Category: Furniture

When designing a dream house there a lot of things to keep in mind so it turns out as it was pictured. Every room should be compatible with the next and details should be taken care of to avoid any mishaps that might require a shift or repair later, especially the living area. This is usually the case when we want to make some changes to the existing décor.

Here are top 5 common mistakes made when upgrading the living room.  

Tone and color issues

It all starts with the color. The ideal color choice can brighten up a tiny room and make it look a lot bigger than its actual size and similarly too dark of a tone for all of the walls will make a big room look quite small and create an uncomfortable vibe. If you plan on changing the living room color scheme, opt in for shades that are compatible with the rest of the house and compliments the overall theme. Lighter shades tend to reflect light while darker tones generally require more lighting. If you can’t choose between various color combinations, go for wallpaper instead.

Not efficiently utilizing available room space

We usually pay more attention to the master bedroom or the kitchen but when it comes to the living area, our focus tends to be on the lower side and the room ends up looking like an entirely different portion of the house. One of the most commonly made mistakes is failing to understand the spaciousness of the living room and how much furniture and decorative material it can hold onto. A living room is usually meant to accommodate more people, including extended family members, friends and guests and so it should be designed and layered in a supportive manner.

Improper furniture size and décor

Furniture size is crucial as a sofa too big or a coffee table too small can result in an unpleasant transformation. Every nook and corner should be taken in consideration for proper sized furniture choice and placement accordingly. Also, décor items such as antiques, small statues or fancy glassware should be wisely chosen in accordance with the ambiance and theme of the room and too much or too little of it should be avoided at all costs. The key is to spend on the right commodities.  

Too much or too little lighting

If your living room has access to natural lighting then it’s only beneficial to take advantage of it. A mistake often made in this department is by placing bulky furniture right in front of the curtains which blocks natural light access and in return, you spend on expensive lamps and ceiling lights. Letting in natural light will not only soothe one’s mood but also save on those electricity bills. But if your living room is somewhere in the center of the house, then it is important to spend on sufficient lighting for better visibility and ambiance. Check out House Tipster for some neat ideas and décor tips.  

Not layering wisely

There is so much that can go into one room. When it comes to the living room, the first few things that come to mind are:

• A sofa, usually separate seats or an L-shape   
• A fancy coffee table   ·Vases or glassware ·
• Rugs and upholstery    ·

Lighting

It is common for all of these to be either mismatched or disproportioned, making the living area look like a showroom. To avoid this mistake, the overall layout of the room needs to be studied and then organized in a way so that everything blends in really well.   

By paying attention to detail and taking some expert advice, these commonly made errors can be avoided and creating a beautiful, well-decorated living room with a pleasant interior won’t be much of a hassle.

 

When you think about a carpenter, the first thing that usually comes to mind is someone who builds things out of wood.

Image by CentrArredo from Pixabay

You may picture a hammer and nails, timber framed windows, or a new house. While a skilled carpenter can build a home from the ground up, many details of the carpentry trade are overlooked or thetaken for granted. Here are a few of the many knacks you might not have realized a carpenter possesses along with an explanation of how this could help you with your own home improvement project.

When you think about a carpenter, the first thing that usually comes to mind is someone who builds things out of wood. You may picture a hammer and nails, timber-framed windows, or a new house. While a skilled carpenter can build a home from the ground up, many details of the carpentry trade are overlooked or taken for granted. Here are a few of the many knacks you might not have realized a carpenter possesses along with an explanation of how this could help you with your own home improvement project before is necessary hiring a carpenter near me.

• Understanding Red Tape

While the profession of a carpenter is often seen as simply building things, a significant amount of legal knowledge is needed before a project can even be started. Carpenters must understand the complex system of building codes and permits at the state and local levels before they can begin creating. Meetings with town planners or building inspectors are often on the agenda before a project can begin. The entire process, from pre-planning to completion, is something a skilled carpenter needs to be adept at.

For more experienced carpenters they may also be able to project manage any home improvement that you are having done, whilst they might not be a specialist in every field themselves they will know the tradesmen that are. Often carpenters can project manage builders, electricians and plumbers to give you a complete package when it comes to a renovation or extension.

• Reading Blueprints

Reading Blueprints and drawings comprise a large part of the planning involved in carpentry. A project can have multiple prints from various angles and is essentially a language all on its own. Skilled carpenters understand two-dimensional plans and are able to convert them into three-dimensional objects. Blueprints also help them understand the layout and installation of the project in order to estimate the time and costs involved.

