A Million Lives

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Gary Friedman on Accessories and Furnishings for Luxurious Properties

Living a life of luxury means having a life in which nothing is lacking and money is no object. When someone has a luxury home, they live a wealthy life in which they have the finest collections of accessories and furnishings from all over the world. Gary Friedman is someone who can help people find those furnishings.

Gary Friedman on Luxury Home Decor

Someone who lives a luxurious lifestyle can have a truly unique collection of items to furnish and decorate their property. Indeed, some of these items could be classed as treasures considering the value they have on the regular market. Mostly however, these items allow people to create a unique style that expresses their own personality. They include:

  • Accessories and art. A lot of people would like to have original pieces of art but these are incredibly rare. That said, good art reproductions are of equally high-quality and interest, making a home look more graceful and eminent.
  • The floor is one of the most vital part of the home and must be beautiful and elegant. Luxury homes often have hardwood, stone tiles, and wall carpets. Solid hardwood is perhaps the ultimate in luxury living comma I haven’t been used as an essential element in home construction for hundreds of years. At the same time, high quality drugs can also be added.
  • Natural fibres, silk, linen, and wool are by far the fabric of choice in luxury homes. It feels royal and exclusive. While synthetic fibres are available that look almost the same, a true connoisseur will be able to tell the difference.
  • A luxury home must have a luxury bed and this bed must be fully reflective of the individual’s personality. The luxurious sense however, comes from the linens you use on your bed. Consider that you will spend about a third of your life in bed so do make sure it is comfortable as well. Think about silk,velvet, cashmere, and so on.
  • Luxury bathroom fixtures. The bathroom is the place to go to refresh and relax. Most people feel that our bathroom was an error that is reflective of their own personality. Naturally, it must be sparkling clean. What really provides the sense of luxury however, is the amount of space that you have available. Additionally, you can have special bathroom accessories, tiles, taps, and a top to make it look even more special.
  • It is difficult to choose furniture for a property because this speaks volumes about your lifestyle. You could opt for beautiful antiques or luxury furniture brands to show just how wealthy you are but it is important to remember that your furniture must also be functional.
  • Last but not least, including clever placement of lighting is incredibly important as this helps to draw the eye to the most beautiful part of your home, while at the same creating the atmosphere you would like. Proper lighting is absolutely essential to creating a stunning, luxurious home.

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Tips for Stylish and Practical Interior Lighting

When it comes to building a new home or redecorating an existing one, there are lots of important aspects to consider. One of these is lighting. Each room should have the appropriate type of lighting as this will affect the appearance of the colour of the paint on the wall. Here are some things that you should keep in mind when you are picking interior lighting for your home.

What type of lighting do you need?

The first thing that you should consider are all the tasks that you carry out in that room such as reading, studying, or painting. These are all tasks which require good lighting as you need to be able to see properly, without tiring your eyes. For example, in the kitchen, you should have overhead lighting on the countertops. This will make it easier to cook and to read cookbooks at the same time. In the bedroom, you should focus more on ambient lighting that creates a comfortable environment. If you are the type of person that reads in bed, then you should also have lamps located on either side of the bed. Dimmers are also a great thing to have as they allow you to change the intensity of the light according to your requirements. For example, you can dim the lights for movie night but increase light for studying.

What size and colours to pick?

There are very many different types of lamps out there. You should consider the overall design of the room when picking the colour and size of the lamp. For example, if you have low ceilings then you shouldn’t get a lamp or lamp shade that hangs low, or is very big as tall people will constantly be bumping their head against it. When deciding on the colour, you should consider the overall colour scheme in the room and try to make it match. Also, consider the style in the room, is it retro or modern? The lamp that you pick will look most effective if it matches the overall style of the room; otherwise, it may look out of place.

Where to buy lamps and their fixtures?

There are lots of places to buy lamps, fixtures, and lamp holders. Spares2You is a great place to buy everything that you need for installing lamps. Sometimes when you buy a lamp shade, it doesn’t come with the lamp holders or cables that you need. To avoid going home and finding out you don’t have all the parts you need, you should read the information on the box or consult with a store employee before making the purchase. If you are installing the lighting yourself, then make sure you consider all the safety precautions and don’t put yourself in harm. Electricity is dangerous and when in doubt you should consult a specialist.

When picking the interior design features in the room consider the purpose of the light and the overall design of the room. This way you will surely pick lighting that is practical and compliments the overall design of the place.

overall design of the room. This way you will surely pick lighting that is practical overall the room.

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How to Save Money When Decorating Your Home

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Having moved anatomy new home around 2 years ago I knew that given the outlay I had made on the home itself, any decorating would have to wait. The house however felt really old and tired and kind of made me a bit depressed when I got home from work each night. I sucked it up for around 6-8 months before deciding that I had to take action.

Now I knew that I would not be able to create something that Restoration Hardware’s Gary Friedman may be proud of but nonetheless I did my best, and it all worked out pretty well. If you are looking to give your home a makeover on a budget, here are some tips for you to make it work.

