Style Blog

As the name suggests, Victorian décor is greatly influenced by the Victorian Age, but today it is not an exact historical replica and emphasizes ornate, elegant, formal, but rich details. Today decoration of this kind is one of the most intricate and secret hides in fabrics, colors, decorations, furniture and many other things, which are full and elaborate. 

Walls & Curtains 

Paint is the basis of any Victorian décor scheme. The colors should be deep and rich, but not vibrant, modern-looking or bright. They are toned-down, muted and look like old-fashioned ones. In Victorian times the most popular colors were dark green, gold/amber and deep red. Today any deep color will work great. 

For walls you can also choose dark pink, purple, burgundy or mauve. One more great idea to complement the Victorian décor is to add wallpaper borders and crown molding. Using more than one color while decorating is also a good idea. 

Floral damask as well as flocked velvet wallpapers is considered to be a perfect choice to enhance the walls of rooms featuring the décor of the Victorian Age. 

Windows, Floors & Rugs 

Many people strive to create a modern and minimalistic feel in their homes. The clean look and tidy surroundings have made a 21^st century impression on many people who despise clutter and visual distractions. The modern design has become a popular trend, especially on those whose main focus is the function of their home. It can be tough to create such surroundings, so we have put together a quick guide to what you may need to create this minimalistic feel.

The first thing you will need to consider is what kind of flooring you want in your home. For a minimalist look try not to use complex designs or patterns, a good quality wooden floor, such as the ones available at All Floors Express. Of course, you can use ceramic tiles, laminated flooring, Vinyl and create a simple and stunning look.

When it comes to colours, white is definitely the obvious choice, its clean and pristine looking. However, don’t think that white is the only colour you can use when creating a minimalistic look. A splash of vibrant colour will add warmth and a homey feel to every room. Bright colours, including white will also give the room a lighter appearance.

The biggest thing in any room is the furniture, so it is always best to simplify a room by looking at the furniture. The fewer pieces of furniture you have in a room the better. Think of which furniture can be eliminated without sacrificing comfort and liveability. Go for a few pieces of plain, simple furniture with solid, subdued colours.

The key to creating a minimal home is to use only items that are important and essential to you. Things and furniture that you need are the only ones that you should keep. If you think you lack some essential stuff, then you may also add some. But essentially, you need to do away with those you don’t really need.

Why not celebrate everything the summer has to offer with redecorating your bedroom to give you the same feel you would get on a tropical holiday abroad? Even a few little pieces can transform the feel of your bedroom. Follow these easy steps for a bright summer change.

1. Little and simple accessories such as freshly cut flowers in a plain white or glass vase can add just the summer feel you are looking for, and with the fresh smell it gives off it will be a pleasure to wake up to on a sunny morning. A fringes throw in a soft pastel colour is a great accessory to make your bed give off a summer feel, and paired with oversized euro-pillows it will make your bed look more finished and comfortable. These pillows are great to prop you up whilst reading you favourite summer book too!

2. If you are thinking about adding new furniture to your bedroom, or even a lick of paint make sure you go for light materials in natural colours. These will look the best for the summer. Lightweight textured materials, like rattan, wicker and bamboo, work great for summer furniture.

These days with increasing tendency of using canvas prints in homes, big boost is seen in its sale. Artists are being approached by interior designers for creative art for canvas prints. Also this has raised the trend of using these prints as gifts. Growing acceptance of this art piece is stimulating people to practice designing a canvas art for their wall. Possibly, this article may lead you to see your own handmade art on a wall of your home. Act upon the following steps one by one and on accomplishing the last one, you may have become an artist!

Image Selection

The first step obviously is the selection of image that you would like to see on the print. First step is always crucial so do it carefully, once you have started work on an image, you won’t be able to revert it back. Before you finalize an image, be sure of a couple things. First, make sure that the picture you are considering delights you up whenever your eyes see it. Secondly, ensure that it will look good as a part of interior of a certain room. Next, judge the quality of the picture to ensure it is worth converting into a canvas print. Being sure of all of these things for your selected image, proceed to start working on it. Canvas prints are also used in office interior but as far you are looking for a picture for home interior, good choices are natural landscapes, flowers, family and kids photos. It is not a hard and fast rule to use the image as it is. If you are expert at using photoshop or paint, you can make improvements to a picture to give it the desired look.

