Rights’ agreement. With ‘sole selling rights’, if you find a buyer yourself you will still be liable for the estate and letting agents fees. ‘Sole agency’ means that if you find a buyer, you won’t have to pay fees but may have to pay advertising costs.