Four Easy Home Maintenance Tasks You Can Take Care of Yourself
One of the few advantages to renting instead of owning is that when something goes wrong, you’re not on the hook for it. Call up your landlord and let him/her worry about it. When you own a home, there are all sorts of maintenance tasks you have to stay on top of to keep everything running smoothly. One option is to pay someone to do it for you. But it’s a good idea to learn how to do a few basic home maintenance tasks yourself.
Replace your air conditioning filter
You need to swap out the air conditioning filter at least every three months. This is one of the easiest jobs on this list so there’s no reason not to do it yourself. Overtime your filter gets clogged with dust making it less efficient and making your home warmer in the summer. Not only that but a clogged filter can lead to dust actually getting into your air conditioner where it can damage it over time.
Pressure wash the exterior
An annual pressure wash for your home’s exterior can do wonders for your home’s curb appeal. Dirt and grime accumulates slowly so you don’t notice how sad your home is looking until you start pressure washing and see the dramatic difference between where you’ve washed and where you haven’t. You can rent a pressure washer but you’re probably better off investing in buying one if you’re going to do this maintenance task every year.
Clean out the rain gutters
If you’re nervous about working from a ladder, then leave this one to a professional gutter cleaning service. Otherwise, save some money and tackle this one yourself. Your rain gutters are an integral part of your roofing system and if you let them stay clogged, water can back up on your roof and seep beneath shingles causing all kinds of roofing problems and potentially, even roof leaks. You should do this at least once every year after all the leaves have fallen for the season but you may need to do it more often depending on the number and type of trees surrounding your home. When doing this job, make sure you’re working from a ladder and not from your roof. It will take longer to climb up and down the ladder, moving it a few feet each time but it’s much safer.
Install baseboard heater covers
If your baseboard heaters are looking old, worn, or rusted, you can instantly transform them into looking new again by installing baseboard heater covers over them. All you’ll need is a tape measure to find out how many feet of covers you’ll need and a drill or screwdriver to remove the old covering. The new cover is simply snapped into place over the heating unit. The whole process takes just a few minutes per baseboard heater.
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Source: southeastsun.com/online_features/home_improvement/article_c9150834-5734-5bf1-a9f5-cbb4b07694c4.html
DIY Secrets for Interior Decorating
You don’t have to spend a fortune on hiring a professional interior decorator or contractors to get a home you’re proud of. Redecorating and home improvement is something you can do yourself with a limited budget. The following DIY secrets can help you get great results with limited funds.
Shop on Craigslist or at local thrift shops
You don’t have to buy new to find something great. In fact, oftentimes the perfect piece you need for a space in your home can’t be found at your nearest mega-retailer. With some keyword research to find the right search terms you can find all kinds of great furniture and accessories on sites like Craigslist. The same goes for local thrift shops. You can often get things at a fraction of what you’d have to pay to buy something new.
Layer old/new
Good interior decorating is layered. Try to blend different colors, textures, and styles. You can even incorporate pieces from different periods. You might have some very modern looking accessories paired with mid-century modern furnishings. You can pair some of your second-hand finds with brand new items from Ikea. Don’t feel like you always need to shop from a collection to acquire everything you need to decorate a room.
Paint is cheap and changes everything
Paint is a relatively inexpensive way to transform the look of a space or a piece. If you found a great deal on a used and rather beat up dresser online or at a second-hand shop, a coat of paint or two might be all it needs to make it look new again. Painting a room or even an accent wall a new color can also give a space a whole new look for not a lot of money.
Support local artists or create your own art
Artwork can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be. For inexpensive art, you could go to some mega-retailer and buy something mass-produced or you can scout out local fairs, farmers markets, or storefronts to find locally produced artwork. If you’re an artsy person yourself, or even if you’re not, you can try your hand at creating your own art to display. Sign up for a local ceramics or painting class and you might be surprised at what you can create. Locally produced or homemade art also makes for great conversation when you have guests over.
Quick and simple upgrades
There’s no shortage of extremely simple and inexpensive upgrades that can make a big difference in your home. With a screwdriver and about an hour of your time, you can swap out all of the electrical outlet and light switch plates with decorative ones. While you’re at it, you can replace all your cabinet hardware as well. Swapping out incandescent bulbs for more energy efficient and brighter LED bulbs requires a step stool and another hour of your time, at most. Another quick and easy upgrade is to install new baseboard heater covers to update the look of old baseboard heaters in minutes.
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Source: austin.culturemap.com/news/real-estate/07-06-17-diy-do-it-yourself-design-tips-new-home-suzanna-santostefano/#slide=0
Moving In Together? How to Find Common Ground When Decorating
Taking the big step to move in together comes with many challenges. An important one that many couples overlook is the difficulty of unifying two different living spaces into one. Whether one is moving into the other’s space or the two are moving into a space that’s new to both of them together, their various tastes, color preferences, styles, and histories will have to come together to create a unified space. If you don’t want the relationship to end just as it’s really starting to move forward, consider the following tips.
Communicate honestly
If you’re ready to move in together you should be at a point in your relationship where you can communicate honestly with each other regarding what you want and don’t want for your new home together. Get everything out on the table. If there’s a piece of furniture your significant other has that you can’t stand, let him/her know. You may find that you’re in agreement about many things and it would be silly to both live with a design decision you both hate for fear of offending the other person.
Start with what you agree on
After you’ve sat down and hashed out your likes and dislikes, you can set out taking care of the things you both agree on. Pieces neither of you are wild about can be sold off and the funds set aside for a redecorating budget. An agreed-upon base color can be painted on the walls. Purchases like a new bed or sofa that you both agree need to be made can be completed. By getting a solid start on what you agree on, you’ll have a foundation from which to address the things you may not agree on.
