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While we may well still be in the midst of winter, it’s not going to be all too long before the weather begins to take a turn for the better and the temperature begins to rise. As the sun starts to shine, many of us want to spend increasing amounts of time lounging in our backyards. The problem? Well, the majority of us tend to neglect our outdoor spaces throughout the winter months. Who can blame us? Nobody wants to spend their days digging around in wet dirt with frosty fingers when they could be cuddled up all cozy in front of the television with a hot drink. But this generally means that the majority of our gardens are in a sad state of affairs when the time comes around to actually spend time in them. But not to worry. There are steps that you can take to repair the damage and create a comfortable and appealing outdoor space ready for the Spring months. You just have to get started sooner rather than later! Here are a few things to get started on!

Repairing Winter Damage

You may feel at a loss as to where to start when it comes to repairing winter damage. But don’t let that put you off. These simple steps can help to transform your backyard into a fresh blank canvas that you can work with!

• Strim the grass – if grass is overgrown take to it with a strimmer to chop down the main bulk of its length. Rake the long grass and dispose of it properly.
• Mow the lawn – once the grass is at a manageable length, you won’t have to worry about it blocking up your mower. You can run across it to get a nice, even finish.
• Pull weeds – weeds establish themselves pretty quickly, so there are probably a fair few about. But have patience. Pull them properly, ensuring that you get the root. You might also want to apply a weed killer to the area to prevent regrowth.

Water Features

Once you have a clear space, you can start focusing on making your garden look truly appealing. Consider installing some sort of water feature. While they may seem complex to set up, once everything is up and running, you’ll have a beautiful visual attraction out back. The sound of running water can also be extremely soothing when you’re spending time outdoors. If this is something that interests you, you can find out here.

Attract Local Wildlife

If you want your garden to flourish and feel full of life in the Spring, consider attracting a little local wildlife. You’ll create your own natural haven! Leave bird seed in feeders and plant flowers that attract bees and butterflies. 

As you can see, there are various things that you can do to make your garden ready for Spring. You’re bound to want to spend more time outdoors when the weather improves, so save yourself the hassle down the line by taking action now!

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Building your own home and having it designed precisely to your specifications and needs is a big dream for many people. It isn’t a particularly easy dream to fulfill for many. Not only do you need to find a decent plot of land for sale, but you have to work out exactly what you want your home to be like and make sure you have a big enough budget to cover it all – and a little extra for those things that undoubtedly will not go to plan! If you don’t get it right, you could not only end up wasting lots of valuable time and money but be stuck in a nightmare house instead of your dream home. Here we look at a few things that are essential to avoid when building your own home.

Not planning the space effectively.

One of the best things about building your own home and the main reason why many choose to go down this path is that you can have complete control over the layout of your home. Unfortunately, while it sounds like lots of fun to be able to do this, many people have no idea how to plan and use the space effectively. Before you start, you need to think about all of the things that you do in your home – sleeping, eating, washing, relaxing, socializing etc. – and make sure you have designated spaces for all of these activities. You also need to take into consideration storage space. Every single room in the house needs to have storage, and if you do it carefully, this can be built in and subtle.

Not being careful with the small details.

When you are designing and building your own home, it can be so easy to get caught up in the significant details, but sometimes, it is the smaller ones that can cause the most issues if not planned for and dealt with correctly. Think about where you are planning on putting plug sockets – do you want them in easy access of your bed, for example?

Choosing a poor contractor

Very few people can build their own home without at least some help from the professionals, and before you hire someone, it is imperative that you do some research on them. As much as it would be lovely to think that everyone out there is honest and ethical, there are sadly a few dodgy contractors that will do a shoddy job or mess you around. Lower the odds of this happening by doing your research and asking for local recommendations.

Not thinking about lighting.

Pretty much nobody likes living in dark and dingy homes, but sadly, many of us do because of poor planning from designers and builders. When you are making your blueprint for your home, factor in lots of windows and opportunities for natural light. A window replacement guide is handy for this step. Think about big sliding glass doors onto the yard or patio, floor to ceiling windows and roof windows.

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Anyone can stage a beautiful photo for a few minutes. Or cover up some bad decisions with a good blanket, but real interior design lasts a lifetime. People can confuse interior design with interior decoration, but they are very different things.

Interior design – designing an entire living space from the ground up, using scientific techniques. Using seasons, emotions and the area itself to produce a final effect.

Interior decoration – Adding furniture to an already decorated interior.

There are some very specific elements that make up the general rules that interior designers live by, and sometimes because they know them so well, that is exactly what leads them to break them. Let’s take a peek at some of them:

Light – This is one of the elements on a room design that has to be manipulated by an expert. While most people will see one window and either think about how to dress it, a designer will see an opportunity to play. Man-made lights and natural light can work in harmony, provided the tone and location of the lights are taken into consideration. The lighting used, either task, accent or mood will also dictate how certain spaces are used at certain times in the day or year.

Color – Psychology and room purpose will play a big part in what the color palette for a room will be. Some rooms will require a tranquil touch, others a vibrant pop of colors and some a plain white as a backdrop to displaying art. Color has three characteristics –  hue, value, and intensity. Come colors will go together, others won’t, and some will give a beautiful ‘clash.’ Often you will find three shades of the same color in one room, a light, dark and medium tone. These will bring depth to some parts of the room, and draw attention to others. Colorwork takes skill and knowledge.

Texture – you might think the texture is just a wood floor or a soft blanket. However, there is so much more to texture than that. Visual texture is as it suggests where the texture is only visible. So look for things like beautiful woodwork, photo frames from high-quality sources like Artware, and wallpapers and paints that look like they have a texture – but they don’t. Secondly, you are looking at Actual Texture – which is where those soft blankets and wood floors come in. Actual texture is the carpets, drapes, pillows, throws, and anything else you can touch. Texture provides a sensory element to a room that requires physical touch making it very powerful.

Space – the single most important aspect too and design. Space, big or small, or a little awkward provides the foundation for everything that follows. Some interior designers flourish with large airy spaces, others have their brightest ideas in the darkest and smallest of rooms. Space, like the other categories, are divided up into a few areas. Firstly two-dimensional space, there are flat surfaces like walls and floors. Then, three-dimensional space which is the living space. You will also hear the use of positive and negative space which play powerful roles in good interior design.

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Are you taking on a big renovation project over the next few months? It’s a brave step but ultimately a rewarding one as you see your dreams unfold with every objective you tick off the list.

Before you start tackling the crumbling paintwork, rusty radiators and wobbly woodwork take a look at our handy checklist to make sure you have what you need in place before you start.

Get the structure checked out

If your property is a new buy the first thing you’re going to need to do is to make sure it’s structurally sound, so call in the experts to give your home the once over and make sure it doesn’t have any subsidence or other urgent issues.

If you’ve got a good idea for these things, check out the paintwork around the property and look for any telltale signs of damp like wet, cold spots or areas where the paintwork is crumbling. Once you’re sure you’re working on a sound canvas, you’re good to move on to the next stage.

Find your team

However good you are at DIY and however practical your skills if you’re taking on a large-scale renovation you’re going to need your people around you. Find an architect who shares the same vision as you, who doesn’t try and persuade you away from your own ideas but who instead finds ways of making them happen while bringing their own creative flair.

Similarly ask around for recommendations on electricians, plumbers and building companies who you can trust and who have a great reputation. It’s always worth paying slightly more for great quality work then paying less and having to call in the experts to patch up mistakes.

Consider too what you’re going to need to do after your builders have left the property and if you’re going to need to carry out an industrial clean, get information from ServiceMaster for this kind of work.

Budget realistically

Be creative with your budget but always be realistic and try to stick to it as closely as you can. While it’s tempting to spend money on all the beautiful things, get the basics in place first. Once your heating, electrics and plumbing are all in place, then it’s time to turn your attention to your interior designs. You might find creative ways of maximizing your money by looking around second-hand stores or reclamation yards for vintage radiators and furniture to give your home a unique feel.

Big projects like a house renovation are scary and often feel out of control so look to have a scheduler or project sharing software that all your teams can contribute to and which has clear tasks and a timescale. Then watch as your bargain is slowly transformed into the house of your dreams, knowing that every detail has been thought of and designed by you. It won’t be long until you can close the door in your sanctuary knowing that everything is just as it should be.

This is a contributed post by Cooper Klein, smoothdecorator.com 

In just a couple of weeks, you’ll have an opportunity to start fresh. If you want to introduce a sense of novelty into your home, you can start by updating its look. Implementing certain changes and freshening up your home décor can have a great effect on your state of mind. You’ll be able to live in a new and improved home environment that you truly love. There’s no better time to indulge yourself in some simple luxuries than New Year, and designing a home that you deserve is the way to do it.

Simplify your décor

There’s no need for excessiveness, exaggeration or clutter in a luxurious, elegant home. Simplicity is what contributes to the unique sense of effortless beauty of a glamorous home environment. You should take some time to create a fresh base by simplifying your décor and eliminating clutter. Once you create an understated backdrop, every beautiful feature will be able to stand out and contribute to the luxurious atmosphere in your home.

Choose rich colors

Going with a neutral color scheme is always a great way to set the tone of elegance and sophistication in a home. Whites, off-whites, beiges, subtle greys and other neutral hues create a classic, timeless look. In addition, a lovely open palette will make your space seem brighter, airier and more enjoyable. Therefore, you should choose neutral shades and muted tones to give your space a subtle touch of luxury.

