Thu

13

Jun

2013

Front Door Makeover: Cool Ideas and Quick Tips

photo courtesy of Google Images
photo courtesy of Google Images

Some people see the front door as a great opportunity to express one’s style, not to mention, the best way to catch some attention in the neighborhood. The entry way can tell so much about the house and its dwellers, so why not give it your best shot?

Revamping the main entrance can be a whole lot of fun, and you will be pleased to know that there are plenty of ways to go about it. It all boils down to knowing the key elements you can experiment, or better yet, play with. If you’re all set, then get your creative batteries ready.

The first thing you may want to consider is how you can attract your guests from the street, all the way down to the front door. You can do this by simply installing a 3-4 feet wide custom walkway. Designs may vary, but make sure it suits your taste. Once you’ve got that ticked off your list, you’d want to make the door itself pop. A splotch of bright and bold paint will do the trick, but before applying some, make sure to evaluate the style of your home. Now if you’ve got some plants blocking the beautiful sight that is your front door, settle on spilling those over onto walkways. Flowers and other plants are great, but it is imperative for the door to be out in the open.

Next, you’d want your front door to ooze individuality. And what better way to do this than to shell out on gorgeous features? If you’re up for it, go for a wooden door; or if not, make best use of vibrant step tiles. Adding architectural details might also do wonders, so research your home’s style and decide whether you want moldings, columns, or decorative brackets. If this is too much for your taste, then you may resort to just repeating elements. See that arch in the window above your door? Have that reappear in the sunshade overhead.

While at it, don’t forget that revamping your front door is still about giving it a sense of warmth and comfort – after all, it’s what greets your guests. You can pull this off by placing a set of weather-resistant furniture round the corner. You may then make your front door look more welcoming by placing full-length windows on both sides. Lit it up with low-voltage lights or, for a cozier look, put lanterns on posts. You’d want to protect your guests from the rain or the scorching hot rays of the sun, so adding an awning over your entry way is a smart move. To create a polished main entrance, see to it that you pick the same color for both the exterior elements and porch lights.

Almost everyone now recognizes the importance of curb appeal. This fact is as noticeable as people’s willingness to splurge to make a statement. If you’re on a budget, however, worry not as it only takes creativity to give your front door a new look. If you’re more than ready to start, then click here.

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Tue

11

Jun

2013

Spring Cleaning - How To Do It Right

Admit it or not, the winter plus the holiday season always leave the house topsy-turvy right before the spring comes. Some owners would not even dare to lift a finger to do all the cleaning needed especially if there are heaps of clutters in every room. Nonetheless, you have to beat laziness and the lack of courage to combat the mess each room has to give.

 

Even though you must be strong-willed to face the chaos brought by the winter season, you must accept the fact that you cannot endure the spring-cleaning chores on your own. Thus, you must involve your entire family in this. You can actually assign to the kids the tidying up of their individual rooms while you take charge of the kitchen and the basement with your partner. As for the living room, you can ask the help of the entire family. Besides having a lighter work load, this can provide a great bonding time with your kids.

 

Next, be ready with the right cleaning tools and products like the cleansers and microfiber cloths. Lacking efficient tools can affect the quality and the speed of your spring cleaning efforts. To save on this, visit the local store in your area and ask for promo packs that may be available with big discounts

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Mon

15

Apr

2013

Cheap Ways To Improve Your Home

Looking for ways to freshen your home? Here are some tips for you.


Clean Your House


It may seem like a basic tip, but a clean home can definitely improve its value in an instant. Try to watch shows like Hoarders and Reno vs. Relocate and you will get an idea that a clear, clean and organized home appreciates in value while the opposite of such is a candidate for authorities to close and condemn.

 
Fix Your Broken Furniture


There are a lot of blogs that focus on doing Do It Yourself projects from chairs, cabinets, tables and even doors. Choose one that matches your needs and what will make your home more functional and beautiful. Of course, you can hire someone to help you with this especially if the needed fix is more than you can manage, still cheaper than buying a new set of furniture if you think about it.


