IDEAS FOR MODERN HOME INTERIOR DESIGN PRINCIPLES When the factor of modern home interior design comes

to the picture, the concept debated here is based on space, fitted interiors and the colors that dominate most fittings. The best ideas for modern home interior design principles would be linked to reduced interiors that dont necessarily need to be dominated by so many colors that in most cases clash. Modernity is not new in that it is not just three or five years old but has been there for about five decades now. But how can modern home interior design ideas come to be? Although modernity is that old, every year comes up with its own design and thus it is possible that you would find people who change the general appearance of their homes almost on a yearly basis. Modern home interior design ideas are all about styles that are well presented by modern age and these would range from architectural design, the materials used in the entire building, the interior and exterior furnishings all the way to the accessories and modern appearance of the home.

Better yet, modern home interior design would also be accommodated by the ability of the designer to understand art while at the same time coming up with brilliant ideas that would blend with the form and features present. In order to understand modern home interior design at length, things such as the types of designs available, the features used to come up with the designs as well as the application, size and considerable facts would all be discussed at length in this content. On the account of types, the design specialist and the home owner would work hand in hand to come up with cutting edge features that could comprise of glass walls and other exciting designs such as floating roofs. When compared to the earlier modern home interior design looks, the current designs carry lesser emphasis in terms of furnishing. The modest presented here is not about accommodative but rather the need for aesthetic beauty thus why experts continue to emphasize on art and style on modern home interior design principles.

When you want to come up with that augmented design that resents every eye to take a second look, you need to focus on design ideas that range from modern home interior design ideas all the way to contemporary home interior design ideas. This means that incorporating various tastes such as finishes that range from sleek and glossy all the way to simplified matte would be included in your decorative ideas. But did you know that the modern pattern designs and almost anything that goes inside the house is all abstract? Well, consider this, those wavy and curved like patterns and furniture are left in the past since those used to occupy much space and in case of modernity, this is not what people want and thus why the adaptation of geometric shapes with clean contours has been observed as the best way to promote modern home interior design ideas.

When it comes to its application, and why modern design ideas for homes are gaining so much reputation, according to most home design experts, spaces that have been used to come up with such designs in the modern age have also served otherwise meaning they have a multipurpose function. For instance, the amount of space you would have in a loft to work

with would be very different to the amount of space you would have in a mansion but both ways, by the end of the day, you must come up with a design that would provide you with space to move about while at the same time you improve the appearance. It is possible in the modern designs to find that the kitchen makes part of the living area unlike in the past when it was designated under its own room. A loft bed contains a space that acts as a desk under it while a futon couch can easily be transformed into an extra bed or a bed in that manner if you are in a studio apartment. Either way, your perception on modern home interior design will all be based on your understanding on its features, application and furthermore the size which in this case has been echoed due to its ability to provide the home owner with the capacity to expand accordingly. This is because it would be found always clean and uncluttered thus making tight rooms appear rather open and relaxing at the same time. Do you long to keep the ornamentation of your newly built or purchased home clean and above all with that simple appearance? Well, the only thing you need to concentrate on is size which can be observed in modern home interior design ideas present on the modern homes. But when should you consider these design ideas? Well, if you conduct your research well, you will realize that there are those people who would rather prefer simple color, abstract patterns and clean contours, which are some of the things we have discussed at this point.

A monotone area rug would fit a lot better in the interiors of a contemporary or modern home design idea than in the case of this article, we have already realized that the traditional aspect of it would concentrate on complexity and too much stuffing thus lacking enough space. Remember that in the past, people had enough space and therefore constructed large homes. At the same time, people never saw any benefit towards digging a

swimming pool on their backyards or even having a garden extension at their front yards thus a few of these things that have been as a result of innovative technologies have led to other people considering inexpensive ideas of coming up with modern homes that would leave onlookers wondering about the initial design. Paint plays a very big role in modern homes and interior design ideas and the color white has been quoted by most home owners and interior design experts as one way to deal with the situation.

Home designs ideas for contemporary homes What is the meaning of home designs ideas for contemporary homes? When it comes to contemporary home designs, the designer needs to employ the aspect of cleanliness, stylish and yet smooth glowing surfaces. This means that the overall area should be uncluttered at whatever cause. Traditionally, houses were stuffed with a lot of furniture thus inhibiting movement. Although the same can be noticed from one home to another

today, especially those homes with family members living together, when it comes to bachelors and spinsters, its all about contemporary home designs ideas. Although quite a large number of people would mistaken home design ideas in contemporary homes to those home designs ideas you would find in modern homes, it is rather obvious that the modern look remains as the worlds perfect and most researched option. The difference between the two is noticeable in the interiors where the modern look also fights space but maintains the colors simple. The contemporary looks would also concentrate on this same concept by keeping and leaving the colors primary when compared to the traditional design taste where colors were all mixed with the area rugs carrying complex colors that clash with the furniture and other colors around. For home designs ideas that would compel even your neighbors to remain surprised, you need to be able to maintain simplicity and ensure that the home designs ideas that you have brought forth also promote your objectives. The point is that if your goal is to bring an architectural interior home designer capable of transforming your home to take after home designs ideas that would strike you as your design ideas such as on the textures and other polishes, the designer would be able to explain to you more about his design ideas such as how and why he would feature shiny or glossy metal while at the same time incorporate polished wood instead of matte like appearance.

The glossiness observed in traditional homes especially on the walls has been minimized by maintaining one color idea instead of mixing multiple colors at the same time. Whatever the case, you should be able to understand these two differences when choosing specialists who will be able to bring your home designs ideas to life. Today, purchasing an area rug to fit in your home is a lot more than just improving warmth. In the past, people concentrated on area rugs simply to enhance the feel to the feet when you step on the cold floor and although this is a secondary objective today, the ideal reason as to why the modern home designs ideas focus on area rugs in accordance with the color and pattern is perhaps to match with the furniture and other installments already in the house.

For this reason, whenever you are having new fittings, such as the floor, the walls or even the kitchen cabinets, all need to tell the same story told back in the living room and in the bedrooms respectively. Your Condo may not be able to impress someone visiting if the furniture installed isnt modern and rather simplified. If you want a well defined contemporary home feel, the home designs ideas should be able to stand out and should not incorporate various alternatives such as interiors that look as though someone lives there. Someone who has lived in the so called studio apartments may be able to come up with a rather contemporary design than an individual living in a mansion because circumstances force them to do so. Anyhow, if you have been in a show house, where everything seems official, when you are coming up with contemporary home designs ideas; those are some of the factors that you should concentrate on. Even before the interior designer comes to your aid, the architecture already understands

about the design in that the official house plan was already scheduled with an idea of a contemporary plan, however, if the previous architectural design in your home doesnt support this, in order to make everything come out according to your own plans, you can hire a qualified interior home designer whose reputation would surpass your expectations and this can be relevant in areas where the described interior designer may have worked on similar homes before. Alternatively, by understanding that a contemporary home designs ideas would also incorporate the modernity as we know it, you could also stand a chance in transforming it as you like.

For instance, unlike in the traditional kitchen that was rather hidden at the far end of the house, today, the modern kitchen in a contemporary home should be facing the family living room. For this reason, if you are all about the interior home refurbishment, the expert you should bring in should have worked in a different setting in the past and therefore should be in a capacity to understand your wishes based on the decorative principles you wish to marry as well as able to work within your budget. When it comes to home designs ideas and home decorations ideas, these are two but yet closely related definitions that should be well explained whenever an individual anticipates building a new home. This is because the decorative part of it will be embodied after the home has been completed especially during the interior design. Sometimes, you may not have enough ideas on what to do in case you manage to purchase your own Condominium and this is where you hire a specialized interior designer to help transform your home such that it satisfies your heartfelt desires. But will this work out without various factors such as your own design ideas, your budget and the previous work reputation are well showcased by the designer? Home designs ideas can be rather challenging if all those principles arent brought into focus although not all home designs ideas will follow the same strategies, the home designs ideas for experts you hire should possess all knowledge needed during the anticipated work. Today, contemporary designs and a specified modern home design can carry the same design method based on your likes.

For instance, unlike in the traditional kitchen that was rather hidden at the far end of the house, today, the modern kitchen in a contemporary home should be facing the family living room. For this reason, if you are all about the interior home refurbishment, the expert you should bring in should have worked in a different setting in the past and therefore should be in a capacity to understand your wishes based on the decorative principles you wish to marry as well as able to work within your budget. When it comes to home designs ideas and home decorations ideas, these are two but yet closely related definitions that should be well explained whenever an individual anticipates building a new home. This is because the decorative part of it will be embodied after the home has been completed especially during the interior design.

Sometimes, you may not have enough ideas on what to do in case you manage to purchase your own Condominium and this is where you hire a specialized interior designer to help transform your home such that it satisfies your heartfelt desires. But will this work out without various factors such as your own design ideas, your budget and the previous work reputation are well showcased by the designer? Home designs ideas can be rather challenging if all those principles arent brought into focus although not all home designs ideas will follow the same strategies, the home designs ideas for experts you hire should possess all knowledge needed during the anticipated work. Today, contemporary designs and a specified modern home design can carry the same design method based on your likes. Understanding modern home designs and design ideas

The end of the Second World War gave rise to various home designs that have recently been referred to as modern home designs. Before then,

design ideas that incorporated open windows and the use of modern technologies to build homes were not available and designers for homes relied on naturally produced materials that had either passed further transformation in factories or used in the natural form. Whatever the case, modern home designs have been there and have already been received positively by experts and home owners who have had to transform their homes to these new designs. As modern home designs made their debut to the design market, the need to decorate homes and completely transform the interior and exterior parts has been taken as one way to receive positive reviews from neighbors and visitors to your home.

In addition, if you are in the real estate business, the open house should also incorporate some of these ideas so that buyers can be attracted. The point is that modern home designs have had a positive impact not only to the residential part also commercial home and property ownership business. But before we focus on the factors to consider when choosing modern home designs that would attract those described key persons, we shall also spend time understanding more about modern home designs, decorating ideas as well as their rise to prominence. The history of this home design strategy isnt far away in the past though modernity can be traced back to the time innovative minds started coming up with strategies in which work could be made easier. Back in the 1950s, bright colors and a composition of various artificially produced materials made up most homes such as the use of couches that had no arms among other styles. Although this was the modern look by then, when an individual anticipates connecting this theory to modern home designs and the new age pioneered by great minds of designers such as the Earnes brothers, these furniture makers can be said to have given birth to modern home designs as we know them today. The features of modernity are quite simple. In other words, in the past, things were rather too complex. An entertainment center for instance was bulky and some had doors that would secure the television set. At this time, these entertainment centers were known as wall units and could accommodate more than just the television and your VCR.

