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Home Improvement

How to Make the Ultimate Checklist for a Remodel

November 13, 2015

Remodeling your home can be tricky and it might take up a lot of time and resources, but if you have a checklist you can follow, it will become easier. Unless you put down everything you need to do, and make sure that you have it all covered, you might lose track of what you have finished so far. Furthermore, it will be helpful in tracking the budget and making sure to have enough money for your remodeling project.

First Things First

The absolute top priority on your checklist should be to decide on a budget and how you can better distribute the money you need to spend. Though, remember to segment your project so that you will have time to buy all the necessary materials and maybe even run into a good sale along the way. On the other hand, try to calculate in any possible extra expenses so that you are not left without money after you finish your remodeling.

Try To Go Green with Your Materials

In order to make your remodeling project really matter, you should invest in sustainable materials as they can make a difference, and they will not cost much. Furthermore, you will be able to usually cover things at once, as these materials were meant to be sturdy and to offer insulating effects as well. In the long run, you will feel the noticeable difference, not only in your wallet, but otherwise too.

Get the Necessary Tools

If you are remodeling on your own, be sure to prepare some tools in advance, otherwise you will have to stop mid-work and waste time on looking around for what you might need. Keep everything at an arm’s length so that you do not waste your valuable time. Moreover, buying tool kits can save you time, and you will have more than you bargained for, which will be a great deal no matter how you look at it. Try to avoid buying cheap power tools, as they will rarely last long.

Do You Need Help?

There is no shame admitting that you might need help finishing a project, and, you have to understand your weaknesses. However, hiring a professional crew to help you out can be a good decision, but, you have to make sure that you have the money for it. After all, you cannot be a Jack-of-all-trades and some things are just better left for professionals to handle as they have more experience in the matter, and if you hire good ones, you might even get discounts as well.

Prepare For Bumps in the Road

A remodeling project can go smoothly, but, you should always be ready for things going bad and that there will be problems along the way. Not so that you should be skeptical, but because chances are that most things will go awry, even if you are well prepared. Be sure to make backup plans so that if anything does go wrong, you will have a way out of it without having to thin out your resources too much.

Making a checklist will be necessary if you want to keep a close eye what is going on with your project and where you can make improvements. Moreover, you will be able to track budget changes and find replacements with good deals, which is why you need to go about your remodeling project in steps. Bear in mind to ask for help when the project is too complicated or when you see that you cannot finish it all up on your own.

Home Improvement

Kid Friendly Home Rearrangement Tips

November 6, 2015

Lana Hawkins

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The environment in which your children grow up, starting from their bedrooms, largely influences their personalities. Creating their own mini-world will make them feel safe and satisfied. Adding a touch of Disneyland to your home is always a good idea and your children will love it. Bringing their favourite superheroes or cartoon characters to life will make them enjoy in every second spent in their own little empire. They should have a possibility of building a pillow fort in the middle of the room, of running and chasing each other, playing and hiding – it makes their childhood memorable. This is exactly why you should give your best and include your children in the process of decorating.

Urban Tree House

Wasn’t a tree house everybody’s dream in childhood? So, why don’t you take it to the next level and build it indoors? This is a perfect solution if you have high ceilings. Your children could use wooden ladder to climb up to their lofted beds, placed in an improvised tree house in the middle of their room. The thrill of climbing up and down the ladder will make them feel like explorers looking for a new adventure. You can place a bookshelf right under the tree house, so your children could sneak in and read their favourite fairy tales, sitting on the floor surrounded with fluffy pillows. Your wooden floors will definitely contribute to the cosy atmosphere, and your kids will love it. You can paint their walls using motifs from the movies about Indiana Jones, the most famous explorer whose fedora is a symbol of adventure and thrill.

