How to Choose the Perfect Floor for Your house

house flooring It is important to know how to choose the right flooring for a house. If
you have limited knowledge on how to choose the best floor you may make
the wrong decision when purchasing and installing the floor because you
can overlook many important considerations.

For instance, you can purchase polished flooring that is easy to clean and can help brighten
the house. The floor may leave an impact on whoever sees it but may have
some drawbacks. Standing on certain polished floors for long duration
can cause cold feet and foot fatigue. You may be forced to purchase a
few rugs to sort out the freezing problem but the rugs can hide the
aesthetic beauty of your perfect floor. Besides, you may find that
anything that drops on the polished floor breaks or shatters on impact.

Steps to take:

List your flooring needs

Write a list of top features for your flooring should have:

Functional
Ease in cleaning and maintenance
Soft and comfortable on feet and knees
Warm and sleek
Durable
Size and mood for the room

In addition, you may want
slip-resistant flooring that is free from scratches, dents and prevents
breakages when plates and cups are dropped.

Research on the Selection of Available Floors

The floor types include but are not limited to polished, carpet, ceramic
tiles, rubber, composite, timber, laminate, natural stone, vinyl,
linoleum and marble. The flooring materials have varying uses, prices
and features. Some are affordable and for standard uses while others are
quite expensive and of high value.

While shopping you may opt for
ceramic instead of marble because the product is available in many
styles, colors and is cheaper. Nevertheless, marble is extremely
durable, has a high value and may suit your perfect floor needs for a
lifelong floor. Research can help in identifying a lot more information
and help in making an informed decision.

Set a floor budget

After considering your flooring needs and carrying out a detailed research
you can set a budget and stick to it. The budget should accommodate all
your house floor requirements and after a few adjustments you can settle
for a reasonable budget. Various measures on how to choose the best
flooring can assure you a perfect floor.

How to select the flooring color

Depending on the room you are renovating, you may want to look at the other
colors in the room. The existing colors can help in determining how the
colors will coordinate or match. You should consider the emotions you
want to revoke and what you want to communicate to anyone who enters the
room for the first time.

Colors that give a distinguished
decorative value can bring an elegant look to your floor. Bring colors
bring freshness and vitality. Some classic colors simply harmonize with
the room without too much effort.

Create a cosy living-room with simple items

Create a Cosy Living-Room with Simple Items

living room It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to create a cosy living-room that is warm
and inviting. Unlike a look of grand elegance, luxury or showcase
perfection, cosiness is very easily attained with little money.
Living-rooms are a place that should inherently be relaxing, where you
can put your feet up after a hard day’s work or drift off and lose
yourself in a book or a film. Cosiness equals softness, texture, warmth,
cushions and lounging and thankfully these things can be simply
achieved with relatively few inexpensive items and accessories.

Basic Pieces

Create a cosy living-room starting with the basics. A sofa can often be the
centre-piece of a living-room and to enhance the relaxation factor of
the room, the sofa should be large, soft and wide enough that you can
easily put your feet up or curl into a ball in the corner if you so
desire. In addition to this, when decorating the room, opt for earthy
and neutral colors like beiges, whites, pastels, browns and greys for a
delicate and subtly tranquil ambience. Brighter hues can be too
stimulating for relaxation purposes so avoid strong color clashing or
bold wallpaper. Texturise as much as possible. Go for either a hardwood
floor with a large thick rug in the centre, or lay down a soft carpet
that keeps heat in and promotes warmth and comfort. It is also a good
idea to buy thick and heavy curtains as opposed to modern blinds as they
lend themselves very well to insulation and warmth as well as looking
great.

Accessories and Additions

Simple items like cushions,
throws and candles can really make the world of difference to a room.
Even if your furniture is stiff or uncomfortable and you cannot change
it, the addition of a few well considered accessories will help to
encourage a softer ambience. Invest in good quality throws and small
blankets and drape them over the back of the sofa and any chairs that
lie around. These should be thick and woolly or made of fleece. Cushions
and little pillows are another very simple but highly effective way of
cosying-up a room. Choose a variety of cushions in an array of patterns,
textures and prints for a super-warm and trendy look. Candles, and
scented candles in particular are another way of making a living-room
warmer. Go for delicate scents and place them in corners for subtle
lighting that will add to the soft furnishings in a fantastic way. Other
simple items like photo frames and personalised ornaments can add a
level of warmth as can wooden materials.

