Pretty Guest Room Interior Design Ideas

Guest rooms – often a bone of contention and more often than not a room which isn't really given too much thought if the truth be told until the 11^th hour and you realise that your guests are arriving and the room doesn't look at its best! If you're pushed for space it's far too easy to use the guest room as a place to put things out of the way – and here lies the problem, out of sight is out of mind for most of us!

Try and make time to turn your guest room into a functional space which is chic and stylish. You don't have to spend a fortune and you can always use it as a multi-purpose room – most friends and family won't bat an eye-lid and if they do...need I say more!

New white or ivory duvet cover sets, cheap rugs in a neutral colour along with ivory or white curtains is all that is needed to give you the backdrop to use pattern on the walls, bed cushions and throws and accessories. If you go neutral it won't matter which gender your guests are!

Furniture doesn't have to be new, old styled dressing tables will look stylishly chic and team with stripped floorboards or wooden flooring, if you don't want to use curtains, wooden blinds are an inexpensive alternative which team with all styles of guest rooms.

Image: New Home Interior Design

Interior Design Ideas for Kitchen Renovations

As well as moving up and using empty attic space many people extend their homes by adding a new room on the back – this is increasingly evident on terraced styled homes which are long and thin. In the past these Victorian homes had bathrooms added to the back of the house, however, today the bathrooms are being placed upstairs, usually in a spare bedroom for convenience and easy access, while downstairs the space is being used to extend kitchens or turn kitchens into open living kitchen-diners.

One of the most popular choices is to use a conservatory styled roof so that as much light as possible can be guided into the space and back into the house – without this style of roof the original kitchens can become extremely dark and gloomy. However, if the back of the house is south facing it can become extremely hot and unbearable without some form of inside glass covering – Velux blinds are the ideal solution and now you can choose between roller skylight blinds or Venetian skylight blinds – for ease of use and practicality I think I'd prefer to have the Venetian style so that I could adjust the louvres according to how sunny and hot the day is!

Image: New Home Interior Design

Chic, Contemporary Bedroom Interior Design Ideas

Contemporary bedrooms can be, unless you're very careful, devoid of any character, and while the sleek, clean lines and minimalistic approach is wonderfully stylish, it has to be said that it doesn't suit all types of homes.

This may be stating the obvious, but it's surprising how many people try and cram a super king sized bed into a room which is too small! To be contemporary, in the true sense of the style, you need a large bedroom to get the look right. There's little point in tying to use contemporary interior design ideas unless you have sufficient space to do them justice, you'd be better off simply creating a chic, modern bedroom.

If you do have a large bedroom then contemporary styling is perfect, adopt the ethos of the style and you'll create a bedroom which is spacious and elegant. To add the all important character include plenty of different textiles and materials. Use plain superking duvet covers, those with a satin sheen will provide a reflective surface, and use contrasting coloured bed throws to add another dimension to the room.

Don't forget to ground your colour scheme by using large rugs, placing them either at the end or away from the bed itself to really achieve a contemporary look. Rugs placed either side of the bed look great in other interior design styles, but not in contemporary!

Whether you include any pattern in the bedroom is entirely a matter of personal preference, if your bedding and flooring is plain contemporary wall art is a stylish way to include pattern if you want to add further areas of interest into the room.

Image: House Design Blogspot

Interior Design Ideas to Perk-up Your Dining Room

I'm sure I'm not the only person who quickly tires of a colour scheme or the way furniture is arranged. I'm one of those people who twiddle, adjust and re-adjust until the room is just right! There are some easy ways your can perk-up a room without having to go the trouble and expense of completely decorating – my kind of budget interior design!

Large rugs have to be the first way to bring colour and texture into any room and this includes the dining room. Even though the rug may be virtually covered by the table we don't look at our homes with a bird's eye view and therefore the colour can be seen peeking out each time we walk into the room.