But the new cutting age of simplified things have resulted to modern look of simple yet stylish things. Art is primary in every design whether for home or office and this is something that has transitioned all the way from the traditional aspect of interior designs all the way to the modern aspect of it. Modern home designs no longer focus on complex floors of concrete that had to be fitted with area rugs all over such that people had to leave their shoes outside when entering but rather are simplified through installations of vintage furniture that can either be hardwood or floor tiles that can be well patterned with simple area rugs if need be. Your anticipated modern home designs may not be achieved if the designer isnt competent enough to marry your design ideas to his such that you manage to tell your story through the interior and exterior appearances of your home or commercial building. For this reason, other than understanding the various modern home designs that are there and the design ideas that you need to concentrate on, you also need to take time and gauge various interior designers within your reach hence this calls for patience as you conduct your research, interview the shortlisted candidates among other described things. Contemporary home designs is the new art of designing your homes. Although it can be identified through the simple personalization as things are kept to the art, decorating modern houses calls for modern home designs and design ideas that would be realized even by traditional design enthusiast. According to various arguments, experts have been able to help those persons seeking to transform their own homes in absence of an expert to concentrate on purchasing furniture and other home fittings that would seem rather

uncomfortable while at the same time leaving the space looking more spacious.

The agreement on this concept is that traditionally, the couch was supposed to be rather comfortable such that when you sit on it, you feel as though you can take a nap anytime contrary to what modern couches would be focusing on. For this reason, modern home designs would be about hard chairs and empty spaces, walls that are painted without having to mix so many colors. In most cases, white paint would be enough on the account of the walls and other areas within the house that need to be painted. A glass table has come to replace the traditional wooden table and nowadays a dining set is not that necessary. The way your home will be decorated by the modern home designs and design experts would largely be based on your objectives to provide comprehensive results that you and the designer would agree on. For instance, if the size or the space isnt large enough, your design ideas might not work out but you could still forward them to the expert who would be able to work with them by applying his skills on minimal spaces. Unlike in the past, modern home designs communicate to the occupant of the house and visitors audibly such that they do not have to ask many questions. For example, did you know that when a priceless vase is placed on top of the glass table or strategically at a corner would portray design that is timeless? Ideally, modern home designs can impact not only the home owner positively, but also gives the interior designer an opportunity to apply art as well as the knowledge of innovative design to come up with an exciting result that would standout above the rest.

Choosing a competent home interior designer

Although your initial design plan will be primary as the home interior designer works on your house, sometimes focusing on the number of bedrooms present, the size of the kitchen as well as some specified fittings that will be realized in the design should also be discussed. The biggest question that links to home designers especially those working on the interior parts of the houses is rather associated with the realization that comes to all home owners to change the overall appearance of their homes. Have you been thinking about changing your home through decorations and other suggested transformations both inside and outside? Well, if the answer is yes, you need to start looking into some of the things your home will require in order to take after your desired design ideas and for this reason, this article, which primarily focuses on the factors to consider when

choosing a competent home interior designer will guide you to make informed decisions on the same.

So what are the duties of the home interior designer towards transforming your home such that visitors and neighbors would live to talk about your kitchen, your living room or even your bedroom and other areas in the house? Well, once you work out on the need to hire a reliable home interior designer, you will first concentrate on an interior designer who has worked on similar architectural designs before. Note that a home decorator and interior designer are two different people. A home decorator may work by arranging furniture and other things already in the house to befit the arrangement that creates space while at the same time improves the general appearance while for a home interior designer, his work will include focusing on the space, conducting site visit and taking measurements in every corner of the house so that he not only understands the space he has to work with, but also what could go where.

A reliable home interior designer doesnt just concentrate on the price when marketing his skills but rather presents previous evidence of homes and commercial premises that he has worked on before and this is what you should focus on when hiring a new home interior designer to work on your home. This is normally done by ensuring that his portfolio adds up with regards to the skills that you anticipate employing in your project. Notably, not every firm that presents a remarkable portfolio can prove to work hard on your project and thus why you could also hire a home interior designer to work as an advisor on your side, this way, you will be able to maintain your design ideas when the experts work on your home. A commendable home interior designer will further include you in the home transformation plans and decorative methodologies he aims to apply on your home since even before you anticipated to hire one of them; you had already formulated your own design ideas and thus should be visible by the end of the interior design work!

Overall, before you even consider bringing in a given home interior designer, there are other key factors to consider besides previous skills, visible track record or even reputation that surpasses your expectations and this includes your previous ideas on the color, the lighting as well as care and maintenance. When it comes to color in any interior design work, the concept of mood is brought into the picture. Remember that not every interior designer for homes can be said to understand color and above all, to marry that same idea to your own expectations without your involvement in the decision making process since color can take different variations based on your creative design ideas, the rooms inside the house to be transformed and above all the occupants. The point is that your daughter and son may have different color tastes for their rooms and the same subject would be married in your own room while the living room will also have a complete different color. For this reason, you want to make sure that the home interior designer hired to work on the described homes understands not only your likes and dislikes but is also in a position to satisfy every home occupants desire during the extreme makeover.

When it comes to lighting, the same concept as discussed in color will also be realized bearing in mind that various areas in the house such as the kitchen, the bathrooms and toilets are lit differently and thus this idea also works with the color. Notably, because you have to focus on the color and lighting doesnt necessarily mean that you have to forget about maintenance of the refurbished rooms. When the home interior designer works on your home, besides putting all the efforts needed to make sure that admirable results are achieved, he will also take time to educate you briefly on how to care for the new installed carvings and any other installment that would be sensitive to change the ideal perception of the new home if not well taken care of. Evidently, depending on the new environments we get exposed to everyday, the need to transform the general appearances of our homes becomes necessary and thus why locating competent home interior designer would help fight any possibility of unwarranted results whenever we anticipate hiring them for the work.

Modern Rooms For Girls Modern rooms for girls look simple and fine. If you like to bring new look on the bedroom for your teenager; you can pick the modern bedroom. The fairy theme in the room should be eliminated since it only suit with the infant bedroom. The cartoon character is popular to define the bedroom for your daughter but when she grows bigger, she will love to have mature bedroom design. You can pick the simple bedroom by using the modern home decor in the bedroom. You can choose the neutral colors like beige, sandy coral, caramel brown and khaki to define the bedroom.

Make sure that you can present the feminine style in the modern rooms for girls. You can use pink, lavender, pastel blue or sunset yellow as the accent in the room. The wallpaper in cartoon character of jasmine, Tinkerbell, hello kitty, and princess Ariel should be removed since they are all great to define the toddler bedroom. You can renew the wallpaper by installing the new one with floral or vine pattern. If you want to make it a bit traditional, you can install damask or paisley patterned wallpaper. It can carry romantic feeling in the room. But you need to avoid the selection of dark colored wallpaper since it can make the room dark and gloomy.

You can choose the off white and silver floral patterned wallpaper to bring the passionate feeling. Then you can have the bed frame made in simple headboard and foot board. You can pick the dresser, sofa, and cabinet with clean surface without any intricate and carved pattern. You can infuse the furniture with stainless steel material to bring industrial them in the room. The lamp in the bedroom should come in unique design. You can install pedants lighting to illuminate modern rooms for girls.

House Interior Paints Colors The house interior paints can make the room big and bright. If you want to carry a new decorative look without spending a lot of cash, you can choose a wonderful house paint. The paint for the exterior and interior should express harmonious style. There are myriads of colors that you can pick. It will be great if you can suit the color based on the theme employed in the particular room of your home. You need to realize that color is so important in setting the mood. It is not only used as a coat for your wall. You can make the room big, fun, feminine, funky, masculine or even small by selecting a particular shade.

The impact is so big so that you need to be useful about selecting the paint. You can choose faux painting if you want to resemble particular materials like stone, brick, marble and wood. The people who want to enjoy an artistic sense on the wall of house interior paints can use a mural. If you

want to deliver a nice visual interest in the kitchen bathroom, you can opt for birch and tile pattern. The long hall of your room looks great with striped pattern. If you want to deliver an accent wall in the house, choose the paint in harlequin pattern.

The people living in a rustic and shabby chic home can try the color washing paint ideas. It can deliver the antique appearance in the wall and ceiling. If you want to adorn a bathroom, you can choose blue since it can present a meditative look. If you want luxury dining room, choose brown as the main color. The boy bedroom looks fun with yellow. The girl bedroom is fabulous with pink and plum. If you want to bring calming effect in the living room house interior paints, apply green on the wall.

The Small Bedroom Ideas The right space in the sleeping area is no longer a big deal if you can apply the small bedroom ideas in fun, detail and fascinating ways. If you decorate the area with a lot of fuss, it is the time for you to donate and throw out the unessential lamps on the thrift stores. You need to bring a new look by making the room modern and fun. Use a new color for expressing a new flair. It can make the room look bigger if you select the pale and soft colors.

The accessories, pictures, paintings and pillows can be in bold colors since they can brighten the room.

The furniture pieces in the small bedroom can be in light colors. You can repaint the bed frame, dresser, chest, nightstand and headboard with pastel color. If you want classic pieces, you can choose white. If you want to make the room casual, use tan or beige. The small bedroom ideas can look great if you can make a bold statement in the room. You are benefited by picking the bold shade for the textile and fabric used in the bedroom. If you want to deliver the magnificent style, you can hang a sheer curtain from ceiling to floor. It can be in pastel shades too.

The bedding can be in similar color with the curtain. If you want to add fabulous style, add a big floral red colored toss pillows on the bed. The nightstand can be decorated with a gold frame family picture. A vase of red roses can bring nice air in the room. If you want to have a nice spot for a reading area in the bedroom, you can have a small individual sofa with a tiffany lamp in maroon. An area rug can be in pink or burnt yellow. It can deliver the fabulous air in small bedroom ideas.

