Robert Clayton

The modern lifestyle of consumerism has resulted in our tendency to clutter our lives, as well as our homes. Embracing a Japanese-inspired design will help you relinquish this overwhelming habit and turn to tranquillity and peacefulness. Japanese style is characterised by elegant simplicity and minimalism, which creates a unique ambience of serenity in a home. Its distinctive Zen vibe will not only make your space more open and balanced, but also inspire you to adopt a more mindful lifestyle. Therefore, if you want to turn your home into a tranquil sanctuary, you should welcome Japanese principles of design.

The living room transformation

A Japanese-inspired living room should exude a sense of elegance that stems from moderation and simplicity. A soft palette of muted natural colours is the perfect choice for your Zen living room. You should embrace soft cream, charming beige, rich brown, light green and subtle grey to create a calming atmosphere. When it comes to furniture, you should go a with low, simple design with modern, clean lines. Floor cushions, Shoji screens, sliding doors and simple lighting fixtures are all commonly used in Japanese-inspired spaces. As for decorations, you should stay moderate, focusing on origami-style embellishments, bonsai trees and houseplants. Origami figures are a major part of Japanese tradition and there are plenty of creative ideas that will help you introduce it into your home.

Simplicity in the kitchen

Functionality, minimalism and simplicity are some of the main Japanese principles that you should introduce into your kitchen. Your space should be open and airy, with a functional and convenient design. Wood, natural stone and metal are all beautiful material options that you can use for giving your Zen kitchen an organic touch. Nature is deeply rooted in Japanese interior design, so you should use herbs and houseplants to decorate and freshen up your space. You can also display lovely ceramic kitchenware collections, especially those with innate imperfections. This will help you capture the beauty of wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy of embracing all things transient and imperfect.

The peaceful bathroom retreat

In Japanese interior design, the bathroom is the place for rejuvenation and relaxation, filling you with revitalising energy. As such, it exudes peacefulness, serenity and simple elegance and features a design that incorporates natural materials, such as wood and stone. It’s important that you soothe and appeal to all of your senses, so make sure to introduce essential oils, bath salts and meditative background music. A soaking tub is one of the most distinctive characteristics of Japanese-inspired bathrooms. You can even design a Japanese-style sauna where you can relax and enjoy quiet meditation.

The bedroom of serenity

As another place for relaxation and rest, your bedroom should have an atmosphere of simplicity and tranquillity. A subtle, neutral colour scheme of pale blues, soft greys and gentle beiges will help you relieve all the stress and tension. Once again, focus on clean, simple lines and a low design when it comes to your bedroom furniture and remember that functionality comes first. You should cover your floors with traditional Japanese tatami mats made of rice straw. Lighting also plays a crucial role in creating a soothing, gentle atmosphere. You should introduce lighting fixtures with a soft glow that will create a play of shadow and light. Choose fixtures made of wood, parchment, natural silk, porcelain and glass.

The Zen garden

Japanese interior design encourages establishing a sense of unity with nature, which is why outdoor spaces are as important as the interior. A Japanese-style garden features simple structures that help create a natural, organic look. A water feature is essential in such an environment, contributing to the peaceful atmosphere. If possible, you should design a koi pond with a lovely bridge. Gravel, stones and bamboo are the most dominant materials in a Zen garden. As for plants, Japanese maple, phillyrea, conifers, bamboo, nandina, fatsia, camellias and flowering cherries are just some of the enticing options.

We all need to free ourselves from clutter that overtakes our homes and our lives. The simplicity and moderation of Japanese style will help us get rid of unnecessary items and find out what we really need in everyday life.

Featured Image source

Tips for Cabinet Painting

October 23, 2018

1 Comment

If you want to completely change the look and feel of your kitchen, consider refinishing your cabinets. Cabinet refinishing, or cabinet painting, is when you keep all the components of your existing cabinets but simply change the finish or colour of them. There are a few different options for a kitchen cabinet upgrade. Here are some tips to help you along the process and bring professional results.

Be patient and schedule the time

This job will take time and might not turn out as good if you rush things. Removing, preparing, cleaning, sanding, painting or refinishing your cabinet doors and drawer fronts will seem like a tedious task, but the results will be worth it. The best way to go about this project is to hire a painting company that offers cabinet painting in Edmonton, but if you’re handy with a brush, you could do this job yourself. Be patient and plan to spend two full weekends on this kitchen renovation project.

Label your cabinet doors and drawer fronts with tape

As you take down the doors and drawer fronts, label them with tape so you know which door goes with which opening after the finishing is complete. Although the doors might appear to be the same shape and size, they could have slight variances. Put a piece of painter’s tape on each cabinet opening and door front with corresponding letters or numbers. You’ll have to remove the painter’s tape when spraying or painting the door fronts but be sure to put it back on once they’re dry for reinstallation.

