Home Living & Lifestyle Blog from PineSolutions.co.uk

Nine Amazing Bookcase Designs

2012-01-23T11:48:00.001Z

How To Arrange Your Furniture. Properly.

2012-01-20T17:35:00.000Z

Let's be honest, reorganizing a room is actually quite fun. It's like creating a brand new room! But it's surprisingly easy to do it badly. Instead of refreshing the room and making it new again, you actually make it kind of awkward and inefficient. That's the last thing you want to come home to.

Try following these essential tips next time you want to have a reshuffle:

1. Know The Space

This is really important. I know plenty of people of who have designed rooms only to realise that the space where they put the bookcase in is actually the space they need to open the door. I'm not even joking. A similar thing can happen with radiators or power sockets. It's okay, we've all done it. So try drawing your room first. Measure the space, draw in all the non moveable fixtures (including doors and windows) then measure everything you want to put in the room. It's much easier to find out that something doesn't fit on paper than to discover the very same thing when trying it for real.

2. The Pathway

Not to get too spiritual here, but you need to know your pathway in order to achieve true inner harmony. No, wait, don't leave! Maybe I should rephrase. If your room is being used as a pathway to another room, then you need to consider space. Getting from the hallway to the kitchen shouldn't be an obstacle course so make sure you leave about 3 feet of space to walk in. It's not just about getting from one room to another either. A user at About.com has shared some useful specs on the amount of space you should leave between furniture pieces. Don't treat it as gospel, because you've got do what feels right, but it's a good starter for 10.

3. Symmetry vs Asymmetry

The mistake here is to think that your room should be one or the other. Okay, so technically if your room is asymmetrical then it can't also be symmetrical, but just wait! Let me explain. Most rooms can be divided into sections. Think about how your room is used, you'll find that the sections are self evident. Maybe your living room has some nice inward facing club chairs for coffee and conversation. That's one section. The sofa you use to chill out and watch TV, that's another. If you've got a dining table in your living room, that's another. Now, experiment with symmetry (or lack thereof). For a cool modern look, try to keep everything quite uniform and aligned, but for something more casual, you should try to break the mold a bit. It might be easier to explain if I draw it. It's going to be crude, so bear with me::

See how you've basically divided the room into 'living room' and 'dining room'? Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this design and it could work really well, but for me, it looks a bit too organised. From this plan view, it looks a bit too much like tetris. I much prefer something like this instead:

See how the asymmetry of the room on the whole creates a sense of motion which includes all the furniture pieces? Also, look how much space you've effectively freed up for accessories? Use those corners wisely to display artwork, lighting or flora. In the first example, any accessory you add to the room would have broken the hard symmetry. Tricky balance, isn't it? By the way, I did those floor plans on FloorPlanner.com which is hugely useful resource for that kind of thing.

4. Light Your Dining Table

When possible, always align your dining table with the light sources in your room. That means you line it up with your window and then place it under the lights. If you're lucky enough to live in a house with a nicely symmetrical room, then the lights and windows should line up anyway, you just need to place the dining table in line with them both. If you live in a nice country cottage where the lights and windows don't line up, then we'd say the lights are most important. Placing your dining table under this direct light will displace the light evenly and show off the table as the centerpiece of the room, as it should be.

5. The Right Focus

Creating the right focal point is really easy, but it doesn't always happen on its own. Sometimes your room is just dominated by the wrong elements. Usually unnecessary clutter. The primary focal point should usually be self evident; in the bedroom it should be the bed. In the dining room, it should be the dining table. But what do you do it your focus is drawn elsewhere? Rugs are a great way to anchor parts of the room. Try it in the living room to anchor your seating area and keep it separate from your dining area. Lighting is an easy way to draw the eye. Lamps beside the bed are a good way to draw attention to the bed. Symmetry is important in the bedroom too. Equal space either side of the bed draws the focus towards the bed itself. You could also put some stuff on the wall to draw the eye. Try to keep it appropriate, like a mirror in the bedroom or a clock in the living room.