Asian Home Design

Asian style interior planning got its signal from Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese along with other Eastern cultures. Asian design influences contemporary inside with Zen spaces for relaxation, feng shui furniture plans, Asian-style bedding, lacquered boxes or silk Chinoiserie wallpaper. Obviously, Asian home design differs. An area could hint in an Eastern influence having a Buddha sculpture and prayer beads, or completely recreate the design of a conventional Asian room. Asian-style furniture and add-ons for example tatami mats, futons, tansu style cabinets, and shoji screens produce a Japanese aesthetic, while red-colored lacquer, foo dogs, and paper lamps add Chinese style. Among the most elegant, beautiful and straightforward styles, Asian theme is extremely calm and soothing and it doesnt involve an excessive amount of creating also. Any

house could be decorated according to the Asian theme and also the fundamental factor that certain have to do is to make sure that theres no type of clutter within the room and colours are selected carefully. Within an Asian theme one should use lots of imagination plus they may use materials, wealthy textures and vibrant colors. The area which has an Asian theme must always look wealthy and grand, and when thats accomplished, you have truly had the opportunity to recreate the Asian miracle.

Asian styles uses vibrant and vibrant colors, and therefore, may possibly not continually be smart to do in the whole home by using this theme. It is usually better to focus on some area of the house and employ it as the focus by designing it while using Asian theme. Theres heavy reliance on texture and color within this theme, which must be stored in your mind.

Among the best places to brighten while using Asian theme may be the dining area of the home. Once the dining area is decorated, one clearly may use the colourful colors but besides one may add decorative pieces up for grabs. Its possible to use things made from bamboo or Chinese items that are very famous within the Asian area. Theres another factor that certain can perform when they desired to use Asian theme to brighten would be to decorate the restroom of the home. Regardless of the theme one uses, the restroom ought to always be a calming place in the home. Its possible to use collectible figurines and candle lights and also the artwork of Asia within the bathroom, which could produce the Asian theme. The Asian dcor within the bathroom could be soothing and relaxing.

Its possible to also employ the Asian theme within the bed room also. Beautiful embroidered curtains may be used and also the lighting may also be transformed keeping the Asian dcor in your mind. Created screens may also be used to produce a splendid try looking in the restroom. While using Asian dcor and theme is slightly time intensive and could be costly sometimes also, but one should be cautious plus they can produce a beautiful house.

Asian Home Decorating The Asian Home Decorating Ideas are just perfect for the people who want to live in tranquil and serene setting. You just have to be creative when you decorating the house with Asian style. You can get the inspiration from Chinese and Japanese style to deliver the tranquil effect. If you want tropical look, choose the Balinese ideas. The India style is great for those who want to bring exotic look. There are many types of palette that you can get in the room. You can have it inspired from the natural wood. You can accent the wall with beige, sage green, cream and crisp white. The furniture pieces can be in black, dark chocolate or even espresso brown shades.

If you want to add bold statement in the room, you can opt for crisp red, persimmon orange, sunny yellow, dark green and pastel blue. The Asian home decorating ideas can be accentuated with nice accessories made from stone, wood, paper, clay and bamboo. The room divider in the house can be created from the paper screen rather than the solid wall. The furniture is made in sleek, modular and simple design. It can feature elaborate Japanese or Chinese pattern. The next thing to note in the Asian home is the selection of accessories.

You can hang Japanese calligraphy on the living room. Antique Chinese potteries can be displayed on the butterfly and fireplace mantle. The Buddha statues can bring impressive look on the garden and table. If you want nice illumination while spending time in the living room, you can hang some nice paper lantern. A Korean cartoon can bring interesting flair in the kids bedroom. If you want to enjoy a warm glow in the bedroom or even kitchen, you can install translucent fixtures for nice Asian home decorating ideas.

Victorian Kitchen Designs The Modern Victorian Kitchen Designs can be the hub in the house. You can utilize the space not only to cook and prepare the meals for the family. It can be a place for your social gathering. It will be fun to entertain the guests in the kitchen. You can bring nice atmosphere in the kitchen with distressed wooden cabinetry and furniture pieces. The Victorian design looks country with perfect decors. You need to choose the comfortable style, colorful pattern and rich shades. You can use the rustic accessories to express the country style in Victorian kitchen.

There are many types of elements that you can use to dress up the cooking area. You need to decorate the kitchen wall. I suggest you to choose the soft muted yellow. It can bring classy feeling in modern Victorian kitchen designs. You can have the yellow tone inspired from the palette of sunflower and squash. If you want striking effect, you can add semi gloss paint in red, brown, gold or lime green hues. The flooring in the kitchen can be made from tile or wood. If you have a lot of cash for the flooring design, you can install wooden parquet floor.

If you want simple design, you can choose natural wooden floor made from maple, oak, birch or walnut. Tile flooring is nice. You can choose the neutral tile. It can be made in white, gray or beige. The wooden cabinets, chairs and countertop will look Victorian with worn out style. If you want to banish the traditional look, you can pick the cabinet in off white shade. If you want to make it warm, you can choose light brown or beige colored furniture pieces. You can replace the old hardware with an intricate one. It can be in gold pleated accent to resemble the rich feeling in modern Victorian kitchen designs.

Kitchen Shelves Decoration Selves is considering a must for the kitchen equipments, it is not only used to maximize the functions of your wall but it can also give you possibility in managing your kitchen interior decorations in attractive design; since you can make a tidy arrangement of your kitchen tools. In this article we will focus on kitchen shelves decorations that make you possible in managing your kitchen tools without reducing the atmosphere of your kitchen.

It is said that an open shelf will make you possible in giving an attractive look to your kitchen, since by applying the open shelves you will be able to show your kitchenware collections which will make you pleased by only looking at them. Some of us might like open shelf less desirable since it cant be used as your food storage and sometimes it will only make your kitchen cramped and busy; besides applying an open shelf may also be dangerous for those who have children to be taking care of.

In improving your shelf appearance you may play with the color and the lighting. In managing the color of your shelving, we recommend you to add brighter color especially white which will make your kitchen look clean and tidy; but sometimes you can also add contrasts color on your shelving to give a bold effect.

Applying the supporting lighting can also be favorable; you can attach the lighting behind the display so you can create a brighter kitchen that gives a little bit modern taste. To create the maximum effect we recommend you in applying the shelves in a single wall since they will be more convenient without making your house look busy with stuff. You can also add accessories to give feminine touch such as pottery, flower, vases, and even glass ornament.

Victorian Kitchen Designs

The Modern Victorian Kitchen Designs can be the hub in the house. You can utilize the space not only to cook and prepare the meals for the family. It can be a place for your social gathering. It will be fun to entertain the guests in the kitchen. You can bring nice atmosphere in the kitchen with distressed wooden cabinetry and furniture pieces. The Victorian design looks country with perfect decors. You need to choose the comfortable style, colorful pattern and rich shades. You can use the rustic accessories to express the country style in Victorian kitchen.

There are many types of elements that you can use to dress up the cooking area. You need to decorate the kitchen wall. I suggest you to choose the soft muted yellow. It can bring classy feeling in modern Victorian kitchen designs. You can have the yellow tone inspired from the palette of sunflower and squash. If you want striking effect, you can add semi gloss paint in red, brown, gold or lime green hues. The flooring in the kitchen can be made from tile or wood. If you have a lot of cash for the flooring design, you can install wooden parquet floor.

If you want simple design, you can choose natural wooden floor made from maple, oak, birch or walnut. Tile flooring is nice. You can choose the neutral tile. It can be made in white, gray or beige. The wooden cabinets, chairs and countertop will look Victorian with worn out style. If you want to banish the traditional look, you can pick the cabinet in off white shade. If you want to make it warm, you can choose light brown or beige colored furniture pieces. You can replace the old hardware with an intricate one. It can be in gold pleated accent to resemble the rich feeling in modern Victorian kitchen designs.

Modern Interior Lighting Ideas Lighting is also an essential part in managing the design of the house, each theme of the house might need special lighting system to support their primary theme. Even though there are many types of lighting system that can be chosen for the houses used, but not all of them might support the ideal look; maybe that is the reason why we need to create a detail plan for the lighting system.

Modern house will be perfect when we also apply the similar lighting taste, there are lot of Modern Interior Lighting Ideas which can be apply for your modern house; but today we will only see some of the featuring products including Velly collection, pendant lighting, and rhythm. These types of lighting system are now become the major trends in modern architectural design; since they do not only support the theme of the house but also create an artistic look for the interior design.

A Velly collection is a project of Adriano Rachele who create the modern art inform of Italian lighting system. The materials are made form opaflex which is also equipped with color degradations to support a sophisticated look. Velly collection is engaged with energy saving-bulbs which will reduce the use of electricity, the design are also inform of two major model; the hanging one or the one which can be applied for as the walling decorations.

Pendant lighting is also available in a modern design, they do not only perform plain look but some of them might also be shaped in a complicated design. One of the modern designs for the pendant lighting is a magnetic hanging sculpture with an LED system. This type of lighting system is very suitable for a simple modern house; this type lighting system can be treated as your modern chandelier.

Rhythm lighting may also one of the famous modern lighting systems now days; they are designed to perform a harmony and disruptive chaos atmosphere for a modern interior design. They perform a detail arrangement for the LED lighting which create a fantastic modern art. Those are some of modern interior lighting idea that can be applied in as your interior elements, which one you like the best? Design For 2013 Interior Trends The remodeling project will be fun if you can get the inspiration from the 2013 interior trends. People love to have a good home. It can make them comfortable when sleeping, cooking, relaxing and entertaining the guests. A home is considered as your primary property which can increase your pride when there are some visitors coming to your house. Dont get yourself embarrassed with cluttered interior design. You can make it fun and nice by picking the latest interior design.

The people who only have a small house can go with contemporary, Japanese Chinese, modern and minimalist house design. All of them carry simple, uncultured and non elaborate look. Even though we live in an era of futuristic style, 2013 interior trends are still influenced by the presence of traditional style. The vintage look is still in demand since it can represent the luxury and elegance. You can adorn the house with vintage items. Choose the combination of mustard yellow and off white color to deliver the vintage look.

If you want to enjoy the sense of elegance and majestic look, Victorian, Jacobean and Gregorian interior designs are great to have. You need to bath the house with a lot of antique items. They can be searched in the flea market, antique store and secondhand market. For example, you can purchase a long intricate sofa with fleur de list pattern. A Venetian mirror can express the luxury flair if it comes in gold pleated accent. If you want to dress up the dining room, you can set a buffet made with frosted glass door and curved legs. The painting depicting the ancient medieval look can bring antique sense. If you want to deliver the finesses in 2013 interior trends, you can have a mural of medieval times on the ceiling and wall.

Colors For Modern Homes Black Modern homes black are popular. Black is considered as the nice and fun color to adorn the house. Using black as the main palette in the room can be a tricky task to do since if you cannot apply it well, you can make the room gloomy and dark. With perfect decoration, the room like dining room, living room and kitchen can look fun with such color. You need to decide the theme used in the area. You can go for modern or traditional. It depends on your personal taste.

