Bedroom

How can I Make a Small Bedroom looks Larger?

A bedroom is one of the most important places in your house. It is where you can get a good rest, get comfortable and feel relaxed. It is the cosiest place in your house and can serve as a fortress of solitude at times when you feel a little bit down. It can also be a fun place where you can keep company of your friends, chat with them or giggle with their stories. That is why having a good space to be your bedroom really counts. But what if you only have a small bedroom? At some point, you will have to ask yourself, “How can I make a small bedroom larger?” Honestly, a small room can never get larger but with proper choice, you can achieve the feeling of having a large spacious room. This article will guide you on how to make your small bedroom larger.

Small laundry• Light Up your Room
Proper lighting can make your room looks bigger. Try to avoid using too much curtains especially if you use heavy and dark colored ones. Try to invite some daylights on by opening the curtains. Paint your room with light colors such as ivory or white paints. This will give you a good breathing-atmosphere feeling and will not make your room semi-closed. Try to use soft and light colored fabric as well in your furniture. You can also even try hanging some light colored painting in your walls to add some designs. Having a well lighted, well color-painted room is equal to a light comfy feeling.

• Taking Care of those Furniture
Usually what adds up to making your room looks smaller are the furniture. Try to move and reposition furniture every now and then. This will help you and give you the proper idea on where to put things in the right and the best places. Doing arrangements now and then can give you best solutions to your space problems.

Other considerations to put in mind are the sizes of the furniture. If you have a small room, then why bother of having a large bed? Big furniture will likely be taking up large spaces.

Small kids room• Create an Illusion
Mirrors can also help you with your space problem. Try putting in some wall mirrors in your room. Putting two or three mirrors on the wall can do magic. Wall mirrors can create an expanding wall illusion. When it catches good lights from your lamps or from your windows, the illusion will increase. The room would even feel a lot larger if it catches the reflection of an open door or of the hallway.

Now, there is no need for renovating and using sledgehammers to increase your bedroom space. Colors and even mirrors can help you solve your problems.

Small laundryIs there any excess space on your room? Is there enough space for your bed, bureau, desk, and maybe a chair? Are you trying to make your small bedroom look larger than it really is? This factor is a common problem in interior decorating because it is not easy to make a small bedroom appear larger, but with the information given in this article you should be on your way to a larger-looking room. Here are some helpful ideas to answer you problem everytime you ask yourself, “Hey, how can I make a small bedroom larger?”

• The first thing to do is look at the lighting and color of the room. Dark color of your room makes a room seem to be closed in and small. You can increase the lighting of the room to be able to make the room look bigger.
Small bedroom• Avoid using thick curtains because they will just block out too much light. If you want to use blinds or curtains, make sure that you can open and close it to let the light in. Using fabrics with light color with nature theme prints is advisable. Do not use dark paint on you walls because with this, you make the room dark and cramped. This idea is only applicable if you want to make a large room seem snug.

• Move your furniture around occasionally into different positions. This will keep the room more interesting and will allow you to find the best position for the furniture. This may help you find creative positions that you would have otherwise never found if you did not move the furniture.

• Take note of looking at the position, size and the style of your furniture. Big furniture will appear to be taking up a lot of space ina room. It is advisable to buy smaller furniture. You will surely get the appearance that the room is bigger. You must also consider the color of your furniture. Furniture that has a light color will have the same effect as the light colors of the walls.
A kid bedroom
• Placing wall mirror in a room can bring an effect of expansion of space. Wall mirrors will give the illusion of creating more space in a small room. You can increase the illusion more if you have the mirror catch light from the window or lamps.

• The last tip is to make your bed and clean your room every day. Keep everything away. Place the things on the right place where it should be.

You can now use and apply these tips on your room. It is a common problem for designers to make the small place appear larger but with the help of the suggested ideas mentioned above, you could fix this on your own.

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How tos

10 Tips to Make a Small Room Look Bigger through Decorating

Everyone desires to live in a big room. Most people who are starting to live by themselves will live in a bedsitter for a start. When living in such a small room, one usually tries to make it bigger however much it is small. They try to live big in a small room. It is possible to make a small room bigger through designer decoration. Here are ten tips that will undoubtedly make you room bigger.

· White it out

[one_half_first]A good idea to make your room bigger is to paint the walls and the roof white. White is reflective and makes a room have a cloud like an effect. It also makes the room look airy, calm and serene. Painting the room all white will also make the boundary between the ceiling and the walls unrecognizable hence making the ceiling seem higher. Architects love white color on their projects because it enhances the architectural design building. White color, therefore, prevents a cluttered look in a small room and makes it look spacious.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

However, if you feel the white color will make the room look cold and boring, add a few dark colored items for example, dark colored furniture, throw in some dark colored rugs on the floor.

· Keep a low profile on furniture

Pick furniture that is at least 10centimeters above the floor. Overstuffed and clunky furniture pieces should have no place in a small room. Pick a sofa that is on legs, that means it will be elevated to about 15 centimeters above the floor. For a table, a round one is ideal. This is because its round corners will enhance easy movement of traffic. You can also use light and reflective table tops, especially for marble or glass tables. When choosing chairs for your small room, pick chairs are high but have low backs so that they don’t clutter the room or block the view. To keep your floor open avoid coffee tables and instead use side tables.

· Add mirrors on the walls

Mirrors are meant to trick the eye. Mirrors will create a great sense of openness in the room. In addition, a mirror has reflective properties and will, therefore, reflect light making the room more lit and it will also reflect the view making hence tricking the eye to view the reflected view as part of the room.

· Ditch the drapes and curtains

Curtains block the view of the exterior of the room. They also filter the amount of light getting into the room. As we saw in the idea of the mirror, it’s all about tricking the eye. Doing away with the curtains will extend the view of the room to the exterior. Drapes also occupy some significant space and eliminating them is a nice idea to expand your room. If you will need more privacy use some shutters or some lightweight blinds. If you must use curtains, mount them on a bar that extends past the window space so that you can push the curtains away to expose the whole window.

· Flooring

The kind of flooring design that you choose will define how spacious your room looks. A flooring pattern that flows from one room to the other uninterrupted will create a notion that the room is spacious. If the floor is made of timber, choose wider boards. If you choose to tile your flow, take the large format designs to achieve a continuous flooring system. If you find it expensive or impossible to change the floor pattern of your room, look for a round rug and place it at the center of the room.This will create a continuation between the furniture without adding more mats. If you prefer the old format rugs, choose a size that fits the area that is not occupied by the furniture. Interior designers insist that the rug should not extend up to the sofa space as this makes the room visually squeezed.

· Doors

Doors occupy a lot of space in a room. Consider the swing space for a door, it’s up to a square meter depending on the size of your door. Consider using slide doors or completely removing them. If you remove the doors completely, all the rooms will seem to be connected. If you have cupboards and shelves in your room, you can also remove all the doors to make them open. This creates more space since the initially enclosed space is now part of the room. A sliding door is, however, expensive and may need some complex modifications.If you really need the doors for privacy you can adopt the use curtains that have the same color as the walls.

It is also a good idea to use barn doors. Barn doors are very beautiful when they are not made up of contrasting material.

· Shelving

Shelves are a very important component of a room. It is useful for storing small items that can otherwise make the room full and disorganized. However, when shelves are not properly designed or placed in the wrong place, they eat up a lot of space making the room worse than if they were not there. The best shelves are those that start from the floor to the ceiling. This design gives a sense of a high roof to a room hence drawing the eyes of any onlooker upwards. Interior designers also advise that you should not have a lot of storage space in a small room. It is important to combine both closed and open since an open format will make the room feel cluttered however much you try to minimize the storage in those shelves while a closed one will make you lose that personality.

It is also a good idea putting shelves in the least expected places such as pathways, over a door way.

· Emphasize the vertical and the horizontal

Employing one element in the room that will emphasize the verticality of the room will increase the sense of openness. It also enhances the feeling of movement and flows in the room. You can adopt the following elements to emphasize the vertical of the room, a tall shelf or a shelf mounted just below the ceiling, vertical shiplap or bare hanging bulb.

To emphasize on the horizontal, you can run some shiplap right up to the walls and ceiling. This will have an effect of a seamless transition from the walls to the ceiling hence emphasizing the height and width of the room. Everything is focused on enhancing movement. Look for example the legged sofas creates a sense of dynamism, the mirrors will create a sense of an extended view. All these are trying to emphasize on the horizontal dimension of the room.

· Art and decorative pieces

Art will make a small room detailed. It plays a big role in spaciousness and look of the room. Place artwork above your eyeliner to create a sense of  a high roof. If you have a collection of artwork, place them over some furniture starting from the largest in size to the smallest. Some pieces of art can be arranged according to the kind of material they are made of. You should also consider placing them over a piece of furniture, choose one that has a connection with the pieces of art so as to create cohesion.

There is a common saying that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. If you are having a small room, showcasing some outdated items won’t help. It will instead make the situation worse. The main aim of decoration is to maintain harmony between the concentration of your favorite items and a spacious area. You should, therefore, decide on a handful of items you really love and keep the rest away. A secret to keeping your decorations in place is to rotate your favorite decorations every two weeks so that each one becomes the center of attention at some moment. This also helps to ensure that you don’t get bored with the same decorations every day.

· Keep it simple

Small spaces are all about editing them to look bigger. Avoid too many knickknacks or group them so that they look like they were installed. If you have a lot of pieces, possessions, and patterns the room will definitely look cluttered. Avoid busy patterns and too warm or cold colors. Artwork or decorations should not be overdone, consider placing them on one accent wall.  The furniture you place in the room should be simple, don’t go for some funny design furniture that will make the room full and imbalanced.

In conclusion, the bottom line here is just being strict with yourself and intentional and careful about everything that goes into your room. Everything narrows down to being simple, organized and obeying a few design rules.

In a small space, everything counts. Having a small room in a house can make you feel confined and uncomfortable. You do not have to be annoyed; because there are simple reasons which you can use through the use of certain designs. There are particular tricks that, when applied, can make a small room look bigger.

Large livingroomHere are some of the known tricks you can try:
1. Open up the room by maximizing views of the outdoors; it will make your room look wider.
2. Stick to light colored walls. Light colors reflects spacious environment.
3. Good illumination provides spacious home.
4. Put away table tops which are not needed. They seem to occupy space and provide a crowded look.
5. A white painted ceiling may look higher and spacious than darker paints.
6. Diagonally designed flooring usually results in a spacious room.
7. Select medium sized tiles even in bathrooms because it makes the room more spacious.
8. Do not buy oversized furnitures; it will eat up a lot of space inside the house.
9. Simple window decorations will help your room look bigger.
10. Mirrors can also make your room look bigger.

Small elegant bedroomKeeping your room tidy and organized can help make your room look bigger; because there are lots of spaces to move freely. Do not cover your walls with a lot of decorations; it looks untidy and confined when you put so much wall decorations. Arranging the furniture with focus will help you achieve the spacious look you want. Take out large rugs, fixtures and other things inside; it will make you feel more relaxed and comfortable.

References:

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Bathroom

Bathroom Designs: Shower Door Selections

While you may lament the idea of yet “another, boring, back-breaking, renovation job” it’s important to take a moment to step back and remember all the positives of renovating. First of all, it increases the value of the property you own. Should you ever want or need to sell your home, you can take pride in knowing you made the latest and greatest upgrades to your home that appreciate with value.  Not only that, but renovating is a preventative measure that not only can and will prevent dangerous and costly unforeseen wear and tear circumstances that in the worst-case scenario could destroy your home, leaving you completely homeless and stranded without somewhere to sleep.

[one_half_first]Your home is your palace. You should cherish every moment in your home in peace and happiness. If you renovate something and it ends up looking just like the picture you conjured out of your wildest dreams or exactly like a “spot the differences” photo challenge between a picture of your bathroom and that classy home décor magazine, you’ll derive peace of mind, happiness, and pleasure from you place you live. A welcome break from all the stress of the outside world.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

There are quite a few hotspots in houses that are traditionally considered the most “bang for your buck” jobs to tackle. In no particular order, those would be:

  1. The bathroom
  2. The kitchen
  3. The living and dining rooms
  4. And finally, bedrooms.

The bathroom is a fantastic place to renovate, especially since it is a high traffic area seen by multiple people every day and the equipment is highly durable. When it comes to bathrooms, you won’t need to be renovating for quite some time.

Picture this for a moment. Step into the bathroom. Fumble blindly across the wall for that light switch you know is somewhere there.  At last, after finally finding the light switch and your eyes adjust to the immediate shock the overhead artificial lighting provides, what do you immediately see? You may notice the toilet or the sink first, but most people will say the first thing that they notice is the shower stall.

Indeed, the shower stall can make or break the bathroom completely. Bathroom renovations should most definitely start at the beginning with the shower stall itself as its ‘main attraction’ and the rest of the furnishings should step to the background to allow the centre-piece to shine.

Really, are you sure? Shower Stalls?

So, what is there to a shower stall? Is there much to it worth considering? Without a doubt, the answer is yes, yes, and yes. From curtains to curved doors, a shower stall immediately demonstrates style, design, and can be a wonderful demonstration of just how in with the times the designer is. Some designs are old, antiquated and simply plain ugly. Adding or removing the nicest light fixture, sink, and toilet to this bathroom is not going to make the bathroom look any better. Can’t you just picture it now? Unfortunately, this attempt to renovate would just be a complete and utter disaster.

Just what types of shower doors are there?

