Sofa Or Sectional

When considering redecorating a home or moving to a new place, choosing the right seating is always a dilemma. This design debate has people divided into two teams – Sofa or Sectional. Making the right choice is indeed a complexity and we are going to try to tackle this question head on, and be as analytical as possible to help you come to the best decision.

 

Room Size & Dimensions:

 

This is obviously one of the most important ones, but not for the reason you might think. Don’t always assume that if you have a smaller space then you can’t opt for a sectional. Depending on the nature of the space, a sectional might be a great idea. For example, in case of a small apartment that has the living room, dining room and kitchen in the same space, a sectional might be a great way to separate the spaces, giving the living room it’s own designated area. When you don’t have a lot of room, and you can’t divide up the different sections with walls, using furniture is actually a great way to visually break up the space into sections.

 

On the other hand, if you have a large space to work with, surely a sectional could work marvelously. It could be the focus of the room, giving you something to tie the rest of the décor in with. But don’t feel that because you have a lot of room, a sectional is the only answer: by putting a two or three seater sofa and two armchairs you can create a great entertaining space, with lots of seating and room to switch things around in the future.

 

When it comes to the room size, it’s more about how you put it together than the actual space you have. That’s why, no matter what, we always recommend you sit down with a professional, show them your blueprints and decide what works best. There is nothing worse than spending your money on a piece of furniture that doesn’t fit right.

 

Family Life:

 

Who you are and what you do plays a big part of whether a sectional or a sofa is right for you. Do you have a big family, with lots of kids or are you a single person who has a lot of friends over? A sectional is a very cozy and informal piece of furniture that can accommodate movie nights, sleepovers or dinner parties with friends. Or, on the other hand, perhaps it’s just the two of you and you prefer to snuggle up on a love seat. If you have kids, you also need to consider the finish of your sectional and get something that can be cleaned easily.

 

Style:

 

At the end of the day it all comes down to your style. Are you more laidback, go-with-the-flow? Or do you enjoy more of a formal setting? The sofa + armchair combination tends to set a more formal tone, having people sit in their own separate place when interacting. While a sectional provides a much more intimate experience. The sofa plus chairs is also a more versatile combination when it comes to décor because you can change the position of the individual pieces and still create a great flow. While with a large sectional, it’s difficult to get it to fit anywhere else than where it was originally meant to be.

Style also means what your personal design style is. What do you think looks better? In the end, it’s your home and you have to be the one that lives in it! So, follow your instincts and pick the option that looks best to you!

 

Purpose:

 

Take into account what exactly is the purpose of the living room where the sofa or sectional is going to go. Is it for watching TV? Entertaining guests? A sectional is perfect for watching TV as a family, because the angles work great and nobody is craning their necks. ON the other hand armchairs are much more comfortable for reading. While a medium sized sofa with a recliner or a couple of armchairs is an ideal solution for entertaining friends. When you know the primary function of the space it is much easier to decide which direction to go in.

Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to explore new options. And if you are still confused you can always consult with our team of designers at The Platinum House to help you make the right choice.

How To Roll With Wallpaper

A lot of people have apprehensions about wallpaper. Some wonder if it’s too old fashioned while others worry about its maintenance. In reality wallpaper is actually just the opposite. Wallpaper is very much in fashion, and probably always will be. Additionally, in most cases it’s easier to clean than painted walls. Proper installation by a professional and high-quality paper are key.

Wallpaper is a wonderful design tool. It can be used in bathrooms, bedrooms, stairs, kitchens and cabinets. Here are some creative applications of wallpaper that’ll get you hooked.

In the bath. If you have tile wainscoting in a bathroom, consider wallpaper above the tile line, or the top two thirds of the wall. Wallpaper that is installed properly can withstand the damp environment of bathrooms.

As an accent wall. Wallpaper one accent wall and use a coordinating paint color for the remaining walls. Select a pattern you like such as geometric, floral or abstract and pair neutral furniture pieces with the wall. Hang art right on the wallpapered wall. A wallpapered accent wall in a room with multiple pitches looks great. The wallpaper creates contrast and highlights the architecture of the room.

At the entrance. Wallpaper works great in an entry and a stairwell. A bold wallpaper pattern can really bring life to this first-impression space.

Behind shelves. Create interest in a room by wallpapering the backs of bookshelves. Highlighting bookshelves in this way makes a special display space for treasured accessories and family photos.