 

Good Ideas to Organize Your Closet

colset The rule of thumb towards organizing your closet is first separating
clothing and shoes that you use and the ones you need to eliminate. If
you have not worn an item for 6 months to over a year, get rid of it. On
doing this, you will realize that you have many ideas and space for
your clothes.

De-clutter first to organize your closet

De-cluttering is
the first step that you should take as you organize your closet. Review
each item in the closet and determine its value. Some of the good ideas
include setting aside a weekend and examining the closet, cleaning and
organizing. When doing this, have boxes handy for storage as well as
storage bags for clothing that you need to eliminate. Set aside the
off-season clothes like winter coats and boots, summer and holiday
clothing. You also need to set aside clothes to give to charity,
especially those that you have not used in six months, and to the trash
bin, torn, shrunken stained and the ones not worthy giving away.

Sort out the remaining clothing

Good ideas only make sense after the junk is gone, which make it easier to
organize items that matter. When you start to organize your closet, you
need to be logical, whereby you use one section for matching clothing
and store work clothing together, play, or casual clothing together, and
leave ample room for long coats and dresses. If your closet is divided,
use the upper part for shirts and blouses, leaving the lower section
jeans pants and slacks.

The next step will be to sort them by their type and colours. Ideally, group pants, jeans, slacks and capris
together, while sorting them into their colours, which are blues, whites, blacks, and others. On the other hand, hang shirts and blouses by their type, which can be casual, dressy, and primary colours.

Consider installing as many hooks and racks as is necessary. For instance, have a
rack for scarves, have a rack for purses, hats and caps, shoes, and
dry-cleaning bag. Once you organize the closet, it will become much
easier to locate the items that you need, and be able to put them back
where they belong easily after laundry.

Good ideas for other clothing

If you have a walk in closet and space allows, some good ideas include
keeping following items inside. When it comes to lingerie, for instance
panties, bras, and socks, it makes sense to have them next to the rest
of clothing. You cannot eliminate a full-length mirror as you organize
your closet alternatively get a standing mirror instead. If you have a
mid-height closet, you can set aside a shelf for jewellery, or have
another position on the wall to hang jewellery. Organizing your closet
should not be a headache, and you can make it a weekend project, in
which you will bring back calm and organization and make dressing up
much easier.

Green Ideas For Your Home

People take steps to make their houses more environmentally sustainable because of values and value. Their values provide them with the motivation to reduce their ecological and carbon footprints and to help
provide their progeny with a cleaner, greener world. Sustainability,
after all, means meeting our current needs without making it more
difficult or even impossible for future generations to do so.
Implementing green ideas into houses is also a commonsense way to save
money and to make those homes more comfortable.

Tightening the Envelope
window insulation Saving energy helps to combat climate change, reduce pollution from
power plants, make homes more comfortable, and reduce your power bills
significantly. One major way to do this is by tightening your house’s
envelope, which is what separates its interior from the outside
world. Start by closing off air leaks with caulking and weather
stripping, installing double glazing in all windows, and then insulating
everything you can. Put up insulated curtains or blinds. Insulate all
walls, floors, ceilings, and heating ducts, your attic or crawl space,
and your hot-water cylinder. Then enjoy a warm, draft-free home in the
winter and a naturally cool, dry one in summer, while your lower energy
costs make your investment pay for itself.

Other Green Ideas For Saving Energy
led light bulb There are many small things you can do to reduce energy use. Use only
compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs. Turn off all electronic
equipment when not in use – never leave anything on standby or pause for
long. Choose energy-efficient appliances and heating systems, the
latter with programmable thermostats.

Green Ideas For More Sustainable Water Use
Install such water-conserving fixtures as low-flow shower heads,
ultra-low flush toilets, and tap aerators to reduce your house’s impact
on wells and water-treatment plants. Solar water heating increases both
water and energy efficiency. Alternately, point-of-use continuous-flow
hot water systems save enormous amounts of money and eliminate the need
to store insulated hot water in a cylinder. If possible, collect
rainwater for non-potable use and install systems that recycle
greywater from your drains to irrigate your garden and, if
properly treated, to flush your toilets and even wash your car.

Reducing Waste
water saver Definitely acquire a compost bin for your greenwaste, both to reduce
what goes to the landfill and to provide your garden with high-quality
organic fertiliser. A bidet in the loo helps to reduce or eliminate the
use of toilet tissue, thereby reducing pressure on sewerage and
wastewater treatment plants.