Image Printing

After satisfactorily coming up with the image selection you would have to print it on canvas. It seems quite complex as you are not aware of printing a picture but don’t worry! You don’t have to do it yourself. Visit a printing service provider in your vicinity and get your image imprinted on a canvas. Choose the best quality canvas to achieve best results. Doing it by self at home requires too much stuff to have. So, leaving it on a photo printing shop is better.

Every now and again we see something which captures our imagination and leaves us wanting more. Optical illusions have a knack for grasping my attention, and these fantastic street portraits are the reason why. If only we could take these imaginative designs and bring them into our homes. Carpets are fantastic for our home life, such as the ones offered from All Floors Express, but these designs are truly fantastic works of art.

You may not want this anywhere near your home, it is truly scary, but the detail and effort gone into creating this piece of art if amazing. A Painting which looks far more than just a painting.

This is slightly less terrifying than the previous; its fun concept boggles the mind with its amazing 3D effects.

This image makes it very hard to believe that there isn’t actually any water flowing into the drain, everything is painted!

This is an example of an anamorphic illusion created by Julian Beever. This sidewalk drawing was drawn in a special distortion in order to create an impression of 3 dimensions when seen from one particular viewpoint.

With the summer now ahead of us and June's weather starting off beautifully, demand for commercial and domestic gas barbecues looks set to soar. We look at the business opportunities for catering and equipment suppliers.

The allure of the BBQ
Britain's love affair with the barbecue is growing, as more people decide to enjoy 'staycations' rather than head off abroad and try to maximise outdoor time with family and friends. Barbecues also capitalise on our increasing informality around eating and entertaining and are hugely popular for a range of celebrations. This means that demand for barbecues and associated products is growing and entrepreneurial businesses are capitalising on the trend.

The outdoor experience
A gas barbecue can add real sophistication to a garden and provide a superior barbecue experience - allowing the user to create a range of delicious foods conveniently and rapidly. There are a wide range of models available, which are ideal for dining outdoors, as well as portable models which are perfect for camping and caravanning. Calor sells a wide range of gas barbecues and BBQ grills which are perfect for outdoor living. These begin from small and portable models, ideal for taking on holiday or for use in smaller outdoor spaces - through to large commercial size barbecues of up to six feet of more. These commercial barbecues are fantastic for large events and Calor also sells gas canisters for fuel. These canisters are easy to operate and store and their cans can be returned to Calor for refilling; to save money and the environment by recycling.

Selling gas barbecues
Businesses looking to capitalise on this trend can sell barbecues directly, or via a re-seller or affiliate model online. It is wise to sell a range of models and sizes, to suit all needs and requirements, as well as associated products such as gas grill cleaner, tongs, serving utensils, barbecue covers, storage and more. Think broadly and you will see plenty of opportunities to maximise sales. Consider launching promotions too at this time of year, as competition hots up from supermarkets, DIY stores and the like and invest in good marketing to get your products to the market. Direct mailings, door drops, events, website promotion, online advertising, PR and other channels and tactics can be used effectively and investing in excellent customer service will see your customers coming back for more.

The corporate market
Commercial catering businesses may wish to sell large size commercial gas barbecues, along with accessories such as gas, tongs, gazebos and other outdoor essentials for parties and larger scale entertaining. It is worth remembering that the corporate market is also a good target for these products, as barbecues are also popular for staff and client events. If you can offer linked services such as catering, staff and music, you may be able to market full entertainment packages to the corporate sector.

So regardless of your business interests - or whether you are a consumer looking to get outdoors this summer- look to the huge range of gas barbecue options and consider the possibilities. Here's to a long and hot summer!

AUTHOR BIO:
Janette Briggs writes regularly on entertaining topics for a range of industry publications and blogs. To see a huge choice of gas barbecue models, click here.