6. Tables at Hand

Wherever you've got seating, you should have a table at nearby. This means side tables, coffee tables and console tables. It can be tempting to discard that coffee table and have all your surface space at the edge of the room, but you'll only find that you've boxed yourself in and made the room smaller. A coffee table should be about 14 to 18 inches from your sofa. End tables should nearly adjoin the end of your sofa (always leave a few inches of space between the sofa and any other object, be it the wall, a table etc). A table for each seat increases the effectiveness of a room. If you're sitting in a room where you put cups on the floor next to your sofa then I'm afraid you're doing it all wrong... In our opinion.

7. It's All About Flow

As a friend of mind insists on reminding me that interior design 'is like sculpting'. Though it pains me to say it, she's right in many ways. Scale, balance and depth are all very important elements to make your room flow. The best way to create this flow is by using furniture pieces of different sizes. Use them to triangulate. When I say 'triangulate', that's just a fancy way of saying put more furniture in one part of the room than the other. For example, imagine a large bed, two bedsides either side, and a painting on the wall above. You see the triangle? It works on the other axis as well. Think about small dining table with two chairs. Don't place them on opposite sides of the table! Put one at 12 o'clock and another at 3 o'clock et voila: triangle. It really works, give it a try.

8. Not Stealing; Adapting

Unless you want to create something completely off the wall, odds are you already know how you want your room to feel, even if you don't know how it's going to look. So draw upon everything you've ever seen. Movies and TV are a great resource. Maybe you're favourite TV character has a great living room that you wish you could have? Well, in reality, it's probably not so hard to replicate it. I kind of wish I had the same living room as Sherlock Holmes... Design magazines are great, but they tend to be a bit high end with expensive features, so instead try the internet instead. Specifically, try online retailers. It might sounds a bit odd, but most online retailers will have fairly down-to-earth photography on their site. I know we do. These photos are designed to show the best use for each furniture piece, so they're a great resource to draw upon.

That's all I've got for now. Add your own tips in the comments!

PineSolutions January Sale Starts Today!

2010-12-22T15:51:00.001Z

The Must Haves of Interior Design

2010-12-17T14:12:00.002Z

Everyone has dreams, and having a house with a supportive spouse and kids is common in every such dream. Despite this similarity, every house is different. Why is that so? If every home is like any other home, why do all of them not feel like the safe haven where we belong? Well the answer is simple…the following interior design ideas will help you.

Every person has a different choice, and when that choice is applied in decorating each house, it brings out different shapes for each one built from similar ingredients (concrete, cement, etc). Interior decoration beautifies your houses, thus making it your personal cozy heaven.

Interior decoration follows a systematic and coordinated methodology to achieve a structural interior environment. However, its goal is fulfilled if and only if the needs and resources of each client are satisfied. Keeping this in view, interior decoration must have the following qualities:

Creativity

Decorating is a form of art plus a creative process. It is a way to express your soul and bring out your ideas by applying them to the environment around you. Using your imagination, you can dress the space around you in such a way that it truly includes subtle hints of your personality.

Personalization

Interior decoration must have a touch that instantly reflects your personality. This is something difficult. The reason behind this is that most of the people sit back and let the societal norms overcome their personal needs. They give up on their preferences for something they might not like. So the best thing to do is to begin by exploring yourself because that will help you yield an environment that is much more powerful and inspiring.

Bring In Passion

Have you seen an image of a house that has made your heart beat a little faster, that makes your mind spark with new ideas and decorate your house with passion? To have that touch of passion, you need to be unpredictable and innovative. Bring in a hint of glamour in your house to give it a wow factor. This can be done by decorating each of your rooms with lavish fabrics, exotic colors and ground-breaking themes.

Vibrant colors

What would it be like if the world was colorless? The answer is “boring”. Colors do the same job as a smile to a sad face. Hence, the most common interior decorating dilemma is choosing the right colors for your home. However, there is no hard and fast rule to stick to particular colors. Pay attention to your own reaction to various colors and choose the color that truly defines you.

