Update a room with some fashionable geometric patterns

Geometric patterns are highly fashionable on the world stage in 2012; trendy in fashion and interiors.

Mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Add a brightly colored floor rug with a geometric pattern team it with some decorative items such as cushions and bowls in geometric patterns and you are on your way to updating a room.

A glass coffee table will ensure the pattern of the floor rug is not lost. Geometric, striped or dotted wallpaper will add some zing.

To soften the straight lines select other items in organic, curved or rounded shapes. This will make the room appear more comfortable. Using warm colors will also make sure the room does not appear clinical.    

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

How 2 update a room following the new 2012 floral pattern trend

Floral patterns are right on trend in 2012. One nifty way to follow the trend is to use bold floral wallpaper as a feature wall. In a bedroom select floral wallpaper as a feature wall behind the bed. Very bold floral patterns on all walls could be overwhelming. But using it as feature can really add drama and impact to a room.

Mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

The wallpaper can be used as a starting point for the whole scheme. This is an easy way to update a room. The floral pattern can be traditional, modern, retro or contemporary in style depending on taste.  Any room can be decorated with trendy floral wallpaper.

Mood board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Examples of what can be done are shown in the two mood boards featured in this blog. Sample Board has a large number of wallpapers you can play around with to come up with an on trend scheme. All you need to do is follow the link on the right.

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Inspiring bathrooms & some bathroom design tips

Sample board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Bathroom design has come a long way. It’s a wonderful time in design with so many options available. In this blog I have added images of some beautiful bathroom designs I just love, added a few notes of history and make some practical suggestions. After all bathrooms need to be very functional as well as beautiful.

In Ancient Greece bathrooms were more modern that some bathrooms of the 1800s. They had decorative bathtubs and sinks with running water and water flushing toilets. The ancient Romans, Chinese, Indians and Egyptians all had sophisticated bathrooms. The first modern siphon-jet toilet developed in the 1800s is still in use today.

A beautiful elegant bathroom from a mansion in Melbourne

 The style works so well with the classic styling of the adjoining room

Image via View On Design blog

 Some tips for a great bathroom

1. Workout the position of the bath first as this is the largest item in the bathroom
2. Make sure there is wall space for a towel rail near the bath
3. Select water saving fittings
4. Leave enough room in front of the sink to allow easy access to the cabinet beneath at least 80cm (31 – 32 inches)
5. Position the bathroom door so it swings away from not toward the sink
6. Position the toilet away from the door if at all possible
7. Create good storage space this will help keep clutter at bay

This bathroom is from a home on the Gold Coast in Queensland

The sink table is reminiscent of the early 1900s and

the towels very fashionable in a chevron pattern

I  am not too sure about the colors of the towels

Image via View On Design blog

How to make the bathroom appear bigger

1. Use floor to ceiling tiles
2. Mirrors can add a sense of depth; width and length add more light making the room appear bigger
3. Large plain light colored floor and walls tiles will also make the room appear bigger
4. Select wall hung sinks, cabinets and toilets this will reveal the floor making the room appear more spacious
5. Frameless shower screens can make the room appear bigger
6. Use a sliding bathroom door to enter the bathroom instead of hung doors
7. Place the window close to the ceiling to free up wall space

Luxury bathroom from a home in South Yarra in Melbourne 

Image via View On Design blog

Most important consider Universal Design

Today designers are encouraged to design bathrooms with universal design in mind. The aim is to make sure bathrooms are easily accessible to all people; no matter what their age or physical abilities. This can be achieved in a number of ways the floor should be slip resistant and level with no steps. Semi recessed sinks placed at 80cm (31 – 32 inches) from the floor would be suitable for all even someone in a wheelchair.

Ron Mace rightly states that ‘Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.’

My favorite bathroom from a home in Adelaide

The large window with the tree is  delightful

What a wonderful  place to relax

Image via View On Design blog

Four pronged taps are suitable for all users however mixer taps are also suitable. Many showers are 90cm by 90cm (about 3 feet by 3 feet) in size however a better size would be 120cm by 120cm (about 4 feet by 4 feet). Wet room style shower rooms work well because they are level making it easy to get in and out of the space. Grip bars placed 80cm from the floor are considered good design practice. The usual WC (water closet) or toilet room is 90cm wide by 120cm (about 4 feet) long this is considered too small by universal design practitioners. Following universal design principles in the design stages can save money in the long run.

Sample board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

To find out more on this topic you can visit The Center for Universal Design www.ncsu.edu or www.universaldesign.com  www.universaldesignrenovation.com

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

SampleBoard’s peek at Shabby Chic & How 2 get the look

Shabby Chic is one of the most enduring interior decorating styles. It came into prominence in the 1980s, was popular in the 1990s and remains so today in 2012. It has a comfortable feminine feel achieved with well worn loved items. It can move toward a casual cottage look or be influenced by the   more sophisticated French provincial style.

