Myndu Interior Design

I recently visited a friend in her new apartment, and I was so surprised to see how awesome it looked!  My friend’s new apartment is a studio apartment, meaning there are no bedrooms.  It’s just one big room that has a kitchen and room for a bed, the only room being the bathroom. I never thought I could deal with living in a studio apartment because I’m the type of person who has so much stuff, I wouldn’t know how I’d fit everything!  But I also realized the benefits of a studio room.  With a studio room, you really learn what’s the most important type of furniture and how to keep messes at bay, because there isn’t a lot of space to spare!

If you’re a college student or just anyone who is staying in a studio room, it’s definitely easier to move things in one by one and slowly moving in, instead of bringing everything into the room and trying to sort it out later.  Here are some tips for anyone staying in a studio apartment.

1. Keep furniture to a minimum
A bed, desk, and dresser are really the three essential pieces of furniture to have.  Something to sleep on, something to work on, and something to store your clothes.  If needed, a bookcase is also nice to have.  If there are other things you want to bring in, really consider the amount of space it takes up and how much you really need it.  Otherwise, clutter will pile up faster, especially there will be less room to take up.

2. Hang mirrors on the wall
Mirrors are a really great way to maximize space without actually really giving yourself more space.  Reflecting a room off the mirror can make it actually seem bigger, which can help create a more comfortable atmosphere because it feels like there’s more space.  A definitely a good touch if you get claustrophobic easily.

3. Hang things on the wall
Instead of a million photo frames laying around on your desk and such, try hanging or taping pictures on the wall.  Instead of lamps, try finding lamps you can hang off the ceiling.  Try finding different solutions for different types of things you want to bring into your room.  Instead of things taking up space from the ground up, ask yourself if there’s a possible way to take up space from the sky down.

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Two pieces of furniture that just seem to take up space are coffee tables and paper shredders.  A little random, but I mention it only because Pigeon Tale Designs has combined the two to create a more useful piece of furniture using less the space.  Although I hear it’s a bit pricey, it’s still really nice if you’re the type of person who actually uses a paper shredder.  The shredded paper that ends up inside the coffee table, which is see-through because it’s made out of glass, also creates a cool looking aesthetic for your coffee table, and changes over time as you shred more paper and empty out the trash later.

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• Papervore Coffee Table (neatorama.com)

I think it’s really awesome and fabulous when furniture design takes its inspiration from nature, because there’s really nothing more beautiful and amazing than the natural world.  That being said, there is a lamp designed by Patrick Jouin that folds out as if it were a blooming flower. So cool and really beautiful!  When it’s “budded”, or closed, the light is dimmer, and when you open it/make it “bloom”, the light shines brighter!  A really fun piece to add to any room!

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Garage doors are never something people think to decorate, because it’s not even something people even bother to look at.  It’s the last thing people think to repaint and while home owners will maintain the appearance of their garage door, but they never bother to make it look extra nice because, really, what can you actually do to a garage door?

The answer is now simple!  Style-your-garage.com is a German company that aims to make your garage door a spectacle that will cause people to stop what their doing and wonder.  They offer a variety of themes and ideas for what you can put on the outside of your garage door, such as a poster of a huge airplane inside the garage or a giant cat.  If you’re looking for an extreme and fun way to spice up your garage door, definitely check it out.

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Flowers come in all different shapes, sizes, and species.  They bloom almost as fast as they wilt, and they are always pretty to look at.  Floral patterns in home decor have been looked down upon by younger generations because they seem “old” and “tacky”.  But floral patterns can really brighten up a home, and there are many possibilities when it comes to floral patterns decorating your home.

Floral patterns can pretty much go on anything–pillows, bedspreads, wallpaper, drapes, sofas, dishware, etc.  It’s easy to look tacky if you don’t know how to match up your floral decorations, but it’s also easy to make it easily  fit into any room.  Just look at the room you’re decorating and consider the color palette.  What colors are the walls?  What about the furniture? Look for floral patterns that incorporate the same colors as the rest of the room.  Not only that, but consider the size of the room.  A small room with larger furniture would call for a patter with flowers at a bigger scale.  For a room that is more cluttered, busier patterns with a smaller scale might be a better choice.  For a more vintage styled room, try using floral patterns that are pastel colored, and you can also get a vintage look just by having floral pattern furniture for a long time and letting it fade out.

