Malaysia’s Interior Design Blog

Verpan, originally lighting specialists decided to dabble in furniture design. And boy did they display prowess in this area by coming up with a rendition based on the Panton chair. Verpan significantly revamped the 1973 design with the steel base and tight leather stitching as the key change elements.

Available in four classy colours, this sure is a chair that will be the talking point of any household. A great piece of furniture to have and be truly proud of. Being a fan of beautiful chairs, this sure is one I can definitely appreciate.

One of the rooms that I’ve found is often overlooked or left until last when considering interior design, is the guest room or spare room.
Perhaps because it is used less than the other rooms, the decor of the spare or guest room is sometimes at odds with that of the rest of the house, but I believe this is a mistake. After all, if you have family or friends to stay overnight, the room you put them up in will be that which creates their lasting impression of your home.
Consider creating a focal point to the room with a sofa that matches your home’s colour scheme and general design. Or, if space is an issue in a smaller guest or spare room, consider a sofa bed instead. This can then double as both your guests’ bed and of course as a seating area, and you can find yourself an absolute bargain in a sofa bed sale.
With so many colours, designs, patterns, sizes and materials on offer these days, finding a sofa or sofa bed to really bring a room to life has never been easier. As the focal point of the room, ensure you choose something that really reflects your personal tastes in terms of look and style.
Along with finding this important piece of furniture, consider the general ambience you wish to create in this room. Floral decor will create a pretty look, whereas nude colours will create a clean and modern impression. Deep rusts and reds can be warming and welcoming, and bright colours are great for a young and contemporary feel.
Take your time to select a look that will complement the rest of your home, whilst ensuring that the spare or guest room has its own individual interior personality too, and you’ll soon have a room that you are proud to put up any guest in!

Behold, a mind boggling work of beauty from Guido Ciompi. These stairs were designed for The Gray Hotel in Milan, Italy.

Simply stair design genius. Wouldn’t you want a set of stairs like this in your home?

If you are decorating one of the larger rooms in your home, perhaps the living room or an open plan downstairs area, one of the most expensive elements will be the floor covering. Because of this it is important to think carefully about your options and make the right choice – the chances are you will be living with this floor for years to come.

Carpets are great for warmth and comfort underfoot, however they are not appropriate for every room – when was the last time you saw a carpeted kitchen or bathroom for example?! Carpets can also look tired and worn quite quickly if they receive heavy foot traffic, and if you choose a pattern or particularly fashionable colour then you may feel that the design of the room begins to look dated after a while too. Hardwood flooring can be a great alternative to carpet as it creates a timeless look which is easy to incorporate into most interior design styles.

If you choose to go with a wood floor then you will need to decide between laminate and hardwood. Each has its own advantages and your decision may depend partly on budget and partly on whether or not you plan to fit the material yourself. Laminate is cheaper overall but may not last as long, however it is easier for a DIY-er to install as it does not flex and expand like real wood. Genuine planks are more of a challenge for the fitter but the final result is perhaps more pleasing though for a large area you will be looking at a considerable cost. If you have hardwood doors then you may wish to match them exactly to a hardwood floor so the decision in that case almost makes itself.

Whatever you go for make sure you choose your flooring wisely and are confident you will be able to live with it underfoot for a long, long time.

Not only is the Acoustable a really good looking coffee table, it can also serve as the music epicentre for your living room. Made from a polymer and mineral blend, the table consist of a top surface that sits on top of a foam core embedded into the base shell. The Acoustable comes with a media player and remote that can neatly be tucked into one of the pre-built pockets within the table. It also comes stock standard with an iPod interface which means you’ll be able to play music from your iPhone, iPod or iPad!

The Acoustable is no lightweight in the area of sound as it is equipped with woofers and speakers to give off enough oomph to wow your guests. It’s no lightweight literally as well, weighing in at a hefty 70kilos! Rest assured it won’t be something burglars will lift. Apple enthusiasts will definitely appreciate it’s simplistic yet extremely elegant design, aligned with many of today’s Apple offerings. I’m sure Jonathan Ive would be approve of this design.

via

Every one of us owns a bed of some description; be it a wooden bed, a metal bed or a leather bed. However, what they all have in common is that they have a mattress on it and, let’s be honest; a bed without a mattress would be useless. So, what is the ideal mattress?

Mattresses have been around for centuries. From the early days of sacks of hay through to modern memory foam mattresses, we have experienced many different types of mattresses and many of us disagree as to which is best.

Metal sprung mattresses are perhaps the most well used mattresses as they are affordable and reliable. With the open or closed spring options you will find that most people will find a hard or soft option that suits them. But, since memory foam mattresses came onto the scene many of us would rather invest in one of those.

So what is a memory foam mattress and how does it work? www.bedstar.co.uk describes it best:

Memory foam mattresses react to body heat and eliminate pressure points on the body, making them very comfortable and good for those who suffer from joint pain. Because there are no springs, memory foam mattresses are effective at distributing weight and you will not be disturbed by a restless partner. They are also hypoallergenic and anti-microbial, making them ideal for allergy sufferers.

So basically it is a wonder mattress! It is one that is said to rid you of those morning aches and pains and surely this is something we would all like eliminated from our lives? No longerwill you have to hobble to the shower and wait for the warmth of the water to sort out your aching back.

Many opt for the memory foam mattress because you have no movement on your side of the bed when your partner is doing a jig or two on the other side. You can sleep soundly, whereas on a normal mattress you would be bouncing around like a jack in a box. This could a marriage saver, not just a sleep saver.