Some varnish can stay

Typically, you want to remove the old finish of your cabinets before you paint them. Check with a local building supply store for a stain blocking primer and it could save you the hassle of sanding off the all varnish. Quality stain blocking primers can stick to almost anything. If the primer you bought isn’t adhering to your cabinets, then you’ll have to give it a light sanding to rough the surface and allow it to bond.

Don’t cheap out on brushes and rollers

If you’re not going to spray your cabinets, invest in high-quality paint brushes and rollers. Otherwise, you’ll end up with bristles or bits of roller lint in your finished paint job. This will cause frustration and more time to the project as you’ll have to remove the debris or even redo the job. This easy tip will help you to really make a difference and finish this project successfully.

Consider gloss paint

Many people choose a glossy paint for kitchen or bathroom cabinet painting. This is because it is more resistant to moisture, dirt and random spills compared to paints with a matte finish. This will make your cabinets easier to wipe down and clean.

Home Improvement

Retrospective: From Australia’s First Solar Powered House to Now

September 21, 2018

The combination of Australia’s dry climate and latitude provides it with high potential for solar energy production. What is more, Australia’s insolation (the power per unit area received from the Sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation) vastly exceeds the average values in Europe, Russia and most of North America is comparable to desert regions of Africa and South America’s Pacific coast. Let’s take an overview of its development from the pioneering project to future prospects.

The Bos House – small steps

Back in the day, there was much talk about the energy crisis and how the oil was running out, confides Judy Bos, the owner of Australia’s first fully autonomous solar powered home. Unimpressed by the way other houses blasted their resources for heating and cooling, Judy and Michael Bos wanted to design a house that stays naturally cool in summer and warm in winter. Built in 1978, in south-eastern outskirts of Melbourne, the house draws heavily from passive design, smart landscaping, using winds turbines to pump water and collecting rainwater, but the most impressive feature were the series of solar panels that charged a cupboard of lead acid batteries. Michael Harris, who used to run tours of the house in 1980s, said that back then, people were very interested in being self-sufficient and living off the grid.

Image source: 1

Towards brilliant examples

Nestled in a blustery seaside village of Cape Paterson in Southern Gippsland, the 10-Star Home is a stellar example of a carbon-positive, four-bedroom home conceived with a zero-waste philosophy. The first home of its kind in the State of Victoria, this 10-star energy rated home has no mechanical heating and cooling – it uses passive solar design, cross-flow ventilation and heavy-duty insulation. With a 5kW solar photovoltaic system on the roof, the home is reported to be producing twice as much power as it needs. In order to increase the amount of outdoor space in their 200-square-metre Yarraville block, Scott and Leanne Thompson added a green roof to their century-old worker’s cottage. In addition to increasing their garden setting in infamously costly inner-city Melbourne, they’ve insulated their kitchen and living area and minimised stormwater run-off. Dubbed Melbourne Vernacular, this heritage home now uses a range of innovations to cut carbon emissions and reduce the energy use, crowned with a 4kW solar PV system.

Image source: 2

Solar rebates in Australia

Credit refund amounts that the government offers to qualifying homeowners and businesses depends on the size of the solar unit and the property location. However, as with all government-related matters, changes are inevitable, so it’s always good to check resources before you invest in solar energy. The government-issued STCs (Small-Scale Technology Certificates) that solar home owners receive are sold to utility companies and used to offset the cost of the equipment installation. The number of STCs a user receives depends on the solar zone of the property. For example, a 1.5kW system in Melbourne, which is in zone four that receives the least sunshine, would receive 26.6 STCs.

Projects that unplug Australia

Backed by scaled-up production of photovoltaic components and costs that continue to fall, global solar power is growing steadily, with China, USA, and Japan spearheading the lead with the most PV capacity added in 2016. In Australia, the cost of solar power is now well below the retail power prices in the capital cities, and it keeps falling. Every year, Australia adds more solar power than the combined capacity of SA’s recently closed Northern and Playford coal-powered plants. What is more, solar battery storage for households and businesses is already gaining round in Australia, with more than 6,500 homes using the technology. Large-scale developments such as the Lakeland solar and battery storage show a full potential of combining large-scale solar and energy storage technologies that can make entire communities less dependent on the grid and highly resistant to consumption-peak blackouts.

Despite the overall high potential, Australia’s often been internationally rebuked for not producing more energy from its solar resources. Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that areas with the highest insolation are distant to Australia’s population hubs on the coast. Nonetheless, solar power remains one of Australia’s growing industries with predictions of reaching 20 GW of solar power in the next 20 years, which is the equivalent of the third of the current national power generation capacity.

