Selecting right kitchen mixer taps..

Kitchen Mixer Taps

The kitchen is a place where food for the whole family is cooked. Naturally, this place has to be both hygienic and well designed. The kitchen design should be ergonomic for effective cooking which also makes the task of the cook simpler. The sink in the kitchen where you will be doing most of the washing-be it washing vegetables and food stuffs or washing utensils. For a truly functional kitchen sink, you need right kitchen mixer taps. You may be remodelling your kitchen from scratch or just replacing the old kitchen fittings, but kitchen mixer taps are a must in every kitchen.

Range of Designs

Today, kitchen mixer taps come in a range of different colours, designs and shapes to suit individual tastes and preferences. They are manufactured with various metals, thus coming with different features and benefits. Kitchen mixer taps are very important from the functionality point of view. The main function of kitchen mixer taps is to provide hot as well as cold water at the same time. Kitchen mixer taps form the focal point of the sink and thus should be carefully selected. Most of the activities are centred around the kitchen sink and thus it should have all the necessary accessories required for easy cleaning and cooking.

When buying kitchen mixer taps, it is very important that you collect enough information about them before you make the purchase. You need to have sufficient information about them and what are the different types available. They come in different styles like the one with a pull out nozzle and other with water filters. You need to visit a bathroom hardware store to find out what are the other designs available. You may as well want to opt for kitchen mixer taps that gel with your kitchen décor since you do not want to create a clash of designs in any part of your home.

Want to have a mini-bar in your home? Read on…

Many of us who like to have a glass of beer at the end of hard day’s work, would like to have a mini bar in the house instead of hitting the pub every time which can be a bit hard on the pocket. When incorporating a mini bar into our living room space, one has to consider a lot of factors. The living room design is one factor which comes into play while designing the mini bar. 

Designing the mini bar 

 
While designing the mini bar, care should be taken that not much space gets eaten up by the latest addition to your living room. The colours, style and the wood used in making the mini bar should match perfectly with the living room furnishings without creating much of a dramatic effect. It should seamlessly blend into the décor of the home and also with the rest of your home. Just as the way you have designed the rest of your home, the same elegance should be incorporated into the mini bar. 

The mini bar should be a cosy place which can help you strike causal conversations with either your family members or your close relatives. It should not look over-jarring and the bar sculpted out of solid wood should be good enough to make a style statement. You can also design you mini bar in such a way that instead of blending with the room décor, it stands out as a separate focal point in the room. Apart from its functionality, it can also serve as piece of grandeur and a taste of your imagination. The location of the mini bar should be carefully chosen so that it not just attracts your attention instantly but also that of your guests. They should be able to notice it immediately when they enter your home.

Choosing curtains for the kitchen

Kitchen Decor

The kitchen is a place which will be frequented by each and every member of the house. At the end of a hard day at work, the whole family gathers in the kitchen to have a peaceful dinner. Naturally, the kitchen design has to be selected carefully and should give a warm and a homely ambience to the members. While designing the kitchen, different areas need to be concentrated on like the worktop region, the sink area, the windows and the doors. The windows should be such that they are not too big for the kitchen or too small to make the cook feel exhausted or congested. Though you can do little to alter the size of your kitchen windows, it always helps to have windows of the right size in the kitchen.

Curtains for kitchen

When there are windows in your kitchen, you also have to think of putting in the right curtains for them. Curtains provide the right amount of privacy required while preparing the food. Curtains can also block out the excessive light coming inside the kitchen which can spoil some perishable food-stuffs. Deciding the kitchen curtains can be a confusing task. The curtains selected for compact, small kitchens will greatly vary from the curtains selected for spacious, large kitchens. The space of the kitchen is an important factor when deciding what type of curtains you should select for your kitchen windows.

Kitchen windows come in a range of sizes. Some windows come in small lattice sizes while some are the large Georgian ones. The modern contemporary windows are those that can open from all directions which depends on how the handle is placed. Kitchen windows can also have sliding doors which make way for the patio from the kitchen. All these considerations come into picture while deciding the curtains for the kitchen windows.

