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It is not a fancy thought for newly employed team members to know that they have to relocate to another location temporarily. Or for an employee who has to relocate to another area temporarily for a project. A healthy corporate culture demands that the company takes care of its employees in such a situation. It would be unsettling if the company just handed some money to the employees and left them to find a place for themselves. Instead, it is professional to arrange a temporary housing unit for the employees. It displays the company’s value for its employees and saves the workers the nightmare of finding a place to live.

Fortunately, in this era, there is no shortage of temporary housings. Many options range from apartments to townhomes. Diversity in choice makes it easier to make such decisions. With the tips below, you will find the selection of a temporary house easier.

Consider the period of stay

Undoubtedly, the duration and deadline of the project are of utmost importance. So, the company needs to decide just how long they need their team in that location. The reason being that it may be possible that the perfect apartment or townhouse for temporary relocation may only be available for a month. Such a place may not be affordable for a longer time-span, say, of six months. Lack of planning in this part can create budgeting issues for the company and the worker. It is why it is essential to determine the exact length of the stay. But in some situations, the period is unclear. In that case, you may need to be flexible in the budgeting of your workforce housing and consider all aspects.

Know your options

Before deciding which type of housing you want to get for your workers, know all of your options:

Short term rentals: They are houses or apartments available for rent with some lease terms. In the case of most short term rental houses, the less amount of time you rent it for, the higher the cost will be.

Corporate housing: It is the same as short term rentals but comes with the general intention of providing temporary housing for traveling business people. They have more flexible leasing options.

Sublets: Subletting means that you take over a lease from an existing tenant of the house or the apartment for a specific period. It requires approval from the tenant’s landlord.

Vacation rentals: Many websites connect the property owners with potential renters for a room or the whole house/apartment. It is for a short period for people who require temporary housing.

Extended stay hotels: If you need to stay for more than a few days, then the costly rates of typical hotels are not feasible. Extended stay hotels accommodate guests who need to reside for more than a few days. Their rates depend on the period of the stay and the hotel chain services.

Budget carefully 

When you provide temporary housing location to your employees, you have to consider more utilities than monthly rent. Some other options, like parking, general repairs, and other essential utilities, are also covered. When you choose a temporary rental home, make sure that you ask for any additional costs that need consideration. To get the best deals for the ideal place, contact leasing managers with your inquiries. They may be able to help find you the best possible option for short term housing.

Understand the deal breakers

If you find a beautiful house or apartment with a great deal, don’t let that trick you into being hasty. There is always the possibility that you be renting into something that would affect the employee. Several things can have dire consequences on the stay of your employees. These deal-breakers include loud neighbors, a curfew, restriction on pets, inability to customize or decorate their space, lack of parking, long commutes, and so on. Such deal-breakers can lead to stress and discomfort, which can affect the employee’s productivity at work. Plus, we all know as the studies also suggest that happy and healthy employees are more productive than those facing stress.

The immediate plan is to make temporary relocations for your workers as comfortable as possible. In the quest to achieve this, you will have to consider their basic needs, the budget, time for the stay, and a couple of other things. You can easily find great deals and many cost-effective options if you keep on looking.

When looking for your dream house, you may want to approach the matter with caution and care. The last thing you want to do is haphazardly buy the first property you see just because it was convenient.

Purchasing a house is far more serious an investment than buying virtually anything else. That being said, here are some surefire ways you can easily determine whether you’ve found the house of your dreams or not. Check them out.

It has everything you need

The most important question you need to ask yourself when looking to buy a house is what you want to have in it. You need to determine exactly which features you want to have in your new home, as well as the ideal number of rooms, bathrooms and other similar things. Once you’ve determined exactly what you’re looking for, it will be far easier for you to choose.

The house is in the right neighborhood

Additionally, if both the house and the neighborhood it’s in fall under your preferred category, there really is not much to think about. The neighborhood you’ll be living in plays a very important role. Ideally, you want to choose a neighborhood in a good school district if you have or are planning on having kids. Moreover, it’s always a good idea to move into a neighborhood that has a low crime rate, as well as a good connection to public transport. Otherwise, no matter how good the property looks, chances are you won’t be too happy with your choice in the long run. Also, having a park nearby would be an added bonus, especially if you’re a dog owner.

The price is right

Let’s be real, no matter how perfect the property you are inspecting is and no matter how well the neighborhood it’s located in works for you, the fact is that you can kiss it goo-bye if it’s entirely out of your price range. So, to save yourself some heartache, make sure you make it very clear to your real estate agent what your budget is and that you absolutely can’t afford to look at houses outside of it. This way, you’ll be presented with a curated offer where everything will be within your budget. And, if you manage to score an ideal house that’s actually somewhat cheaper than you’ve originally planned on spending, you’ll be left with more money you can spend on sprucing the space up.