D.I.Y.

The first thing to mention about redecorating your home on a budget is that you can forget about hiring professionals to do anything, unless you have to fix gas pipes or electrical wiring. The cost that you would have to pay for a painter and decorator to come in could well be used on a new item of furniture, some paint or even a new carpet. In truth, this was the first  time that I have ever done any decorating and other than time, it cost me nothing, if you are going budget-style, DIY is the way forward.

Piece by Piece

Don’t expect to be able to radically makeover your home in the space of a few short months and in order to do the best job on a budget, you should do it little by little. Start off with the most commonly used rooms in the house such as the living area and the kitchens, then take your paintbrush into lesser used rooms like spare bedrooms and bathrooms.

Pre-Planned

Although decorating little by little is a good idea, it also makes a lot of sense for you to have an idea of what the other rooms in the home are going to look like before you get started. The reason for this is so that you can pick up pieces for the room ahead of time. For example I knew that I wanted a marine look of my bathroom, even though I wouldn’t be decorating it for some months. I was in a  flea market on vacation and I saw all of these cheap maritime antiques so I was able to pick them up and they look great in my bathroom. Plan ahead, pick up bargains.

Hacks

If you have a look across social media channels such as Pinterest, or even do a quick Google search for interior design hacks, you will find huge amount of creative and smart ideas to give your home a beautiful look, without spending crazy money. From up-cycling tips to how to make your own furniture, you can find loads of great ideas which will save you plenty of money on your design project.

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How to create a modern kitchen

For most homeowners, the kitchen is more than just a place to cook and prepare food. In the right circumstances, a kitchen can be a hub of conversation, a place to bond with place and family, and a space that is perfect for personal creativity.

Of course, if you want to make the most out of your kitchen, then you’ll need to make sure that it’s properly styled, and protected. Just as it’s important to consider the matrix of what’s covered in home warranty plans to ensure your home is protected in the future, it’s also crucial to make sure that you have a kitchen design in place that’s capable of standing the test of time.


  1. Start by looking at colors

Perhaps the first, and simplest thing any homeowner should think about before they start creating a stunning modern kitchen, is what kind of colors they want to use to demonstrate their unique personality and sense of style. The power of color can transform your kitchen more quickly and easily than you might think. For instance, a drab white kitchen can be completely transformed with just some stylish patterned tiles on the backsplash, and a fresh lick of paint on the cabinets.

For a bold experience, try using contrasting colors like green and purple, or blue and orange. On the other hand, if you want a more subtle and homely effect, pastel shades are always a good bet.


  1. Choose practical accessories

While you want your new modern kitchen to look incredible, it’s important to remember that there’s more to a great home space than just aesthetics. Ideally, you’ll want to pack your kitchen full of tools and accessories that make it easier for you to get the most out of your space. For instance, hidden cabinets can give you extra room for storage, while ensuring that you don’t ruin the overall look of your kitchen.

Remember, when choosing accessories for your kitchen cabinets, it’s a good idea to pick colors and styles that fit seamlessly with the design you’re trying to achieve.


  1. Don’t forget the flooring

It’s easy to overlook the power of a beautiful floor when you’re creating a modern kitchen from scratch. However, a boring or dirty floor can easily draw attention from the designs you’ve spent so long perfecting.

Try to strike a balance between choosing a floor that looks incredible with your chosen color scheme, and something that you’re going to have an easy time of cleaning and maintaining. After all, the last thing you want is to end up spending all of your weekends scrubbing your kitchen jut so that it can continue to look it’s best.


  1. Get plenty of light

Light is an important feature in any kitchen and something that shouldn’t be overlooked at any cost. Not only does light ensure that you can be safe and confident in the kitchen when you’re cooking and preparing food, but it also helps to draw attention to all the modern design elements that you’ve implemented into the room.

Try and get a good blend of both natural and artificial lighting. That means investing in plenty of spotlights and LEDs, as well as ensuring you have a large open window space available too.


  1. Choose the perfect countertops

Finally, while everything from the paint on your walls, to the color of your cabinets can have an impact on the way your kitchen looks and feels, it’s important to remember that few things are more appealing in a kitchen than the perfect countertops.

Where possible, try to choose a material that you can trust to stand the test of time. You’ll want something that looks great, but also has the durability to withstand things like hot pans, and other forms of wear and tear throughout the years. Granite and marble are particularly good for these reasons, but there are plenty of options available.

Making your modern kitchen

The right modern kitchen has a lot to offer today’s homeowner. From a place to relax with your friends, to a location where you can enjoy exploring some new hobbies, a kitchen can be a fantastic area packed full of love and creativity. However, just like any space, a great design can help to make your kitchen really inspirational.

With a little care and attention, your modern kitchen could transform your entire home, and give you a focal selling point when it comes to getting on the real estate ladder.

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