Furnishing ideas

Furnishing small apartments – tips you need

You need the individual approach equally, regardless of whether you are furnishing small or large apartments. But that doesn’t change the fact that there are certain rules of thumb that always apply. This article is about how you can small Apartments set up.

Do you want to participate?

Corner sofa in the living room is practical and modern

Advantages of the small apartments

If you think very rationally, you can see that small apartments very often have many advantages over large ones. You can heat them more easily, invest in more modern, creative facilities that develop your own creativity in the process. When it comes to details, the small apartments also have many other advantages. The general rule of thumb for setting them up below is to help you understand how best to showcase them.

Compact kitchen equipment

One should get rid of all unnecessary things

How often have you heard this advice in your life? Well, when it comes to furnishing the small apartments then you have no choice but to do so. In this way you will gain space and take a step in distinguishing the important from the unimportant.

Open plan is to be met more and more often in interior design

The small apartment can even be tastefully decorated

Simple nuances

You don’t need a complicated coloring here. But on the contrary. You should concentrate on the essentials. Keeping everything in similar nuances will avoid fragmentation. This is very important when furnishing small apartments.

Light wall color is most suitable

Small kitchen with a fresh look

Make the furniture in the same colors

It is best to keep not only the walls, but also the furniture in the same nuances. This will further contribute to the uniform appearance. So you will also have the impression that the room is wider.

The bedroom is separated by a white curtain

Small cozy living room with great wall decoration

Leave the floor as free as possible

Everyone who wants to furnish small apartments should also remember this trick. You need light furniture that is suitable for the size of your home. You should also consider tables made of glass. This makes the floor area appear much larger.

Oval glass table on the white living room carpet

Mirrors and reflective elements

Any type of mirror effect will help make the room feel much larger and more spacious.

Simple living room design with wall mirror

Multifunctional furniture

Foldable furniture with very well-functioning mechanisms is expensive. But if you have little space, you don’t have to buy too much of it. Invest in it. That would go a long way towards making your life comfortable. You will have everything you need and at the same time you will not lose any space.

Small but tidy kitchen

Learn to use light well

Any room would look great if both artificial and natural lighting were used functionally. Remove the dark curtains at least during the day. Build in a lot of additional lighting. There should be no dark corner in your small apartment!

Furnish the small room appropriately and get rid of everything unnecessary

Make the small balcony beautiful

Storage space in the stairs! How does it work?

We have written many articles about stairwells. We have also addressed the important issue of creating storage space several times. Combining the two now also occurs.

But never did this happen with such a modern style as in this example.

Two in one!

This is a very topical issue when it comes to furnishing and interior design, because it saves space.

Trendy stairs

With the stairs that we are showing you today, it worked out wonderfully in all respects. It looks great, but can be used well in practical terms. What you see here is worth talking about, isn’t it?

The latter is also interesting in the modern world, because communication between people is of prime importance these days.

The ideas appear so simple once they are there! You can’t help but ask yourself: Why didn’t this occur to me earlier??

Great idea for drawer stairs

It has long been found out that the feeling of harmony at home is also very closely related to order. That’s why every storage space is a very popular topic. But we always have to be ashamed of at least one, but mostly several drawers full of filth.

The solution is very simple: if you had several drawers, you would also distribute the small items better. Everything wouldn’t look so incredibly messy then. But where do you put everything??

Today’s example shows us the solution. The stairs become drawers and everything can be stored there. There are so many! So no problem! Everything fits in there perfectly!

What would you stow here ?

We can hardly imagine that you can make better use of a space that is otherwise often overlooked. This idea was designed and implemented by a company from Australia. The fact that they hardly advertise it speaks for the genius of the idea.

This company doesn’t even have a website. Even so, the idea has proven so effective that it has become known all over the world.

We look forward to introducing them to you as well!

Modern staircase with drawers

Another great idea: drawers on the side of the stairs

Create storage space with stair drawers

Tidily hide old shoes and newspapers

Storage space also for the small stairs

Staircase with integrated drawers

So much storage space!

Light blue stairs with wooden colored drawers

Stairs with drawers that can be opened from the side

Acoustics is actually a part of physics that deals with sounds and their propagation. How important is room acoustics for us and what can we do if we want to improve this room acoustics, we will tell you in this post. However, this is more about the basics and practical tips and tricks that can help you with living and furnishing. If you deal with the topic professionally or have your own music studio, it is best to seek advice from an experienced room acoustics designer.

