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According to a comprehensive study conducted on people around the globe, poor diet is a crucial factor in one in five deaths. While it has never been so precisely formulated in figures, this fact is well-known to most people. So, why do we still continue eating the wrong foods that can harm our health? Well, among other things, modern life pace is forcing us to be in a constant rush to be at several places at the same time, many of the organic foods on the market are expensive, and we often think that healthy and tasty are two opposite notions. If you want to change your diet, there is no better way to start than to optimize your kitchen for streamlined prep and decorate it for culinary motivation. Here are some tips to help you get there.

A healthy splash of paint

Did you know your brain reacts differently to different colors and that some of them can even make you hungry? Blue, for example, is an excellent color option if you need help managing your diet. Since it is a calming color, it can slow down your speed of eating and avert overeating. If blue is not your cup of tea, consider other calming hues like green and warm neutrals.

Create an efficient layout

You don’t have the time to cook? Maybe your kitchen layout and walking from one side to another constantly during the meal prepare preventing you from speeding up the food preparation. The L-shaped layout uses the rule of the kitchen triangle best and provides with a smooth cooking process. The corridor-style is also a good option since it stores everything within your reach. U-shape is similar but more spacious. L + kitchen island is a dream come true.

Invest in the best appliances

The kitchen appliances you have can significantly impact the way you cook, what you eat, and how satisfied you are while you are cooking. Invest in quality energy-saving units. Besides the large appliances, such as a stove, range, and the fridge, you should also consider getting a few gadgets like a food processor, blender, salad spinner, a steam cooker, and other appliances that are meant for preparing healthy meals.

Soften up the lighting

Proper kitchen lighting is important, not only because it will make it possible for you to prepare food even when there is no natural light, but also because it can impact your eating habits. Similarly to colors, the soft mild light will ease your mind, make you feel less stressed and, consequently, motivate you to eat healthier.

Grow your greens

Even if you are living in a skyscraper, you can have access to fresh herbs and even some vegetables. Besides promoting a healthy diet, planting a mini-garden will score you some extra points in the interior design department, because it is a huge hit in the last couple of years. You can plant a vertical green wall of herbs on the unused wall of the kitchen, and decorate your countertop with some potted scallions, peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

Decorate with motivational messages

Unless it is a habit you carry from your childhood, a balanced diet is not something that can be accomplished in a day and without proper motivation. Kitchen remodeling is the perfect opportunity to scatter some healthy lifestyle messages all around. Besides posters with motivational quotes, you can also hang photos of healthy foods (veggies and fruit paintings and photos make great artwork). Keeping healthy recipes within your reach is a must. Have a special display for your favorite cookbook, and display some of your favorite recipes on the fridge.

A healthy diet is a habit that starts in your kitchen. Optimizing the heart of your home to encourage balanced eating might require some effort and investment, but in the end, what is more valuable than your health?

Who would have thought that some of the brightest stars of the celebrity heaven sometimes need an additional income? It is not like they need a side hustle to pay the bills. As it turns out, these celebrities are quite handy businessmen, earning money not just for need but for having some side savings. Some of the successful celebrity flippers can make more money for one house sale than for a leading role in a major blockbuster, for instance. So, let us see who those wise money makers are and how that second career is working for them.

Courteney Cox

Courteney Cox

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Turns out that Monica from “Friends” is very proficient in making her earnings from buying and then reselling houses. We can even call her one of the most successful celebrity real estate flippers. Cox is not only buying plane houses and then selling to the best bitter. She is purchasing serious pieces of architecture and investing in their renovation without destroying the present historic qualities. For instance, back in 2004 she purchased a house in the Trousdale Estates for $5.45 million, added a few features and sold it for almost five times larger sum.

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner

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When he is not busy saving the world as Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner is flipping houses. Joining forces with his friend Kristoffer Winters, he is flipping everything from a Nichols Canyon home to a Hollywood located house formerly owned by legendary filmmaker Preston Sturges. Renner himself claims that he has actually earned more money from flipping real estate than from acting.

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston

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Another member of the “Friends” team finds her extra income in flipping real estate. One could say that as always she is following the footsteps of her more responsible friend, Monica (Courtney Cox). In fact, the actress’s house flipping career is equally as bright as her on-screen one – if we might add. Back in 2011, Jen sold her Beverly Hills mansion for $38 million and a year after she purchased a $21 million Bel Air mansion.

