Category Archives: furnishings

Discover stylish and functional furnishings to enhance the beauty and comfort of your living space.

When artificial intelligence accidentally invents an LED-lit carpet, the brainstorming on how to create it begins.

Through Copilot, I usually generate images related to interior design with Dall-E. I never would have thought to request designs for carpets combined or integrated with LED strips or optical cables.

Initially, I received this image of a carpet with edge lighting because we were discussing LED strip lighting.

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LED edge-lit carpet under a double bed – fantasy

I know there are light-up shoes and clothes with sewn-in LED strip lights. And of course, our web store also has walkable aluminum profiles to embed LED lighting in the floor.

The idea of integrating lighting into the carpet is not impossible, but I haven’t seen it yet. I asked where the idea came from. Well, they hadn’t seen it either, and in their response, they actually praised themselves. Here it is:

Indeed, an edge-lit carpet could be an exciting and creative idea in modern interior design. Although I haven’t come across it yet, who knows, maybe it could become a reality in the future!

We then discussed how to bring the idea to life. They got so into it that they created more images without me asking. I won’t show them all because some of the designs are quite over the top. The screen can handle a lot, but I’d rather skip the impossible visuals.

Some people talk to their cats, and some talk to AI. 🙂

Continue reading When artificial intelligence accidentally invents an LED-lit carpet, the brainstorming on how to create it begins.

Power consumption and luminous flux analysis of adjustable color temperature, or CCT LED strips with different wiring methods

24 Volt LED strips are increasingly replacing 12 Volt ones. Many have experienced their benefits with both single-color and RGB LED strips. The most important advantage is that with the same cross-section, double the power can be transmitted, allowing for generally half the number of connection points during installation. This facilitates the installation process, meaning that noticeable luminous flux reduction occurs further from the connection points. Many manufacturers already offer 10-meter rolls instead of the usual 5-meter rolls for 24 Volt versions.

Of course, this is not always true, as the power per meter and the construction of the strip also affect this.

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Just Dall-E fantasy – for illustration purposes

A reasonable question arises: what about CCT, or color temperature-adjustable LED strips? Is it enough to connect these 10-meter sections at both ends?

We will also examine how to interpret the nominal consumption of LED strips, as when a controller mixes colors, or in this case the color temperature, manufacturers consider that during mixing, fluctuations in luminous flux are eliminated. Thus, it can be assumed that a mixed color or color temperature will not light up with twice the power as if only one color channel were used. Therefore, we cannot assume that using a multi-color LED strip through a controller will reach nominal consumption.

Continue reading Power consumption and luminous flux analysis of adjustable color temperature, or CCT LED strips with different wiring methods

Comparison of the light performance and consumption of 12 Volt and 24 Volt white light LED strips at different power connection densities

It is common to install an LED strip on a cornice running around the ceiling of a room to achieve a diffused ceiling lighting effect. This not only looks beautiful but also provides a discreet base lighting for the room, which can be made exclusive with additional accent lighting.

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Ceiling, wall, and furniture ambient lighting made from white LED strips

Those who have switched from the previously used 12 Volt strips to 24 Volt ones have already experienced the advantage, especially if they have created longer, larger systems. The fact is, with LED strips of the same performance and cross-section, the 24 Volt ones allow for nearly twice the distance between connection points while maintaining almost the same light experience when examining the lighting further from the power source. Thus, installing longer systems becomes simpler with 24 Volt LED strips.

Let’s examine this with specific strip measurements to discuss more than just theory!

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The above graph shows the changes in light performance of a 30-meter 12 Volt and a 24 Volt Pannon LED strip at different power connection densities. If you find the graph too complicated, read on as we break down the topic in detail for easier understanding.

Continue reading Comparison of the light performance and consumption of 12 Volt and 24 Volt white light LED strips at different power connection densities

Home decoration and the use of colors: How do the colors of our home affect our mood and activities?

Just as the intensity of light, sunlight, or artificial lighting, color temperature, the size and orientation of large windows have an impact on our daily mood and activities, the colors of our home, the strength of colors, combinations, and patterns also significantly influence our mood, emotional state, susceptibility to certain things, and overall affect our comfort and sense of well-being at home.

