The Pros Of Skylights

First let’s talk about the potential upsides to having a skylight or two in your home.

• Added light – skylights can potentially save energy bills in interior rooms that have no side windows, such as bathrooms and attics. This can help you save on your energy bill over time as you won’t need to turn the lights on.
• Added warmth – skylights can allow rooms to warm up in cold winter months, potentially saving on heating bills.
• Ventilation – skylights that you can open can allow for ventilation, this is especially true in attics that have been converted into bedrooms or offices.
• Improved resale value – let’s face it – adding some nice skylights can improve the look, feel, and eventual resale value of your home.
• Added space – adding windows always opens up a room and makes it feel bigger and less confining.  This can be especially true for skylights.
• Added views – if your home is in a lush forest or mountain area, adding a skylight to improve your view of the tree canopy or mountains is a great way to give your home a natural feel.

The Cons Of Skylights

Of course, with anything there are always downsides.  Let’s take a look at what can go wrong with skylights.

• Too much heat – if you live in a warm climate with strong sunlight, adding a skylight could potentially make your home very hot in the summer months.  Shades can help, but windows still allow in quite a bit of solar heat.
• Expensive – adding a skylight can be expensive.  You will need to ensure that it is done right.
• Leaks – a skylight that is not installed properly can potentially leak, causing water damage.
• Positioning – positioning a skylight is an important task that takes a lot of consideration.  Poor positioning can lead to issues such as too much heat or not enough light.

Types Of Skylights

Fixed Skylight – fixed skylights do not open.  They can be a variety of shapes, such as bowed or flat.

Ventilated Skylight – these types of skylight open up, generally at one end like a door via a crank.  Ventilated skylights can also have electric openers that you can operate with a switch.

Custom Skylight – what is your dream skylight?  Skylights can be custom built, however it can be quite expensive.

Ridge Skylight – ridge skylights are on the ridge of the roof and follow the shape of the roof in an arc.

Pyramid Skylight – these skylights extend out from the roof in a pyramid shape.  These are typically seen more in commercial buildings rather than homes.

Let’s start with the most common types of windows you will typically see in a modern home:

Single and double hung windows

Single and double hung windows are similar, the difference being whether one or both panels are movable.  Single hung windows generally have a bottom sash or section that is able to be moved up and down, and the top section is stationary.  Double hung windows generally have both sashes that are able to be moved.  They can be counterbalanced with springs for easy opening and closing.  These are very traditional types of windows that are made by many manufacturers.

Muntins can be added to single and double hung windows – either fake (a wood or vinyl grid placed over a larger pane of glass) or real (individual smaller glass pieces).  Adding muntins to these windows can give them quite a variety of looks and add some flair, perfect for older style homes or homes with a more ornate style.

Casement Windows

Casement windows are attached on one side and open out on one side like a door, generally by a crank and hinge.  These are the second most common type of window style, and have a bit more of a modern stylistic flair.  If aimed correctly at the dominant wind direction they can be great at catching airflow.  They are slightly safer because of the narrower opening, and also seal better against the elements than hung windows.  However they can be damaged if they catch a strong wind.

Awning Windows

These are similar to casement windows but are different in that the bottom opens out, like an awning.  They are generally opened via a crank.  They can be useful in rainy areas where you want windows to remain open in the rain.  They are also good for deterring intruders if placed low enough.

Sliding Windows

Sliding windows are basically what the name suggests – these windows slide back and forth horizontally on tracks.  They are mechanically very easy to use and simple to maintain.  They became most popular in the mid century modern aesthetic, and can still be found on older homes.  Although this style has fallen out of popularity in recent years, it could definitely fit a certain type of home.

Fixed Windows

Fixed windows are windows that are not able to be opened, and are placed where light may be wanted but is not necessary to open them.  They are obviously slightly cheaper than articulated windows, and they can open up the space in a room quite a bit.  The classic front room picture window is a great example of this type of window.