Find ways to unify conflicting pieces
There will undoubtedly be some things that clash with each other somewhat and neither of you will be willing to budge. All is not lost. In many cases, these conflicting pieces can be made to go together with some kind of unifying third piece. An area rug might be just the thing to complement two different pieces that otherwise couldn’t have looked good together. New baseboard radiator covers can help an outdated looking baseboard heating system better fit in with more modern home decor.
Don’t get hung up on making everything match perfectly
One very important thing to remember that can resolve a lot of disagreements is that not everything in your home has to match perfectly with everything else. In fact, professional decorators unanimously agree that every good interior design requires some contrast to give it that authentic look. So don’t strive for the magazine cover or catalogue look. You don’t want to live in a home that looks like it was staged by a realtor to make it easier to sell. It should like like your home and it should reflect your varied tastes and life experiences. If you work hard together and are both willing to make compromises you can have a space that is both unified and a little eclectic.
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Source: curbed.com/2017/7/5/15904928/decorating-tips-advice-roommates
How to Survive a Home Remodel Without Divorcing or Breaking Up with Your Partner
According to many family therapists, a home remodel is among the most stressful events that a couple can go through together. One divorce attorney claimed to have seen more divorces resulting from home remodels than extramarital affairs. If you and your partner are considering a remodeling project, keep in mind the following tips to make sure you come through it together.
Be on the same team
A remodel will entail many important decisions that both will have to live with. It’s important that one person doesn’t completely dominate the decision-making process when it comes to the remodel unless the other really and truly means it when she (or more likely he) claims to be fine with whatever the other person decides. Pretending to be fine with something when you’re not will only lead to hurt feelings. If both people in the relationship are contributing ideas and arriving at agreements during the planning stage, the chances of the relationship surviving the remodel is much higher.
Get the family involved
If you have children, or if you have nearby relatives who’d be willing to help, find ways to include them in the work that’s DIY friendly. Having family about you while you work helps keep everything in perspective and it should make it less tempting to lash out in anger when under stress. Younger children can help paint a wall and older family members can assist with other DIY projects like replacing light or sink fixtures, installing baseboard heater covers, or some light landscaping work.
Find what works for you
Some couples need to work in separate rooms when remodeling in order to keep the peace. If you go this route, just make sure the other person is on the same page about what the partner will be working on so there’s no surprises. After dividing up tasks you can divide and conquer and then meet together at lunch or at the end of the day to spend time as a couple. Others will prefer to work side by side on one project at a time. You know what will be best for your partnership.
Choose your battles wisely
Of course you’ll want to try to compromise whenever possible when each of you want something different but that won’t always be possible. When you both want opposite things then both need to choose battles wisely. Can you live with whatever it is your partner is wanting in a particular instance? If so, then go along with it. If you concede on some things you have more bargaining power when it comes to the disagreements that are even more important to you.
Take time out for your relationship
Most important of all is to never get so caught up in the busyness of remodeling that you can’t make time for each other. Any relationship, no matter how strong, will suffer if there’s no quality time together outside of remodeling work. So even if it takes a little longer, make sure you’re still going on dates and doing the things you both enjoy doing to foster your relationship.
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Source: rd.com/advice/relationships/renovation-stress-marriage
Kitchen Remodeling Trends
The kitchen is the most remodeled room in American households. The National Kitchen and Bath Association recently published a study on Kitchen remodeling. The study concluded that more than 10 million kitchens in the US (nearly 10% of all US kitchens) were remodeled to some degree in 2015. The report involved results from a survey of 532 homeowners, 259 builders, 126 remodelers, and 161 general contractors who were involved with kitchen remodeling work that year. Here are some of the trends found by the survey.
What homeowners want
The most popular features that homeowners were looking for in a remodeled kitchen were new flooring, custom cabinets, new countertops, stainless steel sinks and faucets, and smart appliances. While new flooring, cabinets, countertops, and sink fixtures have always been staples for kitchen remodels, the sudden interest in smart appliances were a surprise. Smart refrigerators can show homeowners what’s in their fridge while they’re out shopping so they know what they need to buy thanks to a camera inside. Smart ovens can be preheated through the tap of a button on a smartphone so it’s ready to go when the homeowner gets home with that frozen dinner.
How much homeowners are spending on kitchen remodeling
The majority of US homeowners weren’t spending a fortune on kitchen remodeling. Approximately 41% of the homeowners surveyed said that their remodel cost $1,500 or less. These projects were simply replacing one or two of the major appliances. Another 22% reported spending between $1,500 and $5,000. About 18% did major remodels costing between $5,000 and $10,000 and the last 19% went all out spending more than $10,000 to remodel their kitchens.
Popular appliances
Almost 80% of homeowners who remodeled their kitchens choose to get at least one new appliance as part of the project. The most popular appliance to be replaced was the refrigerator at 85%. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of homeowners choose to replace their range oven and 69% chose to replace their dishwasher.
Favorite countertop
Granite was America’s favorite countertop material probably because of its balance of nice appearance and durability. Quartz and marble are prettier materials but they’re also more porous and are more likely to stain or show score marks from knives. After granite, laminate was the second-most popular at 23% and marble finished off the top three at 19%.
Favorite flooring
Though wood flooring was by far the most popular look when it came to flooring, hardwood wasn’t the most popular material. It’s apparent that while homeowners like the look of wood flooring, they don’t like it’s susceptibility to dents and water damage. The two most popular flooring option for those surveyed was laminate (32%) and ceramic and stone tiles (31%) and both were designed to simulate the look of hardwood more often than not. Actual wood flooring came in at third place with 18%. Tile is the most durable of the three but laminate is a good middle ground since it’s more durable than actual wood and a lot less expensive that real wood and tile.
Other good ideas
Though not as popular projects according to the survey, new LED or OLED bulbs for the kitchen would be a fabulous upgrade since they’re more energy efficient and they’re a softer light than traditional bulbs. They’re also dimmable so they can be adjusted to suit any mood. Baseboard radiator covers are another great upgrade because they are inexpensive and easy to install and they can update the look of old baseboard heaters which most homeowners think they’re just stuck with.
