Search results for: “style”

6 Beginner Tips for Decorating Your Home
For some people, decorating your home comes naturally. You just have an eye for detail, and eye for what complements one another, and an eye for simply what works. For others, though, decorating can be a challenge, and one small mistake can turn an attractive look into something you’re embarrassed to show off. If you’re just beginning to decorate your home, or if decorating just isn’t in your blood, here are six beginner tips for decorating your home that will make the entire process easier on you.
1. Pick a style or theme.
Your home should have one overall style or theme that is consistent from room to room. For instance, you cannot go French style in the living room and then futuristic Jetsons in the kitchen—it simply won’t work! Instead, think of the style that you absolutely love and then use that to start decorating your home. This way, you will have an idea of what colors, furniture, and other décor items would make sense for your space, and you’ll be able to narrow down your options so you’re not so overwhelmed.
1. Choose complimentary colors.
Your walls are going to say a lot for the look of your room, so you want to make sure you’re picking complimentary colors and not just sticking to one solid look. For instance, lighter colors will make a space feel bigger, but you can always compliment that color with one wall that’s painted darker. This creates and abstract in the home but helps give the room some character. Most paint companies will offer you swatches of what colors work well together. This way you don’t have to try and figure it all out on your own.
1. Test the paint first.
Before you buy gallons of paint in a color you love from a swatch you saw at a paint store, you should first buy a sample of the paint and use it on a wall in your home. You’ll be surprised at how much a color can change from a paint swatch to a full wall, and you may just find that you don’t like the way it looks when it’s there. Doing it this way will save you from overspending and will help you make the right overall decision.
1. Think functionality.
When it comes to putting your furniture in your space, you should first think about what’s functional. For instance, if your living space is tiny, then opting for an oversized sectional may not be the best idea. Instead, try to focus on what would work in the space from a functional level. Obviously, you don’t want to overcrowd your space with too much furniture, and you don’t want to pick something that simply doesn’t work with the flow of your home. Using a virtual room app can help you find the best layout of your space without the physical activity of moving your furniture around.
1. Don’t overdo it.
When you have a theme or style for your home, it’s also important not to overdo it. For instance, if you have a love for pigs, putting pigs all over your home is not the best move to make. After all, chances are you make get sick of it after a while, and then you’ll just be starting from scratch. If you have a theme for your home, be sure the décor pieces are subtle so that it adds to the space but doesn’t overwhelm those who step inside. Visiting this home décor blog will help you fine-tune your decorating skills and make the most of your space.
1. Keep patterns simple.
Once you land on a color, you’ll have other items you’ll need to choose, such as couches, chairs, rugs, curtains, etc. All of these items will have colors or patterns of their own, and this is where design can become overwhelming and troublesome. When it comes to patterns, you want to keep things simple. For instance, if your couch has a pattern on it, you want to use solid colors for your rug and your curtains. If you have too many different patterns happening in one room, it will create an uneven balance that simply doesn’t work in your favor.

Decorating your home doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. Instead, if you start slowly and learn the basics, you’ll have an easier time finding what works best for your space and what compliments your style.
May 21, 2018

App Development 101: Budgeting Your App Design Cost

What makes your app stand out from the competition? Great design? Good user targeting? Most of these factors contribute to your app’s success. When looking at apps created by the industry giants, most of them have a few things in common.

For instance, these popular apps have a great user-friendly appearance and feel. But what does a good app cost really mean? Let’s find out by defining how much your app design cost and how to make the process more fluid.

What’s The Average Cost for an App?

Skipping the factors in the app development cost breakdown, it can cost around $80,000-$250,000 depending on its features, platform, and quality. Online app calculators give an average between $200,000 and $350,000 to create an app with multiple features.

If we were to split apps into 3 different categories (Simple, Moderate, Complex), this is how much it would cost to create an app:

Complexity	Description	Hours (approx.)	Cost ($50/hr)	Cost ($100/hr)
Simple	No back end, no API integration, calendar, social login, basic features like email subscription.	400	20,000	$40,000
Moderate	Payment features, back-end server, API integration, Customized user features, tablets and headsets adaptation.	500-800	40,000	$80,000
Complex	Professional design, 3rd Party Integrations, Multi Language Support.	800-1500	$75,000	$150,000

iOS, Android, or Hybrid?

Native iOS and Android apps are usually fast, large, and are optimized to provide the best user experience. Also, they’re created using built-in APIs and processes that have a multitude of features.

Depending on how many people you need for your development team and the amount of platforms, native app design costs can be very expensive. Regardless of what you’re going to go with, your app’s features will determine its total cost.

Additional Features can cost:

Email Login ($5,000 – $7,500)
User Profiles ($5,000 – $7,500)
Social Integration ($2,000 – $16,000+)
Geo-Location ($7,000 – $18,500)
Rating System ($5,000 – $18,000+)

How to Find a Good App Designer

Before committing and engaging to an offshore development company, you have to do some homework first. This means that you’ll have to look up the company and check for its reputation, reviews, awards and track record. Since this project might cost around $10,000+ or more, it’s important to look at this price carefully.

It’s also helpful to seek out their past clients and speak on the company’s experience. In fact, you can take it a step further and meet the development team in person. When doing this, make sure that you speak to their designers as well.

After they give you a quote for the cost of their app, always add at least 15%-25% extra to the initial cost in order to reduce the risk. This is because developing apps isn’t a straightforward process and there are unexpected hurdles that occur along the way.

What’s Next?