Glass Block Windows

These types of windows are made of translucent glass blocks, and are commonly built into walls as either wall replacements or accents.  This style is a bit dated, and was popular in the 80’s and 90’s.  You don’t see this as much these days.

Skylight Windows

Skylights are windows in the ceiling of your home or office.  They can either be opened or fixed, and sometimes come tinted.  The difficulty with opening these is that sometimes birds can fly in your home!  They can brighten rooms without the use of a lamp, and are great for attics to add some space and illumination.

Bay And Bow Windows

These types of windows jut out from the frame of the house making a semi-circle type shape.  Often a window seat or a shelf is put in this space, or it’s merely an open space if the windows extend to the floor.  Bay windows tend to have more angles, and bow windows are more circular.

The good news is that a simple list is often the best place to start: Here are ten ideas to get you in the creative mood for your own furniture projects!

Storage Beds

A storage bed can be a highly effective way to combine functionality with design and aesthetics, so it only makes sense that it would be one of the first places to go for a DIY plan!
Look into building one and see if it doesn’t get that perfect mix of excitement and practicality you’re trying to find.

Bedroom Cabinet

With a bedroom cabinet, you can find a place to store some of your personal items and belongings right in your own room for comfort and convenience. Making your own cabinet can be a great way to personalize this part of your bedroom and make it more in line with your preferences!

Chests

Looking for some extra storage space around the house? Consider making one or two of your own chests to cut down on clutter, impress guests with your craftsmanship or wonderful sense of style, and find a place to put some of your side items that you have difficulty sorting through.

Coffee Table

For those looking for a stylish coffee table while also keeping within their budget, building one yourself can be a great option. Try thinking about some different styles you’d be interested in and take a shot at hand-crafting your own coffee table!

Bookshelf

You might find that you want your bookshelf to be as unique and personal as your book collection itself! If that’s the case, it would be worthwhile to try making your own; doing so requires relatively few materials and is a fantastic way to practice some DIY skills.

Coat Rack

Getting tired of tossing your coats on the chair or floor? Luckily, you can get your own coat rack assembled in virtually no time at all, which will significantly reduce clutter while also giving you some experience in home furnishing and build confidence for more complex future projects!

Nightstand

Creating a sense of unique style and interesting design for your nightstand can be difficult, but this problem is much more easily solved when you construct it yourself! Plan out some of the details and get started on building it if you want another part of your home to be a more accurate reflection of your taste in furniture.

Picture Frame

Smaller projects can sometimes be even more satisfying than the flashier ones, and this is no less the case for picture frames. Put together a beautiful home for your family photos and travel highlights with a subtle, yet no less effective custom picture frame!

Bed Frame

And speaking of frames, why not tie together your bedroom more creatively with a hands-on attempt at your own bed frame? This isn’t as complex as it might appear at first glance and can be achieved with some easily accessible materials and a handful of simple tools.

Small Tables

Tables are a crucial piece of your home furnishing and yet pre-made designs often come across as bland and unoriginal. Take a stab at representing your own bold or unorthodox choices by building a few of your own small tables to place around the home and bring some lively creativity to the atmosphere!

If this applies to you, then you might want to consider some basic tips and tricks to get the most out of your living room ideas. Here are five ideas to spice up the room and make the image in your head a little bit closer to reality!

Plan Ahead

One incredibly common mistake (especially if this is your first living room design) is to not dedicate enough time to planning the layout of your design. However, planning is the absolute key to success when it comes to home design!

A helpful way to go about this is to consider different viewpoints. Don’t just picture the design from one angle; try looking at it from the center, the sides, the corners, and off in the distance! This will allow you to get a clearer image of what the decor will look like.

Many people also find it useful to brainstorm some ideas at the very beginning and then narrow those ideas down later. Try it out and see if it doesn’t make things a whole lot simpler!

Perfect Sofa

The sofa is the star of the living room, so it stands to reason that the perfect living room begins and ends with the perfect sofa. And don’t let yourself get attached to a specific old sofa if it won’t work with your dream design!

