Posts Tagged ‘designer’

Designer kitchens company launches unique service created to inspire homeowners

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Long established firm, Kitchen Design Centre, has introduced a new scheme to help customers bring their rooms to life â?? a free kitchen design service.

The kitchen specialist, which offers designer kitchens – both traditional and contemporary â?? will send a designer to customers’ houses to evaluate the design possibilities – without them having to part with a penny.

Roger Astin from Kitchen Design Centre said: “The new service means people can see what’s possible before they spend any money at all. New kitchens bring significant lifestyle improvements and can add value to houses.”

The range of modern kitchens bring together a fantastic collaboration of the traditional and the contemporary, with an impressive range of traditional woods and stylish finishes at affordable prices.

And as a forward-thinking kitchen company the Kitchen Design Centre offers the latest in high quality Neff and Miele appliances.

With a century of sourcing kitchen products, the company ensures all sinks, taps and worktops are of the highest quality – featuring optional ornaments to compliment, including modern gadgets.

Over the past 17 years Kitchen Design Centre has gathered a huge portfolio of satisfied customers â?? a sign of the dedication, commitment and all round talent within the company.

One customer, Janet Alston, said: “It’s amazing that the Kitchen Design Centre transformed our two rooms into one light, contemporary living area with all the functions we asked for.

“We wanted a functional kitchen, an informal dining area and a relaxation space, all of which we now have and enjoy as a family.”

Free kitchen design evaluations are available by applying online or visiting the showrooms.

The showrooms are located in Manchester just off the M60 at junction 22, in Blackburn – positioned on the A666 at Brownhill’s roundabout – and in Colne near the end of the M65.

For more information visit www.kitchendesigncentre.com, email news@kitchendesigncentre.co.uk or call Manchester, 0161 681 5061, Blackburn, 01254 246 046, or Colne, 01282 828 444.

Top Home Furniture Choices For The Skillful Amateur Designer

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

When choosing home furniture, almost all people are skillfully meticulous, and they have a right to be. After all, it is their money they are spending on this project, which they have worked very hard to earn.

They want to find the best bargain while making sure they are able to find as stylish of pieces as possible. One opportunity available to these wise shoppers is in choosing reproductions that are made with the same attention to detail as if they were made by the original designer.

This is advantageous to consumers for two reasons: The freedom to redecorate the home within a modest budget while at the same time choosing the right combination of pieces. Several of today\’s top furniture replica models are actually created with the same careful precision as the when the originals were made.

Commonly this may not be acceptable to the most meticulous designers, but in this case it most likely is. You will understand why as you view the list of popular pieces below:

You will want to check back periodically for more design tips provided by experts. These are offered for free by various home furniture vendors and professional interior decorators.

A Top London Interior Designer, What Do You Feel?

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Interior designers sometimes get asked about the hottest colour trends. And this season, we have a confession to make: white is the new black! White interior designs are hip and trendy once again, and in particular those sterile white kitchens are now all the rage. This is particularly true in London, where the dull and gloomy skies can make clients cry out for a touch of bright white interior design freshness.

When you walk into a beautiful white kitchen designed by a top London Interior Designer, what do you feel? Many of us are overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions. We feel carefree and almost as if we are floating on air. The pervasive whiteness brings to mind age-old simplicity, sanitary freshness, contemporary impact, and a roomy, playful outlook. The interior designer will use the white kitchen as a philosophy to evoke a sentiment of purity for food preparation and to empower boundless chef-inspired inspiration.

Many interior design consultancies use white as a fabulous background for the presentation of magical colours and textures. For example, one top trend today is to use deeply varnished wooden joists to contrast with sharply-defined white architectural surrounds. Colourful interior design accents really â??pop outâ? in this context. Alternatively, the quiet pastels of a London autumn can make for a classic and sophisticated interior design scheme.

The newest London kitchens may be white today, but the true home of the white kitchen has got to be Sweden. Just like London, Stockholm has short days and long nights for much of the year. Homeowners naturally crave interior designs that maximise the amount of reflected internal light in these climates. Swedish interior designers will create themes that are inspired by the widespread use of wintertime candles and sconces.

Returning to less northern cities like London, a simple white kitchen works well with dramatic black accents. A very dark or bold interior design element, used rhythmically in the kitchen, creates balance and interest. Contrast in tone and color is the underpinning of what might otherwise be experienced as a â??simpleâ?? or â??flatâ?? kitchen.

Is a white kitchen â??classicâ?? in the sense that it can â??fitâ?? into any interior design? Certainly not! Understanding design context, and especially the architecture of all the elements, the proportions of color and tone, and a true balance with the surrounding interior spaces, are essential for the presentation of a visual logic, a â??wholeâ??. Top London interior designers recognise this, and their efforts have made the white kitchen philosophy a real winner today.