Improve room acoustics in your own home cinema

Room acoustics simply explained

Have you ever asked yourself: Why is hearing much better in some rooms than in others? The answer is probably very simple. It’s a question of the quality of the room acoustics. And this in turn has a significant effect on our wellbeing and our concentration. This is why good acoustics are of fundamental importance not only in the home, but also in the classroom and in the office.

And how do acoustics actually work? To understand this, one should first be clear that the noises and tones, also called sound, are nothing more than waves and propagate in waves. We then receive the sound impulses, or better known as sound vibrations, through our hearing organs – the ears. Each sound wave has its own frequency and therefore also its pitch. The higher the frequency, the higher the tone or noise.

Here is a quick overview:

As abstract as it sounds, a sound wave is created when air is displaced. So, even when you close your book, pour tea or even while talking.

Back to the quality of the acoustics in a room. This depends on the noise level and the so-called Reverberation time away. And these two values ​​are in turn directly related to how well the walls, the ceiling and the floor as well as all other objects in the room reflect, absorb or diffuse the sound waves. Think about the echo effect that you enjoyed so much as a child!

Ensure optimal room acoustics

A simple rule for room acoustics

The smoother and harder a surface, the stronger and more intensely the sound waves are reflected. In other words – the higher the noise level. So, hard and smooth surfaces such as walls, mirrors or windows intensify the sound impulses. In contrast, anything that is soft and as thick as possible – such as curtains, upholstery and carpets – insulates the noise. In technical jargon, one often speaks of absorbers. In addition to absorbing sound, there is one more important method for improving room acoustics, and that is – diffusing the sound. Diffusers are used for this. The difference to the first method in this case is that the reverb is not “swallowed”, but rather dispersed and therefore sounds much lighter and softer.

Soft surfaces absorb the sound waves much better

Following these two principles of room acoustics, you can do a lot yourself, provided you have a skillful hand and some previous technical knowledge. Check out some DIY projects to improve acoustics at.

But if you can’t do anything with it, there are plenty of other options. Fortunately there are already quite a few Acoustic products on the market that reduce reverberation and improve speech intelligibility, such as acoustic screens, acoustic pictures with individual motifs, acoustic room dividers made of special materials, etc..

You can design your own individual acoustic wall panels

Practical tips for improving room acoustics

In addition to professional solutions and innovative products, you can also take care of a number of things yourself to improve the room acoustics in your home or office. Read our practical tips below and decide for yourself which one would be suitable for you.

1. Reduce the reverberation time in the room – i.e. cover hard, open areas such as walls, floors and windows with wall panels, carpets and curtains – very helpful, especially with high sound frequencies.
2. You should therefore also prefer upholstered furniture and house plants with large, hard leaves.
3. Really fill your bookshelves with books – also act as sound diffusers.
4. Foam that you can hide behind pictures or wall coverings is more helpful for mid-tones and bass.
5. Opposite walls as well as ceilings and floors must never be hard and smooth at the same time, so that an unpleasant sound resonance is avoided.
6. Generally avoid larger glass surfaces.
7. Die after symmetry even when setting up.
8. A listening position must not be directly on the wall, but at least 1 meter away from it. If not possible, place bookshelves or large-leaved houseplants between the listener and the wall.

A special acoustic mural is of course also a great solution

Good room acoustics are a treat for your senses. Treat yourself to this and feel even more comfortable in your own four walls!

And here is a quick explanation of some of the basic acoustics:

Keep looking for various other solutions for optimal room acoustics!

Here you can get even more inspiration and suggestions:

Are you planning a redesign of your kitchen?

In the kitchen, you usually spend a lot of time with family and friends. It is still the room that you pay special attention to when designing. There are just endless possibilities and living styles in how you can furnish the kitchen. From the flooring to the kitchen cabinets and sinks, there is a multitude of interior design ideas for all homeowners who have in mind to redesign their kitchens.

When it comes to functionality, it is the kitchen countertop one of the most important ingredients that you should take seriously.

The kitchen worktop takes up a lot of space, so it is very important to choose the right one for your living style. Below are some very popular designs and options that we have carefully selected and put together. Have lots of fun with it!

