Worst Bedroom Designs

The public areas of our homes - our living rooms, halls, kitchens and dining rooms - often receive more attention than the more private areas like the bedroom, but if you neglect your bedroom, you are only neglecting yourself. Because they are not on public display, bedrooms can be more of an individualistic expression of our personalities, and while this can result in some stunning rooms, it can also see the creation of some real monstrosities (check out the first example to see a literal monstrosity in action). As well as misguided attempts at capturing a style, some bedrooms are ruined by sheer neglect, untidiness or poor planning, so read on to see some of the worst bedrooms in existence and learn how to avoid making the same mistakes.

It's easy to go over the top
when furnishing a child's room

This child's bedroom was obviously planned with the best intentions, but instead of being an exciting, inspiring place, the effect is nightmarish as well as impractical - after all, when the occupant of the room starts to grow up, will they still want to sleep in a Tyrannosaurus Rex's mouth?

This room is dark and uninviting,
but it doesn't have to be this way!

It's always a good idea to co-ordinate patterns on textiles and walls, but the owners of this room have gone too far - check out the duvet and the border at the top of the wall. By overdoing the matching pattern, the room becomes dark and unwelcoming, and the heavy, poorly-chosen dark wooden furniture does nothing to lighten the mood. If your room is small and dark, avoid large, heavy beds and pick a well designed modern bed that will help you to maximise your space.

If all these horrendous bedrooms have left a bad taste in your mouth, take a moment to check out the simple, elegant room below, with its carefully co-ordinated textiles and beautiful stripped-back wall. The owners of this room have focused on comfort and simplicity and created a sleeping space that is truly inviting and relaxing. If you want to create a similar effect, keep furniture to a minimum, co-ordinate your textiles and make the most of your room's more unusual features. To really make the most of your space, turn a spare room into a dressing room so that you can avoid clogging up the bedroom with wardrobes and dressing tables. This will also give you the opportunity to create a beautiful space where you can dress in tranquility and peace.

This room combines simplicity, comfort
and style for a truly elegant space.

If you feel you need a little more inspiration, check out the BBC's great selection of bedroom decoration tips and ideas, and transform your room into a welcoming haven.

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How To Turn Your Dining Room French

Think of a French dining room, and what comes to mind? Furniture that is somehow comfortable, rustic and effortlessly chic all at the same time, carefully chosen colours that create an environment that is perfect for long conversations over bottles of wine. If this sounds like heaven to you, why not consider creating your own French-influenced dining room, and bringing some of that unique continental charm to your home.

The centrepiece of any dining room is the dining table and chairs, and to get that distinctive French look, you'll want to go for elegant high-backed chairs to really get that sense of chic. For the table, you have a choice - if you are after the look of a sophisticated Parisian apartment, then go for a dining table with slender legs and a delicate design, and accessorise with matching occasional tables and sideboards on which to place lamps and flowing plants. If you crave the rustic French countryside style of a Provence cottage, then go for a rustic table that accentuates the natural beauty of the wood - distressed furniture can help you to get that lived in look without having to pay the high prices of antiques.

This room uses pale tones and a simple
chandelier to maximise space

Once you've got your furniture sorted out, you'll want to think about the decor. French-style dining rooms can, if they are small, benefit from a traditional lemon yellow or powder blue, which will maximise the light and evoke the sense of space found in a refined French apartment. If your room is larger, why not go for something bold and daring like vertical stripes or even a trompe l'oeil painting (although with this you'll want to go to a professional, as an amateurish attempt is a real fashion faux-pas)

This room uses a rustic dining table to create
a relaxed yet stylish atmosphere

The crowning touch to a French-inspired dining room will be a chandelier, although that doesn't mean you should forget about subtlety. Pick a lighting centrepiece that is in keeping with the scale of the room - a small glass chandelier can be an imposing presence simply because it is the source of light, whatever you do don't go too big, otherwise the sense of space will be lost.

Once you've successfully incorporated a French influence into your dining room, you'll want the food to match. Check out the BBC's piece on the differences between French and British cookery, and create some marvellous dishes to serve to your friends and family.

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Things to Look Out For When Choosing A Console Table

Console tables are highly practical, and can be adapted to many purposes, from serving as a handy hall table where you can keep your keys and where post can be kept to serving as a miniature writing desk in a small apartment. A console table will fit into any room, and as such, you may want to consider choosing one that will suit more than one room in your house should you ever decide to rearrange.

The more traditional style of console table features thin, tapered legs, a slim top, and a drawer for a little extra storage. This look really helps to bring a sense of elegance and chic to a room, and can evoke the unfussy style of a Parisian apartment as well as the traditional warmth of a country cottage. A traditional console table is a versatile piece, and can really make a difference.

