Minimalism: The Interior Design Trend Of The Moment.
Reflecting the age of austerity, the latest trend in interior design taps into the national zeitgeist. Fabulous, ostentaious glamour is out, and minimal, understated, clean elegance is in. At www.furnshings-direct.co.uk we are dedicated to helping you decorate your home to a great standard, and this includes helping you navigate our products in relation to trends. Thus: minimalism.
As a result of the financial crisis, it is only normal to question what we need in our lives. This expunging of the old and desire for something simple and new leads to several key looks:
Sleek, Straight Lines: When done wrong this look makes your house seem like a horrible clinic from the future, very cold and stark. However, when done right the room looks sleek, sharp and sexily modern. In a kitchen or bathroom this is easily achieved through very straight edged fittings. In a lounge or bedroom, which doesn’t necessarily have fittings, however, how can we bring this trend into our homes? The lounge is simply done through furniture like coffee tables and shelving. Sofas too can be considered in a minimal manner for this look. In the bedroom too, declutter fittings and replace with minimal, straight ones.
Natural Colour Scheme: This look is very easy to achieve in any room. A pallette of whites, beiges and tasteful browns can ensure your room looks modern and stylish and these colours all compliment one another very well. That is not to say that bolder colours like stark white, bold red, or deep black cannot be used, but these should be offset stylishly. The key here is not to avoid boldness, but to make bolder designs look quieter and more understated. Whatever your colour scheme, it should be adhered to when buying furniture, fittings and accessories too. These natural coloured bathroom towels, for example, fit in perfectly with the minimal aesthetic.
Storage and Clutter: Minimal does tend to mean tidy (and that doesn’t include organised mess!), so ample storage is needed in any room. The trick, however, is to make the storage not clutter the room itself. We have already discussed furniture above but with regards to beds and tables etc., the minimal way can tend to focus around modern looking designs, meaning storage is not always possible. Thus, clever boxes like these, that fold flat for easy storage, are perfect. The trick is innovative use of space, in our example the boxes fold away when not in use and so don’t uneccessarily clutter the room.
So thats 3 simple tips for bringing minimalism into your home. A simple maxim that helps is ‘less is more’!
What Is Tropical Bathroom Décor
Of all the themes that can be chosen for a bathroom, one of the most confusing can be a tropical bathroom décor. What does “tropical” even mean?
A Simple Definition
“Tropical” means having or using characteristics of the tropics, which is the region directly on either side of the equator. This is generally meant to be the islands in that region.
So how does that relate to a bathroom? Tropical bathroom décor means decorating a bathroom in a style that is an island theme. There are many ways this can be done – many ways to bring the islands into your bathroom at home.
Bringing It Home
First, the overriding plan for the bathroom needs to have an island motif in mind. Take out the cute “Toilet, 5 cents” sign that belongs in a western or country bathroom, and bring in the framed pictures of the islands and tropical plants or animals. Look at everything currently in your bathroom, and see which add to the effect of a tropical bathroom – the décor needs to be purely island.
Key elements in island decorating for a tropical bathroom décor are things like pineapples and palm trees, or bamboo items. These can be as decorative accessories – like a cup by the sink that has bamboo designs on it, or decorative soaps in the shape of pineapples.
You can also use fish in tropical bathroom décor, as long as it is done in a way that isn’t “beachy” but is, instead, tropical. You will know if it works or not.
Bamboo can also be used to make important items for the bathroom, adding to the tropical bathroom décor. Look for a bamboo shelf for towels, or a bamboo curio cabinet or cupboard to hang over the toilet. This type of decorating lends itself easily to fit with the plan of tropical bathroom décor.
Keep in mind the colors you should use in your tropical bathroom décor. Forget the red and orange (unless it is done carefully as accent pieces) and instead focus on blues (sky), green (palm trees) and tan (sand). These colors from nature will be perfect to help bring the islands to your bathroom. Other colors can be used, but gently and in moderation or as accents only!
If you want to invest the money, you can look for wallpaper that helps bring the islands into your home. There are many choices of island wallpaper available – there’s sure to be one you like. Another option is to only use wallpaper as a trim around the ceiling – which is much less expensive and easy to install.
Tropical Fish In Your Bathroom Decor
Decorating a bathroom can be a lot of fun. When you think of all the styles there are to choose from, whatever your interests are, you can have a wonderful looking bathroom.
Some people want a western themed bathroom. They get signs that say things like “Toilet 5 cents” or “shave and a haircut – 2 bits”. Other people want a French styled bathroom, and get cute curtains that remind one of a French café. Still others choose a beach or tropical bathroom theme for decorating. They often include tropical fish in their bathroom décor. But, really, tropical fish can be used as a theme all of its own, too.
Where To Put The Tropical Fish
If you want the tropical fish to be alive, the place to put them, of course, is in a fish tank. Tanks come in all sizes, and there is probably one that will fit in your bathroom, on the counter or built into a cabinet. You can have many live tropical fish inside, and your bathroom décor can tie in with the live fish.
Another place to feature tropical fish in your bathroom décor is on the shower curtain. You can buy a shower curtain that is decorated with fish, to look as if the fish are swimming in the ocean. A shower curtain can help pull the other elements of the bathroom together into one cohesive unit, and can also introduce other major colors to use in your bathroom – for towels, flooring, bathmat, curtains, etc.
You can also have tropical fish on accessories. Some accessories that are likely to come with tropical fish on them are a cup to go by the sink and decorative hand soaps.
If you look carefully, you might find hand towels that have tropical fish embroidered on them. These tropical fish fit right in with the bathroom décor you wanted. Buy enough hand towels of the same style and color so that when one set is being washed, you can put a clean set out in case company arrives.
You might also look for a bathmat that has tropical fish on it. This type of mat can help tie the bathroom together and bring home the “tropical fish” theme.
Though the theme of tropical fish for bathroom décor comes and goes in terms of style, there are usually many products always available. Whichever products you choose, be sure they work together in terms of color – though this is not usually a problem for tropical fish themed bathroom décor.
