All posts by Willie Gonzales

Sunlight makes daily tasks easier to perform, makes spaces more spacious, attractive, and vital, without having to waste energy. Enhancing natural light inside the home is much easier than it seems.

The Structural Elements And The Distribution

Lighting the interior spaces with natural light by installing skylights or using fiber optic cables is easy if you have a budget for it. If, on the other hand, works are not an option, you can try to integrate dimly lit rooms into more luminous ones by totally or partially eliminating partitions. In this way, for example, a dark kitchen can become part of a dining room with lots of light, sharing natural lighting.

One way to take advantage of sunlight is to allocate the home areas with more natural lighting to those tasks that need more light, such as sewing, studying … Although, when distributing the different spaces, care must be taken with direct reflections or flashes that light can produce on surfaces such as television screens or computers.

Making the most of sunlight prevents any piece of furniture from interrupting the passage of natural light. The ideal is to opt for low furniture since they give spaciousness to space and allow a better distribution of light. If they are high, the ideal is that they are glued to the walls, never in front of windows or glass. On the other hand, bottomless shelves absorb less light, making the room brighter.

Opaque wooden doors absorb lots of light into space. Replacing them with other glass ones (or with glass), allows the sunlight to bounce and flow from one room to another. If they are sliding, it is avoided to cut the passage of light and create dark nooks when opening them. Another option is white or light wood doors, which help to gain light without giving up privacy.

Tall windows create much more uniform lighting, but not everyone has them. However, another much cheaper option is to paint the frames white or light tones. Also, if they are the same color as the walls, the exteriors will gain prominence, creating a much brighter room. Sometimes a change of crystals can also help to gain luminosity.

Colors: Wall Tiles, Furniture, Textiles And Accessories

White, neutral tones and yellows create much brighter rooms. The same goes for soft and pastel tones, which provide clarity and a feeling of spaciousness to space. Opting for ceilings in white or lighter colors than those on the walls will provide a feeling of height and a spacious and bright image. For its part, the clear and bright floors also reflect more and better light. White or beige ceramics, light marble, parquet in beech tones and other woods with little grain, are perfect for achieving this objective. If you have dark floors, it is preferable to place white carpets and other bright tones and natural materials to give light to the room.

When choosing furniture, it is preferable to opt for colored pieces such as white or light woods, which provide a feeling of lightness, spaciousness, and luminosity. Lacquered or glossy finishes and materials such as aluminum or glass provide reflections that help multiply light throughout the space.

Fabrics such as chiffon, linen, or organza allow light to pass through without losing privacy. And it is that the ideal textiles when it comes to achieving greater natural lighting are those lighter, with light and not very dense fabrics. It is important to avoid large prints, as they generate darker rooms.

Placing decorative elements in light colors creates a feeling of continuity and more luminosity. But also, opting for accessories that bring a touch of color to the room, will give prominence to the light within the space. If these are made of glass, lacquered, or metal, they help generate reflections and spread light throughout the room. Plants with small green leaves, bouquets, and light-colored pictures and photographs also help us achieve a brighter home.

The mirrors provide a great decorative load to the room and are essential when multiplying the light by space. Placed in front of the passage of sunlight, they expand it throughout the space, illuminating even the darkest corners.

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The industrial style has its origins in the old factories and industrial warehouses that occupied New York’s urban areas in the 70s. When many of them closed, in the years of the economic recession, they were converted into commercial premises and residential spaces. Those artists and creatives who needed a studio were the first to inhabit this new residential concept that was called loft. Brightness and open spaces, utilitarianism and open architecture are the main characteristics of this vintage style with an urban character.

Luminosity and open spaces

The lofts used to have a double purpose: to serve as a home and as a workshop or work studio. Therefore, the abundance of light is a fundamental element in this type of space. The windows without curtains let in natural light and the absence of walls allows it to circulate throughout the interior without obstacles. High ceilings and large iron windows are also characteristic of this style.

Naked architecture

The industrial aesthetic could appreciate the beauty of the building materials leaving bare brick walls, beams and pillars or iron pipes and air ducts.

The industrial style has its origins in the old factories and industrial warehouses that occupied New York’s urban areas in the 70s. When many of them closed, in the years of the economic recession, they were converted into commercial premises and residential spaces. Those artists and creatives who needed a studio were the first to inhabit this new residential concept that was called loft. Brightness and open spaces, utilitarianism and open architecture are the main characteristics of this vintage style with an urban character.

Luminosity and open spaces

The lofts used to have a double purpose: to serve as a home and as a workshop or work studio. Therefore, the abundance of light is a fundamental element in this type of space. The windows without curtains let in natural light and the absence of walls allows it to circulate throughout the interior without obstacles. High ceilings and large iron windows are also characteristic of this style.