The Element of Comfort

While decorating your house, you need to understand the difference between empty and crammed. Leaving large spaces undecorated and cluttering small places with everything will give your house an insane atmosphere. Stick to your comfort zone and get it clear that decorating is not just about the items in a space. Rather it is about the design and the pattern that emerges when you arrange them.

The dream to have a house of your own is accomplished only when you step inside, and get the feeling that you are home. So, the expression of your inner being is what interior decoration must actually have!

Content provided by Design Shuffle which is a social media site filled with interior design ideas from top tier design talent around the world. Best of all, registration is completely free.

Free Delivery All Weekend at PineSolutions.co.uk

2010-12-10T13:03:00.003Z

This weekend we are offering free delivery on all orders. There is no minimum spend limit, so take advantage of this offer now and tell your friends!

Visit the PineSolutions website

12 Days of Christmas Sale Starts Today

2010-12-01T16:25:00.002Z

Today see's the launch of the PineSolutions 12 Days of Christmas Sale. Every day, until the 12th of December, we will be bringing you an exclusive offer on a wide range of products.

Today's offer features a fantastic 20% off all mirrors with discount code SNOW20.

Visit our 12 Days of Christmas Sale.

Warm up Your Home’s Decor For Winter

2010-11-17T11:35:00.001Z

As the nights draw in, and the temperatures drop, the light, airy feel you wanted in summer can start to feel cold and empty, so why not think about a few simple touches that could really warm up your home this winter.

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

First, check out the fantastic range of modern textiles that are available online, and get some extra cushions and throws for your lounge, to make sure that comfort is always available. You can even invest in some funky draught excluders to match, and combine style and cosiness!

Why not invest in a new modern fireplace, with a funky gas-powered element to create a great contemporary look that is also practical and warm. Or, if you have a more traditional home, why not rearrange your furniture to make your fireplace the focal point, so that you and your family can gather round the fire for a pleasant evening of board games or film-watching.

So, as the winter creeps ever onward, make sure that you keep up, and ensure that your home doesn’t feel cold and uninspiring, and you’re sure to weather the coldest season in style.

Inspirational Lighting Ideas

2010-11-16T16:14:00.000Z

Lighting can be a great way to alter the look and feel of a room. There are so many different ways you can customise the lighting in your bedroom/living room to great effect. Take a look at these stunning room shots and see what can be achieved with various different lighting styles.

Spot lights add focus to a particular area

Under floor lighting idea

Bright, ambient lighting

Dark lighting idea

Colourful lighting

[Via]

How to Decorate with the Colour Red

2010-11-10T16:12:00.004Z

Decorating a room with the colour red can be a daunting task and can easily turn into something that resembles a horror film. Decorating with red can be as simple as adding a subtle accessory or you could go to the other end of the scale and paint a whole room red, either way there are a few helpful hints that can be applied when decorating with the colour red.

What does the colour red mean?

Are you ready for some psychology? The colour red conjures up different feelings for different people, but, the two main definitions of this are love, stimulating, warmth, emotion, passion and on the other side there is anger, danger, adventure. Red draws attention as it is a bold colour and can be quite overpowering. Subtle red accessories can draw attention and focus to a certain area (this works with clothes as well).

Which room works well with red?

Red has been known to work well in dining rooms as the colour promotes sociable moods perfect for entertaining guests. Living rooms with signature red pieces such as sofas, picture frames and accent walls work really well as they attract attention. This also applies to the bedroom as Red is a stimulating colour it should only be used sparingly as the colour evokes passion and energy, which may keep you awake for longer.

Using red with other colours

As any designer will tell you, red is opposite green on the colour wheel so these two work really well together. Red and black work well to create a bold and dramatic scene; red and gold is seen as adding a traditional charm to a room. Blues and yellows can be used with red for a more modern and lively feel. Different shades of red can work in any room. A dark red can be powerful and domineering whilst a soft red can be calm and welcoming. Do some research to find out the many different shades of red and which one will work best in your home.