Your New Home Essentials Checklist

May 18, 2018

You have moved into your new home, but because of all the moving finalizations, you don’t have time to plan your redecoration project and are unsure how and where to start. Luckily, there are now numerous design and decor trends that you can choose to incorporate into your home. However, keep in mind that not all of them can be a good addition to your home design, so you have to choose carefully. In order to help you, we have gathered our top points that you must have on your new home checklist. Let’s take a look and get inspired.

The laundry room

Every home needs a well-organized laundry room. Many movers know from experience how important it is to have a working washer and dryer above anything else during that initial period. On top of that, it’s important to stock it with necessary hampers, detergents, and all the essential products that you need for washing. Additionally, it’s good to keep your iron and ironing board here as well, so you can easily fetch them after pulling your clothes from the dryer. Lastly, other handy essentials you may need include a lint roller, boxes in which you can deposit items found in pockets and an extremely practical plastic laundry folder.

Bathroom prep

Equipping the bathroom with essentials should be the next item on your list. Start by incorporating some basics like shower curtains, trash can and toothbrush holders, so that your first guests don’t feel as though they are visiting a vacant apartment. Furthermore, if you want to truly dazzle your visitors, make sure to paint your bathroom with an eco-friendly acrylic colour that will look chic and prevent moisture from damaging the walls. If you have a small bathroom and want to make it more practical, make sure to opt for floating vanities and a big wall mirror to make the room feel more spacious. Finally, nothing makes the bathroom atmosphere more enjoyable than greenery, so make sure to place some potted flowers on higher shelves and add a touch of serenity.

Accessorizing

If your home is nothing but bare walls, a couch and a coffee table, you are doing something wrong. First things first, make sure to choose the right curtains to add a glamorous feel to space, and don’t forget to let as much sunshine in during the day as possible. Apart from that, you can include ambient lightings like standing lamps and classy pendant lights, and use them as focus lights for key parts of your rooms. What’s more, when it comes to creating a friendly atmosphere, nothing works better than a spacious lounge and comfy bean bags for those laidback movie nights or gatherings with your friends. Lastly, don’t hesitate to be creative when it comes to decor. After all, a nice interior design is essential for making your house a home.

A posh garden

Since all your guests will first see your home’s exterior, you have to make sure that their first impression is a good one. For this reason, we recommend that you start with mowing your lawn and hiring professionals to create breathtaking flower arrangements for the front and back of your house. Once you have covered this, you can go even further and opt for a pool to raise your house parties to a whole other level. Keep in mind, you can’t call a garden posh without fabulous stone sculptures, a path made out of pebbles and, of course, you should choose cosy and trendy patio furniture to bring comfort to your outdoor spaces. When it comes to outdoor furniture materials if you have awnings you can even consider wood, just make sure it’s long-lasting.

Setting the mood in the bedroom

Now that you are almost ready to present your new home, you just need some essentials for the bedroom. This season, passionate colours for accent walls and pastel nuances combine to create a unique décor trend that you simply must apply here. Additionally, if you want to feel like royalty, you need a beige woollen rug to complement your high-quality wood furniture like an oak commode or rosewood nightstands. Finally, don’t forget to set the right mood with dimmer lights for romantic evenings with your partner.

As you can see, it doesn’t take much effort to check off every new house essential list. You just need to follow these simple steps, explore decor trends and not be afraid to make bold creative moves since it’s most important that you feel comfortable in your new home. Good luck with your project!

Exterior Décor

Great-Looking Inflatable Hot Tubs to Compliment Any Garden

April 17, 2018

Soaking in a warm, bubbly hot tub after a long day might just be at the top of the list of little pleasures in life. And, if that hot tub is in the privacy of your home… it certainly takes the winning position! So, if you want to have a cool and relaxing hot tub in your garden, there are some factors you might consider before opting for the model of your dreams.

Consider the size

First things first, consider how many people you want to fit in your hot tub. Do you want to accommodate only you and your significant other, include your kids or even invite your friends over for a soak? When it comes to size, remember that portable models tend to be smaller (usually accommodate only two or three people). However, fixed models can be big enough for up to six adults, and some even have raised sets for children.

Find the right location

The most attractive feature of inflatable hot tubs is that they are suitable for both outdoor and indoor use, but they offer the best relaxing feeling when placed outside so that you can feel the fresh breeze and enjoy the stars while soaking. Luckily, you don’t have to have a huge garden to accommodate your hot tub. Small models can be only 6 feet wide (around 180 cm) and all you need for installation is a portion of flat lawn, deck or patio! Just be sure to take area measurements before picking the hot tub size. Additionally, inflatable hot tubs can be easily stored in the winter. Just drain, deflate, fold and put them in your garage!

