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Faith McGregor

Have The Best Travel Experience By Booking The Perfect Vacation Rentals

September 18, 2019
Faith McGregor
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The world of tourism is always changing and one of the most popular trends these days is experiencing a certain location first hand. This means most people are no longer interested in following a guide and visiting the most popular sites and monuments some cities and countries have to offer. Instead, they want to go somewhere and experience the life and culture of the locals. Before checking some of the best websites to find long-term accommodation, in order to achieve this, they have to forget that they are tourists and try to live their lives like the local population. If you too are interested in something like this, you should know that finding the perfect resort is crucial for this type of traveling. Therefore, here are some of the accommodations you should definitely consider during your next adventure.

An All-Inclusive Package

This is, as you probably know, one of the most common ways people travel today. The main reason for this is the fact that people can enjoy their vacation without worrying about a thing. So, if you want to go on this type of holiday, you should definitely book an all-inclusive arrangement at a certain travel agency you trust. They will take care of your airplane tickets, your accommodation, food and drink, and even your entertainment while you are on your vacation. The all-inclusive package allows you to really enjoy the natural wonders of a certain destination, so this is why we suggest you pack your luggage and go visit an exotic location, like Bali, for example. This breathtaking destination offers a number of luxury resorts and hotels, so you will definitely have a great time.  Menjangan Dynasty Resort is the perfect accommodation for tourists who are interested in enjoying the best possible service in their hotel and experiencing the natural wonders Bali has to offer.

Book Luxury Rentals

All-inclusive arrangements in fancy hotels are great, there’s no denying this. However, if you want more privacy, we recommend you book a luxury rental apartment. This type of accommodation offers you and your spouse a unique chance to separate yourselves from the rest of the world and enjoy your vacation in a proper manner. Besides privacy, these rental apartments will provide you with an opportunity to really experience the way the locals live their lives. Renting these apartments is the closest tourists can get to living at their dream destination. In case you are interested in this kind of vacation, we suggest you visit Montenegro apartments by the sea and enjoy a wonderful summer vacation. You can relish the breathtaking coast and learn all about the locals without worrying about when you have to get back to your room. Renting a luxury apartment will allow you to relax and enjoy your holiday properly. When it comes to finding the perfect places to go for vacation, luxury rental apartments offer a fantastic option. They allow you to enjoy privacy and immerse yourself in the local culture, making your vacation truly memorable.

Go On A Glamping Trip

Glamping Tent

For those of you who are not familiar with the term, glamping stands for glamorous camping. It allows people to enjoy luxurious accommodation and experience the breathtaking natural wonders first hand. This makes it one of the most popular types of travel these days. Some experts even predict glamping market in the United States of America will reach the revenue of astonishing one billion dollars by 2024. So, if you want to be a part of this exciting travel trend, you should definitely book a glamping trip with your friends or your loved one. In case you are interested in trying something like this, you should know that there are many wonderful destinations in the United States you simply have to visit. One of those locations is Collective Yellowstone – Big Sky, Montana, a place where you can spend beautiful nights by the campfire enjoying cocktails with your buddies. Also, this location provides its visitors with luxury tents equipped with private bathrooms and wood-burning stoves. This means you will be able to enjoy the stunning mountains of Montana during the day and sleep in a cozy tent at night. This is the definition of glamping.

 

There is no right or wrong way to enjoy a vacation. Going on a holiday is a personal experience for every single person out there. Therefore, you should always try to do whatever makes you feel good about yourself. However, in case you don’t have a strategy when it comes to booking your accommodation, you should definitely consider these three options.

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A Newlyweds’ Nest: A Young Couple’s Home Room by Room

March 6, 2018
Faith McGregor
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You just recently got wed and now it’s time to settle down in your new home and start planning for the future. The home that you’ve moved into to start a family needs to be a reflection of your young, vibrant, and sophisticated personalities. It is also a place where you will be spending most of your time, so it’s vital that you compromise while finding your decorating style in order for both of you to feel comfortable and happy there. And in order to help you design your dream newlywed nest, we have created a list of necessary steps that every young couple should follow. So, let’s take a look at some suggestions room by room.

Personality and intimacy of the bedroom

First things first, the bedroom is the most intimate place where you spend time with your spouse so it’s important that it matches both your personalities and interests. Therefore, always check with one another that both of you love the choices you’ve made. For example, when you’re deciding on the colour of your bedroom, there are bound to be different opinions, but in order to reach a compromise, we recommend consulting Pantone’s colour report for the latest colour trends and get some inspiration. Additionally, if your budget is limited, just knowing that you have bought something together will add an immense value to that item. Finally, if you really want to give the room some character, you should include photographs from the most memorable events where you two were together along with other dear memorabilia.