As summer's not too far away it's a great time of year to add bold colours, they'll cheer you and your dining room up! Bright, bold colours – with or without a pattern can transform the whole dynamics of a dining room. You can even colour clash – for example using hot pink with lipstick red – to really bring the room alive. Mix patterned fabric with plain and if you're feeling really flamboyant you can also revive tired looking furniture with a lick of bright pink paint!

Image: Rooms of Inspiration

Living Room Interior Design Ideas: Creating Zones

I thought I'd do a little more on creating zones in an open plan living room - or a large living room by giving you a few hints on how to start new interior design ideas.

It could be that you have all your main furniture and are just thinking of ways to arrange it all and make the most of each item. It isn't a bad idea to start with some graph paper and a pencil, downsizing your floor space to fit on your notepad and playing around with the possibilities of floor plans - just focusing on larger pieces to begin with.

Split the main part of your living room into a relaxing area and an entertaining one. The relaxing side may have some extra comfy lounging seats/sofas, a bookshelf, fireplace and small coffee table. Your entertainment half will have more seating, a unit for placing the television,gaming consoles and a clever storage unit with ample lighting provided by an assortment of table lamps UK.

There are some fabulous ideas to take inspiration from; along with colour schemes and how to make the most of what you have by using re-vamping existing soft furnishings by purchasing curtain material online to make cheap cushion covers or Roman blinds. The possibilities are endless if you let your imagination run wild!

Image: belle maison

Autumn/Winter Interior Design Ideas

It's well known that once the fashion industry shows it's latest season that interior designers will also be guiding us to the latest styles and designs which emulate the catwalks.

This season there appears to be two styles which are 'must haves' in both fashion and interior design.

The first is layering up – which means you can use a whole plethora of windows dressing at the same time if you want to be bang on-trend! Layering window dressings is nothing new – it's been around for some time the big difference this year is the amount of layers you you. Basically the more the better!

Begin with roller blinds fitted within the window casing – if you have problems with privacy Venetian blinds can be used instead. Then have full length curtains hung from either curtain poles or curtain tracks; the next layer is a sheer fabric such as silk curtain fabric or voile curtain fabric. Choose a complimentary colour which allows the alternative coloured curtains to show through and you'll have a trendy window dressing which will also help to insulate your home.

The second aspect is lace – and lots of it! You could return to net curtains as your main staple – however to be on-trend you should choose modern designs, colours and patterns. Again, use lace to layer-up your window dressing. Lace would be an ideal replacement for plain sheer fabrics and will add a touch of rough luxe to your room, especially if you steer away from white and opt for ivory or even black lace!

Image: Belle Maison

Interior Design Ideas for Tweens Bedrooms

Create a trendy teen or tween bedroom by using grey as your accent colour - they will surely love you for a contemporary neutral scheme. So hold back from using it on the walls, especially if you plan to make something else from the room when they flee the nest. Instead, use a fresh and light cream for the walls and get creative with a mixture of bedding essentials in grey and black. Choose dark grey linens as opposed to white, a collection of pillows and cushions in a range of greys that might look like pebbles from the beach and a black and white graphic print duvet cover sets.

Make sure you allow your tween to have their say in the style and design of their room. If you don't want the walls plastered with posters give them cork boards on which they can add their own personal notes and favourite images. Keep the window dressings simple – the less fuss the better perhaps more especially for young boys.

Having grey flooring will complete the look add plain bedroom rugs to add a touch of intimacy without going over the top – plain contrasting colours are a good idea and can be changed whenever the room needs a new lease of life.

Image: My Favourite and My Best (Blog)

Contemporary Interior Design Ideas - Squaring

One thing that stands out about contemporary and modern design is its sharpness, its concern with function and function as the design itself. Square angles are incredibly functional – it its basic form it maximises space, it is most conducive to guests facing each other while they sit, it gives the easiest option for placement of tables and other accents.

The look of the square design in a lounge is about creating a subtle paradox – the angles and placement are square and sharp, but some of the pieces are curved and sleek and all serving an exact purpose and function. It is related to the use of and shape of the people who are in the room and this creates a really cool relationship between the people, the design and the pieces.

