Home Design Room: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Modern Interior Wood Design Collection

Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos

Interior Design Photos

Friday, December 30, 2011

Happy 2012

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Wishing you a wonderful one!!

photo by me

Post Of The Month Club returns January 31st :)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The European Union Today

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

The European Union has been a grand experiment

originating in 1958 but solidifying in 1993

Take 27 European countries with diverse histories, cultures, locations, and economies

and bind them with laws and a single currency,

the euro

The European Union aims to provide free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within Europe

A dreamy idea, but can it work?

National borders relax

as many from poorer EU countries flood wealthier EU countries for work,

for no work visa is required

{ with a few exceptions }

Unfortunately, it has created another layer of big government

My babysitter says her fees are dictated by the EU in Brussels

Sounds a little crazy, right?

Countries in the European Union
Switzerland and Norway are among the few who did not join

Due to the current economic crisis in Greece and Italy,

a recent UK newspaper headline read

'EU Demands £25bn Lifeline From UK'

That doesn't feel fair to the British who have their own economic woes

and decided to keep its currency { Pound Sterling } from the beginning

as a way to hold on to their sovereignty

Map of the European Union

The demands and threats toward the British to financially help with the euro crisis

has led 59% of those surveyed wanting to leave the EU,

25% wanting to stay, and 16% not sure,

according to a UK newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph

In a country where NO ONE has bumper stickers on his/her car

{ it is tacky to display your opinions so publicly },

I actually have seen a few promoting the UK to leave the EU

{ or maybe it is just the same car I see over and over again }

Euro notes replaced many national currencies in 2002
Not used by all EU countries, including UK and Denmark

What has the EU meant to me?

Aside from taxes, new laws I'm not aware of, and a great variety of imports in the stores,

I can't help but be a little envious of EU citizens buzzing

through passport control as I stand in the long non-EU citizen line

I see cars and big lorries on the highways with licenses plates from all over Europe

When we travel through Europe,

it is convenient to use the same currency when we cross borders

{ But I must say the bland artwork on the euro makes me sad for the countries

who lost their beautiful, meaningful depictions of their culture on their own currency }

2012 could be an interesting year for the EU

Will the European Union break up?

Will a few countries be forced to abandon the euro?

Will the UK decide to leave?

Stay tuned...

P.S. Post Of The Month Club will resume January 31 :)

Sources: Wikipedia, AFP, The Daily Telegraph

Images: Wikipedia 1, 2

Monday, December 26, 2011

Boxing Day

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Today is Boxing Day in the UK,

a secular holiday celebrated in many countries worldwide

{not in the US}

Historically employers gave bonuses and 'boxed up' leftover food to employees on this day

It was a time to give an 'Alms Box' to the poor

It also has been the day for the Boxing Day Hunt

Fox hunting dates back to the 16th century in England

Controversially, fox hunting has been banned since 2004

[image: Daily Mail]

Today for many, it is the busiest retail day filled with shopping and sales

Think 'Black Friday' in the US after Thanksgiving

It is also another day of a Tube strike

As much as I love Christmas,
it is a bit too messy for me around the house
So I am trying to convince the kids 'Boxing Day'
means putting Christmas decorations away into boxes :)

Clever, no?
{ they aren't buying it }

It is also a family day of relaxing by the fire

Happy Boxing Day!

P.S. Next Post Of The Month Club will be January 31st :)

Content: Wikipedia
Photo by me

Friday, December 23, 2011

Style Interior

Typical Oriental style interior

The theme of the interior space is increasingly diverse. One theme that is still up to date and happy to be used by many people because these styles are timeless is the Oriental style. Not only the interior of houses, office, and even commercials space such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, and so forth. Oriental style is inherited from the Eastern culture that developed covering an area of China, Japan, Korea, to Vietnam, Thailand, to Persia. Culture at heyday in the Palace of the Chinese Empire and Japan eventually have strong cultural roots and a life of its people. This culture continued to grow and develop in society in various forms including architectural aspects of buildings.

The concept of oriental buildings usually come in the form of a physical building / exterior and interior. Includes roof form, space layout, building form / elements of the building wall, the gate / entrance, to the types of furniture and accents / ornaments space. In the style of today's modern home, this oriental concepts experienced remarkable evolution. Wealth of forms that continue to be explored by the designers made the impression of an oriental easily applied to other types of modern buildings. Form of gate / gate and walls of processing elements in the room / building is one example of a direct physical looks from the outside. While the selection of accents / ornaments and furniture locks on the interior will facilitate the creation of an oriental style in your room.

For example, in Japanese style interior, the use of interior decoration materials and furniture from wood. Oriental style tends to jell with natural color. Natural elements such as wood, natural stone, bamboo, and frescoes of the paper more often used. Another popular element in the Oriental style interior is known as the Chinese alphabet or Conji (Kanji), which is usually written into China calligraphy on sheets of paper displayed on the wall and into the accents / ornaments on the space key. A touch of oriental style is also reflected in the choice of red, gold, black, and white for the theme of space. Some Oriental items that can be used to decorate the house such as bamboo, a symbol of religious, ethnic ornaments and wall hangings picture / painting of a dragon or lotus flower.

For the small house that still want to use the concept of oriental but also did not abandon the concept of a green home, try to organize a small dry patch of garden in the house. Because the concept of inner garden layout is already on the Japanese home of the past. Element for the inner garden, with or without the element of water is a natural stone both large and small size, sand / gravel, bamboo / other plant space efficient, and where the light from the stone. Additional lighting will enhance your inner garden in your home.