Bringing style to the living room

The living room is the place where you come to relax after work, organise get-togethers with friends and family, or just snuggle on the couch next to your partner during a movie night. When it comes to the design of your living room, think big, cosy and elegant, and go for a vintage style lounge that will contribute to a warm and inviting atmosphere. Since all of your guests who come to your home will see your living room, make sure to invest in living room accessories which will make everybody’s head turn. So, go shopping together and find the items which will be a clear reflection of your sophisticated taste.

A modern bathroom for a modern couple

A bathroom is the place where both of you come to relax, take a bath, and freshen up for work or a night out. But when it comes to personal hygiene, men and women have different needs. If you don’t want to end up fighting who’s getting to keep their products in the medicine cabinet, make sure to invest in smart storage solutions for your bathroom that are not only practical but stylish as well, since you want to have a classy bathroom that matches the rest of your house.

Backyard décor ideas

If you’re lucky to have a backyard, then it’s high time you put it to good use. Firstly, this part of the house is typically more spacious and can be used for hosting birthday parties and other events. So, if you already own a barbeque, don’t keep it in your garage to collect dust. Instead, you should take it out and call your friends to enjoy a tasty outdoor dinner. Additionally, you can buy cute flowerpots and some low-maintenance plants to give your backyard that final touch.

Kitchen flare

Many marriage counselors agree that the couple that cooks together stays longer together and is generally happier. For this reason, don’t shy away from keeping your pantries stacked with spices and herbs for when you and your partner decide to prepare some interesting dishes. Also, keep in mind that investing in some modern kitchen accessories, such as a manual coffee grinder or a classic steel cookie jar, will certainly make this room the talk of the town and add that traditional feel to it. What’s even better, by cooking together, you will also be able to create some special secret recipes for just the two of you to enjoy.

As we can see, it doesn’t take much for a newlywed couple to create their dream home. All it takes is a lot of compromise and imagination. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors as a couple. Good luck!

 

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How to Decorate Your Office like a Boss

December 27, 2017
Faith McGregor
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Your work environment can greatly affect your overall motivation, productivity and creativity, so you need to choose a design that will keep you at the top of your game during the work hours. Whether you’re designing a home office, minute cubicle or a commercial office space, you should aim for a comfortable and stylish design that will make your office one of your favourite places.

Inspire with a view

View

Whether you’re decorating an office space for yourself or for your employees, you need to create an environment that will inspire great ideas and boost office efficiency. It’s needless to say that no one can draw inspiration from looking at their computers all the time. Thus, you should give your office space an inspiring view that will energise and stimulate both you and your employees. Of course, if you’re decorating your home office, arranging the furniture to face the window overlooking a lovely garden will be much more feasible. Decorating a commercial office or a cubicle is restrictive to some extent, so you need to think of some other ideas. For example, creating a living wall in an open, co-working space can provide all of the employees with a lovely, nature-inspired view. In a cubicle, you can surround yourself with your favourite artwork that can provide you with visual stimulation during your work hours.

Energise with colour

Colour

Dull, all-grey design can be quite de-motivating, so you should bring in a pop of colour to your workplace. In your home office, you can repaint a single wall in a vibrant hue, while in a commercial space, you can introduce colourful details every now and then to break the monotony. The key to using colour in the office successfully lies in implementing energising hues, such as red, yellow and orange, or soothing shades of blue and green that promote concentration and relaxation. Regardless of the type of office you work in, you can always introduce a dose of colourfulness that will stimulate your mind. However, make sure to use colours in moderation because using too much of them can be quite distracting.

Cosy up your home office

Cosy
Since working from home provides you with numerous opportunities to experiment with the design, you can create your own corner where you’ll truly enjoy working. Apart from the aforementioned ideas, you need to create an atmosphere of cosiness in your stylish home office so that you feel comfortable when working long hours. From cosy area rugs that will keep your feet warm and comfy cushions to support your back to an adjustable desk that will enable you to switch positions, implementing these simple ideas will boost your efficiency significantly.

Introduce boundaries to an open-concept office

Open Concept

While a great number of employees like the airiness of an open-concept office, such a design can be quite distracting at times. However, you can introduce certain boundaries to this type of office space while still preserving its openness. For example, you can group different teams separately in semi-enclosed areas by using stylish privacy screens. You will provide each team with enough privacy yet enable them to easily communicate with each other. Another possible solution is introducing echo-reducing panels that will reduce the noise pollution in the office. In addition, if you design a break room for socialising, employees will be less likely to spend time chatting at their desks.

Style up your cubicle

Cubicle

If the very thought of your boring cubicle makes you want to skip work, you should create a homier, more stylish look that will give it a unique, personalised appeal. Since cubicles are quite limited in space, you should eliminate clutter and keep your workplace organised. You can introduce a lovely shelf for your decorative details and personal items. As mentioned, the artwork is another important component that will keep you inspired throughout the day, so bring your favourite pieces and find a great place to display them.