Let’s begin with a basic run down of the diverse types of shower doors.

There’s the common swinging door:

  • These are most popular in stand-alone corner showers.
  • These are the most popular shower door fixtures in spaces that are short on space as the door closes upon itself.
  • The door swings open and can either pivot either in or out depending on the space available.
  • If you are short on space, this is an option to go with when choosing your new shower door.

Next on the list is the bypass (also known to most as sliding doors):

  • These are most popular in self-contained shower units that take up most of the entire length of a wall.
  • These shower doors require a much larger shower unit, but certainly are much higher up on the shower-with-style scale than the swinging door.

Let’s not forget though, the swinging door is for those who are in dire need of saving of square foot they can. Not everyone can afford the space a wall to wall shower dictates.

If you have space, and like the idea of sliding in and out to get in the shower, then this might be the decision you’ll be making when you’re ready to renovate. Newer, and less popular are the extravagant round door style.

  • Round doors open inwards and are usually corner stalls, with the door being attached all the way to the top and the bottom.
  • Because they’re curved, the bathing area becomes larger.
  • While it’s true, the round door style generally requires the most space, it also offers the most bathing space. This is a strong point to consider if you’re looking to change your shower stall. The round door style is elegant, stylish, and a unique look to bring to the bathroom.

What about the type of door frames? What’s the difference? Is there a difference at all?

Do I need to consider several types of door frames for my shower? The is definitely the next question in the decision making process. The answer is yes, there are some differences that are important to note.

The two major styles:

The two major styles frequently seen in most residential units are frameless doors and framed doors. Framed doors are indeed very much similar to your everyday bedroom door –they use a frame system above and below the panel to secure the door in place. Framed models require a little more space, but they can often cost much less, making them extremely budget friendly, and can take significantly more abuse. Material wise, frames are almost always made out of aluminum

As mentioned above, the other popular door type is frameless. The frameless systems are more modern. They are easier to clean and care for, as well as work great in small bathrooms. This makes them a very popular choice. It’s important, however, to note that they require thicker glass, expensive hardware, flawless fabrication

What about those of you who are DIY-kind of guy or gal?

Of course, if that’s the case, the frame definitely makes a huge decision if you are intending on making this a personal, weekend warrior type project for you to conquer with the help of your trusty power tools.

Framed or frameless makes a big decision if you are intending on this being a personal project. Remember, frameless requires much more expensive materials, and an extremely precise installation – it just simply might not be worth the extra cost and effort.  Those of you interested in a DIY install should most definitely take framed doors into strong consideration when making their choice.

For those of you who prefer to leave your design and renovation projects to the pros, you’re in quite a bit of luck provided you can fork over the fees associated with this design freedom.  As mentioned, for an often-negotiable fee, you open up a world of different installation options for your bathroom shower door. Most local and chain based vendors have an absolutely massive catalog to pick from, and on top of that, they will offer to install it as well!

Not to mention, if there are pieces and parts of the design that you can find elsewhere but not at that specific store, most contractors from big hardware stores will incorporate the price of sourcing that material into their fee! If you can budget towards getting your bathroom renovated, this is definitely an option that takes a lot of the dirty work off of your hands into the hands of someone who is used to getting them dirty and getting paid for it.

A final option that anyone can indulge themselves in is finding all the parts, pieces and materials needed and sourcing an independent contractor. Independent contractors can be very helpful as they have no affiliation with any big hardware store and won’t be biased in the decision-making process. They also may be able to help with the sourcing process, even find you very good deals and matching your budget with look-alike products every step of the way. Usually, independent contractors are found online or through word of mouth, so they aren’t very difficult to find.

Conclusion:

Let’s face it. You need to love the place you live. Something as small as changing that dreary old shower curtain to a sleek and modern frameless glass panel would not only make you feel great about the decisions you made to redo that old outdated bathroom of yours – but it will also improve the value of your home should you decide it’s time for you to sell it. Who knows? Maybe you will have been hit by the renovation bug and now officially cannot wait to start on the very next project on the list!

Shower doors are an essential part of a bathroom, if you know what I’m talking about. However, it would seem that even the shower doors of a bathroom are unable to escape the artistic minds of interior designers. And in this article, we shall take a look at the different ways that interior designers do to make door shower selections to people’s homes and help you decide on a design that can match your preference or can match the current design and feel of your bathrooms. Before the intricate design on the doors themselves, shower doors are generally categorized in the way they are separated from the main room. And they are classified as either a sliding shower door or a pivot point shower door.
Glass shower door
Sliding shower doors are essential doors that are aligned flatly at each other and as the name suggests, it is opened by sliding the door to each other. These are perfect for small bathrooms because it doesn’t need to take up an arbitrary space for it to be opened Pivot point shower doors works like hinged doors in the sense that it needs to be swung to be opened. They are, however, different from hinged doors in its mechanism, because the doors are usually created from one whole glass sheet; drilling holes on it is not a good choice. Instead, pivot points on top and bottom of the sheet are installed replicating the door swinging mechanism of hinged doors.

Why Go For Glass Shower Doors?

Shower doors are a welcome addition to your bathroom. They increase the shower performance and give a pleasant ambiance when you shower. Also they last for a longer time than the shower curtains. With so many benefits going for them, shower doors are definitely your choice to deck up the bathroom. Shower curtains are available in many varieties and you can get one that will be right for your bathroom.
Shower door for bathrooms
The door frame:
There are two main categories available for you to choose from namely framed shower doors and frameless ones. This is based on the quantity of metal [aluminium] present in the frame that borders the glass panels. Framed ones are better aesthetically, as they are more stylish and attractive to look at. If you want a simple design then you can go for the frameless ones where you have minimal amount of the frame used.

Thickness and types of glass panel:
As the glass panel is the main component in the shower door, proper quality should be chosen. The thickness of glass adds to the strength and performance. It also makes the door look stylish and beautiful. 1/2”, 3/8” and 1/4” are optimal thickness measurements. The various varieties available include rain, embossed, etched and antique ones. Choosing from these depends on the type of décor your bathroom has. These add glamour to your shower cubicle.
Glass shower door
Proper finish:
The décor and the color of the door should match correctly for a better appearance. You can choose from more than 40 shades of colors and finishes, present with the manufacturers of shower doors. You get paint finishes that come in a variety of colors to suit your style. There are anodized finishes which you get in three types. There are gold, silver and also nickel finishes available in the anodised form. If you go for the brass finish, you have polished chrome and antiqued brass finish to choose from. The brass finish also comes in nickel and gold type of finishes. Whatever types you choose, be it simple and trendy ones or the classic and antiqued types, shower doors enhance your décor and give your bathroom a glamorous and alluring effect.

References:

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Tips

Children’s Safety: Safeguard your Children from window coverings

A home represents a safe haven for children, a place that provides an element of safety and protection from potential danger. But without some precautions and careful safety measures, even your home can present some unforgiving and somewhat unexpected dangers. One of these dangers is window coverings, especially corded window blinds.

Corded blinds pose an imminent health risk to children. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), every month a child between the age of 7 months and 10 years dies from strangulation due to a window covering cord, and another child will suffer near strangulation. It’s too easy for a child to unknowingly wrap a blind cord around their neck or get tangled up in cords that aren’t necessarily visible but are accessible, and cause their own untimely death. It’s important to note that these silent deaths can occur extremely fast, and even when the parent is present in the room.

[one_half_first]The issue goes way beyond leaving your child unattended momentarily or even from buying cheap blinds. In the mid-1990, the window coverings manufacturing industry went through major safety investigations, and as a result of this, the products were redesigned with added child safety features.  Some of the window coverings were given safer cord systems and some went totally cord free. However, even with these extra safety measures put in place, the statistics are still harrowing. This calls for action on our parts, as the parents.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Understandably, parents all across the globe are willing to do anything and everything in their power to keep their child from harm. If it isn’t financially plausible for you to buy new cordless blinds, there is still plenty you can do to prevent the so-called silent killer from striking once more.

Safety Solutions

Cut the cord

Long dangling cords are asking for trouble. Cut the cord as short as you can justify, keep it long enough for you to operate the blinds comfortably but short enough that it is out of reach for the little ones. Tucking the excess cord away on a nearby shelf or window sill is absolutely not a safe enough option. Children get their hands into anything, and it is still possible for them to put themselves in danger if the window covering cord is simply just tucked away out of sight.

Safety Devices

There is an array of safety devices that you can get your hands on, online or in the store. One of the best examples is the cord cleat. The cord cleat allows you wrap the excess blind cord up so it is no longer easily accessible. They anchor adjacent to the window and are very easy to use. And what’s more, you can order them for free online.

Move nearby Furniture

Children have a tendency to explore and climb on everything, and as a parent, you will definitely know this to be true. Even if you have installed Cord Cleats, it’s still not worth the risk. Any furniture that is close enough to a window sill to be used as a stepping stone for a child needs to be moved. This includes settees, cribs, and tables, anything that can be utilized as a climbing frame. Moving the furniture away from windows will greatly reduce the risk of serious or even fatal danger. Another trick would be to remove any light objects (anything a baby or toddler could easier move on their own) that could be stacked up to create a ladder or stepping stones for a child. Again, children are well-known for their creative thinking but this is not safe. If you are the room with them, you can simply keep your eye on the situation but if you need to leave the room, then take the easily transportable things with you.

Fire Guard

If your child is still quite young and is still in the crawling-only-just-walking stage, then a fire guard place in front of the window could be a temporary safety measure. It will prevent them from getting close enough to the cords to fiddle with them and therefore, making it a lot safer. Also, typically radiators are placed under windows which when turned on can pose a risk of their own, and this solution can ward against that too. Of course, this will only work temporarily and it won’t work for older children, but it can give you a bit of time to save up for new cordless blinds or to come up with a more permanent solution.

Tell them and make sure they know the dangers

With younger children, this can be a little trickier, but it is still possible. If you spot your little one trying to get hold of the blind cord or messing around with it then slightly raise your voice. Not too much, but enough to make them stop. Stay consistent with this and hopefully, they will learn that blind cords are not to be played with. Seeing as window covering related injuries and fatalities can affect children up to the age of 10 if you have a child of this age or a little younger simply tell them how dangerous blind cords can be. Don’t be too graphic with them but do explain to them that blind cords can be terribly dangerous and must not be messed around with or played with. Again, stay consistent with this.

Don’t assume anything

Again, it’s important to remember that this silent killer can happen to older children too so don’t automatically assume that your child has outgrown the risk factors surrounding blind cords. It is vital that you keep your vigilance about you.

Install new blinds one at a time

Cordless blinds are definitely the future, they reduce the risk of strangulation massively but they come with a price and it can definitely be appreciated that it is not financially possible for some. Until legislation states that cordless blinds are the only blinds permitted, it is still okay for you to have corded blinds as long you take precautions, especially if you have children. However, you could install new cordless blinds gradually, one room at a time. Focus on the room your child frequents the most often, so maybe their bedroom or the living area. Then slowly you can equip your whole house with the new blinds but can be reassured that the most prominent danger has been noticeably reduced. And because cordless blinds are becoming more popular, they coordinate safety and style so you don’t have to worry about them looking out of place.

Supervise your child

Statistics show that blind cord related fatalities can occur when the parent is in the room supervising. However, these instances typically happened when the parent turned their back momentarily to answer the phone or tidy away some toys. With that in mind, make sure that when you are supervising your child play or watching tally, that you stay on the ball. Anything else that you need to do will have to wait, your child’s safety is more important than doing the dishes.

While window covering cords are a primary child safety concern and pose a greater risk, other window coverings such as floor-length draperies need to be considered too, as they can pose a safety threat themselves. For these, a suggestion could be tying them up for a stylish effect, keeping the draperies and of course, your little one safe.

Lead Poisoning

In 1996, it also came to light that vinyl blinds, also known Venetian blinds, contained lead. The blinds are naturally exposed to sunlight and heat, and over time this caused the vinyl to deteriorate and leave lead dust on the surface of the blinds. The lead was used in the plastic of the blind as a stabilizer and it’s the plastic that would deteriorate over time.  Now as you know, children have a tendency to put anything and everything in their mouths, including their hands. If the child has been playing around with the blinds or even just happens to brush their hand against it and then puts their hand in their mouth, they put themselves at a huge risk of giving themselves lead poisoning which as you can guess is deadly. Lead is a highly toxic metal and a very deadly poison. Lead poison occurs when there is a build-up of lead in the body, and it can cause developmental delays and severe neurological problems, and in rare cases, it can have fatal effects.  Generally, the risk of lead poisoning is greater in children under the age of 6, any older than that and the risk greatly decreases.

Conclusions:

If you have blinds that predate 1996, then you should really considerate throwing them out. Lead poisoning doesn’t display symptoms quickly; it needs to build up over time so the sooner you throw your vinyl blinds out, the better. Since this issue was brought to light, companies that supplied blinds will now state that they are ‘Lead-Free’ or ‘Non-Leaded Formula’, so you are able to make educated choices for your child’s safety.

A home provides safety and security to any child. But this haven has its share of dangers, especially for children, and one of them is window coverings. However, with a little effort and the right precautionary measures, you can prevent any mishaps. Make a through study of all danger spots and if necessary get down on your hands and knees to look at your fixtures from a child’s perspective, especially the window coverings.