      Particularities:

• Material – wood, beech, oak, granite, stainless steel
• size
• shape

Kitchen countertop

Thematically designed

Interesting wood texture

High bar stool with backrests

Cooking plate and granite countertop

Play chess on the kitchen counter

Shiny orange surface

Fresh green color

Bar stools offer practical seating

Extraordinary worktop equipped with a bench

  Another chess board

Black marble

Traditional kitchen equipment

Wood and marble

Elegant furnishings – bar stools with backrests

Kitchen back wall – diamond-shaped sink

Dark wood

Growing edible flowers and plants

Edible flowers and plants grow very well in containers and in many cases even better than under natural conditions.

So if you don’t have a natural garden, then you can create an edible garden in flower pots. It will be just a few steps away from your home.

But where should you start? Steve Masley is a consultant and edible garden designer based in the San Francisco Coastal Region. Today he shares 10 tips with us on how to successfully do this kind of garden design.

Take care of the plants carefully

1. Water properly

He says that the poor watering of the base area number 1 accounts for the poor development of the plants. The soil in the containers dries very quickly, so this factor should really be used. In particularly sunny and wintry places, you should water perhaps up to two times a week. Too much water is also not a good idea, as it can cause fungus to grow and the roots to rot.

You can water by hand, but installing footprints is a simple and consistent way of doing this. Masley recommends making a loop of the teardrop lines around the plant rather than settling for simple drip glands. This way the water spreads better and you avoid the plants falling out or drying out. He also covers the containers with compost to keep the moisture in the soil.

Fertilize the soil

1. Fertilize the soil

Ask the people who have many edible plants in their home for their secrets and they will all tell you the same thing: well-fertilized soil. Container gardens need soil that is easy to fertilize, absorbent and rich in nutrients.

The nurseries sell organic container mixes, but you can do this yourself too. Masley warns directly against using soil from the yard because it very often contains clay and mud. Container gardens need a lot more soil, which is easy to fertilize, absorbs moisture well and is plentiful.

Here is a recipe:

1. Part of coarse sand
2. Two pieces of good garden compost that has been filtered
3. Part of coconut bast
4. Part of pearl stone or lava stone

Mix all of these together and organic additives can be added to them. You can do that from the beginning. The nutrients slowly spread through the growing season. So all you have to do is water them.

Add nutrients to the soil

You can also add special nutrients to the soil, such as substances that replace the role of worms. You can also use real, living ones. The worms are important because they add to the nutrient cycle and in a way that is good for the earth.

The earth is enriched with beneficial bacteria and fungi. These compete with the pathogens that may attack your plant.

Use coconut butter

Masley uses coconut in the mix of his soil, increasing the ability to hold water. Peat moss rejects the water when it has dried up. In contrast, the coconut bast always absorbs the water and is much more sustainable.

Dose the water correctly

1. Avoid the overcrowding

This is one of the biggest mistakes people make when designing plant container gardens. You think that if one tomato plant is good, two and three are good too. But that’s not entirely true.

Masley sees that most plant containers use 5 gallons of water. That also applies to the pepper plant here. Increasing the number may seem like a great solution at first, but actually you are preventing it from being productive. The several pepper plants are then in ceaseless competition next to each other and on their own they then become less productive.

According to Mesley, doing this kind of approach will also give you more problems with diseases. This also comes from the stress that arises from competition.

Secure enough light

1. Edible flowers and plants need enough light

As with all other gardens, six to eight hours of light is perfectly adequate for the container garden. Gardens facing south or west are wonderful places, but edible plants can also be placed in places facing north or east.

In areas where there is less sunlight, Masley recommends choosing varieties of plants that will ripen earlier for harvest. Such are the cherry tomatoes, for example. You should keep the spaces between the various plants large enough to attract as much light as possible. Lettuce grows very well with just a little sun. You should just experiment with different lighting conditions and see what comes out of it.

Edible flowers and plants should be grown in a large pot

1. The bigger the pot, the better

Yes, the edible plants can also grow in smaller plant containers, but this puts you in a difficult position. The larger the pot, the deeper the roots can become and the plants more robust. The roots will get stronger and will be able to better hold the water and help you with problem number 1.