Cleaning your porcelain tiles

Porcelain Tiles

Choosing floor tiles for your home can be a tricky decision. You need to select floor tiles that are not just compatible with the home decor but also comfortable for all the family members. A lot of home-owners prefer to have porcelain floor tiles for their floors. The reason for this is porcelain floor tiles are easy to clean and maintain. If you wish to know how to clean porcelain tiles, then read further.

Cleaning Unpolished Porcelain Tiles

First you need to sweep off any dirt or dust that has accumulated on the floors. Use hot water and a cleansing solution to wet the floor and nearly saturate it, and let the cleaning solution remain on the floors for ten to fifteen minutes. Care should be taken that the solution does not dry out. This procedure should be carried out by cleansing smaller areas of the floor. If the stains are not getting removed, use an abrasive scrub and gently scrub the floor tiles with the cleansing solution. Once all the stains are removed, drain away the dirty water and rinse the tiles with fresh, cool water.

Cleaning Polished Porcelain Tiles

For cleaning polished or glazed porcelain tiles, you need to first vacuum out the dirt and the dust from the floor. Instead of a broom, use an untreated, dry mop to clean the floor tiles. Use a mild cleansing solution to mop the polished floor tiles. Remember that the concentration of the cleansing agent should be 50% less than what is used to clean unpolished floor tiles. After using the cleansing solution, rinse the tiles with clean water two-three times. Dry the floor tiles properly to augment the shine and also to avoid any water marks on the tiles.

Saving space in the kitchen ..



Kitchen Decor



Designing the kitchen space is surely a tedious process as it requires a lot of thought to be poured in. While designing the kitchen space, you have to pay a lot of attention to the storage aspect as you will be storing a lot of accessories in the kitchen. Here are some easy tips to organise your kitchen the correct way.

Uncluttered look

The fundamental part of designing any kitchen is to free up as much space as possible. Keep only those accessories around the worktop which are required for everyday cooking and cleaning. Those accessories which are not used on a day-to day basis should be neatly stuffed into the cabinets. It always helps to remove all the unnecessary items from the worktops and counter-tops. Keeping your kitchen clutter-free will surely help you to design an ergonomic kitchen.

Kitchen cabinets

For storing all the culinary items, you will be requiring a lot of storage space. You will have to create kitchen cabinets to store all the accessories. While designing the cabinets, a good thing to do is create the cabinets close to the ceiling. You can stuff the items which you use on an occasional basis into these cabinets. Although these cabinets will be difficult to reach, they will surely save a lot of your kitchen space and you can use the available space for different purposes.

Pot racks

You can free up a lot of drawer space by using pot racks mounted on the ceiling. Pot racks come in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. You can easily find one that suits your kitchen decor and your personal tastes and style.

Wall tiles- A new look to your home



TILING THE WALLS



Interior designing is a subjective topic. What look one might like for their home may be completely detested by some another. When you take up interior designing, you need to follow your instincts and stick to what you like for your home not with standing what others will think of it.

Tiling the Walls

For instance, instead of painting the walls, you can go for tiling them. Wall tiles look amazing on the walls and give a decent and a neat appearance to the wall. They not just beautify the look of the walls but also look unique compared to the drab appearance of the same old wall paints. Wall tiles come in a pool of colours, textures and designs so you will not face any difficulty in finding the right wall tiles for your home walls. Such is the variety available that you can let your imagination run wild and find wall tiles that are tailor made to suit your tastes and preferences.
With wall tiles, you can create different types of look on the walls. You can opt for light blue tiles to create an oceanic feel on the wall. You can opt for crystal textured tiles to create a swimming pool like appearance for the walls. If you want a metallic look for your walls, then you can opt for wall tiles that have a metallic texture. Wall tiles with a metallic texture are newly invented and they are counted as one of the stylish designs for tiles. From conventional looking to the more sophisticated modern ones, wall tiles are slowly making their presence felt in the tile market.

