Soothing Interior Spaces: How Indoor Water Features Enhance Wellness and Decor

Indoor water features serve more than aesthetic purposes. They are calming, soothing, and therapeutic elements within the home, with beneficial effects on emotions and well-being, radiating serene energy to the home occupants.


They come in various forms and sizes and are made from different materials like terracotta, bamboo, metal, glass, ceramic, stone, and acrylic.

Therapeutic Qualities of Flowing Water


Water represents prosperity, and its gentle sounds serve as energy boosters. It gently filters out disturbing noises and eliminates energy-sapping background sounds that disturb peace and concentration. With it gently moving and cascading, it has an amazing effect on our well-being.

Indoor Waterfalls as Flowing Art


Indoor water features possess a decorative and dramatic effect, and if carefully selected and positioned correctly, fit in perfectly with both contemporary and traditional settings. They are an eye-catching addition to any interior space, but there are no hard and fast rules on where to position them. How and where you place them depends on your taste and creativity.

Types of Fountains You Can Use Indoors


For the classic traditional look:
  • Rustic traditional fountains made from natural materials like fired clay, bamboo stems, copper, steel, slate, and granite are popular choices.

For a modern, contemporary feel: 
  • Features made from man-made materials like PVC, glass, fibreglass, and simulated components, including new-age materials.

The three main types of indoor water fountains are:
  1. Standalone (free-standing).
  2. Wall-mounted.
  3. Tabletop (counter/surface placement).

Free-Standing

Great if you have ample floor space. Free-standing floor fountains are spectacular to look at. They are usually larger and heavier than wall-mounted indoor fountains and come with sturdy bases that encase their water reservoirs. They are produced from various materials, both natural and man-made and can include extras like underwater lighting.


Wall-Mounted

Wall-mounted fountains come in various designs and forms. They have high visibility and take up zero floor space. Wall-mounted water features project no more than 3 inches from a wall. A great idea if you lack ample floor space.


Tabletop

Tabletop types are the smallest and lightest and, just as their name suggests, they can be placed on a table, desk, counter, floating shelf, ledge, or display stand. There is a great assortment of designs, forms, sizes, and materials for these interior water features, much more than is available for the wall-mounted and free-standing ones.

Where to Place These Decorative Features


Indoor water features can be used in both residential and commercial interiors. They can be a part of the interior design process of homes, offices, clinics, spas, hotels, recreational clubs, restaurants, and other similar establishments. You can use them in:
  • Entrance hallways
  • Foyers
  • Reception areas
  • Offices
  • Enclosed patios
  • Waiting rooms
  • Living rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Study
  • Niches and alcoves

Because of its natural element, they represent living art pieces that stylishly accentuate interiors.

5 Examples of How to Use Water as an Element of Décor


Room divider.

An open space can be partitioned into zones with standalone floor features. For instance, to divide an open living/dining area space into two distinct spaces, use a tall fountain (up to 3’6” or 1.06m).

Focal point.

Install a wall unit in a strategic position to serve as a focal point.

Dramatic centrepiece.

A tabletop centrepiece with a sturdy base, cascading water, and small scented candle lights placed in its pool will make a great centrepiece.

Sleeping aid.

The quietly flowing sounds and ripples are relaxing and tension-relieving and will lull you to sleep, especially for individuals who find it hard to fall asleep at night.

Humidifier.

As water moistens the atmosphere, so do indoor water features humidify interior spaces, helping to increase the elasticity of the respiratory walls and keep the skin moisturised and supple.

Where Design Meets Tranquillity


Flowing water is therapeutic, so having water fountains (or waterfalls) gives you as much satisfaction in its beauty and complementing nature as it does health-wise. They not only serve as decorative features but also help relax, soothe, and calm you.



(Article first published by the author on HubPages: 6/21/2010)


Articles of interest:
How to Develop an Interior Design Concept – 5 Basic Principles to Follow

Living Outdoors: The Patio’s Role in Raising Property Value

Creating a relaxing outdoor living space in your home, either in your front or backyard, greatly increases the appeal of your home. It is also one of the top ways to increase the value of any property for those thinking of putting their homes up for sale.



Patios and outdoor rooms can be designed to provide stylish and comfortable havens for your family and friends who enjoy outdoor living in the form of spaces or rooms that are meant to ‘bring the interior out to the exterior’ while surrounded by natural elements and features like foliage, stones, rock, ponds, logs, and fountains, including furniture, furnishings, and amenities typically found indoors.

While some patios are carved out from small spaces with just enough space to place a couch, small coffee table, and an accent chair, others are large enough to contain built-in furniture, a fireplace, ceiling fan, an array of potted plants, a barbeque pit, a wet bar, floor rug, and even a large screen television.