Dig Your Closet


Maybe it is time to let go of the curtain that hasn't been changed for years. Wash and hang those and see if that still looks beautiful. If not, then it is time to change your curtains. Before you go ahead and buy a set, check if you still have some inside your closet. You can even turn this into a sewing project if you want to make use of your skills. Make sure to dig your closet, ask if your Mom still has a spare set of curtains to give you before heading to the department store. You can definitely purchase those lovely curtains soon, but the goal is to save on doing home improvements so stick with cheaper alternatives.


Replace Bulbs With Energy Efficient Alternatives


Cleaning your old bulbs may help, but a wiser choice is to replace it with energy efficient ones instead. Put all your old bulbs to rest or take them to appropriate recycling center and watch how simple change in lighting helps improve the look and feel of your home.

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Wed

20

Mar

2013

Learning To Love Your Own Space

One of the most important home improvement tips is to love your home and learn to live within the space that you have.  We probably don’t realize it but we are often swayed by advertisements on what to buy for our homes.  Just because everybody else has one doesn’t mean you need two. Stop buying what the neighbours are getting.


If your neighbours are stocking up on really big Ethan Allen furniture, it’s probably because they can afford it and they have enough space for four sofas. There house could be filled with Swarovski crystals and Swarovski décor, but isn’t all that crystal starting to make their house look a little weird? Here’s a basic principle that is widely used in fashion, and one that you can think of while improving your home: less is more. A scarf is nice in cool weather, but you don’t need to wear five at a time do you? It’s the same when it comes to decorating your home. Surprising elements and a punch of unexpected colour here and there are okay, but don’t overdo it.


Your home is your sanctuary. You want a comfortable home more than anything. And while going faux animal hair might be so tempting that you’re compelled to use it for the sofa and even the bed sheets and comforters, the comforters might lose their sense of purpose. It’s alright for your personality to resonate through your living space, but you do want to be comfortable home, don’t you? Egyptian cotton would be so much better to sleep on.


If all the little tips mentioned have been tried and tested and your home still looks as if a multitude of five hundred has just danced boogie inside it, then it’s probably time for you to seek professional help. Not a psychiatrist, but perhaps a cleaning lady and an interior designer. You can only find so many home improvement tips in books, magazine, and even online, but if fixing your home really isn’t your cup of it, let someone more capable do it for you.

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Mon

18

Mar

2013

Simple And Helpful Home Improvement Tips

If your house looks like it needs a makeover, then perhaps a few home improvement tips might help. Don’t think about remodelling your apartment just yet. While you may already have plans of changing the colour of your bathroom tiles or the tiles on your kitchen floor, it’s better to start with the basics. Small, easy steps first.


Are you a hoarder? Do you keep too many things that you don’t really need in your shelves, cabinets and cupboards? It’s about time you went through all that junk. Pick only the ones that you can really use or are really important. Get rid of the clutter that is conquering your home. It is time to clean up.


Improving your home starts from managing the space you occupy. Throw away all the junk, and try not to be overly sentimental. If there are a couple of keepsakes that you simply cannot let go of, put them in a tightly sealed container and stash them in the attic or maybe the basement. Invite your neighbours to a weekend garage sale and make some money in the process.


On a tight budget? Perhaps you can still have that old couch upholstered instead of buying those leather Lazy Boys you saw at the furniture store. What’s the use of two exorbitantly priced seats to a family of five small children?

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Making Your House A Home

Most of us dream to have our own space we can call our own. This is where we rest our tired body after a long days work and spend our weekends especially when we already have a family of our own.

 

Join me as I do my best to make my house a home. Mine isn't as big as the usual dream house, nor as stylish and cozy as a two bedroom condo unit, but I try to make it look like a home.

 

Feel free to drop by as I share some cleaning, designing, renovating and organization tips that have worked for me and my friends through the years.

Pages to the People

“The point of simple living, for me has got to be: A soft place to land, a wide margin of error, room to breathe, lots of places to find baseline happiness in each and every day” ― Leo Babauta

This year's home improvement goals:

  • purchase harvesting rainwater facility
  • add floating shelves all around the house
  • paint the bedroom with a relaxing blue color
  • use more natural light by replacing some windows in the house
  • do major decluttering sessions
  • hold garage sale to add funds to some other home improvement projects