Guest Post - 6 Polished Concrete Flooring Ideas To Make Your Home Stand Out

For years, concrete flooring has been associated with the commercial industry, which does not enhance the beauty of the place but offers the basic functionality of being able to handle rough usage with little maintenance. But polished concrete floors are currently becoming popular amongst many homeowners and hoteliers. The variations available in terms of color and design, the functionalities, and durability of the concrete coupled with very less maintenance makes this material ideal for flooring, especially for the heavy traffic areas.

Trending Polished Concrete Flooring Designs to Consider

One of the main reasons polished concrete floors are considered en vogue is the fact that it lends great creative freedom to both the installer and the creator to make their room stand out. Be it a uniform and unicolor look or you are thinking of making the floor pop out, opting for polished concrete floors has many benefits. 

1. The Minimalist Design: Nothing beats the whole white look for a minimalist with edgy furniture. Opting for polished concrete floors of the same hue will create a seamless and expansive design. For lovers of a bit of pop, opting to have the floor in a color that complements the white walls will do the trick.

2. Grey For More Light: While this might seem a bit contradictory but having a foyer with a huge glass wall will make having light grey flooring the perfect balance between brightness and contrast. With natural sunlight streaming in, resin-covered polished concrete floors can make the room feel brighter and livelier. So, you can save your power consumption cost and use minimal lights in your indoor. 

3. Darker Is Sharper: This theme works best in bathrooms; the white sanitary appliances and fixtures get a distinct sharp look when paired with black and patterned flooring and walls. This color also allows lighter timber fittings like vanities and light-colored rugs stand out and give a welcoming vibe.

4. Matching The Furniture Accent: Concrete polished floor a great option for kitchens and bathrooms, the accent of the furniture and the floor color matching is one way to make the appliance shine out. Concrete can take up any color present in its surroundings and make it look flawless makes this design a safe bet for people not looking to play around much with designs. Apart from that, the polished floor is stain and water-resistant, and you can easily use it in your bathroom and kitchen. 

5. Rustic Look For Nature-Lovers: One of the benefits of polished concrete floors is that it can be designed in any way you want. One design that many nature-lovers goes ballistic over is the wooden plank design. This not only provides a very rustic look for the room but also creates a good balance between modern and traditional furniture.

6. Earthy Color For Vibrancy: One of the benefits of opting for polished concrete floors is its ability to be molded into earthy tones. This design works best for the living room and large foyers and you can balance the vibrant yet warm pastels with contrasting colors, be it in furniture or curtain. You can install such polished concrete floors in your commercial area. Such floors are coated with epoxy coatings, and they are completely chemical resistant. 

Many times, concrete floors have been said to lack the warmth required for the homely environment, but polished concrete floors have proved this theory wrong. Whether you are opting for earthy stained flooring or sticking to the traditional concrete color, you can achieve your goal with a concrete polished floor. 

Author Bio: Alyssa Moylan is an ordinary woman from Australia, a writer by day and a reader by night. She writes on various topics like home improvement, business, lifestyle, health, travel and fashion. She likes to think of ways on how to solve daily life problems of people. Follow her on Twitter to stay updated.

5 Tips For Decorating a Large Home

Decorating a room alone can be daunting enough as it is. However, when you have an entire house to decorate, it can be even more overwhelming. In order to pull your homes look off, you'll need to have a design plan in place. 

Making sure that you make use of all of the space you've got to work with, is a question of following the right tips. Take a look at some of the best pointers for decorating a large home. 

Match Textures 

It's important that the materials and textures of your home match each other.  if you fail to use similar textures throughout the home, it can create a messy feel. Whether you're choosing blinds or a couch, it's ideal if the different textures complement each other. 

While it's OK to have some sort of variation, it's not encouraged to have too much. Clashing textures and materials can lead to an undesirable effect. 