Patio Design Guiding Principles


If you are planning to design and build a small patio or a larger outdoor living room, what are the things you’ll need to consider?

First, let me tell you 4 guiding principles you'll need to consider before starting the task. Following these very basic design principles will go a long way in ensuring the successful implementation of your design.

  • Unity
  • Variety
  • Balance
  • Proportion


1. Unity

What this means is that you should ensure every feature and element works well together, so there is unity in your design concept. Floor finish, overheads, and screens, if you require these, must complement each other. The furniture you should look for is that best suited to the patio's architectural style and features, and the same goes for your choice of foliage, too. Pants must be in harmony with themselves and the other greenery of the outdoors.

Additionally, it is good to design your outdoor living space to be in tandem with the architectural style of the main house.

2. Variety

Having a form of unity in the patio's design concept (as mentioned above) doesn't mean there shouldn't be an aspect of variety because, without variety, unified forms will appear monotonous and somewhat bland.

For instance, to add an element of surprise to your design, a path that leads from a main outdoor living room floored with paving stones to a smaller, cosier patio paved with the same can be designed with different wood deck levels to arouse visual interest.

Variety can also be used to generate interest on vertical surfaces. The spaces can be set at different levels, flower beds can be raised, and decorative privacy screens can be installed to draw the eyes away from any bland horizontal expanse of space.

3. Balance

In patio design, a balance is applied when elements placed in its space are artfully combined to produce a similar 'visual weight' on both sides of a central piece.

A good example is balancing a mature tree on one side of the patio with perimeter-lined patio benches on the other side, or in the case of small patios, balancing a garden pool on one side with accented plants and patio furniture on the other.

4. Proportion

Scale and proportion demand that the patio or outdoor room be in a comparable relationship size-wise with the building and the surrounding garden. Because outdoor leisure spaces are not interior spaces, the sizes and forms of typical features used outdoors must work well with everything that surrounds them.

Other forms and features, such as standalone or built-in planters, wet bars, barbecue equipment/pit, etc, if introduced, should have scales proportionate to every other thing on the patio.

To maintain proportion in a small patio, for instance, it is good to keep its design simple, clutter-free and with clean lines that will make the design elements appear larger. Use moderately sized patio furniture, such as the built-in variety, to avoid a cluttered, crowded feeling. Use plants or any other foliage with restraint, because some plants like the poplar tree may look just right now, but don't forget that they will become too tall and overbearing for the patio within just a few years down the line.

9 Things to Consider Before Designing Outdoor Living Spaces


As we all know, the rising values of properties have gradually limited residential plot sizes over time. However, even if you don’t have that much space to create a sizeable outdoor room, with some imagination and careful planning, you can transform any space, no matter how small, into a nice patio.

Before creating a patio:

1. Space

How much available space do you have?

Being able to create beautiful, small outdoor spaces depends on the available space you have. If, for instance, your plot is small, you may wish to consider building the structure attached to your house. This can be positioned off the kitchen, the dining or the living room.

If the house is U-shaped or L-shaped, the room can link and visually expand two or three interior rooms without taking up additional outdoor space.

2. Location

Where is this space located? The front, back, or side of the building?

If you have space in the front portion of the house, perhaps the outdoor room belongs there. For privacy from outside prying eyes, it can be protected from the street with a vertical screen made up of potted shrubs, and trellis panels made from wood with creeping vines like jasmine or bougainvillaea. It can be sited at the back of the house if you have ample space, in which case it can lead from the kitchen. And if your garden is at the back of the house, you can build the leisure room there.

3. Access

Does it have any access points, such as from the dining room, master bedroom, or outside only?

The more you use the room, the more accessible you want it to be without disrupting your normal routine. The first step to creating a well-planned outdoor room is to determine your access points. If it is not attached to the house, like maybe built at the far end of the garden, you can create a natural path from the back door to the leisure room. The walkway can be made with large stone pavers like flagstones, cobblestones, or burnt floor bricks.

4. Borders

Is the space bordered by trees, a next-door fence, a tool shed, or the road?

An outdoor room doesn’t necessarily have to have borders made from brick walls, but it must have some border of sorts. Decide on what materials or features you’ll love to serve as borders. Borders can be created with potted flowering plants, built-in benches, storage containers, perforated walls, folding glass walls, waterfalls, walls, or custom-built barbecues or fireplaces with chimneys.

5. Weatherproofing

Will you require a form of weatherproofing? From the rain, the intense sun, or the cold?

Some outdoor rooms are not entirely enclosed and are partly exposed to the weather conditions, so you need to choose your furniture and furnishings wisely. If yours is such that’s enclosed, for instance, with three borders, then you will need to use materials that can withstand moisture from the atmosphere, dust, and dirt. Materials to consider include bamboo, rattan that’s been weatherproofed, teak, and durable iron, such as wrought iron.