By having this style and it's objects placed in a square fashion, not only does it increase space – which of course makes everything seem bigger and more open, it gives the visitor more time to reflect on what is in the room and its relation to the space.

These shapes also cause us to be extra aware of the space around the object. A square shelving unit on the wall for example, holding books or decorations inside, but carrying nothing on top is a bit of fun tricking on the mind's eye. It is about function and here is a spot where the function is ignored – it can be used, but is not. This causes us to reflect on the space around it and thus on the piece itself.

Take some of the latest interior design ideas and use them in your home – you'll be amazed how different your rooms will look!

Image: decorology

Contemporary Interior Design Ideas: In The Bedroom

Who said the only furniture in the bedroom has to be the bed, bedside tables and dressers? When you want to add form and function to your bedroom consider adding some seating. This will of course only be possible in a larger bedroom, but if you have the room, an elegant chaise can completely transform it into an luxurious parlour. You could also create a cosy corner with an overstuffed chair, end table, small lamp and a footstool. When you need to create a place of escape within your home, this is a good option.

Add elegance to your bedroom with full length pencil pleat curtains in a soothing, chic colour – again if you've got a large bedroom – have the curtains extend further than the end of your windows to create a chic hotel look. Statement headboards are also part of the contemporary design scene – make your own by choosing fabulous patterned curtain material online. It's a good idea to add extra height to get the full effect and if you can tie-in your bed's valance with the same fabric it will bring a sense of balance and cohesion to your room.

Image: Belle Maison

Interior Design Ideas for Working at Home

Storage in an office is essential and papers just seem to grow! Use one wall as a designated area for books and papers. This can be a bookcase, plastic cubicles or bookshelves. Position your work area in front of the window for the natural sunlight that can provide a sense of well being. Even gloomy days are better than staring at a wall. If there is enough room, bring your desk back from immediately resting against the window frame. This creates a bit of an open concept to eliminate a cramped feeling.

Choose your window dressing carefully – you don't want to block out any natural light but on the other hand you don't want to squinting to see your work. Venetian and wooden blinds are ideal as you can adjust the angle of the slats according to where the glare is coming from, likewise cheap Roman blinds can be pulled up and down and they'll also help to reduce potential heat build-up.

Use a small table or file cabinets to create an L-shape from a straight desk. Everything needs to be within arm's reach but not immediately in front of you. Have a spot for everything and you will become adjusted to keeping your work in order. Dot an empty wall space with a favourite painting or poster that is inspiring. Keep personal photos and momentous items to a minimum. Wires are always a problem with computers, printers and other electronic equipment. Keep them permanently secured and out of sight to prevent tripping over.

Interior Design Ideas Create it Yourself – Using Floral Patterns

It is really surprising what real flowers can actually do for your home and with just a few colourful and attractive looking plants you can really brighten up and give life to an otherwise dull and lifeless home. There are many different species that you can choose from and people are increasingly choosing to use mood changing flowers. You do not necessarily need to spend lots of money on these flowers either as some artificial floral arrangements are extremely realistic and of course never need replacing or watering.

Aside from real flowers and plants around your home, you may even want to consider placing some floral designs on some of the walls, skirting boards or bedroom curtains. Skirting boards are a really nice and easy place for you to start your floral designs. Simply buy yourself a fine paintbrush and suitable paints with different colours and you can start painting flowers by hand around the skirting board of the bedroom for example. If you are not confident with your hand painting skills you can even purchase ready-made floral stickers that look really nice along any skirting board. Team with floral wholesale fabric and make a head-board or curtains to coordinate.

Interior Design Ideas - Where do you Start?

Interior designs offer unlimited trends where investment and opportunity are part of the mix throwing in luxury to create a lavish style you will not want to leave. Some say elegance is an empty room, people often get confused when they first hear this expression!