The Cost
Although making a house more environmentally sustainable does involve
some investment, and efficient appliances, lighting, hot-water systems,
and so on cost more than traditional approaches, some studies have
indicated that the savings over the long term can be as much as ten
times the amount expended.

ecological ideas ecological ideas ecological ideas

Create a little bathroom in the parental room

bathroom In the mood for a little re-modeling? Is the bathroom down the hall
suddenly too cramped to share early In the morning with the missus? Or
are children taking over your bathing room as usual? All you need to do
is to remodel without the contractors and get what you need. There are
simple steps to create a bathroom without hiring or spending an extra
dime. Sure you would need some firsr-hand technical knowledge but other
than that, you’re good to go.

Follow these steps to help you create a bathing space for yourself:

Design what you want first

Sketch out what you need. Be it a graph or a design I has to be a
layout. Be it on the internet or just a sketch of somebody else’s
bathroom, you need to have it on paper so that you can see how much room
it requires and how much room are you willing to give it.

Buy the essentials
You need to buy the bare essentials like the flooring, tiles, etc. If
you have a storage space or a pantry already near to your room then
that would provide you with space and a door which can be utilized to
create a bathroom. Nothing like waking up and going to an empty restroom
without the children running you over. I think everybody should have
such an area next to the parental room. Convert a dresser, any old one
would do, into a washroom vanity.

Installation
Install the tub, the sink, the toilet and sit back and watch the
transformation. If you don’t want tiles, that’s okay use wallpaper any
old one that’s lying in the garage or from the children’s room and
create a bathroom.

Last but not the least
Buy shower curtains, toilet roll and soap, and your good to go.
The little bathroom next to the parent’s room is voila ready. Just in
case you do find the installation a little difficult ask any old
neighbor to help you so that your neighbors get a chance to repay you
once in a while for all the handy work you’ve ever done for them.

In
a modern day world, making your very own parental room or a cozy
bathroom is quite a feeling. Make sure the plumbing is done properly but
that’s the only concern you should have. There should definitely be an
attached bathing area next to the parental room but even if there wasn’t
never mind, you’ve built it on your own and that’s what matters.

A Real Garage Makeover: A New Room for All

garage renovation Garages these days are not just areas where the gas-guzzling vehicles of the family are housed. Because space is at a premium, DIY garage makeover has become a fad. A garage that was once the dumping ground for all the unused possessions the family does not want to discard has morphed into a new room…a multifunctional area that is enjoyed and used by all the members of the family.

Garage turned storage area

Keeping the car safe from the elements and from the villainous members
of the society is the prime purpose of garages. However, the area that
houses the car also becomes the repository of all the things the family
seldom use. We tend to store all the family’s accumulated junks in the
garage. Overtime, the garage will be filled with busted appliances,
unused exercise and sports equipment, paint cans, dilapidated furniture
and other odds and ends. If parking the car already becomes a concern
because of teetering crates and storage boxes, if walking in the garage
is not unlike navigating a maze, reducing the clutter and a garage
makeover will be extremely necessary.

Making the garage an extension of the house

The garage can be turned into a new room where the young ones can
hangout. A simple makeover will turn a portion of the garage into an
area where mom can hone her artistic talent with paints and brushes
without worrying about paint spills that can ruin the flooring. The
garage can be turned into a functional area where dad can work on his
carpentry hobby. A simple garage makeover will not only add oomph to
the visual appeal of this usually neglected part of the house but also
turn the dusty and dark space into a functional new room for the family.

A simple garage makeover

Start the makeover by DE-cluttering the garage. A space for everything
and everything in its space would be a good motto to follow. Sort out
all the odds and ends into discard and keep piles. Don’t be afraid to
get rid of all the stuffs unused for years. Remember, you are reducing
the clutter in your garage. It would be a good idea to store the “keep”
stuff in clear air tight plastic boxes. Vertical storage shelves can
work wonders in giving the garage a more organized look. Designate a
specific area where these shelves and storage boxes will be kept.
Remember, the garage is still the car’s domain thus ample space has to
be provided for the car and for the necessary car maintenance chores.

Garage makeovers can be fun. With a lot of imagination the garage can be turned into another living space for the family.