Selecting tiles for your patio !!

Outdoor Tiles

If you have a patio outside your house, then you may be confused as to how to design the flooring of the patio. There are various options you have when designing the floor of the patio. Tiles are an indisputable choice when it comes to flooring the patio. Neatly designed tiles add value and beauty to the patio. While selecting tiles for the patio, you can select different types like hardwood tiles, cobblestone pavers and slate tiles. All these types are not just economical but also look attractive and last for many years. Let’s look at few of them.

Cobblestone pavers

Cobblestone pavers are a great option when choosing tiles for your patio. Cobblestone pavers can be laid easily without the use of any mortar or adhesive. You can get really creative with the floor of your patio with cobblestone pavers as they come in a range of sizes and shapes. Cobblestone pavers can be fitted on the top side of the compressed stone in any pattern that you desire. To connect the stones better, you can put polymeric stones between the tiles. This will keep the tiles well-knit together. Water the polymeric sand so that it becomes hard enough.

Slate

You can also have stone tiles for your patio. Having the flooring of your patio designed in natural slate tiles can be good thing to do. However, you should pay attention to the grade of the slate that you choose. Some low quality slate tiles will wear off soon and the tiles will become thinner and thinner which you may not like. Always opt for high quality slate tiles for your patio as these will not just last longer but will also give your patio a regal, contemporary look.

Three benefits offered by ceramic tiles

Ceramic Tiles

Interior decoration has taken a whole new meaning in recent times. In the past, people used to stick to the traditional designs when it came to decorating their houses. However, times have changed and people do not shy anymore to experiment with their home interior designs. Flooring is an integral part of home decoration. When it comes to choosing the flooring, there are many options that one has. Ceramic flooring is one of them. Ceramic tiles have gained much popularity in recent times due to their innumerable features. Some of these features are explained below.

Low On Maintenance

Ceramic tiles are low on maintenance and as such, you do not have to invest a lot to keep them intact. You must note the fact that some amount of servicing is required for any type of flooring but ceramic tiles come the closest when it comes to low maintenance. Ceramic tiles need to be applied the sealant after every four years. Apart from this, regular cleaning is all that is required to make them look shining and glossy. However, if you do not mind spending few bucks extra, you can opt for solvents available in the market that help to increase the shine of your ceramic tiles.

Cost Effective

Of all the flooring options available in the market today, tiles remain the most cost-effective option when it comes to flooring. If you are looking for cost effective yet long lasting tiles, then there can be nothing better than ceramic tiles as these are known to have long shelf-life. With ceramic tiles, the initial installation costs may be higher, but you need to keep the long term costs in mind before opting for any type of tiles. With ceramic tiles, long term costs are almost negligible as there are low on upkeep and maintenance.

Stain Resistant

A unique feature of ceramic tiles is that they are stain resistant as well as they do not fade easily and thus, they can be used in any part of the home, including bathroom and kitchen.

Four simple ways to augment your home look



Home Decor

 It is a common perception that redesigning your home can be an expensive and a tedious process. People abstain from redecorating their homes for years because of the perceived high costs. However, home redecorating is not that expensive as it seems to be. If done in the correct manner, it can be an inexpensive and a simple task. Here are some easy tips on how to cut costs while redesigning your home.

Theme

Before you take up the task of redecorating your home, you need to chalk out on a theme in which you want to design your home. Let your imagination run wild and try to come up with an idea that not only suits your pocket but will also enhance your home interiors. While deciding on the apt theme for your home, different factors come into play like your family size, background, individual tastes and preferences. Your family should arrive on a consensus when it comes to deciding the theme for the home.

Space

The space available in your home plays a lion’s share while deciding on the type of décor you should have. The more the space in the house, then more you have to spend on redecorating it and thus space is like a deciding factor. However, you should not feel disappointed if you have a large carpet area. Home decor could be done in such a way that certain sections of the house are kept idle, adding to the liquidity of the space. This not only helps to save costs, but also add to the beauty of the home.

