Malaysia’s Interior Design Blog

If you’ve been looking at beds for sale recently and you’re struggling to decide what you want around your home, you might want to consider a mixture of different styles.

People who often have guests staying round at theirs following a night of entertaining would probably be best off having some sofa beds in their living room. This is a great idea if you find you don’t have enough space around your home. If you’ve got a sofa bed in your lounge, your guests can stay there, which means you’re free to make your spare room into a study, nursery or whatever else takes your fancy. If you’ve got a small living room, sofa beds are a fantastic solution to the problem, as you don’t need to worry about fitting a blow-up bed into the area whenever someone spends the night. Instead, you’ll be able to turn your comfortable sofa into a bed for the night, without it impinging too much on the space.

You need to try out sofa beds before you buy them – it’s no use finding the perfect design to complement your home and finding out it’s not comfortable to sit on, or, worse still, sleep on. No one’s going to be too grateful if you didn’t give up your own bed for your guests and they end up having an awful night’s sleep on your new sofa bed, so try it out first. It’s also best to find something which is easy to turn into a bed. If it’s tricky to do, you might end up trapping your fingers, which isn’t the best experience to have! See if you can find out how the mechanisms work on your sofa bed before you get it home, so you won’t have any nasty surprises.

You’re bound to find sofa beds are an extremely addition to any home, particularly if you often have people come to stay.

If you’re lucky enough to have a bay window in your bedroom, you should think about the best way to utilise and decorate the extra space you’ll have.

Sofa beds could be a fantastic addition to your room, as they’re bound to fit nicely into the alcove created by the window. They’re really handy to have as they provide a seating area in your bedroom, as well as another sleeping option if you’ve got guests staying over at yours, particularly if they have children with them. Another option would be to put some other bedroom furniture – such as some low chests of drawers in the window area, so you save space elsewhere in the room. When it comes to decorating bay windows, there are plenty of different options you might want to explore.

You could perhaps consider combining curtains with Roman blinds. You could fit the blind in each part of the bay window, measuring it out so it slightly overhangs. For the best possible impact, go for a bold pattern and design on the blinds, so they really stand out and mute the look down with some neutral-coloured, complementary curtains. This will allow you to control the light which is let in, as well as making the room feel homely and warm when the winter months arrive.

If you’re not a fan of blocking out all of the light in your bedroom, but you want a bit of privacy, you might want to install curtains on the bottom half of the bay. You could use a light-coloured fabric or linen to do this, allowing the room to be bright and airy. If you put them up on a net curtain wire, you’ll be able to draw them back and forth as you want.

There are plenty of different things you can do to make the most of your bay windows, but just make sure whatever you do, you utilise all the extra space you’re lucky enough to have!

If you want to give your dining room a complete overhaul, you could go for some vibrant stripes throughout.

While not for the faint-hearted, those who are a little more brave when it comes to their home improvements should definitely embrace stripes.

Your dining room will look confident and bold if you opt for some wide-striped, red and white wallpaper. It’s best to keep the ceiling white if you’re going for a strong design on the walls, but make sure you paint it first so you don’t end up with any drips on the wallpaper ruining the pattern.

To make sure the paper goes on well, you’ll need to prepare the walls beforehand. Do this by scraping off any previous wallpaper or stripping the paint from the surfaces. If you’ve got a large area to cover, you might want to consider hiring or buying a steam stripper to get the job done quickly. You should apply the wallpaper slowly, starting in one corner and working your way down, smoothing the whole thing carefully to avoid bubbles forming.

Once the wallpaper’s in place, you’ll have the difficult task of finding the right dining room furniture to fill the space. You’ll need to decide whether you want to continue the stripes theme, perhaps opting for thin red and white stripes on the upholstery of the chairs around your dining table or just go for plain white.

Either way, because you’ve gone for such a bold colour on the walls, the table and chairs are unlikely to look plain in any way, which is good news.

If you feel like there’s a bit of stripes overkill in your design, add a splash of a different colour to your room, such as a bright yellow cabinet, to break it up a bit.

Although you may still be hoping that summer is around the corner, it is now an undeniable fact that autumn has arrived. My thoughts are even turning towards Christmas, which frighteningly is merely a few weeks off. I am yet to see any Christmas displays in the shops but I am willing to bet it is days away rather than weeks.

At home the extra thick duvet has come back out and the summer covers are stored for next spring. The bedroom is looking altogether too summery actually, having gone along with the all over floral trend this year I am now itching for another change. One word springs to mind and that is decadence. The bedroom furniture is going to be treated to an extra layer of warmth in the form of an influx of soft furnishings in a more appropriate design for the season. Reading about what’s new in luxurious modern bedrooms I am leaning towards chocolate brown to really warm things up.