Fairy Tale Magic

Decorating your children’s room by using some elements of a fairy tale will bring joy to their lives and smile to their faces. There is a wide range of possible solutions, and it will depend on their favourite fairy tale. If it is Cinderella – why don’t you make them a bed placed into an improvised pumpkin coach? If they like Ariel, the little mermaid, consider creating an under-the-sea atmosphere by installing a gigantic aquarium full of colourful fish, together with a red crab representing Sebastian. There is also Pocahontas who lives in harmony with nature. You can use her tent as an inspiration for your children’s room – by building their own tent indoors, where you will hide their beds.

A Sky Full of Stars

If your children love science and astronomy, you can incorporate those elements into their room, too. You can make a model of the Solar System and place it on ceiling – so that your children can look at it from their beds at night. You can also represent a starry night sky above their heads, by depicting the most important constellations such as the Great Bear and the Little Bear. They will be able to learn something new through play, which definitely secures their further development into intelligent young people.

Backyard = Playground

If you have a backyard, you can put it to good use by installing a see-saw, a swing and a slide, so that your children can enjoy outside as well as inside. In this way, they will be active and healthy at the same time. You can also have a basket, so that you can shoot hoops with your children. This is a perfect family time when everyone is participating and having fun.

As you can see, possibilities are limitless. All you can do is to include your kids in the process of home decorating and listen to their wishes and ideas. Your skills and craftsmanship, in combination with their creativity and imagination are a guarantee for success.

Home Improvement

Gettting All that Storage Space You Need

November 3, 2015

Lillian Connors

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Regardless of how many closets or boxes you have, regardless if you have a storage unit or not and regardless of the size of the home you live in, you never seem to have enough space. This is something that bothers many people out there but this raises a question that has a simple answer. It is not about the space you have, it is how you use it and it is not about the room, it is about organization.

Sometimes, a thorough cleanup is a solution, but sometimes you simply cannot throw something away for sentimental reasons or for hope that you will use it again. By organizing yourself properly and by utilizing your home, you can ensure that you always have a spot to lay down your favorite things that you unfortunately no longer use.

Using the top shelf

Convenience is mother of laziness and laziness creates problems. Top shelves are a great addition for your home and their storing value is great indeed, however some people still find them inconvenient. Everything is about perception actually, it is easiest for us to store things in places we can easily reach and to most people and top shelves seem too high up. If this is also true in your case just add a step stools to the mix. Apart from being extremely practical, top shelves can also be a great aesthetic addition to your bedroom.

Reversing the space

This idea is almost as innovative as it is daring. Just think about it: how much room do you actually need for your office? The answer to this question is simple as well, your office are your computer and your mobile device since this is where most of your business takes place. Why not create an office in your closet and free the space in your room. In this manner, you can successfully utilize your living space and have enough room for everything.

Space bags to the rescue

There are some things that you hope to use again but you do not need right now. In this case, it would be best to vacuum-seal them in a space bag. This way, you will not only preserve them for when you need them again but also save a lot of room storing-wise. By packing them like this, you will be able to store them anywhere you want since they will require only a portion of space that they usually take.

Under the bed

In order to solve your storage problems, no solution should be off limits. You need to utilize every bit of space that you have in your home and this means even the places you never thought of before. For example, items in the aforementioned vacuum bags can easily be stored under the bed. The same goes for bags or even some accessories with wheels like rolling carts.

Organizing, organizing, organizing

As we already mentioned at the beginning, it is not about what you have but how you use it. There is a great probability that you already have enough storage space but don’t know how to use it most efficiently. Investing in some hangers, adding wall hooks on an empty spaces and corralling items according to a pattern are just some of the tips for organizing your closet. It is always better to have an unlimited imagination than to have an unlimited space.

If it seems as if you cannot fit everything into a box, it is perhaps time to start thinking out of it. The possibilities are endless, all you have to do is find them. This way, you will not only solve your storage space problems but also have some fun along the way. A world is your oyster so let your closet become your playground, a place where you can express your creativity and ingenuity.

Home Improvement

Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance

October 30, 2015

Lana Hawkins

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Owning wood furniture means that you have to dedicate some time and effort to keep it clean and well-maintained. But, wood is used so that your furniture pieces can last for generations to come, if you make sure to get the dirt off and wax it regularly to keep the structure intact.