Wall paint

Though you may not completely agree with it, but painting your walls in new colours can surely accentuate the appearance of your home. White remains the undisputed colour when it comes to painting the walls. This is because white complements almost every type of décor that you select for the room.

Natural light

One of the simplest ways to brighten up your room is to let natural sunlight come in. No artificial light can replicate the effects of a nice, warm sunlight and thus sunlight should be allowed to enter the room. Natural light also brings a lot of positive vibes in the room and this helps to make your home look cosy and comfortable.

Kitchen layout- Choosing a right one for your kitchen !!

Kitchen Layout

In the earlier days, kitchens were a small, dingy area at the rear end of the house. They were not given much importance and were only meant for cooking purposes. However, times have changed and people are no shyer to experiment with their kitchen design. Different kitchen layouts are invented and each has their own advantages and disadvantages. While designing the kitchen space, the biggest hurdle is to how to make the kitchen area an open space and yet accommodate all the required accessories and appliances. We all like to have a kitchen that can have a small dining area. Space constraints, however, prevent us from including a dining region.

Choosing The Layout

While choosing the layout of the kitchen, different factors need to be considered. You need to decide whether you want an island kitchen. An island kitchen will surely cost you more and you need to be ready to spend that amount. You also have to determine the design of your kitchen. Do you want your kitchen to be designed in a modern or traditional way? Next you have to decide what all appliances you want in your kitchen. Remember not to crowd your kitchen with too many appliances and only keep those that are essential. You also have to decide what type of lights you want in the kitchen. You can have light fixtures attached to the ceilings of the kitchen or you can have those fixtures fixed beneath the kitchen cabinets.
Choosing a right kitchen layout is very important no matter whether you are remodelling an existing kitchen or designing a new one in your new residence. You may choose between an island layout or a peninsula layout depending on the location of your kitchen. What is important is that there should be good connectivity between the kitchen and the dining area. An island kitchen layout will enable the cook to have a conversation with other members of the family and not make him/her feel isolated in the kitchen.

Marble tiles for your floors..

BEAUTIFYING OUR HOMES
 



Marble Tiles



We all want a home that imparts a peaceful and a comfortable feeling when we return home from a tiring day at work. Some others might want their homes to look beautiful to impress their guests and neighbours who may visit their home. Whatever be the reason, we all want a home that boasts of beauty and yet is functional. We like to try out different tips to beautify our homes. Painting the home in neutral shades is one way of enhancing the beauty of the home. Walls painted in different shades can give your home calm or a bold look. Another area of attention is the floors. Marble tiles for the floors are an excellent option when it comes to doing up the floors. Marble tiles can lend your flooring an elegant appeal that is hard to miss. Sure, marble tiles are expensive compared to other types of flooring but they last for ages and score high on the aesthetic factor.


Marble Tiles

Installing marble tiles is a complicated procedure and you should do it only if you have a sound knowledge of DIY fittings. It is always good to have professional masons install the marble floors in your house. The last thing you want is the tiles to be fitted incorrectly and you having to spend extra on re-fitting them. Professional masons know their task well and hence it is best to hire them for the installation. Cleaning marble tiles is not that complicated. You do not have to buy expensive products from the market to clean your marble tiles. A simple mop can get rid of all the dust and dirt from the tiles. However, you should not pick cleaners that are acidic in nature or those which have neutral PH.

Know more about Ceramic tiles

The field of house flooring has undergone a host of changes in the last decade. People no more stick to the conventional flooring ideas but are ready to experiment when it comes to selecting the flooring for their homes. Different types of flooring have become popular in the recent times. One such type is ceramic flooring.