If you want to carry the modern look, you can adorn the living room with black couch and black furniture pieces. But you can make the room light and bright with the appliances of white colored wall, ceiling and flooring. If you want to block the light inside the living area, you can set a black shade on the window. An area rug located under the coffee table can be in beige color. The black couch will never look gloomy and dull if you can set some beige toss pillows. The kitchen can look futuristic with modern homes black. You can set a glossy and shining black cabinet, kitchen island, and furniture pieces. The appliances in the kitchen can be made in silver polished look. The wall can be painted in white. If you want to have some stools along the countertop or kitchen island, you can pick the white stools.

The people who like to enjoy the traditional black home can choose gothic style. It can present the majestic look. You can paint the wall in totally black accent. Then you can make it pop by accenting the wall with white damask patterned wallpaper. The crystal chandelier can bring shining look in the living room. Dont forget to pick the damask sofa on the modern homes black.

Working with an Interior Designer Architects and remodeling contractors are the folks to call for structural planning, while interior designers work out optimal room size, traffic flow and lighting. When it comes to choosing and coordinating the color schemes, paint finishes, cabinet styles and light fixtures that go into that room, that's where an interior decorator comes in. A good interior decorator will save you months of hunting down product samples and other research, and prevent some potentially messy missteps. What's more, the decorator can do everything from simply acting as a sounding board for your ideas to undertaking more involved work, like buying paint and fabric, scheduling an installation and even supervising the job. Your contractor and interior decorator must work closely together. So begin by choosing a decorator your contractor likes, preferably someone with experience on your type of project. A pro who specializes in new

construction or commercial space might not be equipped to integrate an addition with the rest of your house. Here are some other essentials for getting?and working with a first-class decorator. Billing Basics Do some prescreening by looking for members of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), which educates and tests interior decorators. Then look at which of the three billing methods each uses: free, flat-fee and hourly. While getting something for nothing might sound irresistible, a decorator who offers free services is really a manufacturer's rep who pushes certain products. Besides narrowing your options, you may pay more in the long run. A flat-fee decorator also looks like a bargain. Unfortunately, this pro often insists on acting as your exclusive buying agent, and may steer you toward products she marks up or for which she receives a commission. Take the case of one decorator who charged $26 per yard for carpet that retailed for only $18an extra $200 for a 15X15-ft. room. That's why you should always check prices you get from your decorator against retail. Your safest bet is an independent decorator who charges by the hour. You'll usually pay from $30 to $75 per hour depending on the level of service. But the per-hour arrangement lets you sever your relationship at any time. With a flat-fee decorator, you pay for the entire job, even if you part ways early on.

Bring Them In Once you've gathered a few names, spend lots of time walking prospective decorators through your home so they know your taste. Express your likes and dislikes. And determine which ones are good listeners essential for giving you what you want. Then be sure you hire a decorator before building plans are drawn. Things work out best when the decorator is brought in at the inception of the project. That's when the decorator's inputhow much wall space a window treatment needs or the window height required for a certain couch, for exampleis essential. Otherwise, a decorator can create cost overruns by adding or removing a window, changing the distance between doors and windows and adding recessed lights that weren't wired behind the walls. All of these are costly alterations that often involve structural changes. You can always choose wall and carpet colors later. But your architect and contractor must know early on about design elements that affect the structure What Your Money Buys Hourly billing starts with the decorator's first consultation. A decorator might charge you to shop for samples (paint chips, plumbing fixtures, fabric samples, carpet squares) or do research. But she should be able to tell you how specific products performed for past clients in terms of durability, ease of cleaning and warranty coverage, and how responsive the manufacturer was to complaints. She should also warn you off bad practices,

such as using absorbent carpet or cloth wallpaper in a bathroom, unwashable flat paint in a kid's room or glossy ceiling paint in a small room, which makes the space look even smaller. Then, as choices or changes are made, the decorator must immediately communicate with the contractor on the construction implications of each choice. If, for example, you finally settle on laminate floors but the contractor bid and designed for hardwood floors, the heightand costof the slab or joists may change. The contractor needs to know this. Design changes also have an impact on cost and schedule. For instance, perhaps you changed the molding planned for the bedroom because the original choice didn't complement the final choice of curtains. Or maybe you picked a new color for the border tile in the kitchen since the initial pattern you selected would have clashed with the final choice in fixtures. To streamline communication, set up a meeting early with the decorator, contractor or architect, designer and yourself. Draw clear lines of responsibility for who chooses and buys which products, when choices are made and who arranges for delivery. For instance, will the decorator order the carpet and floor covering and oversee installation, or will she simply communicate your choices to the contractor? Will the decorator or contractor arrange for custom molding samples? These are the details to work out ahead of time. As the job progresses, the decorator should talk with the contractor at least once a week or in regularly scheduled meetings to share and update information. These talks often occur on a daily basis at the start of a job.

Some contractors even keep a "daybook" on site in which the contractor and decorator make notes to each other in case they haven't had a chance to touch base. Defusing Tension Ultimately, the decorator's job is to make a remodeling job easier by expediting your design decisions and keeping the contractor informed in a clear, timely way. But with a homeowner, designer, contractor or architect, and decorator all making decisions, there can be some real tension among the different players involved in the project. A classic example is when a homeowner sees a decorator as an ally in a job that's running latea common trap that's easy to fall into because the decorator isn't handling the physical work. The result is that some homeowners entrust the decorator with overall quality inspection and other extra duties, causing her to be seen as a pushy interloper who is eventually frozen out by the other pros on the job. That's why it's so essential for all the people working on a project to stick to the jobs, duties and deadlines assigned at the early meetings. Be sure that tasks and responsibilities are clear, and that lines separating each profession's responsibilities are respected. Your Requests: It's How You Ask Changes are inevitable once a job gets under way. That means your contractor and interior decorator must have a system for sharing and acknowledging your requests.

Be sure anything you ask for is written on a change-order request form that's dated and signed by you and the interior decorator. If the contractor doesn't have official forms, print out some simple homemade ones on your computer. When the contractor gets one of these forms, he knows it's OK to make a change in the original plans and bill you for the work. He also knows he won't be caught in the middle later when everyone has a different story about how your request for a 30-in.-high countertop never got through, and why he should pay for the redowhich he thinks is the decorator's responsibility.

Home remodeling Design Idea's Kerala Whether the housing market is up, down or bouncing around, knowing how to grow the value of your home is one of the biggest challenges, When you're knowledgeable about the many ways to improve(remodeling) your kerala home, like interior Design, Furniture, kitchen remodeling, painting, home products Etc...

First of All When considering a remodeling project, its important to work closely with an experienced design build contractor who can help you to identify opportunities to add value to your home. While fulfilling your familys immediate needs is likely to be priority number one, Here is the Few Tips For Home Renovation

Home Renovation Design Kerala

Home

Improvement

Add

Trim

To

Interior

Rooms

Adding millwork such as baseboards, wainscoting, crown molding, mantels, casing, etc. can completely transform the look of a room. It's relatively easy to install, and it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg, either. If you're on a tight budget, opt for paint-grade materials for a fraction of the cost of more expensive options like genuine cherry or mahogany.

Home

Improvement

Upgrade

The

Flooring

Modern flooring trends have moved away from carpet to hardwood. Carpet can retain allergens, molds, and other nasty stuff even after a steam cleaning, making it difficult to keep clean and sanitary. Upgrading to hardwood floors will not only give your home a higher market value, but provides a more sanitary and longer-lasting solution.

Here We presented a The Home From Alapuzha, this home was the oldest kerala home but now its looks totally changes , the Architect Sreeraj is the Architecture of this Amazing Home,

Kitchen in Remodeling The kitchen and bath, the heart of many kerala homes, are often the best place to increase your home's value, A growing number of homeowners are investigating kitchen cabinet upgrades to make their homes feel more modern and contemporary.

Kitchen Cabinet Colors Home repair experts note that kitchen cabinets are often some of the most durable elements of a house. Unfortunately, the wrong kitchen cabinet colors can make a home feel outdated in a period where homeowners prefer natural wood tones.Experienced woodworkers may be able to work with more of your existing cabinetry, saving you money Mid-Century Modern Houses in Palm Springs Bold, sweeping butterfly roofs were used in the 1959 Racquet Club Road Estates, designed by William Krisel. Two hours east of Los Angeles, the Coachella Valley town of Palm Springs has a star-studded past. Ever since Hollywood discovered it in the 1920s, its been a weekend retreat for some of filmdoms brightest lights. While the luster of this desert hotspot dimmed a bit after its heyday in the 1940s,50s, and 60swhen a galaxy of big-name movie stars like Loretta Young, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz retreated therePalm Springs never entirely lost its sizzle. Nowadays its as renowned for its fabulous mid-20th-century architecture as it is for its famous residents. Look beyond the big estates, and youll find a huge and stellar collection of modernist houses, big and not so big, tucked into its many 1950s and 60s subdivisions. After World War II, modernism quickly displaced the elaborate Mediterranean and Spanish Revival mansions Palm Springs celebrities had previously favored. Built of glass, steel, decorative cement block, and native stone, and provided with air-conditioning and abundant water from the large local springs, these homeswhich are often described as Desert Modern

were designed to welcome the white-hot days and chilly nights of their arid surroundings.

The 1946 Kaufman House by architect Richard Neutra was commissioned by the Pittsburgh family best known for another house: Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater. In 1946, Richard Neutra, a powerful player in the International Style movement who came to the U.S. in the 1920s, produced a starkly beautiful desert retreat for Pittsburghs Edgar J. Kaufman family (for whom Frank Lloyd Wright had earlier designed Fallingwatera very different modern masterpiece in western Pennsylvania). Flat-roofed and glass-walled, the Kaufmans house glowed like a shooting star in the dark desert nights though its luminosity was seen for the most part only by the owners and their guests at the large, private estate.