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Source: realtor.com/news/trends/kitchen-remodel/
How to Capture that Vintage Look with Your Kitchen Remodel
Typically, when people remodel their homes, it’s to replace the old with the new, to modernize an older home, or bring an outdated home up to the standard set by newer homes. But occasionally, homeowners choose to remodel in order to recreate the past. For example, 50s era kitchens are still around today and many are remodeling to try and create that vintage feel in their kitchen. Whether you want to go all-out 50s kitchen or just incorporate a few vintage elements, the following tips may help.
Start with cabinets
Mid-20th century kitchens were known for their interesting cabinetry with exaggerated angles and curves and sleek understated styles. Unfortunately, they’re also known for having limited cupboard space. Since a modern kitchen needs more cupboard space, try to emulate the shape and style of the era rather than the quantity.
Appliances as focal points
Another defining characteristic of 50s and 60s kitchens were the colorful and strangely shaped appliances. Believe it or not this is one of the easier aspects of a vintage kitchen to recreate since there’s still quite a market for vintage appliances. Select these carefully since the major appliances tend to be the focal points in any kitchen and they’ll be key to creating that vintage look.
Lots of color
The kitchens in generations past weren’t known for the subtly, bright colors were used quite liberally. In addition to major appliances, you can incorporate bright colors with many of the accessories in the kitchen as well from smaller kitchen appliances like blenders, toasters, and food processors to the cabinets themselves.
The little things
While the big things like major appliances are crucial for creating that vintage look, it’s the small details that will tie it all together. A few vintage cookbooks and some kitchen tools from the time period are nice finishing touches that will really complete the look and make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time.
Make the old new
The kitchen is a tricky room to remodel in a vintage style because kitchen designs have changed so much in the last few decades compared to other rooms in the home and the remodeled kitchen will still need to be functional and meet the family’s needs. When remodeling to create that vintage look, you’ll have to be creative to take the best of both worlds—the vintage elements from earlier decades and the functionality of a modern kitchen. Your vintage kitchen will obviously include a number of appliances and tools that didn’t exist when your grandmother was preparing meals. Likewise, features like baseboard radiators don’t have to look outdated; you can install baseboard radiator covers to give them a more modern appearance.
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Source: postbulletin.com/magazines/at_home/tips-for-a-vintage-kitchen-remodel/article_9f385150-31b2-11e7-93f8-c3687ecd25bd.html
How to Decorate Your Home on a Tight Budget
Interior decorating can be quite expensive, but it doesn’t need to be. If you’re pretty crafty or even if you’re just patient enough to wait for the right deals, you can save a lot of money and stick to a very tight budget when interior decorating. Here are a few tips that can help you do that.
Buy vs. DIY
There are a few obvious furnishings you’re not going to be make yourself such as a sofa or arm chair. But there are many things that you can build yourself to save a lot of money. Research some ideas online. For the cost of some raw materials like wood, copper pipes, concrete, etc… you can build your own storage solutions such as a blanket ladder or clothing racks.
Buy textiles abroad
Good design incorporates a variety of textures and colors. One of the easiest and cost effective ways to do this is through textiles like rugs, curtains, throws, sofa covers, and table linens. Often these are either cheaply made or finely made and imported and therefore costly. Your best bet for getting high quality textiles is to buy them while abroad. Of course, you won’t be saving money on textiles if you travel all the way to South America just to purchase them but if you’re already there, might as well do some shopping while you’re there. You can support local tradespeople and you know that what you’re buying is authentic.
Make trades
Take advantage of social media groups where people buy and sell used home décor items. Often times you can arrange to trade straight across. This is a great way to get rid of things you don’t want and get things you do in return without having to host a yard sale.
Go big
Instead of filling that large wall in your front room with an assortment of smaller framed photographs or paintings, get one really big one. Overall, it’s usually a lot cheaper and a large piece of artwork can function as a focal point for the space much better than a gallery wall can.
Bargain shop
When you can’t negotiate a trade or build something yourself, you can scout out all the local thrift shops and antique stores. A lot of the stuff you find will be poor quality but you’d be surprised at how often you make really good finds. Also be on the lookout for things that you can re-purpose or touch up to make it like new again. Perhaps you find a nice set of chairs but the upholstery is ruined. Don’t let that be a deal breaker. It’s probably cheaper to reupholster them than to buy a new set.
Paint everything
Okay, don’t paint everything but paint a lot of things. Paint is one of the cheapest ways to give things a new look. Returning to the previous tip, don’t worry about the color of items you find as you shop since it’s easy and cheap to change the color yourself. Don’t like your kitchen cupboards? Don’t tear them out and install new ones; give them a fresh coat of paint and maybe install some new cabinet hardware and they’ll be like new. Don’t replace your front door, just paint it a new color.
Work with what you have
Finally, find ways to work with what you have. Instead of tearing down that wall for a more open floor plan or ripping out baseboard heaters since you also have central heating, you can find creative solutions that are cheaper. For instance, baseboard heater covers are inexpensive and easy to install and will give your home a more updated look.
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Source: columbiatribune.com/entertainmentlife/20170514/high-standards-low-budget-tips-and-tricks-to-decorating-your-home-on-cheap
Five Interior Design Hang-Ups and How To Get Over Them
Some people are looking for excuses to redecorate a space. The interior decorating is never finished for these people. Others are paralyzed with fear at the thought of interior decorating. They want to get it over with but they’re afraid to take the first step. Here are five common hang-ups that keep people from starting and how to get over them.
Can’t agree on a style
Sometimes it’s an external conflict between partners, other times it’s an internal conflict—a person torn between two or three different decorating styles. Either way it can really drag out an interior decorating project. The best way to get over this is to realize that you don’t have to pick and stick with a single style. In fact, the best interior design often borrows elements from different time periods and styles. Instead of worrying about a theme for a space, just pick pieces you like and that go well together.