By choosing design elements that inspire creativity, comfort and inspiration, you’ll be able to create an office that you won’t want to leave.

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Make out in Again: How to Toddler-up Your Backyard

November 23, 2017
Faith McGregor
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With more and more children immersing themselves in the virtual world instead of discovering the beauties of the outside, physical inactivity has become a serious problem even among the youngest ones. Since physical activity contributes not only to children’s health and fitness, but also to their cognitive development, parents need to motivate their little ones to spend more time outside playing and discovering the wonders of their own backyards.

But first, safety

Before transforming your backyard into a child’s haven, you need to create a safe environment where your children can play. Make sure that your entire backyard is fenced in order to prevent your children from wandering off. If you have a pool, you should place a safety fence around it. Afterwards, you should clean your backyard from all debris and any hidden dangers. Checking whether you have any toxic plants, such as barberry, calla lily, oleander and others, is another important step. Finally, you should put all of your cleaning supplies, chemicals and tools under lock and key so that your children can’t reach them.

Make it appealing

After childproofing your backyard, you can move on to styling it up. Introducing plenty of colours and interesting decorations will help you create a playful atmosphere that will appeal to your children. Using colourful decorations will spark your children’s imagination and creativity, and contribute to their general development. In addition, this will draw their attention away from their video games. Yarn bombing is a great way to add colour to your backyard in a fun, playful way.
You should also consider what kind of activities you want to plan for your children. If you want to motivate your children to be more artistic, you’ll need to design an arts and crafts corner where your children can paint and create.

For the mind and body

boys on the lawn

Physical activity is not only for the body, but also for the mind, so you should plan activities and games that will contribute to your children’s both physical and cognitive development. A backyard obstacle course is a great activity that can promote your children’s general development, including their motor skills, coordination, balance, agility and spatial awareness. For an obstacle course in your own backyard, you can include balancing obstacles like books or eggs on spoons, bunny hopping through ladders, jumping rope, doing push-ups and even some teamwork activities, such as a “mummy” obstacle where one child wraps their partner in toilet paper. Of course, the difficulty of your backyard obstacle course will vary depending on your children’s age, but make sure to design a course that is neither too easy nor too difficult.

Giving your children their own private area for relaxation and play is another great idea for your backyard. You can use an old tent, lovely tepee or design a playhouse. For younger children, you can design a sand box with all the necessary items, such as shovels, scoops, buckets, etc. However, make sure to add a large umbrella to provide them with enough shade.

Backyard isn’t a battlefield

mother and child

Joining your children in their play will contribute to their development and awaken your inner child. By being active with your children, you’ll be a great role model, sending a message that regular activity is important and valued in your home. However, you also need to distance yourself and let your children learn and play on their own, as well as discover their own inner world. As long as you keep your eye on your children from a distance, they will remain safe and protected.

Enjoy the perfect chaos

You, as a parent, can relax and appreciate your children’s night of sweet dreams after a day of fun and activity that you ensured. You can spend a quiet, relaxing evening indulging yourself, not worrying about the perfect chaos in your backyard.

 

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Feminine bedroom decor – do it like a woman

August 1, 2017
Faith McGregor
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Feminine bedrooms breathe with an atmosphere of sophistication and each one features unique décor. With their eye for detail and a balanced use of different design elements, women manage to design bedrooms that exude effortless beauty and elegant simplicity. However, don’t be misled into thinking that all feminine bedrooms look the same only because they feature similar elements. On the contrary, women’s bedrooms reflect strong personalities of their proud owners.

woman bed

Bright colour schemes

Lovely combinations of gentle and soft hues and unexpected pops of bold colours elevate the design of women’s bedrooms. Your options when it comes to feminine colour schemes are endless because you can mix and match any and every hue you can think of. Typically, feminine bedrooms feature soft and neutral backdrops that provide plenty of possibilities for experimenting with bold accent details and unique patterns. For a feminine vibe and romantic feel, you can try hues like mint green, light grey, soft pink, pale blue or crisp white. These colours are perfect for creating a unique ambience of tranquillity, serenity and romance worthy of a feminine bedroom. For stylish accent walls or decorative elements, you can use bolder hues, including dark purple, deep coral, dark grey or crimson.