It is such a delight for the interior designer to be able to transform a house into a home

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

As a professional London Interior Designer, I meet with clients all the time who simply crave more originality and personality in their interior spaces. It is such a delight for the interior designer to be able to transform a house into a home by judicious use of lighting, stencils, photo frames, rugs and frames, to name just a few. Each of the different classes of accessories allows the professional interior designer to lean into a certain style, emotion or personality framework in order to create stunning results. In this article, I will draw on my experience in Londonâ??s design community to suggest a few great options if youâ??re looking to spruce up your home this winter with some interior designer magic.

LIGHTING. If there are nooks and crannies that just donâ??t get enough light, interior designers may recommend low-voltage illumination to make your interiors look larger and more welcoming. This can also boost your mood â?? perfect for the gloomy and overcast London skies that are all too common this time of year. Some professional interior designers will recommend theatrical lighting moods, so that you can flip between settings to choose either relaxed, or atmospheric and edgy, or task-orientated, all according to your needs.

COLOUR. The hue of the lighting system can substantially impact the overall look of a room. Incandescent filaments are now being phased out across the European Union, and London interior designers are having to rely instead on compact fluorescents or halogens to create custom effects.

SCONCES. Wall-mounted sconces slide over lightbulbs to give a gentle fuzzy glow to a room. Interior designers sometimes combine glass outer sheaths with paper diffusers to create unique effects and soften the overall feel.

ARTWORK. Art is great, but well-lit artwork is even better â?? and interior designers are often specially-trained in how to perfectly illuminate choice pieces of art. Recessed lighting can be a great solution for both photographs and paintings. For sculptures, some interior designers love to use spotlights or feature lighting for more of a museum showcase feel.

INTERIOR DESIGNERS DO OUTSIDE, TOO! Exterior lighting is a great way to make a fabulous first impression for evening dinner guests or invitees to a luxury London soiree at your designer home. Exterior lighting solutions can even cast light indoors, as well … some interior designers like to be really creative and hide exterior lights in bushes or under trees to create natural diffusion before the light trickles in through the windows and makes fabulous patterns on the ceiling or wall.

This bring to an end my mini-series on how London interior designers use accessories, styles and history to create astonishing results.

Tools and Equipment You Need as a Graphic Designer

Monday, March 1st, 2010

So you have decided to enter the exciting world of graphic design. What kind of equipment and tools will you need to do your best work? The most important tool is your sharp and creative mind. To be an exceptional graphic designer, you will need to look at the world in a slightly different way. You will need to use the fundamentals of design to create intriguing and original images that speak to the audience. Besides a good and strong creative mind, what other creative elements and tools do you need be a good graphic designer? Here are some other tools you need..
1) Digital image editing tools are key to good graphic design
With the arrival of image editing tools, graphic design has never been the same. In the 1980′s, desktop publishing became the big thing, making graphic design seem a lot more accessible. However, if you’ve worked with image editing tools, you will see how much work goes into creating a single logo or image. Image editing tools allow you to manipulate pictures, locals, line art, and all other kinds of images. Computer graphic design has opened a whole new world to graphic designers.
2) Traditional tools still remain vibrant and used throughout the markets today
With so many computer software applications and image editing tools available these days, it can seem like the old fashioned tools of pencils, pens and markers are no longer needed. This is not true. These small and portable tools are still important when designers work on paper and try to develop new and exciting designs. Most good graphic designers carry with them a pad and pencil at all times. Part of the trick of graphic design is learning to use the right tools for the right job. Sometimes pencils and markers are all you need to accomplish what you want.
3) Computers enter the fold of graphic design
Without a doubt, the 1980s revolutionized graphic design when desktop publishing became accessible. This is around the time when computers became one of the most important tools in all of graphic design history. Computers have helped graphic designers achieve immaculate and precise designs. Computers provide access to such graphic design hallmarks such as clipart, fonts, typefaces and various visual effects. Today, most graphic designers do not operate without their graphic design software programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe In Design and many other programs. These have become standard graphic design tools.
4) Using traditional hand rendering and pasting techniques
No matter how computers and design software seem to advance, many graphic designers still prefer to use old-fashioned techniques. This may include hand rendering with calligraphy pens, pencils and markers, and experimenting with different paste-up techniques. Why are the traditional methods still so persistent? The reason that traditional tools and techniques continue to remain so vital is that they allow the graphic design artist to work with their hands and manipulate materials and objects in a much more satisfying manner than what you get from working at a computer console. Manipulating things with your hands can often be infinitely more satisfying than using a mouse to try to control images. You can also get a much faster and better idea of what something will look like by using hand tools and creating a fast mock-up or dummy proof.