Roman curtainsWith regards to window covering you can take the following precautionary measures to make them as child-safe as possible. If you have Vertical Blinds installed on windows then opt to have wand controls instead of the cord types. Dangling cords are disasters waiting to happen, especially if you have kids. Some blinds have break through tassels that provide more safety than regular blinds. Check whether your manufacturer has something that is similar to those for added safety. If you have existing blinds that has long cords try to cut them short, just enough to comfortably operate the blinds. This will take care of the unnecessary dangling length of cord. If you are about to install new blinds, then you can consider to install blinds or shades that have motorized controls.

Bamboo blindsToday, you have countless varieties of blinds and shades that come in different styles and designs. You can opt for the cordless models that are most favored these days. These cordless blinds are child safe and it is also equipped with easy to operate controls. All you have to do is lift the shades up. All the above tips and options are put forward to make your window coverings as safe as possible for your children. However, the best safety measure that can protect your child is to keep them under adult supervision.

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14 Ideas for Slipcover Fitting Sofas and Furniture

Loose fit slipcovers or sofa slipcovers that claim to be “one size fits all” things seem to be the best solution for sofa and chair decoration.  They are usually very affordable and available in various colours, styles and sizes, and once you understand how to put them on correctly are very beautiful to look at. However, they often seem to refuse to stay in place and so may look wrinkled, rumpled, or just plain askew, especially when someone decides to jump or hop on them… making you very frustrated. To solve this problem, here are 14 ideas and tips to help you in the difficult craft of slipcover fitting.

Washing the slipcovers before using them

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It may be useful to wash the slipcovers before putting them on the chairs or on the sofa. Remember to dry them carefully, as this will help reduce the wrinkles you may see on them. If necessary try to iron them, after making sure that the slipcovers material will not be damaged by the heat.

Then, you should place the dry slipcovers on your chairs or sofa making sure to put them at the centre. Once you have done so, try to arrange the cover while tucking and smoothing it until you are satisfied with the result.

Washing the slipcovers before using them, but leaving them damp

 On the contrary, some say that it is better to wash the slipcovers and trying to place them on the chairs or sofa while they are still damp. This will also help reduce the wrinkles, and it would be easier to make the surface of the slipcovers smooth. However, it depends on the fabric they are made of; so, think about your own slipcovers and choose the best solutions that may fit them, this one or that explained in the first point.

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Adding ties to the slipcover

Even if it could seem obvious, adding ties to the underside of a slipcover is the best way to secure it to a chair or a sofa. The method is very easy and simple: just attach two adjacent ties to the underside of the slipcover, and then tie them under the legs of the chair or of the sofa. Once you have placed the slipcover on the chairs or sofa, it is better to use a chalk to mark the area where you need to sew the ties. For your ties, you can use various materials: fabric, twill tape or strong cord, also according to your personal taste.

Adding zippers to the slipcovers

 To make your slipcovers fit perfectly, you can try to add zippers or other closing devices to your chairs, cushions or to the corners of your sofa, especially if your furniture is larger on top than at the bottom. If you decide to add a zipper, make sure you extend it from below the top of the slipcover down to a 1/2-inch above the bottom edge. Measure the zipper carefully after putting the slipcover back on the chair or on the sofa, and remember to pull the open seams together while doing it.

Adding snaps or Velcro to the slipcovers

Using snaps of Velcro may be the best solution if you do not like zippers or find it difficult to apply them on the slipcovers. You can possibly use also some snap tape, as it is only snaps sewn onto a strip of fabric. Velcro is another easy and simple solution to secure the slipcovers. If you think that this is the best solution for you, be careful when treating the slipcovers with snaps or Velcro, because you could slightly damage them.

Adding grommets and ribbons to the slipcovers

Adding ribbons and grommets to your slipcovers may be a creative, lively and colourful way to close the flaps in the back or at the sides of a chair/sofa slipcover. Lacing them together with a nice decorative ribbon running through grommets is a wonderful idea if you feel particularly inclined to pretty decorations.

Adding frogs to the slipcovers

 Of course, these frogs are not the animals you can usually find in ponds, but two-piece decorative cord closing devices that should be sewed on the face of the slipcover. To use them, it is necessary to place the slipcover on the chair or on the sofa and closing the frog, so as to make the two pieces joined as if they were one single element. You should the pin the frog on in order to make it close the fabric, and then attach it to the fabric itself with a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine or by hand.

Using a fabric made with Lycra

Lycra is a useful stretch material which can be added to your slipcovers, helping them conform to your chairs or sofa. You can easily add some Lycra on the centre back of the slipcover or in other hidden areas, to make it fit even better. The best thing to do would be to find some Lycra that matches the colour of your slipcover. To use it, you can easily replace a part of the back area of your slipcover with Lycra sewn to the other panels.

Using a flat wooden piece to place the slipcover

 If you are having many difficulties even in merely placing the slipcovers on your chairs or, more probably, on your sofa, using a flat wooden piece may help you a lot: In this way, you can easily insert the slipcovers even in the most unreachable parts, and make them smooth, with no ugly wrinkles. Also consider asking your husband or son for help, it may be unexpectedly useful!

Trying to best arrange the slipcover on the chairs or sofa

 It may be obvious, but it is necessary to remind you that it is important to make the slipcover go over the entire surface of the sofa or of the chairs. You should arrange the length of the slipcover all around them, and once you are satisfied with the look of the sides, you should try to make the back and the arms smooth. Remember to push into the crevices as much excess fabric as you can, so as to avoid wrinkles.

Wrapping rubber bands around the chairs

To keep a slipcover from moving and sliding all around, you can also try to wrap rubber bands around the surface of a chair, the one that goes underneath the slipcover. This can easily prevent it from slipping away every time one decides to sit on that chair.

Using twist pins

Twist pins can be found very easily in any sewing store, or online. They can be very useful to hold the slipcovers in place and preventing them from going wherever they want- often on the floor. The most common twist pins are in transparent plastic, but you can also find them in various shapes, sizes and colours. This will undoubtedly add a touch of liveliness to your slipcovers, and you just need to screw them into the fabric of the slipcovers that you want to keep in place.

Create your own slipcovers

 If you are tired of the “one size fits all” slipcovers that do not fit at all, you can also create them on your own. It may seem difficult, but if you take your time and pay attention to all the details it will be not so complicated as you may think.  In this case, make sure to carefully measure your sofa or your chairs, for example from the floor at the left side, up and over the arm, across the seat, up and over the arm and down to the floor on the right. Always remember to add some inches for seams and a margin for error. Carefully calculate the total length of fabric that you will need. It is advisable to wash the fabric, especially if it is made of cotton, as it will be more likely to shrink. If it is still slightly damp when you use it, you will not have to iron out any wrinkles. Start draping the fabric over the chairs or the sofa, keeping the printed side out and pressing it flat against all the surfaces of the furniture. Remember to cut away the extra fabric and pinning the rest of the fabric, so that it follows the contours of the chairs or of the sofa and cover each area of them. Then, remove the fabric from the sofa and baste it together, by hand or with the help of a sewing machine. Now put the basted slipcover back on the surface to cover with the printed side out and using straight pins make all the necessary adjustments. In the end, sew the slipcover together and do not forget to stitch the hems.

Keep your children out of your slipcovers

The last and best way to make your slipcovers fit perfectly is to keep them in place, very obviously. So, if your children or animals always make tem fall on the floor or damage them, try to teach them not to do so. It might work!

In conclusion, with all the ideas listed above slipcover fitting will not be a problem anymore, and surely you will able to enjoy all the beauty and liveliness of your own chairs and sofas.

It is a beautiful weekend morning. It is your rest day, and you don’t have any particular plans for today. The mood seems very perfect, the scenery looks very tranquil, and the glimmering sunlight illuminates the entire room harmoniously. Everything seems to be really pieced together nicely, until you one peculiar thing, your furniture doesn’t seem to be as radiant as the surrounding ambience.

Single sofa slipcoverSlipcovers, transcending from its practical use as a protection for furniture during the summer season, has now evolved as a form of art, and as a common item in furniture decoration. There are specific themes for slipcovers depending on the preference of the owner. Fixing your slipcovers and making them look nice is not really a very difficult task to do, nor would it take a significant amount to time to accomplish. You can even amplify the slipcover’s intended purpose in design, provided that you can follow these tips in applying slipcovers on furniture.

Classic sofa slipcover
Since slipcovers come in a wide range of colors, themes and sizes, you should first find the appropriate slipcover for the furniture you intend to apply it on. You should also consider how a particular slipcover theme would blend in to the room where you furniture is, and should choose a theme or color that matches the ambience of the room. If you are on a budget, you can choose single color themes and ready made slipcovers. Most of them are affordable enough yet provides enough quality for your furniture. After choosing the right slipcover for a particular piece of furniture, it is now time to put them on the furniture, and here are some guidelines on how to apply them properly.

Common problems of loosely fitted slipcovers

For loose fitted slipcovers, you can already make them look sophisticated and stylish by simply adding layers when tucking them on furniture. The extra area of the slipcover can be applied for designing or “sculpting” the slipcover to the furniture. Simple designs like overlapping the slip cover two to three times at each side of the furniture can already provide the artistic touch that it needs. You can also add casual ambience on the furniture by draping the extra area of a loosely fitted slipcover on the sides of the furniture.

Sofa slipcoverOne of the common problems of loosely fitted slipcovers is that, for example, the sofa slipcover is not tucked properly throughout the furniture, and it becomes a problem once the furniture is used too often. This problem can be solved by tucking in other objects into the crevices of the furniture, such as old newspapers or old magazines bound together with rubber bands. By fitting them properly, your slipcover will now be more durable and would be kept from being easily disorganized.

In fitting slipcovers, you can also apply techniques that are not only practical, but provide style as well. Draped fabric on the bottom can be either plain loose or pleated, depending on your preference. If your furniture gets used all too often, it might be better to slip in slipcovers with more durable fabric, but not too durable though, just enough for the slipcover to last out getting used often but is still easy to clean and maintain. If you’re still on a budget, you can still put more creative ideas like creating a general theme for the whole room, not just by matching the color combinations of the furniture slipcovers to the room, or by fully tailoring the entire room to suit a particular theme, but by trying to imitate the look and feel of the room onto the slipcovers.

Modern sofa slipcoverThose are only some of the general ideas and tips on how to maximize your home furniture design by fitting them with slipcovers. Remember, you don’t need spend a lot of money just to make your furniture look nice and good.

Making Your Very Own Loveseat Slipcover

If you are looking for an article on how to make your own slip covers for a loveseat, then keep on reading. As slip covers go, the fabric that should be used must be a medium-weight fabric. First, sketch your loveseat with paper and pencil. Write down the measurements on the corresponding sections of your loveseat sketches.

Original jean sofa slipcoverStart measuring for the slip cover’s main section by measuring the back of the loveseat, beginning at the floor. Remove the cushions, letting the measuring tape traverse the length of loveseat from back to front. End the measurement at the floor when you reach the front part of the loveseat. Reminder: give an additional six inches to the total length of this measurement for the hem of the slip cover. Next, measure the loveseat’s width. Set aside two pieces of rectangular fabric cut in this size to be sewn together. Once sewn together using a seam that goes down the middle of the loveseat, insert the excess fabric into possible nooks in the loveseat. Let the material fall towards the floor after most of it has been gathered on the loveseat’s sides.

Spread the material over the loveseat while wrapping it around the sides. Let the edges overlap, then secure with pins. Use strips of matching material to secure the gathered fabric by tacking one end close to the front of the seat and the other end close to the back. Draw the ends together and then tie. Machine stitch the fabric’s hem once you’ve marked the hem on all sides after tucking the fabric into every nook and cranny of the loveseat.

Single sofa slipcoverMeasure the front of the loveseat’s armrest’s height starting from the floor to the top of the armrest. Move to the side of the seat next, measure from the floor up and over the armrest to six inches below where the cushions lie. Allow room for a hem. Measure the width of the armrest starting from behind down to the front then add the measurement you took earlier from the armrest’s height. Make two rectangles of material with this size; lay each rectangle over an armrest, pulling the excess fabric into a gathered cluster on the armrest’s front. Let this hang towards the ground.

Like in the main section, the gathers should be tucked in and secured. As for the cushions, sew casings for them as you would a square pillow except that allow for a strip of fabric that is as thick as the cushion to be sewn between the upper and lower parts of the cushion casing. Finally use hardware store purchased screw-in pins to secure the slip cover to the loveseat.

Sofa Slipcovers: Instant Makeover for your Home

One of the easiest and affordable way to change your home décor is to fit your worn out and dull looking sofa with charming and bright hued slipcovers. In addition to sofa slipcovers there are various covers for all kinds of furniture in numerous styles and designs that are available at affordable rates. Specially designed stretch slipcovers are available for easy and comfortable fit with which you can change the look of your home in minutes. Warm and bright colored slipcovers can camouflage your torn or worn out upholstery of your sofas and furniture instantly, to give a stunning new look to them and to your home décor.

Classic sofa slipcoverToday, slipcovers are available in a wide range of colors, designs and patterns, from which you can very easily choose one to suit your existing home décor or the theme of a room. The colors and style range from country patterns that come in checks and floral designs to contemporary lines and prints. Fabrics with attractive patterns are available in leather, denim, linen and much more. There are also a wide selection of textures and fabrics that are made to be durable, machine washable and to withstand every day use. This feature is greatly appreciated, especially if you have kids and pets at home.
To get a uniform and coordinated look, it is best to cover all the sofas, chairs, furniture seats, recliners, ottoman and anything else that can be covered with carefully selected slipcovers. The most important benefit of using slipcovers instead of going for re-upholstering is that it is very easy and affordable to replace or change the slipcovers whenever you want to, whether due to necessity or just to have a new look.