For many carpenters the blueprints serve as a rough guide to the homeowner of how something will look when complete. A lot of time, effort and materials are invested in creating wooden structures such as staircases, windows, fitted furniture and kitchen cabinets it’s good to let the home owner get a taster of what’s to come. When a home owner see’s the plans laid in-front of them it gives them the opportunity to change their mind and prevents the need for duplicate work or even starting again.

• Kitchen Design and Customization

The scope of a skilled carpenters work goes beyond the initial building of a structure to encompass finishing elements like cabinetry and custom woodworking details found in handmade fitted kitchens which is just one where the talents of a skilled carpenter are highlighted. As the most used room in the house, durability, and usability are important. A skilled carpenter, however, can create cabinetry to your own specifications with an array of materials. In older homes where construction is not perfectly square, a carpenter can design, build and install cabinetry that will blend perfectly. If maximizing storage space is important, they can alter measurements to your specifications. Positioning and installing details like decorative moulding and other distinctive elements are tasks that a skilled carpenter excels in.

A skilled carpenter will be knowledgeable in all facets of construction, from major building projects to the smallest finish details. Surprisingly, what might appear to be a rather ordinary trade requires a substantial amount of know-how and training.

There’s no doubt that countertops are a crucial part of the overall aesthetics of your kitchen. Together with features such as cabinets, flooring, and even appliances, the countertops help create the overall vibe of the space. Along those same lines, choosing stone for your countertop material offers some of the best ROI of any product.

While the thought of a stone countertop might have you thinking that the feature is “indestructible”, the truth is that granite, marble, slate, onyx, etc. all still require regular maintenance. There are two main reasons you want to follow proper recommended care for your stone countertops:

1. The kitchen is considered the most important room in the home and you want to maintain resale value for when the time comes to list your property.
2. New countertops and kitchen remodels in general represent a pretty significant investment. You want to keep the products in the best shape possible for as long of a life span as you can.

Don’t worry, maintaining your countertops isn’t as thorough a project as say, pressure washing and restaining a deck. That being said, you still want to follow all the proper tips for cleaning, sealing, and general upkeep. If you don’t, you could actually be proactively causing harm to the countertops.

Cleaning Stone Countertops

Stone countertops providers will tell you that regular cleaning is a very important part of maintaining the integrity of these features. Depending on the type of stone, these countertops can be porous which means that red wine spills (and similar mishaps) can actually cause staining. In fact, anything high in acidity (vinegar, orange juice, salad dressing, for example) can cause visible damage to the countertop surface.

How to clean stone countertops depends largely on what type of actual rock it is made of. Here are some basics for the most popular types of materials used in kitchen countertops:

• Concrete – Like many stone countertops, concrete is sensitive to acidity. Therefore a mixture of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 4 cups of water should be kept readily available in a spray bottle. You shouldn’t use vinegar or other abrasive chemicals to clean concrete. Also, get your water tested to see if you need water softener because mineral deposits in hard water can cause damage to concrete countertops over time.
• Granite – Traditionally one of the most popular materials for stone countertops that continues to be very appealing to future home buyers. One of the biggest      appealing factors for granite is its shiny finish. To maintain this, use the same formula of dish detergent and water. You should use a microfiber cloth to wipe up and let the countertop air dry.

• Limestone – Homeowners are opting for limestone countertops because they give the look of marble, even though marble itself isn’t really a viable option for a kitchen because of the heavy use. Obviously the lighter color of limestone is going to require a lot of care. There is actually a special limestone cleaner that should be used if you’ve had this type of stone countertop installed. Another thing is that the lighter color of limestone allows scratches to show easier so avoid scrubbers, sponges, and similar abrasive cleaning utensils.
• Quartz – These type of countertops are actually engineered with a quartz/resin compound which gives them the durability of being A glass cleaner will actually work for daily cleaning of quartz countertops.

 

• Other Stone Countertops – You should always check the specific manufacturer’s cleaning instructions but for the most part dish detergent and water should be safe. Avoid abrasive scrubbers and harsh chemicals to maintain  the look and style of your countertops for years to come.

Sealing Stone Countertops

If your stone countertops are non-porous, they will not need to be sealed. This includes quartz and soapstone and also engineered products that aren’t 100% stone. For types of stone that does need resealing, many stone countertops providers will recommend that you repeat the process bi-annually. One way to find out if your tops do need sealing is to splash a little bit of water on the surface. If the water beads up, it means the seal is intact for now. If the water spreads and seeps into the surface then it’s time to re-apply the sealer.