Other affluent weekenders and snowbirds also were attracted to the desert oasis, building custom-designed homes with the aid of less famous architects. Frank Sinatra, for instance, asked Palm Springs architect E. Stewart Williams for a glamorous getaway home where he could cut loose with his celebrity buddies (including fellow Rat Pack members Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford). He figured a Hollywood-style Colonial Revival mansion would be just the ticket. A few deft strokes of the architects pencil, however, instead focused Sinatras sights on a Desert Modern dream of glass-walled splendor. Everyday Icons House faades are frequently shielded from the sun by distinctive open-work cement-block screen walls. Not all Desert Modern houses were custom-built for wealthy patrons. In fact, the overwhelming majority were subdivision houses, erected in great numbers for middle-class families as either weekend or year-round homes. Yet they were definitely distinctive. Spearheaded by developers such as the Alexander brothers (George and Bob), Palm Springs postwar building boom produced subdivisions containing thousands of homes for year-round residents. Though somewhat less numerousand usually a good bit glitzier they had an appeal akin to the myriad Soft Modern homes designed by architects such as Anschen and Allen and erected by the consummate merchant-builder Joseph Eichler in Southern California and the Bay Area. A bevy of architects trained in the modern idiom flocked to Palm Springs to design homes for a growing population of well-educated middle-

income buyers, as well as for movie folks. Leaving behind the popular ranch house, stuffy Colonial Revival, and severe International Style alike, Palm Springs developments soon became testing grounds for the viability of a special brand of California modernism. They were often showy, even flamboyant in design, with open floor plans and dynamic forms.

Frank Sinatras 1946 house , designed by E. Stewart Williams, marked the start of Palm Springs fame as a celebrity retreat of modernist houses. Yet they always managed to keep in mind the needs of their target marketthe child-centered, baby-boom-producing, middle-class postwar family. Despite their modest size1,600 square feet was commonand their similar interior layouts, they were far from being cookie-cutter tract homes. Varied rooflines and other exterior design features combined with thoughtful siting, well-placed courtyards, atriums, swimming pools, walled gardens, and, of course, garages and carports to expand both perceived and actual living space.

Such visual sleight-of-hand also managed to make every house seem unique without adding to the cost. Natural light flooded into open living areas through sun-blocking and privacy-preserving screen walls of decorative pierced-concrete block. Extremely deep roof overhangs on flat, butterfly, and low front-gable roofs also shielded the glass walls from the scorching sun. These features and the extensive use of cement block, both pierced and solid, define the Palm Springs look. Architect Donald Wexler is noted for a group of 1961 steel houses built by the Alexander Company. Important Palm Springs architects included Albert Frey (1903-1998), a Swiss-born modernist who studied with Le Corbusier; William Krisel, the Alexander brothers designer of choice; and Donald Wexler. Houses by Krisel and Wexler today command cult-like reverence from modernism fans. Among the major examples of Wexlers houses for Alexander are Rancho Vista (1960) and Royal Hawaiian Estates (1961), which was listed as the citys first residential historic district. He was commissioned by U.S. Steel and Bethlehem Steel to design 38 all-steel, prefabricated houses (of which only seven were actually built). Like the better-known Lustron houses, they were part of the postwar push toward industrialized building methods. The houses featured cantilevered overhangs for shade and open floor plans for easy circulation of air and occupants. In addition to his residential work, Wexler, who is now perhaps the best-known of the towns architects, produced designs for a number of Palm Springs major buildings.

Several dramatic A-frame homes, called Swiss Miss houses, are in Las Palmas Estates. Excellent Krisel designs also abound in the Racquet Club Road Estates (1959-61) and Las Palmas (1958-62). In Las Palmas, youll reap a bonus in the form of a collection of exotic houses by Charles DuBois dramatic A-frames whimsically dubbed Swiss Misses for their resemblanceat least theoreticallyto the Swiss chalet. You may wonder whywith a few notable exceptionsthese talented architects and builders never became household names outside their Southern California home turf. Maybe its because once they found their niche, they never saw a compelling reason to leavein fact, some of the best houses were intended as the architects own homes. Whatever anonymity Palm Springs builders once enjoyed, it is rapidly disappearing now, as modernism enthusiasts restore, rehabilitate, and celebrate their towns remarkable mid-20th-century architectural heritage.

10 Amazing Tree Houses

As a young child (or perhaps even an adult) who hasnt dreamed of living tree houses? Some structures are built on trees or hung from trees, but some unusual tree house building designs are even grown from trees or built right into a tree. Some people live in trees as a luxury, some to help save the environment and others out of tradition or necessity. Here are ten incredible tree house building designs and ideas that range from functional to fanciful, sustainable to strange and affordable to incredibly expensive. Baumraum treehouses blends classic notions of a simple wood structure in a tree with modernist angles, clean lines and other design elements. These both blend with and stand out from their natural environs and are customized to client wishes before being installed. The Baumraum

group is both experimental and experienced, wish expertise in tree types, capabilities and environmental impact.

The mobile, durable and somehow fanciful Free Spirit Spheres can be hung from anything from trees to buildings and rock faces. Webbing and ropes literally and metaphorically anchor these spheres to their locations. Just four anchor points are needed to carry the entire weight of the spheres.

Each sphere is waterproof and impact-resistant, composed of an internal laminated wood frame and clear fiberglass exterior.

The 4Treehouse by Lukasz Kos floats like a Japanese lantern on stilts and is situated to accommodate four existing trees on the site. As with the best tree house designs, this project successfully worked around the existing natural site conditions. The three-story house itself rents suspended from these four primary site trees.

The TreeHouse Workshop is a Seattle-based company that takes the art of constructing tree houses extremely seriously. They build an average of one tree house per month and hire extremely able builders and carpenters to construct their projects. Their finished works vary in luxury but some even include (counterintuitive!) fireplaces.

The 02 Sustainability Tree House defies many of the conventions one associates with a typical tree house. The paradigm of a square shack-like wooden structure is replaced with a light and spacious geodesic dome structure that requires very little (and eco-friendly) material and has minimal impact on trees in which it is placed (hanging from cables rather than bolted to trees). It is designed for residential, meditation and meeting functions.

Of course, not all tree houses are avante garde examples of design and sustainability some people live in far more traditional tree houses such as the tree dwellers shown in the photographs above. In the jungles of the Brazza River Basin in the Indonesian province of Papua the local tribes have slowly built their way up into the trees to escape pests and one another. Their residences now reach dizzying heights of over 100 feet.

This amazing Vietnamese tree house structure is a tree house in an entirely unconventional sense of the phrase and draws tourists and guests from around the world. Of course not just anyone can get permission to build a house like this: it helps to be the daughter of the ex-president of the country. Tourists are even able to stay in the rooms overnight.

Its one thing to chain oneself to a tree in order to save it, but quite another to live in one! In order to save 400+ year old trees, a group of activists has been doing just that on impromptu suspended platforms that currently constitute the tallest tree house in the world (top images above). One clever designer has developed a series of conceptual strategies shown in the above images to take this approach to the next level. With just 13% of these old-growth trees left, these new structures would link from tree to tree providing habitats but also protecting the natural environment.

What if instead of building a tree house, you could grow it yourself? A combination of scaffolding and other systems could be used to direct the growth of these fascinating and creative concept tree houses over a period of years. Vines, roots and trees become organic architectural materials to create a flexible framework for these curious creations. Windows would be made of flexible soy membranes that would shift as the building grew.

The Syberite tree house project blends modular design with lowimpact living. Layouts are allowed to conform to the natural landscapes around them to take maximum advantage of views and natural light without disturbing the local environment. The thin foundational supports are designed to minimize impact on root systems and the ground surface. Rainwater collection, solar panels, wind collection and other sustainable systems are also integrated making the house mostly energy independent. To wind down from the more wacky designs, the above video shows a simple traditional tree house being built but sped up and using stop-motion techniques to illustrate the process. For more sustainable designs be sure to see these collections of strange recycled architecture, unusual green vehicles, bizarre green art and incredible green roofs. There are also some great books with more tree houses around the world , interesting tree houses in the United States and tree houses you can actually build. Modern Historical Homes: 16th Century Barn Gets an Update This modern historical home gets a facelift, inside and out, with a contemporary new layout we love. This glass and stone home design by architecture firm MOOARC has a modern interior with a distinctly rustic house style modeled on the original 15th century structure. Inside, this barn conversion design features a lower-level kitchen and dining room area overlooked by a mezzanine-level formal living room a cool loft design idea in this open concept house plan that maintains an open flow while still separating its different areas. Visible from the outside with a view of the garden, a glazed hallway (walls, floor and ceiling all glass!) leads to the

bedroom quarters private and out of the way from the rest of this historicalhome

Converted Barn Home: a modern take on tradition There's something to be said about great converted barn homes, like this rustic farmhouse by SHED Architects. Maintaining the character while catering to modern tastes is no easy feat. We love that this countryside home carries the original shape of the structure, its wood clad facade and barn doors, and brings that characteristic aesthetic inside with natural elements like warm wood floors and walls, and exposed-beam ceilings repurposed from the barn. Contemporary touches like the living room window wall and open industrial-style staircase take this barn conversion design out of the "Little House" era and into the modern day. SHED Architects via DigsDigs

An Old Barn Gets a Modern Conversion in Soglio, Switzerland This old barn conversion by local architecture firm Ruinelli Associati Architetti takes this peaceful, bucolic setting by storm, though not immediately visible by outward appearances. But beyond its four walls, there is so much more to this farmhouse than meets the eye!

Tucked away in a picturesque rural spot here in Soglio, Switzerland, an area largely covered by farmland and forest, the architects preserved the characteristic charms of the exterior by repurposing traditional materials like the structure's original stone walls and wood shutters - the perfect complement to these natural surroundings. The distinctive style of this three-storey barn house extends indoors, where exposed wood beams and concrete walls lend a cozy, cave-like atmosphere. Unusual barn inspired house by Netherlands' SPOT Architecture Inspired by the barn that originally occupied this prime pastoral property in Weert, the Netherlands, SPOT Architecture created this unusual house with a most interesting spin. From the outside, Villa Laar features an almost commercial aesthetic that's most uncharacteristic of conventional residential structures, while indoors it is as warm and welcoming - a true definition of "home."

Spanish stable turned contemporary stone home From abandoned stable to striking stone home, Abaton Architects undertook this testing transformation here in the countryside of Extremadura, Spain. What was once a rough, rickety, discarded shelter is now a coveted, contemporary family home that combines modern style and conveniences - exactly what a good home should be.

Luxury Oceanfront Escape with private courtyard In designing this house at Bantry Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, SAOTA (Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects) had two main objectives: to create a house that showcased the stunning waterfront as a main feature of its design, while accommodating the practical needs of a family, and as an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. This house is indeed a great escape, oozing easy living and luxury at every turn. Spacious interiors open onto outdoor entertaining areas overlooking a

private interior courtyard on one side, and the blue bay and beach on the other. Does it get any better than this? Take a tour and judge for yourself.