Keep Dusting Simple and Easy

Unless you dust your furniture every week, it will become harder to get it off afterwards, because the buildup can scratch your surface and some airborne particles can cause permanent damage as well. Though, depending on your furniture you need to choose the right dusting tool so that you do not cause any damage yourself.

Wood does not age well

After time your furniture will get worn out, and if you do not apply the right type of wax or oil, you will soon notice dulls and cracking. But, thankfully, it is not a hard thing to do on your own, and all you must look into is getting the right brand for the wood in your furniture. Moreover, if you want to update the color, you can get special mixtures to help revive it. Though, color change is inevitable, and you should leave it alone for some time to see if it is going to affect it or not.

Keep Away From All-purpose Cleaners

When it is time to clean wood pieces, try to avoid using all-purpose cleaners because they can contain chemicals which might cause damage. On the other hand, you need to stay away from water as much as possible, as it can really ruin the wood in your furniture. Though, if you run into a tough spot, make sure to use only a little bit and to dab it gently, so that you apply as little pressure as possible. Afterwards, make sure to dry it immediately with a soft clean cloth so that you do not leave any spots behind.

Fixing Up Minor Damages

It will be inevitable that your furniture suffers some scratches, but, it does not mean that you cannot fix some of the damages. Either using paste wax or a specified pen, you can correct minor visible scratches. But, if it is a deeper one, going well into the wood, you will have to use some kind of wood filler that will make the deep cut disappear. The secret to making most of the scratches vanish without much effort is to apply the fixing solution in layers rather that in one go.

Make Sure To Keep Furniture Away From Direct Sunlight

It is best to use some kind of curtains in your home that will block out most of the harmful rays of the Sun, because sunlight can potentially fade out the color of your furniture. Furthermore, if you leave any kind of accessories on your furniture, you will notice dark spots left behind after a long hot day. In order to avoid something like that happening, use cover cloths as well, because that way you will ensure a long life for your wood furniture.

Taking care of your furniture can be an easy task once you come up with a routine that will be simple to follow, however you have to stay consistent and you will have to make sure to pay attention to the small details. On the other hand, reacting quickly to any kind of damage done to your wood pieces can be evened out, but only if you stay vigilant with proper maintenance. Keep in mind that good care of your furniture will make it last longer.

Home Improvement

Frugal Renovation Tips for the Old House

September 8, 2015

Lana Hawkins

1 Comment

Owning a house offers numerous joys, but, once its prime time is over, piled up problems can cause some serious headaches, too. That’s the time when lesser men would consider selling the possessions and moving into some smaller and newer apartment, but you are not one of them. Your old house is worth fighting for, even if you don’t have too vast resources on your disposal. We will try to give our small contribution to this noble cause by giving you few tips for frugal renovation that will add value to your beloved home.

Solve the Insulation Problem

No matter how resourceful you are, house renovation will cost you some money. Installing the insulation is a great way both to give your old house a new look and ensure that your investments will return in the long run. Start by checking out quality suppliers like Renovator Store in Australia and find fiberglass batts, or loose-fill cellulose, which are both very affordable and easy to install. As for the windows, you can always opt for the double-glazed variety, or try out your DIY skills by plugging air leaks. Window and doorway velvet drapes are always recommended. Finally, you can go one step further with a dropped ceiling, which will make your house even more energy-efficient.

The Question of Floor

Once again, we will put the long-term sustainability as our top priority. In the end, you won’t renovate the house every year, so make sure that you get the job done now. Therefore, you should opt for the solutions which will last you the longest and are easiest to maintain, and those are floor tiles, concrete, and stone, which is the most durable and scratch resistant option out of three. If you, however, want something that will be more affordable and retain temperature better, you can always give your floor a laminate coating.

Painting the House

Now, when more demanding tasks are over, it is time the polish the look of the house by giving it a paintjob. Here, you can save a great amount of money if you decide to tackle this task on your own, with some cheaper tools. The paint itself is very inexpensive, so this step shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. It is however recommended to apply some scratch-resistant wall coating after the painting is over, to make you efforts more long lasting. Choose soft colors for the walls, and some lighter ones for the ceiling to create an illusion of more space and compensate for the dropped ceiling.