Taking a basically white room and removing all the pretty flowers will leave me with a blank canvas, ideal for introducing a totally new feel to see me through the colder months. Chocolate brown accented with lighter tones of coffee or toffee will be perfect for my decadent haven. The wooden bedroom furniture will blend effortlessly and I can see myself now, curled up with a hot drink and a good book. Best of all it won’t break the bank! My other half will be so relieved.

If you are thinking along similar lines then start by stripping back your bedroom to the bare essentials and replace lightweight summer fabrics with thicker, warmer alternatives. Warm up the whole look even more with some comforting colours and really start to luxuriate in a cosier environment. Before you know it early nights will become your new favourite thing!

Living next to Lake Tahoe in California, I’ve noticed that homeowners most typically choose a house siding made of wood to better blend in with the natural beauty of the region. Wood house siding is my personal favorite wall cladding. Homes with stucco siding fit in at pristine alpine areas such as Lake Tahoe or Aspen about as well as the people who wore those outrageous neon ski suits that were popular in the 1980s.

However, as many homeowners who live in snowy areas can attest, the winters that make the Lake Tahoe area famous for its world-class skiing–and the ensuing warm-weather summers–can be hellish on siding and siding finishes. By following a few tips during installation of the siding and ensuing maintenance, homeowners can get better wear out of their wood siding.

Many people choose cedar lap siding because of its looks and durability. Regardless of what type of wood siding homeowners choose, one of the best ways they can ensure that it lasts–and repels water–is to primer the backs and edges of the siding. The primer prevents water from entering the boards, and it also protects the water barrier behind the house siding from becoming wet.

Siding experts also suggest using regular tar paper for a moisture barrier rather than Tyvek due to the tannins in wood siding, which can break down the integrity of other types of housewrap. Tar paper is about as easy to hang as other types of moisture barriers, and it has an incredibly long life–I have stripped many roofs that were baked by intense summer sun for more than 50 years, and the tar paper was still intact and functional.

Another thing that is crucial for house siding in snowy regions is to choose a high grade of wood siding with few knots since the siding is going to expand and shrink much more than in areas with milder weather. Higher-quality siding can reduce troublesome problems such as splitting or cracking that can appear in knotty siding.

Lastly, be sure to refinish the siding often in mountainous areas. If your siding is bare and looks like it needs another coat of stain, don’t put it off. Severe storms can hit anytime in mountainous regions, so don’t get caught bare-sided. Proper maintenance of siding helps stretch its life and keeps it looking good over time.

Whether it’s dark and rainy outside or bright and sunny, the place where you’re bound to feel comfy and safe is in your own living room.

As the name suggests, the space is where you do your living – spending time with your family and friends, watching TV and socialising. This is why it’s so important to make sure the room is bright and cheerful, so it encourages you to spend more time in it.

You’ll need to pick colours which make the room inviting and homely, without being too garish. While acid brights are hot news this year, you might want to steer clear of them unless you’re feeling particularly brave.

Instead, go for warm bright hues such as sunshine yellow or sunset orange. These will help you create the atmosphere you’re after in the space and they’re very cheerful and happy colours.

You can either go for the hue of your choice all over the space, or you might want to throw a feature wall into the mix too. On one of the surfaces, perhaps apply wallpaper which complements the paint you’ve chosen to use in the space, making that particular wall stand out in the room.

If you decide to do this, you’ll need to find a sofa or sofa bed which matches the colour scheme you’ve got, as well. Go for a plain-coloured settee, otherwise there’s a chance there could be a bit too many bright colours taking over the space.

Last but not least, find a stylish rug for the floor in the space – if you’re daring, go for a bright-coloured one, or you can still achieve a great effect if you decide on one a rather more demure shade.

Bright colours have been huge news this year in both fashion and interior design circles, so it will come as no surprise that this trend is continuing into the autumn months of 2011.
If you love floral designs, you’ll be a huge fan of one of the hottest looks to embrace this season. Bold hues and flowers are combining this autumn, so you’ll see splashes of colour injected around your bedroom if you follow the look. Try to avoid going for overkill though – if you go for patterned feature walls, it is definitely best not to go for floral designs on the duvet covers for your double beds

It’s not just bog-standard bright shades which are making a huge splash this season, acid brights are too. You should be looking for really, really bright colours, such as fuchsia pinks and lemon yellows, to decorate your room this year. If you’re not feeling brave enough to put the colour all over, you might want to just take a paintbrush to your bedroom furniture to add some bright hues to your room. Or, you could choose duvet covers which are bright and cheerful, findings ones which complement the bright-coloured accessories you’ve chosen to dot around the room.
Whatever you decide to do to your bedroom, whether it’s adding a feature wall, some bold, patterned wallpaper or even a coloured carpet, the mantra you really need to remember is ‘the brighter, the better’.
Autumnal shades may usually be hot in the latter months of the year, but in 2011, brights are definitely continuing to rule the roost, so you’d be wise to bear that in mind when updating your bedroom.Wallpaper or paint can be used to achieve the look; it doesn’t matter, just so long as whatever you do adds a much-needed splash of colour to your room, without detracting from the homeliness of it.