View your living room as a blank slate. Attempting to force your design to conform to a sofa that isn’t right for your vision is a recipe for disaster. It’s important to view everything with fresh eyes and an open mind.

Only then can you truly achieve everything you want out of your home decor!

Artwork

Next, spend some serious time on considering what artwork you might like to incorporate into your living room. This also involves making sure to hang your art in a way that’s proportional to the room’s width and height to not throw off the symmetry of the whole room!

You’ll also want to be sure to select artwork in keeping with the mood and atmosphere of the rest of the living room’s design. Clashing styles between your decor and art pieces will stick out like a sore thumb.

Focus on Comfort

Comfort is incredibly important to your living room’s design. While you, of course, will want everything to look aesthetically pleasing, this will all be for naught if the room itself isn’t enjoyable to spend time in!

To maximize comfort, be sure to pick colors, textures, and materials that you find cozy, relaxing, and in keeping with your own identity and sense of style. Your dream living room doesn’t only look nice; it should feel nice too!

And finally, you should be confident and consistent with any theme or general style you select for your living room. When you mix and match elements from many different themes or periods, it can have a jarring effect and cheapen the impact of the components, each of which might have worked well on its own.

Because of this, you should always remain firm and committed to a single vision that you want from your living room. While this might feel restraining at first, it will certainly pay off in the end!

These five tips should get you well on your way to having a unique, personalized fireplace that helps you finally complete your home. Let’s get started!

Eye-Catching Patterns

Letting it feature stunning or intricate patterns is a fantastic way to get immediate attention on the fireplace and draw your guests into the area. Patterns have the benefit of being able to work well with many different textures, materials, themes, and color schemes and the bottom line is that you can seldom go wrong with a patterned fireplace!

Try looking through some different options for your fireplace pattern and see if something doesn’t grab your attention right when you look at it. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised by the sheer variety and quantity of choices!

Quality Materials

The next major item to consider is the material. And luckily, there is no shortage of options here either! Porcelain, for instance, can be a great choice if you want to try to emulate a wooden fireplace while maintaining a contemporary look.

Alternatively, marble is a wonderful material for a grand or dramatic vibe with your fire pit while concrete can give it a sleek, fashionable appearance while maintaining a traditional function. The best material will depend on your personal preferences, your plan’s layout, and other unique factors, so you might want to make list of the pros and cons of different materials for your fireplace and see what comes out ahead.

Striking Colors

Bold, confident colors can elevate the fireplace to the next level, especially if you’re stuck in a rut and having difficulty setting it apart from others. Options here could include unusual blue shades, a theatrical red tint, or any other color that seems stunning and unexpected.

These striking color tones can have the dual effect of making your fireplace unique and personal while also having an elegant, popular appeal to it. Look through some different color options and keep an open mind about some of the more eccentric choices; you never know what might capture your imagination!

Creative Themes

Another inventive and innovative option for making your fireplace a one-of-a-kind reflection of your own personality is to pick an original theme for it!

One theme you might find interesting is a rustic, natural option that incorporates wooden material and uses potted plants around it. A beach setting can also be achieved very easily with ocean colors and appropriate furniture.

Whatever theme you choose, the most important aspect is that you feel comfortable with and excited by the opportunities it presents. If you truly love the theme, you’ll find that the decor ideas will spring forth with little to no effort on your part!

Modern Sensibility

Even those who prefer a more traditional style for their fireplace could benefit greatly from a hint of contemporary style. And there’s no need to expend great time, energy, or money to give the fireplace this impression either!

Some simple tips to evoke modern fashion include the use of white coloring, hanging artwork around the fireplace area, and an experimental style for chairs or seating facing the fire pit.
Anything that will give the guest a sense of the 21st century will fit in quite nicely and give the fireplace an added sense of sophistication and beauty!