Get the right jets

The next thing you should consider is the jets. It usually depends on the size of the tub and the manufacturer, so choose wisely. Most models come with bubble jets placed around the hot tub base that give a mild yet relaxing massage. The number of these little bubble air jets ranges from 100 to 200 and they provide a great hot tub experience. The more power your hot tub motor has, the stronger the jets can get. But, keep in mind that powerful motors consume more energy. Some users report a huge surge in their electricity bill when using the tub, so if you want to keep your utility bills as low as possible, opt for a less powerful motor. However, the motor that powers the air bubbles also inflates the tub, so if you want faster setup, get a better motor.

Heating options

Once you fill your tub with water, it can take anywhere from 12 hours to a whole day to reach a warm temperature. The time it takes to heat up depends on the weather outside, the amount of water, the size of the tub and the model. So, if you don’t want to turn your hot tub on one day in advance, make sure to get one with a better heater.

Get protection

Aside from these top four main concerns, there are other things you can consider. For instance, getting an inflatable hot tub with a cover will help you keep leaves, bugs and pets out and maintain water hygiene. If you chosen model comes without a cover, know that you’ll have to buy one separately which will push up the price. Also, some models have an additional filtration system that helps prevent (or minimize) the calcium deposit in your hot tub. However, even if you opt for a model with a feature like that, you still need to maintain the proper water chemistry to keep your tub running smoothly.

These are most elementary inflatable hot tub features you should keep an eye on when buying your own model. Make sure to buy one that fits your needs and your garden the best (even though it means spending more money) and you’ll enjoy a private spa pampering treatment whenever you want without even leaving your backyard!

Home Improvement

Roman Blinds: With Their Timeless Appeal

September 12, 2017

Window coverings come in a wide variety but most important of them are Roman blinds, which are put in place to block the sun’s rays. Unlike other shades, they turn to build up evenly when open. With this type of blinds, users have the ability of controlling the height of the covered area when opening them using the cord mechanism. This type of blind can be made from materials such as wood and fabric as they are capable of meeting the needs of everyone. There is a wide variety of styles to consider when deciding on a choice of roman blinds to use in your home.

Types of Roman Blinds

#1. Flat Romans Blinds: These blinds are made out of a single piece of fabric hanging flat in front of the window when fully extended. They present your house with a clean and delightful look and they often extend horizontally 8-10 inches apart. This particular kind of blind always compliments your décor regardless of the kind of home you posses.

#2. Hobbled Roman Blinds: They are also called waterfall sheds due to the overlapping folds, it retains when extended. The particular nature of this type of blind makes it a good choice for the living rooms and bedrooms.

#3. Relaxed Romans: These types of blinds are mostly suited for windows below 54 inches, which gently bow down when raised by the homeowner.

#4. Balloon Romans: These are blinds are more ideal for traditional home settings.

Other Types of Roman Blinds, Which Users Could Look into Includes the Following,

Butterfly Romans
Pleated Roman Blinds
Austrian Roman Blinds
Faux Romans

Colors

Roman blinds are often available in a variety of colors and textures all aimed at meeting the needs of the user. So, whatever your needs maybe, it is with certainty, you will find best roman blinds that suit your home decor. Often, these colors are made to blend with the house furniture, which gives it a more refined and attractive look.

Are you Thinking of buying Roman blinds?

When you eventually make up your mind to acquire these blinds, take into consideration the following,

Consult a house decorator
Make sure you save enough money
Your needs and expectations should be clearly explained to the house decorator
You should seek referrals from friends and family members as regards to a house decorator choice
Research the internet on the wide variety of roman blinds available in the market

What are the Benefits of using Roman Blinds?

#1. Temperature control: These blinds unlike other blinds posses a lot of flexibility when it comes to temperature control, as they can easily be controlled to meet the room temperature needs of the homeowner.

#2. Customizable nature: They can be customized easily to meet the needs of the homeowner. As such, he or she is capable of giving the house a desired unique look whenever he or she deems it necessary.

#3. Ease of creation: These blinds can easily be created at home by anyone by simply going to the internet, researching the steps involved and then follow them to the later.

#4. Timeless appeal: Roman blinds simply never go out of style, because they can fit any traditional or modern design. As long as the fabric is carefully chosen, they can last for a long period of time.

#5. Cost savings: These blinds are one of the most effective in terms of saving cost. This is because once installed in your home, they can last for a long period of time often requiring little or no maintenance cost at all unlike the other types of blinds, which might require constant washing and with time, eventually lose their bright appearances.
Thus, install roman blinds to get the timeless appeal.

Easy Tips for Taking Care of Your Yard

September 4, 2017