Sofa slipcoverFor example, with the huge range of colors and patterns available in slipcovers and because of their affordability, you can even change the look of your home in accordance with the seasons. Or you can change the look for a special occasion or just because you are tired of a particular look. If you are looking for an instant makeover of your home that can be done without putting a dent in your pocket, then purchasing a few slipcovers can do the job.

Application of the slipcover is also important

Application of the slipcover is also important, as it is the process of actually designing your sofa to a custom fit that matches your preference. You don’t just drape the entire fabric onto the sofa. When tucking your slipcover into your sofa, remember that most ready made slipcovers are usually larger that what actually fits the furniture, you’d have to tuck them snugly in or they would wear off easily. Wrinkles should be taken care of before your sofa turns into an old hag, simply put them in the dryer, set it to warm, place a damp washcloth in, and set it for around 10 minutes.

Single sofa slipcoverYour final priority would be the process of placing your sofa with a fitted slipcover with a theme of your choice on the living room to check and see for yourself if the theme of the slipcover matches the room’s feel. Does the room emanate with nature spelled out on every corner of the room? Then try making a forest theme for your slipcovers. Certain colors like forest green or deep burgundy would be perfect to suit a room with nature as its main theme. How about summer themes? Sprinkling brightness to your room with sofas fitted with brightly themed slipcovers can create the total summer ambience that the room needs. Just remember one thing in choosing the proper theme for your sofa. It’s not just the sofa that should be taken into consideration, but the entire area or surrounding that the sofa will be placed into.

Furniture Slipcovers for Added Appeal

Nowadays, furniture slipcovers have acquired an entirely new look with all kinds of imaginative and fun filled shapes filling the stores. You can see wing backed chairs, loveseats, ottomans and even sectional sofas. You can give your existing furniture anew appearance with these slipcovers. They give a new look and add charm to your entire set up. You can either get ready made ones or custom made ones according to your budget. But custom made ones are not much expensive when you consider the cost of changing the entire furniture arrangement. Moreover these have the added advantage of being easily changeable and also can be maintained easily.

Modern sofa slipcoverSo where to use these slipcovers? Almost every room in the house is in need of slipcovers. The sofa in the living room, the cushions in the bedroom and many other areas can be spruced up with these slipcovers. They give a shielding effect to the existing pieces and at the same time manage to give the furniture a new and alluring appearance. Try to keep some spare slipcovers [you can buy a large load at discounted prices] in case of emergencies which are a sure thing if you have a set of unruly kids at home. The slipcovers available at the stores are durable and can be machine-washed. Get some long lasting cotton ones that will survive the daily use.

Original jean sofa slipcover
For the dining and kitchen you have a variety of stretch slipcovers which deck up your dining chair or your kitchen equipments. They prevent the furniture and appliances from getting soiled by food and drinks that spill on them. You can get a daily use one and a decorated one for party use. These add color and appeal to your rooms and make them fresh and attractive and cost you a lot less than furnishing with new items. Moreover you can change these to something new any time you feel you want a change. Go ahead and splurge on new slipcovers if you want to give your rooms an entirely fresh and appealing air.

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Decorating Sofas: Splashing Colors and Style into a Room using Slipcovers

You will find Sofas in almost all living rooms across the globe; they can therefore not be left out on matters of decoration. One of the easiest and commonly used methods of decorating sofas and giving your living room life is through slipcovers. One of the issues that must be put into consideration even as you go to purchase the slipcovers is the issue of color. As much as slipcovers can transform your sofas, it is important to choose a color that is in line with the surrounding. In other words, the color you settle for should be your room’s theme.

[one_half_first]Apart from the slipcovers’ color, you must consider the material of these covers. This is important not only because of the durability issue, but also because of sensitivity to sunlight. So, you don’t want to waste your cash on torn slipcover the next day. Go for something that will serve you for at least two years or even more. Do a thorough research first and you will discover that there are actually many affordable slipcover designs with authentic fabrics out there – don’t settle for less![/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Change the appearance of living room

Since sofas occupy the biggest portion of your living room, you can change the appearance of your living room by addressing the slipcover issue. For easy fitting, choose stretching slipcovers and just in case your sofas are worn out, bright colors can help hide these flaws. But basically, slipcovers come in different patterns, colors, and designs. The style of course depends on the country of origin. Even as you choose durable fabrics and textures, make sure they are machine washable and can stand everyday roughness from children and pets.

To achieve a coordinated appearance in your living room, it is advisable to find covers for recliners, chairs, and furniture seats as you find some for sofas. One of the advantages of slipcovers is that they can easily be changed whenever there’s need to, and they are affordable. If you intend to have a makeover in your living room, but at a low cost, then buying slipcovers will work magic.

Slipcovers have come a long way, and thanks to creative designers, furniture slipcovers have more classical look. Depending on your budget, it is possible to give your furniture a transformation with either custom or readymade slipcovers.  When you consider the costs that come with changing all the house furniture, the custom made slipcovers are much cheaper.

Slipcover Buying Guide

Buying the correct slipcover can be a confusing affair. The following tips will help you make the right choice when you go buying slipcovers.

  1. Buy the correct size

Slipcovers out there in the market vary in size, it is therefore crucial to have your sofas measurements as you head to the store. Most designers advise you have the longest measurement of your sofa as you go to the store. For instance, Sure Fit slipcovers are suitable for sofas that are between 83 to 96 inches long. Some slipcovers come with a ruffled bottom and it’s therefore important to measure the distance from the ground to the sofa bottom. If you are looking forward to a custom and more fitted look, then search for a slipcover that exactly fits your sofa measurements.  For accuracy purposes, you should consider taking the measurements twice. Or else, try loose-fit slipcover; you will still attain a similar casual effect.

  1. Choose a Style

In the past, slipcovers received a bad reputation as unstylish and unsightly pieces of fabrics that were put over the furniture. But this perception has now changed; it is no longer about their function but fashion as well. Slipcovers have come a long way compared to what they used to be back then. Go for a casual and inviting style. You should be able to put up your feet and relax.

Surprisingly enough, there are many options out there in terms of the right fit. For sofas that have rectangular and rounded cushions, traditional covers are recommended. But there are specialty shapes also available for recliners and wingback chairs. In other words, it is possible to get a slipcover that fits with almost all décor styles, from traditional to the modern look. It is actually possible to give your living room unique and stylish with the right slipcovers.

Try and fit slipcovers with formal furniture and see how it goes. Like they always say, it is juxtaposition that will make your living room sing. Other details like decorative trim and contrasting welt will add accent and visual interest to your piece. Also remember to look for details such as zippers and tailored skirt when searching for covers. Some covers are made in search a way that they tuck inside the cushions and can also tie in the back. Such slipcovers are usually more affordable. Bottom line, as much as seamless styles are modern and clean, ensure they can easily be slipped in and out for the sake of swapping and cleaning.

  1. Choose a Material

The style is defined by the slipcovers’ fabric. Heavy canvas, cotton duck, or a twill blend is ideal for sofas with a lot of traffic. Such fabrics are comfortable to sit on, inviting and normally fit looser. Form-fitting slipcovers give a more modern and customized appearance plus they are made from stretching fabrics like spandex blend, micro-suede and polyester. Silk, linen and wool may be soft and elegant, but they require dry cleaning. So, if you are used to cover occasional sofas, such as a bedroom couch, it will be worth investing in.

Heavy fabrics like velvet and chenille are really heavy and may not conform to your sofas shape. Denim, cotton and canvas are machine washable, and they normally come in different patterns. Since they are of medium weight, it is easier to lay them nicely. Also, remember to select deeper colors during the fall season. The issue here is to change your beach white colors for deep eggplants.

Try Decorating with White Slipcovered Sofas

White interiors normally look magnificent. A white slipcovered sofa is a good inspiration especially for shabby chic design. For homeowners who love a white, clean and vintage-inspired look, then they can choose ruffled-edged covers and probably add a number of feminine design layers ranging from elegant lighting to romantic elegant decoration. Through primarily using monochromatic color themes with touches of blue, pink and green creates a family room, living room that has shabby chic style.

  1. Color Palette

Use different values of white to come up with a monochromatic color scheme. Paint the walls a cream, soft color in order to accentuate your white slipcovered sofas. To drab the moldings and ensure they visually stand out, apply a fresh gloss coat. Apply a cream hue on the ceiling for better complementary. Make sure there is a shabby chic kind of décor in the entire living room by bringing in more tones blues and baby pinks in order to enhance the slipcovered sofas.

  1. Distressed Furniture

Add weathered, vintage furniture pieces to your white themed décor. Incorporate more white furniture into your living room to highlight the white slipcovered sofa. For a feminine appeal, shop for items that have curved lines in vintage shops. Give all of them all a white shade, sand its edges gently, and ensure they are all related to each other visually. If you need to create a distressed look, apply a faux finish to the wood, through wiping a damp cloth that has an antique solution.

  1. Elegant Lighting

To accentuate the shabby chic appearance, you can use vintage-inspired lighting. Add weight to the room by hanging a large crystal chandelier suspending from the ceiling. Use mercury glass-based type of lamps, and then top them with cream-colored lampshades. On both sides of the mirror or painting put crystal candlestick scones. All these will add a touch of light above seating area. You may want that soft glow in the whole living room and you can achieve this by placing the candles on white plate, finally, put them in a mirrored tray on your coffee table for that soft glow.

  1. Time-Worn Accessories

Finally, add more touch to your feminine white interior themed decoration with more decorative accessories. Use a white-framed kind of antique mirror in the living room wall space so as to reflect light. Back to your white slipcovered sofas, add a couple of pink, baby ruffled pillows. On both sides of the table, you can place at least three black and white or silver-plated photos on both sides of the table. Roses come in handy in shabby chic living rooms, so, bring in a pink-hued rose painting just above your white slipcovered sofa to clearly define the room’s focal point. Complete your décor with a bouquet of pink rose preferably in a silver vase. Finally, set up your coffee table to the elegant romantic design of your living room.

In conclusion, people see interior decoration as an expensive affair but it isn’t. Simply change the slipcovers first keeping in mind that sofas occupy the largest space of the living room.

Sofas have always been the main article found on many living rooms of homes worldwide, and if it is part of a room then it is also one of the things to be given emphasis when it comes to interior decoration. Slipcovers are about the most common and the easiest way of breathing life to a lifeless sofa, adding that finishing touch that would give a sense of completeness to you living rooms.

Classic sofa slipcover
Color or a color scheme is one of the primary aspects of slipcovers. Choosing the right color for your sofa is one thing, but you should also consider the immediate environment in which the sofa will be placed into. Does the theme of the slipcover for my sofa match the theme of the room? Do these colors compliment well with the surrounding colors of the room? Would it get the right ambience that the room needs? These are the questions that you have to ask yourself when choosing a slipcover for your sofa.

Original jean sofa slipcover
Figuring out the right fabric to use should be your secondary priority. This applies not only to the durability of the fabric that you are going to choose, but also to its sensitivity to light. Generally, shiny fabric is not recommendable on certain sofas, but this may not always be the case. Regardless, the fabric to be used would still have to be of considerable durability, nobody really wants designing a sofa only to find out that it was ripped off the next day by your dog or by a hyperactive toddler.

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7 Tips in Creating a Unisex Nursery for your Baby

Congratulations, you’re about to become a parent and begin the most rewarding and frustrating journey of your life. You’re eagerly anticipating the birth of your child and anxious to start preparing for their arrival into this world. Realizing that a nursery, plays a vital role in your plans, you immediately decide to create one. The vast amount of products available overwhelms you, and when you notice the price tags attached to said products, panic really begins to set in. Fear not, designing a nursery to grow up does not have to break the bank if you’re smart and follow these simple guidelines.

Create a nursery theme

[one_half_first]Choosing a nursery theme seems almost counterproductive when cost efficiency is thrown into the equation, but it can actually be quite helpful.

It’s true that working around a preconceived theme cuts down drastically on the items you can use or buy, but it also helps expectant parents to focus on a clear, precise vision of what they want their nursery to become. The theme doesn’t have to be too specific or even easily defined.

As long as you understand exactly what atmosphere you’re trying to create, it’s perfectly acceptable to be slightly eclectic.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Have an eye-catching background

The walls of your nursery cover a large area of the room and as such are an integral part of its décor. New parents would probably gravitate towards intricately detailed wallpaper, which while perfectly lovely is also highly expensive. The cheaper alternative is to consider using paint (bright colors could uplift the overall feel of the nursery, but if you prefer more sedate colors, don’t worry, they will work just fine.) and decals. You could decide to be really creative and create your own stencils by photocopying your design onto a Mylar sheet, cut it up, tape it to the wall and then get to painting exactly what your heart desires.

Furniture hacks

The right couch, rocking chair or shelves could really set the tone for a stunning nursery, but the process of acquiring the look you truly desire without having to throw away your child’s college fund can be quite challenging. Fear not though, since there are a few things that you can easily do to ease your financial burden.