Serene Home Design composed of many volumes This contemporary view house designed by architecture firm TDC is located in Lima, Peru, overlooking a serene shoreline shimmering with waves. It's this coastal setting that truly sets the tone for this home, which is calm, relaxing and inspiring all at once. The architects created a design that would make the most of these breathtaking vistas with copious outdoor living areas incorporated into a simple silhouette. Bold white walls and volumes are artfully balanced on one another, arranged with openings to incorporate nature into its design, and enticing you to explore further.

Colorful Lake House built into slope The Camouflage House designed by multi-award winning firm Johnsen Schmaling Architects is a rustic, woody home nestled in a similar setting - rustic and woody, here in Green Lake, Wisconsin. This lake house design echoes its forest surroundings, both in terms of its material palette and visual pattern. Exterior vertical panels take a cue from the slender, tall trees towering around it. Also inspired by the local tradition of lake homes and culture, this forest home is an architectural translation of its environment with wood, concrete and glass, and interiors that are open and welcoming, yet contemporary all at once. Of course, the views do a good job of inviting nature in.

Set on a slope, a single level peeks out over the hilltop, its subtle scale making a modest addition to this environment. But when viewed from downhill, a second (lower) storey makes an unexpected appearance from the hillside. This lake-side wall is made entirely of glass, offering breathtaking views, lots of natural light, and an open, airy feel.

Taking shape in a linear L layout, the house plan maximizes living space and natural views while creating a private courtyard entrance area. The courtyard leads you to the open breezeway between the house and garage - an organic entry to this earthy home.

According to the architects, "Throughout the house, the superimposition of natural and man-made wood components - natural cedar, resin-based wood veneer panels, glue-laminated posts and beams, exposed MDF paneling - illustrates the wide range of aesthetic and functional characteristics of wood, celebrating the material's inherent tensions between durability and temporality, perfection and imperfection, nature and technology." An ode to wood, the house features vertical untreated cedar panels, and wood veneer resin panels in a rainbow of natural hues. Alternating with glass panels, the irregular pattern copies the overlapping tree trunks all around.

The single storey side of the house deceives you into imagining a small space, but interiors are surprisingly spacious.

The angle of the slope also allows for added privacy, with nothing looking in through the glazed facade but the lake and the trees.

Interiors glow warmly through the glass, turning this glass house into a beacon of light among the woods.

With exposed timber, wood wall panels, and living spaces centering on a fireplace, interiors enjoy all the comforts of a traditional home, only with a modern flair. The upper level kitchen, dining and living areas occupy an open concept space. Folding glass doors open the area onto a screened porch, inviting the lake breeze in and residents out. A set of stairs leads down to the lower level, where the sleeping quarters offer these same lake views through glass walls, only with the benefit of added privacy.

Vertical posts accentuate the high ceilings, boasting exposed wood beams. Between the beams, massive windows visually expand living areas beyond the walls.

Among the fresh color palette, this house has a green side to it as well. It is one of the first homes in the Upper Midwest to score a LEED Platinum rating. From the architects, "The ventilated rain screen is an integral part of the envelope, achieving a minimum R-value of 35 with the use of soy-based closed-cell foam insulation. EnergyStar rated windows with high-efficiency glazing provide a relatively high level of transparency without compromising the overall performance of the envelope. The compact form of the house allows for a high level of natural ventilation and reduces the need for artificial light. The house is designed to operate off the grid throughout most of the year. Power is generated by photovoltaic laminates adhered directly to the roofing membrane, and by an additional, freestanding PV array; excess energy is fed back into the power grid. A deep-well geothermal system provides heating and cooling and supplements the output of the solar water heater. A re-circulating hot water system and low-flow fixtures reduce water consumption to a minimum. Storm water is partially harvested or diverted into rain gardens, where it can slowly percolate into the ground; exterior hard surfaces such as driveway, the entry path, and terrace utilize permeable pavers."

ANEMIA
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells (RBCs) or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood.[1][2] However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin deficiency. Because hemoglobin (found inside RBCs) normally carries oxygen from the lungs to the capillaries, anemia leads to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in organs. Since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have a wide range of clinical consequences. Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. The several kinds of anemia are produced by a variety of underlying causes. It can be classified in a variety of ways, based on the morphology of RBCs, underlying etiologic mechanisms, and discernible clinical spectra, to mention a few. The three main classes include excessive blood loss (acutely such as a hemorrhage or chronically through low-volume loss), excessive blood cell destruction (hemolysis) or deficient red blood cell production (ineffective hematopoiesis). Of the two major approaches to diagnosis, the "kinetic" approach involves evaluating production, destruction and loss, [3] and the "morphologic" approach groups anemia by red blood cell size. The morphologic approach uses a quickly available and low-cost lab test as its starting point (the MCV). On the other hand, focusing early on the question of production may allow the clinician to expose cases more rapidly where multiple causes of anemia coexist.

Signs and symptoms Anemia goes undetermined in many people, and symptoms can be minor or vague. The signs and symptoms can be related to the underlying cause or the anemia itself. Most commonly, people with anemia report feelings of weakness, or fatigue, general malaise, and sometimes poor concentration. They may also report dyspnea (shortness of breath) on exertion. In very severe anemia, the body may compensate for the lack of oxygen-carrying capability of the blood by increasing cardiac output. The patient may have symptoms related to this, such as palpitations, angina (if pre-existing heart disease is present), intermittent claudication of the legs, and symptoms of heart failure. On examination, the signs exhibited may include pallor (pale skin, mucosal linings,conjunctiva and nail beds), but this is not a reliable sign. There may be signs of specific causes of anemia, e.g., koilonychia (in iron deficiency), jaundice (when anemia results from abnormal break down of red blood cells in hemolytic anemia), bone deformities (found in thalassemia major) or leg ulcers (seen in sickle-cell disease). In severe anemia, there may be signs of a hyperdynamic circulation: tachycardia (a fast heart rate), bounding pulse, flow murmurs, and cardiac ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement). There may be signs of heart failure. Pica, the consumption of non-food items such as soil, paper, wax, grass, ice, and hair, may be a symptom of iron deficiency, although it occurs often in those who have normal levels of hemoglobin.

Chronic anemia may result in behavioral disturbances in children as a direct result of impaired neurological development in infants, and reduced scholastic performance in children of school age. Restless legs syndrome is more common in those with iron-deficiency anemia. Diagnosis Peripheral blood smear microscopy of a patient with iron-deficiency anemia Anemia is typically diagnosed on a complete blood count. Apart from reporting the number of red blood cells and the hemoglobin level, the automatic counters also measure the size of the red blood cells by flow cytometry, which is an important tool in distinguishing between the causes of anemia. Examination of a stained blood smear using a microscope can also be helpful, and it is sometimes a necessity in regions of the world where automated analysis is less accessible. In modern counters, four parameters (RBC count, hemoglobin concentration, MCV and RDW) are measured, allowing others (hematocrit, MCH and MCHC) to be calculated, and compared to values adjusted for age and sex. Some counters estimate hematocrit from direct measurements. WHO's Hemoglobin thresholds used to define anemia[5]

(1 g/dL = 0.6206 mmol/L) Age or gender group Hb threshold (g/dl) Hb threshold (mmol/l) Children (0.55.0 yrs) 11.0 6.8 Children (512 yrs) 11.5 7.1 Teens (1215 yrs) 12.0 7.4 Women, non-pregnant (>15yrs) 12.0 7.4 Women, pregnant 11.0 6.8

Men (>15yrs)

13.0

8.1

Reticulocyte counts, and the "kinetic" approach to anemia, have become more common than in the past in the large medical centers of the United States and some other wealthy nations, in part because some automatic counters now have the capacity to include reticulocyte counts. A reticulocyte count is a quantitative measure of the bone marrow's production of new red blood cells. The reticulocyte production index is a calculation of the ratio between the level of anemia and the extent to which the reticulocyte count has risen in response. If the degree of anemia is significant, even a "normal" reticulocyte count actually may reflect an inadequate response. If an automated count is not available, a reticulocyte count can be done manually following special staining of the blood film. In manual examination, activity of the bone marrow can also be gauged qualitatively by subtle changes in the numbers and the morphology of young RBCs by examination under a microscope. Newly formed RBCs are usually slightly larger than older RBCs and show polychromasia. Even where the source of blood loss is obvious, evaluation of erythropoiesis can help assess whether the bone marrow will be able to compensate for the loss, and at what rate. When the cause is not obvious, clinicians use other tests: ESR, ferritin, serum iron, transferrin, RBC folate level, serum vitamin B12, hemoglobin electrophoresis, renal function tests (e.g. serum creatinine). When the diagnosis remains difficult, a bone marrow examination allows direct examination of the precursors to red cells.

Classification Red blood cell size In the morphological approach, anemia is classified by the size of red blood cells; this is either done automatically or on microscopic examination of a peripheral blood smear. The size is reflected in the mean corpuscular volume (MCV). If the cells are smaller than normal (under 80 fl), the anemia is said to be microcytic; if they are normal size (80100 fl), normocytic; and if they are larger than normal (over 100 fl), the anemia is classified as macrocytic. This scheme quickly exposes some of the most common causes of anemia; for instance, a microcytic anemia is often the result of iron deficiency. In clinical workup, the MCV will be one of the first pieces of information available, so even among clinicians who consider the "kinetic" approach more useful philosophically, morphology will remain an important element of classification and diagnosis. Production vs. destruction or loss The "kinetic" approach to anemia yields arguably the most clinically relevant classification of anemia. This classification depends on evaluation of several hematological parameters, particularly the blood reticulocyte (precursor of mature RBCs) count. This then yields the classification of defects by decreased RBC production versus increased RBC destruction and/or loss. Clinical signs of loss or destruction include abnormal peripheral blood smear with signs of hemolysis; elevated LDH suggesting cell destruction; or clinical signs of bleeding, such as guaiac-positive stool, radiographic findings, or frank bleeding.

The following is a simplified schematic of this approach:

Anemia

Reticulocyte Reticulocyte production shows index inadequate production shows index appropriate

response to anemia = ongoing hemolysis or blood RBC problem. loss without production

production response to anemia.

No findings

clinical

Clinical Clinical and loss and findings abnormal chronic of

findings

and normal MCV= acute hemolysis or loss bone production compensate**. without marrow to adequate time for

consistent with hemolysis disorder production. or of blood loss: pure

MCV: hemolysis or disorder production*.

