I don’t use curtains for the fact that my place is small. The only place I have a curtain hanging is by the door so that those who will be looking through from the outside will not have a clear view of what’s inside. Besides, I wanted as much outside air coming in so blocking the only window I have will prevent that if I have another curtain by the window.

Curtains are great for making the house more homey. It also prevents outside pollution to come in if you have your windows open and you stay by a busy street. It also hides wall and window imperfections. Blue gingham curtains will make the room cool and you can get them cheaper at The White Company. You can also have light colored ones to make your house brighter but of course it easier to get them soiled so washing will be more often than slightly darker ones.

Have you been to a mall and find yourself more attracted to shops with perfect lighting? Have you been to a wet market and find yourself going to poultry stalls with light bulbs and red cellophane covering it giving a perfect lighting to the chicken they are selling?

Perfect lighting not only attracts buyers but it also eases one’s view.

Here at home, I’m trying to place my sewing machine near an outlet because I’d like to plug a lamp so I can get the right amount of light for me to see clearly what I’m sewing.

When watching movies, though, the lights are at a minimum, using mostly what’s from the screen. It gives the movie a better view.

At night, a standing light is best. Not so dark, not so bright.

Whatever our use for light, it’s always best to have perfect lighting.

Curtains and blinds beautify the window area but depending on your need, one is better than the other.

Curtains are made of cloth, sewn to appear as the design one wanted. As cloth, dirt like dust and grime (especially in the kitchen area) stick to the cloth which will need laundry to make it clean. Small curtains may not be that difficult to manage but when you have bigger ones, especially drapes, laundry becomes much of a hassle. You get to spend much on laundry soap too!

As for blinds, you can clean it while it is installed. You can also dismantle it and hose over it. You may not even have to use soap. You can also have custom blinds that will fit your different windows.

Not all windows will be beautiful with blinds like a castle or a palace…but there are not that many castles and palaces, are there?

I’ve experienced a real fireplace when I was very young. I knew it was enjoyable to watch and a fun way to spend the night in cold weather. I like bonfire better, though, but that’s outdoors. Now, since Baguio is not as cold anymore, I didn’t get the chance to experience such joy again.

With the scarcity of logs these days, fireplaces have gone electric! You have the feel of the real fireplace sans the dirty work, soot, ash and smoke that come with setting up a real fireplace. They have this electric fireplace insert to make your fire visually realistic less the chance of burning your house! You can have it with fire and heat or with fire only.

Isn’t that hot?

A house that’s bare, just like what we’ve moved into now, is just that…bare. No interior design. It offers the benefit of shelter and the rest is up to the mood or outlook of the dweller.

Would it not be great if the walls are painted, the kitchen wall set with glass tiles, the flooring with natural stone and the outdoors with pebbles?

Our stay here is but temporary…a year, probably. If it would be my own house, I make my creative juices flow into interior designing…pocket’s the limit.

Two decades ago, the standard house for sale in a subdivision has 3 bedrooms big enough to fit 2 single beds and you still have some space in between. Now, that has changed to 2 bedrooms which can fit 1 bed. More and more 1-bedroom row houses are being built to accommodate families with low income to give the opportunity of owning a house. It’s not surprising that in most of the designs, you can reach the door from your bed!

It’s still better, though, to own a house instead of renting, but that’s a different topic. When you’re one of those wanting more space because you have more stuff your floor space can accommodate, then you might gain from this post.

Assuming you have your stuff like furniture, arrange them in a modular way.  Arrange big items close to the wall. That way you have the walking space in the middle. Reaching to the left or right will be easier than having your walking space by the wall and everything else on the other side.

Keep stuff you don’t need but won’t throw away under the bed or in the farthest cabinet.

Use the wall. Instead of picture frames, install shelves or wall cabinets (then put your picture frames on the cabinet door if you so insist on displaying them). Hang your TV too. There are several tv stands that are designed to attach to the wall.

Use the ceiling. I’ve seen a small house where the clothes cabinet is hinged to the ceiling. The hinge is on the top front part, the ceiling serves as the cover. There is a hook at the bottom part that hooks to the ceiling when you bring the bottom up. I thought it was really cool. You just make sure you hinge it to the horizontal beam with big screws that can handle the weight of the filled cabinet.