Interior Design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Shabby Chic an eco friendly style

Using recycled items makes this a very eco friendly interior design style. Vintage, antique or just old items can be redeemed to create a fresh new look. The wonderful thing about this style of décor is you can express your own individuality. This is one of the reasons Shabby Chic appeals to me. However in our house modern styling wins hands down. This is due to the fact my husband and I love modern and he hates Shabby Chic. So this means I do not indulge myself in the wonders of Shabby Chic; but I do enjoy my sister’s love affair with the style.

How 2 get the look

Distressed furniture

To create this style; find items of furniture that have been heavily painted or you can use old unpainted timber furniture or even new pieces. Then you can distress the pieces. With the pieces already painted you can simply use sandpaper to strip the paint to reveal the different layers of paint. With timber furniture left free of paint you can paint the item with one coat of paint let it dry then place another coat of paint in a different color over the first coat.

When this is dry you can distress the item by using sandpaper to expose the first layer of paint and even the timber beneath. This is easily achieved on the edges of the furniture for example on the edge of a dining chair seat and back. If the legs of the chair are turned sandpaper the high areas of the leg to expose the colors beneath.

The hallmark of this style is well loved quirky comfort

Timber doors and cabinets can be distressed in a similar way to the furniture. The furniture styles that lend themselves to creating this wonderful warm style are French provincial, American Shaker, Scandinavian and country style furniture. Walls can be decorated with stencils or toile, floral and antique rose wallpapers.

Interior Design concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Cotton and linen fabrics

The most popular fabrics used to achieve the Shabby Chic look are cottons and linens. The linens used today are based on the old French linens. Fabrics and lace can be soaked in water stained with tea to make it look older and faded. Sometimes fabrics are bleached. Chenille and chintz are also popular fabrics. These fabrics are used for comfy sofas, armchairs, cushions, pillows, bedspreads and other soft furnishings.

Soft colors and floral patterns

Whites and pastels are the most used colors in the Shabby Chic style. Soft pinks, peach and light greens or blue with white popular combinations. Floral patterns are the most used; roses most particularly. Stripes, dots and checks in matching colors can be teamed with the floral prints.

Accessories

This is where the fun can really start with your creation of a Shabby Chic masterpiece. The items used to enhance the comfortable homely well lived in look are endless. From white tin jugs filled with pink roses, to trays, chandeliers, candle holders, mirrors, teapots, old photographs and clocks. It is a fun individual style that has a welcoming, laid back and relax sort of atmosphere.

Found this excellent video with lots of examples of Shabby Chic styling shows how varied the style can be; inspirational hope you enjoy it as much as I did here the link http://youtu.be/UHxi12UaiZ0

Author: Rosena MacFadzean for SampleBoard.com – concept creation online

Some tips on how to set the scene for a Valentine’s Day dream

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

My husband and I have never celebrated Valentine’s Day we prefer to surprise each other with wee romantic treats unexpectedly. This works very well for us. For those of you who do celebrate the day I thought I would share some thoughts from an amusing article I read in the Herald Sun Weekend magazine called ‘A Crash Course In Valentine’s Day’ by Ross Brundrett.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

I must admit I agree with Ross; Valentine’s Day is not about celebrating romance but it’s about celebrating a women’s idea of romance. Brundrett thinks it is good practice for when guys eventually tie the knot. The day after all is all about keeping your partner happy. Ross gives a few tips on how males can really make her day. Here they are in my own words. I have also added some concept boards to give you a few ideas.

• Make sure to select quality Swiss chocolates and long stemmed roses

•  It is important to plan ahead and make sure you book a restaurant for a romantic dinner well in advance

• A piece of jewellery can have more impact than just saying I love you

• If you have the skills and know your way around a kitchen then cooking her favorite meal to show your love could well be a winning move

• Setting the scene with background music is a great idea

• Serving champagne (French is always best) if you can afford it

• Women in love with romance prefer men who are well groomed

• Another way to set the scene is to decorate the space for romance. Just study the boards to give you some inspiration on how this can be done

• Inviting your mates is the biggest no no. This is a special night for two

• This romantic night cannot be spoiled by cutting it short to watch your favorite sport on the telly

• Keep the cost of the evening a secret she will love you for it

There is nothing to say the same rules do not apply to the female species when they want to celebrate by making an effort to keep her romantic male happy. After all some men are romantics at heart and some women don’t have a romantic bone in their body.

Concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

Interior Design client presentation | Use titleblocks and firm logo’s for more professional looking sampleboards

SampleBoard created by Simone van der Plas on sampleboard.com

Client presentation | Use Titleblocks and firm Logo’s for more professional looking sampleboards

When using a drafting program such as AutoCAD or ArchiCAD you typically have a page template that includes the following:

• Job title/project title ( in this case “Gelissimo Gelato”)
• Client name
• Address (site position)
• ‘Drawn by’ name (designers initials, so other people on the project has a reference if they need to query something)
• Note ( as the designer you need to notify if the page is not to scale, or any additional information that’s important when reading/viewing the drawing)
• Title of the page ( Sampleboard/Scheme design/Concept)
• Drawing number (this helps with filing the physical plans/sketches in a physical library or electronically in your project folder)
• Firm/company logo with name, address and contact details (usually sits either on the left or right-hand side of the template)

Titleblock detail

This type of template is standard practice in any architectural or interior design firm. It allows for order, referencing and can range from a complete project drawing package that includes architectural layouts, detail drawings, shop fitting details, elevations, sections, lighting layouts, plumbing layouts etc.to concept scheme ideas and sampleboards.

The reason for this brief introduction to titleblocks is that I wanted to demonstrate how it lifts the overall feel of your sampleboard to one that can easily be used in a client presentation along with your professional drawing sets. It can form a complete entity which in turn creates a more professional client pitch or presentation.

We are constantly improving and adding to the functionality and features at SampleBoard.com, as well as ensuring it’s an inspiring space from which you can create and interact. We are working on bringing you easy-to-use titleblock templates soon.

Happy creating!

Sophisticated, contemporary Interior Design | Inspirational Moodboard

SampleBoard created by Moira Mannen on sampleboard.com

Inspirational Moodboard | Using the drop-shadow, opacity and blur tools for better looking moodboards

In this SampleBoard, Moira has used a combination of easy-to-use tools to create an excellent look and feel to her board.

The main component used was the background image (which can be found under the drop-down menu: Interior Design_Dining Room_Lifestyle). If you look carefully you will note the image was cloned, cropped and flipped so that the entire page is filled.

This image allowed her to easily place her samples and product images around it, giving it a ‘room-like’ affect.

Lets look at the pendants – 3 tools were used to create this effect:

Clone, Opacity and Blur (You can use your toggle to play around with the size of the image). You have to use your eye and visual sense of proportion to create realistic depth, but with practice it should come more naturally each time you create a 3D effect.

She dropped in her samples (wooden veneers, wallpaper, paint colors) and furniture images but made sure to use the magic eraser to eliminate any backgrounds and then softened the edges with the drop shadow tool. This also allows it to make it pop out from the background.

Lastly a model was dropped in which gives the board a quirky and fun feel and even makes it more realistic so clients can relate to it more (This reminds me of my student days where we did hand-drawn perspectives and traced over models out of magazines to give it a lived-in look and feel…)

So there you have it in a nutshell. Hope this quick tutorial tips gave you some amazing ideas for your next fabulous SampleBoard creation!

Happy creating!

 

Interior Design inspirational moodboard | Bedroom in shabby chic style

Moodboard created by Bogna Sarosiek on sampleboard.com

Interior Design | Inspirational Moodboard

Elegant yet feminine bedroom in shabby chic style created by Bogna Sarosiek using the SampleBoard web editor.

Using colour schemes is an easy way to create great moodboards. Decide on a theme, and source anything in that color range. It can create a beautiful feel and mood to a creation. Keep your older moodboards to remind you of how far you’ve come with designing. Play around with sizes, it creates dimension. And try overlapping images to create a collage affect. Study moodboards you find inspirational, and ask your fellow members and connections for advice.

Interior Design and Decor | Inspirational moodboard

Moodboard created by Bogna Sarosiek on sampleboard.com

Inspirational moodboard

An idea for an exclusive gentlemen’s club: cafe and reading room created by Bogna, interior designer from Fulham, London.

Interior Design and Decor | Inspirational moodboards

created by Moira Mannen on sampleboard.com

Interior design moodboard tips from one of our top designers

One of our favourite members, Moira Mannen, has created three beautiful interior design moodboards with the SampleBoard web editor this week.

We caught up with her over email and asked her to describe her favourite editor tools.

What are your favourite editor tools?

I love exploring different avenues when I create a scheme for my client, but if I have to sum it up it would definitely be the following:

• Drop shadow tool (it creates beautiful depth and definition to a product or image)
• Opacity tool (it allows me to create a dream-like affect and sometimes gets rid of those ugly edges)
• Clone tool (it makes my life easier in filling the page!)
• Flip tool (it helps with the overall positioning of the look I want to create)
• Reflect tool (I feel it creates more depth or a real-life image)

created by Moira Mannen on sampleboard.com

What’s your favourite space to design and decorate?

The Living Room. I love creating a comfortable and tranquil space to gather and relax with family or friends.  I enjoy curling up with a book or magazine in my favourite armchair on a sunny Sunday afternoon, sipping on a spritzer or cuddling on the couch with my dogs, crackling fire, hot chocolate in hand…no wonder it’s my favourite room!

created by Moira Mannen on sampleboard.com

Join our creative community of independent designers and students of design and create your own beautiful moodboard with the web editor.

Visit SampleBoard.com, register for free, get listed in the design directory and create amazing inspirational moodboards of your own…