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton

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The Oscar winner and Hollywood royalty has a very lucrative side gig purchasing, fixing up and selling properties. She has undertaken several renovations of historic houses in California and flipped some of them with great gains. Her latest project is listed for listed for $6.995 million was purchased in 2012 for $5.6 million. Therefore, the actress stands to profit $1.395 million. Not bad at all, right?

Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep

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“Here, hold my Oscar, let me sell this house” – Meryl Streep. No, the famous lady did not actually pronounced these words, but we wonder how does she find time to buy, renovate and sell houses, when she is constantly being busy getting herself showered in Oscars. To be honest, her flipping career is not as bright as her acting, but it works. She and her husband might have hoped for larger profit when they listed their house for $6.75 million, but they did still earned $300, 000. Better luck next time Meryl.

Michael C. Hall

Michael Hall

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The star is surely not as cold hearted as his alter ego Dexter, but he does know how to think straight and use his head to earn some money on the side. And it seems that just as with his movies and TV career, Michael has a killer career on the horizon – no pun intended. The “Dexter” and “Six Feet Under” star has sold a Los Angeles house in 2013 after owning it for just one month. True, the profit was not large, but it is a start. Now, he has listed his California home for $4.85 million, and it is expected to profit almost $700, 000.

These celebrities are a clear proof that everyone needs a side gig sometimes and an extra cash influx has never been a bad thing.

Feature image source: Hauteresidence.com

People often want to make a change in their homes and this is something natural, and while most of you would first think of painting and redecorating the walls, we bring you something that’s both old and new, and that never fails to make an impression.

Using wallpapers can prove to be a smart choice for a variety of reasons. This is the best and fastest way to decorate your house, no matter if we are talking about your bedroom or kitchen, and you have a variety of options to choose from. Just imagine how expensive hiring a professional painter would be compared to simply attaching the pictures to the walls, and we have just the thing for you.

The-Beautiful-Chandelier-Of-Conventional-Dining-Rooms-with-Wallpaper-Murals

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You can choose from the imagery that combines classic and modern themes. There are also models with abstract themes, and if you feel you have something great in mind, you can have that made for you too!

Now, if we are talking specifically about murals and designs, floral models work best, and there are Asians themes, more particularly, Chinese and Korean, that are among the most sought for when it comes to remodelling. If you want something exotic, there are also Indian models with elephants. This will give your home that original vibe everybody’s looking for.

The-White-Chairs-Of-Conventional-Dining-Rooms-with-Wallpaper-Murals

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We cannot stress enough that individuality is important. Don’t go with a wallpaper you don’t like just because it’s popular. We are all different, with different preferences. While some people find comfort in nature and prefer nature-inspired wallpapers, others enjoy in skyscrapers, night lights, and hectic imagery of the busy nightlife because it invites pondering about life.

Either case, what’s more important is for you to create an atmosphere inside your home where you feel comfortable and welcomed…after all, your home is the place where you spend most of your time. And yes, wallpapers can help create that atmosphere, you just need to choose the one you feel closer to.

The-Blue-Wallpaper-Of-Conventional-Dining-Rooms-with-Wallpaper-Murals

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If you don’t want to cover the entire wall, another option is to use wallpaper stripes designed to be used exactly in that way. All you need is to place them strategically on the surfaces you think are empty. Give it some thought. For example, if you have a vintage cupboard that’s against the wall, and placed in the centre, a stripe of wallpaper on each side of it would make the interior even more marvelous.

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Turn the dull atmosphere into a live vibrant environment that you will enjoy in and will also impress your guests. Let your creativity guide your life and choices!   

 

Author’s bio:

With years of experience in home design and with an incredible creational spirit, Danica proves to be a very prolific designer and a very dedicated one too. Through the help of Buckeyestateblog, she wants to take this passion of hers and share it with the world, involving thousands of other people who are passionate about good taste and innovative home designs. This way she thinks she can help more and more people achieve their dreams of a dream home.

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.

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.

Image source: Flickr
Image source: Flickr

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.

Image source: Flickr
Image source: Flickr

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.