Layer lush textiles

A luxurious home ambiance appeals to all of your senses and provides you with an enticing tactile experience. Introducing and layering rich textiles, such as velvet, sheepskin, silk and satin will create a rich, textured look that exudes coziness and elegance. There are plenty of inspiring ways to introduce these materials to your home, from window treatments to throw cushions and covers.

Embellish with gold accents

For a truly glamorous and luxurious look, you should introduce a few accents with a gold finish. Gold has always been one of the most luxurious and glamorous trends, so it can truly elevate your home décor. Of course, you shouldn’t go overboard with gold decorations, but simply introduce a few hand-picked details that will help you create a “wow” effect. For instance, you can use fabrics with hints of gold or embellish your space with gold features, such as frames, candlesticks, lighting fixtures, etc.

Spa up your bathroom

A luxurious home atmosphere is about both style and relaxation. It should feature elegant appeal while also providing you with a feeling of peacefulness and serenity. A simple way to merge both factors is by creating a spa-inspired bathroom where you’ll introduce indulgent features and create a glamorous look. You should create a minimalist home spa embellished with indoor plants, lush towels, luxurious bathing products and scented candles. Of course, modern and elegant freestanding baths are the perfect option for spa-inspired bathrooms that feature simple, yet infinitely sophisticated designs. Implementing such a tub in your bathroom will provide you with a true feeling of relaxation while simultaneously dominating the entire space with its subtle elegance. Clean, simple lines, natural stone and a sleek look are all perfect features for your tranquil spa sanctuary. So, if you want to treat yourself for New Year, make this piece your primary choice because it’s definitely worth the investment.

Treat your feet

A lovely plush rug will provide your feet with a royal treatment, so don’t forget to introduce one or two into your home. Sheepskin rugs are the perfect option for adding a touch of glamour to your home. Not only can you use them to embellish your floors and introduce a feeling of coziness, but you can also experiment with their placement and try out some other decorating ideas. For instance, you can place a sheepskin rug on a chair or hang it as a wall embellishment. What’s more, you can create an even better look if you set such a plush, soft rug against, for instance, a leather armchair. This will juxtapose the two materials, accentuate their texture and create a striking contrast.

Use extravagant mirrors

Mirrors are gorgeous embellishments that can help you beautify your space. You can use them to reflect natural light throughout your home and make it seem more open and spacious. Mirrors can also visually expand your space, which is why they are frequently used in small spaces. However, these elements also provide you with an opportunity to elevate your home décor. You can pick mirrors with ornate, extravagant frames and let them stand out in your elegant home.

Pick impactful art

As one of the most inspiring and mesmerizing home embellishments, the artwork will undoubtedly style up your home. A single oversized painting can be the focal point of an entire room, creating an impactful, awe-inspiring look. You can pick an enticing art piece and use it as a décor statement in your luxurious home.

New Year is the perfect time to introduce a sense of novelty in both your home and life. You can use these lush ideas to create a subtle, yet luxurious home and welcome the following year in style.

Bio: Cooper Klein is an entrepreneur with a degree in Marketing and a regular contributor to many online magazines. In order to spend more time with his family, Cooper decided to take a break, and he’s currently working from home as a blogger. You can find him on Twitter.

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Home renovations are incredibly expensive which is why a lot of people put them off. You might not be happy with the way that your bedroom is decorated but if you haven’t really got the money to pay for decorating, you might decide to just leave it. Sometimes, putting it off for a couple of years is fine but there are a lot of great benefits to home renovations that people don’t realize. These are just some of the reasons why you should stop putting off home renovations.

They Make You Happier

Your surroundings have a big impact on your happiness and wellbeing so if you’re not happy with the way that your house is decorated, you need to do something about it. For example, a bedroom that isn’t decorated right can cause you to have trouble sleeping. You’ll struggle to relax and unwind after a long day at work if you don’t like your house and that can lead to increased stress levels. Your home should be a nice place that you enjoy spending time in and often, that means you need to make some changes to it.

They Add Value

This is a big one because there may come a time in the future when you decide to sell your home. If you want to sell it for a good price, making changes and additions to it is the easiest way to guarantee that. Adding value to your home is also a good way to increase your borrowing power. If you find yourself in a financial emergency and you need to take out a loan against your home, renovations will increase the amount that you can get. If you get in touch with a good mortgage broker (you can find one at https://altrua.ca) and get some quotes for a second mortgage, you can get an idea of your borrowing power. This is a good way to fund home renovations and add value to your home to then further increase that borrowing power and increase your chance of selling the house for a good price in the future.

They Make Your House Eco-Friendly

Environmental responsibility is a top priority for a lot of us these days and people are starting to make all sorts of lifestyle changes, but have you considered your home? The energy that you use to run your home has a far bigger impact than most other lifestyle factors and there are lots of simple things that you can do to make your home more eco-friendly. It’s also worth considering during the renovation so you’re not damaging the environment while you renovate. Making simple changes like putting new windows and doors in or updating your insulation can make your home far more eco-friendly.

They Cut Maintenance Costs

Maintenance costs are an inevitability for any homeowners but if you do renovations regularly and keep everything in good shape, you can avoid any big problems further down the line. If you upgrade older features in your home now before they degenerate even further, you’ll spend less than you would if you waited until you were forced to make repairs.

If you’ve been putting off home renovations for a while, maybe it’s just time to bite the bullet and get on with it.  

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We all want to welcome guests into our home, and make them feel at home, to the point that we will bring out our best china and fluffiest towels.  Yet, we often don’t tend to focus that much on the interior design of our guest bedroom’s as they are rarely used and when they are used, it’s usually just for a fleeting visit.

In this sense, our guest rooms can leave a lot to be desired, and if you are used to staying in beautiful boutique hotels that emphasize design and comfort as part of their philosophy, it’s possible you might feel like you are underserving your guests.

Of course, you don’t want to turn your guest room into the anonymity of a five star hotel, you still want it to be personal and to feel like your guest is at home within your home – yet there are a few things you can do to “wow” your guests in the same way the Marriott chain of hotels have a philosophy of “wowing” their guests.

In this article, we’re going to look at a few aspects of this.

UPGRADE THE FACILITIES

The first step is to consider upgrading your facilities, for instance, many people will end up putting an unwanted bed (that’s probably past its prime) in the guest room with little consideration for the comfort of it.  Spend a night sleeping on the bed, and make sure it’s comfortable. Similarly, when it comes to the bathroom you might want to consider investing in some classy glass shower doors and upgrade the toilet or taps… as this often overlooked area contributes a lot to the experience of a guest bedroom.

CONSIDER THE SMELL

Sometimes, as the guest bedroom doesn’t tend to get much use, it can smell a little musty.  You, therefore, want to consider the smell of the guest bedroom – enhancing it with natural aromatherapy oils or perhaps a plug-in air freshener.  Just be aware that some plug-in air fresheners can cause allergies in people, particularly those with asthma.

IRON THE SHEETS

If you want to go the extra mile, then ironing the sheets will make for a much more luxurious bedtime experience.  The feel of getting into ironed sheets is a world apart from sheets that have been crumpled up for a few months and quickly put on the bed in anticipation of guests.  This little touch will make your guest room feel a lot more luxurious and comfortable.

GET NICE TOILETRIES

If you’ve ever been to a fancy design hotel and felt let down by the poor standard of toiletries on offer, you will know that you can stay in the most beautiful hotel in the world – but if they scrimp on toiletries, it makes you feel like you’re not staying somewhere as luxurious as you are.  While your aim is not to get a five-star rating, it’s just to provide a more pleasant experience for your guests, supplying some decent toiletries can be a really good way to go the extra mile and make them feel like they are being treated like royalty when they stay over at your house.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

Many hotels today look for ways to tend to the unique needs and requirements of their guests, for instance, by providing them with their favorite newspaper.  Whilst, this is your home, and you don’t want to replicate a five-star hotel experience… little thoughts such as having their favorite newspaper delivered, will go a long way to making them feel very special and welcome guests.

In summary, when it comes to welcoming guests into your home and making your guest bedroom feel like a five-star hotel – the last thing you want is to replicate the formal affluence of a five-star hotel.  You want it to be warm and friendly, yet comfortable and considered. In this sense, you want your guest to feel significant. That’s what it all comes down to.

If you know your sister is visiting, for instance, and that her favorite scent is strawberry – going out and getting a little bottle of strawberry bubble bath or shampoo is a simple and cheap gesture that’s likely to make her feel very significant, special, and tended to.

In this vein, anything you can do to go the “extra mile” and make your guest feel special and significant, is a good idea.  Furthermore, you want to consider the guest experience by staying in the room yourself – after all, most guests aren’t going to tell you if you have a really uncomfortable bed that slants to one side… you need to experience it yourself and make sure it’s up to scratch.

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We love our homes, but they can sometimes become a little bit annoying, can’t they? Just as we’re beginning to settle into all the joys of our humble homes, we look around and realize that everything is beginning to look a little bit dated, or, at best, not quite as fresh as it once did. And when that time rolls around, we usually begin to look at the best home decor blogs, find our inspiration, and begin making grand plans. But that’s a lot of effort, right? It’s much easier to prevent your property from becoming dated in the first place.