You can already see yourself living there

It may sound a bit funny at first, but if you can imagine yourself and your family living in the house you’re only looking at, chances are you’ve found your dream house. If the house you’re inspecting instantly gets your mind racing with the décor you’d implement in the space and how you’d use various rooms, you can rest assured you will be happy there for a long time to come. However, it’s important not to make any decisions with heart-shaped glasses on. If a certain property makes you feel like this, go home, discuss it with your family, sleep on it and leave the decision-making for the next day. This will allow you to reassess the property once more and make a clear-headed decision.

You want to move in straight away

On a similar note, if you had some time to clearly think about making your decision and you still can’t help but feel like you want to move into the house as soon as possible, you’ve already made your choice. This is where you need to act fast and let your agent know you’ve made your choice. But it’s also important to mention that if – for any reason – you simply can’t purchase the house any longer, don’t despair. There will be plenty of other houses you may end up liking even more than this one.

In the end, buying a house is a major financial move that shouldn’t be approached willy-nilly. The more you communicate with your real estate agent, the greater the chances that you’ll soon find something that’s right up your alley. So, take your time, decide exactly what you’re looking for and don’t settle for anything less than absolute perfection.

Up until recently, in interior design, monochromatic designs, clear lines and minimalism used to reign supreme. However, the days of minimalistic Scandi design, crisp white color palette and monochromatic interiors seem to be over. 

It is now time for a new kid on the block – Kindercore. The ground principles of this interior design can be summed up in one sentence – where minimalism used to hold back, Kindercore goes all in. This emerging trendy movement embraces primary colors and is centered around creating interiors that are vibrant, carefree and almost childlike – hence the name. So, let’s see what some of the basic principles of this latest interior design trend are. 

Kindercore

Simplicity

Although quite simple in its design, Kindercore should not be mistaken for anything minimalist. Even though the shapes commonly featured in this design are quite simple and almost Lego-like, this is not a juvenile interior design trend by any means. Instead, one of the main things this trend is trying to achieve is to create a beautifully-designed, carefree environment that promotes happiness and good vibes. Color blocking and brightly-colored geometrical shapes are the staples that make this design truly pop. 

yellow sofa

Colors

As mentioned earlier, the most commonly used colors in the Kindercore trend revolve mostly around primary colors. However, it is important to note that this doesn’t mean you should paint your entire house top-to-bottom in these hues. Instead, if you are looking to implement this trendy design into your home, it would be best to do so in areas that feature quite a neutral design. To add some Kindercore into your home, look for chubby furniture pieces in some of your favorite primary colors. Additionally, Pantone’s spring/summer color palette can also serve as a great inspiration. By investing in just a few statement pieces you will be able to lighten the mood in your interior.

colorful chairs

Statement Pieces

Kindercore furniture is quite unique in its design so it comes as a no surprise that people choose to implement it as a sort of a statement in their interiors. Rounded edges, bold colors and unique designs are the things that make these furniture pieces stand out so much. Any interior space can easily be completely transformed by implementing just a couple of well-picked accent pieces. So, look for a uniquely-shaped coffee table in Crayola red or opt for a low-back armchair that not only looks stunning but offers the right kind of support as well. 

chubby furniture

Chubby Furniture

You also might be wondering what exactly is chubby furniture. Well, it is safe to say that if there were a furniture spectrum, this type of furniture would be on the opposite side of the clean-lined mid-century furniture pieces. Curved lines and thick sides make this type of furniture just enough juvenile to fit into the adult living space, without coming off as too childlike. These pieces are also generally unbelievably comfortable, which not only makes them a cool aesthetic choice but also a practical one. 

bright colorful wall

Why Kindercore?

In the end, you still might be wondering why Kindercore became so popular. The simple reason is that people just got somewhat tired of the spaces that looked too impersonal and stern and wanted to bring some color back into their lives. By creating an interior that totally follows the “Lego – but make it fashionable” vibe, you will be left with quite an inspiring interior that fosters good vibes, creativity, and cosines. If you take all of that into account, the popularity of this trend becomes quite obvious. 

There is something to be said about the fact that, once we reach a certain age, we tend to embrace once more the things that used to make us happy when we kids. These neotenic shapes and forms with their soft and inviting designs tend to drive quite a positive emotional response which makes them the perfect choice for our interiors. Wouldn’t it be nice to – at the end of a crazy day – come home to this childlike, inviting interior and allow it to instantly lift your spirits?