Choose a Theme For Each Room 

When you have a lot of space to fill, it helps to choose a different theme for each area. Not only will it make exploring your home that much more enjoyable for visitors, but it can also be fun for you to choose the theme for each room!

There are all sorts of different styles to choose from. Whether you want something modern and light or something more along the lines of vintage and classic, choosing a unified theme for each space is a great way to decorate a large home. 

Paint Your Walls 

When you have a huge home to work with, you might as well take advantage of what you've been given. Rather than leaving your walls a dull white, why not paint accent walls in exciting colors? As long as your walls match your furniture, there are no rules that you have to stick to. 

One of the best pro tips is that no color is off-limit. As long as you like it, you can manage to make it work with the right accessories and furniture. 

Make Use Of Wall Space 

A big home needs to be filled out in order to avoid feeling like a warehouse. One of the best ways to do that is to fill out your walls. Don't be shy when it comes to displaying art on your walls or installing shelves. Choose your decor so that it fills out the room nicely. 

Don’t Forget Rugs 

One of the best parts of having a big floor space is being able to put rugs on the floor. A large home can easily feel too spacious without the right accessories. A rug makes a big home feel cozier and more closed in. 

It may take you a while to fill out a large home completely; however, with enough motivation and patience, you'll fill out your big home exactly as you want it over time.  

Guest Post - CREATE AN OFFICE SPACE THAT FEELS LIKE HOME

If you plan to give a makeover to your office space, this article might help you. I personally suggest you break the monotony of opting for the old school corporate office like theme and go for something that feels like home. Most of the people would love to work from their homes if they get a chance to. But wouldn’t it be great if they get the same cozy and homely atmosphere at the workplace. 

A person spends most of the day at the office. You might end up spending over 50 hours a week at your office. Therefore, it is very important that your workspace provide you with some comfort that you get at your home. Providing yourself and your employees a place where they get homely vibes will surely have a positive impact on work productivity. 

The following tips might help you design your office space that gives a homely experience to your employees. 

Don’t only go for the office chairs, add sofas into the furniture

Comfortable couches will help you break the monotony of your office space. These can be used in common areas where the employees can relax. Set them in a place with good lighting in peaceful ambient music. You might find your employees sipping coffee sitting on these couches. Also, this space can be a unique alternative to the monotonous conference rooms. 

A homely kitchen is what you need

A kitchen is the heart of every home. In many workplaces, there is no such place. However, domestic-styled kitchens with dining areas have become a new trend nowadays. The long dining tables add-on to the beauty of it. After office hours, you can sit and munch some snacks with your team in the kitchen. 

Ask your employees to decorate their cubicles 

One always places the pictures of the loved ones at home. The same can be done in the cubicles as well. You can place pictures of the employee’s parents, friends, family which will cheer them up and bring a smile to their faces. Also, try out different frames and design it like you design the walls of your home. Keep adding the photos and keep updating your collection. 

Fill up the bulletin board 

Add your favorite quotes, pictures with the staff, the fun moments, the person that inspires you and all the things that make you happy. It is quite amazing that looking at some pictures and motivational messages changes your mood drastically. 

Bring in fresh flowers and plants

Putting in some greenery in your office will add more life to the boring formal environment. The flowers are an add-on to the colors of your workspace. Don’t go for artificial flowers for decoration purposes. Alternate it with fresh flowers you like and don’t forget to take care of them daily. Do not worry if you are tight on budget for fresh flowers. Bring in more and more houseplants. 

Healthy snacks for munching are a must 

What do you do most of the time when you are at home? Eat! Keeping dry fruits or any other healthy snack in the office for the employees will make them feel at home. Also, it will surely keep the energy levels of the employees who love to work late in the evening. 

The wall colors make a huge impact 

If you want to give your employees a homely experience in the workplace, do not go for boring and dull colors inside office space. Bring in some vibrant and soft tone colors. Not only the wall color, but the color scheme of accessories around also makes a huge difference. Also, one can experiment with different wall paintings. These are definitely a great alternative to the boring single color walls. 