Walking into an empty room with an open mind brings out designs hiding in the mist. The first step is picturing the finished room; ideas are sketched into the mind. Paper can ruin a plan where your imagination brings the best out of the empty space. Make notes and get a feel for size and the light of the room then begin to draw the picture in your head before putting it onto paper.

Plan, plans, plans, interior design ideas have so much to offer that choosing a particular colour or furnishings requires a modest amount of flexibility. Once you have a feel for a design be prepared to change it to fit the room. Make everything you do accountable, compare designs in magazines and online fabric stores to separate the failures from the successes.

Image: a Life's Design

Interior Design Ideas - Blinds for Bathrooms

Dressing bathroom windows can be difficult as well as exasperating! You know what you'd like but practicality, versatility and performance needs to be given careful consideration before you choose the wrong types and end up with a shabby rather than chic looking bathroom!

Make sure you choose the correct type of Venetian blinds to suit your bathroom, this is because firstly they must fit properly and also be able to function fully. One of the best places to buy Venetian blinds is to shop online. The reason is because they have the best deals on offer and you can choose from a wide range of designs. Delivery is fast and most have a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. This is important if you are spending high amounts of money in buying luxury items for your home.

As you would expect, cheap Roman blinds are not only attractive but also come in many different styles including ready made blinds made from the latest flexible wood-weave materials which are eco-friendly and just about everything else in between. Try to avoid choosing garish pink or vivid coloured blinds as you may run the risk of spoiling your stylish effect in the bathroom. Instead consider another subtle colour such as off-white or cream that goes perfectly well in contrast with fashionable colours.

Image: A Life's Design

Interior Design Ideas – Kitchens the Hub of the Home

Kitchens are the hub of many people's home. A place where people naturally gravitate towards when they come home or at parties! As such this room should reflect the interior design of your home – it's where (rightly or wrongly) you'll be judged, not only for your cleanliness but also your interior design style or lack of it!

Kitchen floors have set a new standard with wood style flooring, marble, and now increasingly popular is the stone magna look. Staying away from plastic floor layouts is recommended and going for smooth slate that is easy to clean and can be polished by professionals or by using high street products. A kitchen rug, with anti slip matting as a safety precaution, can help keep feet warm in winter and add a splash of colour and pattern to coordinate with your kitchen blinds or curtain.

Kitchens can be tailored to fill every inch of space available and finding kitchen units prove an effortless task, the only decision being what to have. Blending kitchen units into the kitchen fittings, floor style, and scenery is something very popular today. Matches are easy to find and the units already take up space, so all that is left is filling in the gaps!

Interior Design Ideas for Halls and Entrances

It's time to add a bit of nature to your hallways. Yellow thistle flowers, which are often referred to as 'pineapples' are really nice wild flowers that look great in an entrance hallway against practically any other colour. This will give your home a summery and welcoming arrival for your guests.

These next interior design ideas are really down to personal preference but as many halls and entrances are dark you may need to add some artificial light. By placing small 'fairy style' lights along the skirting boards of your hallway, this will create a stylish effect at night-time. Try not to over-do it though, just a few light along the floor is more than sufficient for the effect we are looking for here.

By adding a rectangular rug the eye will automatically drawn down the length of the hall – circular rugs are also ideal for square entrances to take away the 'boxy' feel.

A door curtain is also a good idea particularly in older houses as not only will it stop any draughts in the winter it will also add a homely touch to your hall.

Quick and Easy Summer Interior Design Ideas

Today I'm giving you some quick and easy interior design ideas to add an instant touch of summer to your home.


* Make use of plants whether they are real or artificial, as they will add another dimension to your room.

* You may consider hanging a striking piece of artwork on one of your walls, in fact depending on the type of painting it is, you could actually make this a focal point in your living room.

* Another thing to remember and to keep in mind is the lighting that you have in your room. If the lighting is too harsh this can create an atmosphere that can seem too cold and it might seem difficult to relax.

* As for the walls in your dining room you might like to consider keeping them a neutral colour, but at the same time having one of the walls painted in a bright colour as a contrast. Or use teal curtains against beige or white walls to brighten your windows.