A kitchen is a place where all family members spend a huge amount of time. In this space, activity begins in the early morning and sometimes ends in the late evening. Here not only the family gathers for tea, but guests are also welcome. It is in the kitchen that culinary talents are revealed, daily favorite dishes are prepared.

Given all this, it becomes obvious that the design of the best discount kitchen cabinets online project should be thought out so that the furnishings match their purpose to the maximum extent while being comfortable, convenient and cozy. You can solve a similar problem by following some principles.

Defining a convenient layout

The ease use is determined primarily by the layout. Several options are offered to the attention of users, but only linear and angular are considered universal and are implemented without problems in rooms of any shape and area.

The presence of space allows you to use such a solution as an island with the removal of the working area, hob or sink.

The optimal solution when designing a kitchen is to create a working triangle, the vertices of which include a refrigerator, sink, and stove. Moving here should be free and unhindered.

The location of household appliances is also important, so certain principles must be followed:

  • A dishwasher is placed near the sink, a drawer for spoons, forks and other small things is provided
  • The distance from the hob to the sink is separated by a working area of at least 0.6 m
  • If the mounted modules are located too high, then for the convenience of access to the upper shelves, a stepladder will be a useful item in the household
  • 0.9 m is considered the average height from the floor to the countertop, but this parameter varies depending on the growth of users in one direction or another

Small appliances that are constantly in use (coffee maker, toaster, electric kettle, etc.) are installed in one place. In the case when the layout provides for a pencil case, it becomes possible to install a microwave or electric oven in it. The most convenient placement height from the floor level will be 80 cm.

The TV is mounted above eye level, the main thing to remember is to provide for its connection a socket and antenna cable. There are solutions to fix it on the facade. This pleasure is not cheap, but it looks spectacular.

Kitchen Island with a bar counter

The kitchen island, combined with a bar, is a separate piece of furniture and is usually set in the center of the room. The bar counter is needed not only to sit and have a drink.

This piece of furniture has some additional positive qualities:

  • Advanced functionality. Various types of performance allow you to get additional storage space, space for built-in appliances, an additional working area
  • The originality of the interior decoration is introduced. The modern and original appearance of the island does not interfere with choosing the right option for any style and interior
  • The possibility of dividing the space into zones. Such furniture perfectly separates the zones in a studio apartment or just in a large kitchen

Structurally, the islands are divided into two main types: freestanding and peninsulas. The first is separate, standing in the center, the second is a continuation of the countertop and are most often installed perpendicular to the mainline.

As additional options and additions, such accessories as rotating fruit stands, bottle holders, napkin holders, etc. are often used.

Lighting and electrics

Good lighting is needed everywhere, and the kitchen in this regard is no exception. However, an incorrectly organized luminous flux will begin to tire the eyes, and in some cases, it can even cause irritation and lead to fatigue. An example of a competent approach will be spotlighted along the perimeter of the ceiling of the room, in addition to which LED strips under the cabinets to illuminate the working surface will be appropriate. Sconces in the dining area will add coziness and romanticism.

The number of connection points must be considered at the design stage if you have chosen the option of manufacturing furniture to order. Using extension cords and carrying them is inconvenient, and not safe. Therefore, all household appliances that will be operated in the future, as well as their locations, are taken into account. Double sockets will be more functional and practical.

There is no need to deprive the attention of the dining area, if suddenly in the future there will be a new electrical appliance designed specifically for it.

Additional accessories and useful little things

An ideal kitchen is one where everything is in perfect harmony, does not distract, does not interfere, and does not annoy. No creaking of the closing door, knocking from drawers is allowed. Properly selected kitchen furniture plays an important role, although it is often invisible in itself.

Small things add up to general comfort, they also help to avoid a mess and lack of assembly. Proper use of the storage space allows you to get additional free space on the work surface.

Where to order the kitchen of your dreams?

You can purchase a kitchen set in a ready-made form by assembling it from the individual components. But the room does not always accommodate a standard set, or the owner wants to see something exclusive at home. In this case, it is better to contact the company that produces cabinet furniture for individual orders, where you can order a kitchen set.

The good company’s specialists guarantee high-quality implementation of the whole complex of works, from the departure to the place for measuring the premises, to the creation of the project and its full implementation, including the installation of all household appliances.

Optimal dining area

The usual standard table is 70 cm high, while the countertop of the kitchen unit is 10-20 cm higher, so it is unlikely that these zones can be combined and made into one.