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Home decoration and the use of colors

  • Let’s examine in detail how the colors of our home affect us!
  • From a interior design perspective, how can we categorize colors?
  • Which color suits each room better?

Starting with the basics, let’s see the general psychological effects of colors on us.

Continue reading Home decoration and the use of colors: How do the colors of our home affect our mood and activities?

In a kitchen — when is it practical to emphasize open shelves, and when is it better to predominantly prefer closed cabinets?

There are kitchens where every item is in plain sight. Almost everything is open, meaning shelves are used extensively, and some solutions even involve hanging kitchen utensils on a rod, freely displaying pans, spatulas, and colanders, not to mention larger utensils. On the contrary, there are kitchen designs where nothing is in front, nothing is visible — as if there were no kitchen at all. Some say in such cases, they don’t really cook; it’s just for show 🙂 .

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Four kitchen style examples: rustic, Mediterranean, Scandinavian, and minimalist.

So, we are seeking answers to when it’s advisable to use open shelves in a kitchen, and when it’s more practical to conceal everything in closed cabinets. Additionally, how do these two opposing kitchen storage methods fit into different interior design styles? Which style is more suited to open storage, and which to placement in closed cabinets? How does the layout of a kitchen, whether it’s integrated with the living room or a separate space, determine the practicality of open or closed placement? Furthermore, how does the size of the kitchen or the intensity of its use dictate the necessity of open or closed storage areas?

Continue reading In a kitchen — when is it practical to emphasize open shelves, and when is it better to predominantly prefer closed cabinets?

How would you describe the vintage interior design style? – or is vintage not even a single style?

The vintage style, like retro or antique styles, is not a single style, but perhaps an experience of an era.

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2×2 selected examples. All are vintage. But while the ones on the left are mid-century Scandinavian-influenced modernist with a feminine touch, the ones on the right use early-century classic tubular modernist masculine style elements.

Some argue that retro is what has gone out of fashion in the last 20 years. What is older than that but not older than 100 years, or at least newer than 1900, is vintage, and what is even older is antique. According to these definitions, the content of these categories should constantly change over time. That is, what is now retro includes our items from after the year 2000. And then vintage is what came before that. So, as time passes, retro eventually becomes vintage, and if we forget to update our vintage interior, will it become antique? If I created a retro interior design in 2005 inspired by the 1980s, is my style definition wrong because it’s now considered vintage? – No way! I refuse to accept that – for me, it will always remain retro.

Another perspective is that only original items that are at least 20 years old can be called vintage. They say that retro is a modern thing, copying a bygone fashion, and you don’t buy the original now but a reproduction that just looks like the older one. In contrast, vintage can only be something original from that time, meaning it’s also structurally original. However, some narrow down the period and say vintage can be from 1920 to 1980. So, if you have a 1960s-looking radio that is original and uses radio tubes, it’s vintage. But if it just looks like that and is a modern manufacture with a hidden CD tray or USB port, it’s only retro-looking. Similarly, we can buy retro-looking stoves or refrigerators, and even if their design is from the 1950s or 1960s, we can’t call them vintage because they hide modern technology inside.

This is a more understandable approach for me, but the vintage umbrella term still bothers me.

Continue reading How would you describe the vintage interior design style? – or is vintage not even a single style?

Using handcrafted ceramics – uniqueness in everyday life

In the past, all ceramics were handmade. Compared to today’s industrial mass-produced ceramics, a handcrafted piece – whether it be a mug, cup, plate, soap dish, or vase – can exist in endless variations, limited only by the creator’s imagination. It is true that some may be less ergonomic, slightly irregular, and more expensive than industrially produced items.
As the saying goes, with an industrial product, if someone accidentally presses the production line button and then quickly turns it off – oops, 1000 mugs have already rolled off the line! 🙂

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Photos: instagram.com/rebeka_keramika

In contrast, an artisan creates each piece individually. Even if they work in a uniform style, small differences are noticeable, and each item reflects the artist’s unique vision, creativity, and skill. This chosen uniqueness resonates with customers who opt for handcrafted ceramics.