Don’t Go Too Heavy With The Theme

There’s a lot to be said for picking a theme for a room. It can make it feel unique, and, executed properly, there’s no doubt that it can look pretty fantastic. But the problem with basing a room’s decor on a theme is that they rarely age well, if ever. An Egyptian themed bathroom, for instance, can be that luxurious touch that you’re looking for in a bathroom, but it’s unlikely to look quite as stylish in a few years. Just think back to all those overly eighties decor choices that were common back then; they didn’t even make it out of the decade. So don’t go too heavy with a theme – if you insist, make it things that can be easily changed, such as decorations.

Stay on Top of Maintenance

It’s not usually the decor selections that give a home’s age away, necessarily, but the small details. For instance, wallpaper that’s peeling in the corner, or a carpet that’s lost its color, or a cabinet that’s beginning to fade will all give your property that tired look and feel. Touch up your wallpaper, deep clean your carpet, and work with a company that offers cabinet refinishing, and you’ll keep your house looking fresh! You do have to be proactive with these types of things, but you’ll be thankful for your efforts in the long run.

Change the Basics

Many people look around their living room and decide that they want to change all the furniture to make it feel fresh again. This is not necessary! In most cases, all you need to do is switch out the basics. For example, new cushion and pillow covers, and a new set of curtains will make the room look like new. You’ll also want to avoid the pile-up of clutter – sometimes just clearing away the debris is all you need to bring the room back to life. again

Final Thoughts

Your home won’t always look completely new, but there’s no reason to settle for a house that looks like its best days are behind it. By incorporating the above steps into your home planning, you can ensure that your house never needs to have that faded, dated feel. You will need to mix up your decor every now and again – no look lasts forever – but you won’t need to make wholesale changes all that often.

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It’s November and the sunlight hours are getting short, which means one thing: winter is coming. Unlike the Starks, you’re not preparing for a battle on both fronts against the Lannisters and an army of White Walkers. Instead, you’re looking to get through the fall and winter months unscathed and come out the other side when spring finally arrives.

To do that, it’s important to keep the spirits high even when it’s dark outside. There are plenty of options at your disposal, yet the easiest and most effective is light. Making sure there is plenty of it, natural and synthetic, should stop the dark, rainy days from getting you down.

Homeowners might be surprised by how impactful a change of a light bulb can be around this time of year. For those that want illuminating, below are tips on how to light your home this winter.

Start With The Exterior

People judge your home based on its curb appeal, and you’re the same. As soon as you pull up on the drive, the brain will start to think “God, this place feels drab.” Whether you want to admit or not, it’s tough not to agree and that stays with you for the entire season. Think of it like a dark cloud which won’t go away.

A quick fix is to use lighting and lamps on the outside to give your home a boost. Let Tiki torches guide you down the garden path to the front door. Or, use lanterns to create an old-school, haunted house vibe. After all, November is the season of the dead.

Of course, you can use decorations to your advantage during the holidays. Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas isn’t too far away, which means lots of fairy lights and bright accessories. Put them on the exterior of the house, the trees, and anywhere where they’ll add a bit of life.

Maximize Sunlight

There is only so much of it per day, so it’s important to let the rays in during the day. Natural sunlight has plenty of health properties too, which makes it good for a range of things, including your mood. Many a homeowner has felt blue in the summer due to a lack of vitamin D.

The key is to remove the blockages that stop it from entering your house. A typical example is curtains. Anybody that has them lets the thick fabric absorb the rays so there is none left for the rest of the room. A variety of different types of window blinds will make sure your house is bathed in light from the morning until the evening.

Other obstructions include furniture and tall trees and shrubs in the garden. For the former, just move them to a new place. The latter you might need to trim back or remove altogether.

Install Extra Fittings

The problem you have is that the lighting in the house is inadequate. Not only that but it’s too harsh and makes you think of a doctor’s surgery or the locker rooms at the gym. As far as coziness goes, there aren’t too many worse moods to set than those.

So, additional lamps can illuminate the darkness, but what’s the best way to use them? Are there rules? There aren’t any which you must follow; it’s your house and you can do as you please. Still, there are a few that will make all the difference. Probably the easiest is choosing a variety of floor and table lamps for a cozy contrast. Alternatively, you can pick fittings with different glows.

For the geeks that are into that kind of thing, bulbs that give off a warm glow are 2,700 Kelvins or less.

Accessorize

The accessories in the house don’t have to be lamps to light up the gloom. Candles are obviously a fantastic addition because they are very bright when lit. Plus, the scented ones smell nice and that’s always a bonus. Please treat them with care and never leave an open flame unattended.

Another trick which is useful is to decorate with mirrors. Although they don’t give off light, they do reflect it around the room. As well as making the place look big, this also has the effect of making it seem light too. And, there’s no need to put mirror glass panels everywhere as you can do the same thing with a shiny surface.

Last but not least, don’t forget about houseplants. Flowers with vivid colors cut through the darkness even in the dead of winter.

This is a contributed blog post from HouseTipster

The proper use of Feng Shui has been in existence since ancient times. It basically is living in harmony with natural surroundings and all of nature. Homes in China were built with the understanding that there should be a natural flow and rhythm throughout the house. Nature was studied to figure out the natural flow of positive energy which determined the position and location of furniture and other items throughout the house. The emphasis was to help with the flow of positive energy in the house while blocking or redirecting the negative energy. The purpose was to help attract wealth, reduce stress, and keep the occupants healthy.

The Elimination of Clutter

Clutter corresponds to one of the five elements of Feng Shui. These elements refer to Earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Clutter is a form of low or stagnant negative energy. Even if your house looks neat and tidy, a closet could contain a lot of stagnant energy. This type of energy should be removed to help your home become stress-free. All items should be removed from the closet and the things you no longer use need to be discarded. The closet needs cleaned from top to bottom so the flow of positive energy can resume.

The same goes for your kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Everything should be taken out of the cabinets and thoroughly cleaned. Ensure that the items you will keep are in an organized and efficient manner. Items used most should be handily located at the front of the cabinets. Broken and unused items that no longer serve a purpose should be discarded. Tangled cords should be straightened to remove stagnant energy stored there. Your living space needs to remain free of clutter to help with the reduction of stress and increase the flow of positive energy again.

The Path to Your House

The entrance to your home is a very important part of Feng Shui. Doors that are improperly aligned can cause health issues and other problems. To help keep your home stress free, careful planning of door locations should be done. The sidewalk should not be a straight path leading to your home. It should meander up to the doorway. A straight path causes the chi energy to rush through the house without having a chance to slow down.

Facing doorways should be aligned perfectly or completely out of alignment. A framework that is aligned with another doorway can cause problems with health and disharmony for the people living there. If there are three or more doors in complete alignment, the chi energy will not have time to slow down which will create more complications.

Mirrors in the House

The placement of mirrors in the house is very important for proper energy flow. Placing them incorrectly can create obstacles to a happy life. A mirror should not be put where you can see your reflection as soon as you enter the front door. The belief is that it will reflect your good luck back outside. Mirrors can be positioned to reflect nature from outside. This is supposed to help bring harmony to the household. The use of mirrors should be limited in the bathroom. It should not be situated across from the open doorway or a view of the commode. The bedroom is another room where it’s not recommended to place mirrors in. It can affect your sleep which can lead to stress and other health problems.

Relieving Stress with Flowing Water

Installing a water fountain inside your house can help everyone be more relaxed and peaceful. The placement and materials of the fountain play a crucial role in it working properly. A water fountain should be made of wood, metal, or stone, which are natural materials that play an important part in keeping people calm. These fountains work best when placed in the north, east, and southeast section of the living space. A water fountain should not be placed below a stairway. It could possibly bring illness and bad luck to the occupants.

The Use of Wind Chimes

Using wind chimes has long been a very popular way of suppressing bad energy. A wind chime should be carefully chosen for a specific area. Depending on the placement of the chime will determine what material it should be composed of. A wind chime made of metal should not be placed in the east since this is the place of the wood element. The number of chimes and the symbols inscribed on the wind chime all determine the proper location for the chime to hang. Properly used, wind chimes can bring peace and prosperity to those living in the house

Plants Are Beautiful

Keeping plants indoors gives you a part of nature to love while you are indoors. They help promote the positive energies of chi. The placement and types of plants can increase the flow of positive energy which will help produce a calming effect in your living space. Most plants are a good source of chi energy as long as they are properly cared for. The exceptions could be a type of spiked cactus plant, which emits a source of negative energy.

Most plants you keep indoors should be located in the area of the wood element. This is the Southeast, East, and South portions of the house. They should be planted in beautiful containers and given a lot of love. The other areas of your home can have plants kept in them as long as there are not so many that it overwhelms the elements in the area.

Room Colors

The color you paint rooms can have an effect on the quality of chi in your house. A kitchen benefits greatly from being painted a yellow or white color. This helps bring a feeling of happiness and increases the positive flow of energy. This makes for a stress-free cooking area. The kitchen is one of the most used rooms and preparing meals cheerfully will definitely make the food better.

Painting rooms according to the matching elements can help keep a home at peace. The wood element colors are brown and green while earth is yellow and brown. The corresponding colors of water are black and blue. Matching white and grey to the element of metal will help positive chi flow in that part of the house. The fire element is any variation of red. This will go a long way towards keeping harmony and peace in a home.

