Japanese Interior Design

The Western world has, for many years, been deeply fascinated with Japanese interior design. Its simple lines and muted colors carry the essentials of Japanese culture - tranquility, harmony, and balance with nature.

Japanese interior design makes careful use of space and light and always takes into account the concept of yin and yang. Of course, objects and accessories in bright colors such as red, yellow, or orange can also be found in many Japanese homes, but their use is restrained and evenly distributed in the home.

Soft lighting is preferred in Japanese interior design, and natural light is utilized where available. The Japanese are also fond of indoor gardens which is a concretization of their Japanese interior design concept of "bringing the outside in" to achieve a desirable harmony with nature.

Furniture in Japanese interior design is sparse and mostly functional, although these useful pieces of furniture are very artistically crafted and are never wanting in style and design. Every furnishing is made to perfection and Japanese homes are invariably clean and well-kept.

The sleeping and living areas are flexible and are often only separated by moveable screens. Interestingly, there are no extremely heavy furniture. Even the dining area is usually comprised of only a low table with just small cushions on the floor functioning as seats.

Large futons may be used for sleeping and are merely stored away during the day to provide living space. When one studies the Japanese culture and way of life, they would certainly be able to understand the concepts of Japanese interior design better.

Beautiful Dream Home

Spring cleaning is always a difficult task. What to keep, what to get rid of, and how to determine the difference is a difficult task because there are memories of purchasing the items, the knowledge of how much everything cost, and the fact that not everything you have originally came from you. It is challenging. It takes courage to go through your home with the goal of making the house cleaner and look better while making it easier to maintain all the stuff. Here is how to simplify the process:

There is one question to ask yourself while looking at each item in your house and that is "would I have this item in my dream home?" Some follow up questions might be: Does it fit in with the vision of my dream house? Would I use it in my dream home if I have all the money in the world? Does this fit in with how I want my dream home to look? Is it beautiful?

We typically clean house in the present moment, but we are thinking about the past. The time you purchased the lamp or the day your mom passed along the end table that she used as a little girl all enter your head. You have become accustom to taking care of this item. It has lived with you. You have cleaned it for weeks, months, years. It is a habit to have that item in your life. Here is the question though. Would I have this item in my dream home?

There are some things you cannot get rid of. All the lamps in your house may not be what you would have in your dream home, but do not get rid of them all just yet. You need to have light and it is smart to save the lamp that you do not like than going out and buying a brand new lamp that you love because you have not found your dream house yet or else you would be making plans on purchasing and moving into it.

This is a great tip to remember when you are going shopping. Each thing that you want to purchase something for your current house, ask yourself, "Would I have this item in my dream home?" Chances are a majority of the time you are shopping you will at least rethink something you might want to buy, putting you one step closer to living in your dream home. Save your money to buy the house of your dreams where you have handpicked each and every items that lives in it.

Start living your beautiful life today with a clean house filled with items that you love and a few that you hope to get rid of in the near future. Focus on surrounding yourself with beautiful things that you love. It makes all the difference.

Nora Whalen is a life and business coach, writer, speaker, and the President of Beautiful Life - Beautiful Business. Her unique and creative approach assists solo-entrepreneurs and business owners become innovators in their quest for work-life balance. Visit our website ( [http://beautifullifebeautifulbusiness.com] ) for your free tips on how to reduce stress at work and home while increasing success in reaching and helping those you are called to serve.

Future Dream Home

Do you already have a vision of your dream home, or are you already living in it? If you haven't moved into it yet, now is a great time to take note of the things you would like to have in your future home.

If you have plans to buy another property (or two) as you move towards your eventual dream home, now may be the best time to make a list of your wants, needs and must haves in your future homes. If you take the time now to start these lists, it can make future decision making easier. More importantly, without a list, how will you know when you have found the right house?

I separate the list into the three categories, as some options are non-negotiable and become must haves. These could range from a walk in closet, to a requirement for four bedrooms or even a kitchen island. Then there are needs, like a gas stove, guest room(s) or possibly a finished basement. Finally, there are the wants. These could be things like multi-headed ensuite shower, theatre rooms or even triple garages.

There are no hard and fast rules for any of these categories and what may be a want for one family is a must have for another. Also, many wants and needs may be added to the property later. In the case of a gas stove or a finished basement, it could be the matter of just spending more after you have purchased your home and budgeting for the expense. However, it can be much harder to add a walk in closet or triple garage to a property, so be sure to distinguish how important items are for you.

To add to your list of items you are looking for in your home, you may also want to include a list of items that rule a house unacceptable to you. Obvious ones are less than three bedrooms if you are a family of four, but less obvious issues may include a single sink in the ensuite or perhaps a laundry room on the upper level of the home. Perhaps the direction the backyard faces would render a property unacceptable to you