Most importantly, the people around you will make the office space home. Therefore, take advice from them and ask for their favorites. Try to provide the environment they want. 

The lighting should complement the walls 

Use bulbs of different shapes and place them accordingly. Do not rely more on the natural daylight in your office. Try something unique and different for every place in the office. Do not place white LED lights all around the office. 

Board games and playing cards are really important

Do not let your employees become “corporate robots”. A stress-releasing factor is really important. Bring in several board games and playing cards and give the employees some time to spend with each other. Bringing video games can be risky as your employees might end up without doing any work at the end of the day. 

Author Bio:

Manav Bansal is working as Creative Content Writer at FourModules for last two years. He has been writing on various topics related to IELTS, PTE, CELPIP and CAEL exams. Other than this, he loves to write about health, lifestyle and technology.

5 Ideas To Make A Bedroom Cozy

No matter how extroverted, outgoing, and sociable you are, at the end of a busy day, you need a space to unwind, relax, and refresh yourself. This place is your bedroom – for most of us, it's a sanctuary, safe haven, and private place of retreat. We spend nearly a third of our lives sleeping, and it's important to have a neat, comfortable, cozy, and well-decorated bedroom. 

Bedrooms are important because:

• They are purpose-built for sleep, relaxation, and privacy

• They provide a sanctuary when you want some Me Time

• They are a private space for you to read, work on hobbies, etc.

How To Create An Air of Coziness

The adjective "cozy" refers to a state of being comfortable and snug. It can also define a place that's inviting, welcoming, and intimate and promotes an air of restfulness and relaxation. 

A large room can often feel impersonal, overwhelming, and cold. We have to work hard at making this space feel welcoming. This would need extra furniture, soft furnishing, rugs, carpets, drapery, artwork to fill large wall spaces, and huge beds. 

With smaller rooms, the challenge is about striking a balance between coziness and clutter. 

Here are five great ideas that would help you make your bedroom look cozy:

1. Ceiling and Wall Treatment: Conventional wisdom dictates that a lighter color palette offers a feeling of openness and space. However, this doesn't mean that you have to restrict yourself to the spectrum's blue or gray end. Pick warmer, earth tones in lighter shades and play with different colors to create interesting effects. It's important to keep the walls in a lighter shade to open up space, but you can certainly choose a richer tone for the ceiling. If you want to make a statement, select an eye-catching hue such as dull gold or copper to draw the eye upwards. Just make sure that you use it judiciously to avoid a busy look. Ceilings are often described as the fifth wall in a room, and they can pull the room in or push it out.

2. Textures and Materials: Wood and terracotta in the right shades provide the "earth connection" for human beings and gives the feeling of a safe place to rest in. Use wood flooring in lighter hues, with a darker trim closer to the ceiling. Horizontal or vertical paneling on an accent wall gives the optical illusion of space. Terracotta or open brick gives warmth and solidity to a wall. Again, don't overdo these materials, or you could end up with a crowded feel.

Use natural fabrics such as jute, cotton, or silk for your soft furnishings, throws, duvets, bedcovers, and draperies. 

3. Reflecting Surfaces: Mirrors should form an important part of a small bedroom. Place them strategically to reflect either open windows, doors, or corridors that lead to other areas. This tricks the eye into believing there's more space than there is. Use a light mirror for enhanced reflectiveness.

4. Floor Management: Ensure that you keep as many things off the floor as possible. Choose a low-level bed to increase the vertical space. If you need other furniture in the room, purchase items with legs that allow a floor view. Avoid tall, free-standing objects and bedside tables and lamps. Use the wall space instead.

5. Soft Edges: In practical terms, it's possible to constantly bump into furniture and things in a small room. Keep yourself safe and comfortable by choosing furniture and other items with soft, rounded edges. This creates a more gentle and cozy ambiance. Ensure that the mattress is comfortable and soft and that your bed doesn't have hard or sharp corners.