The Living Room

This is the most important area of the house where family and friends gather for social events and entertainment. It should be a large room where two of the walls are facing the exterior of the house. A couch should always be placed against a wall with no windows or doors to make the space more Feng Shui and reduce any unnecessary stress. You should also have a chair and loveseat to provide ample seating for guests and family.

If there is to be a fireplace, it should be installed on a south wall to balance with the fire element. The north side of a living room can have a fountain, aquarium, or paintings of calm water flowing towards the room.

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The colder weather is here, the early sunsets have started, and your family will be sure to spend more time at home over the next few months. As such, it’s vital that the right preparations have been taken to avoid the threat of the property becoming uncomfortable or, worse still, unsafe.

While it’s likely that you’ve already completed several steps, you may have forgotten some very important factors. Here are five issues that you must attend to right away.

Excluding Drafts

Adding roof insulation and upgrading the windows were probably two of the top items on your agenda. Those preparations form the foundations of maintaining good insulation. Still, you need to remember the smaller steps too. Using draft excluders under door frames will make a noticeable difference while thicker drapes and using a floor rug will also help. Keeping warm is the most important challenge at this time of the year. Do not underestimate it.

Air Conditioning

It’s almost certain that you’ll have checked the boiler and heating facilities. However, home ac repair is equally crucial. Without it, the home could be at risk of mold, mildew, and dangerous bacteria. Besides, good air circulation is very important when windows are shut for long periods. Whether it’s upgrading the system, cleaning it, or fixing other faults doesn’t matter. Either way, you must give your home units the attention they deserve. On a similar note, ceiling fans should be set to run in reverse to push warm air around the room.

Heating Facilities

While you’ve checked the boiler and the radiators, you must not end your commitment there. Insulation the pipes with foam insulation can work wonders for efficiency. Likewise, water tank jacket will have a positive impact. First and foremost, it will save money reduce your energy usage as well as the level of waste. However, it’s also worth noting that reducing the workload on the heating system can also aid its long-term performance.

The Garden

While you might not be spending that much time in the backyard over the coming weeks and months, its significance cannot be ignored. This guide to winter garden preparations will put you on the right track. Aside from boosting the appearances, this can prevent a range of issues from harming your home. Be sure to regularly check gutters and other key items too, as blockages and overflows could cause further damage. If you have a garden deck, lighting and a heater will allow you to keep using It during the colder months.

Security

You might not want to spend much time outside during the cold nights, but burglars seem to love it. Thieves know that the average family will have a lot of new purchases sitting in the home ready for the festive period. As such, you must fight back by protecting the home. This is the perfect time to invest in CCTV alarm systems, tougher locks, and driveway lighting. In addition to keeping burglars at bay, it will put your mind at ease. This is the greatest reward of all.

Winter Is Coming: 6 Things You Have to Do to Prepare Your Garden for the Winter

With autumn at our door, activities in the garden are inevitably slowing down. Perennials are blushing with colors, while deciduous trees and shrubs are starting to drop their leaves. Annuals, on the other hand, are nearing the end of their natural life and wait for the nip of the first heavier frost. However, this doesn’t mean that after the peak of summer’s harvest, the garden door should remain shut until the spring planting rush. The amount of work that awaits you next spring depends on how well you have prepared the garden for the winter period. Here are some suggestions.

Clean up the garden

Before the ground becomes too hard, make sure you remove all weeds and debris. Apart from looking untidy, dry and rotting plants can provide a home to insects, disease and fungi. Insects that feed on dead plant matter may lay eggs on the plant stalks and leaves, so by removing their food, you prevent them from getting the high ground when the springtime comes. Lightly till the soil to expose any burrowing insects, such as Japanese beetle, whose grubs overwinter in the ground. Once your garden soil is exposed, add a layer of leaves, compost, manure, and, if need be, lime, to improve your soil quality.

Remove invasive weeds

Whether it was the bindweed that enshrouded your blackberry patch or the Himalayan blackberry that kept growing from your garden’s borders, now’s the time to bid them farewell. Dig the weeds out, pack them for the garbage or pile them on autumn burn piles. Most invasive weeds can survive under a pile of compost, so you better destroy them before they can’t get root or drop their seeds. Removing invasive species completely is the only way to break their cycle of sprouting all over every spring.

Burn waste for ash

Garden waste that can’t be composted or used in any other ways can still be burned to provide a valuable gardening product, plant ash. Burning is an excellent way of dealing with diseased plant matter and weeds. Unlike coal ash, wood ash contains potassium, which is a vital nutrient for crops. However, keep in mind that ash is alkaline, so use it in small amounts as an addition to the compost, especially if you compost a lot of acidic material like citrus peel. In addition, ash is a great growth supplement for fruits like apples, raspberries, and tomatoes.

Prepare perennials and vegetables for winter

First of all, start watering your perennials and flowering shrubs more in the autumn, to ease up their dormant period.  Once the ground has frozen, cut them back to three inches and mulch them with a thick layer of straw. If you’re planning to put in a new flower bed next spring, cover the area with mulch or heavy plastic sheet to prevent unwanted growth when the weather gets warmer again.

Solar-powered greenhouse

By opting for a heated greenhouse, you can break the nature’s cycle and extend the greens season well throughout the winter. Of course, this can have a significant effect on your energy bill. However, there is a much more efficient solution, and that is going solar. One of most effective ways of heating a small garden greenhouse is by using solar energy, you can opt for one of these 5kW Skylight Energy solar systems that are highly recommendable for households. They will enable you to enjoy your favorite flowers and plants for a prolonged period of time and provide them with a sustainable and eco-friendly environment that will soon pay off its initial investment.

Replenish mulch

Just like mulching in summer, winter mulching has many benefits for trees and shrubs. Apart from reducing water loss, it protects the soil from erosion and eliminates weeds. Winter mulching, however, has an added benefit of protecting roots from freezing and thawing cycles. A thick layer of mulch stabilizes the soil temperature and acts as a buffer against strong frosts. At the same time, as it breaks down, it integrates the fresh organic material into your garden soil.

Clean and sharpen gardening tools

Although experienced gardeners keep their tools clean and oiled throughout the year, it’s often difficult to do so when activity in the garden is high. In the autumn, however, there’s more time to rejuvenate your tools by giving them some care. Begin by washing them to remove caked earth and debris. Remove any rust sports using a wire brush or sandpaper. A basic mill file works great for sharpening hoes, shovels and spades, while for pruners and shears, you better use a simple whetstone. Rub the metal parts of your tools with motor oil, which seals the surfaces from oxygen and prevents rust.

Whichever climate you live in, there are always chores that are better done in the autumn than in spring. The suggestions listed here won’t only help you start the new planting season more easily, but also improve your garden and yields in the long run.

Author’s bio:

Robert Clayton is a blogger with a degree in engineering based in Sydney. His interests and passions include DIY, green technologies and home improvement. He also loves good food, music, dogs and enjoys spending time by the ocean. He’s a regular contributor for Smooth Decorator, An Australian Home improvement website.

If you are planning on selling your home, staging it correctly is a must. This means presenting your home in the best possible manner to encourage a sale. So, let’s take a look at some of the best home staging tips.

Three quick staging tips for your children’s bedroom

Peppa Pig and Thomas the Tank Engine may fascinate your children, but they’re not going to captivate potential buyers. Let’s be honest, children’s bedrooms can be a bit of a headache when it comes to home staging. One thing you are bound to find yourself saying is, “where did all of these toys come from?” But don’t panic, here are three top tips to make staging your kid’s room easier…

1. De-clutter – De-clutter is a phrase you hear a lot in the world of home staging, but it is especially important when it comes to children’s bedrooms! You may be used to your little one’s bedroom being covered in toys, but the buyer actually wants to see the floor!
2. Choose a general theme – There is nothing wrong with having a theme in your child’s bedroom. You don’t have to disguise that it’s your kid’s room. Just don’t go for anything to taste-specific. You don’t want the room to look like a shrine to a specific cartoon character. The best thing to do is keep it simple but add pops of color. You can add color to your bedroom with patterned blinds or a fun duvet cover, for example. This does not require a lot of effort.
3. Let natural light in – Open the curtains and let as much natural light into the room as possible. Kids bedrooms should be fun and bright. There is nothing that makes a child’s room look more unappealing than dim light.

What is your home’s complexion?

Ask any home stager and they will tell you that paint is the easiest way to make a big change to your property! It can revitalize your home – making it look lovely and welcoming. But, before you can even begin to think about paint, you need to discover your home’s complexion!

Why? Well, your home’s complexion determines what color of paint will look good! A warm complexion lends itself well to beige and tan, whilst a cool complexion is ideal for white and grey. Notice the use of neutral colors! They appeal to a wider audience and ensure your home is ready to move in to.

Signs that your home has a warm complexion:

•   Your roof and stone/brick is tan, rust or brown
•   Metals used are copper or brass
•   Your kitchen appliances are tan, ivory or off-white
•   Your floors are terra cotta, coffee, warm beige or off-white
•   Your cabinets are birch, pine or oak
•   Your countertops are tan or brown

Signs that your home has a warm complexion:

•   Your roof and brick/stone is grey, blue or black
•   Metals used are stainless steel, black natural iron, chrome or pewter
•   Your kitchen appliances are stainless steel, white or black
•   Your floors are white, grey, black, blue or taupe
•   Your cabinets are cherry, maple or whitewashed
•   Your countertops are white, grey, blue or black

Determine your home’s complexion and you can be sure of color success!