If you do this, the soil will hold more water and dry out much more slowly. So resist the temptation to plant in the small pots and consider the large pots first.

Bring different containers into use

1. Not all containers are created equal

The size of the containers is also important as their shape and material are important for edible flowers and plants. Masley prefers those with a round and cylindrical shape. He prefers to do without the classic conical shape. With pots of this type, a larger part of the earth is exposed to the sun and thus it dries off faster. If you minimize the exposed soil, then it will also dry out and the roots will be better watered.

Depending on the type of garden location, the shape and the material, the container also plays a very important role in the growth of the plants. Metal pots will also help warm the earth in cooler and darker areas. Terracotta is always very good, plastic pots are particularly suitable for people who often have to move the flower pots.

Save space on the terrace

1. Save space with a window box

Masley offers window boxes. They are especially suitable for growing salads. Even if they are more hollow than other plant containers, they are also longer. So the roots can develop close to the approach.

The wood keeps the roots cool and mounting the flower pots on the wall minimizes the space they take up. This is a great solution for patios and porches and makes harvesting really pleasant and easy.

spices

1. Start with the spices

The herbs are resilient. They are the easiest to grow edibles and the most suitable to have in a kitchen. How often do you actually need more than a stick or two of rosemary, for example?

Thyme and oregano are even better in this regard, and basil is a must have in any summer plant container garden.

 Cherry tomatoes

1. Try the cherry tomatoes

They are great for the plant containers. But in the heat of summer it will be easy to forget to water them. Then they are prone to flower end rot. Other diseases are caused by lack of water and calcium. Masley recommends choosing cherry tomatoes instead. They can be planted in 7 gallon plant containers.

Think about which edible flowers and plants are suitable for your terrace, for example. Let our tips inspire you.

Colorful furniture – this is how they are integrated into the interior design

Do you lack the courage to paint the walls in bright colors? Loosen up the mood with colorful furniture! Below are some helpful tips and ideas for doing this. Even a very small piece can make a difference if it is positioned correctly.

Colorful furniture – living room sofa with floral pattern

Dining table with colorful designer furniture

In a neutral room, a dining table with colorful designer chairs would totally lighten the mood. They can be of different colors. Choose at least one in a garish shade. Draw inspiration from the current nuances of the year to look very modern.

Colorful furniture – colored dining room chairs

Colorful, yet stylish

Yellow in a dark work room

The modern monochrome color palettes can sometimes be really extravagant. For example, they combine colors such as green, blue and gray. For an airy atmosphere, access to natural light, the use of green plants and the introduction of one or two designer pieces in warm colors are recommended. Preferably yellow.

Yellow work chair and beautiful ceiling spice up the otherwise dark interior design

Colored antique touches

Would you like to have antique items in your interior design? Make it bold accents by the execution in bright shades.

Put an antique touch

Furniture in the colors of nature

Do you have green house plants in your room? Would you like to increase your presence? Then you need some pieces of furniture that are the same or very similar green color. It is even better if the plants and the furniture shaded in green are in close proximity to each other. So you have a dominant feeling of nature even with little green.

Combine green with plants

A feminine corner

Many women love feminine style for the comfort it brings. But you don’t have the courage to let it dominate. Perhaps, however, a pink shelf can be used on the balcony, in the kitchen or in the living room? It would bring a smile to the face of the visitor and there you can place a few items related to the topic, such as elegant champagne glasses, beautiful picture frames, recipe books or design books.

Mix colors properly

Colorful floral pattern

Colorful furniture can also be spiced up with floral patterns. Such can spice up a monochrome room. You can also weld the colors together in a brightly colored room.

Elegant floral pattern combines wonderfully with the beautiful chandelier and the glass table

Stylish mix of patterns

Colorful furniture in the nursery

The children’s room needs colors, but these can quickly become boring for the little ones. Repainting the walls every time is just too laborious. It doesn’t cost that much effort and money if you just paint the furniture!

Cool orange armchair evokes fascination in children

Orange furniture looks great on the white background

Media or shelf wall

A media wall in a cool color is a bold, but often absolutely successful solution. This also emphasizes it and its sculptural form. It also enlivens the mood in the room and this is always welcome given the presence of many media devices.