For the design of the dining area, it is important to take into account that the distance of 1.1 m between the dining and working areas is considered the minimum permissible, not only to ensure easy access but also to allow you to bend or sit down if necessary, gaining access to the lower lockers.

In addition, it is worth remembering that for each person about half a meter of free space is needed for free placement at the table.

A good idea is a sliding table. It takes up little space, is used as a tabletop option, and if necessary, it will become useful when hosting guests.

Conclusion

Kitchen

A professional designer will help you decide on the choice of not only the general style but also the materials, colors, layouts, such as countertops, skins, sinks, lighting, etc. They will measure the kitchen absolutely free of charge and provide the necessary expert advice to each of our customers. All personal wishes of clients are taken into account when you deal with a good company, which allows you to achieve the desired result, to get the result is really the kitchen of his dreams. With these practical ideas and tips, you can design a convenient, comfortable and functional kitchen.

Have you ever walked into a house or apartment that has such a fresh scent that instantly makes you feel welcomed?

Odor has a great impact on people. The fifth sense plays a significant role in social cues, experiences, memories, and in addition, recent studies prove the connection between scent and mood changes.

As you see, picking the right aroma is an important step in making your home feel cozy and welcoming. We at Smooth Decorator recommend using blends of fragrances in different rooms of your home and create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. Continue reading to find out which essential oil scents will be proper for every area at your place.

Best Essential Oils for the Bathroom

Keep your bathroom fresh with organic, eco-friendly essential oils. There is a wild variety of fragrances to choose from. It all comes down to personal preferences, but the most commonly used scents for bathrooms are from pine, lemon, and Tea tree. The last two have antifungal properties and act as a disinfectant.

Having problems with mold?
Learn How to Fight Mold in Your Bathroom.

Put a few drops in plug-in diffusers to keep the air crisp all day long. Another idea is to place a bowl of dried flowers sprayed with essential oils in your bathroom. This organic potpourri will not only freshen up the air in your lavatory but will also serve as a beautiful decor.

If you want to create a calming vibe make sure to add eucalyptus essential oils to your diffuser.

Best Essential Oils for the Bedroom

Your bedroom is often our sanctuary. There is nothing better than curling up in bed after a long, tiring day. That’s why it is important to create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere at home.

Natural Bulgarian lavender essential oils are an amazing choice for any bedroom because of their natural calming effects. Sip a few lavender drops in your diffuser or if you are aiming for a more straight application, use a combination of the essential oils with water and put it in a spray bottle.

Sprinkle the solution on your bedsheets afterward.

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However, the bedroom is not only for resting, and if you are in the mood to “spice things up” and invoke intimacy, your top choice would be exotic essential oil fragrances. Use the powerful, floral scent of jasmine, rose or sandalwood and put a few drops on your pillowcases.

Another tip is to infuse cotton balls with scented oils and place them in your wardrobe or even in your underwear drawer. They’ll freshen up the air and enrich your bedroom with an intimate, seductive vibe.

Best Essential Oils for the Living Room

If you want to sweeten the air in your living room and simply relax, mix a few drops of fir or pine oils with water in a spray bottle. Unburden the stress and enjoy the natural forest scent. Studies show that odors that remind of nature can lower your blood pressure.

Another tip to shift the stale air in your living room is to put a few drops of essential oils on your carpet.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Combine water with baking soda and 10-15 drops of your preferred scent and put it in a spray bottle.
  2. Let the mixture sit for a few days and make sure to shake the bottle before you use it.
  3. After you sprinkle the concoction let it sit for a while and vacuum afterward.

If you are a pet owner, you will be pleased to know that this is a great way to get rid of animal odors from your living room, especially in combo with a 100$ budget-friendly purifier.

Check out the rest of our guides for a cozy living room:

Best Essential Oils for the Kitchen

We all love delicious, homemade food but we definitely don’t like smells that lingers after cooking is done. And what a great way to eliminate the unpleasant odors than using natural lemon-scented essential oils!

The citrus fruit is a natural disinfectant and can remove bacteria and fungi. Simply put a few drops in your plug-in diffuser. Don’t worry if you don’t have such a device. Use the following trick:

  • While cooking, put an extra pot filled with water on the stove.
  • After the water boils, turn down the heat and add a few drops of essential oils, such as citruses or cinnamon for example.
  • This is a simple and inexpensive way to freshen up the air in your kitchen.

