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The Design Inspirationalist

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The Design Inspirationalist

Category Archives: Maria Samuels

The Joy of Using Fabric

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Maria Samuels

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diy, fabric, fabric on walls, fabric treatments, interior design, Maria Samuels, projects

Fabric has a special effect on your walls. Compared to other wall coverings, fabric can deliver the desired softness, warmth and texture in a room. You have the option to use it as a major backdrop in a room or just as a supporting character to highlight other furnishings.

With wall fabrics, you can either go for a formal or informal look based on the material and technique you are going to use. Understanding which technique best suits a material is a key advantage in helping you finish your improvement project sooner. Also, two factors will help determine which technique is right for you: the look you have in mind for your walls and the amount you are willing to spend for your wallcoverings.

Here are three wall fabric application techniques to help you choose the best design for your home:

Pasting
Applying adhesive to the wall allows a more steam-resistant surface and gives you the chance to strip off the material without any effort. If you are concerned with the residue paste, don’t worry as you can wash them off later on.

When you want to paste fabric, one important thing to remember is to flatten any crack or bump before deciding on this technique. Also, apply a white primer coating on colored walls to pave the way for trouble-free application of your light-colored fabrics.

The Joy of Using Fabric
Photo Credit: Inhabitots

Stapling
With this technique, fabric panels are sewn together and later stapled on the wall. The edges are then trimmed on double welt as a general rule.

A quilted fabric is preferred if you want to also enhance insulation as well as create an upholstered look. First, check the wall to see if stapling fabric on it is possible. Placing furring strips is an option if the walls have holes but make sure the surface won’t be damaged by the staples.

Upholstering
If you decide to upholster your walls with fabric, be ready to spend more time on the project. You can make your room insulated and less susceptible to noise through upholstery batting. Under upholstery batting, padded fabric is flanked by two-layered upholstery covering which refer to materials made from cotton, polyester or foam. Through this, the fabric appears more soft and splendid. Similar with stapling, the edges are trimmed as well.

Upholstering walls help hide the uneven surfaces and other imperfections, including cracks. However, this technique is not recommended in areas where steam and grease are constant source of concerns such as bathrooms and kitchens. You can also apply upholstering techniques on ceilings, but preferably to smaller rooms. This way, you can stretch the fabric very evenly and securely fasten it in different places.

The Joy of Using Fabric
Photo Credit: House to Home

Using fabric as wallcoverings will surely introduce a beautiful appearance into your room. One advice before you settle on an application technique is to purchase a small amount of fabric you have in mind and then scrutinize the material with your room furnishings. This is the only way you can see for yourself if you have the right fabric in mind.

Written by Maria Samuels of InStyle Modern

Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

06 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Maria Samuels, The Home

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abundance, art, balance, creativity, design, earth, energy, family, Feng Shui, Fire, harmony, health, In Style Modern, intimate relationships, manifestations, Marial Samuels, metal, water, wood, yin and yang

The art of consciously choosing the designs that support people’s life path is called feng shui. And the aspects of your life you consider as important, such as your family, health, abundance, intimate relationships and creativity, are mirrored by your home. The walls, tables and other accessories you place at home are physical manifestations of your beliefs on life in general. This also applies to the structures, patterns and colors that you surround yourself. Each one sends an energy vibration which may be useful or harmful to you.

Understanding how you use feng shui at home is the key to reaping the energy that helps you live a better life. But first you must determine what chi is moving through your body and your environment. This is where the concept of yin and yang emerges as these two dictate the energy that flows in people’s lives. The presence of too much yin energy has negative impact on health, affects the chi flow and shuts down the body. Meanwhile, an excess of yang energy also results in ill health, most noticeable effect include increased heart rate and blood pressure.

The most important part is to balance the yin and yang energy movements to establish a whole state, thus, paving the way for healing, emotionally, mentally and physically. It is also noteworthy to remember that no person carries an entire yin or yang energy. This is because our energy changes with the current season as well as the food people eat and the time of a day.

Here are the 5 enhancing element energy designs in feng shui that can aid you to controlling the yin and yang chi in your life:

Fire
Fire energy is synonymous with expansion and transformation. This means that you are more open to new ideas and are more willing to sharing your gifts with others.

Guest Post: Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

You can add fire energy at home by using any bright color, such as red or orange, or any active color that helps energy and light to bounce. To send up more energy into a room, use the following shapes: diamonds, triangles, pyramids and sunbursts. You can also add lamps, a carved wooden box, spotlights, lanterns, red or green candles, backlit plants, palm trees or yucca trees, pillars, tall chairs, and any groupings of three.

Guest Post: Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

Earth
Earth helps you become more grounded, thus, helping you to feel more protected, stabilized, secure and safe. Aside from moving downward, earth energy is slow on its motion and is represented by nurturing, soft objects as well as solid, heavy objects.

Guest Post: Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

The goal of earth energy is to serve as reminder to people that the physical body, physical world and physical needs must be given due honor. Earth colors are subdued and are usually represented by yellow and brown. Also, the shapes and structures associated with earth energy stone, adobe, straw and brick. Think of warm cozy blankets, terra-cotta pots, a rock garden, brightly colored pillows, pottery, and pillows

Guest Post: Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

Water
Water energy helps you to a relaxed state where you release the things that have been bothering you for the day. To attain physical and emotional healing, make it a ritual to start your day in a water environment and end it as well on similar surrounding.

Guest Post: Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

Black and dark blue are the water colors, thus, adding white tiles around the bath, a curved path, a white vase, a black or dark blue birdbath. I’ve always loved indoor fountains and this copper fountain has stolen my heart, and hanging plants are perfect ways to experience water energy.

Guest Post: Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

Wood
Wood energy manifests creativity and growth in your life.

Guest Post: Creating Balance and Harmony at Home Using Feng Shui’s Five Elements

Definitely not pastel, wood colors bring in clarity and energy in your life. And these are purple to allow expression and bring in abundance as well as green to grow and heal at the same time. To ensure growth is achieved, you must not pick colors that are too muddy or have lots of gray. Objects that are related to wood include vertical blinds, flowing curtains, a blue or green vase, sloping or tall furniture pieces.

Metal
Metal represents the mind energy, with two essential aspects: the intellectual left-brained and the creative right-brained. Too much of this energy, however, can influence people to be sarcastic and overly critical of others.

For the left-brained, the colors associated are gray, white and silver. These are most beneficial for people engaged in accounting or computer programming or any job that requires detailed tasks. To avoid any sharp edge, you can color your room with a soft warm color as well or just opt for creamy or rosy white. For the right-brained, rainbow colors are ideal to bring out your creativity at the same time allow body healing.

Adding bells, metal chimes, a brick pathway, long comfortable sofa, low, wide furniture will bring in the metal energy in your life

Written by Marial Samuels 

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