White and purple are a beautiful color combination that makes the nursery a colorful place

Very colorful, beautiful and yet functional

If you make a wall of shelves colorful, the decorative effect of the objects it contains is also strongly emphasized.

Different colored surfaces in the kitchen

What do you think of a colorful kitchen? The following examples show that this can work well when using three bright colors. Provide more comfort with good lighting.

Minimalistic and colorful

Boldly combine colors in the kitchen

Color mix of warm tones

Red chair as a colored accent in the children’s room

White dining table and yellow chairs are an excellent combination for the modern dining area

Colored antique furniture brings a unique atmosphere to the room

Colorful and very suitable for the children’s room

Set up the home office in color

Design fresh cuisine

Lots of green with colored elements

Create a colorful relaxation corner

Green open wall shelves for the home office

Combine pastel nuances

Yellow and red look beautiful together

Beautiful saturated blue captivates the eye

Simply lovely color selection

Colored pieces of furniture create real eye-catchers in the room

The fascinating variety of door handles 

There are probably hardly any people who can associate antique door handles with a hobby. This is an unimaginable passion for those who collect ornamented doorknobs. On every door handle you can read stories about the architecture, the age or the place on which the building is built.

Every passionate collector demands of himself to find out all the details around the door handle. There are methods which, based on the signs of wear and tear and careful examination of the surface of the door handle, will lead to the desired results.

Historical detectives manage to read more details on the door handles

There is important cultural information in a door handle

The example of Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus optimization

If it happened to you to notice a nondescript door handle in the dusty corner of an antique shop, you’d just keep walking without thinking about it a second time. A collector would see a little piece of history in it if you were you. More precisely, a good collector can understand the story that the small, remote fragment of architecture whispers to him.

We see precisely worked out forms and valuable material in this magnificent specimen

Handshake or door handle touch – the first impression counts

At the front door, preferences come into their own

Different countries, different customs – this is where the gecko greets us

What is impressive is the fact that experienced collectors can tell the difference between door handles from commercial buildings and those intended for residential buildings. A particularly good example is the Victorian era, when designing a door handle had a special meaning. Architects of the time saw the door handle as an honorific designation of the style in which they constructed the building.

Biblical motifs were preferred in Europe for a while

Indian elephants receive visitors in Hindu temples

A door handle with an image of a lion speaks of an influential personality

Heavenly mood in a carefree house

There are many doorknobs that have unusual designs or intricate engravings that are difficult to trace back. Houses with luxury apartments, hotels and even banks sometimes adopt some designs for their companies.

The first door handle in colonial times was made of wood. In the war for American independence, houses of influential families were given round door handles.

Bold ornamentation in golden colors on walnut speaks of good taste

In our age, humorous doorknobs are a common occurrence

Mudras are conceivable for the Buddhist area

The transmission of important messages is immortalized in the form of a door handle

Smart ideas and designs from Asia

Another curiosity is that by 1876, almost all (95%) of the door handles were imported. The collectors and experts report that between 1830 and 1870 more than 100 patents for door handles were granted.

During the Second World War, many people found a lucrative business in selling brass doorknobs for fusion.

Door knockers carry the spirit of the door handle

According to your own request, a production is safely possible

Superstitious people prefer power animals or protective symbols on their doors

Playfulness or communication design?

A door handle in which the form does not interfere with the function

A symbol of unity 

Monkeys on the doors are pure entertainment 

A ball with a liquefying effect in the plastic cover – a product from our time

Swans have a high value, which the brass increases even more

It’s an exciting time when your little one starts crawling and goes on discovery tours through rooms and corridors. For you, however, this also means twice as much attention and alertness. Because the little ones are already relatively fast, but still have poorly developed motor skills and cannot see as optimally as adults. It is high time you made your household childproof by taking all the necessary security precautions in your own four walls. Below you can read where the greatest dangers for babies and toddlers are hiding and how you can prevent them.

Modern apartments or houses, as nice and cozy as they are, hide a lot of dangers for little adventurers that we adults often cannot notice immediately. For this it is definitely worth it practical tips in this regard and implement them in your own home. It also helps to carefully explore every room and corner from a child’s perspective. The best thing to do is to get on all fours at least mentally and put yourself in the state of a crawling or already running child. There you will surely find a lot of hurdles and risks of injury that you would otherwise not have noticed.