6. Furniture and furnishings

You can make yours look like a family living room, an entertainment room, or a children’s playroom. What you decide to create depends on the reasons why you’ve decided to have one. Furniture and furnishings should be chosen based on these reasons.


Let's say, for instance, you desire a living room setup, elements you will need must include a couch, accent chairs, a coffee table and side tables, and throw pillows. You can add simple furnishings or tasteful ones. It all depends on your style. Don’t forget scented candles, table-top water features, memorabilia, coffee table décor, and other decorative objects of your choice. There is no one way to style your outdoor leisure room. Include table lamps or hanging lanterns.

Because you are trying to have the same comforts of your home, but in an outdoor setting, consider installing an outdoor TV and/or a wet bar, but remember to choose items that correspond with the size of the room.

7. Lighting

Do you plan to use conventional light fittings/fixtures or candle, lantern, or waterproof wicker floor lights?

Take a cue from the surroundings when planning how to light up the room at night. If you live along the coast, get table lamps set in a trough of beach sand and starfish or ones filled with seashells. A lamp filled with seashells or made from a buoy brings the beach to mind.

And if you live in a wooded area or the mountains, for instance, choose one crafted from faux antlers, log stumps, or rustic stained glass. Hanging lights are also essential. You can have a singular central hanging light or decorative wicker lanterns. If your leisure room leads out to a pathway, think about pathway lighting too. If you have trees close by, illuminate them with landscape lights.

8. Heating

If you have a patio screened off well enough, will you require heating for the colder months?

You want to enjoy your outdoor room even when it’s cold or wet outside. In the colder months, you need adequate heating that will ensure the space is relaxing and cosy all year round.

Simple, cost-effective and instant, a convection heater warms the air through heated elements and is quieter than a fan heater. That’s not to say you can’t use a fan heater, though. Log-burning stoves are another great option and a beautiful way to heat your outdoor room, and if the room is fitted with laminate or wood flooring, you can install an electric underfloor.

You may also consider maintenance-free bio-ethanol fires. You won’t need a flue or hearth because they are self-contained and are fed by clean-burning, eco-friendly bio-ethanol liquid and best of all, you don’t need to connect to any services.

9. Colour scheme

Have you thought about having a defined colour scheme for your patio design idea?

Get creative with your colour scheme. Use a bright rug to liven up the space and neutralise it with a concrete coffee table. Large lanterns on the floor with coloured candles help create a visually warm ambience. Boldly (or subtly, depending on what you like) patterned or textured oversized floor cushions are a change from your more staid interior look. Introduce green foliage set in large planters for a warm, natural look.

Articles of interest:

Before You Design Interior Spaces, Do This Important Thing First

Upgrade your Outdoor Room to a Beautiful Patio Garden

How to Develop an Interior Design Concept – 5 Basic Principles to Follow


Bedroom Design Ideas for Stylish Bachelors Who Love Their Privacy

There is something undeniably refined about a well-designed bachelor bedroom. It is stylish, masculine, and designed with intention. It is spotless and clutter-free, with every object in its designated space. It has a strong and personal style. Why? Because the occupant is a guy who values his privacy and will not compromise on comfort. His bedroom is more than a place to sleep. It is a retreat that reflects his character.

Image: Created by viryabo@polyvore

  

What Makes a Man’s Bedroom Stylish?

A man’s idea of style is rarely complicated because he chooses things that match his vibes and personality. But first, functionality takes precedence. Aside from these, he knows what he likes and chooses accordingly.

Apart from the essentials: a bed, dresser, nightstands, and perhaps an accent chair, what makes his room tastefully styled? It's in the details, the seemingly small (but effective) touches that bring life into the room.
  • One bold piece of wall art or a small cluster of black & white framed photos.
  • Personal mementoes and keepsakes like trophies, plaques, medals, and awards.
  • A proudly displayed sports jersey.
  • An occasional chair with suede or leather throw pillows.
  • A runner or area rug with bold geometric lines, abstract art, or textured patterns.
  • A table/display shelf with small collectables that tell stories.
  • Materials like leather, dark wood, or metal. While leather connotes power, resilience, and sophistication, dark wood is classic, impressive, and bold, and metal is modern, sleek, and masculine.
The top color choices are grey, navy, white, brown, black, deep plum and steel blue.

With carefully chosen and well-placed elements, a man can turn his simple room into a lived-in masculine haven that is stylish without being showy and personal without being crowded.