  • Repurpose old furniture you already own. A dilapidated dressed could quite easily become a changing table if restored properly. An old bookshelf could be converted into a stunning cupboard. It’s all about knowing how you can adapt and convert the items you do have into the items you don’t.
  • Visit garage sales or second-hand stores to find hidden gems.
  • There are various websites out there that have exactly what you need at bargain prices provided you are dedicated to your search and are willing to spend a little time sprucing up your purchases

Create a focal point

Your nursery needs that one thing that captures a person’s attention and draws the eye in. You want to able to create the ‘wow factor’ effect. This doesn’t have to cost you an arm or a leg; you will discover that simple is often better.  A stunning rug, wall painting or even something as inconsequential as shelves with beautiful accents could quite easily become the focal point you need to complete your nursery.

Storage can be décor too

There are going to be numerous items lying around that need to be stored appropriately in a nursery and of course boxes, or baskets can be extremely space consuming. If you decorate your storage containers, however, you have both added to the overall ambiance of the room and solved your storage needs. The interesting idea is to find or buy boxes (they need to be sturdy so shoeboxes cannot be used as they are too flimsy) and cover them with material that correlates with your nursery theme. If you decide that you would prefer to keep your storage boxes out of sight, keep them hidden away under your baby’s crib. A crib skirt will be able to cleverly disguise those pesky storage containers, and no one will be the wiser.

The baby’s crib

This is probably the most important item in your nursery and with good reason. However, this also means, baby cribs can be ridiculously overpriced. There are however various affordable options out there if you are diligent in your search for them. You need to remember that babies grow quickly and cribs that can be converted into a toddler bed at a later stage are worth checking out. Mobiles are a huge trend and have been for a while. Expensive options are out there, but there are just as many cheaper choices. There are various craftsmen out there who create stunning mobiles and sell them at a fraction of the cost you would have paid in a store, but If you’re really creative, you could attempt to make your own mobile. This provides your nursery with that special personal touch is not as difficult a process as you think. There are always numerous books and online videos available that can provide you with the necessary information, step-by-step instructions and all the assistance you could ever need.

Seating options

Your nursery will most likely need a couch or sofa for those times you find yourself needing to get off your feet, or you might simply have guests over. If you have a couch that you don’t mind moving to the nursery, that’s great, but if you’re looking to buy a piece of furniture, take care to look at various options before making a final decision. There are certainly affordable deals out there, especially if you take your time to look for them. This is also the perfect time to consider acquiring a daybed that can later be converted into a child’s bed. Though not necessary, it will save you time and money down the road.

Shelving is your friend

Shelves can provide storage space or simply be a medium to display Knick knacks. It is easy to purchase a shelf at a reduced price and fix it up to your desired specifications. You can paint it a color that compliments the rest of the room, mount it and fill it with children’s books or toys. In this way, you will actually be using toys as décor, and you create a stunning masterpiece with minimal effort or cash required.

Go simple with your bedding

Often you may find baby cribs overflowing with pillows and plush toys, but it’s something that is completely unnecessary. Choose simple, clean lines and a single pillow (you don’t need more than one) to accentuate the style of your baby crib. This prevents your nursery appearing to be cluttered or unkempt. Baby bedding sets are often priced outrageously high, and again it’s best to go simple where possible. Expectant parents should consider sticking with a firm, well-fitting mattress, a mattress protector, change of sheets and one pillow. It is imperative to note that pillows can pose a risk of suffocation to your baby, so take the necessary precautions if you choose to add a pillow to your crib.

The artwork is whatever you want it to be

Hanging up professional paintings or other pieces of art will uplift the room and help to create your dream nursery, but it is also going to negatively impact your wallet. Instead, ask the children of friends or family to draw their own pictures and have them framed. As your child grows, you can add their own artwork to the wall. If you feel so inclined, go ahead and let your own inner child out to play and you may be surprised at the final result. If you’re feeling sentimental, try hanging family photos on the wall to provide both style and substance. Chalkboard wall art is also extremely versatile and inexpensive. You could pretty much do whatever you want with it. Just let your imagination soars, and soon you will have created a piece of art that’s a perfect fit for your nursery.

Try swapping

Shopping is a thing of the past, well not really, but it is still being challenged by swapping. If you search online, swapping websites are sure to pop up. These sites allow you to trade items with other individuals who are interested in acquiring a specific item or are simply browsing for interesting options. Baby items are a hot commodity on these websites so it can be extremely beneficial for expectant parents to give these swapping websites a quick scan for potential gems.

The various tips and tricks provided in this article to cost efficiently design your nursery are just a few methods you can use in your own personal nursery décor journey. Bringing a child into this world is one of the life’s greatest joys and what better way to welcome that new precious addition to the family home than by having a dream nursery set up and waiting. Now, hopefully, you can provide your child with that very nursery at a fraction of the cost, but with the same degree of style.

While most people would inquire about the sex of their child, many still prefer to have the element of surprise. While their child’s sex is unrevealed, this means that if they were to design a nursery they will have to keep it unisex. There are two possible reasons why people want to create a unisex nursery. It is either they are unaware of the gender of the child or they may be expecting twin or multiple babies that may have different sexes. Whatever the reason may be, designing a comfortable nursery suitable for both boys and girls is not that difficult if you do your research and pay attention to details. Compared to feminine and masculine nurseries designing a unisex nursery may be more challenging and to help you up here are some things to ponder on.

Unisex decor

Choose Unisex Colors

The color theme of the nursery is very important because some colors imply masculinity and femininity, we all know that a pink are for girls and blue is for boys. In choosing the colors, you have to choose the neutral ones. Pick the ones that do not have masculine nor feminine inclinations. It is also unadvisable to experiment on strong colors because your child’s eyes may find it too much to handle. Instead, try pastel renditions of colors. Paler colors like light blue, green and pale yellow can provide a pleasing atmosphere. You can also use solid colors; a milder shaded color can be enhanced with some touches of other colors. Be creative in your color combinations but make sure it will provide a bay-friendly appearance

Patterns

The patterns also add up to the overall appearance of the room. You can apply it to the walls, ceilings, floors, windows and even the furniture. You can also set baby patterns for the cushioning, beddings, and accessories. Again never go for patterns that are either masculine or feminine. Skip on trucks, cars and trains, dolls, flowers and faeries. Instead go for unisex cartoon characters, animals or other designs. Sometimes it is easier to stick with the most basic designs like checkers and stripes. You can also consider using bible themes, teddy bears, a wallpaper ABC’s, numbers or other themes that can provide educational purposes. As time goes by, you can add more accessories and designs that will give the child a jumpstart learning experience.

Unisex baby bedroom decor

Looking ahead

The nursery room is most likely to be your child’s room in the future. A little foresight wouldn’t hurt, plan ahead. You can make the unisex modifiable in the future by not making its components permanent. This means that you won’t have to redo the entire design when the nursery is converted into a room. Think of it as a base, and as your child grows older you can implement designs that are more appropriate in terms of gender and interests.

Unique Decorating Ideas: Cost Efficient Nursery Design

Knowing that you are going to be a parent at the right time brings unmeasured happiness to a couple especially for the mother’s part. This is the very reason why we are all very busy trying to create the perfect room for the coming new member of the family. Creating a nursery theme for a room can be quite expensive; especially if you imagine the number of things that you plan to put in the room. However, it does not have to be this way. And like any other room decorating strategy, there are many economical ways to design that nursery room for your newborn baby.

Baby's roomThe crib is the most essential part of any nursery room because this is the main sanctuary of your newborn baby. If you need an economical way to place that crib in that nursery room, then you might prefer buying a second-hand crib from another family not in need of the furniture; or from a general second-hand store. Better yet, if you can find a relative or a friend for this venture, you might get the crib at a very reasonable price or even lower!

Original wall decor
The nursery dresser is another important article to be added into any nursery room. Like the crib, you may want to try and purchase a second-hand dresser to serve this purpose. You may, however, put your own customizations into the dresser so that the dresser’s color and theme matches the color and theme of the other articles in the room; as well as giving it a nice fresh look as if it was newly purchased in a nursery specialty shop.

Nursery room: Extra beds and chairs are essential

Extra beds and chairs are also essential in a nursery room as any mother won’t really be standing for hours while cradling the child. These chairs and beds could be made of any material and could be of any design; but as always, would have to be refurnished to match the general theme of the room. Additionally, if you want to be economical in adding these extra articles, there is always the second-hand item option. But being a generic item, there should be a lot of shops out there that have items that can match and suit your preference.

Unisex baby bedroom decorDesigning the walls of the nursery room can be as simple as choosing the right mood-inducing color for the room. Choose bright and lively colors that can inject a jolly atmosphere into the room. Avoid gloomy and dark colors at all costs as these can affect how your newborn baby interacts to his or her new world; and these colors promote anxiety and uneasiness which is not very healthy for a newborn baby.

Baby's room
You can have the other generic and minor articles from other families not in need of those articles. Again, if these are incidentally your relatives or friends, getting these might be a lot cheaper than what you might actually think. Just one note though, always prioritize quality over the item’s cost when purchasing at an economical perspective. You don’t really want some crack accident just because you have purchased an article of inferior quality.

How to Create a Baby Room on a Budget

If you are expecting a new baby to join the family there are many things that you need to take care before the baby’s arrival. Among the plethora of things that you would need to fix, setting up the right type of room is very important. There are many things that need to be sorted out before setting up the room. A prudent and planned approach is crucial so that you don’t miss out on some important ones and you will also not have the time and energy to take care of these things when the child arrives. For most young family creating a baby room on a small budget can be a challenge. However, with careful consideration and planning you can cut down the cost. Here are some practical tips of cutting cost

If you are looking for budget baby furniture the best to hunt are the thrift store, swap meets and flea markets. It is always advisable to go for second hand furniture because most baby out grow these furniture very fast. The other point that is miss out by most people while looking for furniture is functionality i.e. can the same crib be adjusted to form a bed when the child grow up. This approach of buy furniture will cut your total cost in the long run. Safety is one of the primary issues. While buying any used or old furniture you should ensure that all joints, bolts etc are in perfect shape. If any repair needs to be done try to get a good carpenter.

The other place where you can cut down cost is the room’s paraphernalia, like curtains. If you can have basic skills to quilt, crochet and knit most of these works are easy and can be completed few months before the child arrives. A baby room needs to be vibrant and colorful. You can also cut cost on this front by choosing few primary colors and painting the room on your own. With a nice paint roller and good brush you can get the same quality like most professional. Decorating the room of a baby with limited budget can be both fun and exciting. With creativity and innovation you can cover up a lot of extra cost.

References:

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Kitchen

15 Creative Ways to Decorate your Kitchen Affordably

Everybody aspires to make their kitchen more than just a cooking space. The kitchen is the heart of every home. The kitchen should be well decorated since this sometimes becomes the meeting place for the family. A good kitchen should be well equipped, with big cabinets, properly lit and spacious. Decorating the kitchen may be quite expensive, for example, buying new tiles for your kitchen will cost you up to 1000$. Here are simple but effective ways to decorate your kitchen:

1. Upgrade accessories

[one_half_first]A good kitchen is worth nice looking and latest kitchen accessories. It is important to make the maximum out of the accessories in your kitchen. The pantry items you choose should be able to match the color of the cabinets in the kitchen.

You can add a few accessories such as a wall clock on one of the walls or a trashcan in one of the corners. A floral pattern is the best to adopt.

Wooden items such as chopping boards can also add a cozy look to the kitchen tables. The most important of all is to ensure that they are neatly arranged.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

2. Brighten up your kitchen

A kitchen that does not get enough lighting or has dark colors will look small and congested. You can, therefore, paint your kitchen walls with bright colors, decor it with a country style, and if you like dark cabinets, you could add some led lights on them to make them look brighter. Concerning the lighting of the kitchen room, make sure that nothing blocks the lights from your windows. You can also replace your dark curtains with brighter ones. Here are some tips for optimizing lighting in the kitchen rooms:

  • To brighten up your counter space, stick some led strip lights on them and on the under cabinets. Led lights are very cheap and consume very little energy.
  • Use energy saving bulbs to replace the incandescent light bulbs.
  • Use pendant lights to replace an old lighting system.
  • A mirror on the cabinet or on the walls will be a nice idea to make the kitchen entertaining and also for reflection of light.
  • Outdated lighting systems should also be removed.

3. Cooking tool wall storage

This is an idea got from the busy restaurant kitchens. They use some nice industrial hardware and well-painted racks mounted on the wall to store their utensils. Here are some ways of adopting this idea.

  • Use magnets mounted on the wall to store metallic cutlery such as knives.
  • Mount a pegboard just above your counter. The pegboard should be well painted and polished. It will be important also to hang items by merit of color or use.
  • Install hang racks to hang utensils that are fitted with hooks or have a hanging hole.
  • Hang baskets are also available. This can be used to store small items, thus may include fruits, ingredients or even cutlery.

4. Use hideaway furniture

The most important component of your kitchen is space. To maximize the available space, you can choose simple furniture that can be moved away from the kitchen when they are not needed. Some examples of such furniture include;

  • Bar stools that can be tuck under the cabinets.
  • Kitchen cabinets or tables that can be rolled back.
  • Wall mounted, dropdown kitchen tables or chopping boards.

5. Pot Racks

Small kitchens usually face a problem in storing large pots. The best option in such a case is to use pot racks, they can either hang from the ceiling or mounted on the wall. Pegboards mounted on the wall will be ideal for a small kitchen. The pots should be arranged neatly maybe according to their sizes or frequency of use.