However, this doesn’t have to be the case! If you need a little help brainstorming some fun, thoughtful, and original ideas for your home’s playroom, try looking through these ten ideas and see if something clicks!

Cozy Seats

When kids get tired and want to settle down for a breath or two after playing, it’s best that they have a comfortable seating arrangement to fall back on. This can be done using bean bag chairs, soft blankets, or fuzzy carpets and rugs.

All you must keep in mind with this tip is that maximum coziness is the top priority here!

Bright Coloring

Bold, bright colors for the walls and furniture can establish the right atmosphere and help kids feel more comfortable being themselves in the playroom. As long as the colors are fun, striking, and playful, there’s no such thing as too much flair with the colors!

Try out some different combinations and see what color scheme works best with the rest of your design choices.

Inventive Storage

Many people feel that it’s difficult to find a balance between including enough storage and not detracting from the playful tone of the room. Well, no more!

If you utilize quirky and colorful cabinets, elaborately decorated shelves, or furniture that can double as a storage space, you’re sure to find that there’s no reason having a place to put things should get in the way of the excitement.

Table Fun

Not all play activities have to involve running and yelling, so it can be a wonderful idea to have some tables set up in the room. Kids can use these tables to work on arts and crafts or they might be used for board and card games.

Whatever they end up being put to use for, they will no doubt come in handy along the way!

Art Exhibit

A fantastic way to encourage and foster creativity in kids is to have a place for them to show others their artwork and projects. Having a designated section of the wall for them to put their hard work is a great idea for doing this.

And, who knows? Maybe this little extra motivational boost will help the kids unleash their talents and discover a new passion!

Mini Theater

Speaking of creativity, why not have a space for performances and costumed stories? This could involve a small stage along with an area to keep all the costumes, props, and dress-up materials.

With a bit of time and a few performances, the kids will have a host of new stage abilities and might practically be reciting Shakespeare!

Forts and Playhouses

One easy and simple trick for perfecting the playroom is to incorporate intricate play structures. These could take the form of a well-guarded fort stacked with all the necessary defenses or a secret playhouse hidden in a corner and stealthily covered with some sheets and blankets.

As this is one of the more interactive elements of the playroom, try letting your imagination run wild and see what neat structures you might be able to come up with!

Relaxation Space

In the event of a much-needed break, it’s a good precaution to set up an area for relaxing and sitting! You might try to have a corner for reading and puzzles or possibly a nap spot with comfortable pillows and blankets.

This can become crucial after some time spent burning through their energy supply, so make sure to remember it!

Slides

Adding a slide to the playroom is a very easy way to mix things up a little and create a more active space for the kids.

It might be best to consider some different sizes and styles and see which ones fit best with your playroom and other design combinations. Doing this will help you choose the absolute right fit and make the area a little closer to perfect!

Stuffed Animals

Lastly, don’t forget to include some stuffed animals into the mix! Not only will they add an element of comfort and familiarity to the room, but they can also be useful for games, naps, and general play.

Writing out a quick list of ideas for incorporating stuffed animals into the room can be a very smart way to go about this suggestion!

Fortunately, this process can be simplified with a few key tips to stick to that will save you a whole lot of frustration and headache. Here are decor ideas that are sure to be a blast!

Base It on His Interests

This is the best and most basic way to start off the decor process. Ask yourself some simple questions: What are his hobbies and passions? What does he like to do more than anything? What is absolutely obsessed with?

The answers to those questions can become the core for the bedroom’s design! While the rest of the options tie into this one, you can kick off your decor brainstorming by considering the broad styles you want to use: Whether that’s a movie or TV show he’s in love with (more on this later), his favorite sport, or a specific place that he likes to go to, the idea is to make sure it embodies his own personality.

Once you think about some of interests, then you can move on to the fun part, which is putting those ideas into action!

Choose a Theme

One fantastic way to let all the design elements come together perfectly and in synchronicity is to pick a theme. As you’ve probably already guessed, this is of course going to depend on the interests you just thought about!