Bathroom Renovations

Plumbing layout will be your greatest limiting factor while tackling bathroom renovations, so there is no way to make some drastic changes without spending some larger sums of money. Still, you can achieve some very pleasing results even with some simpler moves, such as refreshing the tiles, and updating the fixtures. Wooden cabinets are the most vulnerable to moisture, so they should be first on the way out. You can replace them with affordable used alternatives, or you can try your luck in carpentry, and make them by yourself. Replace the lighting as well, and you will have completely new bathroom.

Devil in the Details

Small details are the final touch your house will need, but don’t underestimate them. They can make or break the whole look you tried so hard to achieve. Easiest way out of this problem is to set up one color scheme (vibrant if possible) and follow it with rugs, cushions, etc. We already mentioned drapes, so keep them in line, too. As for the furniture, even the older pieces can make very charming “vintage” look, if you accompany them with other, rugged items you can easily find on the flea markets. If you are, however, stuck with the variety of styles and different pieces, “eclectic” look is the great equalizer, if only you follow its basic principles.

All you have to do now is to use all the things we mentioned above, and turn your beloved home in the prettiest old house around. Give it the love it deserves and prolong the pleasant time together for many years to come.

Cleaning

Extraordinary Household Uses for Baking Soda

September 4, 2015

Stella Van Lane

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There are dozens of ways in which you could use baking soda around the household. It has a natural effect of regulating pH (numeric scale used to specify the acidity or alkalinity) and helps in maintaining its neutral level. Thus, it can be used for housecleaning, but also as a beauty and health remedy. So, here are some non-conventional ways in which you can use baking soda.

Stove problems

If your stove is dirty, just sprinkle the baking soda over it, sprinkle boiling water. Why boiling? Well, you want the baking soda to dissolve. All you need to do is wait for thirty minutes. Have a cup of coffee. Then scrub the stove and chase way the dirt.

Floor and Furniture Cleaning

Add about a ½ cup of baking soda in a bucket of warm water-mop. Rinse clean to remove grime and dirt, and to make your floor sparkle. A bit of baking soda on a damp sponge will rinse off scuff marks off the floor, but also does wonders when it comes to cleaning furniture. Rub lightly with a sponge and then wipe it with a dry cloth. Baking soda is non-toxic, therefore safe to use around children and pregnant women.

Freezer and Refrigerator

Pour 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda in a quart of warm water. Remove all food particles and wash the appliance with soapy water first. After that, rinse with bicarbonate solution to freshen everything up and remove the soap residue, then wipe with a clean, dry cloth.

Laundry
If you use liquid detergent, add a half a cup of baking soda to your laundry, in order to give the detergent a boost and regulate the water’s pH value.

Coffeemaker and Dishwasher
Clean these household appliances by adding baking soda and running an empty cycle.

Garage Oil and Grease
You can clean grease spills and light-duty oil by sprinkling baking soda on the spot and scrubbing the stains with a wet brush.

Natural Mattress and Carpet Freshener

After removing bedclothes for laundry, sprinkle baking soda on the mattress, leave it there for a few hours and then vacuum. It will freshen the mattress up and it will smell strikingly fresher.

Clogged Drains
Baking soda can be used for unclogging sinks. You need 1 cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar. Pour the powder down the drain, then pour the vinegar. The drain should be plugged with a sink stopper and left like that for about half an hour. After that, pour a kettle of hot water after you unplug the sink.

Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal with These Easy Tricks

August 26, 2015

Lana Hawkins

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You could argue that a home’s street view is like the first page of a passport – many important details can be read from there and there’s certainly a lot of us who don’t look too pretty on our passport photos. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve a home’s curb appeal, unlike our passport photos. If you think your home could use a simple ‘facelift’ then read on. These simple, effective tricks will get you started with your project in no time. Once applied, they can truly make a difference.

