Storage

Use wasted areas of your house for more storage - under the stairs, under the bed, under the sofa, under the kitchen units above the picture rail.

Cover shoe boxes with wrapping paper and use them as storage boxes on shelves. Paint wooden fruit boxes and use them under the bed to store shoes etc. Use trunks and boxes as coffee-tables and bed-side tables. Create built in seats & benches with storage underneath.

Room sizes

Make a room look wider by using horizontal lines - such as stripes or pictures aligned in a row.

Make a room look bigger by painting the walls and floor white. Make a room taller by using vertical stripes and removing picture & dado rails. Make a tall room look smaller by adding picture-rails or borders - or use the same color on the ceiling & the floor. Break up large room with furniture or screens.

Carpets

Never use carpets in bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms. Also try to avoid using it in high- trafficked areas.

Patterned carpets will make a space look smaller. In a small house or apartment use the same carpet and floor color throughout.

Ideas for kids rooms

To create a desk use two small chests of drawers (or your old bedside tables) as legs.Use a sheet of hardwood, perspex or laminated board as the desktop.

Use a row of hooks or pegs on the wall to hang toys and bags - or fix a rail under a bookshelf to hang things on. Decorate plastic bins and use them as storage and extra seats.

Small kitchens

Use tall wall cabinets or roll-up units in small kitchens.

Use the space underneath the plinth (or kicker) for extra storage. Use light colors and shiny surfaces to reflect light. Have only essential gadgets on display!

Money Plant

Put a small money plant next to your front door to attract good luck

A money plant placed next to the entrance will help your finances! Also, if your staircase faces the entrance door, place a plant between them to divert chi

What is Feng Shui?

Feng shui is not a superstition or religion. It is not a decorating style either.rnThis is what Feng shui is about:

Feng Shui is the study of time and space based on ancient cosmology. Feng Shui means wind water – the two elements that force primal energy around space. This energy, or qi, manifests itself as yin and yang. Yin is passive and week, yang is strong and active. Feng Shui’s basic principle is to create balance – between space and time and between yin and yang. rnFeng Shui can improve your health, wealth and relationship; it can increase your motivation, energy and creativity; it can create balance & harmony in your life.

Feng Shui Five Phases

The five phases are the five elements through which qi represents itself – fire, erath, metal, water and wood.

Each phase is associated with a season, directions, colors & numbers. Fire represents Summer, South, the colors red, purple, orange, and the number 9. Earth is associated with Late Summer, North East, the colors brown & yellow; the numbers of 2,5,8. Metal represents Autumn, West and Nortwest, the colors white, silver, gold; and number 1. Wood is associated with Spring, East and South East, the color green and numbers 3,4. These phases have a productive or controlling relationship. When you decorate a room make sure the elements create a balance by using the right remedy to weaken a controlling relationship

Entrance

According to Feng Shui, the most important part of a house is the front door because the energy (or qi) enters our home primarily through it

The path leading to your front door should be curved. The front door should be protected against poison arrows (T or Y junctions or sharp points). The door should not be too large or too tall – qi will escape which could cause you financial loss. The entrance to your home should not be below street level – ideally a flight of stairs should lead to it. It should not open directly onto a staircase or be directly opposite of the backdoor. You could block or divert qi by placing a plant or a piece of furniture near the entrance

Bedroom Feng Shui - bed

The arrangement of your bed is very important for a restful night. Place your bed so that you sleep towards the direction determined by your triagram

Also, make sure that your feet don't face the door, your bed is not placed on the same wall as the door, or under a window, or between a door & window or under any ceiling beams. Your bed should be accessible from both sides and should not be positioned in an angle. But the most important thing is to sleep towards one of your best directions!

Feng Shui Remedies

To correct a controlling relationship between the phases use a weakening phase. These are the remedies for the five phases:

Wood-Earth domination is weakened by Fire – burning candles, fireplace, red lamps, the colors red, purple, orange & pink. A Fire-Metal domination is balanced out by Earth – rocks, ceramic, clay and the colors brown & yellow. Weaken Metal - Wood domination with Water - moving waters such as table fountains, aquariums, humidifiers or the colors black and blue. Earth -Water domination is weakened by Metal – steel, silver, brass, copper and the colors white, gold and silver. Water-fire domination is balanced by Wood – plants and the color green.

Scandinavian Style

The most characteristic feature of the Scandinavian style is the use of wood and making the best of light

Whether you want to create a rustic look, Gustavian elegance or modern simplicity the basic element to use is wood. Walls are panelled or cladded then painted with pale colours. Floorboards are polished, painted or lime-washed. Furniture is hand painted or colour-washed. Soft furnishing is simple. Make sure you use light and airy colors – the typical colors are eggshell white and blue.

Shaker Style

The simplicity and elegance of the Shaker style transcends fashion. It is timeless. To achieve this look you need to combine these basic elements:

Use a color palette that is based on earth colors: terracotta, yellow ochre, olive green, denim blue. Walls are painted with chalky paint, in a pale shade of one of these colors. Use natural fabrics – wool, linen, cotton and silk. Avoid patterns - other than checks. Woodwork and furniture should be simply made, of cherry or maple wood, then varnished. Don’t have any ornaments or decorative items - use peg rails instead of picture rails to hang utensils and other everyday home-ware.

French country

The French country style is based on the rich colors of the Provencal countryside.

To achieve this look, paint walls with warm shades of yellow, gray & green. Use terracotta or slate floors, cast iron or brass fittings, rustic ornaments and rich soft furnishing. This style allows mismatching patterns and furniture - patterns of checks, roosters, leaves, fruits and flowers can be mixed – the color palette should be vivid red, blue and green. Furniture should be simple and rustic - woven rush seats, benches, armoires, dressers, chests etc.