Ceramic Flooring

Ceramic tiles are a good alternative to the boring look standard tiles. Ceramic tiles come in a pool of different patterns. You need to choose a pattern that complements your requirements as well as suits your budgets. Apart from this, you can choose different patterns for different areas of your home. Ceramic tiles come in a vast range of colours and designs so you will not fall short of options when it comes to choosing tiles for your home.

Variants in ceramic tiles

Ceramic tiles that are pre-grouted come in sheets which aid in simple and quick installation. Another variant, quarry tiles, are known to be tough, water-proof and thick and are ideal for surfaces that draw a lot of traffic. The Satillio type of ceramic tiles originates from Spanish designs and looks hard yet are decorative. Slate tiles are also another type of ceramic tiles. Slate as a material is brittle and comes in various hues of grey with different shades like violet, blue, black and different shades of black. However, you should be careful that slate ceramic tiles in dark colours are not exposed too much to the sunlight. If they are exposed to the sunlight, then they may start fading in colour.

You need to select tiles that have a long shelf-life. You can opt for light coloured tiles or tiles that have sober patterns as these tiles are easy to accessorise. You need to remember the fact that too dark or too light coloured tiles will easily show off any dust that has caught on the tiles. If you go for glossy looking tiles, then any footprints will be easily visible on them. If you want your room to appear larger, opt for big sized tiles. If you want a more cosy and intimate feel, go for smaller tiles.

Wall tiles for your home

Wall Tiles

Home decor is a tricky subject. What may look aesthetic to one person may be entirely distasteful to another. When you look to redesign your home interiors, you should follow your instincts rather than blindly following others’ advice.

Your house walls are a fundamental part of your home. You must be aware that people like to paint their walls in all different hues and colours to add that extra zing to their rooms. Many people also like to have mismatched colours and different textures for their walls. A new trend that is emerging is tiles for wall decoration. Wall tiles look aesthetic and give a sober yet beautiful appearance to the wall. Wall tiles come in a range of textures, designs and colours. Such is the range that you will never feel short of choices while looking for wall tiles. With wall tiles, you can create different appeals like of a metallic look or a crystal look for the wall. Some of the types of wall tiles are explained below.

Metallic wall tiles

Metallic tiles, which are prepared from stainless steel, are used in residential as well as commercial spaces. They add a degree of luxury to the walls. Metallic wall tiles come in a range of varieties and as a user, you will never fall short of options. There is a very prominent use of different colours while making metallic tiles. You can find metallic tiles in all sorts of hues.

Adhesive wall tiles

In a bid to make the installation procedure simpler, adhesive wall tiles come with an in-built layer of adhesive and also a built-in grout. Self-adhesive wall tiles have a smooth and silky appearance and no produce much mess while installing them on the walls. Adhesive wall tiles can be installed by you even if you do not have much knowledge about wall fittings. You will just have to take measurements, remove the protective paper, thus exposing the adhesive and put it on the wall. Adhesive wall tiles are resistant to humidity and heat and have no restrictions on the place of installation.

Ceramic tiles for your home

Home Decor

The birth of ceramic tiles dates as back as the origin of civilization. Ceramic as material, was only used for pottery items in the olden days. However, ceramics are now used to craft kitchenware like bowls, plates and also used in semi-conductors.
Ceramic tiles are a household name as they are a very popular tiling option. Huge slabs of clay are fired in a kiln which creates hard and long-lasting ceramic tiles. With their innumerable features, ceramic tiles are one of the most rational choices for residential as well as commercial spaces.

Durability

A striking feature of ceramic tiles is that if they are installed in the correct manner, they can almost last for an entire lifetime. You may want to change the look of your home after some years, but ceramic tiles will never let you down. Seeing their unmatched durability and beauty, you will not feel like changing them and replacing with some other type of tiles.

Colours and custom designing

To create ceramic tiles, artificial colours and dyes are infused into the original, earthy colours of ceramics. This infusion creates ceramic tiles in a host of different colours and as a customer; you will not face any difficulty in finding the tiles of your preferred colour. You can get ceramic tiles in any colour that you wish to have. A unique feature of ceramic tiles is that their range of colours remains unmatched to all other types of tiling materials. Depending on the brand that you opt for, you can also ‘custom create’ your ceramic tiles. This means that you can get these tiles custom made in your choice of a colour.