Give your mailbox a new suit

Even from afar, someone driving down the road will instinctively look at the mailbox first and the house second. This mailbox makeover project is simple because it requires little material, and can be done in a single afternoon. To begin, wrap your 4×4 wooden post with scraps of differently colored natural stone pavers. Once you have an attractive stone pillar, attach a shiny black metal mailbox to one side and complete the magazine look with a vertical house number plaque.

Arboreal spotlights
Give your trees and shrubs a brand new night attire by putting them into spotlight. During the day, solar spotlights are virtually unseen in the undergrowth, while they charge up. But as the night falls they start to shine beautifully at the tree canopies from bellow. You can also point them on a few decorative boulders or a small pond. They won’t amount to your electricity bill and some of them come with solar panels that are attached with long wires, so they can be charged on a sunnier spot.

Front door makeover

If you are on a tight budget and you want to give your front door a facelift, there is no need to go for a full replacement. A bit of paint and molding can do wonders to your dull entrance. A rich dinner party or wenge color scheme will upgrade your home a class or two, while the polystyrene molding above the doorway will make every entry grand.

Hide slab foundation

The exposed slab foundation is a straight out eyesore. Extending the facade all the way to the ground level so it covers the foundation is manageable, but it will make a hole in your budget the size of an open coal mining pit. Instead, you can choose a solution that will look attractive and still leave you with some cash for further upgrades. Faux panels come in a number of colors and styles, mimicking natural stone, brick or wood. When you finally choose, you will probably want to apply some of it inside, too. Maybe for an accent wall or fireplace sides.

Repainting

Perhaps a bit more costly upgrade, but surely a worthy one. When looking at the ‘big picture’ from the outside, if a house has deteriorating paint on many spots it will make a bigger and more negative impact than almost all other nice things put together. Consider a complete repainting job if your budget allows. Check out a few great examples of color schemes from the CraftPro blog.

House number on planters

If your house number can barely be seen from the road, you could take a few planters with nice flowers and write the house number on them. Aside from being practical, this project is simple and inexpensive. Buy as many planters as there are digits in your house number, find a suitable spot and prop them on a crude, unprocessed plank that rests on old bricks to get that vintage look. You could also use a stump. Paint the house number with white paint on a dark
background and plant some annuals in each planter.

Camouflage the eyesores

Every home has eyesores like utility boxes, wires, lines and vents that mar the aesthetics of the house. There are several ways to deal with them. The simplest one is to paint them in the same color as the rest of the house and no one will ever notice them. However, if you want to conceal the trash bins or the air conditioner unit, you can either plant a hedge around it, or camouflage it with a couple of lattice panels painted the same color as the facade.

So there you go, several easy DIY projects which will enhance your curb appeal in no time. With improvements like these, not only will your new neighbors want to take a closer look at what is inside, but they will impress anybody who passes by, including potential homebuyers.

Home Improvement

Top 5 Green Tools

August 14, 2015

Lana Hawkins

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Power tools certainly make our work around the house much easier, but some of us aren’t comfortable with using them any more. There are various reasons – saving energy resources by avoiding tools that run on gas and oil, cutting down toxic gas emissions, lowering the electricity usage or just don’t like the noise they make. This is why we made a list of 5 practical and eco-friendly tools.

Cordless Chainsaw

The problem with regular chainsaws is that they are too loud, and they run on a mixture of oil and gas, thus producing polluting toxic fumes. A great alternative is an electric cordless chainsaw. First of all, it is lighter and less noisy that the regular chainsaw. It runs on electric power, so it can also be used indoors because of the absence of gas emission. Some cordless chainsaws are rechargeable, with an 18 volt lithium ion battery. This type of chainsaw, good for cutting lumber, is an effective regular chainsaw alternative.