To seal your countertops, simply spray an approved sealant onto the surface and let it set for 15 minutes to absorb into the stone. Before the sealant dries completely, wipe it off with a paper towel or dry cloth. The process really is that easy.

Caring For and Maintaining Stone Countertops

In order to get the most life out of your countertops, proper care should be learned and executed. There’s the obvious trying to avoid spills of red wine and other acidic, staining liquids. If accidents do happen, wipe up these spills as soon as possible. Beyond that, never put hot pans directly onto the countertop surface and always use a cutting board to avoid knife scratches.

If your countertops do get stained, contact your local stone countertops providers for care. There are poultice formulas that can remove the stain depending on what the countertop material is and what the stain was caused by. Beyond that though, with regular cleaning, sealing, and maintenance you should be able to enjoy your countertops now – and also get some resale value down the line.

There are a number of things that can help us create a relaxing environment in our home. Here we break the daily stress, we rebuild the energy and we live the most beautiful moments of our lives, with family, friends and loved ones, and here we have to find the highest level of comfort daily.

The need to create a warm and calm environment must become a priority. To stay healthy, a relaxing atmosphere in the house can help a lot.

Small changes in the house can create a relaxing corner such as reordering the furniture, choosing the colors that soothe and relax, closing the unnecessary lights or put a vase with fresh and colorful flowers. The house must be clean, neat and provide a sense of well-being.

One of the important aspects of our lives is the sleep hygiene and the sleep environment needs also attention from us.

We sleep one-third of our lives and sleep is necessary just like food, air, and water.  If we have a good sleep we are cheerful, full of vitality, with a bright and relaxed face, a clear and creative mind.

The sleep hygiene like keeping a bedtime routine, exercising regularly, relaxing before bedtime, eating sleep-friendly foods can positively impact our daily lives.

Plants and flowers in the house

Plants and fresh flowers in the room help us relax and breathe fresh air. When choosing plants and flowers, opt for those that have a pleasant smell and flood all the rooms. In addition, plants that attract toxins and negative energies in the house are recommended.

Keep the House Clean and Cool

Our environment must be clean and bedding should be changed regularly. Also, maintaining a moderate to cool temperature is important to a restful sleep. Keeping in the room a temperature between 60-67 degrees can increase the chances for a comfortably and soundly sleep.

Make the Bed Comfortable

A relaxed mind allows us to deal with the high volume of work every day. But to have a restful sleep, we need a Rest Right Mattress, soft pillows, and fine linens. Thus, we avoid waking up with sore throats , feeling stiff, numb, or tired.  As we may see, sleeping on a confortable bed is very important. Sleeping or just relaxing is required after a hard working day, the Leggett and Platt Prodigy 2.0 has the best solution for confort.

Use Aromatherapy and Scented Candles

What can be more enjoyable than entering a house surrounded by a relaxing fragrance that will make us forget about the accumulated stress of the day?

Using Aromatherapy creates a relaxing and calming atmosphere, which can help wind down to sleep. Among the Using Aromatherapy creates a relaxing and calming atmosphere, which can help wind down to sleep. You can use scented candles for that ambient effect. But you can also get electric diffusers. They are widely available in online shops like Kumi. They have an available diffuser and essential oils set that you can quickly purchase online.

Paint the Bedroom

Experts in interior design and color psychology think that the chromatic shades in which we paint our house say something about our personality and influence us at the same time more than we think.

There are also studies that show that the color of our bedroom can impact the amount of sleep we get. The colors blue, green and yellow are often associated with calmness and relaxation and can help put our mind at ease as we rest.

A hinge is an essential part of almost every item of furniture. It is often underrated despite being a fundamental part. What you may be surprised about is the sheer number of hinges available on the market!

This article takes a look at 5 of the more difficult hinges to install and how you can do it successfully. Of course it is advisable to have the right tools to hand before you start creating any item. Perhaps the most important tools are a good quality table saw, drill, chisels and screwdriver.

If you haven’t already got a table saw take a look at these price comparison on table saws and select the right one for your needs.

• 95° Stop Hinge

As the name suggests this allows a lid or door to open 95° and no more, that’s enough for a chest to open and stay open without a stay.

The best approach with a 95° hinge is to align the back of the chest with the lid.

You’ll then need to mortise the lid and the chest to accommodate the hinge. Recessing the hinge like this will ensure that the lid fits snugly and is as strong as possible.

• Barrel Hinge

This hinge actually looks like a barrel and is very effective for gates, cupboard doors and anything which does not have a high load on it.

