Decorating a Bedroom That Is Shared By Siblings

It is challenging enough to decorate your son or daughter's room as they mature from being a toddler and want to express themselves, but if you have two kids sharing a room, this can be the epitome of challenging. You want to give each of them their own space, but don't really want to create a divider that delineates one side from the other. Each with his or her own personality, you don't want either to feel slighted. Competition is constantly an issue with siblings and the last thing you want to do is feed into it.

First Things First

The first thing to do is sit down and involve each of your kids in the design process. Let them both have their opinions heard. Maybe one parent can write down all the suggestions while the other sits and listens and is a part of the conversation. Hear how each wants to see his or her half of the room decorated and write them down. If bickering occurs, remind them that this is simply the planning stages, and that you are just hearing ideas. It's important that each understands that no decisions will be made without everyone being in agreement.

Chances are good that you have one who is dominant in personality and another who is passive. Don't allow the dominant one to talk over the passive one. Equally important is not to allow the passive one to get his way because he's so used to not getting a word in edge wise.

Ideally you would love it if after hearing every single item on your kids' wish lists, you can begin to weed out some of the ideas they were just throwing out there to be heard. Equally optimal is that after feeling heard, they decide they can share a desk, sleep in bunk beds and share a closet. If you did the first part of the exercise correctly, getting each to compromise shouldn't be so arduous.

Lastly, A Very Important Step

With any hope, you should be able to convince both to agree on things like paint colors, window treatments and furniture. If you are successful with that, ask each of them to select a corner of the room that each can express his or her personality. A ground rule needs to be set that each has to respect the other's corner of the room.

Cushion Covers: Types and Materials

Cushion covers are used to cover cushions which boost up the look of the room. Different cushion covers of different colors are used to beautify the rooms, which are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, fabrics and many more. The best part is that cushion covers can be sewn and repaired at home itself and this gives one the freedom to choose their own fabric and it can be also very rewarding.

There are a few simple steps for making cushion covers and the foremost being the collection of essential materials which are cushion pad, fabric, scissors, a measuring tape, matching thread and pins and sewing machine. The next step is choosing ones fabric which must be in accordance to the household for a better looking room. Moreover, one must not chose stretch fabrics and slippery fabrics like satin as it can be very difficult to stitch. Then one is supposed to measure the cushion pad across the fullest point. Well, if it is full then it must be squashed down a little. Now, fabric measurements have to be worked out such that for the front cover an extra inch for both length and width must be left for seam allowances.

However, the back cover of the cushion is a tricky business as it needs one to decide how large of an envelope is required for envelope opening. Very large cushions need bigger overlaps. The twice of the overlap needs to be added to the width and another two inches must be left for seam allowances and then the back piece must be cut in two pieces and the pieces have to be arranged such that the wrong side must me up. Then half-inch along the inner cut edges towards the wrong side has to be folded and ironed. After turning the back piece similar job has to be repeated.

Now there is a need to work with the sewing machine wherein the machine has to be threaded using a matching thread and the inner folds of the two back covers has to be sewn. The next involves a lot of arrangements i.e. the front piece has to be placed right side up and one half of the back piece right side down i.e. on top of the front piece. To ensure that they are arranged in a correct manner one must ensure that the edges and corners match up and the patterns, if any, run in the same direction. After this the second half of the back piece must be arranged such that it matches up to the corners and edges on the other side of the front piece.

The best way is to match up the seam and pin it up and then finish up the entire stitching job. After finishing the stitching work one must cut all the long threads and the cover must be turned in the right way and carefully poking out the corners as much as possible, thus getting the desired finish in your enchanting range of cushion covers that you were so much looking forward to!!

Selecting The Right Bathroom Furniture For Your Home

Buying bathroom furniture can be expensive and confusing. Not only do they range in shape and size, they also come in a wide variety of finishes. It can be hard to know what will coordinate with your bathroom and what will not. As long as you follow some basic principles, buying furniture can be affordable and fun.

First of all, you need to measure the space where you are planning on putting the furniture. If you buy units which are too large, it will create a cramped feeling or might not even fit. Also consider the area around the furniture. If it is too close to your ceramics and bathroom fittings it could potentially cause problems. In terms of wall hung furniture, try to avoid buying over sized cabinets for a small room. As much as wall hung furniture does save a vast amount of floor space, it again gives a closed in, cramped feeling if it is too large for the room it is placed in.

Once you know the size of the furniture you require, you need to decide on the finish that would suit your existing bathroom best. If you want a wood finish for your furniture, then the options are endless. Furniture is available in the majority of wood finishes including oak, mahogany, pine, beech, walnut, and many others. If you want a more coordinated feel, furniture also comes in a variety of colourful finishes. White is the most popular finish of bathroom furniture as it coordinates well with a majority of bathroom ceramics and existing fittings. It also projects both natural and artificial lighting making the room seem brighter and more spacious.

In terms of choosing a style of bathroom furniture, you firstly need to consider your existing bathroom fittings. If you have modern, minimalist ceramics with a curvaceous and modern design, then coloured furniture will maintain a contemporary feel and give your bathroom a look of coordinated completion. If you have a more traditional bathroom suite, then wooden finished furniture completes the classical feeling in the bathroom. A smooth, natural oak look gives a natural, elegant look as well as providing functionality with storage space.

Bathroom furniture is an important addition to any home. It provides storage space for all of your unsightly bathroom products such as shampoos and towels, as well as adding to your bathrooms existing style. Remember that some of the best quality bathroom furniture is the cheapest, and that you don't always have to go for the designer suites to get the best value for your money.