Macrocytic anemia

Normocytic anemia (80<MCV<100)

Microcytic (MCV<80)

anemia

(MCV>100) * For instance, sickle cell anemia with superimposed iron deficiency; chronic gastric bleeding with B12 and folate deficiency; and other instances of anemia with more than one cause. ** Confirm by repeating reticulocyte count: ongoing combination of low reticulocyte production index, normal MCV and hemolysis or loss may be seen in bone marrow failure or anemia of chronic disease, with superimposed or related hemolysis or blood loss. Here is a schematic representation of how to consider anemia with MCV as the starting point:

Anemia

Macrocytic anemia (MCV>100)

Normocytic anemia (MCV 100) 80

Microcytic anemia (MCV<80)

High reticulocyte count

Low reticulocyte count

Other characteristics visible on the peripheral smear may provide valuable clues about a more specific diagnosis; for example, abnormal white blood cells may point to a cause in the bone marrow. Microcytic Microcytic anemia is primarily a result of hemoglobin synthesis failure/insufficiency, which could be caused by several etiologies:

Heme synthesis defect

o

Iron deficiency anemia

Anemia of chronic disease (more commonly presenting as normocytic anemia)

Globin synthesis defect

o o o o

Alpha-, and beta-thalassemia HbE syndrome HbC syndrome Various other unstable hemoglobin diseases Hereditary sideroblastic anemia Acquired sideroblastic anemia, including lead toxicity Reversible sideroblastic anemia

Sideroblastic defect
o o o

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia overall and it has many causes. RBCs often appear hypochromic (paler than usual) and microcytic (smaller than usual) when viewed with a microscope.

Iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient dietary intake or absorption of iron to meet the body's needs. Infants, toddlers, and pregnant women have higher than average needs. Increased iron intake is also needed to offset blood losses due to digestive tract issues, frequent blood donations, or heavy menstrual periods.[6] Iron is an essential part of hemoglobin, and low iron levels result in decreased incorporation of hemoglobin into red blood cells. In the United States, 12% of all women of childbearing age have iron deficiency, compared with only 2% of adult men. The incidence is as high as 20% among African American and Mexican American women.[7] Studies have shown iron deficiency without anemia causes poor school performance and lower IQ in teenage girls, although this

may be due to socioeconomic factors.[8][9] Iron deficiency is the most prevalent deficiency state on a worldwide basis. It is sometimes the cause of abnormal fissuring of the angular (corner) sections of the lips (angular stomatitis).

In the United States, the most common cause of iron deficiency is bleeding or blood loss, usually from the gastrointestinal tract. Fecal occult blood testing, upper endoscopy and lower endoscopy should be performed to identify bleeding lesions. In older men and women, the chances are higher that bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract could be due to colon polyps or colorectal cancer. Worldwide, the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia is parasitic infestation (hookworms, amebiasis, schistosomiasis and whipworms).[10]

Macrocytic

Megaloblastic anemia, the most common cause of macrocytic anemia, is due to a deficiency of either vitamin B12, folic acid, or both. Deficiency in folate and/or vitamin B 12 can be due either to inadequate intake or insufficient absorption. Folate deficiency normally does not produce neurological symptoms, while B12 deficiency does.
o

Pernicious anemia is caused by a lack of intrinsic factor, which is required to absorb vitamin B12 from food. A lack of intrinsic factor may arise from an autoimmune condition targeting the parietal cells (atrophic gastritis) that produce intrinsic factor or against intrinsic factor itself. These lead to poor absorption of vitamin B12.

Macrocytic anemia can also be caused by removal of the functional portion of the stomach, such as during gastric bypass surgery, leading to reduced vitamin B12/folate absorption. Therefore, one must always be aware of anemia following this procedure.

Hypothyroidism Alcoholism macrocytosis. commonly causes a macrocytosis, although not specifically anemia. Other types of liver disease can also cause Methotrexate, zidovudine, and other drugs may inhibit DNA replication. Macrocytic anemia can be further divided into "megaloblastic

anemia" or "nonmegaloblastic macrocytic anemia". The cause of megaloblastic anemia is primarily a failure of DNA synthesis with preserved RNA synthesis, which results in restricted cell division of the progenitor cells. The megaloblastic anemias often present with neutrophil hypersegmentation (six to 10 lobes). The nonmegaloblastic macrocytic anemias have different etiologies (i.e. unimpaired DNA globin synthesis,) which occur, for example, in alcoholism. In addition to the nonspecific symptoms of anemia, specific features of vitamin B12 deficiency include peripheral neuropathy and subacute combined degeneration of the cord with resulting balance difficulties from posterior column spinal cord pathology.[11] Other features may include a smooth, red tongue and glossitis.

The treatment for vitamin B12-deficient anemia was first devised by William Murphy, who bled dogs to make them anemic, and then fed them various substances to see what (if anything) would make them healthy again. He discovered that ingesting large amounts of liver seemed to cure the disease. George Minot and George Whipple then set about to isolate the curative substance chemically and ultimately were able to isolate the vitamin B12 from the liver. All three shared the 1934 Nobel Prize in Medicine.[12] Normocytic Normocytic anemia occurs when the overall hemoglobin levels are decreased, but the red blood cell size (mean corpuscular volume) remains normal. Causes include:

Acute blood loss Anemia of chronic disease Aplastic anemia (bone marrow failure) Hemolytic anemia

Dimorphic A dimorphic appearance on a peripheral blood smear occurs when there are two simultaneous populations of red blood cells, typically of different size and hemoglobin content (this last feature affecting the color of the red blood cell on a stained peripheral blood smear). For example, a person recently transfused for iron deficiency would have small, pale, iron deficient red blood cells (RBCs) and the donor RBCs of normal size and color. Similarly, a person transfused for severe folate or vitamin B12 deficiency would have two cell populations, but, in this case, the patient's

RBCs would be larger and paler than the donor's RBCs. A person with sideroblastic anemia (a defect in heme synthesis, commonly caused by alcoholism, but also drugs/toxins, nutritional deficiencies, a few acquired and rare congenital diseases) can have a dimorphic smear from the sideroblastic anemia alone. Evidence for multiple causes appears with an elevated RBC distribution width (RDW), indicating a wider-than-normal range of red cell sizes, also seen in common nutritional anemia. Heinz body anemia Heinz bodies form in the cytoplasm of RBCs and appear as small dark dots under the microscope. Heinz body anemia has many causes, and some forms can be drug-induced. It is triggered in cats by eating onions[13] or acetaminophen (paracetamol). It can be triggered in dogs by ingesting onions or zinc, and in horses by ingesting dry red maple leaves. Hyperanemia Hyperanemia is a severe form of anemia, in which the hematocrit is below 10%. Refractory anemia Refractory anemia, an anemia which does not respond to treatment,[14] is often seen secondary to myelodysplastic syndromes.[15] Iron deficiency anemia may also be refractory as a clinical manifestation of gastrointestinal problems which disrupt iron metabolism. [16]

Causes Broadly, causes of anemia may be classified as impaired red blood cell (RBC) production, increased RBC destruction (hemolytic anemias), blood loss and fluid overload (hypervolemia). Several of these may interplay to cause anemia eventually. Indeed, the most common cause of anemia is blood loss, but this usually does not cause any lasting symptoms unless a relatively impaired RBC production develops, in turn most commonly by iron deficiency.[17] (See Iron deficiency anemia) Impaired production

Disturbance of proliferation and differentiation of stem cells

o o

Pure red cell aplasia[18] Aplastic anemia[18] affects all kinds of blood cells. Fanconi anemia is a hereditary disorder or defect featuring aplastic anemia and various other abnormalities. Anemia of renal failure[18] by insufficient erythropoietin production Anemia of endocrine disorders

Disturbance of proliferation and maturation of erythroblasts

o

Pernicious anemia[18] is a form of megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency dependent on impaired absorption of vitamin B12. Lack of dietary B12 causes non-pernicious megaloblastic anemia Anemia of folic acid deficiency,[18] as with vitamin B12, causes megaloblastic anemia

Anemia of prematurity, by diminished erythropoietin response to declining hematocrit levels, combined with blood loss from laboratory testing, generally occurs in premature infants at two to six weeks of age. Iron deficiency anemia, resulting in deficient heme synthesis[18] thalassemias, causing deficient globin synthesis[18] Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias, causing ineffective erythropoiesis Anemia of renal failure[18] (also causing stem cell dysfunction)

o o o

Other mechanisms of impaired RBC production

o

Myelophthisic anemia[18] or myelophthisis is a severe type of anemia resulting from the replacement of bone marrow by other materials, such as malignant tumors or granulomas. Myelodysplastic syndrome[18] anemia of chronic inflammation[18]

o o

Increased destruction Further information: Hemolytic anemia Anemias of increased red blood cell destruction are generally classified as hemolytic anemias. These are generally featuring jaundice and elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels.

Intrinsic

(intracorpuscular) All of

abnormalities[18] except

cause

premature nocturnal

destruction.

these,

paroxysmal

hemoglobinuria, are hereditary genetic disorders.[19]

Hereditary spherocytosis[18] is a hereditary defect that results in defects in the RBC cell membrane, causing the erythrocytes to be sequestered and destroyed by the spleen. Hereditary elliptocytosis[18] is another defect in membrane skeleton proteins. Abetalipoproteinemia,[18] causing defects in membrane lipids Enzyme deficiencies

o o

Pyruvate kinase and hexokinase deficiencies,[18] causing defect glycolysis Glucose-6-phosphate oxidative stress dehydrogenase deficiency and

glutathione synthetase deficiency,[18] causing increased Hemoglobinopathies

o

Sickle cell anemia[18] Hemoglobinopathies causing unstable hemoglobins[18]

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria[18]

Extrinsic (extracorpuscular) abnormalities

o

Antibody-mediated

Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia is caused by autoimmune attack against red blood cells, primarily by IgG. It is the most common of the autoimmune hemolytic diseases.[20] It can be idiopathic, that is, without any known cause, drug-associated or secondary to another disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus, or a malignancy, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia.[21][21]

Cold agglutinin hemolytic anemia is primarily mediated by IgM. It can be idiopathic[22] or result from an underlying condition. Rh disease,[18] one of the causes of hemolytic disease of the newborn Transfusion reaction to blood transfusions[18] Microangiopathic hemolytic anemias, including

Mechanical trauma to red cells

thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and disseminated intravascular coagulation[18]

Infections, including malaria[18] Heart surgery

Blood loss

Anemia of prematurity from frequent blood sampling for laboratory testing, combined with insufficient RBC production Trauma[18] or surgery, causing acute blood loss Gastrointestinal tract lesions,[18] causing a rather chronic blood loss Gynecologic disturbances,[18] also generally causing chronic blood loss From menstruation, mostly among young women

Fluid overload Fluid overload (hypervolemia) causes decreased hemoglobin

concentration and apparent anemia:

General causes of hypervolemia include excessive sodium or fluid intake, sodium or water retention and fluid shift into the intravascular space.[23] Anemia of pregnancy is induced by blood volume expansion experienced in pregnancy.