You’ll need to drill a hole in the door and the mount. This hole must be the same diameter as the barrel hinge and same depth. You can then slot the hinge in and screw it into position.

At the same time it is essential to keep the hinge close enough to the edge of your material to ensure it can reach the mount side and work correctly.

This hinge is not that difficult to install; the trick is in getting the positioning right.

• The Piano Hinge

These are exceptionally long hinges names after the piano as they run along the whole length of the lid. This allows the lid to be opened and the keys exposed.

It’s a great hinge to use when creating a toolbox, folding walls or doors and even for shower cubicles.

However, when installing it is imperative that you get the hinge situated correctly before you start putting the screws in. The tiniest of errors at one end can result in a big gap at the other!

• Butterfly Hinges

These are generally used as a feature as they add a nice touch to any item. The hinge should still be functional though!

It is possible to mortise these hinges but it is difficult and time consuming to remove just enough wood to allow the butterfly to fit. This is why most people simply add them to the outside of the item.

However, taking your time to draw round the hinge and remove the necessary wood is worthwhile; the effect is much more dramatic.

• Pivot Hinges

You’ll need these if you want a door to open in both directions. They must be mounted on the bottom of the door and the top.

It will need to be mortised into the door and into the wall; creating a concealed hinge and a door which opens in both directions.

The most difficult part of this is getting the height right when positioning the hinges. Careful measurement is essential.

You don’t need the biggest closet in the world to find space for all of your clothes. Housing in North America is getting smaller, especially in cities where real estate values are so high that most young people can only ever hope to buy a condo. But even full-sized houses are smaller than they have been in the past, a trend that analysts believe will continue as lot sizes decrease and cities around the world rein in sprawl.

Luxuries like spacious closets are some of the first things to go when space is at a premium. With fewer and fewer houses, condos, and apartments offering the kind of space you need for your clothes, it might be time to look into a wardrobe. They’re portable, flexible storage solutions made for clothes that you need to hang.

Wardrobes can feel like a blast from the past for a lot of people, especially Millennials. In North America, their only exposure to a wardrobe may have been in their parents’ room or from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Many grew up with dressers but not a wardrobe or an armoire. What’s the difference between a wardrobe and a dresser?

Your wardrobe probably isn’t going to turn into a door into Narnia, but it does give you way more closet space. The difference between a wardrobe and a dresser is vertical space. Most wardrobes will, like a dresser, have several drawers at the base where you can store socks, underwear, pants, T-shirts, or anything you can fold up. But a wardrobe has standing space where you can hang dresses, blazers, ties, dress shirts and pants, and anything else that needs to hang. That also means there’s room at the bottom for shoes.

Plus, you can take it with you, which makes it perfect when you’re still moving from apartment to apartment, each with its own uniquely annoying closet. With rent going up in cities across the world, it’s tough to go apartment hunting.You can never be sure where you’re going to live next. Making compromises on features like closet space is inevitable.

Wardrobes come in many different shapes and sizes that can fit your storage needs. Some wardrobes stand tall and thin without any shelves on the bottom. You can find others that have additional storage space on top, making it great for towels or linens. Most come with doors though you can also find open wardrobes. No matter how much space you have in your bedroom and whatever style the decoration, there’s a wardrobe that will fit.

Living in smaller spaces is a new reality for anyone who lives in a metro area in North America. That doesn’t mean you need to become a minimalist just to keep living in the city. At least, not yet anyway. But it does mean you should open your mind up to alternative storage solutions like wardrobes. They can save your clothes from getting ruined in an over-stuffed closet.

If you are planning to buy a sleeper sofa, you are in the right place. Below we briefly explain what you need to know and provide you with a resource that goes into more detail (at the bottom).

Looks matter
An awful lot of sofa beds are ugly. They just look like square blobs. In some settings, this does not really matter. If your sleeper sofa is going to be tucked away in your spare room, rarely seen, looks are not necessarily that important. But, in other situations buying one that looks awful, because it is cheap, will turn out to be a mistake.

If you do not like the way your sleeper sofa looks, you will simply end up dumping it after a few years. So, your bargain buy will turn out to be a complete waste of money. Therefore, you really should buy a bed settee that you actually like the look of.

Dimensions

It obvious that you do not want to buy a sleeper sofa that will not fit into your room. But, you will be surprised at how often people end up having to return theirs because they have not checked if it will fit once it is folded down into a bed. Size matters, for other reasons too.