Sticker shock
When many people actually go out to look at items and get an estimate on prices, they’re dismayed at how much it’s all going to cost. This is especially the case when trying to decorate a new home and there are lots of major pieces to buy. There are a few ways to get over this hang-up. First of all, free yourself from the notion that you have to buy everything all at once. If you have to decorate an entire home, prioritize each space by order of importance. It’s not the end of the world if you’re using a card table covered with a nice tablecloth to eat your meals for the first few months. Second, don’t assume that every piece has to be brand new. Somewhere in your city there’s a second-hand store that has a piece of furniture or two that is just right for your home. Second-hand doesn’t always mean inferior quality either. You can also re-upholster, repaint, or re-stain to make old things like-new again. Finally, there are inexpensive ways to redecorate that won’t require any major purchases. You can install new handles or pulls for your kitchen cabinets and drawers or you can install baseboard radiator covers.
Can’t visualize the end result
This is a particularly common hang-up since it takes lots of practice to be able to see the potential of a space. Even professional decorators have to really work at this. The best way to get over this is to look to the internet for inspiration. Looking at actual finished products to find out what kinds of things you like can give you confidence to move forward. There are even apps that will render a 3D model of your space and let you experiment moving things around digitally before you actually commit to it in real life.
Afraid to buy the wrong thing
Anyone who’s ever experience buyer’s remorse is likely to have a hard time committing to a major purchase. If you’re too afraid to take the leap because you’re not completely sure, trust your gut. If you don’t absolutely love it, if you have doubts, chances are you will look back and regret buying it. Returning to earlier advice, don’t be in a hurry to decorate your home. By giving yourself plenty of time to purchase things, you can get over this particular hang-up.
Afraid you won’t like the end result
Similar to the fear of not being able to visualize the end result is the fear of not liking it. If it’s your first home or apartment and you’re new to decorating, a good way to get over this is to keep in mind that good interior design evolves over years and even decades. You’ll never be completely satisfied with the end result but it won’t be as terrible as you imagine either. Just keep acquiring new pieces through the years and you’ll eventually have the home you’ve always dreamed of.
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Source: realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/paralyzed-by-home-decor-decisions/
Making the Most of a DIY Remodel
Americans are obsessed with DIY home improvement. The success of television like DIY or HGTV reflect that obsession. But not every American is thrilled at the thought of a home improvement project and would just pay someone else to do it for them if they could. For the Americans out there who aren’t obsessed with DIY but cannot pay a professional due to circumstances, here are a few tips to help you make the most of an experience you may not be too excited about.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Selecting a project well outside your abilities is a recipe for hating the entire process. The longer the project takes, the more it goes over-budget, and the more bumps along the way, the harder it is to have fun. That’s not to say that homeowners shouldn’t occasionally undertake projects that are a little outside their comfort zone and that require the development of new skills, but if a little bit of YouTube research won’t be sufficient for the homeowner to learn to do it alone, then it’s probably not the best project. When considering a project, it’s important to be realistic about what it will entail and what skills or special tools might be necessary. You may have to settle for simpler options in some cases. For instance, repaint the kitchen cabinets instead of installing new ones or install baseboard heater covers instead of tearing them out.
Have a clear vision
Having a clear goal in mind and being able to keep that goal firmly in your mind as you work makes it easier. Even when it gets hard you can remind yourself why you’re doing it and how the finished product will benefit your life.
Involve family or friends
Depending on the project, you may be able to enlist the help of your children. If you have a sibling, parents, or good friends in your area, you may be able to enlist them as well. Having people you love around you as you work always makes the process more enjoyable. Not only that but they’re the only people you can pay with a meal.
Make a playlist
Music makes everything better. Load up your smartphone or MP3 player with a playlist of your favorite songs and rock out while you work. The time will go by a lot faster and it will keep you in a better mood even when there are hang ups in the project.
Document and share the process
You can make the DIY remodeling process memorable by documenting and sharing it. Take some high-quality before pictures and stop to take some pictures at various stages of the project. Not only does this provide the occasion for breaks but it gives you something you can show with your friends and family to show how your home is transforming. If you have social media accounts or a personal blog you can write about the process and share your pictures.
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Source: queenstribune.com/tips-affordable-home-diy-project/
Seven Spring Cleaning Ideas To Try
Declutter
When you’ve got a major job in front of you, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and not know where to start. But when it comes to spring cleaning, always start by decluttering. Simply getting rid of all the junk you no longer need or want is a great first step because it frees up space and helps reduce anxiety about the whole process. There’s something therapeutic about getting rid of junk so get out the garbage bags and donation boxes and go through your home one room at a time.
Deep clean
This is a type to do all the chores that don’t really need to be done weekly, but should be done annually at the very least. Pull out all the furniture and vacuum/sweep behind them. Dust the out-of-sight places that get ignored the rest of the year. Empty out cupboards and drawers and give them a wipe down, etc…
Open the windows and swap out the curtains
When the weather is just right, leave the windows open. Not only does it reduce energy bills but it lets in fresh air and natural light. To take even more advantage of this, replace thicker curtains with light, airy ones.
Repaint the trim
Inside your home you can repaint your crown molding, baseboards, wainscoting, and window sills. Outside, you can repaint your home’s trim and perhaps even your front door. If you’re ready for a change, go with a new color. When painting indoors, do it on a day where you can have all the windows open so there’s plenty of ventilation.
Swap out accessories
You don’t have to spend a lot of money replacing furniture and major appliances if they’re still functional. You can swap out throws pillows, artwork, photographs, and other home décor items. Another way to change things up is to rearrange your furniture. Move things around until you find an arrangement you like.