Five home staging mistakes you must avoid!

Staging your home is necessary if you want it to sell, but needless to say, you need to get it right! Avoid these home staging nightmares…

1. Painting with intense dark colors – Do you really want your viewers to leave your home feeling depressed? Dark and intense colors close spaces and create an atmosphere that is cold and unwelcoming. Such shades are taste specific – not everyone will appreciate them!
2. Neglecting storage spaces – Over 80 percent of buyers state storage as one of their must-haves! If your cupboards and closets are crammed with items they won’t be able to see how much storage space there is!
3. Adding personality – Now is not the time to show your quirky tastes and creative side! Keep it neutral to appeal to all buyers.
4. Blocking light – Forgetting to open your curtains and turn on your lights is a rookie error, yet one that so many people make! Letting natural light into your home is extremely important, as it opens up the space and can highlight the main features of a room.
5. Keeping your family photos out – Family photos remind the buyers that the house is not theirs! It makes it difficult for them to connect.

So there you have it: some amazing home staging tips for everyone!

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Perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. What is a perfect patio for one family will not be suitable for another, but there are some things that most families will enjoy in their outside space.

In the cool summer evening, a patio can be a place just to relax, to enjoy a meal or to entertain family and friends. Whichever you are using it for, you want it to look good but at the same time, it needs to be as easy as it can be to look after.

Bring Indoors Outdoors

Don’t be afraid to add a bit of luxury to your patio by bringing something from indoors to enhance it. A rug or two can make it feel more luxurious, or a coffee table maybe. Throws and cushions are other accessories from inside that are easy to move if it decides to rain, but in the sunshine can make it feel like an extension of your home.

Provide Some Shade

You and your family should have some way of creating shade on your patio. If you do not have patio umbrellas or a roll awning that provides shade, you will find that most of the summer your patio could be unusable. The midday sun blaring down can be far too hot to sit in without some sort of shield from it but have some shade and you will be able to use it as much as you want.

You could have shade from some trees in your garden, but these will need to be tall enough to provide the cover you need. Planting new trees probably will not help to start with, but as they grow they could become the perfect answer.

Pergola

A pergola on your patio will definitely make it feel like an added room. You can even hang drapes in them if you want, or grow climbing plants up the sides and across the roof.

A pergola is a semi-enclosed space, which will give you all the benefits of being outside in fresh air, while also having the advantages of comfort that you expect from any room in your home.

You may even decide to have a hot tub under your pergola. These are becoming extremely popular in the US as they not only have several health benefits, such as easing aches and pains and stress; hot tubs strengthen bonds too. This is because they are usually big enough for more than one person, and having a soak in a hot tub is a relaxing time together, which is something many relationships lack.

Do Not Overcrowd

Even when you are outside on your patio you need space. Do not overcrowd it with furniture so that it is like an obstacle course to move around it. Keep any patio furniture size relevant to the space you have. Any furniture you do put outside should be weatherproof and protected from the sun as much as possible. This will then form the basis for the style of your outside space.

Too many larger items will make your patio feel tiny, and as soon as you have 2 or 3 people out there it will feel like there is no room for anymore.

Use Some Vibrant Colors

To add some color to your patio use vibrant colors for cushions and throws. Modern prints like stripes and flower patterns can make your patio come alive, and against the plain walls of the outside of your home will complement the outdoor space. Of course, you may have some color from the plants around the garden, but the thing with cushions and throws is that they are very low maintenance. All you have to do with them is give them a wash. There is no weeding, taking dead leaves off or feeding them. They are the easiest way of all to give your patio some color.

Privacy

If privacy is a problem for your outside space, erect a tall fence around the garden. Make it long enough to stop others being able to see your patio and then privacy will not be an issue. This might seem unnecessary, but if you have had a hot tub installed, you will not want neighbors watching while you have a soak. You might want to lie on a sunbed in your bikini, and not want to be stared at while you relax.

Keep It Simple

To capture a relaxed atmosphere and ambiance on your patio, keep it simple. Complications can make people get flustered, and if you have a few friends round that is the last thing you want. Simple is best for looks, for maintenance and for comfort, while generally being the cheapest option too.

Lighting

It is possible that your patio area has no ceiling to hang any lights from. That should not stop you having some illumination. You can put lights on the wall, generally, each side of the door is the norm. Don’t make your family or guests sit in the dark, have a light or two so they can see each other.

There are some special lights for attracting bugs and insects, so they will fly toward that rather than you. Candles always look good in the evening to light the space and use citronella ones to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Recycle

There are things you can recycle to help make your patio feel perfect. If you have some old boots, for instance, nail them to a wall or post and grow a plant in them. Old chairs and be recovered and reused, or you might have a wheelbarrow that has seen better days. You can turn it into a planter, and have it close to your patio for some color from the plants you use.

A Room Without Walls

A patio is basically a room without walls and there is no reason you cannot treat it the same as you would any other room in your home.  Think of the décor, the best furniture to suit the size and design, and add a few accessories to make it feel like home.

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The cure for selling your house isn’t always about investing more in painting, renovating, interior design and so forth. Sometimes it’s as simple as using your effort and resources to think about the qualities a charming house emulates and putting that into practice. Is it wacky artsy designs tailored to a specific taste? Or, is it something as simple as a clean and tidy home? Below are 4 tips to tidy and clean your house to help it sell and avoid turning off potential buyers.

Fragranced Cleaner

With a specific odor linked to each individual and their houses, for those who have animals, for instance, this may not be such a pleasant one. Take extra care to ensure your home doesn’t give off unattractive odors to visitors. This can be prevented with a few scented candles during visits, or cleaning areas in particular which hold disastrous smells which could be putting of your guests. Make sure you throw out old food from the fridge, empty the bins and disinfect the kitchen sink. All of the above contribute to the aroma of your house and the impression of your home to potential buyers.

Less Is More

Rather than adding an extra picture here, a vase over there, instead why not draw back on the distracting clutter to give your guests the opportunity to see past your collection of ornaments and trinkets. When choosing to sell your house, you have to be mindful that, although you might love your house dearly, your choice of accessories may not be quite so appealing to your guests. Which is why the appeal of your house may benefit from you taking away accessories and diminishing clutter. Attempt to shut away toys lying around the house, dishes left to dry next to the sink and calendars and keys planted on the hallway table. If you’re still committed to buying something to help the house sell, buy something timeless and broadly appreciated like fresh flowers.

Carpet Cleaning

With years of toddlers and dogs trudging across the carpets, from multiple family holiday events to birthday parties, book clubs and house parties galore, your carpet has had a lot of pressure to endure over the years. A thorough hoover and a few spot stain removals might be all your carpet needs before your guests arrive to look presentable. However, if your carpet has experienced consistent neglect, the debris and food stains may not be removed from the spritz of a carpet cleaning spray. You may, in fact, benefit more so from a thorough clean by hiring a professional to shampoo the carpet. This, in turn, will possibly revert your carpet back to a color you never knew you had and also get rid of any bacteria causing that unpleasant aroma.

Front Door

The entrance to one’s home has a spectacular impact on the thoughts and feelings of your new visitors. All it requires is a bit of soapy water and effort to dust the spiders and cobwebs away and wash off the debris to reveal your door looking like new. Pay extra attention to the hardware to make it shine.

The suggestions are a few of many ways to clean your house to help it sell, all of which require little investment in money and a small investment in your time and effort.

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Whether it is you or a family member who suffers from allergies and respiratory conditions, it is important that you make some home adjustments so they can live better. From eczema to pollen and dust allergy, there are plenty of conditions that can limit a person’s life and prevent them from enjoying their home. Below you will find a few tips on how making your home healthier for people who suffer from asthma or allergies.

The first thing you need to get right is ensuring that the indoor air quality is up to standard. If you have air ducts, get them cleaned regularly so the dust particles will not circulate in the house all the time. You might also want to consider getting rid of the carpets that will embed all the small particles that can cause allergies and install easy-to-clean wooden or stone floor instead. Air purifiers can also help reduce the pollution indoors and help people breathe.

Reduce Your Chemical Use

If you have a family member who is allergic to some chemicals, you might want to opt for natural cleaning products and laundry detergents. This will not only be good for the environment and your health, but also your budget. You can make your bathroom shine using only white vinegar in a spray bottle, and the substance has antibacterial effects, too. Alternatively, invest in a quality steam cleaner.

Keep Your Home a Level Temperature

Those suffering from asthma will need to stay in a controlled home, and if you have drafts or your insulation is not perfect, they are more likely to catch a cold and develop complications. You should, however, not make it too hot during the night. Get a smart thermostat that will help you control the humidity and temperature remotely all the time. Insulate your home so you can have a warm winter without spending a fortune.

Purify the Water

It might also be a good idea to get rid of the residues and toxins not removed by the water treatment systems. People with extreme sensitivity will develop various conditions when they come across impurities in the water. You can get a tankless water purifier that will eliminate the harmful chemicals and the residues hiding in your pipework.  

Get Non-flowering Plants

People with pollen allergies will not appreciate flowering plants in the house. You can opt for palms and plants that don’t flower at all. This way, the plants can still purify the air and eliminate dust and other particles, but will not distribute pollen in the house. You can also prevent bugs and bees coming into the house, which is handy if you have a family member who is allergic to the bites.