This traditionally styled reclaimed oak console
table is perfect for a warm, cosy home

If you're after something that has a little more of a contemporary edge, then why not go for a more modern piece with chunkier legs that may also incorporate some extra storage such as additional drawers? Unlike the more traditional style of console table, a contemporary piece will probably have a chunky design, and will look great when combined with modern decor.

This contemporary oak console table will
fit in with an up-to-the-minute home

If you're after some extra storage for your hall or landing, why not look for a console table that incorporates some extra storage, such as a shelf at the base of the legs that can be used for storing shoes or even presenting houseplants. By ensuring that even a piece of furniture as small as a console table fulfils a practical role, you'll help to keep your home stylishly organised and refreshingly free from clutter.

If you need some inspiration for your hall's decor, and really want to make the most of this often under appreciated space, check out howstuffworks.com's great guide to decorating halls and landings.

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How to Turn Your Bathroom French

We would all love to live in a chic Parisian apartment, or a charming cottage in Provence, which is why we've come up with these handy hints to help bring a distinctively French feel to your home, starting with the bathroom. Over the next few weeks we'll be turning our attention to the other rooms in the house, allowing you to rejuvenate your home with Gallic chic.

1: Don't be afraid to be bold

The French have a passionate relationship with interior design, and classic French-style looks make the most of bold, fresh colour schemes as well as more traditional looks. In the bathroom, which is often a very small room, wall colour can really help to create the illusion of space. For a classic French feel go for Celadon walls with a slightly darker shade of eggshell paint for the skirting boards and other detailing. If you want to go for a modern look, why not try bold vertical stripes?

Even though this room is small, the bold
vertical stripes bring a fresh, airy feel

2: Choose your furniture carefully

French-style rooms make great use of space, and avoid clutter. If your bathroom is small, don't waste space by trying to cram extra cabinets into the corners. Pick one carefully chosen feature piece that looks great, but which also provides enough storage, and accessorise it with a cut-glass perfume bottle for that classic chic look. Try going for a solid wooden bedside cabinet, as these are designed to be compact, but also have ample storage.

3: It's all in the details

If you really want to nail the Parisian look, you'll need to make sure that all your accessories are up to scratch. Think elegant art-nouveau influenced vases, cast iron door furniture and fresh long-stemmed flowers for a really indulgent feel.

If your interest has been piqued, and you'd like to further research the intricacies of French-inspired design, why not visit the Interior Design School Review's site and check out their article on incorporating a French feel into your home.

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Tips to Make the Most of Your Bedroom

A bedroom is a place for rest, relaxation and indulgence, whether you're sleeping off the day's stresses or simply enjoying a lazy Sunday morning lay in with the newspaper and a delicious breakfast in bed. That's why it's so important that you make your bedroom a place that inspires restful feelings, where you can really get away from it all. This handy guide offers five tips that will help you to get the most out of your bedroom, so dive in and get inspired.

1. Make sure your bed is pulling its weight

The bed is the most important part of any bedroom, so it's worth your while taking a little time to make sure that you get the right option for you. Start with the frame, making certain that you pick one that is appropriate for the room - a four poster is great, but only if you have a high ceiling and enough floor space for it. If you make one investment in your bedroom, make it the mattress, as nothing else will have the same impact on your sleep and rest.

This beautifully dressed bed makes this
room inviting and relaxing

2. Get your entertainment options sorted

Sometimes, after a hard day, nothing's better than having an early night and watching one of your favourite films in bed, so it's a great idea to bring some unobtrusive entertainment to your room. Go for a small flatscreen TV, and mount it on the wall so that it doesn't take up floorspace. You can install an extendable bracket so that you can angle it closer to the bed when you want to use it, then fold it away when you don't.

3. Do you have enough storage?

If your bedroom suffers from an excess of clutter, then you may want to consider either storing some of your items elsewhere, or if your room is large enough, investing in some new storage solutions. If you can never find a place for spare blankets and pillows, try keeping a linen chest at the end of the bed. This not only provides great storage, but makes a great place to put a breakfast tray when you've finished with it.

4. Get the arrangement right

It doesn't matter how attractive your furniture is or how well decorated the room, if your bedroom is not arranged well, then it will never look its best. The BBC has a really handy guide to planning the layout of your bedroom, so if you're struggling to come up with ideas, it's well worth a look.

Even though this room is small, the
arrangement gives the illusion of space

5. Maximise your space

Often a bedroom can become overcrowded with furniture, as you cram a bed, bedside tables, wardrobes, chests of drawers and linen chests into the same space. If you have a spare room, why not try using it as a dressing room, so your bedroom can be stripped down to the essentials, helping to create a spacious, tranquil atmosphere where you can dream in peace and quiet.