Ditch the plastic plants
Permanent botanicals is just a fancy name for fake plants and no matter how realistic they look, they’re still plastic dust collectors. Toss them out and get some real plant life. If tending to plant life isn’t a passion of yours, select varieties that are resilient so you can enjoy the benefits of real plants without creating too much extra work for yourself. Daily watering is much better than dusting off the “permanent botanicals” one leaf at a time every month or so.
Baseboard radiator covers
Install snap-on baseboard radiator covers to give your home a fresh new look with minimal work and minimal cost.
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Source: news-press.com/story/life/home-garden/2017/03/31/spring-refresh-your-home-and-spirit/99878336/
Things You Should Know Before You Tear Out those Old Baseboard Heaters
Many older homes have baseboard radiators instead of or in addition to a central heating and cooling system. Upon buying a home with baseboard heaters, many homeowners choose to tear them out in favor of central heating and air. If you’re considering that option, here are a few things you should know first.
Baseboard heaters are great for zone heating
One of the advantages of baseboard heating over central heating is that you don’t have to pay to heat the entire home when you only want to heat one or two rooms. Most baseboard heaters run off of electricity which is usually the most expensive way to heat a room. However, the added cost of heating with electricity is offset by the fact that you can target specific rooms that need to be warmed up.
Baseboard heaters are great for hard-to-heat rooms
In just about every home there’s at least one room that’s almost impossible to keep warm. Maybe it borders the outdoors on two or three sides. Maybe it has large, drafty windows. Whatever the cause, a baseboard radiator is much more likely to keep the room warm than a central heating system. That’s because hot air rises and will better disperse when the heat source is near the floor as opposed to the ceiling. Additionally, baseboard heaters are usually installed beneath windows and will counteract a draft. Some homeowners choose to use baseboard heaters as supplemental heat in addition to central heating for this reason.
Baseboard heaters are quiet
Since they usually run on electricity or hot water, they’re quieter than central heating systems which have to force warm air throughout the entire home.
Baseboard heaters are low maintenance
Baseboard heaters have fewer moving parts than central heating systems which means they are much less likely to break down and need repair. As long as you’re good about occasionally removing dust and lint (just as you’d replace the filter for a central heating system) your baseboard heaters should run fine for years and years without needing a visit from an HVAC technician.
Baseboard heaters don’t have to be ugly
While some argue that baseboard heaters are a source of charm in older homes, other homeowners don’t like the look of them. Fortunately, there are snap-on baseboard radiator covers you can purchase and install in minutes so that they don’t make your home look dated.
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Ten Low-Cost interior Design Tips that Will Work for Any Home
Decorating your home can be an expensive, complicated, and time-consuming task. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of simple DIY projects and general tips that can minimize costs but still give you great results. The following ten tips will help you decorate on a budget regardless of the current state of your home.
Be creative
This first tip is a general one that will come in handy with the following tips. Think you’re just not a creative person? Think again. Everyone has a creative side and you just need to get in touch with that side of yourself. While you may not be skilled enough to paint your own extravagant paintings to hang on your walls, a number of the projects below are well within your range of abilities.
Make your own art
There are many different kinds of art. You don’t necessarily have to paint a beautiful landscape, portrait or still-life. You can do something abstract. Or you don’t have to paint anything at all. If your community has art classes such as ceramics, sculpture, or quilting you can create something worthy of display in your home without spending a fortune.
Re-purposed materials
New materials are expensive. But there are plenty of free or cheap recycled materials you can re-purpose to make furniture or decorations. Picking flowers from your garden for a nice floral arrangement in your kitchen only costs as much as the seeds and your time and effort. Recycled wood from old furniture can be turned into something else if you’re handy that way.
Display a personal collection
Most people have a hobby that results in a collection of sorts. Whatever you like to collect, you can display in creative ways throughout your home. You can hang some floating shelves or use available counter space to decorate with things you don’t have to buy.
Mirrors as artwork
Mirrors are much cheaper than paintings but they can have a similar effect. Don’t just hang boring rectangular mirrors. Framed mirrors, and especially antique mirrors that have intricate patterns and interesting shapes can often be found at bargain prices and they can serve as artwork in your home.
Create a family photo gallery
Everyone has family photos laying around or cluttering up their computers or smartphones. There are plenty of services that allow you to print these photographs onto canvas for a relatively low cost. You can create a gallery wall of immediate and extended family members without breaking the bank.
Use bold colors
Too many bold colors will clash and make your home feel cramped. But carefully selected bold colors used sparingly can create a dramatic effect. Consider painting an accent wall. Painting a wall is already one of the most cost-effective ways to redecorate and it’s even cheaper and easier if you’re only painting one wall.
Patterned wallpaper
When you think patterned wallpaper you probably imagine the hideous patterns of the 60s and 70s but there are more subtle patterns that look great. Like painting, it’s a cost-effective way to redecorate a room. If you use removable wallpaper that’s essentially just peel-and-stick, redecoration is a breeze if you get tired of the pattern.
Hang plates
Antique plates are an inexpensive way to decorate your walls. Simply shop thrift stores, antique shops, and online auction sites to find plates at a good price. You can also purchase plate hanging kits that are invisible once the plate is on the wall.
Baseboard heater covers
Many older homes have unsightly metal baseboard radiators that date the home. Rather than replacing the entire heating system, you can purchase inexpensive covers that give it a more sleep and updated look. Simply measure how many feet of covers you need and buy it. Best of all the covers just snap into place.
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Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk/john-lello/11-ultimate-low-cost-inte_1_b_15228274.html
Should You Add a Home Office?
A home office is extremely valuable to your home because it gives you an extra space for working, whether you own your own business or just work at home from time to time. If you have children, they can use the space for doing their schoolwork, and it is nice to have a space where all of your office supplies can be stored. In most cases, it makes sense to add a home office to your space. Here are some things to consider when you are adding your home office.
Home value
Having a home office or a flex space in your home is going to add to your home value. Even if you don’t plan on moving ever again, it is still a good idea to have a home office setup to increase the value of your space.
