1. Know your hardwood
Athens Floors has put together a great little graphic on their website that helps you to easily distinguish between different types of hardwood and choose the right finish for your floor. Looking at this chart, you can see at a glance whether you'd be better off with Cypress or Jarrah, or Mahogany or Hickory Pecan. You'll get a feel for the colors and the grain of different types of wood. Just keep in mind that there are variations even with a single type of wood, and lighting can also have a huge impact on the finished result. So use this as a basic guide, but make sure you look up other pictures before you decide on a wood finish.
Infographic Source: Athenshardwoodfloors
2. Figure out what types of plants you can grow
You are thinking of adding some living greenery to your dining room to dress it up a bit and give it a more natural, welcoming look and feel. You step into the plant nursery and take a look around, and then you start reading the labels on the plants. Some of them tell you that you need specific light conditions. Others aren't very informative at all, and you find yourself wondering if you can grow them. Still others say they are right for your light conditions, but you have no idea if they will bloom or not.
This chart lets you see at a glance which plants will grow in low light along with other helpful details. You will see which ones are easy to take care of, which make great screens to separate spaces in your home, and which can add nice colors or textures with their blossoms. This is exactly the kind of guidance you probably wish you had with you at the plant nursery. So print it out and bring it along next time, and you'll know exactly what you're looking for!
Infographic Source: Huffingtonpost
3. Colors and Moods
Infographic Source: Gatetogarage
4. How do you hang curtains the right way? This is how!
Hanging curtains. It sounds like a simple enough task, but if you don't put some serious thought into it, you could get it very wrong. This diagram from Cathy at HomeGoods is a wonderful quick reference for hanging curtains. The curtains on the left are hung right over top of the window, and they also cannot be pulled all the way back from the window. Note how the window on the right is the same size as the window on the left, but both the window and the room look larger.
This is because the curtains are hung high, drawing emphasis to the ceiling and creating an illusion of higher walls. Also notice how the curtain rod is longer, and the curtains can be opened fully, letting in more light and taking full advantage of the window. You can easily imagine there is more window behind the curtains too, creating even more of an illusion of size. A very cool way to make a room appear larger, make the best use of your window, and in general achieve a more stately look.
Infographic Source: Homegoods
5. Discover all the types of window coverings
While we're at it, check out this awesome chart from HGExpo. This infographic shows you all the different options you have for window coverings. Some of these are pretty simple and basic like a good old-fashioned drapery, but other options like the tie-up or lambrequin I never would have thought of if I were planning a window covering. These are some great ideas. Looking over them, you'll know exactly what to put into Google image search for even more specific inspiration.
Infographic Source: HgExpo
6. Learn about color undertones
This image from LiveLoveDIY is helpful when it comes to understanding the subtle undertones in different colors of paint. All of these colors are some type of "white," but as you can see, none of them are actually a "true" white. The only "true" white in this image is the piece of white paper along the bottom. The left column is all whites with yellowish undertones, and the next column is all whites with red undertones, followed by a column with blue undertones and finally one with green undertones. Each of these undertones can easily look white in the store, but in your home, they may appear significantly warmer or cooler than you expected.
The lesson here? Bring an actual piece of white paper with you when you are shopping for a "white" shade of paint. That way you can compare and immediately figure out what kinds of undertones are present.
Infographic Source: LiveLoveDIY
7. Discover more shades of white
If you found the image above interesting and informative, you will love this one from Decorating Files. These are some common whites that designers love for interiors. If you are working with a designer on your home, he or she might very well recommend one of these, and it can be helpful to know which is which. Or you might consider one of these whites if you are trying to decide on paint to use yourself.
Infographic Source: DecoratingFiles
8. These colors will match anything
Looking for some neutral colors that aren't so … well, neutral? According to Martha Stewart, this palette of paints will work great in any room and integrate easily with any color scheme. In that sense, they are relatively neutral, thanks to their subdued tones. But they are still colorful, and add a little "pop" to an otherwise dull color scheme which may be just a little too restrained. As you can see, most of these are cool, calm shades of blue, green or grey. There are a few warmer colors in the mix as well. As you can see, these colors not only could work great with others not in this image, but also work great with each other as well.
Infographic Source: MarthaStewart
9. Bed sizes charts
Looking for an easy way to see at a glance how different sizes of beds compare and which ones might fit in a specific room in your house? This bed sizes chart is a great little cheat sheet. The bright colors make it easy to see all the dimensions, and the measurements themselves are listed along the bottom and left-hand side.
Source/image: Pacificstarproducts
10. Learn your standard kitchen dimensions
If you are building or remodeling a kitchen, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with standard kitchen dimensions. This handy chart will help you figure out how much clearance you need between your countertops and the island in your kitchen, and even lets you know how much extra you need for two cooks! You will not only learn how much space you need in terms of widths, but in terms of heights as well. It is very important to get the heights right so that you can cook and eat comfortably.
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