Want to experiment with the interior design of your kitchen? Take a look at these tips:

Best Essential Oils for the Laundry Room

Give your laundry a garden-fresh scent by using essential oils as a natural fabric softener. Combine a few drops of your favorite odor with powdered, unscented laundry detergent. Blend pine and copaiba oil fragrances and enjoy the refreshing forest aroma.

On the other hand, if you are aiming towards a more calming feeling, a combination of lavender and citruses essential oils should do the work.

Best Essential Oils for the Attic/Basement

Attics and basements are often visited by unwanted guests such as squirrels and insects. Even though the “furry friends” are cute, they are quite noisy and can cause damage to your attic.

The solution to the problem is simple – use peppermint oil. It is a natural repellent for squirrels. Infuse cotton balls with a few drops of the scent and hide them in different places of the area. As an added bonus, the peppermint scent will keep the air in the attic crisp.

Another way of dealing with pests is to use cedarwood essential oils. It is the best option for places like these because it keeps insects at bay and also freshens up the stale air.

Best Essential Oils for the Home Office

Put yourself in “work mode” with the help of Rosemary essential oil scent. It is proven to boost creativity, memory capacity and improve performance. This is why it is a great choice to use in your home office.

Another tip is to put fresh coffee beans in a glass jar. They will keep you alert as they’ll act as sensory stimuli and moreover make great decor for your workspace.

Summary

As you can see, essential oils are a great way to create the perfect atmosphere for your home. There are numerous combinations of scents for every area in your place, so get creative. Furthermore, essential oils play a main role in eco-friendly cleaning and as an added bonus, they are budget-friendly.

Did you know that colors also influence our emotional, mental, and psychological health? Psychologists say that the choice of color not only reflects our taste and personality, but it also gives an idea about our psychological condition. It has the power of changing one’s mood and usually has a ripple effect. The impact color can have, is not only about the color itself; it goes beyond that, and color’s shade, tint, brightness, and tone also play a part in extracting people’s reactions. Natural conditioning, psychological effect, and cultural backgrounds also influence the ways people react to different colors. For instance, a light shade of blue will evoke other emotions than a darker shade of the same color.

Mental health issues are rising rapidly, and today, even children are going through several psychological problems and find it extremely challenging to cope with these issues. The patients of depression and anxiety are increasing at an alarming speed, and doctors often recommend color therapy to help patients deal with mild psychological problems. Dealing with psychological issues with color therapy is not a new method, but history shows that people used it centuries ago.

Giving your home a makeover requires you to sort your things out, and while upgrading your house, when you take out all your belongings from cabinets and wardrobe, chances of losing things go higher. If you want to avert even the slightest chance of losing your precious stuff, it is better to avail of storage service and keep your treasured items secure.

If you are in the mood of upgrading your house and wants its wall to have positive effects on residents’ wellbeing, some colors that will help are as follows:

1. BLUE

Apart from influencing people psychologically, blue can impact physical health, as it helps in lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Generally, people use blue in the interior as it gives an illusion of enlarged space, and since it has different shades, you can use various tones, which will help lift dwellers’ spirits. Blue relaxes people as it has a serene effect, and it takes the unnecessary thoughts out of your mind and clears it.

2. YELLOW

People generally associate yellow with energy, as it is the sun’s color, which helps revive the lives of plants and is necessary for other living creatures. Yellow cabinets look aesthetically pleasing, and while you remodel your kitchen, you can go for warmer shades of yellow as its interior. Many people prefer dining in the kitchen, and yellow can increase metabolism rate, helping you digest food. Mustard, baby yellow, or lemon, all yellow shades appear vibrant and help make people energetic.

3. GREEN

Green is the color of plants, and nature has a fantastic quality of providing people with a calming and serene sense. It arouses thought of growth, balance, and different hues of green aid in restoring and reviving one’s inner self. People often find bringing real plants indoors challenging as it demands regular watering, and they think their lives are hectic, and they cannot look after other living beings. Having fake plants and an interior of green is another way of bringing a sense of nature at home.

4. ORANGE

When we talk about bright colors, orange is the first one that comes to mind. It instills enthusiasm and energy in residents and impacts physical health as it increases appetite. Orange interiors can make you fit as it does not let your power down, and will motivate you to hit the treadmill in your house. Orange draws attention, and you can paint the wall in shades of orange where you plan to hang the statement art piece. Orange entrances help evoke a sense of excitement as soon as you enter the home and lift your mood.