Remember if you are concerned with your home value, it is be st to have your home office meet all the criteria for a bedroom as well. Make sure there is a window, a smoke detector, and a closet in the room so you can count it as an extra bedroom if that changes your home’s total value.
Storage
Most people use their home offices as a multi-purpose space. So while you may use it for occasional days working at home, your kids might use it to do homework. Because your home office has multiple purposes, you want to make sure you have good storage in the space that can hold all the things everyone needs.
Choose a desk that comes with some storage or add storage yourself. You can get cabinets, shelving, or even overhead units to go in your office and hold all the extra things you need hidden away.
Aesthetics
The other thing to consider when adding your home office space is the aesthetic appeal. This includes all your painting and decorating. Choose neutral paint colors. While wallpaper was an eye sore for quite some time, it has actually come back in style again. And you can choose wallpaper options that are easier to remove than the old fashioned stuff, so you can change it out later if you decide you want something else. Make sure you patch up the walls if there are any holes, and get baseboard heater covers to cover up the baseboard radiators and improve the total overall look of the room.
After the space is painted and the wallpaper is up, you can begin decorating. Put in your desk and storage options you purchased, and get some wall decor. Many people prefer to get wall decor that is both design-friendly and functional. For example, you could get a large calendar or paint one on the wall for use.
Seating
Do not forget about seating when you are doing your office space. Even with all the other design features, if you don’t have the right seating, you could be missing a lot from the room. Make sure you pick a desk chair that is very comfortable. Opt for comfort over style in this situation, especially if you are going to be spending a lot of time in the office.
If you have room for other guest seating in the space, get something that fits your personality and the overall look of the room. Comfort is less important for seating that rarely gets used, so consider the design element first.
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Source: countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g1430/home-office-ideas/
Spring Decorating Ideas You’ll Love
Spring is almost here, and if you are anything like me, you are desperately waiting for the warm summer days to come back. And while it is still fairly chilly outside, you can still get your home ready by putting out your best spring decorations. Here are some spring decor ideas you can dive right into.
Flowers, flowers, and more flowers
Nothing says springtime like flowers all over your home. One idea is to get some mason jars and paint them with your favorite spring colors. Then you’ll want to hang them up with some fancy rope on your wall. Some people prefer to put these in their homes while others like them right outside the front door. Then, you can put some spring flowers in there to brighten up your home. If you get fresh flowers, it will be beautiful and smell nice, but you’ll need to remember to water them and change them out regularly while fake flowers can stay in there all summer.
Welcome your guests
The next thing to consider is that you can make your guests feel like spring is here with the right wreath. An idea of something you can do is make a flip-flop welcome sign. Get four pairs of flip flops from the dollar store, and glue them together all in a row. Then you can put the letters for the word WELCOME across them. Many people like doing this with their kids because it gives their kids a chance to help decorate and bring them in on the spring feeling.
You can also make other types of wreaths using flowers, ribbon, greenery, or anything else that makes you think of spring. Just remember spring is about bright colors, so use them in your decorating.
Lemons and Limes
Another great way to bring in the feeling of spring is to use lemons and limes in your decorating, though you should probably stick with the fake stuff if you want to keep the decor around for very long. One idea of something you can do is get a small, fake lemon tree to use as a decoration on your table. Another idea is to get a cone shaped piece of styrofoam and glue lemons or limes up it to create a cute centerpiece.
Banners
You can literally write out the word “SPRING” or just put up a colorful banner in your home as well. They could be draped in your entryway to bring in the spring spirit right when people walk through the door, or you can draper it somewhere else. A lot of people like to drape banners over their fireplaces, as a fireplace mantle can act as a sort of centerpiece to all your holiday decorating. If you hang the banner above your baseboard radiators, just be careful to make sure there is enough distance. Even baseboard heater covers can get hot, so you don’t want to have anything hanging directly on them.
Bird Houses
One of the happiest days of the year, I think, is when you start to hear the birds chirping outside again. It means spring really is upon us and brings in quite a bit of hope for warm days ahead. So that’s why bird houses make a really awesome spring decoration. One idea is to get a bunch of different simple bird houses and paint them different colors. Then mount them on candlesticks and put them up in your home as part of your decor.
Interior decorating and remodeling news brought to you by ezsnapbaseboardheatercovers.com
Source: lubbockonline.com/re-homes/2017-03-03/five-fun-ways-decorate-spring
Tips for Choosing Storage
Having a lot of good storage options is really helpful if you are trying to keep your stuff under control and organized. But how can you decide exactly what type of storage is best for your situation? Here are some tips for choosing the right storage.
Entertainment rooms
Storage in an entertainment room is typically used to store different types of electronics, DVDs, games, or books. Open bookshelves are good for DVDs, books, and little trinkets you want to be able to see. However, a having open shelving always makes a space look a little busier. If you want a cleaner look, get cabinets that keep everything hidden, so you won’t have to worry about a cluttered-feeling space. And baseboard heater covers can help blend radiator heaters into the baseboards to give an even cleaner look.
Playrooms
When choosing your playroom storage solutions, make sure that all your storage is close to the ground and easily accessible. It is safer and easier for your kids to access their stuff that way. Having a set place for everything will help keep the room clean and make it easier for your children to get what they want.
Outdoor storage
Anything you use to store things outside needs to be able to withstand the elements. A backyard shed is very helpful in holding a lot of your yard equipment, especially in the winter time. But for those who don’t have enough space for a shed, choose to get pillow chests and put hooks on the wall for holding your important outdoor equipment.
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Source: hgtv.com/design-blog/outdoors/outdoor-storage-ideas
Tips for Decorating with Dark Paint
Usually, designers recommend you paint your home with neutral colors and then use bold colors in the decor. But what are you supposed to do when you really want a dark paint color? Can you still decorate nicely even if the paint is dark? Here are some tips for decorating if you want to use dark paint on your walls.