If he’s a fan of trains, for example, you could have the whole room designed around locomotive furniture, train tracks, and conductor references. Or maybe he’s a massive lover of camping, in which case you might try adding some naturalistic flair such as logs, a tent around the bed, or branches and plants.

The theme possibilities are practically endless, so try to get yourself to think outside the box and see what kind of creative ideas you can come up with. And don’t be scared to get quirky with it!

Add Interactive Elements

Nothing can bring life to the decor and theme better than giving your boy a way to interact with it and become part of his own world! While an interactive component isn’t required to have a great bedroom design, it can be an added benefit and is something to at least consider.

A great idea here could be to include a part of the room designated for costumes. He can become all his favorite characters and heroes without ever having to leave one corner of his bedroom!

You might also try adding a play structure to the room that can let him climb and jump around while also keeping with the theme. Making the structure part of a bunk bed could be a wonderful way to have interactivity while also conserving space!

Borrow Ideas from Media

With so many film, television, book, and video game franchises out there, you might not even have to come up with a custom theme. Let Hollywood work its magic for you and give you a much needed second to relax!

One choice to consider might be a superhero themed room. You could base the design around the Avengers or even the entire city of Gotham! Alternatively, you might decide to go with a Star Wars theme and let him explore the uncharted territories of space.

A franchise-based theme doesn’t have to lack inventiveness either! Even when you start thinking about pre-created worlds like a Super Mario themed room, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the ideas start flowing.

Include Games

Finally, there’s the option to really take the bedroom up a notch by mixing in some gameplay! There’s a range here as wide as your imagination, from sports to arcade classics to tabletop gaming.

Using some wooden floors and throwing up a hoop could easily turn a boy’s bedroom into his own private basketball court. Or maybe he’s more of a soccer fanatic, in which case you can put up some nets and let him score a few goals!

If sports aren’t so much his thing, it’s always possible to set up a table for card and board games and it also requires very little effort on your part. Whatever games he prefers, the crucial thing to keep in mind is to give him the opportunity to experience them in his own bedroom!

Keeping that importance in mind, here are five of the most easy, simple, and effective ideas to get the ball rolling on finding your perfect dining room design!

Contrast

For this first tip, you’re going to want to concentrate on what has long been a focus and often-used trick in home design: Contrast. Contrast creates a wonderful sense of beauty, mood, and subtle uniqueness in your dining room!

To add some contrast to your design, try focusing on both style and materials. An example of contrasting style could be a mix of traditional chairs and a more modern table in the same space. This can allow for a one-of-a-kind and eclectic blend of different design influences, adding both some originality and excitement to the dining room.

In terms of materials, a contrast can be made in our table and chair example by utilizing different textures for both, which can have an inconspicuous yet impressive effect for when you invite your friends or family over!

Lighting

Lighting is often overlooked in home design, but it can have a powerful impact that shouldn’t be brushed over. Luckily, there are a couple guidelines to stick to here that will have fantastic results!

Firstly, make sure there’s enough light in the room. This applies to both natural and artificial lighting and it’s crucial to remember that insufficient lighting can take the wind out of the sails for some other elements of the dining room design.

Next, you should try finding creative ways to implement the lighting. One especially popular way to do this is using pendants. You also might want to consider incorporating some lamps that fit with a theme or style for the rest of the room, both adding light while complementing the design itself!

Storage

There’s no reason that your dining room design can’t have a functional element to it, and this is reflected nowhere better than in creating some storage space. The best way to do this is to divide your items into two groups: Functional and aesthetic.

Functional items should be stored, as much as possible, into drawers and cabinets in order to conserve space in the dining room. Aesthetic items, on the other hand, can be placed prominently on shelves, table, and stands so that they can help the room’s design come together.

This storage system will help save you a whole lot of hassle while also including the best items in the dining room as part of the design and quietly keeping the rest of the more functional items safely stowed away!