5. RED

Red is an exciting color and can have dramatic effects on people. Moreover, red gives room to play, and you can incorporate it in distinctive ways. Psychologists associate it with passion, energy, and zeal. Red is widely associated with love, as it can arouse a feeling of romance. You can use different shades of red in your living room, where you attend guests and spend most of your time, as it will hike your spirits. Crimson red, burgundy, tomato red all hues have a different effect, but all have outstanding properties and make you feel better about yourself.

CONCLUSION

In branding and marketing, color psychology is vital because correct shades evoke the desired emotions in people and extract the reactions they want from their clients. Colors are a powerful communication tool and help you send your message across without being blunt and loud. When you remodel your home, you must keep color psychology into consideration and use vibrant colors so that they will uplift your spirits when you feel down.

Moving home to a different place is a huge source of anxiety, panic, and exhausting activities that never seem to end. Moving your household to another part of the town is stressful enough, not to mention interstate moves, where odds increase for your items to get damaged, misplaced, and spoiled in bad weather, or you to face extra costs due to delays and professional movers’ incompetence. With so many things to take care of, there are many opportunities for something to go wrong. Here’s a list of common problems you may encounter and ways to avoid them. 

Having no place to stay

Don’t start a relocation process unless you have arranged your family lodgings until the new home is ready for you to move in. Failing to find a home for a few days leaves you with the additional stress of not knowing where to stay once your items reach the destination. A hotel might be a solution but, then you’re in a hurry to get down with the move to avoid paying for hotel rooms. Hurrying things up inevitably leads to mistakes, and you might do something otherwise if you had your plan worked out. Visit your new locality beforehand and book suitable lodgings for your family so you can oversee the move without thinking how much a room costs for every day of delay. 

Common Problems When Moving Homes and How to Avoid Them

Image source: shutterstock/Andrey Popov

Hiring undependable movers

While some problems may stem from your inexperience or negligence, there are also some external ones you can’t directly control. You hire the realtor and the movers hoping to get a professional service, and yet some of them are looking to make quick money off their clients, either disappearing with your deposit or change the arrangements so you’re forced to play by their rules. While this scenario isn’t your fault, you can avoid it with a bit of research. When looking up moving services in your area, make sure to read their customer reviews. Check out their social media profiles and feedback telling whether common people like you were happy with dealing with them. Seeing how they deal with their customer queries and complaints can help you decide which companies are honest and which ones to avoid.

Damaged or lost property

Negligence during transport and insufficient protection are among the main concerns by people looking to move their furniture and property. Apart from getting broken, crushed, bent, or squashed, items are sometimes misplaced or even stolen. To prevent this from happening, try to find a packing and moving service that reassures to handle your items with care. One way to make sure your items are safe is to choose shipping container transport, as an upgrade from s simple truck service. The shipping company will deliver an empty 20’ or 40’ shipping container to your address, together with packing blankets and ties for securing your goods. These moving containers are modified with tie rails and points so your goods can be secured and protected during transit. Another perk of choosing a shipping container is the flexibility of transport as you can arrange it to be hauled by either road or railway. 

Lack of scheduling

Overwhelmed with their own schedules, many homeowners only contact a moving company a day or two before the scheduled moving date. Not only does this cause immense stress and pressure of getting everything done at the last minute, but there are chances that most removal companies will be booked weeks in advance, so they will have neither staff nor vehicles to spare. In a slightly better scenario, you’ll be left to choose among the last ones on your list, risking to hire undependable services (see number 2). Remember to contact and book services you need well in advance, even a month earlier or two wouldn’t be out of line. People often underestimate the scale of the job and time required to pack, so they end up with their schedules wildly extended. 

Common Problems When Moving Homes and How to Avoid Them

Unfavourable weather

While a few raindrops on a moving day won’t cause much harm, a violent hailstorm may run your plans completely. Hauling large metal appliances in a thunderstorm isn’t the smartest move, and neither is risking your electronics to get soaked in torrential rain. Luckily, even if the weather forecast turns wrong, and instead of a nice sunny day you have raining cats and dogs, the heavy rain can easily turn down into a drizzle so you can proceed. However, make sure all the helpers you hired wear appropriate clothes and sturdy boots, as well as to have all your items wrapped in nylon covers to keep them dry whom both the rains and wet ground. 

A smooth home moving experience can be carried out with a bit of thought and consideration. While there are some factors you can’t control, much of the problems can be prevented with careful planning. Unless you have someone whose first-hand experience you can use, make sure to take some advice from these five tips.

