#House inspiration how to#

In bathrooms the opposite can be true as basins and baths are often more organic in shape so you can go all out on the geometric tile designs.Д«elow, this time the pattern is on the floor and goes up the walls.

I have said often that in sitting rooms and kitchens itвЂ™s good to bring in curves as there are lots of straight lines and rectangles. Above the floor is plain and the walls are alternate colours and it works perfectly in here.

It could also work in a variety of colours вЂ“ navy or, perhaps sky blueвЂ¦ see below.Д«athroom by project as seen in bathrooms, and both have used checks like the kitchen above but in completely different ways. By covering it in a warm tonal but contrasting shade the retro effect of tiling it appears much more modern and fresh. Finally, if that island were in brown as well it would all be too much and perhaps look a little old fashioned. This is a great detail and does two other things вЂ“ makes the floor look bigger as it вЂњbendsвЂќ it up the walls and makes the kitchen look bigger as the island and units now appear to float over the floor. Note too, how the floor checks run up the sides of the cupboards and island instead of traditional kickboards. This is a beautiful kitchen but it can also be a jumping off point for your own design. And if you donвЂ™t fancy a tiled/grouted top you can always add traditional worktop round the hob.

What a great way to use tiles if, and itвЂ™s a fairly chunky if, you donвЂ™t need your island for storage. Behind the sink the plain off-white tiles link back to the floor and unite cupboard and wall to floor. The colours are all warm and tonal and the floor is quite busy with the contrasting tiles although they co-ordinate perfectly with the wooden cupboards. Anyway this kitchen is all about the checks. Image by Styling with kitchens and this is about using materials in unexpected ways вЂ“ turns out this post does have a theme after all вЂ“ itвЂ™s a sort of round up of my favourite design tips.

#House inspiration how to#

This is where the details matter вЂ“ painting inside the cupboards, thinking about what goes behind glass doors, considering the overall look you want and working out how to get there. This has a sort of Delft look to it вЂ“ you can buy reclaimed ones here while Fired Earth and Ca Pietra both have modern versions.ДЄs a final lightening touch the glass cabinet fronts catch the light and note how the solid wooden cabinet is pale inside so itвЂ™s easier to see what you are looking for and anyone who has tried to find a black purse in a black lined handbag will know of what I speak. You all know by now that I am a passionate advocate of adding something vintage to every room and if you want to bring in more character, and perhaps make it look as if your kitchen has been there for years, you can choose a tile that is either creamy in colour (which will be warmer and more vintage looking than a bright white) or one with an old style pattern. You can also choose a pale worktop and, if you pick one in natural stone or quartz, it will bounce the light around making the room feel even lighter and, of course, you can see the reflection in the tiles.ДЄnd thatвЂ™s another point I wanted to make. Keep the floor and ceiling light to start with. Now this may feel like a bold move to choose a dark colour for the cabinets but that doesnвЂ™t necessarily mean the room will be dark. So, starting off with a deep dark navy blue kitchen.