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3 Easy Steps to Create a Modern Bedroom

2010-11-09T16:02:00.003Z

Are you looking to spruce up your bedroom and give it a modern look? Follow our quick and easy steps to give your bedroom that modern feel.

1) Space - Getting rid of clutter and creating space is the quickest and easiest way to give your bedroom a modern feel. Do you really need two chest of drawers, two bedside tables, wardrobe, dresser, TV and bed all in the same room? Make sure you can see at least 85% of the floor (Yes, you will have to pick your clothes up) as this will make the room look bigger.

2) Accessorise your Bed – A bed shouldn’t just have two pillows and a duvet. Small subtle changes can make a big impact on the look and feel of your bedroom. A crisp white linen set can be completely transformed with a signature cushion or a colourful throw. Don’t be afraid to try something different.

3) Colour – Give your walls a new colour. Changing the colour of the walls will be noticeable and can have the biggest impact on your bedroom. Consider light blues, greens, or grey as well as the crisp clean look of white walls. All of these colours look and feel modern and can be co-ordinated with your accessories.

Why Not Try Something Different In Your Hall

2010-11-03T11:31:00.002Z

The hall is the first room that visitors see when arriving at your home, and it can really set the scene for their experience of your home, so it’s worthwhile putting in some effort to make sure that you are really getting the most out of it.

Most halls are pretty drab in colour, which is a shame, since with a bold shade, you can conjure up a really dramatic effect – try eggplant, lime green, burnt orange or turquoise to really make an impact and welcome guests to your home in style. Another consideration is furniture – if you have the space, why not put in a comfy armchair where you can read your post? This will also have the effect of making the hall feel less like a corridor and more like an integral part of the house, where you may want to spend time instead of just bustling through.

So make sure you think creatively and don’t settle for a boring hall with monotonous colours and sparse furniture – after all, a hall is a room like any other and deserves your attention.

Top 10 Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

2010-11-02T16:31:00.001Z

Getting a good night’s sleep is becoming even more essential now that the long winter nights have set in. Take a look at our top tips for a perfect nights sleep.

1. Use black out curtains/blinds to ensure that your room is totally dark. Your eyes can sense sunlight in the morning causing you to wake up early. Keep the light out and sleep through until it is time to wake up.

2. Take the TV out of your bedroom. Watching TV in bed keeps your brain active and awake which will it make it harder for you to drift off to sleep.
3. Invest in a quality double bed or king-size bed. A solid bed frame will provide maximum support throughout the night.
4. Combine a decent bed with the right mattress. A wide range of mattresses are available and offer different firmness ratings. Take time to read about the different features of each mattress as this is one of the most important elements of a good nights sleep.
5. Try and go to bed at a regular time. This will help train your body to recognise that it is time to switch off and go to sleep each evening.
6. Avoid cigarettes, caffeine and chocolate late in the evening as these will all perk you up when you need to be heading the other way and feeling tired.
7. Try and keep your bedroom relatively cool. The optimum temperature is around 16-18 Celsius. If your room is too hot or too cold this will make you uncomfortable in bed which means you will be awake for longer.
8. Have a warm bath 30-45 minutes before you go to sleep. The change in body temperature from hot to cool is what helps the body drift off to sleep.
9. Do some physical exercise in the evening. Sitting down all day at the office and then laying on the sofa all evening will make you feel sluggish. The lack of stimulation for the brain can actually make it harder to fall asleep.
10. Set an alarm as this will wake you up in the morning so you don’t have to gamble on waking up in time to go to work. Don’t set your favourite song as your alarm tone as eventually you will associate that song with waking up and will start to severely dislike that track!

Let us know below if you have any top tips for getting a good nights sleep.

Table Vase - Simple but Effective

2010-11-01T12:54:00.004Z

It is often the simple ideas that are the best, and this brilliant customisation is no exception. A flower and an empty glass jar has been used to create a unique 'table vase' that gives the impression that a colourful flower is growing out of the table. A really impressive modification that will brighten up any dining table.