Regardless of how we choose to decorate our home, we usually focus on the big things and focal points of the room. There is some hierarchy in filling up empty space, but in most cases, after the process is finished, most corners still remain empty. Seldom do we really have a budget large enough to actually cover everything regarding our home interior. In addition, the whole hassle is quite messy and it can be so overwhelming that we often forget about the little things and take a break once everything is functional. Usually, people stop at this point and take a rain check on the less important things. That often involves leaving all corners empty by accident. We’re here to give you some ideas on how to decorate them with style.

Potted plants

The first and most logical choice to filling up a corner is putting a plant there. Of course, you can’t put just a random plant in the corner. You need to find or make an adequate pot that is going to match the color and the design of the room. It would also be good if the pot was bigger so that the plant doesn’t look isolated and unfit for the corner. There can be a small cupboard or a tiny table underneath the pot, as well. And don`t forget to pay attention to the type of plant you choose. It would be best to choose a green leafy plant if your room has a lot of wooden furniture. This will complement the natural look of the room. Alternatively, choose a plant with a colorful flower that matches your wallpaper or room decorations.

TV corner

It may seem strange at first, but corners are excellent solutions for placing your TV. You can get those wall TV holders with a joint that enables you to tilt your screen according to your needs. It’s a fresh look that can allow you to reposition your armchairs or add a few extra pillows or tabourets that will be facing the TV. If you’re not a fan of this idea, you can put your music player and speakers or gramophone and records there and make it a themed corner with posters and musical details that will decorate it quite nicely. You can also add a single comfy chair that will enable people to sit and enjoy the music or read some magazines or a good book. 

Coffee station or bar

If you’re looking for a practical and innovative solution to decorating a corner, consider getting an espresso machine and create your coffee station in the corner of your living room. Add some appropriate photos, stickers or even wallpaper to complement the look. Make sure you make it practical and fun-looking and all your guests will admire the idea. It’s handy as you can easily make coffee without the effort of even leaving the room and it’s a creative solution that can fit into the room in a great way. On the other hand, you can also make a bar there. You’ll just need one plank and a tiny liquor cabinet and you’re finished. It would also be good to have that bottle shelf above the bar to store your favorite drinks. It’s a very nice touch.

Library

You can always have a custom-made book-shelf and fill the whole corner. However, you can also just have minimalist wall shelves and combine them with a nice lamp and a reading chair. It can be a reading corner you’ll decorate according to your own taste and preference. You can also play with the lighting and add several lamps of different shapes and intensities and make a very nice atmosphere at night when you turn them on. It can be your wine drinking corner or simply a quiet retreat where you’ll be able to rest in any way you like.

All in all, room corners can be filled with many different things. The options and ideas are many. Of course, you should make sure not to spend too much money, but at the same time, don’t just think about the aesthetics, but use as well. If there’s something you need and could be put into a corner, choose that over something that will have no use.

Aquariums are always a nice part of home décor, as they can add a pop of color to an otherwise neutral space, and they can be very entertaining to look at. However, besides being aesthetically pleasing, they are also beneficial to your health. Studies have shown that aquariums can help reduce anxiety, stress, and pain. They can also help you sleep better, and they can boost your creativity when needed. 

These are just some of the reasons why aquariums are so popular today, especially in bigger residential units. Additionally, sometimes, architects simply need to fill in some extra space, and aquariums are perfect for that. So, if you’ve been thinking about adding it to your home interior, here are a few things you should know about it. 

For bigger spaces

If you’d like to add an aquarium to your restaurant, office, or larger home, you should opt for a bigger aquarium that can become a part of the room. Some may take the form of freestanding furniture, some may look like sculptures, while some may serve as custom wall units. Regardless of how you choose to implement your aquarium, it is bound to draw attention.

Aquariums are perfect for more nature-based themes, and there is no better way to breathe life into the room. Moreover, such aquariums are much more than mere entertainment that you can focus on when bored. They are works of art, created in a way that can engage the view for much longer than a few minutes. 

Aquarium

When it comes to the designs, you can choose anything from minimalistic sea scenes with sand, some plants, rocks, and sculptures, to huge sceneries with corals, crabs, clams, and everything else that suits the idea of a living-reef tank. In this case, the aquarium is not just a typical art piece – it moves, and it grows, as everything in it is constantly evolving. 

If you’re looking for inspiration, you can search for projects done by Martin Schapira, a co-founder and a lead designer of Okeanos Aquascaping. He’s done many impressive works, but one of his most breathtaking ones is definitely the 900-gallon aquarium with color-changing LED lights. It was done in Lagos, Nigeria, and it functions as one of the main features of a dance floor. Plus, to complement the black-and-white theme of the room, Martin stocked the aquarium with 60 Banggai Cardinalfish, which are silver with black stripes and fit the theme perfectly. So, if you have a specific color scheme in your restaurant or home, think about doing something similar. 