Let’s explore why it is beneficial to choose handcrafted ceramics for home decoration or everyday use:

Continue reading Using handcrafted ceramics – uniqueness in everyday life

Installing wall heating in an already inhabited apartment, under plasterboard or stone porcelain – do it yourself method

We can increase our comfort while simultaneously reducing heating costs.

It is well known that the lower the temperature of the water used to heat the house by our boiler, the more economical it is. This is especially true for condensing boilers. Whether it’s an old open fire or a turbo gas boiler, caution is needed because the return water temperature to the boiler must be higher than the dew point of the flue gas. This is approximately a threshold value between 55–60 degrees Celsius. In condensing boilers, the key is that the return water temperature is as low as possible, as the condensation of the flue gas below the dew point is stronger, meaning the precipitation of water vapor from the flue gas. This precipitation, the change of state, comes with additional energy release. The lower the temperature of the water used to heat our home, and by better dissipating this heat, making the return water as low in temperature as possible, the better efficiency we can achieve in operating our condensing boiler.

Here, the heating pipe is already in the living room wall:

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All of this is fine and good — however, the lower the temperature of the heating water, the more difficult it is to give off heat, as the temperature difference between the room temperature and the advancing water temperature becomes smaller. This problem can only be solved by increasing the surface area of the heating element. Beyond a certain size limit, implementing this with a radiator would be impractical. Especially considering that multi-panel radiators increasingly enhance heat dissipation through convection (i.e., by heating the air) and to a lesser extent through radiation. This is not advantageous, as heat emitted through radiation provides a more pleasant sensation even at lower temperatures.

On the other hand, if we use underfloor, wall, or ceiling heating, we can heat a larger surface area. This warm, radiant heating ensures a comfortable feeling of warmth.

If we want to live in the apartment during heating system improvements (now specifically discussing water heating), among the three surface heating methods, wall heating comes with the least dust, clutter, and inconvenience, using the following method — provided there is available wall space. And there was.

Continue reading Installing wall heating in an already inhabited apartment, under plasterboard or stone porcelain – do it yourself method

Energy cost reduction in an apartment block – DIY – window replacement, internal insulation, underfloor heating

Two basic principles:

  1. Produce the energy with highly efficient equipment!
  2. Don’t let the generated energy go to waste!

The transformation of the living room:

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As much as it’s a priority to steer the population away from gas consumption, let’s admit that in an apartment block without district heating (central heating), heating and hot water can primarily be provided by gas, and secondarily by electricity. If many people switched from gas to electric heating, it would also cause problems, as many apartment block infrastructure and stairwell electrical systems are not designed for mass electric heating. Therefore, the possibility of massively increasing the amperage of apartments would also face limitations. Naturally, heating with air conditioning could be an alternative to direct electric heating, as it represents roughly a quarter of the electrical load, but many people do not like the warm air blowing, and the numerous outdoor units attached to the façades are already a terrible sight. For this reason, I believe gas will remain predominant to a greater extent.

But what can we do to keep our gas bill low?
Continue reading Energy cost reduction in an apartment block – DIY – window replacement, internal insulation, underfloor heating

Do-it-yourself home renovation – window replacement, internal insulation, heating modernization, new bathroom, kitchen, wardrobe – cold and warm flooring

Besides general home renovations – such as replacing cold and warm flooring, kitchen cabinets, and sanitary ware – a crucial point was to create a low utility cost home.

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Because of this, modern plastic insulated glass windows with shutters were installed, and the previous convector heating, open combustion bathroom heating, and the open flow-through domestic hot water unit were replaced with a single condensing boiler.

Since there is zero chance for common facade insulation in the apartment building in the near future, 10cm thick glass wool internal insulation was installed on the enclosing walls, with a vapor barrier heat reflective foil and drywall covering.

Continue reading Do-it-yourself home renovation – window replacement, internal insulation, heating modernization, new bathroom, kitchen, wardrobe – cold and warm flooring

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