In the kitchen. Install paper in the back of kitchen cabinets. This works particularly well with painted cabinets. A splash of bright wallpaper looks great with white cups and plates, and makes things easier to find.

Within a frame. Apply wallpaper within a frame to give your room an artistic hue. There are several wallpaper and wallcovering options available in the market with various textures that serve just like pieces of art.

As a cabinet detail. Wallpaper also goes really well with Shaker-style cabinet doors. When applied to the recessed portion of the door, wallpaper adds contrast and depth to the painted built-in.

On the stairs. Spruce up your stairwell with wallpaper. Stairwells are high-traffic areas in most homes; kick up your walk upstairs a notch with a fun pattern.

Wallpaper the ceiling! If you have a recessed ceiling detail from a cove or another architectural detail, consider wallpaper with a coordinating wall color. The right placement of the ceiling fixture can create a great focal point against the pattern.

The Platinum House carries an extensive and exuberant range of colourful wallpaper and artistic wallcoverings. Out team of designers can help you select the right option for your home or office, irrespective of the size of the room.

Kitchen Countertops

Selecting the right kitchen counter top is an important piece in designing a kitchen and it should be considered carefully. When deciding which is the best counter top to invest in, there are a lot of factors to consider. A worktop is not just a question of fulfilling aesthetics in the design element. It must also be functional, practical and, above all durable. The goal of worktops is to balance out the furnishing with the rest of the kitchen. Gone are the days when choosing a worktop was just about the colour of a laminate. Today there are several technologically advanced materials available in the market.

1) QUARTZ top

Quartz tops are made of slabs formed by a mixture of quartz and resins that offer considerable benefits and are also extremely practical. Tops in this material are flexible and can reach lengths of up to 3 metres. The choice of quartz for your kitchen top guarantees the use of a material which, albeit more expensive than laminate, offers excellent performance. It is extremely resistant to scratches and knocks and is both long lasting and stain resistant. This translates into practical use in an environment where surfaces are subject to intense and continuous pressure. Quartz tops can be cut to measure based on the size and layout of your kitchen.

2) OKITE® tops

Okite® tops mainly consist of natural quartz with the remaining part made up of acrylic resins and coloured pigments. This type of mixture guarantees excellent performance and resistance against scratches, attacks by chemical agents, liquid and heat absorption, and is five times more resistant than granite. The surface is extremely hygienic and antistatic, does not attract dust, while also guaranteeing consistency and good heat stability. This is a valid alternative to natural stone. Tops in Okite® have no pores into which dirt and bacteria may seep.

3) MARBLE / GRANITE tops

Marble tops are compact, consisting of medium hard materials that are easy to polish, are processed to reduce the natural porosity and are then, treated with water-repellent and stain proofing products. Granites, which are also compact and easy to polish, are made of ultra-hard minerals and generally feature more dynamic and varied colours. Moreover, they are much more resistant than marbles to surface abrasions. Granite, which costs less than marble and is less precious, is in fact an extremely resistant product. When used for kitchen tops, it undergoes a special process to create an irregular surface and, thereby, enhance its natural look. In this case, this means brushed granite. Finally, composites are aggregates of marble fragments bound together with resins and cements. Highly appreciated by anyone who likes a natural look in the home that fits in well with more traditional style kitchens.

4) CORIAN® tops

This is a composite material that is non-porous and even, consisting of a third acrylic resin and two thirds mineral substances. The main component is the aluminium trihydrate mineral derived from bauxite. It has been used for furnishing purposes for some years now. Its use as a kitchen top ensures a pleasing tactile sensation, but above all great performance as it is non-porous, robust and resistant to scratches and humidity, can be repaired, has no joints where dirt can be deposited, is ecological and hypoallergenic. A material that can take on any shape and has demonstrated its reliability and ability to innovate with colours for decades, as well as technology and environmental sustainability.

5) STEEL top

Stainless steel tops feature high resistance against wear and are not affected by high temperatures, although they do require constant maintenance and cleaning. Steel is stain-proof and highly suitable for hygienic treatments of kitchen foods. One of the advantages offered by stainless steel tops is that they can be directly soldered to sinks and hobs, for a seamless finish and eliminating joints where dirt deposits may form. From a visual point of view, this type of top adds a more industrial touch.