Utilitarian sense

It is a functional style rather than beautiful. The furniture is designed to withstand the passage of time and materials of great hardness and durability, such as iron or cement, are key in this industrial style.

If you like the industrial style, here are a few tips today to incorporate it successfully into a modern urban apartment.

1. Eliminate walls and create a large open plan space .
2. An exposed brick wall provides the perfect setting for an industrial decoration. Any other constructive element that is exposed (beams, pillars, pipes, conduits …) will be an ideal architectural element to complete this style.
3. Cement (polished or unpolished) or wood floors are another common feature of the industrial look.
4. The windows should be bare, without curtains or accessories, so that natural light enters in abundance inside.
5. Incorporate vintage-style furniture with iron and natural wood finishes. The parts office , such as desks, bookcases or chests of drawers are key pieces in this decoration.
6. Use a palette of muted, neutral tones , such as grays and browns, and metallic finishes, such as copper or bronze, with a worn effect.
7. Choose metal lamps or lampshades and movie lights.
8. Decorate with recycled objects and reinvent their function. Weathered leather, iron chairs that are commonly found in coffee shops, or any other industrial fixture will work great in an industrial-style décor.
9. Introduce large plants with large, stiff leaves, never delicate flowers or plants.
10. Cover the floors with rugs made of resistant materials and very strong textures.

One last tip to achieve this style at home is to play with scale and proportions, but always keeping a minimalist and simple look .

It is a functional style rather than beautiful. The furniture is designed to withstand the passage of time and materials of great hardness and durability, such as iron or cement, are key in this industrial style.

If you like the industrial style, here are a few tips today to incorporate it successfully into a modern urban apartment.

1. Eliminate walls and create a large open plan space .
2. An exposed brick wall provides the perfect setting for an industrial decoration. Any other constructive element that is exposed (beams, pillars, pipes, conduits …) will be an ideal architectural element to complete this style.
3. Cement (polished or unpolished) or wood floors are another common feature of the industrial look.
4. The windows should be bare, without curtains or accessories, so that natural light enters in abundance inside.
5. Incorporate vintage-style furniture with iron and natural wood finishes. The parts office , such as desks, bookcases or chests of drawers are key pieces in this decoration.
6. Use a palette of muted, neutral tones , such as grays and browns, and metallic finishes, such as copper or bronze, with a worn effect.
7. Choose metal lamps or lampshades and movie lights.
8. Decorate with recycled objects and reinvent their function. Weathered leather, iron chairs that are commonly found in coffee shops, or any other industrial fixture will work great in an industrial-style décor.
9. Introduce large plants with large, stiff leaves, never delicate flowers or plants.
10. Cover the floors with rugs made of resistant materials and very strong textures.

One last tip to achieve this style at home is to play with scale and proportions, but always keeping a minimalist and simple look .

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The living room is one of the corners of the house where we store most things: technology, crockery, kitchenware, movies and music, books and magazines or the blankets for reading time … but how can we store everything without reducing the space?

1. Get rid of what is not used

Keeping the room in order involves throwing away everything that is not used. Saving things to save will only serve to take up valuable space . So the first thing is to get rid of everything that is not interesting.

2. Less is more

Having a broad view of the room means reducing the elements that fill the space. You have to be clear about what you need and select elements that decorate the room without overwhelming it or, otherwise, it will be much smaller.

3. Planning storage

Once you know the volume of things to store , you have to see how they can be accommodated in the available space. So you can see if more or less furniture is needed or if it should be multifunctional to help save space.

4. Distribute the furniture with practicality in mind

When distributing the pieces of furniture around the room, it is important to have a practical vision. To begin with, it is necessary to avoid that any furniture obstructs the entrance of light or the passage of people. Then, you should think about which areas will be the most used and place the furniture accordingly, so that the space is not overwhelming.

5. Playing with colors and lighting

While it is true that furniture and its distribution do a lot when it comes to enlarging the space, choosing light colors and planning the correct lighting, trying to make the most of natural light , it also helps to make the room look bigger.

6. Take advantage of the walls

One way to gain space without dwarfing the living room is to take advantage of the storage that the walls provide: shelves, shelves and even boxes; The important thing is to know how to take advantage of them, creating new corners to store things without having to visually overwhelm the room.

7. Bet on modular furniture

Opting for modular furniture allows you to create tailored compositions that perfectly fit the available space. Thus, you can take advantage of every last inch of the room without filling the room too much. In this way, in addition, modules can be added or removed depending on the needs of the moment.

8. Be consistent with order

In the end, no matter how many guidelines are followed, if you don’t always try to maintain order, you will never be able to see the spacious room. Having everything collected and getting rid of what is not used is the easiest way to add space to the space.

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Making the kitchen a comfortable and practical space, whatever the meters available in it, involves expanding the work space, passage and storage space as much as possible, in such a way that they allow daily tasks to be carried out comfortably, no matter how small. be.