6. Increase your counter space

A large counter space will make the cooking process easier and faster. A spacious kitchen looks modern and appealing, one should, therefore, device ways to increase their kitchen space as much as possible. There are so many suggestions on how to increase space in the kitchen. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Use of cooktops that are made up of low-profile ceramic. The modern cooktops are well designed to give you extra space where you can place a few items when not in use.
  • Cooktop cover. Your cooktop can be converted into a counter space by covering it with a wooden or plastic panel when not in use. You can chop your ingredients on top of this cover before you start cooking.
  • Add a butcher block. It is advisable that you buy one with wheels or fit a set so that you can easily push it away when not in use. Adding some simple stools to the butcher block will form a nice breakfast bar.

7. Additional Shelving

Shelves are important in storage in the kitchen.To achieve a more elegant look in your kitchen, add a row of narrow shelves to blank walls. Here you can store your cookbooks and recipe guides.You can also put movable shelves at the corners, here you can store extra nonperishable groceries.

8. Add a backsplash

When you are unable to tile the area around the sink, a backsplash will solve the problem. A standard backsplash is about 10 to 40 square fit. A well-decorated backsplash will cost you up to $5 per square feet which is very cheap. The backsplash will protect the walls from effects of water such as paint peeling off. A backsplash will not only make the sink area beautiful but can also be cleaned and disinfected easily.

9. Carpets and Mats

A few pieces of mats or rags in your kitchen will improve its look. First, look for a carpet to spread on the floor space. The carpet must not necessarily cover the whole kitchen space, you can put it under the dining table in the kitchen if you have one. The color of the carpet should also match the general color of the paint in the room. Secondly, you can add small mats on random places in the kitchen room, for example, places where you like standing like next to the fridge, next to the cooktop. A brilliant idea is putting some mats beside the sink, this is important since it does not only make the sink space look more beautiful but also absorb any water that is splashing from the sink.

10. Add wall covering

Wall coverings are a cheap and easy decorative technique. Wall coverings come with adhesive backs and are therefore easy to install, you just cut and stick. It gives more volume to your cabinets and countertops. Wallcoverings come within a range of decorations such as beautiful landscapes, quotes and amazing color combinations.

11. Change Knobs and handles

This is one of the easiest and quickest updates. Choose stylish and well-polished knobs and handles for your drawers. Polished Nickel handles are the best for kitchen cabinets and drawers. It is advisable to avoid funny knob and handle designs, for example, some people choose handles that are customized in the shape of some objects. You should avoid such since they old very fast.

12. Painting

Paint the kitchen furniture to give them a new and polished look. If you won’t be able to paint all your walls and furniture, you can concentrate on the part just above your cabinet or sink. Some interior designers will propose painting the upper parts of your kitchen with brighter colors than the lower components, this will enhance a well-lit look in the kitchen room. When choosing paints, you should choose kitchen adapted paints that are water resistant.

If you don’t want to engage in heavy paintwork, you can concentrate on a small area and paint it with a very conspicuous color, for example, if the color of the kitchen walls is white, you can paint one of the corners with a yellow or pink color.

13. Remove cabinet doors

If you have a small or medium size kitchen, you could open it up by removing the cabinet doors especially for shelves on the high parts of the kitchen. However, if you are not confident enough to remove the cabinet doors you can replace them with glass doors that will enable you to see your utensils without opening the cupboards.

14. Changing Faucets

Faucets are what make a kitchen look stylish. Choose faucets that are well designed, for example, the tall curved faucets look elegant and stylish. You should also choose Faucets that are of good color, for example, red or black.

15. Adding a dining table and chairs

If you have a spacious kitchen, you can consider adding a nice dining table in the kitchen space. If you already have a dining table and chairs, you may consider changing the set to a modern and stylish one, you can choose a set that comes with chairs that have the same color as the kitchen walls. A good dining table will add a more elegant look in your kitchen.

Conclusion

If you don’t have enough budget to redo your kitchen decorations from the floor to the ceiling, these fifteen ideas will help you achieve what you desire at your budget.

In redecorating your kitchen, you do not need to break your piggy bank just to go through the process. There are numerous ways to liven up your kitchen without spending anything. You need to learn the 3 main areas which will be covered by a kitchen decorating; they are the floors, walls and storage. You can use these 3 as a guide in fixing your kitchen. Choosing the themes for your kitchen may be very tough. But the outcome of your newly renovated kitchen will depend on your new concept. You can start with these steps:

Brilliant idea for a small kitchen

1. Floors – the best idea is to use a blend of ages with the modern touch. Vinyl floor tiles can do wonders with your floor. You can easily choose from different colors which can easily blend with other kitchen ornaments.
2. Storage – having a cool storage will help you reorganize the things you need around the kitchen. Some of the best storage can be seen during the old times. Go for an antique hunt! Most of the things you need can be seen there.

Wall accents for the kitchen
3. Walls – wall paper can be the best solution but it can cause you a lot than paint. Paint can cover larger area; this means you can save a lot on paint. There are different pint colors to choose from if you want to blend it with the colors of your wall and floors. Creativity counts! You can make wall frames containing your own recipes; you can have it printed and hang it on your kitchen wall.

How to decorate a small kitchen

Every kitchen represents a place for the family, friends, food and fun so you have to make sure that it has a grand design with a huge impact. Today, decorating a kitchen can be easy with the number of designs and techniques available. You shouldn’t be bothered with a big or small kitchen. It is actually not an issue of size but how it is been executed.

Some wonderful ways to decorate a small kitchen are:
Selecting the right color for the kitchen space is vital because it is one of the rooms which will be used by most of the people. You need to select one that will make your kitchen look more spacious and appealing. Bright colors makes a room look more spacious so you can opt for any light colors.

Make sure that the kitchen appliances are chosen with smaller features. If the kitchen appliances are big and gigantic, it will take a lot of space and you won’t be able to add any extra accessories. One of the easiest ways to completely change the look of the kitchen is by putting your appliances to new positions.

It is not necessary to build a number of cupboards in a small kitchen. It will not go along with a small kitchen. It is better to replace them with shelves which are quite handy and you can place almost all of the kitchen appliances. However if you want cupboards, one good idea is to build kitchen cupboards in different heights.

You can also place the table in the corner cubicle instead of a free standing kitchen table. This will open at least half of your dining space. You can also build a table that contains shelving drawers and units below the table where in you can store large items and all the other items that are often used less.

How to Make the Most out of a Small Kitchen?

Having a small kitchen does not mean you do not have a good kitchen. Even though you can’t fill it up with furniture or appliances as compared to what you can place in large one, that doesn’t mean it wont be as functional. You can make the most of your small kitchen if you remodel you small kitchen focusing on visual balance, space utilization and functionality.

Here are some things to consider on how to make the most of a small kitchen:
1. Find ways on how to maximize your storage space
In maximizing your kitchen space, you have to partition your storage spaces and make them achieve multiple functions. For example, a wooden rack can be placed on your window provided that they will not block sunlight. This will allow you to have additional space to display plates or other utensils. Aside from its added functionality it can also serve as a decoration.

Brilliant idea for a small kitchen2. Use Eye Pleasing Colors
Colors can greatly contribute to the overall ambience of your kitchen. It is advisable to use light colors because unlike dark colors, light shades create a visual illusion of having a bigger space. Researches also conclude that light colors can improve a person’s mood.

3. Customize your cabinets
You can also remodel your kitchen cabinets according to how you use them. By maximizing your storage spaces you can free up space for something else. Unused cabinet space should be utilized, if not they should be eliminated.

4. Customize your kitchen furniture
Having a small space may present difficulties in making stuff fit in your kitchen. It may limit you in your choice of appliances and furniture, but you can get through this ordeal by determining what you really need. Eliminate bulky furniture and replace them with a smaller and a more compact one. You may also want to consider portable ones, they offer the same functionality and you can just fold them over when finished.

Small kitchen5. Utilize Lighting effects
Light can greatly influence the ambience of your kitchen. With proper lighting and positioning your kitchen can appear bigger than it really is. The positioning and the intensity of light also contribute to this feat. Using accent lights tends to provide an impression of a larger space. When used properly, lighting effects will surely enhance your kitchen’s harmony and comfort, no matter how small it is. You don’t need to have a large kitchen to achieve full kitchen functionality or visual edge. Make the most out of your kitchen by planning and strategizing on how to boost the room’s efficiency. As long as you place the right things at the right place, you are guaranteed to maximize whatever space you have. It is not how big your kitchen is, it’s how you make use of it.

References:

  • Michaud, E., & Hirsch, A. (2009). The Healing Kitchen: From Tea Tin to Fruit Basket, Breadbox to Veggie Bin, How to Unlock the Power of Foods That Heal. Dallas: BenBella Books, Inc.
  • Rhodes, V. (2001). Pumpkin decorating. New York: Sterling Pub.
  • Ward, L. (1999). Use what you have decorating: Transform your home in one hour with ten simple design principles using the space you have, the things you like, the budget you choose. New York: Berkley Pub. Group.
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Boys

Decorating Kids’ Rooms: Sporty Styles and Design of American Football

Football, or more specifically named as American football, is a very popular sport in, as the name suggests, the United States of America. It is a game where two teams are pitted against each other in an effort to take the ball to the other side of the opposing team’s field. It is a sport that is enjoyed by almost every sport-loving American in the whole country, and is second only to basketball and baseball.

American football styled stoolsEven kids now enjoy this sport, and some schools even provide football clubs for the children to enjoy the sport. You can bring the same action and excitement of American football right into your kid’s room, by creating a room design with football as you main theme. To start off, the floors of the room could represent the field itself. Football field themed carpets are already common these days, and you can easily order one at your local hardware shop. It’s fairly easy to put because you apply them just like any other carpet for home use. If you want to go simpler, you can just put a plain green colored carpet that can represent grass in a football field, although a portion of the football motif might be lost.

The wall’s design can represent any article that can be related to football. Motifs of simple design like footballs randomly plastered throughout the entire wallpaper are usually more recommended than complex ones. Remember, this is a child’s room, and too much complexity can just confuse and make a kid uncomfortable. Alternatively, you can put other kinds of designs in the wallpaper, like for example designs of your kid’s favorite football team.

Designs and motifs for beds can even be more exciting and fun. Pillows can represent large footballs or can be fitted with covers printed with designs of you kid’s favorite football team. The bed itself can take designs from team jerseys, or could take form of a small sized football field. Blankets with articles related to football like football helmets and footballs as designs can fit perfectly into a football themed room.
Hockey themed room
Finally, other articles such as chairs, tables and cabinets can just be painted to suit the entire room’s general motif, just don’t forget add a little touch of the general theme of the room to these articles, like for example, shoe racks can be tailored to resemble football stadium seats.

Always remember to keep the color combinations and schemes coherent and complimentary with each other, even if you fill the entire room with football designs and motifs, it would still not look organized unless the colors blend well with each other. These are merely suggestions of how you can make your kids enjoy the sport even at their own room. Of course, you still have to enjoy this wonderful sport outdoors, but by bringing the spirit of American football in your kid’s room, your child would always remember the popular sport that all fathers especially in America, yearn to teach their children and enjoy the sport with.

Important things to consider in making a kids room

These are important things to consider in making a kids room. Since they are different from each other, you need to have hints of what they would like for a room; you can also research on the internet to find new ideas that can also be helpful. You can also ask your kids personally on what they want, this way you they will be more attached to you and they will surely appreciate the freedom you’re giving them by simply letting them say what they want for their room.

Small kids roomIn some aspect you and your kid’s ideas might clash due to conflict of interests, when this incident happens you don’t have to worry but instead compromise, talk to them and settle differences. You can do it successfully by simply overlooking conventional ideas and try to adapt their ideas, you might even be surprised on how their ideas looks like later on. Getting their concept and adapting their creativity will surely provide you with great results not just with the outcome of their room but also with your relationship to them. Sometimes, you need to adjust to modern things with your kids to be able to reach their level; you won’t have a harmonious relationship with each other if you always impose leadership, because it is not always needed in a nurturing parent-child relationship.

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How tos

Affordable and Simple Do It Yourself Home Decor

The general consensus is that one should approach an expensive professional if you want to redecorate your home in style, just like a country style. But to tell you the truth, this is not necessary at all. Well, if you are looking to remodel your house to be an exact replica of some picture perfect magazine ad, then of course you will need a professional and a deep pocket. On the other hand if you are one of those smart people who don’t mind getting their hands a little dirty and save a lot of money then you can look forward to remodel your home in an elegant and stylish manner by yourself. It is better to decide on a budget and then start your remodelling.

A cost effective way to give a new look to your walls

[one_half_first]A cost effective way to give a new look to your walls is to use wallpaper instead of paint. Today you get wallpaper of every style, pattern and colour to suit your requirements. Most important, they are very cheap. Depending on your budget and your room setting, you can go for floral patters or other designs which can make your room look brighter, more spacious or add the illusion of more height.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

The design and patterns that you can get in wallpaper (such as ceiling tip) are almost impossible to replicate if you use paint.

You would be surprised at the incredible things that you can find in your own local supermarket. With a little imagination and creativity you can transform your home into a showpiece in just under a few hundred dollars.

Do it yourself decorating

Original ideas are great, but you can also get lot of creative ideas that are fashionable, sophisticated and affordable from the internet and home improvement magazines. You don’t have to follow the instructions to the dot. Just take the basic idea and improvise it to suit your home and style.