So, perhaps the memory foam mattress is the way to go, what with all its advantages. But the case still remains that they are rather expensive. If you want an investment then they certainly are that, but if you just want somewhere to rest at night without spending all your savings then you might be better going for your normal sprung mattress.

If you would like to buy mattresses online, make sure you take a good look around the Bedstar website. You will be amazed at what deals you might find

If there’s one aspect in our personal worlds that both change constantly and stay the same, it’s trending in interior design. Although new details may emerge each year, the fashion world experiences faster changes than interior design. Some of the now-standard favorites are continuing very strongly in 2011, and other aspects are emerging, primarily in the accessories arena.

Space, Space, Space

Sociologists and psychologists have long expounded the isolation individuals are invoking as the Internet world expands, but it seems humanity is compensating somewhat in our environments. While either actual or perceived space has always had some rules of thumb, the frequency at which space-invoking techniques are being incorporated is growing almost beyond tracking.

High ceilings, big picture windows and open floor plans are definitely leading the space trends in 2011. Avid Internet users may be isolating themselves, according to the humanity experts, but we’re expanding our caves in which we huddle. Creams, ecru and light pastels are adorning walls and ceilings in an effort to present an airy look in almost every room in the home.

If floor plans already have that space readily provided, brighter, bolder colors are often used for palette anchors with complimenting and complementing tints and hues adorn trim and accents.

Geometric patterns in pillows, valances and curtains are becoming more prevalent, and white or light-colored sheer drapes are re-emerging as a space-invoking tool that allows the curtains and drapes to act more as props than actual coverings for windows. It’s not unusual to see thinly-bladed horizontal blinds and a sheer curtain accented by drapes and pattered valences.

Applications, furniture and  are heading from just a modern style—lots of glass, chrome and bold splashes of color—and an industrial style—wrought iron, chrome, bare piping, cement and loft-type appearances—toward what’s known as “techno chic.” From high-tech, sleek-looking electronics and gadgets to steel cabinetry and camouflaged, combined-functioned furniture and accessories, our cave-homes are becoming more technology-oriented.

For example, remember those old steel lockers and cabinets? Techno Chic styles incorporate those seemingly innocuous cabinetry into not just storage lockers but hidden safes and security systems.

Master electronics and home networking control centers are moving from arm chairs and desktops to remote networking and integration. Synching home PCs with laptops, notebooks, tablets and cell phones is conceptually finding homes in homes as well in the mobile, outside world. It’s not unusual for techno-geeks to dedicate more than an entertainment center and a computer table to electronics. Any gadget that has multiple uses or really cool singular operations is increasingly being integrated into home décor schemes. Flat screen TVs that provide both entertainment and wall decoration were a hit when they were introduced, but Techno Chic trend-followers bring their use into a new category.

Gaming systems that allow not only video game playing locally but WiFi integration for Internet play and video and audio streaming are being used almost as often as the DVR purchased last year.

Once upon a time, you’d only see in the movies those desks that have built-in keyboards and monitors. Contributing to both the multiple-function and the camouflage concepts, these once-sci-fi furnishings are finding their way into more home offices than ever before.

Gadget and technology lovers are ecstatic with the confirmation and escalation of the Techno Chic trend in interior design for 2011. Are you an enthusiast, a skeptic or a traditionalist?

This article was written by Holly Miller from Coupon Croc. Save on all of the latest interior design trends when you buy furniture and decor with a Littlewoods discount code.

One of the biggest debates surrounding historical homes is the question of using modern materials to recreate a look that was first put in place well over a century ago. Can modern materials really make the grade? Is searching for the best reclaimed woods, old windows and other original features the best way to go?

Many owners of older homes will point out the difference in cost. Original features can be hard to find, and that makes them rather expensive. Modern materials can be much cheaper. New technologies can make those new materials look very much like the real thing, especially in the case of vinyl siding or replacement windows.

But don’t make a purchase based solely on looks. Take these points about replacement windows:

1. New windows can provide a serious increase in comfort and a significant reduction in your utility bills. Those original windows are lovely, but they are usually single-pane, which doesn’t provide much in the way of energy-efficiency. Replacement windows are double-pane or triple-pane, with modern technologies that make them a superior choice for comfort and savings.
2. New windows can very closely replicate the older ones. Well-known companies like Marvin offer windows that are specifically designed for historic homes, and some smaller companies specialize in creating windows that look as though they have been around for centuries. You can even get these windows in single-pane if you are looking to truly replicate the originals.
3. New windows actually work. Anyone who has ever been in an old house for an extended period of time knows the pitfalls of old window systems. Pulleys, cranks and springs can rust and fall out of service over time, making a window difficult or impossible to open. In some cases there are provisions to keep a window open–how many times have you seen an old window propped open with a stick? New windows can slide open and closed with ease and stay open exactly how you like them. That comes in especially handy in a home that was built before air conditioning became the rage.
4. Custom jobs can give you the best of both worlds. So you want a window that actually works, but it breaks your heart to sacrifice the delicate, bubbled panes or that original stained glass that has been there as long as the house has? You can have both. Custom replacement windows can be created that incorporate those old panes of glass into a new window that preserves the character of the real thing but offers the relief of a simple window that does exactly what you want it to do. However, keep in mind that custom jobs mean the window replacement cost goes up.

A few decades ago, replacement windows looked very out of place on historic homes. Today, they are not only acceptable, but often the material of choice for those who want the old-fashioned look but the modern convenience.

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!