Even it out with whites
Dark blues and blacks can look really awesome on a wall, but make sure you use whites to help balance it out and give some contrast to the space. For example, white baseboards and baseboard heater covers and lighter colored floors will help balance it out. Use white furniture or white cabinets up against the black. If you are going to use a dark wall, you must use large white pieces to balance out the amount of dark color in the room.
Light, light, light
One way to keep your room from feeling too much like a cave with dark walls is to make sure you get a lot of natural light. If you have big windows, use sheer window coverings, so you always get some natural light in your space. Keep your windows open whenever possible to bring in the light. If you have 9 ft or taller ceilings, try and get windows that are taller as well.
If you don’t have any options for extra natural light or are in a naturally dark space, try adding can lights to the ceiling. It will help even out the light in the room and can really brighten up the space.
Mirrors
By putting mirrors on the wall, you make the space feel bigger and brighter. All the light in the room will reflect off the mirror and brighten the space up, and you will feel like your space is bigger instead of feeling smaller from the effects of the dark paint.
Try just one wall
If you don’t want to change your light situation or you like to have darker furniture, you can also use your paint color on just one wall in the room. For example, you can use a deep shade of blue on one wall and paint the rest white. That way, the dark paint isn’t overwhelming, and you still get all the color that you want in your space.
Bright colored accent pieces
Use accent pieces throughout your room to really contrast with the dark colors you chose. If you picked black paint for your walls, then using bright yellows and pinks or oranges really make a statement and contrast the black a lot. It’s also a fun and creative way to bring color into your space. Get bright throw pillows, wall decor, etc.
Frames and shelving
When choosing frames for your dark wall, it is best to go with lighter colors to contrast and give a clear break before the picture starts. However, shelving might be different. You can choose shelving that blends into the wall color and is barely noticeable or you can choose to get something that contrasts a lot with your paint color, so it stands out. That is personal preference. Usually, large dark walls do need something on them or against them to break up the color slightly.
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Source: dallasnews.com/life/home/2017/01/31/decorate-bold-botanical-color-trends-2017
Why You Should Hire an Interior Designer
Most homeowners don’t hire professional interior decorators. Most view it as a luxury that only the rich can afford. Many mistakenly believe that they can do everything a professional interior designer can do after reading a few articles online. Sure, there are some projects anyone can do like installing snap-on baseboard heater covers but larger-scale decorating projects require a trained expert. Homeowners with a DIY attitude who really want to learn how to do interior design for themselves may still choose to go that route but for the casual decorator who thinks they can get the look of a professional home design without hiring a professional might want to reconsider. Here are a few reasons to hire a pro.It may be cheaper in the long run
Probably the biggest deterrent to hiring an interior decorator is cost, but what if it was actually cheaper in the long run? When you decorate your home yourself, chances are you’ll start noticing right away various mistakes. The more you have to go out and purchase new things to keep correcting problems, the more it costs. An interior decorator is likely to get it right the first time.
You don’t know where to start
Interior decorating a space is such a huge undertaking that the average person has no idea where to start. Interior decorators do. They can help you through every step of the process from measuring the space, asking the right questions to determine your needs and interests, and selecting pieces from sofas to picture frames.
Connections
You’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “it’s not what you know but who you know.” You might know a thing or two about interior design but professional decorators know people. They may have access to discounts and they’ll certainly know the best contractors for various trades. That means you don’t have to go out and do your own vetting of various workmen.
The third eye
Professional decorators have a third eye, not in a mystical/supernatural sense but in the sense that they can picture a completed space before work begins. You might have ideas for a space but you’ll have trouble visualizing it until it’s completed and then you may not like it. Professional decorators on the other hand can avoid these kinds of mistakes by seeing a space’s potential from the very beginning.
They know what you like
It may seem counter-intuitive but a professional designer will know your wants and needs better than you do yourself. That’s because they’re trained to ask the right sorts of questions to figure out what it is you want and need out of each space in your home.
Attention to detail
Finally, interior decorators’ attention to detail is unparalleled and they can add in all the finishing touches which, though they’re small, tend to make all the difference. If you want a beautiful home without all the stress, you may want to reconsider you decision to not hire a pro.
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Source: chicagonow.com/design-sense/2016/11/8-reasons-you-need-a-pro/
Five Bedroom Decorating Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep
The bedroom tends to be far down on the priority list when it comes to interior decorating. That’s probably because the bedroom is the room few people but you see and you want to spend your interior design budget on the places in your home where guests are going to spend the most time. But believe it or not, a little interior decorating in the bedroom can actually help you catch some more z’s. Since nearly one third of all Americans will suffer from a bout of insomnia sometime this year, it’s crucial that your bedroom is conducive to getting restful sleep. Here are five bedroom decorating tips for a better night’s sleep.
Bedding
Surprise, surprise. Okay so you’re probably not too surprised to see bedding for the first tip. Your bed needs to be comfortable if you’re going to get a good night’s rest. So start with the mattress, if you’re still using the $300 mattress you bought right out of college, it’s time to splurge on a real mattress (think $1,000 or more). Mattresses can range from plush (the softest) to extra firm and different people need different levels of support in a mattress to sleep well so make sure you pick the right one for you. In addition to having a good mattress, you need a nice set of sheets. Sheets with a higher thread count will feel the nicest on your skin but keep in mind that they tend to be less breathable so they may not be ideal if you tend to sleep warm. Get a down comforter if you tend to get cold during the night.
Color
The Travelodge hotel chain was interested in finding out if the color scheme of a room could affect how much sleep people got. In a study, they found that people who slept in a room with a blue color scheme got the most rest. This finding is supported by other studies that have proved that our eyes are sensitive to the color blue and that receptors in our eyes feed this information to the part of the brain that regulates our sleep/wake cycle. If you’re not wild about the color blue, any muted cool color will do just as well, just avoid oranges, reds, and yellows.