 

From tiny kitchens to huge ones, the important thing is to make it look like a spacious place where you can move, store or cook in total comfort. To achieve this, you only have to take into account four factors …

 

1. Get a bright space

 

The lighting is an aspect that takes special relevance in the kitchen, not only because it allows the comfortable, too, because light tasks helps visually expand the space.

 

To begin with, the entry of natural light into the room should be enhanced , taking advantage of the rays that enter through windows or doors. In addition, it is necessary to carry out an optimal planning of the artificial light according to the kitchen areas, since the dining room, work, cooking or storage area cannot have the same type of lighting.

 

The use of color in the kitchen also affects the feeling of spaciousness. Light or neutral tones, and some bright colors such as yellows, reds or oranges, will enhance the luminosity; also lacquered furniture or some light and / or glossy coatings. That is why it is vital to consider the effect that the color and finishes of furniture and coatings can have on the space before choosing them.

 

2. Optimally distribute space

 

Choosing the layout of the kitchen will depend on the space available and the location of elements such as radiators, doors and windows in it. The placement of furniture , appliances and other accessories will vary according to the shape and size of the kitchen, always choosing the one that offers the most space for work, mobility and storage.

In L, on parallel fronts, in U, in line , with a central island or American bar, fully or partially integrated, an optimal kitchen distribution will allow maximum comfort when cooking, moving around and being able to access any corner.

 

3. Choosing the perfect furniture and appliances

 

When it comes to achieving a functional kitchen, a correct choice of furniture is essential. The first thing is to make sure that the furniture and appliances meet the needs of the inhabitants of the house.

 

Depending on the space, style , tastes and possibilities, the choice will be one or the other. Thus, if you do not have many meters, you will choose multifunctional, folding furniture, with light colors and / or glossy finishes, and compact appliances. If space is not a problem, you can opt for practical elements such as islands or large appliances.

 

In the case of appliances, whatever the size of the kitchen, it is important that they save time and money, and that they offer easy maintenance.

 

4. Take Advantage of Plugins

 

On the market there are countless accessories to turn the kitchen into a most practical room. From those that help to maintain order, to those that provide us with more space for storage, the case is to achieve a larger, clearer, more comfortable kitchen with greater mobility and work surface.

 

In this line are auxiliary furniture such as tables or chairs, which can perform various functions (support surface or storage space, for example). Folding or stackable furniture also helps to achieve a functional kitchen.

 

The important thing is to choose those pieces that fit the needs, possibilities and tastes of the first decade, in order to achieve a comfortable and practical space .

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Is a home comfortable? Is your furniture comfortable for all members of the family? And the materials, are they the most suitable?

 

When choosing a piece of furniture, you always think about its design, its comfort or its price, but not about whether that piece will be suitable for resting or whether it will generate health problems.

 

That’s what ergonomics works for. According to the Ergonomics Association, it is the set of multidisciplinary knowledge that takes into account the adequacy of products, systems and artificial environments for the needs, limitations and characteristics of its users, optimizing efficiency, safety and well-being .

 

In some homes there is a designation of chairs and chairs for each of the members. These situations are not lacking in logic since the physiognomy of each individual makes the ideal design of each resting place different. And it is that, if the furniture of the house does not ensure the safety and well-being of its inhabitants, there may be consequences for health. Therefore, the following guidelines must be taken into account:

 

1. Ergonomics and materials

 

In the first place, the deformations and permanent coupling of armchairs, sofas and mattresses to the person who uses them the most or with the most weight, where the original state is not recovered after use, are due to a poor choice of filling materials. At the other extreme, many times it is intended to avoid this deformity by choosing hard materials, which prevents adaptation to the user’s body at the time of use, resulting in damage to health.

 

One of the most advisable fillers for mattresses and sofas, although also more expensive, is that of feathers or a combination of these with other materials, since they adapt perfectly to the person who uses it and has the ability to recover its original state.

 

2. Ergonomics and sizes, heights and distances

 

When choosing furniture, the biggest problems are found when choosing sizes, heights and distances , since you can find a family unit in which its components have very different anthropometric characteristics.

 

Thus, if it is known that on the sofa the kidneys should be protected by the backrest, that a person’s hips should not be lower than the knees and that the armrest should be at the elbow, it is clear that it is not these characteristics may be met for all members. Therefore, ideally they should have adjustable structures or individualize , at least, reading or resting chairs.

 

3. Ergonomics in kitchen furniture

 

The same problem arises with kitchen cabinets . Working standing up, in front of a very low or very high worktop, forces you to assume incorrect postures that, in the long run, can seriously affect your health. For this reason, it is convenient that the height of the worktop is modified according to those inhabitants who use it the most.

 

So, if you are thinking of changing the furniture, you must not forget such important aspects as those that determine its ergonomics. The health and rest of the inhabitants of the home depend on it.

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