Choosing Blue For Beautiful Bedrooms

Blue is one of the most calming of all colours and can be very easy to work with. Modern and contemporary homes are looking more and more to the qualities of blues such as navy, teal, azure and cobalt.

Like green, the colour blue reminds us of outdoor spaces and nature - specifically our skies and various bodies of water. This connection can also give answers as to why blue is so calming - dreamy blue skies and soothing water therapies. Our contemporary blues do have a tendency to steer towards ocean and aquatic blues that have a gentle shimmer to them.

The many different shades of blue can carry various colours but to stay on trend you should keep things simple with cool neutrals such as a light grey or a pale pink which will lighten darker blues.

Smoky and blue-grey tones are so very now and the best colour for a sophisticated bedroom. Go with a few different shades and give the bedspread or curtains a sheen fabric for added depth and interest. On the contrary, young adults or teens might prefer a more fun approach with bold blues. Make the most of it by adding an accent colour such as hot pink curtains and accessories.

Turquoise is this year's most trendy colour choice and is a blue-green shade. In fact, we are seeing a lot of natural blue-green shades right now and they are definitely the way forward for an ultra modern bedroom interior. Bright and subtle tones are equally on trend and smoky blues are favoured for a more sophisticated edge - well matched with cool neutrals.

Image: House of Turquoise

Fantasy Interior Design Ideas - Alice In Wonderland!

This is urban fantasy where everything gets thrown out of proportion! Mix and match furnitures and the odd colour clash pave the way for this summer trend.
Hot Pink Curtains provide a cheap and quick update for homes looking for the playful side of decorating. Fuchsia pink curtains can be seen next to other brights such as red or yellow for a really spontaneous interior which is bright, fun and funky!

Oversized floor lamps - or anything oversized for that matter - it is one of the key elements of this themed look. Although this is best achieved through decorative pieces such as sculptural floor lamps, artworks or larger than life vases for pretty blooms.

Include the Mad Hatter's tea party as a theme for your dining area using pretty china tea cups and saucers, add a trendy tea pot along with an on-trend table runner made from cotton curtain fabrics online and add oversized cushions and throws to give a quirky, yet very comfortable place to eat!

You don't have to be a child to adore this theme just young at heart with a good sense of fun and the need to do something completely different to your home!

Image: Freshome

Children's Bedroom Interior Design Ideas

We always arrive at a problem when decorating a child's bedroom in the first place. This being that we want to inspire their creativity with lots of colour and things to play with - but at the same time we want to help them get a good night's rest with soothing colours and less clutter.

When bedrooms have multi purposes it is good to try and divide areas up. A simple divide placed between the sleeping and playing areas should do the trick - then you can tone down colours and eliminate clutter in the sleeping quarters!

Sleep time should be calm and quiet, no TVs, computers or games consoles otherwise they'll be up half the night! Try and get into a regular routine from an early age – (easier said than done sometimes!) Use colour to help create a calm environment, paler shades of blues and greens are child friendly, leave the lime green curtains or hot pink curtains until they're a bit older otherwise the intensive colours could have a detrimental affect – rather like sugary drinks they're too much when the time should be peaceful and relaxing!

Image: A Life's Design

Adding Injections Of Colour In Your Lounge

Want to try something new in your lounge and not sure where to start? There are some wonderful interior design ideas which you can use to inject some playful colour into your lounge and it doesn't have to cost a fortune!

For a lounge that receives a lot of natural light, hot pink can be used as the prevailing colour. Paint your walls with the dazzling colour and define it by using fresh white paint for doors, windows and mouldings. Add hot pink curtains to tie in with the colour scheme. Modern white furniture will give the lounge a more edgier and contemporary feel - try a chunky white coffee table to take centre stage and assemble white furniture around it. To ground a very bright room, dark wood flooring and the use of black in accessories will help.