Romantic lighting

Lighting is an essential design element that women use both to emphasise beautiful features of their bedrooms and to add stylish accent details. Among the most popular solutions are simple yet elegant downlights that women use to create a subtle and romantic ambience. Since they can be easily adjusted to give out both bright and gentle light, downlights are a great choice for bedrooms. Moreover, this type of lighting creates an understated look, enabling you to introduce additional fixtures that you can use as accent details. For example, lovely vintage bedside lamps with floral designs can bring romance into your feminine bedroom.

stylish bedroom

Intricate patterns

Patterns are a great way to add character to your bedroom and with plenty of designs available, you can easily create the wow effect. If you want a bedroom that features a particular style, you can use patterns to portray its mesmerising features. For example, ethnic patterns will bring the oriental beauty of the Moroccan style, while florals can capture the romantic flair of the Bohemian design. Of course, you don’t have to pick a specific style in order to bring patterns into your lovely bedroom. There’s a variety of designs you can choose from, including nature-inspired motifs, geometric shapes and even art-deco patterns. Just keep in mind that feminine bedrooms feature gentle rather than straight lines.

pillows

Plush fabrics

Another important feature of feminine bedrooms is cosiness. The best way to create an ambience of comfort and warmth is by adding plush and soft fabrics. For depth and a layered look, you can use several bed covers on top of each other or use several area rugs. Of course, throw pillows are a necessary element for a cosy atmosphere, especially on your comfy bed. In addition, fabrics are a great way to introduce patterns and create a cohesive look in your bedroom. For example, you can use similar patterns for your curtains and bed covers, or match cushions to upholstery fabrics.

bed

Smart storage

With plenty of makeup, piles of clothes and infinite pairs of shoes, storage is a necessity in women’s bedrooms. First and foremost, you need a large wardrobe for all of your stylish clothes. You can maximise the storage space in your closet by introducing additional shelves, baskets and hangers. If your bedroom is small, you should opt for multifunctional furniture with storage compartments that will help you keep your lovely bedroom organised and clean. You can introduce a stylish ottoman with a hidden compartment or choose a bed with drawers at the bottom. A makeup vanity is a great addition to a feminine bedroom. Not only will you have plenty of space for your makeup, but this piece of furniture has a true feminine charm.

Designing a feminine bedroom entails combining different elements and experimenting with patterns, colours and fabrics. Not only will your bedroom have a unique design, but it will also exude elegance and sophistication.

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Let there be light: how to receive great design with only two windows!

April 24, 2017
Faith McGregor
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If you are planning to renovate the apartment where you live or you’re willing to buy one, for sure you need to have your mind clear about the style you want to adopt.

A Swedish couple wanted to renew their love nest in London so they relied on Pillar, the first crowd sourcing platform of interior design in the world with a community of more than 50 thousand designers and architects. Their request was to remove the cold English style and use the Nordic style of their country.

The apartment had a single flaw on a structural level: it was exposed only on two sides. So the designers needed to project, having to enter the living area, kitchen and dining area and even a small double bed in a space with only two windows.

The couple received 12 projects from different parts of the world, 12 proposals to choose among the winning idea, as always all designers have met the expectations of customers. Anja Nina won the competition. The main color of the Nordic style is white.

Nordic style

This colour is predominant in the entire project, we can see it in the kitchen doors associated with a soft sea water colour, in the furniture that act as a filter between the entrance. Also, all the furniture of the living room and the bedroom are white. She put white in contrast with black in all its shades: in the pattern of the pillows and in the bed linen of the room, in the carpet that covers the floor near the sofa and in the bookstore.

Another key element of the Scandinavian style is wood: this material gives warm feeling and it has the feature to illuminate all the space that surrounds it, an essential condition for this apartment.

entire area

Other designers used wood in their projects. Annie Yakimova decided to use the oak, which is a almost yellowish that releases even more warmth to the entire apartment. The strategy was to use it as a cover material. Indeed, the living area seems to be covered by an oak line that goes from the side of the kitchen and it continues as a work surface and as shelves. This line turns into a small bar table with two stools.

Stylistic tone

Aleksandar Stosic used the same strategy. He decided to add a stylistic tone to wood. All the elements as shelves, panels, frames or supports are in oak as well as the legs of tables and chairs, the interior of the library and the TV stand.

In short, the designer has made a choice of expression. One of the main characteristics of the Scandinavian style is to use geometric shapes. The bathroom is indeed full of colours and shapes that recall famous paintings of MC Escher. Also, the rugs and frames are with geometric shapes.

View projects here:

http://gopillar.com/contests/open-plan-living-area-with-kitchen-hall-bedroom-and-toilette/submissions/signuparchitects

http://gopillar.com/contests/open-plan-living-area-with-kitchen-hall-bedroom-and-toilette/submissions/annie-yakimova

http://gopillar.com/contests/open-plan-living-area-with-kitchen-hall-bedroom-and-toilette/submissions/aleksandar-stosic

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Smooth Decorator is a website dedicated to our little sanctuaries from the hustle and bustle of the outside world – to our homes, sweet homes. We believe that the foundation of a quality life needs to be set right there, in the place where we first dream things up, and that only when we organized our homes can we hope to organize the rest of our everyday existence.

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