Decorate a Living-Room with a Small Budget

cheap living-room decoration Regardless of the number of rooms available in a home, the living room is the most
important, since this is where family and friends gather and spend time
together. Decorating it can also be a fun activity to do on a small
budget.

The first item on the to-do-list is de-clutter, and clean
the room. Remove unnecessary items and boxes, do thorough cleaning
including the floor, furniture, windows and walls. This will give you
the perfect décor canvas to work with before you begin to decorate a
living-room. On cleaning up, it will become apparent to you that you
actually need very little to make the room elegant.

Give the floor a new life

carpet One of the best ways in which you can make a dull floor look great is by
re-carpeting or changing the tiles. Yet, this is prohibitively expensive
when you are on a small budget. Alternatively, you can buy cheaper
floor rugs and spread them in appropriate locations in the room, and it
will have new life. You will find a wide variety of floor rugs that you
can afford while on budget to decorate a living-room.

Change the colour scheme

The other inexpensive way of decorating a living room is by changing the
colour scheme. You may choose a different colour altogether,
alternatively, bring in some new colours into the main colour and the
room will look different. Giving the room a different colour from the
former will make it look like it is newly furnished and stylish too. For
you to get the ideal professional look, give the room a new
professional coat of paint. You can also consider mixing two or three
colours, while using the darker shades to accent some areas of the room.

Introduce indoor plants

interior plant The other great way that you can add life to an otherwise boring living
room is by introducing indoor plans. Green added to a room makes it look
cool and classy. For you to achieve this, you will need to buy a few
potted plants and arrange them in appropriate locations of the room,
especially where there is sufficient light. Alternatively, you can place
them in a dark corner and then add a lamp to light up the area. This
will result in a beautiful corner arrangement as well as ensure the
plants stay healthy.

Rearrange the furniture

The other affordable way in which you can decorate a living-room on a small
budget is by rearranging the furniture. For instance, relocate the couch
from the wall to another location, and move the TV or entertainment
unit to another spot. The key thing here is to experiment with different
room arrangements. If the furniture’s condition is not very good, you
can use slipcovers or paint it afresh. At the same time, using throw
pillows in different textures and colours also improves the way a living
room looks.

Accessorise the walls

wall decoration The last and affordable way to decorate a living-room while on a small budget is to
use pictures, wall art, and accessories. You may find that you already
have a few pieces at home, and if you require more, you can always find a
great sale in your neighbourhood. The catch with these decor items is
creativity, and good arrangement on the wall while avoiding cluttering.

Creat a Real Kids’ Room in your House

Create a Real Kids’ Room in your House

kids room decoration If you have the glorious option of dedicating an entire room in your home
to kids then it is more than worth taking the time to really think about
it. What is the purpose of it? Is it to keep kids away from other rooms
or simply to keep then entertained throughout the day? Do you want to
to be an educational room where they do homework? A relaxing room where
they watch films? A playroom where they can go totally nuts? And what is
your budget? Whatever the answer to these questions, it is relatively
simple to successfully achieve what you want with a little pre-thought
and a lot of creativity.

Younger Children

For younger kids of below the age of 10, play and activity is key. First and foremost, it
is a great idea to injury-proof the room and the contents as much as
possible so that they can safely play around without the possibility of
running into a sharp corner or falling on a concrete floor. Choose soft
and rounded furniture pieces, but not many, as space would be more
desirable than a room filled with objects for this age group. Go for
soft carpets with fluffy textures and a lot of cushions that can be
thrown around. Make colours as bright and varied as possible for extra
stimulation and also have a CD player or radio playing kids songs in the
background so the TV does not have t be constantly on.

Older Children

older children room decoration Create a real kids’ room for older children by focusing on making a space that
is private and has the options of both relaxing and being active. A way
to achieve this is by having a homework area incorporated into the room
via a desk and computer. Pre-teen kids very often want some degree of
privacy and alone time so combining this with a study area is always a
good option. An entertainment area is also inevitable here so invest in a
great comfy sofa that can sit a few of their friends for a DVD evening
or a chat away from the adults. Decor-wise try to veer away from
overly-childish colours and design schemes and opt for pastel colours
instead. Create a real kids’ room even further by having a music system
and computer game zone integrated into the space as this will surely be
the focal point for kids of this age group.