Wallpaper

Reflecting your personality in creative wallpaper choices can be a brilliant and inventive addition to your dining room design! One of the most important factors in this area is to decide what kind of mood and impression you want to cultivate in the room.

If you’re looking for a dramatic tone, for example, it might be best to go for bold and striking colors and patterns. On the flip side, a more traditional and inviting atmosphere might require subtle and muted coloring or simple patterns.

Regardless of what feeling you’re trying to invoke with your design, the key piece of advice to make it a true representation of your personality and decor palate.

Art

Finally, you can spice up your dining room design by adding some artwork to it. Having piece of art included in the dining room can tie other design elements together while also bringing more beauty and style to the space!

The art pieces don’t have to be in any specific medium or type and there’s no end to the amount of variety you can choose from when you pick your artwork. You might be interested in displaying oil paintings on the wall or decorative sculptures on tables and stands.

If you prefer a more experimental art style, what you display could reflect that and the same goes for if you have a traditional art taste. One way to go about this could be to try out different pieces and see how well they go with the dining room. And don’t be afraid to think outside of the box!

However, there are some quick, brainstorm-sparking tips you can keep in mind that are sure to help you choose a design you feel good about. Here are 10 of the best staircase design ideas out there!

Widening Stairs

A simple trick you can use to create a grand, majestic effect for your staircase is to have the stairs gradually widen as they move downward. This will cause them to expand as they meet the ground level and narrow as they move upward, giving the transition an extra impact.

It’s subtle, but it has a dramatic and creative energy to it!

By the Entrance

Often staircases can have the unintended side effect of blocking guests’ view of the ground level of your home. While you, of course, want the stairs to be a noticeable part your home design, they probably shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of the house!

This problem can be easily remedied by having the stairs placed at the side of the entryway, freeing up space for visitors to get a good look at the rest of your home decor.

Concealing Feature

On the flip side, there can also be benefits to having certain selected parts of the home concealed by the staircase. A good idea here could be to use wall covering to hide, for example, a basement entryway.

This just goes to show that certain features can depend entirely on your design vision and there are no universal ‘good’ or ‘bad’ choices here!

Light and Dark

A brilliant and often utilized design principle is the contrast between light and dark coloring. With your stairs, this can be accomplished by using a white base and combining it with dark wooden handrails or stair treads.

Having these light and dark features can be a fantastic way to create a big design impact by using the principle of opposing colors!

Winding Layout

Winding staircases can be a perfect design choice, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they give an elegant and sophisticated tone to your stairs. And secondly, they are a great attention-grabber for when guests first enter the home!

If you’re looking for an easy idea to spice up your stair design and make it more noticeable, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Storage Possibility

If functionality is also a primary concern for you in addition to aesthetics, then it would be a very good idea to have your stairs incorporate storage space into the mix. One neat idea could be to have row of drawers built into the stairway, with a cabinet for large items that need to be stored.

Allowing Space

Designing your staircase to accommodate more space on the ground floor is often a wonderful idea. Consider having the stairs adapt to the openness of the area around them rather than the other way around!

This also frees up possibilities for your other home decor projects while still being able to afford the staircase a sleek and pleasant design.

Using Patterns

You can’t go wrong with adding some geometric patterns! A creative tip here is to utilize a stair runner with patterns, especially if you’re trying to give a traditional staircase design a more modern atmosphere. The patterns can make a great combination with elegant and old-fashioned wooden elements to give a distinct flavor to your home stairs.

A Natural Feel

If you want a rustic air for your staircase that recalls woodland living, there are no shortage of options! Try adding some striking wooden features to the staircase; depending on your preferences, you can make them the star of the show or let them have a more behind-the-scenes role in cultivating this wildlife mood.

Wrapping Design

One last idea that is at least worth considering is a staircase that wraps around part of the home. This has the double benefits of freeing up some space on the ground floor while also creating a bold and impressive style to it!

If you want to include a stunning and regal impression with the design of your stairs, try thinking about this wrapping design a little more and picture the image it would make for your home!