6) GLASS top

This top consists of a sheet of extra-light glass with a variable thickness of between 15mm and 19mm. It is coloured and has undergone a treatment to make it resistance to knocks. Tempered glass tops are obtained from a slab of glass, heated at a high temperature until it softens. Extracted from the furnace, it is quickly cooled with high pressure jets of cold air, which only stiffen the external surface, while the inside cools slowly. This procedure, which creates tempered glass, is used to improve the top’s mechanical resistance against flexing and thermal shock. If a glass top breaks, it shatters into lots of small, blunt pieces. For this reason, glass is considered a safe and robust product. This material makes a bold visual impact when used on work tops, but does not offer a very good performance as scratches are very visible.

If you would like more insight on kitchen tops, finishes and what best suits your need and budget, do get in touch with the designers at The Platinum House on design@platinumhouse.ae for a free consultation.

 

5 Reasons To Upgrade To A Walk-in Wardrobe

Most people have a lot of clothes to begin with, and keep accumulating over time. Yet finding the right piece of clothing for the right occasion is often a hassle, due to the chaos it’s lost in.

Well, worry not, because there is a perfectly good solution to this dilemma and that is a beautifully designed walk-in wardrobe. Imagine going straight to that skirt or pair of jeans you want to wear without rummaging through clutter or battling with coat hangers. And it isn’t just the time you save that is well worth the investment; there are other benefits too. In spite of ironing them, clothes still get creased. When piled together with no ventilation, they also develop a musty odour. But when stored right in a spacious walk-in wardrobe, you won’t have to worry about any of this.

 

Here are five reasons to invest in a walk-in wardrobe and get the most out of your investment:

 

  1. Walk-in Wardrobes Are More Practical:

The practicality that comes with a walk-in wardrobe can change your lifestyle by bringing a sense of order and organisation that can lessen the stress of the morning work / school run. A walk-in wardrobe allows for several extra compartments and shelves that offers a separate section for everything and therefore helps save time sorting. Having more space at hand, one could add a folding table with storage options underneath. One could also indulge in a makeup or dressing area with ambient lighting and full-length mirrors. These inclusions would not just organise your wardrobe space but also add an aesthetic value to your bedroom.

 

  1. Walk-in Wardrobes Protect Your Clothes

Wardrobes need ventilation to prevent mold and mildew which can ruin your clothes or make them smell stale and musty.  Wardrobes with closed doors don’t let much air in, but a well-designed walk-in will solve that problem. If your bedroom has an ensuite, moisture can remain trapped inside regular wardrobes. However, a walk-in wardrobe will allow the moisture to flow through the bedroom instead and evaporate. If you install a walk-in wardrobe in your bedroom, you’ll notice how your clothes smell fresher than before. This is good for a lot of fabrics, especially leather which needs to breathe. Your clothes will also not be crushed in a walk-in and will remain smooth as well as fresh after ironing.

 

  1. Walk-in Wardrobes Can Be Cost-Effective

You might be surprised to find that in many cases it’s cheaper to install a walk-in wardrobe than a built-in or regular style. It depends on the design, but one of the biggest cost savers is that there are no doors. Wardrobe doors can be expensive, especially if installed with mirrors, glass and designer handles. You might need less structural work for the installation of a walk-in since many are built into spaces that are unused.

 

  1. Walk-in Wardrobes Can Save Floor Space

Walk-in wardrobes don’t take up space the way regular wardrobes do and it’s mainly because there are no doors opening out. Walk-ins also take up less space than built-ins or regular wardrobes with sliding doors. The reason is that they can make use of areas that are irregular in shape and can’t be used for anything else; therefore going to waste. A walk-in wardrobe can be designed as per the shape you desire like square, L-shaped or slanted and it doesn’t have to comply with the shape of sliding or hinged doors. By choosing the best design for your walk-in, you can improve your bedroom layout and transform it into an inviting, stylish and comfortable retreat.

 

  1. Walk-in Wardrobes Add Value For Reselling

Walk-ins wardrobes are in high demand, especially in new homes, because they’re more luxurious, practical, and functional than most built-in or free standing wardrobes. If you’re renovating an existing home or building a new one, a walk-in wardrobe is definitely something to be considered in the plan. And when you’re considering selling, a well-designed walk-in wardrobe will enhance your home’s appeal to potential buyers.

Whether you have a burning desire for a spacious, luxurious walk-in wardrobe, or if an innovative, practical design is what you need, our team at The Platinum House can design and install a wardrobe to suit your style, needs and budget. So give us a call today and let’s configure a practical wardrobe solution for you.