There’s also the misconception that flowers are a womanly type of decor patter.  But it can work for the males, too.  For the men, largely scaled patterns mixed with primary colors add more of a modern look rather than girly.

There are many different species and types of flowers, so the possibilities of what kind of pattern to use are endless.

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The porch is often a part of the house that doesn’t get too much attention, especially if there’s not a lot of porch to put up any decorations or furniture.  Sometimes, there isn’t even any porch to decorate, only room for a door and a doorbell.  To add some personality to your front door space, get the Spore Doorbell.

With Spore, your doorbell will no longer just be an afterthought.  It’s simple and sophisticated design will create a modern look for your doorway and will definitely make a good first impression for your home before anyone has even stepped inside.

My favorite aspect about the winter season is watching the beautiful snowfalls.  This year happened to be a record year for snowfalls.  What I love most is just appreciation the beauty of each individual snowflake.  When I was younger, I used to think all the snow looked exactly the same–tiny white dots!  But in recent years, I’ve observed the snowflakes that have fallen on my coat and got to really admire the different shapes and patterns that fell from the sky.

Not everyone likes winter, though, especially the part where it’s really cold for what seems like eternity.  But as we all breathed a sigh of relief for the spring time air, I still miss the pretty ice crystals from winter.  The good news is that Offect has made it possible to keep your own unique snowflake in the house, and have it be put to good use, too!  Say hello to the Snowflake table, a table that is, of course, shaped like a snowflake.  But this isn’t just your average table.  Each table’s pattern is randomly computer generated so that no two tables are alike, just like true snowflakes!  So you can truly have a unique piece for your home and be sure that it is something that no one has.  They also come at different heights which makes it convenient to fit into your home just the way you want it.

I have a friend who is majoring in Graphic Design.  In every class she has taken, her teachers have told her that if there is no purpose for why she does something, then her work is not good enough.  Pretty harsh, huh?  But even though it’s really discouraging to hear, my friend told me that her teachers are right–purpose makes a design look better, even if the audience or consumer don’t quite know what the designer’s purpose is.

And that is why today, I bring you Purpose Restoration.  Purpose Restoration combines both furniture and graphic design and recreates new furniture from old furniture.  So not only is it cool looking, it’s sustainable!  And the thought process is truly limitless, as they don’t just paint your old piece of furniture to look better.  In fact, they can turn an old tv stand to be a totally new kitchen cart!

Their purpose is to not just make something look better, but to truly take something old and recreate it into something that will add inspiration to your home.

Chinese product designer Zhili Liu has marvelously incorporated nature into his furniture products.  For tables, Liu takes inspiration from shrubs, and for lighting, birds.  They are very minimalistic and elegant, minimizing the amount of material that is usually needed to make regular tables and light fixtures.

Even just a simple angular change changes a boring lightbulb into something that comes to life!  Such things would match perfectly well in almost any home, and would definitely add a subtle elegance and a hint of nature’s own design.

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Area rugs come in many different styles, shapes, colors, patterns, and of course material. But what material is more durable than some? Luxury doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to break the budget but that it is durable and will give you the quality you are looking and hoping for. Many area rugs are now made from machines but many area still do a few by hand. These hand created rugs are art rather than rugs to some since they are very detailed and it shows they put their all into the design.

Flat woven area rugs are the oldest construction out there but also the most basic. It will give you a durable and versatile covering of your floor. The flat woven is sometimes used for tapestries as well. Each side of the flat woven area rug is identical to each other so you won’t need to make sure which to face upwards.

(Image of Dynamic Rugs Charisma Red Ivory 1403)

The hand knotted area rug design is a masterpiece in its own. This speaks luxury when you first see its work. The hand knotted area rug is a dying art which takes much dedication and experience to create. The hand knotted area rugs take anywhere from 6 months or more to create depending on the depth of each design. Many area rugs of such are more like art on a wall rather than placed on the floor to be trampled on!

Hand tufted area rugs are mostly like the hand knotted area rugs but quite cheaper. You’ll still get the same quality but it won’t be as in depth as the hand knotted. You’ll notice the small groups of yarn which are through tight knot canvas. They’ll also place a backing on the one side of the area rug to give it more support. These are beautiful area rugs as well if you aren’t looking to spend what you would on a hand knotted area rug.

No matter what type of area rug you go with you want it to last. By vacuuming it at least once a week you’ll save it from being eaten by moths. Once you feel it’s time for a change you can roll it up and store it in a dry, cool area rug. Never fold an area rug since it can cause seams.