Sockets, cables and co "defuse"

One of the most important protective devices that you should definitely put in place in all rooms is the socket protection. There are already different versions for this, both for the sockets and for power distributors of all kinds. A very good and inexpensive solution are special inserts that can simply be glued into the socket. Adults have no problem plugging in the plug by twisting or pushing it. However, small children and babies cannot do this, which means they are well protected from dangerous electric shocks. Devices that you use briefly, such as hair dryers and vacuum cleaners, should be safely stowed away immediately after use. This also applies to all possible chargers for laptops and cell phones. You should also keep cables secure. Hide any cables hanging or lying on the floor, or secure them with special clips or glue. In general, keep electrical devices out of the reach of the little ones and pull them out of the socket.

Equip the kitchen suitable for children

In the kitchen, the highest level of alert is usually in effect. The room is least suitable for babies and toddlers, but they are often frequented by them. There is a lot to discover and it often smells so delicious. It is hardly possible to deny the children access to the kitchen. It is much more practical to equip them with different protective devices. In addition to socket protection, a stove guard is particularly indispensable here. This prevents possible injury to the little ones when trying to reach up. It is also advisable to only use these hotplates that are located on the inner side of the cooker. A child safety device with locking bars for the fridge and freezer as well as the dishwasher and washing machine is also essential, as is securing the lower drawers and cupboards. You will find different versions for this in stores, there are even those that work with magnets.

Take a close look at all the furniture

Unfortunately, a lot of furniture often poses a potential risk of injury to small children. These can tip over or the child can injure themselves on sharp corners and edges. To prevent such a thing, you should use edge protection. This is usually made of synthetic foam or silicone and can be easily attached to furniture edges. This makes running and romping around at home a lot safer. You should definitely secure taller pieces of furniture such as shelves, chests of drawers or cupboards with an anti-tip device. Furniture is usually fastened to the wall with screws so that it cannot tip over on the child if it is pushed or pulled up.

Make doors and windows child-proof

Furthermore, it is extremely important to equip windows that the child can already reach with child safety devices or special locks. It is best to remove all furniture that is in front of windows so that the little ones cannot climb on it and get up even more easily. It is better to equip large windows, glass doors and other glass surfaces with anti-shatter film and colorful stickers. This means that these are easily visible to small children and do not pose a major risk from broken fragments if they break. To ensure that little fingers are safe from being crushed, it is advisable to equip all doors with suitable door stoppers or finger protection devices. These are also available as funny animal figures or in inconspicuous colors.

Prevent any risk of poisoning

Cleaning products, cosmetics, medicines, make-up, alcohol, cigarette butts, garbage cans, poisonous houseplants – all dangerous substances for a baby or toddler. These products usually have a colorful look, smell good and are very tempting. Unfortunately, they can cause acute poisoning and therefore must not get into the hands of children. Therefore, always keep such products in higher cupboards or lock them each time after use. In urgent cases one of the numerous will help you Poison Control Centers in Germany.

Don’t forget the stairs and the garden

Stair guards are an absolute must in a household on more than one level when there are small children. These are usually mounted on the wall at the top of the stairs and are great fall protection. If you have a garden, don’t forget it either, as children love to play outdoors. Potential dangers in this area are pools, garden ponds and rain barrels. They should all be well secured with a special cover or fence. There are even special devices with pool alarms that are mounted directly on the pool, which can serve as additional protection. Nevertheless, never let small children play unsupervised in the garden, because there could be other dangers lurking, such as poisonous plants or forgotten garden utensils, for example.

And some extra tips to make the household child-safe:

• Prefer changing table without edges and with frame;
• Sufficiently secure baby cots;
• Mobile phones, music boxes and duvets and cuddly toys that are too soft have no place in babies when they are asleep;
• A playpen is very helpful if you have to be out of the room for a few minutes or if you have pets and do not want to leave them unattended with the children;
• mobile grilles that you can place in specific areas of your home, e.g. B. in front of the fireplace, are very practical;
• Always store sharp objects safely, place them on higher shelves or lock them in cupboards;
• Prevent the risk of slipping, especially in the bathroom, with non-slip mats – don’t forget the bathtub.

Let our experienced living experts advise you and transform your home into a safe place where your children can romp, crawl and crawl in peace.