* If you are looking to create a focal point in your dining room, a very easy way to do this is to get hold of a large painting, preferably abstract and hang this on one of your walls.

Quick and Easy Summer Interior Design Ideas for Kitchens

It's well known that some people are afraid of using bright colours in a room, but this can be done quite easily and effectively if you choose just one of your walls as a feature wall and use the bright colour you have chosen on just that wall. You can offset and complement this colour, by perhaps painting the three remaining walls in your room in a neutral colour.

It does not matter which one you choose, traditional or contemporary, either style is suitable for any home, but often a more traditional style of decorating will work much better where the kitchen of the house tends to be the place where everyone congregates. Simply by changing your kitchen blinds for a bright, summery colour will help to give it a new look without having to completely redecorate.

A more contemporary look of design is better suited to a home where perhaps your home is also your office and you do a lot of entertaining or have large open plan rooms. You may want to create a new focal point to the room, a nice touch and something that is personal is hanging a large piece of artwork or collage that has been created by you, this will not only create a focal point but will also personalise the room. Look online for interior design ideas to bring a new lease of life to your home this summer!

Quick and Easy Summer Interior Design Ideas for Bedrooms

Its hot and clammy and you can't sleep – we've all experienced it at some time and while the hot days seem to have left us for the time being you can bet that they'll be back within a few days or weeks!

In the UK we just aren't accustomed to sleeping when it hot; many of us live in towns and cities where noise and pollution filters in through our open windows making the whole sleep process even more difficult to cope with.

One of the easy things to do is make sure your bedroom curtains have a blackout lining, this will help keep out any light if you decide to go for an early night! They will also help to keep your bedroom cool if you keep them closed during the day, particularly if you have south facing windows or in the centre of a city. Blackout lining doesn't have to be black, if fact it's usually cream or white, so it won't spoil the appearance of your curtains.

You could also use voile panels to make a modern style mosquito net to place around your bed – at least you won't be 'eaten alive' even if you do find yourselves tossing and turning all night and can't get to sleep!

Interior Design Ideas: Using Green

If you are going to use green as a complimentary colour to accessorise a room, do so carefully. One of the best ways to do so is by using brighter, more striking greens. These will stand out enough on their own to hold up against other colours. The secret to success is to match the green to a colour that suites it well.

One great example is using an apple green next to a rich cream, which will enhance and make the colour bolder, while still retaining its striking appeal. These colour combinations are perfect for creating an informal, yet elegant, lounge or bedroom in traditional styles of homes.

Alternatively, green teamed with aubergine are ideal colours for modern and contemporary homes. Look for bedroom curtains in a rich, seductive plum or aubergine and team with bright citrus lime green bedding sets as this offers an inexpensive makeover for teen's or guest bedrooms. Add a couple of rugs, one green, the other plum to help ground the design and provide a look of balance and cohesion.

As I've said before, 'going green' doesn't mean that you have to turn off all of your lights and electrical appliances – it can also simply mean – choose this fabulous colour to bring a new look to your rooms

Interior Design Ideas: Using Purple

In my last post I talked about plum and aubergine as accent or complimentary colours to team with green. However, being such a regal colour, it can become too serious if used incorrectly. This is especially true for deep rich purples. This is fine if you are looking to create a very ornate and royal looking room such as a dining room or bedroom, however to make it more playful and relaxed try using patterned materials or wallpaper.

Even something as simple as swirls of white, or alternating brighter shades can turn an otherwise stuffy colour in to a very refreshing and laid back look.

These vibrant shades of purple, bordering on the lines of magenta or heliotrope, often look amazing in small accessories and areas of a room. Everything from patterned bedroom curtains, to lampshades and cushions can be purple - adding a strength and sophistication to any area.

Look for fabulous purple curtain fabrics online to see the wide and varied choices of plain tones and beautiful patterns which can used to make soft furnishings, curtains, cheap cushion covers and Roman blinds, to suit the style of your home and décor.