Room lighting
Room lightingAs for your furniture, don’t worry if can’t afford the sleek designer models that you ogle over in a magazine, there is an alternate cheaper way to get what you want. Make a trip to your local second-hand or thrift store and look out for sturdy pieces of the furniture you need. You will be amazed at what you can do to an old and beat-up piece. Whether it is a coffee table, dinning table or any other piece of furniture, just make sure that they are sturdy and durable. Look out for real wooden pieces, as furniture made of particle board are practically useless. With a little effort and time you can transform these junk into eye-popping classic or trendy furniture.

Nowadays you can get information to do anything by yourself. If you have the time then go to your local library and search for home decorating or remodelling books to help you out. Or you can just type in the keywords ‘home decoration’ in Google search engines to get literally countless innovative ideas for your remodelling or decorating project.

Home Decoration at its Finest

Everyone dreams to have a beautiful home, one which is elegantly decorated. Nothing is better than to live inside a beautiful and classy house, with all the furniture, appliances, and decorations are beautifully created and placed. Others hire the services of an interior designer to make sure that their home will be decorated with an expert, equipped with the latest trends in home decorations. Home designers know where to buy the best furniture or the best decors that can be placed in any part of your house. However, when you hire an interior designer, you might not be able to monitor the quality and the price of the decors your designer will get. You also won’t be able to express yourself in the design of your home. Hey, you always have the prerogative to design your home all by yourself. Have you thought of the classy Dollar Store decorating?

Classy Dollar Store decorating

Elegant livingroomWell, classy Dollar Store decorating is all about styling your home with all the decors from the Dollar Store. It is incorporated with the adjective ‘classy’ because you can have every classy decoration that you want at the Dollar Store. You can find classy decorations for your living room like wallpapers, figurines, candles. There are also classy materials for your kitchen such as towels, kitchen wall papers, refrigerator decorations, and many other kitchen materials available at the Dollar Store. Even decorations at the bathroom, you can buy from this store. Bathroom wallpapers, hanging pictures for the toilet, and shower curtains are available. The bedroom materials are also at the Dollar Store, ranging from hanging paintings to figurines and to other furniture that can give accent to your room. All of these decorations are at their best quality.

Sophisticated dining roomClassy Dollar Store decorating does not necessarily have to be expensive. It is all up to the home owner or designer as to how to choose the best and classy decorations out of those available in the store without having to spend too much. It is possible, making the house really look elegant and beautiful with only the cheaply priced decors to be used with the whole interior designing. It just needs time, effort, and attention. A designer must be very keen to details because home decoration is not that easy though it is not that hard also. It makes everything easier for the home decorator if he or she has the decors that are needed for every part of the house. The complexity of the home decoration is also up to the preferred style of the homeowner. The more modern and creative the ideas are for home decorating, the classier it would appeal to all your neighbors and visitors. Classy homes always get attention. Not only that, a beautiful home creates the positive ambience for all the members of the family.

You can make an elegant decoration yourself

Arrange the collections that you have wisely. There are a lot of ways that you can make an elegant decoration yourself with the use of your collections. You may arrange it in a corner or make a shadow box for each special collection that you have.
Small elegant bedroomHang decors at eye level. Hanging decors very high may not gain appreciation. Hang it at a lower level where it can be considered a part of the room’s decoration. Experiment with different arrangements and this would really help in giving you the variation in decorating. Monotone decors also help in making your room look spacious. This would help in giving your room a spacious look even if the room is smaller.
Elegant livingroom
These are some of the tips that you can follow to give your home a new look. You do not have to spend much on expensive decors to give your home a new look, it is just a matter of mixing and matching things and a little artistry to give your home the look that will surely be appreciated.

Every day we are challenged to use our creativity

It has been said that art imitates life and so we all need inspiration to create. Therefore, inspiration in art is needed for us to grow and live life into a more positive way. Enjoy life and the artistic inspiration that it gives.

Get the most out of your inspiration. By simply having something or someone to inspire us is enough to make our work light and easy. Every day we are challenged to use our creativity. Seeing a variety of original ideas usually gets other artists inspired and from that they can create their own unique way of expressing themselves. You see, it’s just another strategy that we need in finding inspiration in original art. Reading is undeniably one of the greatest sources of inspiration. Books put a lot of ideas in our minds; it is somehow a driving force that can start to tickle our creativity which triggers off our senses in creating our masterpiece and consequently, everything else will follow.
In general, life is our inspiration. It is everywhere, but only if you know the right places where to look.

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A Piano
accesories

A Piano for the Spacious Living Room | Decorating Visita Casas

When we learn to decorate intelligently, we always end up leaving space. We do not need a minimalist decoration to take full advantage of all the square meters of our room, but then the question arises. What could you add? Well, here we will tell you how to use one of the best alternatives for that spacious room, a piano.

That is; the piano as a decorative element goes beyond any other musical instrument. Even as a musical instrument it is beyond the others because of its complexity.

However; it is important that you know how to integrate it into your décor. So pay attention and admire the following photo gallery that will surely fill you with creative inspiration.

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Tips

7 Tips on How to Install Custom Wainscoting

Wainscoting is a type of paneling that is installed in the interior walls of a room, house, or building. It was originally thought of to provide insulation for buildings that were made of stone. Nowadays, it is more commonly used to beautify and decorate homes. It is usually made of wood; but as the construction industry grows more modern, a lot of the materials are now being made out of plastic.

The first thing you need to do when installing your own custom wainscoting is to prepare the room that you are going to work on. Remove all the furniture, carpeting, wall decorations, and all of your other valuable items. You should also remove the mouldings that are installed in your walls. Be very careful in removing these moldings if you want to reuse them later on; if they are even slightly cracked, they will no longer look as well as they used to.

Also, look for all the outlets in the room and remove the covers; these covers will be reinstalled after the wainscoting has been finished. After clearing the room, make a guideline that you will use to align the panels that you are going to install. Measure the length of the panels that you bought and add half an inch. The result would be the height of your guideline. Adding the half an inch would make sure that your wainscoting won’t hit the floor even if the floor is not totally even. Run the guideline through all the walls that you want to install your wainscoting on; for most rooms, this would mean around the entire room.

Now that the room is clear, you can start installing your wainscoting. It is usually best to start from one corner and work your way around. Get one piece of the paneling boards that you bought and place it on the wall. If it is covering any wall outlets, simply cut a hole on the paneling board before you nail it to the wall. Once you have made any necessary adjustments or holes to the panel, apply construction glue on the back side. Align its top level with the guide that you made previously then press it up against the wall. Hold it firmly against the wall until the glue dries and holds the panel steady. You can then hold the panel more securely in place with the use of paneling nails or screws. Repeat this same procedure for the rest of the panels until you cover the entire room.

Sometimes, when you get to the corners, a full panel will be too big to cover the remaining space. Again, you are going to have to cut the panel to make it fit. Once all the panels are installed, you now have a new wainscoting. Reinstall your outlet covers and your moldings, and bring back your furniture.

Remodel your Home with a Customized Wainscoting

One of the trends nowadays is wainscoting because it adds appeal to your home, room, office, and any rooms. It will give a great look and adds durability or stability on your walls. It could be of many styles and good designs depending on your taste. Installing wainscoting may sound a tough job but with these given simple steps; you may remodel your home with a customized wainscoting easily and nicely.

Wooden waiscotingFirst, you should complete the materials needed for remodeling your home. Gather all the things needed in your area completely so you will not waste time later on looking for them. Here are the materials needed: Pencil, wainscoting panels, trim for top rail, trim for chair rail, trim for baseboard, trim for vertical stiles, paint or stain of your choice, paintbrush or rags, construction adhesive, brad nail installer, brads, circular saw or table saw, finish nail installer, nails, router, bits, wood putty and lastly, if you will use stain then you should also prepare polyerthane.

If all the materials are set and complete just follow these steps to remodel your home with a customized wainscoting.
> Grab a pencil for marking purposes; this will help you avoid mistakes before you finally mark your wall with a lever.
> Measure your ideal wainscoting height. You should determine how wide your wall panels. Then, Mark.
> If you have a high ceiling then you should have a high wainscoting too.
> Make the markings all over the desired area of your home first with a pencil then a level.
> Observe proper measurement with the uneven floor too.
> If done with the markings measure the marks then you may cut the wainscoting panels with a circular saw or table saw.
> Color the wainscoting with paint then allow it to dry.
> If the paint is dry, carefully apply construction adhesive at the back of your wainscoting panels. You may use a rag or a towel.
> Make sure that the top edge is even and in line with the horizontal line.
> Nail the seams of the panels on the wall with a brad nail installer.
> Paste and nail your wainscoting panel all over the desired area. Just make sure of the measurements and alignment of every wainscoting panel.
> There are uneven measurements on the wall so it would be best to make test cuts to make sure that the wainscoting panel will properly fit.
> Attach the vertical stiles according to its measurement from to floor then, nail them with finish nails.
> Install the baseboards by nailing them with finish nails at the base of the wall. Attach these baseboards into the wainscoting.
> Attach the top rail to the vertical stiles that it matches by nailing them in place with finish nails.
> Install the chair rails with finish nails.
> Fill all the holes that you may see with putty.
> If used pain in the entire wall then should apply a coat of polyurethane.
> Then, you are done with remodeling your home with customized wainscoting.

It is now time to enjoy the finished project.

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Decoration

10 Ways to Use your creativeness to make a good and harmonious house

Your house is where you go back to after a tough day at the office. It is where you feel safe and secure. It is place where you can relax, have a cup of coffee or a table lamp and just spent some time with your family. It is a place where you can be yourself and not care about the rest of the world. However, in this modern era, even the sanctuary which is your house has become toxic. For some it has become unlivable. You feel like you can no longer breathe. The peace and tranquility that you once knew is long gone and you would do anything to get it back and you know what, you have every right to have a home that gives you peace and not make you even tenser than you already are. Making a good and harmonious house is not as difficult as you might think it is. All you need is some proper guidelines and the use of your creativeness. Here are some ways you can use your creativeness to make a good and harmonious house.

1. Clear the air

[one_half_first]What the one thing that annoys you at your home the most? That’s right heavy air. Just imagine that you come back from work and the air is hot and heavy and it makes you feel more dirty, sweaty and uncomfortable than you already were or if you are a housewife then picture yourself in such an environment all day. Not something you want to face, right? So clear the air, Open up the window and let the air in. Improve the air circulation in your home. If you are living in a polluted area, grab an air purifier or plug in a glowing Himalayan salt lamp to get the air around you buzzing with happiness. After a rainstorm, the air is infused with negative ions. So, it feels really sound and fresh. Salt lamps send these negative ions in the air and create a positive space.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

2. Cleanliness

A clean home is a happy home. The only thing that separates your home from a dump is a cleanliness. If your house is dirty you might as well go live in a dump. The reason your house feels so stuffy and hot and you always feel like taking a shower is because it’s not clean. Just think about it, if you bathe 3 times a day but still wear dirty clothes, you are never going to feel clean my friend. So the best thing you can do right now is grab a broom, vacuum and your other cleaning materials and start cleaning. Once you have gotten all the dust and the grime out of the nooks and crannies of your house you’ll feel a different sense of positive energy in there. Remember the feeling you get when you enter a brand new house, well if you want to feel that way all the time then get cleaning and stay clean.

3. Bring in some color

A dark and gloomy house is not somewhere you want to live in. Bringing in some color applying Feng Shui principles in your home doesn’t necessarily mean that you get a new coat of paint, although that’s not really a bad idea. It can also mean changing the lighting if you live in an area where it is always dark. Get a new set of colorfully designed furniture. Paint the wall creatively and colorfully. Maybe throw in some art while you paint. Just make your house more colorful. Change the lights, throw in some positive colors and you got yourself a nice home. Create some inspirational design on your walls, something that makes you feel good or motivated, get some newly designed furniture, something you can look at and go wow! Get different colored lighting whatever lights up your mood and matches with your house. So, in short, get some color in there.

4. Get rid of bad memories

Still keeping some things from you old job? The one you got fired from, keeping photos or other things that only remind you of your failure. Just stop. Throw it all away or if you can’t then at least put them out of view. Put them somewhere you can’t see them. Always having the picture of your dead wife in your room if it gives you pain is of no use. It’s harsh but if her photo doesn’t remind you of the good times you had together, if it only reminds you of her loss then it’s better if you don’t look at it. She wouldn’t want to see you like this, would she? There can be many source of bad memories at your home. Get rid of them all and you’ll feel free like you’ve never felt before.

5. Some arts

Arts have always been known to inspire people and why wouldn’t they? It’s art after all. Keeping some art in your house can not only class up the joint but it can also make you feel inspired. You can do a lot more and have a lot of positive energy when you got inspiration just a view away. Get yourself an inspiring painting, an abstract sculpture or paint some art on to your walls and you’ll see how good it makes you feel.

6. Take good care of the pets

Imagine a scenario, you come back home and suddenly your dog comes in running or your cat jumps on to your lap and if you have a parrot, it starts saying all the weird things in the world. Who wouldn’t feel happy with that? So pamper your pets. Take good care of them. Take them out for a walk, keep them clean, feed them properly, play with them and you’ll see how their positivity can grow on you and add to your house. A happy pet can be a great accessory for your house.

7. Some soft materials

In these modern area we already have enough hard edges, so don’t be nervous about adding some soft materials. Some blanket here and there, soft pillows or shag carpeting underfoot. These things can increase your sense of comfort and security.

8. Increase creativity

Make yourself more creative. Make things in your leisure time. It can pottery, model ships, trains, planes, paintings, sculpture and keep what you make in view. Try to use it as an accessory for your house. It will not only enhance the beauty but also give a sense of creativity in the air. So get creative.

