In choosing the size of a chandelier, there are no concrete criteria of evaluation. Interior designers always advise to stay away from buying a small-sized chandelier for a large room. On the other side, the use of candelabras or small chandeliers allows, in certain cases, to attain an interesting compositional effect. Every-thing depends on your taste and wants.

Unlike the homes in the magazines, most of us will never own a Schonbek crystal chandelier to tower over a twelve-seater dining table. In fact, these days we’re lucky if there’s enough floor space in our homes for a dining room at all! Multi-functional, small scale and affordable is the way many of us live. And as more people move into and vie for premium spaces in the cities, large spaces will continue to be an expensive option.

If you’ll be enjoying a ‘staycation’ this summer, why not transform your backyard into a four-star resort with these fast, inexpensive and easy-to-do projects to create your own outdoor retreat.

It used to be enough to ask clients a few simple questions about whether or not they had pets… What type of pets? How large? Indoor or outdoor? But the simple considerations from the past — predominantly fabric and flooring selections — have grown to include other things. In fact, a recent study found that dog food was more important than wine in a kitchen!? 22% of all homeowners surveyed classified a dedicated place to feed pets and store pet food in their kitchen as a top priority, compared with only 10% who voted for dedicated wine storage.

PPG’s 2012 / 2013 colour trend forecast calls for an awakening of the senses, a new positiveness, a search for increased intensity, and a sense of luxuriousness.

If you’re planning ahead for 2012 and want to know what is happening in terms of colours, the Color Marketing Group (CMG) suggests Boyz-N-Berry, a “deep rich purple with slight red undertones. It is mature and elegant yet has a youthful edginess. It reflects our changing mindset on so many issues — off centre and unconventional, spiritual, meditative yet impulsive. It is serene and in control.” It is also able to blur the line, being both masculine and feminine and appealing to everyone.

Do you feel the need to watch the news, or anything else on television, while you’re in the bathroom? Many people install separate televisions in their bathrooms, however, if not done properly, the space quickly looks overcrowded and overdone. Not to mention the potential hazard of cords near water, depending on the type of installation. If you must have a TV, opt for one that is embedded in your mirror.