Home-based aquariums

When talking about smaller, home-based aquariums, one of the main advantages is that anybody can have one. Even if you have a small apartment, you can easily find an aquarium that would be suitable for it. Plus, the usual “no pets” rule generally doesn’t apply to fish, so if you happen to live in a dorm room or a rented apartment, this might be a good pet for you. It’s also great for kids, since fish can be good starter pets to teach them some responsibility. However, you should keep in mind that aquariums require regular maintenance, so you need to have time for that.

Home Aquarium

Moreover, if you like the Feng Shui style, you’re probably well familiar with the importance and meaning of the water element as well as numbers. A nice aquarium can help you create a harmonious balance in your home, and having eight fish in it can bring you good luck. Although it might not make you rich or make all your problems disappear, it can still help you de-stress, relax, think more clearly, and thus, find solutions to your problems on your own. 

Regardless of whether you’re decorating a smaller apartment or a huge restaurant, installing an aquarium can really boost the style of your property. Not to mention all the health benefits it comes with. So, if this is something you’ve been thinking about, do your research on different types of aquariums and maintenance requirements, and the space you decorate with it is bound to look better than you could imagine. 

 

This is a guest post by John Basta.

When it comes to Airbnb rentals, there is no shortage of them. With so many different and amazing options, choosing where to stay can make travelers feel like they’ve just entered a candy store. And in this candy store, you want your cake to stand out. So, how do you do that? Of course, a lot of it depends on décor, as in this case, people will judge a book by its cover. So, if you want your Airbnb to be the most eye-catching one, here are a few design trends that could raise the value of your Airbnb and attract more guests. 

Think about your audience

Now, let’s be real – if your Airbnb is not overlooking some breathtaking scenery or if it’s not close to the important points of interest, you’re going to need to put in some effort. For starters, think about the kind of audience your city is most likely to attract. For example, if it’s mainly famous for festivals and nightlife, you probably want to make your place more Instagram-worthy. On the other hand, if most of your guests happen to be families, then you want to provide them with a comfortable and children-friendly atmosphere. In short, every aspect of your property’s design depends on the effect you want to achieve, and thus, on the audience you want to attract.

 

 

Don’t go wild with the base

Neutral colours might sound boring at first, but they are the safest choice simply because nobody dislikes them. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should paint everything in white and cream and leave it at that. You should spice things up with more vibrant colours – but they should be introduced through smaller details like artwork, plants, pillows, rugs, etc. This way, you’re less likely to scare off any more conservative types, and you might even impress a few people with your ability to combine different colours and create something that is everything but boring. 

What’s under your feet matters

Now, many Airbnb hosts leave their floors bare simply because it’s easier to clean them that way. Although that might be more practical, it’s definitely not more visually appealing nor comfortable. So, don’t be afraid of adding a fashionable jute rug to your Airbnb. Jute rugs are very sturdy, and they are eco-friendly, which means that your property will also appeal to the eco-conscious audience. Finally, they also come in many different sizes and colours, so they can upgrade your neutral base perfectly. 

Don’t forget about storage

This might seem like a no-brainer, but many hosts focus so much on minimalism and décor that they completely forget about storage. After all, you will have people coming from another country – they will have lots of stuff with them, and they don’t want to look for a place to hang their jacket or put their stuff. There’s nothing wrong about minimalism if that’s what you’re aiming for, but still, that’s not an excuse to be lazy. Therefore, add some hooks to the wall, build in some cupboards, and put a rack for shoes near the entrance door. Don’t make your guests frustrated the first minute they enter. 

Make it smell nice

Last but not least, interior design is not all about visual appeal. True, when browsing the website, the appearance of your Airbnb will matter the most. However, keep in mind that people often travel to the same city more than once, especially if there is a certain annual event that they want to attend. So, you don’t want to just attract new guests, but you also want to bring back the old ones. And this is where your other senses come into play – make your Airbnb smell nice. It’s bound to leave a good first impression and give you a few extra points in the reviews. Just make sure not to pick any overwhelming scent so you don’t turn off guests with allergies. 

Being an Airbnb host is a competitive business that does require a lot of dedication in order to stay in the game. Raising the value of your property depends a lot on how you can make your guests feel – there’s a reason why they chose an Airbnb instead of a hotel. So, make them feel at home, and they’ll be more than willing to show appreciation for your effort.