Lighting
For every other room in the home, it’s important to allow as much natural light into the room as possible. The bedroom is the obvious exception. You should make use of heavier drapes or roller blinds that block out as much of the natural light as possible. This allows you to let in sunlight easily during the day, but block out any light at night. For the light bulbs, themselves, go with something with low wattage or better yet, get some with a dimming feature so you can lower the lights as you wind down and get ready to sleep.
Technology
Many studies have shown that melatonin levels (the hormone that affects our circadian rhythm) can be affected by the use of bright screens. So as much as you like having your smartphone or tablet right by your bedside or a TV at the foot of your bed, these technological distractions are sure to keep you up past your bedtime even after you’ve turned them off. Keep any technology with artificial light out of the bedroom and you’ll find that sleep comes
easier.
Layout
Perhaps most surprising of all, the layout of the furniture in your bedroom can affect your sleep. Your bed should be centered in the room and not up against a wall so that you can climb in an out of it from either side easily. Have a bedside table on either side of the bed and make sure your bed doesn’t point towards an opening such as a door or window. It may be all in your head but for whatever reason, these layout tips really will help you get to sleep easier.
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Source: news.com.au/lifestyle/home/bedroom-decor-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep/news-
story/67a0a8938cde6b236ca153cef95ed800
Seven Tips for Hanging Frames
Putting up new family photographs or paintings in your home is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to give a room a new look. It’s also a relatively simple project that you can usually do in an afternoon. Though it’s a pretty easy DIY interior decorating project, it is possible to mess it up. So if you don’t want your photos or paintings to look slightly crooked or random holes in your wall, then follow these seven tips.
- Find the center. No matter what space you’re working with, you always want to find the center first. This applies whether you’re hanging a single frame, or a group of them. You can either find the center of the entire wall or the center of a piece of furniture. For instance, if you plan to hang a group of frames over a sofa, then first find the center of that sofa and mark it on your wall.
- Map things out. Before you hammer in the first nail, you need to have the layout completely mapped out on your wall. To do this, trace each frame that you plan on hanging on butcher paper and then use painter’s tape to attach them to the wall where you think you want them. From there you can rearrange the layout until you’re satisfied without putting a dozen holes in your wall. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t have frames within six inches of the edge of a wall as it makes the wall looked over crowded
- Consider a ledge. You might want to think about whether a picture ledge would look good on the wall. The advantage to a picture ledge is that you only have to install it once and then you can swap out photos and artwork as often as you want without putting more holes in the wall. When installing a ledge (or a large frame) just make sure you’re putting the nails or screws into wood and not just drywall.
- Use the right hardware. Depending on what you’re hanging, you may want to use a picture hanging kit instead of just using nails. They tend to be more secure. You may also need screw anchors if you’re hanging something heavier into drywall.
- Decide on picture height. Keep in mind that the center of your photograph or painting should be at eye level for the average adult. This is especially important if you’re extremely tall or extremely short because you’ll have a tendency to hang your frames too high or too low.
- Mark everything first. Now you can mark the top of the frame with a pencil and from there you can mark the exact location or locations where you will hammer in the nails. This step is crucial if you want to avoid unnecessary holes in the wall.
- Hang the picture. You’re finally ready to actually hang your frames. Hammer in the nails being careful to do it exactly where you’ve marked it. If you’ve done everything right then when you place the frame on the wall, it will be level, centered, and at just the right height.
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Source: mnn.com/your-home/remodeling-design/stories/7-steps-hanging-perfect-picture
Deciphering Interior Design Jargon
Interior design often seems so abstract to homeowners. When people want to decorate a space, they’ll often hire an interior decorator because the principles of interior design seem so foreign to them. There’s a lot of jargon used in the industry that just doesn’t make sense so here we’ll tackle some of the most confusing aspects of interior design to make them seem a little more familiar.
Design as psychology
The key to any good interior design is that it complements the homeowner’s personality. The person decorating really needs to understand what it is they want out of their living space before they can set about decorating it. It’s a good idea to think about how you want to live without thinking about the constraints of the space and it may lead to some ideas that you would have ruled out. Also think about why you’re drawn to a certain thing. Is it because it’s trendy and you’ve been seeing it done a lot lately in other homes or do you genuinely like it because it evokes a certain feeling.
Create a visual language
A person can say they dislike the “modern look” or that they love the “country style décor” but these are just terms that will conjure up different mental pictures for different people. Homeowners need to look at plenty of images to get a feel for what they like and don’t like. This visual process is better that trying to come up with a list of likes and dislikes just using terminology.
Curiosity is key
Homeowners need to approach interior decorating with some curiosity. Everyone has things that they like and don’t like but there are plenty of things out there that a homeowner has never seen and doesn’t know if he/she likes. It’s a good idea to be willing to experiment with new things and be willing to discover new things about themselves.
Materials as mood-setters
The “mood” of a room is something that’s hard to explain to people but different materials, textures, colors, and layouts do come together to create a certain mood in each room. Materials are the tactile and concrete aspects of interior design that can really help to set that mood so homeowners need to think carefully about what materials to use in a space.
Lighting sets the tone
Tone works hand in hand with the mood of a room and great lighting can be used to underscore the mood that’s being set in a room. Some spaces require hidden, linear light sources to really reinforce the architecture in a space. This is called accent lighting. Other times a room will need lamps and decorative light fixtures to fill the room with a warm glow. This is called ambient lighting. The right lighting always depends on the mood you’re trying to set with that room.
Furnishings bring personality
There are so many styles and every style reflects a different kind of personality. You can tell a lot about a person just by how they’ve furnished their home. Homeowners need to think carefully about how various furniture pieces represent them and their personal style when buying furniture. Collecting a good mix of furniture of different styles is crucial if you want to avoid having a home that looks like it’s featured in a catalog.
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Source: curbed.com/2016/7/21/12243660/interior-design-decorating-intangibles-abstract