Saving water in the kitchen

Kitchen Decor

We all agree without doubt that water is an indispensable thing in our lives. Without water, there cannot be life and thus water is an essential commodity. Water is an even more important ingredient in our kitchen. All the activities in the kitchen are carried out by water and without clean water; the functionality of the kitchen remains zero. Be it cooking, washing or cleaning, water is required for each and every activity. With water being used for a number of activities, it becomes important to use water judiciously. With the water crisis in different parts of the world, it is even more essential to save water and avoid wastage of water.

Leak-proof appliances

The first step towards saving water in the kitchen is to install only those appliances and accessories that come with a fixed guarantee and are from a reputed brand. Ensure that the pipes used in the kitchen are strong and designed to be leak proof. If the pipes have any leakage, then this can cause wastage of water. The market is filled with a host of appliances that guarantee no leakage but you should do your homework before you decide on any appliance for your kitchen. Apart from the pipes, it is also important that the taps that you select for your kitchen come with no leakage. Leaking taps can cause a lot of water wastage, reducing the amount of water in the main tank. Hence, always opt for taps that are completely leak-proof.

Washing process

Apart from leak-proof appliances, water conservation also depends on how you clean and wash the different ingredients. While washing vegetables, do not hold them under a running water tap. Instead, take the vegetables in a bowl and pour water in it and wash them. This helps to save a lot of water. Another way of saving water is to recycle the water. You can create a drainage wherein the used water from kitchen can be used to water your plants in the garden. This ensures there is good recycling of waste water.
Saving water in the kitchen does not solely depend on the quality of appliances that you install but on your practices and methods on how you use the water. Water conservation is the need of the hour.

Appearance of marble and vitrified tiles

Floor Tiles

There are numerous options when it comes to selecting the flooring for your home. However, tiles remain an undisputed winner when it comes to flooring. Marble tiles and vitrified tiles are the common choices of most of the people. Here is some more information on the appearance of marble and vitrified tiles.

Marble tiles

Many of us are not aware of the beauty and elegance of marble tiles. Marble tiles come with an ethereal beauty that is miles above the standard tiles. A unique feature of marble tiles is that no two tiles are exactly same and there is always some amount of variation in them. The variation can be either in the form of asymmetrical spots, veins or a variation in the hues. Marble tiles should always be installed along with a grout joint no matter whether they are tumbled, polished or honed. The grout joint for the marble tile can differ according to the type of tile. For a polished tile, it can be 1/16 inch while for a tumbled marble; it will be around ¼ inch. The grout joint is essential to hide the minor variations in the size of marble tiles.

Vitrified tiles

A simple reason why vitrified tiles are so popular is because they come in a range of styles, finishes and patterns. If they are to be installed on the wall, then they need to be glazed. Glazing is not important if they need to be used as floor tiles. One outstanding benefit of vitrified tiles is that they can be easily installed without grouts. Unlike marble tiles, vitrified tiles do not differ in size and have a long shelf life. They are designed to withstand abrasions and do not get easily damaged.

Things to keep in mind while Selecting tiles for your bathroom..(II)



Bathroom Tiles



Cost :

The costs of the bathroom tiles will also come into picture if you are a budget spender and have a tight budget to stick to. However, the quality should not be compromised upon when buying the bathroom tiles. You want tiles that are safe to walk on and at the same time look pleasing and add to the décor of the bathroom.

Different types :

When looking for bathroom tiles, you have various types to choose from. Some of the commonly available bathroom tiles are mosaic tiles, glazed-ceramic tiles, natural stone tiles, quarry tiles, terracotta tiles and porcelain tiles. These different types require different degrees of maintenance and you should always have a word with the dealer on their upkeep and maintenance.