Battery Operated Drill

The drawback of drills with cords is the limitation of the user’s movement and electricity consumption. These drills can burn about 950 W per hour. On the other hand, green drills work on batteries and are freely moveable. The batteries are rechargeable, you are not annoyed by the cord not being long enough and you save yourself some money on reducing electricity consumption.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are the ultimate green solution. The sun is an inexhaustible source of energy and that same energy it emits can be absorbed and transformed into electric power with the use of solar panels. They are used for powering almost everything – home applications, heating the water in the water heaters, swimming pools and hot tubs.

photovoltaik — Image source: www.flickr.com

Technology constantly evolves and advances, so we could soon be able to recharge all sorts of other green tools and household appliances. By using solar panels, we save our planet’s energy and nonrenewable natural resources. States like Gujarat make enough energy with solar panels that they export and provide it to other states. There would be no need for electric and nuclear plants, as this is a much more eco-friendly alternative.

Push & Green Mowers

Push mower is a classic and it will take you back to basics. It is a 100% green tool putting out zero pollution. Modern push mowers are quite light and have sharp high-quality durable blades. They also give you a good workout.

Green mowers run on electric power and, compared to ordinary fuel mowers, they offer many advantages. The most important on the list is – no gas emissions. A lot of fuel is also spilled during refueling the garden equipment. Electric mowers are not loud as ordinary mowers and they usually have 30 meter cords that can be plugged into the nearest source of electrical power. There are mowers that run on rechargeable batteries and battery-charged riding mowers, suitable for lawns where mower mobility is a necessity.

Eco-friendly Lawn Trimmer

There is a big difference between gas-powered and propane-powered lawn trimmers. Gas-powered trimmers do not participate in preserving the environment. Propane, unlike gas, is neither toxic nor harmful. It doesn’t pollute the air and it does no harm to soil or water (if it happens to be spilled). Electric lawn trimmers are easier to start and maintain because gas trimmers usually get their carburetors and lines clogged. Electric trimmers can be plugged into a power source or run on lithium-ion batteries.

This is just an introduction to the wide field that are green tools. By using them, we keep our planet greener, helping improve upon the eco-system. Next time you buy a tool, think about whether you want to emit poisonous gases, or rather be more conscious of the fact that we as humans have to stop doing that.

Cleaning

Clever Ways to Green up Your House Cleaning Practices

June 30, 2015

Lillian Connors

0 Comments

Sun is again high in the sky, days are getting warmer and we all know what that means. Yes, the seasons of vacations is upon us, but it also means that we should give our houses well-deserved and thorough cleaning and cleansing of all the unnecessary clutter. Unfortunately, this most of the time, includes tons of litter and heavy usage of harmful chemicals, but you should be smarter than the rest and try to make your house cleaning as green as possible. There are numerous ways for that and here we will present some of them.

Ditch Chemical Air-Fresheners

No matter how small contribution of chemical air-fresheners in the overall environmental impact may seem, it presents danger. So, in order to minimize toxic waste footprint, swap your regular air-fresheners for more environmentally-friendly alternatives. Try using natural solutions like baking soda, or some home-made replacements based on essential oils.

Tackle the Problem of Paper with Grace

We all like to stockpile endless amounts of paper and old magazines hoping that they will prove useful sometimes in the future. The truth is they never do and we end up throwing all that paper to waste. To reduce waste footprint, send all that paper to recycling instead. Also, try to go paperless whenever you can. Online bills and magazines are good place to start.

Make Your Own Cleaning Products

Most chemicals we use in cleaning are efficient but not very environmentally-friendly. All that chemicals can be responsible for eye irritation, respiratory problems, headaches and even infertility. So save some money, be green and make them by yourself. You’ll be surprised to learn that cleaning supplies made out of, say, vinegar and lemon juice can be very efficient means in fighting filth.

Deal with Laundry in More Eco-Friendly Fashion

Did you know that each laundry takes up to 150 liters of water and about 5 kilowatts of energy per hour? That’s quite heavy toll. Try washing your laundry severely soiled or on the cold cycle and dry it outdoors. Put your dryer to use only when it’s absolutely necessary. Separating loads of laundry according to their color or material will not only preserve their look but the energy as well. In addition, do check out other earth-friendly solutions for washing your clothes.