Treatments Treatments for anemia depend on severity and cause. Oral iron Iron deficiency from nutritional causes is rare in men and postmenopausal women. The diagnosis of iron deficiency mandates a search for potential sources of loss, such as gastrointestinal bleeding from ulcers or colon cancer. Mild to moderate iron-deficiency anemia is treated by oral iron supplementation with ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, or ferrous gluconate. When taking iron supplements, stomach upset and/or darkening of the feces are commonly experienced. The stomach upset can be alleviated by taking the iron with food; however, this decreases the amount of iron absorbed. Vitamin C aids in the body's ability to absorb iron, so taking oral iron supplements with orange juice is of benefit. In anemias of chronic disease, associated with chemotherapy, or associated with renal disease, some clinicians prescribe recombinant erythropoietin or epoetin alfa, to stimulate RBC production.

Parenteral iron In cases where oral iron has either proven ineffective, would be too slow (for example, pre-operatively) or where absorption is impeded (for example in cases of inflammation), parenteral iron can be used. The body can absorb up to 6 mg iron daily from the gastrointestinal tract. In many cases the patient has a deficit of over 1,000 mg of iron which would require several months to replace. This can be given concurrently with erythropoietin to ensure sufficient iron for increased rates of erythropoiesis. Blood transfusions Doctors attempt to avoid blood transfusion in general, since multiple lines of evidence point to increased adverse patient clinical outcomes with more intensive transfusion strategies. The physiological principle that reduction of oxygen delivery associated with anemia leads to adverse clinical outcomes is balanced by the finding that transfusion does not necessarily mitigate these adverse clinical outcomes. Blood does have risks associated, such as disease transmission and host incompatibility, even in cases where crossmatching was correctly undertaken. Each unit of blood is only equivalent to 200250 mg iron, thus requiring several units per patient to replete iron stores. Increasingly, physicians are using parenteral iron both to conserve a finite resource, for improved patient outcomes but also to reduce costs to the hospital. Transfusion of the stable but anemic hospitalized patient has been the subject of numerous clinical trials.

Four randomized, controlled clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate aggressive versus conservative transfusion strategies in critically ill patients. All four of these studies failed to find a benefit with more aggressive transfusion strategies. In addition, at least two retrospective studies have shown increases in adverse clinical outcomes in critically ill patients who underwent more aggressive transfusion strategies.[28][29] Hyperbaric oxygen Treatment of exceptional blood loss (anemia) is recognized as an indication for hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.[30][31] The use of HBO is indicated when oxygen delivery to tissue is not sufficient in patients who cannot be given blood transfusions for medical or religious reasons. HBO may be used for medical reasons when threat of blood product incompatibility or concern for transmissible disease are factors.[30] The beliefs of some religions (ex: Jehovah's Witnesses) may require they use the HBO method.[30] In 2002, Van Meter reviewed the publications surrounding the use of HBO in severe anemia and found all publications reported positive results.[32] Vitamin supplements given orally (folic acid or vitamin B12) or intramuscularly (vitamin B12) will replace specific deficiencies. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agent The motive for the administration of an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) is to maintain hemoglobin at the lowest level that both

minimizes transfusions and best meets individual patient needs.[33] Medical speciality professional organizations do not recommend the use of ESAs to chronic kidney disease patients who do not have hemoglobin levels greater than 10 g/dL and do not have anemia symptoms.[3 oors aAnemia Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. Other types of anemia include:

Anemia due to B12 deficiency Anemia due to folate deficiency Anemia due to iron deficiency Anemia of chronic disease Hemolytic anemia Idiopathic aplastic anemia Megaloblastic anemia Pernicious anemia Sickle cell anemia Thalassemia

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Although many parts of the body help make red blood cells, most of the work is done in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of bones that helps form all blood cells.

Most often healthy red blood cells last between 90 and 120 days. Parts of your body then remove old blood cells. A hormone called erythropoietin (epo) made in your kidneys signals your bone marrow to make more red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells. It gives red blood cells their red color. People with anemia do not have enough hemoglobin. The body needs certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to make enough red blood cells. Iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid are three of the most important ones. The body may not have enough of these nutrients because:

Changes in the lining of the stomach or intestines affect how well nutrients are absorbed (for example, celiac disease) Poor diet Slow blood loss (for example, from heavy menstrual periods or stomach ulcers) Surgery that removes part of the stomach or intestines

Possible causes of anemia include:

Certain medications Destruction of red blood cells earlier than normal (which may be caused by immune system problems)

Long-term (chronic) diseases such as chronic kidney disease, cancer, ulcerative colitis, or rheumatoid arthritis Some forms of anemia, such as thalassemia or sickle cell anemia, which can be inherited Pregnancy Problems with bone marrow such as lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, or aplastic anemia

Symptoms You may have no symptoms if the anemia is mild. If the problem develops slowly, symptoms that may occur first include:

Feeling grumpy Feeling weak or tired more often than usual, or with exercise Headaches Problems concentrating or thinking If the anemia gets worse, symptoms may include:

Blue color to the whites of the eyes Brittle nails Light-headedness when you stand up Pale skin color Shortness of breath Sore tongue Some types of anemia may have other symptoms.

Signs and tests The doctor will perform a physical examination, and may find:

Heart murmur Low blood pressure, especially when you stand up Pale skin Rapid heart rate Some types of anemia may cause other findings on a physical exam. Blood tests used to diagnose some common types of anemia may

include:

Blood levels of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and other vitamins and minerals Red blood count and hemoglobin level Reticulocyte count

Other tests may be done to find medical problems that can cause anemia. Treatment Treatment should be directed at the cause of the anemia, and may include:

Blood transfusions Corticosteroids or other medicines that suppress the immune system Erythropoietin, a medicine that helps your bone marrow make more blood cells

Supplements of iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, or other vitamins and minerals

Through a thin pane of glass. Anemia in Pregnancy When you're pregnant, you may develop anemia. When you have anemia, your blood doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues. During pregnancy, your body produces more blood to support the growth of your baby. If you're not getting enough iron or certain other nutrients, your body might not be able to produce the amount of red blood cells it needs to make this additional blood. It's normal to have mild anemia when you are pregnant. But you may have more severe anemia from low iron or vitamin levels or from other reasons. Anemia can leave you feeling tired and weak. If significant and untreated, it can increase your risk of serious complications like preterm delivery. Here's what you need to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of anemia during pregnancy. Types of Anemia During Pregnancy Several types of anemia can develop during pregnancy. These include:

Iron-deficiency anemia

Folate-deficiency anemia Vitamin B12 deficiency

Here's why these types of anemia may develop: Iron-deficiency anemia. This type of anemia occurs when the body doesn't have enough iron to produce adequate amounts of hemoglobin. That's a protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. In iron-deficiency anemia, the blood cannot carry enough oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia in pregnancy. Folate-deficiency anemia. Folate, also called folic acid, is a type of B vitamin. The body needs folate to produce new cells, including healthy red blood cells. During pregnancy, women need extra folate. But sometimes they don't get enough from their diet. When that happens, the body can't make enough normal red blood cells to transport oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Folate deficiency can directly contribute to certain types of birth defects. Vitamin B12 deficiency. The body needs vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells. When a pregnant woman doesn't get enough vitamin B12 from her diet, her body can't produce enough healthy red blood cells. Women who don't eat meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs have a greater

risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency, which may contribute to birth defects. Blood loss during and after delivery can also cause anemia. Risk Factors for Anemia in Pregnancy All pregnant women are at risk for becoming anemic. That's because they need more iron and folic acid than usual. But the risk is higher in these situations:

Pregnant with more than one child Two pregnancies close together Vomiting a lot because of morning sickness Teenager who is pregnant Don't eat enough foods that are rich in iron Heavy periods before you became pregnant

Symptoms of Anemia During Pregnancy The most common symptoms of anemia during pregnancy are:

Pale skin, lips, and nails Feeling tired or weak Dizziness Shortness of breath Rapid heartbeat Trouble concentrating

In the early stages of anemia, you may not have obvious symptoms. And many of the symptoms are ones that you might have while pregnant even if you're not anemic. So be sure to get routine blood tests to check for anemia at your prenatal appointments.

Anemia in children. Source Lancaster General Hospital, Pennsylvania, USA. irwinjj@POL.NET Abstract Anemia in children is commonly encountered by the family physician. Multiple causes exist, but with a thorough history, a physical examination and limited laboratory evaluation a specific diagnosis can usually be established. The use of the mean corpuscular volume to classify the anemia as microcytic, normocytic or macrocytic is a standard diagnostic approach. The most common form of microcytic anemia is iron deficiency caused by reduced dietary intake. It is easily treatable with supplemental iron and early intervention may prevent later loss of cognitive function. Less common causes of microcytosis are thalassemia and lead poisoning. Normocytic anemia has many causes, making the diagnosis more difficult. The reticulocyte count will help narrow the differential diagnosis; however, additional testing may be necessary to rule out hemolysis, hemoglobinopathies, membrane defects and enzymopathies. Macrocytic anemia may be caused by a deficiency of folic acid and/or vitamin B12,

hypothyroidism and liver disease. This form of anemia is uncommon in children. Anemia in newborn. Lokeshwar MR, Dalal R, Manglani M, Shah N. Source Department of Hematology-Oncology, L.T.M.G. Hospital, Sion, Mumbai. Abstract Various blood indices vary in a newborn as compared to older child or adult. It depends on the gestational age, day of life, maternal factors, mode of delivery and site of blood collection. Hemoglobin, HCT & MCV tend to be higher in newborns. They further increase in first 2 days of life. Reticulocytosis and presence of nucleated red cells are normally seen in first week of life. Neonatal anemia is a common problem in NICU. It is usually caused by either hemorrhage or hemolysis and rarely due to decreased production. Hemorrhage can be ante or intra or post natal and it could be external or internal. It could be acute or chronic. Management of acute severe hemorrhage includes packed cell transfusion. Hemolysis is usually due to isoimmune hemolysis, G6PD deficiency or rarely due to the hemoglobinopathy like alpha-thalassemia or due to spherocytosis. Usually patients will have indirect hyperbilirubinemia which needs phototherapy or exchange transfusion. Rarely congenital pure red cell aplasia can present at

birth with physical anomalies and anemia. Treatment of neonatal anemia depends on the arteriology.