*This will require drilling a hole in the centre of your dining table. Ask permission before drilling.

[VIA]

Not Your Average.... Bike Furniture

2010-10-07T11:13:00.003+01:00

What do you do with an old bike that you cant ride anymore? Well, a new range of furniture has been created by designer Andy Gregg who takes old bicycles and creates some really impressive pieces of furniture including tables, chairs, barstools and sofas. His designs use train and automobile windows for tabletops, and surplus automotive seat-belt webbing for seating upholstery. Some really interesting designs here and a great way to add an interesting peice of furniture into your home. Here are a few examples of his work.

http://www.bikefurniture.com/

A Real Narnia Wardrobe

2010-10-01T12:00:00.001+01:00

It appears that the film Narnia was real after all. Well ok it wasn't, but an amazing piece of design and creativity has seen a childs playroom hidden in the back of a wardrobe. This is an extremely cool customisation and brings to life everyones fantasy of opening a wardrobe to find a magical land (Or playroom full of toys).

[Via]

Autumn Clearance Sale - Up to 65% off Selected Lines

2010-09-28T16:09:00.000+01:00

The PineSolutions Autumn Clearance is taking place right now. With over £500,000 of stock included and upto 65% off selected items, this is one of our biggest ever sales. Head over to the PineSolutions website and take advantage of this fantastic offer.

Beautiful Loop Coffee Table

2010-09-27T17:16:00.001+01:00

This coffee table is such a simple an elegant design that really grabs your attention. This amazing design comes from Brazilian company, BaitaDesign, who have used a simple concept to create such a brilliant coffee table. The perfectly aligned spiral flows to create two seperate table tops to place the usual coffee table kit. A great design here and one that we are hugely impressed with.

[Via]

Choosing the Right Wardrobe

2010-09-27T17:02:00.002+01:00

The right wardrobe can provide you with a practical storage solution whilst bringing a charm and character into your home. Deciding on the right wardrobe can be tough due to the vast range of options available. Read on for our guide on how to choose the right wardrobe.

Double wardrobes – This style of wardrobe is one of the most popular choices due to its versatile nature. Double wardrobes are designed with men and women in mind, as gents double wardrobes tend to have a double drawer at the bottom and women’s wardrobes feature a full length hanging space to allow enough room for dresses and gorgeous ball gowns. Double wardrobes are perfect for medium sized master bedrooms or spare rooms as they don’t take up too much space and can add a certain style to a room, bringing it to life.

Triple Wardrobes – These large, three door wardrobes provide all the storage space you will need in your bedroom. Again, the triple is available in a ladies and gents style depending on whether you need full hanging space or extra drawer space. Triple wardrobes can be a great way to maximise storage space for you and a partner. The separate storage compartments will allow for both sets of clothes to be stored neatly but separately within the wardrobe.

It is also important to consider which type of wood you are going to choose, with Oak and Pine being the most popular choices amongst households in the UK. Oak is a classic and reliable choice and PineSolutions has many wardrobes made from sustainable forests in North America, where some of the best wood material is grown. Keep in mind that as the timber matures it will darken to a darker shade and expand slightly. A great alternative to wood is pine. Pine is more affordable than oak, but just as durable. It also has fewer knots, which means it will be less likely to splinter. PineSolutions also stocks a wide range of painted furniture which can create a rustic feel in your home and is a great alternative to the traditional looks of Oak and Pine furniture.

Visit our wide range of wardrobes.