9. Put on some music

Music has therapeutic qualities and can increase self-esteem and foster healthy relationship. Playing music in the background can really liven up your house. Positive music can help you get a positive outlook on life and make your house feel like a sanctuary. So get some nice therapeutic music going.

10. Bring in some nature

Try to incorporate natural elements at your home. Keep some nice plants, water them regularly so that they make your house look nice and fresh. Use items made from natural materials like a wooden bowl for example. Having some plants in your home can also element harmful gases. Make a garden if you have time. The sight and smell of beautiful flowers can never be a bad thing.

By simply using cheap materials you will be able to create a different and very unique ceiling that can be envied by your friends. There are so many designs you can do out of simple things. You can make animal figures, letters and other design which is not rare and can’t be bought in most hardware shops. You can be sure that you have the most unique ceiling in town.

Country style kitchen décorThe outcome of your work merely depends on your idea, use your creativeness to make a good and harmonious house, don’t be afraid to try something new, experiment on things such as designs, color blends and others will make you find something new. Try to reinvent and play with your idea like glittering design through spray paints, this will make your home, room and other part of the house glowing. You will be surprised on how effective your ideas are. Little imagination will make a big difference in your home. You can check out the internet for new design ideas. There are sources which offer helpful tips and ideas on how to decorate your home without spending a lot.

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Garage

5 Examples of Using Epoxy for Garage Floors Coatings

Exterior paints that are tough in nature can be your priority but epoxy-based floor coating is a more hard-wearing and long-lasting paint than any other type. Epoxy is a resinous chemical that becomes a hardener when combined with a catalyzing agent. Epoxy-based materials that have this kind of application are extensive. You can freely choose different colors if you want to have the feel you think your garage should have. Epoxy’s thick, robust coating is a big yes for your garage floor. It prevents leaks that go through your concrete floor. Because of epoxy, you can now clean your garage floor effortlessly. Nonetheless, In order to deter susceptibility of the flooring to damage due to hot tires and other chemical reactions, you should put into consideration the brand of epoxy you are buying.

The core of having a garage floor coating done is the preparation of the floor well before the application of any coating. You should get rid of any surface dirt and grease thoroughly with the help of a cleaner degreaser. Heavy stains and rusts should be as well removed. The adherence of the floor coating will be sacrificed if you are not going to do all of this firsthand.

If you are okay with epoxy installation on your garage floor and your garage door, then you should remember that it will just be an easy job. After having the kit or the tools you need, and after the tedious cleaning, mix the epoxy up and scrupulously apply it on the floor. As compared to other types of paints, you can apply epoxy only once since it is already thick. Wait for at least one whole day before making use out of your newly done garage.

Whether your garage is simply a junk room or a workshop or a car parking area, you should maintain its appearance inasmuch as making it a purposeful, serviceable place for you and your family. Garage floor coating will not be successfully in line with this vision if regular cleaning and maintenance will be underlined. It is for sure that by following these things, you will have that great garage suited for you.

Best garage floor coatings

When we say “garage” or “garage doors“, the first picture that pops on our minds is a messy, ugly, unorganized place where a car is usually parked or where junks are stored. However, in our time today, this connotation of a garage is revolutionized into an area attached or within a house that should be more functional and decorative when given enough attention.

Garage floor coatingsMost of us who owns a garage can agree that we think of ways to make our place more comfortable to work on. You should not worry because one way is garage floor coating. The traditional method of protecting the floor of a garage is using tiles or mats, but the better way to deal with it is by garage floor coating. It is so much easy to paint on a coating on your floor all by yourself, or you can hire someone to do the task. Only it is advisable to have the job done by yourself.

Not only is garage floor coating the most economic manner of smartening your garage up; with the array of choices of types and colors, it can bring out of you your creative and skillful side. If you truly want to make your garage floor be functional and at the same time be aesthetic, you are surely not in any trouble.

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Garage

Detailed Garage Door Installation and Insulation

Insulation kits are tools which are used for energy efficient solutions to reduce energy consumption in times of extreme climates experienced in every continent in the whole world that is when it’s too cold and hot, especially summer and winter. Insulation kits are used basically to keep the garage warm, repair a garage door, prevent the building against moisture which can result in to mold infestation, reduce dust and noise, especially in busy streets in urban areas.

Garage Doors

[one_half_first]These are large doors that are put in a garage and can be opened manually or by an electric motor with the use of garage door opener which is commonly called remote control. The garage doors are large enough to fit standard, SUV and caravan size vehicles. Garage doors can be in residential houses or commercial houses. The residential garage is mostly small and is made with a panel that can tilt up and down across the garage ceiling. The commercial garage doors are made with multiple jointed panels which roll up and down as the door opens.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Types Of Garage Doors

Mostly we have 4 popular types of garage doors:

  1. Sliding garage doors
  2. Sectional roll up garage doors
  3. Swing out garage doors
  4. Swing up garage doors

The buying and installation of these type of doors depend on with your choice which basically depends with the style of the house you have, although each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The type of garage to be insulated can be either

  • Attached garage

The attached garage are the garage which are built in the house as one unit. When it comes to insulation it has its advantages as it helps to keep the rest of the house warm as it opens to the main house in the interior side. This type of garage you can insulate the garage door only since the rest of the space can be kept warm by the insulation panels from the main house.

Side garage or non-attached

These types of garage are built aside, that is they are separately build alone. Most of this garage requires completely different type of insulation method. The kind of insulation depends with the activities done and how frequently the garage is used. For examples most of the garage, if is not too packed with family vehicles they tend to turn round and use it as another room for recreational activities and entertainment especially for the visitors. For this purpose. You should consider installation of insulation not only on the garage door but the walls to keep the whole space warm and comfortable. The best insulation method is to use a normal heater or an air conditioning unit .These installation may be expensive but it’s worth the cost.

Most of the garage doors are made up of materials like Wood, Steel, Aluminum, Fiber glass, Vinyl. Custom made garage doors come with the insulation materials. For example, vinyl doors are filled with insulation materials called polystyrene. Same applies to fiber glass doors. But most of the garage doors from other materials are manufactured without insulation material. The material which manufactures garage doors depends mostly with the home owners’ choice and the outlook of the house or garage. The best time to insulate your garage is when you are installing the door or when replacing it. The common used materials are wood which is a natural insulator and metal material simply because they are readily available at a reasonable cost.

Installing insulation kits can be pretty easy as you can install it by yourself or if you lack the technical knowledge you can hire a technician for that purpose. The insulation kits are widely available in the market especially in companies which deal with energy solutions and also you can find them in most electronic mega stores around the world.

Types of garage door insulation kits available in the market

There are three major insulation kits available in the market out there;

  • Reflective foil

It is sold in rolls and it comes in single and double foil.in the market you can buy either for your garage door. Reflective foil it’s made with a layer of polyethylene foam which is placed in between two layers of aluminum foil. The double foil is considered to be the best and it’s made up of two layers of foam. It is has low energy cost, its considered to be friendly to human health and environment because it’s made of materials which are non-allergic, the materials are also non flammable.it considered to be also suitable for ceilings and floors

  • Polystyrene foam

These kind is sold in large sheets .if this is your choice you need to cut them in to small sheets to fit in the panel of your garage door. The materials which make these kits are abit firm and hard compared to reflective foil. Most of the people prefer it.

  • Fiber glass panel kit

This type of a kit in the market is available in 8 cut panels (8 kits).this panels are the one fit in the garage door flame. They are made up of either polystyrene coated with plastic or fiber glass. This type of a kit is easy to install. It is maintenance cost is low.

Things to consider when choosing an installation kit or material

  1. Weight: when shopping for insulation kits considers their wait. Extra weight of the kit may affect the operation of the garage door. The weight added may slag or slow down the movement of the door.to some extend of having difficult with it when opening especially in busy garage.
  2. Rating value: the material of the insulation kit should be of higher rating value
  3. Home friendly: one should choose an insulation kit which may not pose any danger to the people leaving in the house if you are considering putting it in an attached garage type.it should be able to be operated by anyone without difficulties.
  4. Make sure the kind of insulation kit you choose can fit the required place possible: You are not supposed to put or place an insulation kit over a spring of the garage door. The operating mechanism of most commercial garage doors is loaded with springs to reduce the weight of the door and also the effort used to operate the door

How to match insulation door to your garage door

The aim is to make sure the installation kit you choose is easy to install and it’s suitable for climate condition in your area. For example

Steel garage doors

These material of garage doors can accommodate any insulation kit since most of the are manufactured without them. The procedure of installing is just to place the insulation kit or material in the frame around the panels. The fiberglass side should be touching the door or just cut the required size to fit the foam in to the frame. The best steel doors are made from two layers of galvanized steel. These makes the garage doors made of it last for long. Steel doors can be of variable colors because it can be painted to match the color of the house installed

Wood garage doors

To install the insulation material you should cut the required size and fit the insulation into the door frames. Because wood garage doors are mostly affected by weather especially moist conditions you should use double layer of foam board for extra protection. Additionally most of the wood garage doors are designed in craftsman’s designs which brings good and luxurious image. The wood doors are prone to warping so it can be made with wood frame then cover it with a layer of fiberboard.

Aluminum garage doors

Most of the flat garage doors made up of aluminum materials .the doors are made from individual sections. Which when put together they bring the required strength. Most of them are maintenance free, the panels are weather resistant. The best insulation material to use on this doors is foam material or the reflective insulation kit. This insulation kit is mostly used for doors without panels .to install it you simply cut the required size and fix it on the garage door frame. Insulation kits affordability depends with your choice, some of them are expensive are expensive others are cheap in the market so everyone can afford them .most of the insulation kits come in full package.

Content of insulation kits

The kit contains the following things:

  • Insulation-which comes in a roll or a board in this case what you need to do is to trim it or cut it to the required size.
  • Fasteners-this are useful to hold the insulation material in to place
  • Utility knifes or other kits materials– which are necessary to install the insulator

Insulation kits for our garage has made life’s of many possible and easier because an insulated garage makes the temperate in your garage more comfortable and also it has made the energy saving solution more possible by reducing the energy use at our home and also in commercial areas.

Apparently, most garage owners find it more convenient to pave their way on taking the easier selection. Foam sheathing insulation materials can be used for uncomplicated customizations. Installing Garage doors is done by cutting the foam sheathing insulation material depending on the preferred size taking into consideration the garage door panels. These materials are simply attached to the garage door.

Garage doorsIf sheathing door insulation materials are not on hand, you can use reflective foil insulation. The standard thickness of this kind of foil is 5/16th of an inch. It normally consists of heavy-duty polyethylene foams that are double-layered between aluminum foil sheets. You can also use polystyrene panels that are even easier to install on the door. Put into mind that when you are installing your garage door, it is best time to think about its insulation. When replacing your garage door can also be the best time to cope with insulation problems that need to be attended. If you want to use a natural insulator, you can use wood over metal when thinking about what material your door should be made of.

Professionals can be the ones to do the job of garage door insulation for yourself, but if you want to save money, you can do it by yourself since it is not a very hard task. The kinds of kits mentioned regularly include the things you will need on your project such as a tape measure, a straight edge and a utility knife. Garage door insulation will not only save you bucks but will also make your garage, be it a car parking area or a workshop area, a suitable, comfortable place for your needs.

Buying garage door insulation kits

For a household that has a garage, it is most likely the largest space in one’s home that is poorly insulated or not at all. Severe loss of energy can largely happen when a wall of the garage is connected with the house. Insulation may be unimportant to you, but it can avert energy loss through insulated garage door and will save you energy and money. This can also prevent occurrence of damages due to moisture. Compared to the cost of energy loss, various garage door insulation kits available in the market are very efficient and simple.
In order to have proper garage door, you can either buy kits or buy foam sheathing insulation materials. Obviously, these two options have differences that you should consider first before taking any action in helping your home save energy bills by garage door insulation.

The primary problem with door insulation kits is its availability in stores. Not only are they difficult to see in a home improvement store, they usually come with Do-It-Yourself customizations. Nevertheless, most of these insulations kits are perfect for garage doors that have standard sizes. The standard size for a garage door is 9 feet wide by 7 feet high for single doors. For double doors, the standard size is 16 feet wide by 7 feet wide. Of course, there are kits that can be used for doors with non-standard sizes, but if this is the case, reflective foil type insulation now enters the scene.

References

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Cigarrette
Tips

How do I eliminate cigarette smoke from my apartment?

The smell of cigarette is one of the most annoying in the world, both for smokers and non-smokers, especially for those reformed smokers, not to mention how uncomfortable it is for pregnant women.

The worst of the case is that it is one of the smells that adheres the most on fabrics, furniture and even glasses. Therefore; a house of a sloppy smoker will always smell of cigarettes.

If you are one of the people who hate this smell or even if you are a smoker but you do not want to live under that stigma, here at Decorating Visita Casas we share several solutions to eliminate it once and for all.

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Cabinets
Remodeling

Cabinets Could be Recycled and Redecorated | Decorating Visita Casas

Many people consider that renovating the decor is somehow just moving forward. It is true that we are now facing a new concept. Something totally different or a better version of the old decoration; however, a decoration can be made from recycled elements, like cabinets.

Vintage style, Retro style and Hipster style. None of them was born from something new, but from a new conception of the old.
Here we will show you great ideas and techniques for redesigning your bathroom decor using old cabinets. Get ready to be amazed because what you will see below includes the use of many great recycling and DIY techniques!

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