How to freshen-up your kitchen

kitchen decoration The kitchen is not just the area where the food of the family is prepared.
Kitchens these days have morphed into multipurpose rooms. The kitchen
has in fact become the heart of the home as the family tend to
congregate in this area. The family starts the day with a rushed
breakfast in the kitchen. Again, the family would make a beeline for the
kitchen at the end of the day…the kids will grab a glass of milk and a
cookie and the adults for a hot cup of coffee. Because of the heavy
traffic, kitchens have to be functional but also pleasing to the eye. It
is therefore not surprising if homeowners would want to do kitchen
makeovers. Without breaking the bank you too can freshen-up your kitchen
with easy how to ideas.

How to plan for the kitchen makeover

The task to freshen-up your kitchen can be challenging but for sure it
would be lots of fun. Giving the kitchen a facelift is one of the more
expensive home remodelling projects. However, with the right how to
information, the kitchen improvement project can be done on a budget.
The first task is to consider what part of the kitchen urgently needs
updating. Are the counter tops chipped, are the cabinet doors hanging
awry or is the paint peeling? Simply changing the lighting fixtures or
hanging colourful curtains will already make a dramatic impact that will
freshen-up your kitchen. Before deciding on what must be done, there
has to be a concrete idea on what the finished project will look like.

Reface cabinets and replace counter tops

Oftentimes, the still functional cabinets contribute to the less
pleasing appearance of the kitchen. Outmoded cabinets can be given a new
look with a fresh coat of paint and new hardware. Matching knobs, pulls
and hinges will breathe new life to the old cabinets. Decorative
tinted, etched, stained or clear glass doors are in these days.
Replacing the still sturdy wood cabinets would not be necessary. The
kitchen will have a new look even if only the cabinet doors are
replaced. Replace the chipped ceramic tile counter top with stainless
steel or with granite or glass if the budget permits.

Freshen-up your kitchens floor and walls

A new coat of paint can do wonders to the overall appearance of the
kitchen. It is also one of the cheapest methods of giving the kitchen a
new look. Give your kitchen floor a new life by refinishing wooden
floors or getting the help of a professional to re-polish a stone
flooring. Covering the floor with an attractive linoleum will be less
expensive but the desired effect of giving the kitchen a face lift will
still be achieved.

An unlimited budget is not really necessary to
make the kitchen look great. You only need to be creative and to have a
lot of determination to accomplish the task

How to update a bathroom

Many people spend a lot of time in the bathroom. Hence, this little place
should be as cozy, beautiful, and comfortable as it can be. Fortunately,
you do not have to lose an arm and a leg to update a bathroom. All it
takes is a good analysis of the way it is today, and how to get it to be
better.

It’s Not Difficult to Update a Bathroom

bathroom makeover If you are not sure how to begin, it is best that you start small. The simplest way
is by lending a critical eye on all that your bathroom contains. Are
there unsightly clutters around? Be as ruthless as you can. Get rid of
as much unnecessary stuff as possible. Are you really going to use the
year-old shampoo at the corner, or the ancient bottle of moisturizer
that smells like medicine? And the chipped mirror that you placed at the
side wall for ages – wouldn’t it be better to just throw it away and
get a fresh, new one?

How to Have a Neat Bathroom Without Throwing Everything Out

Many people insist that a good bathroom must contain many things, and so
getting rid of the clutter in it does not necessarily help. But you do
not have to throw everything out actually. Instead, look for spaces that
can be used to store all your bathroom essentials. The less items are
in sight, the better your bathroom will look. Perhaps you can install a
pull-out towel hanger inside the bottom cabinet, or a turntable to place
the myriad of hairsprays, toothpaste, and shaving creams that you
prize. The use pull-out drawer units are most appropriate, especially if
they are also of the see-through variety. To add, hooks are handy
bathroom items that you should not do without.

design bath The trick to update a bathroom is to ensure that everything has its own place in the bigger
scheme of things. A proper and organized system will not only reduce
the time you take to locate the item you want at the exact moment you
need it, it will also make the little room neat and pleasant to look at.
A clever use of storage will free up much space. If there is enough
room, you can afford to place a large plant in a corner. You will be
delighted to see how a plant can brighten up the room in the most
pleasant way!

Investing in Colors

If you are ready to splurge a bit, update your bathroom with a splash of vibrant colors.
Just place a border or design around mirrors, windows, and ceilings. A
pattern will emerge, giving the place a theme that changes the look of
your otherwise tired and jaded-looking bathroom!