When it comes to family members with allergies, it is important that you prevent health issues and improve the quality of the air in the house during the winter months. Get an air purifier, get rid of soft furnishing that is hard to clean, and you can live a happy and healthy life.

Your home should be a place to rest, reflect, and immerse yourself in tranquility. Japanese culture promotes a sense of harmony at home through feng shui, a practice that allows you to balance the energy of a room. “Zen” could directly translate to “meditative state.” In order to find this peaceful state of mind, you’ll have to follow these tips and tricks to make your home the oasis you deserve.

Fill It with Greenery

Photo by Mike Marquez on Unsplash

Studies have shown that plants can boost your mood and relieve some of your stress as well. NASA has even revealed that plants can remove up to 87% of air toxins in any 24 hour period. There’s a reason why Pinterest boards consist of rooms overflowing with natural light and growing vines, besides aesthetics. Surrounding yourself with plants can make you feel more at ease by bringing some of the outdoors in, centering you to nature whenever you need to be.

Move around your furniture

Following the ancient art of Feng Shui is a good way to bring zen into your home. Be mindful of mirrors, revolve around natural woods, and create a sense of harmony starting at the entrance of the front door. Rearranging the furniture in your home is a simple (and cost-effective) way to balance the energy in your home. You’d be surprised how much more at peace you can feel when you are mindful of your home.

Stick to Minimalism

Photo by Sarah Dorweiler on Unsplash

While the minimalist lifestyle isn’t for everyone, it does promote essential ideals to keep in mind when creating a zen home. Keeping spaces tidy and clutter-free with chic storage is an easy way to lower your stress levels at the end of the day. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. The New York Times best-selling author Marie Kondo, aka KonMari, developed the KonMari method that can help you get a start on tackling the clutter. “The most efficient tidying order starts with clothing, then books, papers and miscellaneous items, before finishing off with things that have high sentimental value, like photos and albums,” KonMari tells the New York Times.

Let in all natural light

Natural light is the source of every home’s energy, so let it pour in. You would be surprised how affected we are by harsh fluorescent lighting, so opt for soft sources of lighting instead. Play around with the placement of lamps and let them breathe new life into the corner of a room. If you play your cards right, it can make your home feel that much more spacious and airy.

Stick to Earth Tones

Photo by Joseph Albanese on Unsplash

Palettes centering around earth hues usually bring us a sense of calm and serenity, with good reason. “If you’re going for more of a relaxing Zen-like atmosphere, you’ll want to use cool colors like blue hues or soft neutrals,” says interior designer Shelly Lynch-Sparks. Creating a sense of harmony between any colors you use is very important when building a balanced room.

Turn your spare room into a yoga studio

Imagine a dim, airy space lit with candlelight and enough space to stretch into any yoga pose. A home yoga studio could be yours through simple tips that can create a sense of zen in your room. It could be your own meditative space with a beauty cabinet overflowing with essential natural oils. “We’re seeing a lot of people incorporating everything from eucalyptus to tea tree and CBD oils into their yoga practice to relax after a long stressful day or to soothe and relieve tension in sore muscles,” says Marc Lewis, executive editor at Remedy Review.

Keep electronics out of sight

Displays have the potential to disturb any peaceful ambiance, just by reminding you of the outside world instead of what surrounds you. Keep electronics hidden where you can to create a more mindful space. You’ll find yourself picking up a magazine or book more often than if you turned your attention towards your iPad.

Surround Yourself with Cozy Textures

Photo by Daniil Silantev on Unsplash

Play with texture to give depth to any room, turning a keen eye on the little details. A shaggy beige rug or white fluffy pillow can make your room feel cozy while still lowkey. This is an opportunity to showcase your decorating skills with interesting fabrics and textiles for a more zen space.

Use natural woods

In the world of Feng Shui, bamboo is believed to attract luck and abundance through its cleansing energy and representation of all natural elements (water, wood, fire, earth, and metal). The element of natural wood is essential when it comes to crafting a harmonious environment. If you’re lucky to have hardwood floors, showcase them by only using soft, light colors.

Purify with an aroma diffuser

An essential oil aroma diffuser has the ability to purify the air around you, leading to a relaxed and tranquil space. Aromatherapy does wonders when it comes to a peaceful mind, so bring those elements in for a peaceful home. Oil diffusers provide moisture, which helps clear your sinuses and pores as well as healing dry skin.

With these ten tips and tricks, you can bring zen into your home by creating a sense of balance and harmony that will eventually reflect in your everyday life.

This article is authored by Vanessa Bermudez

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If you want to make your home that much more beautiful than it currently is, there are many ways of doing so high you can attend to. There are many ways in which the part of the world you happen to live in might affect your home decor and so on, but the truth is that there are just as many which are practically universal laws when it comes to home design. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the things you can do to make your home more beautiful, no matter where you are in the world. As long as you pay attention to some of these universal trends, you will find that your home is always looking its best no matter what.

Space

First things first, you need to make sure that you are making the best possible use of the space in your home. This is at once one of the most important and most difficult things to get right, and often it is a matter of trial and error to ensure that you get it right in your home. The amount of space you have in your home is vital to think about because it lends a lot to the feeling of home within the home, and also because it means that you know exactly what you have to work with, and what you don’t. Make sure you are aware of what space you have, how you can make it work as effectively as possible, and how you might even be able to make more of it, so that you can have even more to work with as you attempt to make your home beautiful.

Furniture

Much of what you want to achieve can be done so by looking at the furniture alone, and for that reason this is one of the first things you will want to look into if you are hoping for a much more beautiful home in no time at all. You can always change the furniture around, and sometimes even just moving it around the room is sufficient to ensure that you are achieving the results you want. You can of course also achieve plenty by looking into getting hold of some particularly elegant furniture, so this is something to consider as well. As long as you are happy with the furniture choices, your home will be that much more likely to look and feel beautiful, so this is definitely something to think about early on in the design process.

Color

The better you understand color, the more likely it is that you can make your home beautiful, regardless of the culture you are in or where you are on planet Earth. Colors tend to have the same intrinsic instinctive meaning for humans everywhere, and you can use this understanding of different colors to make your home that much more beautiful, and to produce the kind of effects you might be looking for. Do that, and your home will be in the kind of range of styles that you want it to be much more easily.

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If you own property, odds are that you’ll hope to rent it in full, or rent some of the rooms. This means that you’ll need to interface with prospective tenants sooner or later. In order to care for this process appropriately, you need to keep in mind a few positive processes. Landlording is not an easy job. It requires a hands-on approach, even when using services that help mitigate this responsibility. You need to stay aware of the entire process from top to bottom and ensure that it’s handled correctly from the first instance.

However, all of this can seem like just words if we fail to start correctly. So let’s start correctly. When you’re established, and begin to post listings for your property, handling tenant inquiries is essential. To ensure you respect this process and find the best renter for your aims, consider the following:

Vetting Information

First of all, you need to ensure the tenant opting to rent your property can be trusted. Without this guarantee, you’re putting plenty on the line. Vetting a client is essential before accepting them. This is often an accepted process. Asking fees for the tenant to submit an interest in the property, and then having their credit history checked and their financial standing verified can be worthwhile. This is usually a fairly painless process.

A quick credit check will only throw up red flags if the person is heavily in debt, or has financial judgments against their name. Financial history can be verified by them submitting their most recent bank statements to the trusted authority. On top of that, you may ask for reference testimonials from previous letting agents, and even those they work for. All of this can contribute to a picture of a client that may or may not inform your decision to let them rent. Be sure to do this politely, respectfully and promptly, as this is quite an artificial process from the beginning.

Contact & First Meetings

Meet your tenant if approved, no matter how busy. It can be good for them to put a face to a name, and it shows you care about their business. This is how long-term tenants are made.

Management

Property maintenance can be hard if you’re a very busy landlord. It might be that you have many properties to manage at one time, and you’ll likely experience a few maintenance issues in more than one at a time. As the old saying goes, you can wait for a bus for two hours, and then three will show up. For this reason, it’s essential to use services that help you keep on top of all these requirements. Allowing tenants to flag issues, while seeing to them in an adequate time can help the whole process go smoothly, and ensure you keep your prospective tenants comfortable. This is important for any tenancy inquiry because they will be looking for well-maintained homes. A home in ready shape for a move can ensure that the entire inquiry process is completed more quickly. In other words, taking care of this can help respect the inquiry if successful. With these tips, you’re sure to handle tenant inquiries correctly.

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When it comes to finding the ideal venue to conduct your business venture, there are a lot of different things you will need to consider. First of all, you will need to consider your budget, the type of business you will be conducting and the number of people you plan to hire. Here are some helpful tips for helping you figure out exactly what kind of office space you should look for this year.

Location is key

The first and perhaps one of the most important decisions that you need to make when looking at an office space is the location of it. When you are choosing possible places to conduct your business you need to think about making sure it is close to transport links and in an easy to find a location for the convenience of not only yourself but for your staff and also for anyone who wants to come and visit you at work. Make sure you pick a place which is in a good location and you are much more likely to find success.

Think of your budget

Budget is the big question when looking at any part of your business, and an office space can be a huge chunk out of your budget depending on where you live and the rental prices in the area. Be sure that you don’t scrimp on an office for your business and invest in it because not only will it help you come across as more professional, but it might be a place you want to stay in for a long while. Investing some money in a good office is better than cheaping out and then dealing with a space which is uninspiring.