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How to Create a Contemporary Dining Room

In the age of the celebrity chef, the pressure to create sumptuous restaurant quality meals means that even the most friendly dinner party is expected to be a dazzling culinary display in a sophisticated, stylish setting. If you want your dinner parties to be fondly remembered, it's important to make sure that your dining room is up to scratch, and one of the best ways to ensure that your dining area inspires relaxed conversation is to go for a sleek, elegant contemporary look that will also help your food to look irresistible.

A contemporary dining room is defined by its fresh and innovative approach to colour, texture and space, which makes it hard to successfully navigate the huge range of modern dining room furniture and accessories. That's why we've provided this guide, which is intended to help you to achieve a contemporary look that is warm, inviting, and which suits your individual tastes and personality.

Colour

Contemporary style demands an intelligent approach to colour, a departure from the norm. Try using bold, unusual colours with modern ideas like feature walls to really give your dining room that cutting-edge feel. If you need some inspiration, check out Fired Earth's stunning range of wall colours, specially selected by Kevin MacLeod, architect, designer, and presenter of Channel 4's Grand Designs.

Texture

This room uses a wooden dining table to
bring warmth to its contemporary look

Use of texture can really make an impact - when you think of a contemporary styled dining room, you may get an image of sleek, glass or metal furniture and unbroken straight lines, but in recent years, designers have incorporated the more warm, soft and inviting textures of more traditional materials such as solid oak, pine or ash. This allows you to build your dining room around a wooden dining table, for a great combination of traditional character and contemporary design, saving more modern textures such as metal or glass for other items and accessories, providing variety.

Space

The fabric blind used on this window
maximises the light

The use of space is really what defines contemporary style, with a focus on clean, uncluttered surroundings and the creative use of lighting. Use sideboards or chests to provide enough storage to keep your surfaces clear, and make sure you get curtains or blinds that allow you to maximise the light that comes from your windows, but which also look good when drawn. Make sure that you choose a lighting scheme that keeps the ceiling clear - think recessed halogen spotlights and carefully positioned low level lighting.

If you need a little extra inspiration, Channel4.com have a great gallery of contemporary dining room design ideas, which is well worth a look.

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How to Repair Your Oak Furniture

Wooden furniture brings a real sense of individual character to any room, but it is vulnerable to damage, whether from spilled drinks, accidental knocks or even from the environment itself. That's where this handy guide comes in. These tips will allow you to keep your wooden furniture looking at its best, so if your dining table is looking a bit worn, don't worry, help is at hand.

If you have a lot of oak surfaces in your
home, learning to care for the wood is a must

Before you attempt any repairs, it's a good idea to make sure you know how the wood is finished. If it is untreated, then it will be less resistant to damage, but repairs can be easier as you don't need to worry about how the finish will react to treatment. If it has been finished in lacquer, it's best to allow a professional to repair it as achieving the evenness of finish by yourself can be a challenge. If the wood is waxed, then make sure you have a pot of wax with which to touch up any areas that are in need of repair.

Minor dents

You may be surprised to know that minor dents can be easily repaired using a few drops of water, a cloth, and an iron. Simply allow a few droplets of water to soak completely into the dent, and, when the wood becomes moist, place a clean cloth over the top, then - taking care to be gentle - use a warm iron to heat the area. The heat will cause the oak to expand, and as the water dries it allows the wood to set, keeping the new shape and completely ironing out the dent. Do not attempt this on lacquered furniture, as the heat can cause the lacquer to bubble and melt, and you may find that the cloth becomes stuck.

Scratches

Scratches are especially common on the tops of furniture, like dining tables, sideboards and coffee tables. There is a myth that rubbing a shelled walnut on a scratch will help, but this is not true. If the scratch is not deep, and your furniture is either untreated, waxed or stained, you can try lightly sanding the scratch, if it is not too deep, but you will need to re-stain or re-wax the sanded area. If the crack is deeper, you can buy crack-filling crayons from your local DIY centre. Simply heat the end of the crayon to slightly melt it, apply to the scratch, then buff very gently with a soft cloth. This is ideal when dealing with waxed or stained surfaces as you can get a crayon that matches the colour of the finish rather than the colour of the wood.

Burns

Most burns are tough to remove, and will need to be tackled by a professional, but small burns on untreated oak can be removed with this odd sounding tip. Simply apply a little toothpaste to the burn, leave it overnight then clean it off, polish the area, and you may find that the burn has gone completely. This works as the toothpaste absorbs the oxidised, blackened wood particles.

Fading

beeswax can be used on finished wooden surfaces to enhance the shine. If you want to get your hands on some, check out the Furniture Clinic's range of wood treatment products.

Moisture damage

If your furniture becomes moisture damaged, whether it's a ring stain from a carelessly placed glass or coffee cup or a major spillage, then you need to act fast. It may sound strange, but after mopping up excess moisture with a paper towel, you should apply some mayonnaise directly to the stain, rubbing it in well. Leave the stain for a couple of hours, then wipe the area clean with a damp, lint free cloth.

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