A House Inside A Hill

2010-09-06T17:07:00.000+01:00

This house in the hills can be found in Vals, Switzerland and was created by Christian Müller Architects and SeARCH. This unique design has been designed to blend into its surroundings with the majority of the house built into the hillside. A large wooden terrace creates beautiful panoramic views of the neighboring mountainside landscape. Check out the photos below. [Via]

Another Animal Sofa

2010-08-16T16:12:00.001+01:00

A week after posting our first animal sofa we have stumbled across another one of these strange sofas. This time it is a rather large grizzly bear that has been turned into a sofa. I'm not too sure if this is becoming a worldwide trend for sofa's, but, we will keep you updated if and when we find any more. [Via]

Footprint Design Coffee Table

2010-08-16T10:48:00.003+01:00

Here is a fantastic piece of design from Bulgarian designer Svilen Gamolov. The "Step Coffee Table" features two foot prints mounted on top of each other along with another foot print providing the top surface of the coffee table. This table would look great in any living room or even a café bar in a city centre. Although this design is only a concept at present, it deserves to be made available to purchase for its originality and innovative design. [Via]

Huge Kitty Couch

2010-08-09T16:31:00.000+01:00

This sofa/cat is probably one of the most bizarre designs we have seen for a long time. The kitty-couch is a giant sofa in the shape of a cat which is big enough to seat even the biggest of families with ample seating space. A very interesting design if not a little strange. [Via]

Futuristic Home Furniture

2010-08-04T15:17:00.008+01:00

Today we were thinking about how technologically advanced could furniture become. We have already featured a home sauna which included a TV, DVD player and CD Player (the only thing that was missing was a built in Blackberry Torch), and now we have come across some amazing furniture designs that include: a 'Jetsons' (Cartoon series) style dining pod, a Japanese style set of fold-able rooms and a stack-able garden furniture set. These innovative designs are truly stunning and definitely point to a minimalist style of furniture in the future.

[Via]

Choosing the Right Dining Table

2010-08-03T11:21:00.003+01:00

A good quality dining table can last for generations and be used on a daily basis for a manic breakfast time before the school run and family feasts in the evenings. Picking the right one does require a little bit of careful research and planning. Read on for our top tips on what to consider when purchasing your next dining table.

Size

The size of the dining table is one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a new dining table. Larger dining rooms require a large table but a small dining room would be dwarfed by a large table. It is important to measure up your dining room and plan how much room you have to play with and to ensure at the planning stage you include all the other furniture in the room including, dining chairs, sideboards, cupboards etc. Remember that you will need room to allow your guests to get in and out of the chairs. If space is at a premium but you like to cater for large parties an extending dining table may be the way forward as this allows you to have a small table for everyday use and then a large table for special occasions.

Materials

Wooden dining tables are the material of choice amongst households in the UK. Solid oak and pine lead the way due to the strong build quality that gives these materials durability but also the variation in styles available from traditional pine to contemporary modern oak.

Seating

Meal times with the family are a great way to catch up and share family news, which is why it is important to have comfortable seating for all of your family/guests. Solid wooden seats look very traditional but could become uncomfortable if your Sunday roast lasts for over an hour. Padded seats or leather seats can bring a contemporary look into your home whilst also giving your guests superior comfort. Cushions could also be added to wooden seats to improve comfort and also introduce some colour into your dining room. Buying a dining set which includes tables and chairs can result in some big savings so look out for these offers as you could save yourself hundreds of pounds.

Shape

Dining tables come in three main shapes; rectangular, square and round/oblong. Rectangular tables allow for more variation in the seating plan as more seats can be added to accommodate more guests. Square tables are perfect for intimate dinners for up to four people and can create a relaxed dining experience as the shape can encourage conversation as well as saving space which is also applies to round dining tables.

For more info and styles, visit our wide range of dining tables.

Exercise While You Work

2010-07-27T11:33:00.002+01:00

Do you find that there just aren't enough hours in the day left to exercise? Well thanks to a bizarre innovation from an American company called Steelcase, they have come up with a workstation that includes a treadmill allowing you to walk and work at the same time. The workstation allows you to carry out your normal office duties whilst you walk or jog on the built in treadmill. Most definitely a solution to the problem but we're not sure how practical this really is and you probably wouldn't be able to drink a cup of tea or coffee whilst on the treadmill. Via.