Is it managed?

When you come to buy or rent an office space you will have a few options to choose from. You can either buy a piece of land yourself and turn it into your own office, you can rent an existing store or office from a landlord, or you can look at serviced offices which will usually host many different small businesses under one roof. What you decide to do will largely depend on how quickly you think the business I’ll grow and how much money you have available for the job.

Light and color

It might sound trivial to be looking at elements such as lighting and color when you find a workspace, but it can really have a huge impact on morale and productivity at work. You need to make sure that your office is an inspiring place and that it is completely successful for everyone who works there. Making sure you choose somewhere with lots of windows and light exposure and bright colors can have a larger impact on your success as a venture than you think.

Outdoor space

If you can find an office which has an outdoor space, you should leap in with both feet right away. The value of a quiet outdoor area in your office can be huge because it provides people with somewhere to come for fresh air and also helps to make sure that everyone in your office has a place they can come if they need a little peace and quiet for a project or for issues with stress or anxiety.

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When more and more lifestyle influencers recommend embracing the DIY side of life, it’s easy for homeowners to fall into the trap of overconfidence. When the photos you found on social media or in your favorite magazine make it look simple, you can feel tempted into giving DIY a go. After all, there is a sense of pride and self-satisfaction in making your own home that nothing can replace. Except however that doing it yourself only works if you know what you’re doing. You can’t just pick up your tools and hope for the best. And that precisely why numerous enthusiastic homeowners suffer every year from the consequences of a bad DIY decision. Here are the many ways in which amateur DIY can affect you and your home.

It requires knowledge you don’t always have

If you’ve been dreaming of a large and exciting garden to improve your curb appeal, you need to understand that keeping your outdoors looking fresh and luxuriant requires a lot of work. From the creation of a theme, which gives your garden its personality, to the control of weeds, you can’t afford to get lazy. However, having an eye for colors and details is not enough when it comes to your flowers and greens. Indeed, keeping your plants alive requires substantial knowledge of each plant’s requirements in terms of water, soil, and shade. Additionally, not all plants can cohabit — some might attack specific species when placed in their vicinity. In short, you can’t embrace on a large-scale project without research.

It puts you at risk of faults

Ultimately, if you’ve got no or little experience of working with electricity, plumbing, and internal structure, it’s fair to say that you should give up on the dream of building your own home. Even tiny homes owners need the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure their permanent safety in the property. For extensive construction or renovation projects, it’s best to contact general contracting services to protect your home. Indeed, most home insurers refuse to cover damages perpetrated by amateur DIY work.

It stresses you out

The very first DIY project that homeowners choose to carry is moving houses. Indeed, the appeal of moving yourself is primarily financial. You don’t need to pay for additional services. Admittedly, you will have to pack and carry all your belongings. For long-distance movers, it can be an exhausting experience, which comes on top of the stress of changing location. With professional movers, you might get insurance coverage for your items, yet when you move there’s no compensation for the things you break or lose.

The result can be messy

Painting walls is the second most common DIY project that can be linked to high stress. Indeed, while it seems easy to grab a paintbrush and pick a color, there are a lot more know-how and best practices tips involved. From not washing your walls before painting to leaving fixtures exposed, amateur mistakes can significantly affect the end result.

The DIY appeal is not without risk. If you’re not into crafting, it’s best to pick small and manageable projects before you approach time and effort demanding works that require more skills and experience.

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I get it. I don’t think anyone’s idea of fun would be to move house. Yes, it will be exciting for a small part of it. The idea of a new place, the next chapter in your life and the adventures you might have in your new home. But in order to get to the final destination, you must first sell your home and move, and this is where the stress comes in. However, it doesn’t need to be this way. I wanted to share with you some of the things that you could do to help take the stress out of it.

Don’t rely on other people

Moving home is not going to be the easiest thing that you do, there is a reason why people say it is stressful, and often that can be because you are relying on others to do the job for you. Sometimes just having the platform to advertise your home is enough and advertising and marketing your home yourself could be an option. Systems like SWMRIC can give you valuable information about the area and pricing etc, and often by cutting out the middleman you can save yourself a lot of money in fees and commission. Which means more money for you.

Make your house sellable beforehand

One of the biggest problems that people face is ensuring that their house looks sellable before putting it on the market. It may sound crazy, but you do want to appeal to the mass market. So redecorating your home and making some small investments here and there could be the ideal solution. A more neutral color scheme could help you appeal to more buyers, as this enables them to envision their own things in your home or what they may want to do with it. Also investing time to get rid of clutter and make the space tidier can help to make rooms appear larger and more spacious.

Plan ahead

It is also important for you to plan ahead as best you can and that can mean anything from the actual packing process to the moving in dates and who will help. Packing can be started quite soon after a sale is looking to complete, and a great tip would be to consider packing for your new home so that unloading is far less stressful at the other end. You could also plan the dates you, move, the help you end and whether or not you need to book a removal company to help you do it.

Be realistic

Finally, the best advice when it comes to selling and moving on is to ensure that you are realistic. You need to be realistic with your time, you need to be realistic with your expectations and you need to be realistic with yourself. These things take time and they can be very stressful, so ensuring you expect the unexpected can help you remain in control of the situation.

I hope that these tips help you when it comes to selling your home.

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If you’re someone that has always wanted to buy their own home, when you start the process, you will often be really excited about it. But at the same time, you’ll know that buying a house is such a big deal. And because of that, it can freak you out a little! But if you don’t want to get too stressed out about the process, here’s what to do.

Set Realistic Expectations

So first of all, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re just being realistic about this whole process. Because wanting to buy a house is a really big thing to do. And it will stress you out if you’re not realistic. When you’re thinking of the house that you want to get or the budget, just be as realistic as possible so that you don’t stress out so much.

Take Your Time

Another thing that can help you is to make sure that you just do it in your own time. Don’t push yourself to get the money together in a crazy fast time if it’s going to impact on your lifestyle.

Understand The Stats

Lastly, it’s going to make you feel so much better if you understand how you compare to the average first time home buyer. Don’t feel as if you’re too late or that you should have done this already. Instead, take a look at the statistics in the infographic below. As then you will find that actually, you’re right on track.

Infographic Design By 1st-time home buyer loans

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During the warm summer season, it’s tempting to forget all your household worries by laying in the sunshine with a cool drink; and why not? You have every right to enjoy the sun and some relaxation time. However, you don’t want to venture into autumn and winter with a home and garden full of issues that you’d wish you’d sorted out before. You’ll want to be snuggling up by a cozy fire, and relaxing in front of a movie on those cold winter nights, surrounded by an environment that you’re happy with. Therefore, you may want to consider sorting out some of the following things while the weather is warm, and your spirits and energy are high.

Outside Projects

It’s always worth checking over the outside of your house for any damage that the cold, stormy weather, may have caused the exterior over the last winter. Summer is the time to get on top of any existing issues, so that you won’t have to deal with any leaks, damp, or draughts, through the chilly dark nights that will be coming up. You have the chance to consider things like a Heat-Line heat cable so that you’ll know your roof can be de-iced with ease when winter sets in, which will prevent potential damage.

If you’re not confident enough to scale a ladder and check out what’s happening on your roof and with your guttering, then it may be time to call in a professional. Often, experts will come and have a look, and give you a quote, free of charge; just make sure that you contact a reputable company, that can be held accountable for any work they carry out.

Tidy Environments

The summer is the perfect time to get rid of your old, unwanted items, and freshen up your living space. Gather together some boxes and large bags, before going through each room of your home and cleaning out everything that hasn’t been used, worn, or looked at, for more than six months. Create a sorting system of things that are no use to anyone and should be thrown away, items to give to shelters and charities, and usable pieces that you can sell in a yard or trunk sale.

Summer has the best months to hold a successful yard or garage sale and could be a fun experience for the whole family to get involved with. Not only will the weather be warm enough to sit and stand outside all day; your neighbors are likely to be walking around and enjoying the sunshine as much as you are. Encourage your kids to clean out their rooms, and to sell anything they don’t need anymore, for some extra pocket money (this is always a great incentive). You’ll be making some extra cash to squirrel away for the holiday season, and creating a clean and organized living environment for you and your family.

By organizing your home and living environment now, in the traditional vacation months, you’ll be able to save time, money, and a lot of unnecessary stress. You can create your perfect cozy abode before it’s too late and the weather is cold. Therefore, plan ahead, and ensure that you and your family have a lovely, cozy winter at home this year.

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Are you looking to turn away home buyers from your property? Are you keen to put as many obstacles in their way as possible? Are you content to never sell your home?

We are assuming the answer to the questions posed is ‘no.’ However, if your home is up for sale, and you have been having trouble selling it, then there may be a very good reason as to why. The following are the surefire ways to turn off a potential home buyer.

Surefire Ways To Turn Off A Home Buyer

Kids toys on the living room floor, dishes in the sink, unmade beds, clothes scattered everywhere…you can have a messy home in your own time, but before the buyer knocks on your door, you really do need to have a tidy up. They don’t want to step over your stuff as they navigate the health and safety nightmare that is your house, and you don’t want the indignity of them seeing your untidiness anyway. The house needs to be spotless, with clean and tidy rooms, as the buyer won’t get an impression of what they can do with the space if they can’t actually see it!