If hot pink isn't your colour choice lime green teamed with aubergine is still a popular colour scheme for modern and contemporary homes. You can simply replace window dressings with lime green curtains and add a mixture of different textures and complimentary colours by using cushions and throws. Ideas like these are easy to achieve and equally as easy to replace if you decide that hot pink or lime green really isn't for you!

Image: belle maison

Decorating Ideas For Young Teen's Bedrooms

Decorating children's bedrooms can be fun, but once your kids reach a certain age you may find there are vast differences between what they like and what you like and that includes the cost!

They're no doubt be after the latest on-trend 'must-have' which will cost an arm and a leg, whilst you'll be looking for value for money and hard wearing, durable fabrics and materials!

Neutral walls and flooring will be a better plan than bubblegum pink or primary blue. You have so many options to add colour in where it can be easily changed, such as the window dressing, that it is better to leave the walls and flooring a neutral canvas that will easily blend into new designs later down the line. If your young teen wants hot pink curtains to match their bedspread then go with it, next year they'll probably want lime green curtains and new duvet cover sets!

Besides, try having the final say on decorating your teen's bedroom! The older they get, the more difficult it is to decorate their bedrooms and the more toys/books/clothes etc. etc. they will have to be stored away - making storage a key planning essential. Furthermore, their rooms become multi-functional and not only will they need it for sleep but for entertaining friends, doing their homework and generally to have seek refuge from moaning mums and dads!

Image: Small Place Style

Choose An Interior Design Theme!

Having a theme is a great way to get the interior design look you want, whether it's whimsical, sexy or just different here's a few tips to the latest interior design ideas which are making it 'big' this year.

A Touch Of The Orient - Give dining rooms a sophisticated update with lacquered accessories and oriental inspired furniture. Dark polished woods give way to glossy red tableware and gold accents. To stop everything looking to heavy you should go for white walls, flooring and light voile curtain fabric at the window for maximum light.

Alice In Wonderland - Thanks to the Tim Burton remake of this classic family movie, a very playful and fantasy filled dining room has been making a huge scene on the design front. Yes - think of the Mad Hatter's tea party and you're on to the right path! Surreal shapes or oversized furniture are at the forefront of this theme - you could always go for a subtler approach with a marvellous cake-stand on the dining table, ornate teapots, candle-holders and mixed up cushions on dining chairs.

Flaunt Those Curves - The latest kitchen designs have proved that kitchens are becoming smoother and less 'square'! Great news for the clumsy amongst us who consistently bump into sharp edges when tackling a Sunday roast! Rounded edges could be brought in with a new round sink, curved faucets or a curved island unit for the ultimate in contemporary styling, use hot pink curtains to compliment the look.

Animal Motifs: From the catwalk into interiors, the animal motif inclusive of all furry, feathered and scaled friends is all over the place! I love it though, as it has a fun element to perk up our interiors. Retro style prints are our favourite and they tie in well with our love of folk-themed interiors this year. There is another side to the animal motif too with bright coloured prints adorning everything from upholstered chairs to funky tableware.

Image: Belle Maison

Using Colour – Pops of Pink

 If you are a true lover of pink then you might wish to experiment with varying tones from a hot pink used for wall paint to lighter blushing pinks in textiles and accessories. Do use colour samples to help you get the right tonal scheme. You might want to try something a little whimsical and unexpected with a pink toilet lid or a pink basin in the bathroom.

A rich fuchsia pink is very glamorous when used with metallics and/or mirrored furnishings - an update on Hollywood glamour you might say. When using darker pinks it is very important to get the lighting right in the room - for a focal wall in fuchsia pink, use flexible wall lights or spotlights.

For a touch of luxury, why not cover an antique chair with stunning pink velvet fabric and team with full length hot pink curtains which pool sensually onto the floor in the bedroom? The mix of old and new is bang on-trend this year and despite the misconceptions of pink being too feminine team it with soft grey or the palest of lilacs and you'll have a winning colour combination!

Image: Belle Maison