One of the biggest investments you can make when re-decorating or renovating your property is in the flooring. Unlike changing paint colours with the seasons at minimal cost, flooring is likely to be with you for a long time and as such any decisions need to be thought through carefully.
Like anything else in interior design there are definite trends in types of flooring, colours, patterns and so on. I can still remember the swirly orange and black (yes, you read that right) 1970’s carpet which was my Mother’s pride and joy and the envy of all the neighbours. It may have given us all a headache but it was excellent at not showing the dirt! For many years recently wood flooring has been popular, with everything from stripped original boards to laminate making an appearance in practically every room.
If you go for wood flooring you need to be careful of the other wood elements in the same room. Dark hardwood doors for example will not look quite right against a pale ash floor, and likewise a dark flooring option next to a stripped pine skirting board could clash too. Either tone or match your woods or paint some of it in order to achieve the desired result.
Modern flooring solutions include engineered wood flooring which whilst giving the same finish as a solid wood board is much more stable and can be easier for the average DIY enthusiast to fit themselves. The beauty of wood has got to be its timeless quality. It works equally well in a period-style home to show off your vintage rugs, or in a sleek modern environment as the perfect aesthetic background for all those iconic designer pieces of furniture.
If you are wavering on floor choice then consider a wooden option. Once fitted perfectly it will be with you for years, no matter how often you change design styles – and not an orange swirl in sight!

If you have a living room with a beautiful fireplace then really, this should be the focal point of the room. But if you have a huge TV in the same room this can confuse the design and drag the eye away. One thing many people to is to turn them both into focal points by hanging the TV above the fireplace; this is particularly effective if you have a flat screen model. This turns a whole wall essentially into a focal point, and all the furniture such as leather sofas, chairs and coffee tables can be arranged around it.

Of course you can place the TV on the mantle piece, but hanging it on the wall is certainly more attractive (and safer as the TV can always topple off the mantle). You have to consider also what kind of fireplace you have. Brick fireplaces tend to generate more heat which will affect the longevity and safety of the TV. You can use cement anchors to mount the TV- asking a professional to do the job is advised. Otherwise, if you have a normal, plaster wall, you can use a variety of wall mounts to attach the television to the wall. Make sure not to attach it too high as people will have to crane their necks and strain their eyes to see the screen although you’ll need to hang it high enough to avoid heat damage.

If you don’t have a fireplace, but you do have a large TV, consider placing shelves around it on which you can display pictures, candles, vases, books and DVDs, all of which will make for a more interesting focal point than just the TV on its own. Alternatively, consider investing in an entertainment centre to house your TV and other electrical appliances – DVD player and speakers. Again, this will make the TV part of an interesting display and you can shut it away when required

Buying a new sofa? Not sure what to choose out of the millions of styles and colours out there? Well here are some tips.

First of all, different homes will have different requirements. How large is your living room? How big is your family? How many people need to use your new sofa? Do you have pets or children? You’ll need to take all these into account when choosing a sofa fabric, colour and size.

The size of your family will determine the size of the sofa you need. If you have pets or children you’ll need to pick a hard wearing fabric that is easy to clean. Darker colours tend to hide stains better than lighter colours but neutral coloured fabrics are can be accommodated amongst most colour schemes. Bold, bright colours can make a statement as can patterned fabrics with graphic motifs. Leather sofas are easily wiped clean and are hardwearing (although they can be scratched by pet claws!!) It is also always in style!

Also consider the physical needs of those using it. Sofas need to be comfortable but you need to ensure that they support your body. Test whether you can comfortably get up from the seat and that the back of the sofa is high enough to support your back.

Consider the size of your room. You don’t want your sofa to dominate your room. If placing it under a window you’ll want a sofa with a low back so it won’t block out the light.

Then there is the style to consider. Most styles can be classed as traditional or contemporary. For large families there are L-Shaped sofas and armchairs, loveseats and foot stools can be added to three-seater and two-seater sofa suites.