Neglecting curb appeal

Of course, the home buyer may not actually make it into your home if the exterior is in a mess. If your garden is an overgrown tangle of grass and weeds, if the paint job on the outside walls and windows are faded and scuffed, and if your home’s clutter extends to the driveway, the home buyer will hesitate at the gate, rather than risk seeing what the inside of your house is like. You need to focus on the curb appeal, as first impressions really are everything. Get your garden into shape, powerwash the drive, and add a fresh of coat of paint to the home’s exterior. You want to dazzle the buyer on arrival, not repulse them with your lack of overall care.

Having an outdated home

Particularly when trying to appeal to the younger end of the house buying market, it is in your best interest to add some modern appeal to your home. The only time when you shouldn’t is when you are trying to sell a cottage or a property with vintage interest. You may need to undertake a few renovations, but considering these will add to your home’s value, you shouldn’t be out of pocket for long. So upgrade your windows with a trusted window installation company, install some modern appliances, and remove anything that looks as if it belongs in the 1970’s, rather than today’s modern era.

Making the wrong upgrade choices

When adding value to your home, there are some upgrades that are worth the investment, and some that aren’t. Follow the link for the must-haves, but know that personal design choices, room conversions, and outdoor extras (such as a play area), aren’t really worth your time and money. There are some things that the home buyer can do once they have moved in, and the last thing they want is for you to make internal and external renovation choices for them. They may like what you have done, but then again, they may rip up all of your hard work and start again. Assuming they buy the house in the first place, of course. Sometimes less is more, so allow the buyer the use of their imagination when viewing your property.

Your home smells

Sorry to be so rude, but it might. You might not recognise these smells yourself, so ask a friend or a neighbour to cast their nose over your property to sniff out any odours you may have become used to. If you have damp in certain rooms, if you have a smoker in the house, if there are pets running around, and if you have had garlic for dinner, there will be nasty smells around your home. So our advice is this. Get on top of damp problems, put the pets outside, clean up the kitty litter, and eat something that won’t leave an odour in the house or on your breath. Spray the air fresheners around, situate flowers around your house, burn some incense, bake some biscuits for that homely smell, and let the buyer come into a home that won’t cause them to turn their noses up!

Your home is in a bad state of repair

Rotting window frames, creaking doors, squeaky floorboards, dripping taps, unpleasant drafts, unsightly stains on walls and floors…these may not be huge issues to you, but they will be to the buyer. And then there are the bigger maintenance issues, such as a leaking roof, poorly hinged doors, and plumbing issues, all of which are guaranteed to make the buyer think twice about buying your potential death trap of a house. The buyer needs confidence in what they are buying, so they are unlikely to consider anywhere that demands huge amounts of work, unless you are advertising your house as a fixer-upper. Get on top of any maintenance issues, or bring in the experts to get the job done for you.

You!

Dare we say it, but you may be the reason why your home isn’t selling! If any of the above is true, then perhaps you are putting obstacles in the buyer’s way. It may be that you don’t want to sell your house after all, so throwing toys around the room before the buyer arrives, or eating a bucket load of garlic, may be your way to purposefully turn off the buyer. On the other hand, you may want to sell, but if you get emotional every time a buyer takes an interest, perhaps because of the many memories the property holds for you, then you are going to scare the buyer aware. So, our advice is this: let the realtor show your property instead of you, or if you really are trying to sabotage the sale, take the house off the market and stop wasting everybody’s time!

Did any of the above relate to you and your property? If so, take action now, as you may be stuck in your home for a long time to come. We wish you every success in your house move!

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We spend a lot of time outside when the summer springs on us. If we have a garden, we plant all kinds of colorful flowers and hopefully harvest some fruits and vegetables for summer soups and kebabs, or we go out into town or down to the beach. Staying inside can get just a bit too hot, but does it have to stay that way?

It’s hot outside, it’s hot and humid inside, and you’re trying to strip off as many layers as you can without looking like you’re headed to the beach! So now’s the time to make sure all the sweat collecting around your temples is worth it, and do some housework to make sure your home is as cool, calm, and collected as possible! Here’s a couple of the best moves to make.

How’s Your Roof?

It’s the area of the house that keeps you protected from the elements the most, seeing as the sky and everything it could tip on you is right above it. And because of that, a roof can be the first place to decay after a house has been built, and could do with some repairs every few years or so. Now’s the perfect time to carry those things out!

But during the summer, if you don’t have a roof that’s properly insulated, to keep the heat trapped out or the cool in, you’re going to want to change that. Check out Cool it! The Best Roofs for Hot Climates if you don’t know what you can do about your attic area and the protection over it, as there’s a lot of conflicting info out there. The summer is always going to be a hot period in our lives, and there’s no changing that, so make sure your home stands up to the test each year.

Get to Dusting

There’s a lot of dust in our houses, no matter how clean we think it is. But during the summer we can actually see it floating in the air, and we’re more likely to notice it collecting around our furniture and other possessions. So now’s the perfect time to pick up a cloth and a can of polish, and get wiping from top to bottom.

Don’t forget to put a pair of gloves on as well, as you might find a few dead moths or bugs in your lampshades and behind your bookcases. Pull everything out of the way and get to cleaning; it’s a great way to have a clean house throughout the autumn, and means all the spiders that come crawling in won’t just be adding to the mess!

Housework is something we do all year round, but there’s a couple of special mentions that need to go towards the sun’s ability to illuminate the problem areas in our homes! So make sure you get to areas like these; whilst you’re at it, open the windows and get an air dehumidifier!

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Look around your home right now and ask yourself whether you are happy. If there is one place in the world that you should be happy, it’s the home that you live in. At some point, we all look around and wish for more space. Some people choose to sell up and move on to a home that has the extra bathrooms and bedrooms that they need. Others see the value in renovation, and it’s in renovation your creative streak can really bubble to the surface. In the modern world of real estate, space is a commodity that you can trade with, as people are always looking for more room for their families. The one place that you can utilize for your family’s needs is the basement and building down for the beautiful bedroom that you’ve always wanted is a decision that you absolutely should make for your home. The best bit? It’s an option that doesn’t necessarily have to be hard to do and it doesn’t have to break the bank, either. You can use the space that you’ve already got: no planning permission needed, to make your beautiful bedroom an entire floor of your home. This makes it more than just a room; it can be a retreat away from the rest of the home that is entirely yours.

With a little creativity and a lot of organization, you can turn your dark basement used for storage into a light, bright and airy bedroom with built in wardrobe space and a bathroom just for you. Right now, you may be shaking your head and wondering how you can level your concrete down there without damaging your foundations, but don’t panic – there are experts for that. The basement space is one that isn’t utilized enough and now you get the chance to make that change and have a transformation that your whole family will be talking about. So, what should you be thinking about when you want to renovate the basement of your home?

It’s Chilly!

The basement is known for its chill and damp interior. The very basic thing that you need to complete for your basement is the insulation. While it’s nice to have a cool place to sleep, it doesn’t mean you want to feel the chill from the exposed brick walls come in, so it’s time to invest in insulation and plasterboard. It can really define your comfort for your basement and if it’s not done right, you’re going to have some very expensive mistakes to fix. It’s best to call in the experts here and get the insulation of your basement done right, so that you don’t undo everything when you’ve finished and it’s still chilly and damp! Wood is a great insulator, so think about using wooden panels for the walls to keep the cold out.

Style Choices.

A basement has the benefit of usually being a very unusual shape. Most of the time, the steps to the basement go to the middle of the room from the upper floors, which mean the room is shaped around the steps. This can give you some leeway when it comes to choosing where you want your bathroom and built in wardrobes to go. You can choose to leave some of the beams and elements exposed if you want to save some cash, but just make sure that any wood you leave exposed is treated properly. An accent concrete wall can give you an industrial look that most people spend a lot of money trying to imitate. Choose your style carefully, as everything from your furniture choices to your color picks will be what makes your basement look good – or not.

Visual Space.

The worst thing that you can do is create a bedroom and bathroom combo that shrinks the size of your basement. Some homes don’t have the luxury of having enough space for both, so there’s a chance that you could only have enough space for just a small bedroom rather than a large bedroom and ensuite. Perception is everything and when you have a smaller basement, you have to think about going for cleaner lines and with the right design, even the tiniest of additional bedrooms can look beautiful and elegant. There are so many little tricks for the eye to think that you’re working with a bigger space, and one of those is using patterns like chevrons and stripes to make the room look big.

Color Palette.

Basements tend not to have windows, with most homeowners installing spotlights instead. Painting the basement bedroom is important if you want to have a light space to work with. Add an accent wall to inject a little warmth in, but don’t go entirely dark with your color scheme. The last thing that you’ll want to do is close of a space that you’re trying to open up. Use a simple color scheme, two colors at the most so that the room doesn’t look too busy. Basements don’t have much in the way of natural light, so the airier you go with your color scheme, the better off you’ll be.

Accent It.

Your basement space, once decorated, will look beautiful, as long as you’ve given it a touch of opulence. The quality of the bedding, the mattress and the artwork that you use is going to have the visual impact that you really want to give. It can be a little haven right in your home, meaning that you can find that burst of tranquillity that you didn’t get at the top of the house. It’s a great way to find space for a break from the rest of the home.

Your basement can be beautiful, pull in more value and give you a space that you didn’t have before. Don’t discount the space under your home; use it and elevate it to be the most beautiful bedroom that you’ve ever had in the home. Take your time and plan it right!