Minimize Electricity Leaks

Even in the sleep mode your computer, TV and various appliances will consume energy that, in the long run, can amount to some pretty high numbers. Turn them off when you are vacuuming, as there is no real reason for them to work at this time. Switch your inefficient light bulbs for fluorescent ones that will save you two thirds of energy.

Mind Your Water Consumption

Your house cleaning will obviously demand heavy usage of water but you don’t have to be irresponsible and waste it around. Buy toilet dam to save up to 20% and low-flow showerheads to save more than 50% of water wastes. And don’t forget to turn the water off whenever you are not immediately using it.

Reuse, Repurpose, Upcycle

Not everything has to go to waste and something can find new purpose in your cleaning endeavor. Use old T-shirts to clean the toilet, textile rags while dusting around and turn your old stuff into new furniture, for example. Everything that doesn’t have a place in your plan should be recycled or given to charity.

If you followed these advices your house should be clean and your conscience green. Deservedly so, you have done a great thing for Mother Nature. And now when you are done, you can enjoy your refreshed home and set your mind to that vacation we mentioned before.

Home Improvement

Refresh Your Living Room In Five Easy Steps

June 19, 2015

Lana Hawkins

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After some time, your shiny new home is not so fresh and exciting any more. Living room is a place where you spend most of your time at home, where you entertain your guests, so it is important to enjoy the time while you’re there. If you are tired of the way your living room looks like, you can renovate and buy whole new furniture. But, if you don’t want to spend that much money, the easiest way would be to simply refresh your living space, without any major investments. Here are a few suggestions how to do that, I hope you will have some fun doing it.

Start with your walls
The fastest and the easiest way to refresh the whole look of your living room (or any other space for that matter) is to repaint your walls. You can change the color of the walls every few years, and enjoy in a new living room whenever you feel like it. Different colors are very powerful tools you can use to highlight good sides of your space, and hide the imperfections. Note that dark colors can make your room seem smaller and more intimate, and light colors will optically enlarge the place, so use that in your advantage. A great way to make some change is to repaint your door too, that will give your place a whole new look right from the entrance.

Look at the floors
If you still have that old wall-to-wall carpet in your living room, let that be the first thing you will throw out. Keep your carpet under the coffee table, and if your living room is big enough, you can put footcloths in a few carefully chosen places. If the carpet you already have in your living room is tedious, you don’t have to buy a new one right away. You can simply move the carpet from the living room into the bedroom, for example, and the one from the bedroom into the living room and voila – your floor looks fresh and new.

Let there be light
Illumination is very important in every living space, especially in your living room. Choose the right one and it will give your room a refined look and luminous satisfaction when you’re in that place. Keep in mind that you can accomplish much more with a few strategically placed floor and table lamps, than with one big chandelier in the middle of the ceiling.

Move around
Your place will be different and fresh if you change your furniture, but you don’t have to go all the way and replace it with new pieces. It will be enough if you just move around your existing furniture and change the setting. There is one rule – don’t block your path through the room, nor the doors and windows. Everything else is allowed and welcome. You can also redo one or two of your pieces of furniture with new upholstery or with new and interesting covers.

Decorations
It’s safe to say that new decorative pieces play a major role in your refreshing job. Living room decoration ideas such as replacing the painting on your wall with a few smaller ones or making a decorative piece yourself will make a drastic change. Also, plants and flowers can be a fresh wave in your living space. Place them in different positions throughout the room, and all the variety of colors of the flowers and green from the plants will breathe a new life into your old living room.

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Home Improvement

How to Make the Ultimate Checklist for a Remodel

Kid Friendly Home Rearrangement Tips

Urban Tree House

Fairy Tale Magic

A Sky Full of Stars

Backyard = Playground

Gettting All that Storage Space You Need

Wood Furniture Care and Maintenance

Frugal Renovation Tips for the Old House

Extraordinary Household Uses for Baking Soda

Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal with These Easy Tricks

Top 5 Green Tools

Clever Ways to Green up Your House Cleaning Practices

Refresh Your Living Room In Five Easy Steps

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