When in a sofa format it needs to be the right size to match the scale of the other items of furniture in your home. Once it is folded down into a bed it needs to be long and wide enough for someone to be able to sleep on it comfortably.

Ease of use
Your sleeper sofa needs to be easy to open up and turn back into a sofa. If every time you try to fold it out you end up pinching your fingers, you will not use it much.

Comfort

Comfort matters, the more you are planning to use your sofa bed, the more important this consideration is. Try to choose one that has a sprung base and a proper mattress.

Durability

If you are going to use this sofa every day, it needs to be well-made and durable. Look for one that is made from good-quality materials and comes with a reasonably long-term warranty.

Ease of cleaning

It is important to vacuum a bed every few weeks. Doing so gets rid of dead skin cells and the little organisms that live on them. Keeping their population under control helps to ensure that you can stay healthy and helps to prevent bed bugs from taking hold. So, being able to thoroughly clean your sofa bed is important. Always choose a design that enables you to get your crevice tool into every little nook and cranny.

Where to get more specific advice

If you are ready to find the best sleeper sofa for you, simply click the link. When you do, you will be taken to the Modern Digs website where you can find in-depth reviews of every type of furniture you can think of. This team of reviewers has been working in this field for many years. So, you really can rely on their detailed and unbiased reviews.

The vibrancy and warmth that a child’s bedroom can create is unrivalled within the household…and that is exactly the way it should be.

However, decorating a child’s bedroom can arise a number of problems.

Firstly, as your little one grows, their tastes change and you’ll be on the hunt, yet again, for a new bed for your little boy or some fairy lights for your little girl’s bed. And no matter how small the bedroom is, this can become a costly venture.

However, there is a way to cut the costs of perennial redecorating whilst also retaining the warmth that makes a child’s bedroom feel like home, and that is through personalisation.

The most important factor in creating a personalised bedroom for your child is that their input is just as valuable as yours.

Not only can this help with your child’s creative development but it will also give them a sense of achievement and allow them to enjoy their bedroom even more.

So, how can you prepare for perfect personalisation?

 

• Utilise your Child

 

Firstly, a great place to begin is by looking at any artwork that your child has done. No matter how messy or untidy the piece is, it can be used as the basis for an entire room’s design and colour palette.

It also puts your child’s work at the heart of the room, which will not only make them feel special but will also allow them creative license to personalise their bedroom even more.

While your child’s imagination may be incomparably wild, they are also the best judges as to how they want their room. And while their suggestion of pink and lime green may be a no go for you, find a way to establish their favourite colours into the room, without giving yourself a headache every time you enter!

Here are some handy personalisation ideas which may get you and your child’s creative juices flowing:

 

• Ignite their Interests

 

If you child is old enough to converse, they are more than likely old enough to already have hobbies and interests.

Assess what they like and see how it can be adapted into their bedroom design.

For example, if your son adores space, why not try transforming his ceiling into a milky way. Glow in the dark stars are an inexpensive and fantastic way to enthral your budding astronaut.

If you are feeling very adventurous, you could try and personalise some furniture to resemble a rocket ship or UFO.

 

• Make Room for family

 

Find a space in your child’s bedroom that can remind them of their family. At a young age, children rely entirely on their caregivers and extended family members for everything.

Place some pictures of the family on the wall. Get creative yourself with some art work from you to your child.

The bedroom is a safe haven from the world and your child will feel even safer and warmer if your metaphorical fingerprints can be seen.

 

• Shared Separation

 

One challenge that can often rear its head when designing a child’s room is the issue of shared space.

If your children total more than one, then you may have two little people sharing the same space.

While some lucky parents will have children whose interests are exactly the same, others can often find that their kids are at war over how their room should look.

To combat this, consider areas of the room that you can separate. A divider or running a curtain across the room is a way of allowing each child to have their own space while still being able to access their sibling or reopen the space.

This will also enable the room to be decorated in two different ways, meaning both children should be able to get the room that they desire!

 

• Make a Doodle Wall

 

It is no secret that children like doodling. It is also no secret that doodling anywhere other than on paper can cause significant damage to furniture and can result in a stern telling off for your little one.

To combat this and to ensure that your child’s room is as personalised as possible, why not dedicate one wall as a doodling space.

While you should monitor exactly what your child writes and draws, it gives them a fantastic area to create and express and can be utilised by everyone in the household.

Whether it be messages of love, drawings of UFOs or simple yet undecipherable doodles, a wall like this can transform the feeling of a room and hugely elevate its personalised feel.