Some Furnishings You'll Find in a Man's Stylish Bedroom
Image: Created by viryabo@polyvore


Privacy, Style, and Masculinity


So, what are the benefits of a thoughtfully designed room? And why will some men never settle for less? Here are some reasons why:
  1. They have total control over their space.
  2. They have the freedom to design and furnish as desired.
  3. They have a clutter-free, calming, serene, and orderly comfort zone.
  4. There is nobody around to disorganise the space and disturb its serenity.
  5. Everything object, no matter its size, has its place.
The bachelor's bedroom should be his kingdom, a place to live the single life in style. It must be private. It should be stylish. It must ooze masculinity. But best of all, personal.

50+ Creative Men's Bedroom Decor Ideas (Video)



 
Being a bachelor means having the space to fully express who you are, in the way that feels right to you. When your bedroom reflects your confidence and taste, you don’t just sleep better — you live better.

Now, tell me, which bachelor won't desire a great and enticing bedroom design that sends out a statement of pure untainted masculinity?
 

Posts of Interest
How to Decorate Your Home with Accent Chairs
7 Ways to Change Your Living Room from Drab to Refreshing

Moss Walls: Nature-Inspired Design for Modern Interior Spaces

Moss wall installations are a 21st-century design concept that adds textured greenery to vertical structures of building interiors and exteriors.

Available as real or faux moss, it is a creative feature that adds a biophilic touch to interiors and architectural designs. (Biophilic design integrates natural elements into built environments.)


Image showing a moss wall in a living area (AI-generated image).


1. As a living wall art feature, its textured natural accent brings the outdoors indoors through a creative connection to nature.

2. As a sound barrier: Moss walls absorb sound waves and reduce noise levels. Think home recording studios.

3. As a natural element integrated into built environments, it adds a biophilic touch that creates environments that support physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Real moss walls are low-maintenance. They are cost-effective and sustainable alternatives to potted plants, and depending on the strain used, they have a long lifespan (between 3 - 10 years). Its longevity depends on:

  • Type of moss.
  • Preservation method.
  • Moisture (misting).
  • Maintenance practice.
  • Good ventilation.

7 Examples of Where to Use Moss Wall Installations


1. Add a framed moss art piece as a headboard alternative.

2. A focal point in the entrance hallway.

3. Behind a floating staircase for a natural accent.

4. As sound insulation for a home theatre.

5. Incorporate moss tiles into a kitchen or bathroom backsplash.

6. A central wall in an office reception or spa lobby.

7. Behind the main counters of restaurants and cocktail bars.


Moss Wall Installations for Healthier Interiors


With their calming and ambient aesthetics, improved air quality, and eco-friendliness, moss walls promote great health and well-being to building occupants. They also enhance cognitive functions and elevate sinking and dreary moods. And in the workplace, biophilic design has been shown to increase productivity, creativity, and overall satisfaction. This makes the concept a popular choice for residential and commercial projects.

All these are achieved while adding a uniquely-different touch of nature to their living and working spaces.


Downloadable and Printable Work Sheets for Interior Design Projects


As an interior designer who needs to run a day-to-day business, books play an essential role. Sketchbooks, planners, project site workbooks, logbooks, mood and ambience books, drawing books, etc. It's the nature of the profession. Books. Books. Books! 

But:
  • Are you NOT tired of stiff paperback spines that never flatten when opened?
  • Do you NOT find it annoying whenever you attempt to (forcefully) open a book flat, damaging its spine irrevocably?
  • Would you NOT like to find ways to avoid (or prevent) these bothersome book-opening issues?

If you feel this way about your paperbacks (and hardcovers are pricier anyway) like sketchbooks, journals, workbooks, and industry-specific notebooks, the following alternatives are for you.

What Are the Benefits of These Alternatives?

  1. For starters, this system works out cheaper.
  2. It ensures you can open pages wide and flat against a surface.
  3. You can fold your pages over without ripping a spine.
  4. Flipping through pages is a breeze.
  5. You will work better and quicker on your pages.
  6. You will write and sketch effortlessly, even without a surface/table.

Interior Design Downloadable and Printable Templates


These are the alternatives to paperback books. You can download and print a whole book, a few pages, or a couple of sheets. You can then bind them any way you wish, using any of the following:
  • Ring binders.
  • Spiral binders.
  • Plastic Comb binders.
  • Wire binders.
From checklist pages to a 120-page interior design project journal with project documentation, client data, worksheets, sketch pages, and mood and vision pages, printable worksheets will keep your projects organized systematically and professionally.


 

Digital Downloads Are Worth the Tiny Investment


A beginner designer, freelancer, or one who's been practising for many years needs these printables for the smooth running of their interior design business. And the great thing about them? They are so inexpensive at less than a dollar per client, per project!

It's a worthwhile investment. Think about it.


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