When you’re yet buying:

Think modular. Modular furniture, for example, can follow the form of the space provided. You can rearrange them to fit.

Think stackable. Anything stackable saves space like monoblock chairs.

Think functional. If it’s mere display, think again.

Think multipurpose. If something can do more than one purpose, great! The more it can do, the better. I like my kitchen scissors. It has a can opener, bottle opener, grip, fish scaler, peeler, knife, flat screwdriver and sometimes I use it as a pot holder.

Have you read my last post? About the plan to buy our house is a specific village primarily because of the air?

Well, since it will be a new house, interior designs come to mind. The walls will be filled with detachable shelves higher than our heads while standing so we can maximize the floor space. The floor will have removable rugs so anytime it can be washed. Being asthmatic, I have to choose wisely. The main reason for the rugs, though, is to have something to play on with less furniture. Kids can even lie down on them.

More of what I plan to do with the new house in the future posts.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… CY: wait… I: wait… L: wait… YCat: wait… I: wait… Top: wait… I: wait… L: wait… C: wait…

The office furniture is becoming more homey. It’s actually the point, especially for offices that are in sales. It’s supposed to make you comfortable just like being at home. But what if you have just a small office? Especially with the economic meltdown, almost all people are thinking of saving, saving, saving and maximizing the small space available for the best it could become to generate more sales.

That’s where modular designs come in…to have the best design for the least space you have. Whatever else you have in mind, office furniture can make or break your sale.

There are several reasons why you should choose wool when you are planning to buy an area rug. Let me cite the reasons.

Water Repellent

When you spill water on the floor, you get a sponge or a cotton material to get that water off the floor because getting something made out of wool will just eat off the patience you got left. Wool can absorb moisture but but not liquid. The scales on the outside of the fiber cause liquid to roll off the surface. When you get that wool rug, have a sponge or cotton material ready in case you got some liquid spilled on it.

Fire Resistant

You don’t have to treat wool to be fire-resistant. Wool may catch fire but it won’t support fire to burn continuously. Once the burning area turns into ash, it’s the end of the burning process. It also does not melt so when it touches your skin it will not cause serious burns. When you have to rush into a room of fire, make sure you wear wool. Did you know that firemen’s uniforms are made of wool?

Naturally Elastic

Wool garments are wash-and-wear. It is naturally elastic that when you twist, turn and stretch, it will get back to its natural shape when let down on its own. Wrinkles disappear. That is why wool carpets last long and is best for walkways where foot traffic is heaviest (than having non-wool). Takes more time before you have to change it.

Durable

Each wool fiber is made up of “coiled springs” that stretches instead of breaks under stress. Its appearance stays the same over the years compared with other fabric material–a reason why people hang onto their favorite wool garment. It gives rather than resists friction.

Versatile

Different sheep breeds, each having its own characteristics, give designers and manufacturers a wider range of products like paint rollers, mattresses, carpets, high-fashion suits, coats, curtains, blankets, skiwear, wall paper, tennis ball covering and even underwear.

Static Resistant

Since wool naturally absorbs moisture from the air, formation of static electricity is reduced. It is less likely that someone’s hair will not stand on its own when coming near your wool garment.

Noise Insulator

Concert halls ideally use wool to attain the best acoustics possible. It absorbs sound and reduces the noise level considerably. I think it’s best to surround the walls of the masters bedroom!

Dirt Resistant

Since wool absorb moisture that prevents static electricity build-up, it does not attract lint and dust from air that is why it stays cleaner longer. A little slapping while hanging can do to clean it.

Dyes Beautifully

As long as you can mix the color, the wool fiber can absorb and combine a variety of dyes due to the proteins in the core of the fiber. The scales of the surface diffuse light giving less reflection and softer color. Dyed wool holds its colors well as the dye becomes part of the fiber.

Although you can find cheap rugs, carpets and area rugs are best when they are made out of wool. Ask the seller about it. Price is not only that matters. You have to consider that your rugs will last over generations.