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Practical Ways to Decorate Empty Corners with Style

September 4, 2019

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.

Home Improvement

Top 5 Advantages of Energy-efficient Home Design

October 19, 2018

Mike Johnston

2 Comments

Energy-efficiency is a way of handling energy needs more sustainability. It doesn’t mean lowering your energy needs, but using less energy to produce the same effects. As a result, human greenhouse gas emissions are reduced and our utility bills are minimized. Making our homes more energy efficient is one of the best things we can do to address global warming and fossil fuel depletion. Financial savings are a more immediate reward for homeowners. Making your home energy-efficient requires significant investment in the beginning and some pretty extensive projects. However, if you are considering it, we’ll give you a few advantages to push you in the right direction.

Improving comfort

As one of the staples of energy-efficient home design, insulation will keep you warm when the weather outside is cold, and maintain a pleasant chilly indoor vibe during the summer. This happens because insulation prevents the warmed or cooled air from leaving your house through thin walls. However, to achieve maximum comfort and savings, you should also seal the air gaps around the doors and windows, and replace your weathered windows for new Energy Star-rated models.

Image source: freshome.com

Saving money in the long run

Here are some interesting facts about energy efficiency and money savings we’ve picked up from Evergy.gov:

By replacing five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs, you can save about $75 a year.
By fixing leaky faucets, you will save 1,661 gallons of water and $35 per year.
Low-e storm windows can save up to 33% on heating and cooling bills.
Installation of a water heating tank can save up to 16% annually on water heating bills.
Replacing an old toilet with a low-flush model can save up to $100 per year.
Sealing uncontrolled air leaks around the doors and windows lowers your cooling and heating bills for up to 20%.

Of course, all the actual savings will depend on your home, climate, and other actions you decide to take (e.g., buying Energy Star-rated appliances, reducing electricity use, opting for smart devices, etc.). For example, the factor that contributes to increased energy use in Australia includes high temperatures, which have broken several records in the last couple of years. All this happened while electricity prices were on the rise. Australians had the perfect response and turned to energy-efficient practices.

Image source: freshome.com

Vanquishing the energy vampires

Do you know what the first step toward achieving energy efficiency in your home is? It might seem at the first glance that it includes buying entirely new appliances, but sometimes that could create unnecessary waste and cause harm to the planet. However, some energy vampires such as old refrigerators are not supposed to be kept in the house, since they use much more energy than new units, because they need more effort to maintain the proper temperature.

Increasing the resale value

Studies conducted since the 1970s have unfailingly established that energy-efficient properties earn a higher resale value than average homes. Today, this is even more important, as millennials are stepping on the house-buying market, and they are believed to be the “greenest” generation of them all.

Image source: trendir.com

Contributing to a healthier planet

Through energy efficiency retrofits, the average home built decades ago has the potential to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses it produces by 4.5 tons per year. This is an important step toward reducing the impact of climate change.

As you see, designing your house with energy-efficiency in mind brings a whole set of advantages that can improve the quality of your life, lower your monthly expenditures and make this world a healthier place. What more do you need to know?

Interior Décor

How to Remodel Your New Home to Suit the Visually Impaired

June 19, 2018

Lana Hawkins

0 Comments

There are millions of people in the world with some kind of visual impairment. However, the one thing they all have in common is the wish to be as independent as possible. This requires their home to be spacious, well lit, carefully laid out, and with easily accessible tools and furniture. Luckily, this is not that hard to achieve, so here’s how you can remodel a home to fit the needs of the visually impaired.

Think about the lighting and colors

Brighter colors help those with partial blindness see a bit more clearly, so if possible, paint the walls of your home in such colors. If that’s not an option, then try to create a strong contrast by placing lightly colored furniture items next to darker walls and installing lightly colored doorknobs. Also, try to avoid patterned upholstery.
In terms of lighting, the best thing to do is let in as much natural light as possible. Furthermore, glare can be very harmful to the visually impaired, so keep that in mind and perhaps switch to stronger light bulbs or those that simulate natural daylight. Make sure there are extra lights in the closets ‒ not just the bedroom ones but all that are often used. Finally, add extra lighting in the areas that are prone to accidents, like stairways.

Think about the location

It’s not just the interior you need to think about; the visually impaired are more vulnerable when it comes to thefts, robberies, and other kinds of crimes. This is why if you’re looking for a new home for your visually impaired friend or family member, you should make sure it’s in the safe neighborhood. For example, if you are from Australia, there are many nice new homes in Sydney that are well designed and located in safer areas of the city.

Reduce the risk of falling accidents

If there are any repairs that your home needs, it’s important to take care of them on time. This includes broken staircases, torn carpeting, missing handrails, etc. Also, don’t keep around more furniture than you absolutely need as it only creates obstacles that make moving around more difficult. Moreover, don’t leave lying around anything you could trip over or slip on ‒ put away all your shoes as soon as you take them off, don’t leave clothes on the floor, and clean any spills as soon as they happen.

Additionally, supporting handlebars are extremely important because they allow the visually impaired to use the toilet and shower on their own. Besides the handlebars, you should also add non-slip flooring in the bathroom for the safety of the users.

Mark the appliances and food

To make it more convenient and easier to find one’s way around, use differently colored labels or brightly colored fluorescent tape on all the kitchen appliances. Also, you can’t really tell what’s in cans of food just by shaking them, so they should be properly labeled. If your visually impaired friend cannot see colors, you can use Braille indicators instead of colored labels. Rubber bands are also good for labeling food cans; for example, you can use two for fruit, three for vegetables, etc. Moreover, if there are any helpful signs that need to be made, always place them at the eye level and use larger letters.

Image source: homecrux.com

Consider getting a dog

Dogs are not called a man’s best friend for no reason ‒ they can make people feel safe both physically and emotionally. For example, people are less likely to pick on those who are accompanied by a dog, and dogs can help the visually impaired move around more quickly, especially if they are feeling uncomfortable. Plus, nobody can feel lonely around such a sweet and protective friend.

For those who can’t see well, there are safety hazards everywhere. Accidents do happen – but you can still eliminate their chances in your home by thinking about the lighting, colors, labels, and all the other details that can make the life of people who are visually impaired that much easier. If you take care of everything, you can truly create a safe and comfortable home for those who couldn’t do it on their own.

home design