Tiles and balconies...

Outdoor Tiles

When the summer temperatures reach a zenith, you always look for cooler pastures where you can just relax yourself. For people who have small gardens in their home, it is good thing as they get to soak in the coolness of the trees and plants. However, those who cannot have a garden in their home, have to look for other alternatives. Terraces and balconies are places which provide them some respite from the sweltering heat. Balconies and terraces are wonderful apartment facilities. With little thinking and effort, you can transform your small balcony or terrace into a calm and cool oasis. However, before you decide to remodel your balcony, you need to have a clear understanding of what will be required for the decoration.

Tiles for balconies

When you look forward to decorate your terrace or balcony, tiles are a great option for the flooring of these spaces. If you are a budget spender and looking for cost effective options to decorate your balcony, then tiles are a great option. Within a small budget, you can redecorate your balcony without having to compromise on the décor of the balcony. Another great thing about tiles is that they are extremely durable and once you install them for your balcony floors and walls, you do not have to worry for a long time to come. Tiles will not break or deform easily and are known to be extremely durable.
With tiles, your balcony or the terrace will remain cool in hot summers. This is because most tiles are made up of stone which helps to keep the surface temperature pleasing. Hence, tiles are an ideal flooring option for your balconies and terraces.

Marble tiles for your flooring...

Marble Tiles

Deciding on a perfect home renovation plan can be a tricky task for most home-makers. A lot of things have to be decided when you take up remodelling of your home. Things like what colour to be used for painting the walls, what type of furniture should be purchased, what kind of upholstery should be used are just a few of the things which need attention when you take up home renovation. Apart from these things, one thing that needs attention is the flooring of your home. When choosing the flooring for your home, you have different options to choose from. You can opt for solid hardwood flooring or marble tiles. Both have their unique features and qualities. While wood flooring lends your home a more classic look, marble flooring will give it a more chic appearance.

Marble tiles

Marble tiles are a preferred option for flooring among many home-owners. If you are confused about the quality of marble tiles, then a fact to note is that marble tiles are superior in quality compared to most other tiling options. Marble is a naturally occurring stone and thus it is stronger than most other materials. Marble tiles are also sometimes better than ceramic tiles. Before installation, ceramic tiles have to be glazed as they have a porous surface. However, this is not the case with marble tiles. Their installation is simple compared to ceramic tiles.
When looking for marble tiles, Marbonite is a trusted brand. Marbonite, the arm of H & R Johnson, a worldwide recognised company, specialises in the production of marble tiles in different forms, shapes and colours. You can find the tiles of your choice and like as Marbonite offers a wide range of tiles.

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.