Basically, the app design cost depends on what you’re trying to achieve. You’ll have to plan out exactly what apps you want your designers to create. Ultimately, set up a budget to make your apps to ensure that your project will be completed correctly!

May 20, 2018

5 Tips for Renovating a Fixer Upper House

You have bought a home that’s in need of some love – and by love, we mean complete redesign and renovation from floor to ceiling. You were excited when you found the property but now that you are the official owner, you’re feeling a little daunted about the work ahead.

Worry not. After you have set your budget, look at our DIY tips below, to help you transform a fixer upper into a beautiful home.

Consider the Timeline

Before starting, it’s a good idea to sit down and think about how long the project will take. Consider how you will complete the work – for example, will you be doing it at the weekend or after work? And will you be renovating alone? These factors will increase the time it takes to complete the work, so be realistic with your goals.

Create a Blank Canvas

Now it’s time to begin. Firstly, if there are any items in the house, these must be removed. After this you can move onto step two: pulling up outdated carpets and stripping wallpaper. If the walls are in bad condition, they may require further attention. Drywall could be the perfect solution, as it’s quick to install and reduces noise pollution – check specialists like CCF for a range of drywall for different rooms.

One Room at a Time

When the walls and ceilings have been prepped, it can be tempting to go through every room, painting and decorating. However, it might be a better idea to tackle one room at a time. This is because a project can seem overwhelming if little jobs are done in different places. Instead, work on completing an entire room as this will allow you to see your progress, keeping you motivated.

Cut Your Costs

Even though you have established a budget, it’s good to save where you can. This leaves extra funds in case unexpected issues occur, or to add more lavish furnishings at the end. For example, can you sand and varnish the existing floors? Could you salvage any of the tiles? Or can you create a DIY kitchen by painting cupboards and installing new worktops?

Bring in the Experts

While you have decided on a DIY approach – which will reduce spend by cutting labour costs – there will be times you need expert help. For areas like plumbing, electrics and structural issues, always bring in the experts. That way you can make sure everything is finished safely without the risk of dodgy electrics or knocking down a structural wall.

Carrying out a DIY renovation can be tough. However, it can also help to save you money, allowing your budget to stretch further, as well as provide you with a greater sense of satisfaction when the work is complete. Hopefully these tips help you on your DIY journey and reduce your stress levels.

May 20, 2018
Easy home updates you can do this weekend

You might have an appetite for tweaking your home’s appearance, especially if it is currently rather tired. However, if you have a busy life and so wouldn’t have time beyond this weekend in which to improve your home, you should be careful not to take on too large a project.

If you are a DIY novice, you might remain unsure where exactly the line is between a weekend project and something more ambitious – but all of the following ideas can be realised in a weekend.

Don’t have a patio? Make one

This is possible with flagstone – you wouldn’t even need any mortar, says Better Homes & Gardens. To allow members of the household easy access to that patio, you could also arrange the installation of sliding aluminium patio doors; to source these, turn to a patio doors supplier like Bifold Shop.

The finishing touches to that patio could include potted plants. You could also add outdoor seating like a bistro set or chairs of a wide range of colours.

Switch to more eco-friendly windows

Your home might have windows that are often battered by winter winds – especially if those windows face where the winds prevail. Such windows could too easily leak cold into your home and so necessitate you upping your spending on energy to keep the building comfortably warm.

Still, you might be able to spare yourself expenditure on such if you instead have those windows replaced with more energy-efficient alternatives which Bifold Shop can also provide.

Give your dining room dimmable lighting

Imagine how luxurious your eating experience would be if, on every dining occasion at home, you felt like you were in a posh restaurant? That’s actually much more palatable than you might have realised, as you could arrange to have dimmers fitted onto your dining room’s lights.

To go with the dimmer switches, you can opt for standard incandescent bulbs or, should you instead favour fluorescent light, special dimmable bulbs.

Everything including the bathroom sink

If your bathroom looks rather stale, you could energise it by replacing the sink. First, though, take your needs into close account. You should assess those needs by, when you see a particular model of sink in a showroom, standing before that sink and then acting out your morning routine.

You could pick up on whether there is sufficient space in which you can brush your teeth or place contacts onto your eyes. Consider both aesthetic and practical concerns.

Give an existing desk area a makeover

If you have something of a home office, you could paint the chair in a new, eye-catching shade, suggests Ideal Home. However, apply that paint strictly to the seat and back of the chair, leaving its legs unadorned. Meanwhile, the desk could be given accessories in a colour matching the paint.

As for the desk itself, make it white. This would further add to the pleasingly contrasting effect and so can leave you with a home office that is both pretty and practical.

May 20, 2018
Best Decorating Tips

One of the best parts of being a homeowner is being able to make your place reflect your own personal style and personality. From finding the right paint colors for your rooms to picking out furniture that will serve as a comfortable place to sit and entertain while looking stylish, there’s a lot to consider when decorating your home. Before you get started, here are a few tips that may help you during the decorating process.

Consider Patterns

There are some instances when mixing patterns can give your room a quaint yet put together look. However, if you aren’t careful, piecing too many patterns together into one room can make it look disjointed and even be stress inducing for people since there won’t be a place for them to rest their eyes. Unless you have extensive experience mixing and matching patterns, you should steer clear of trying this.

Mixing Materials

While it isn’t always a good idea to mix patterns into your decor, mixing up materials can be a safe alternative. In the past, people kept wood, steel, and furs separate for fear of causing confusion. However, it’s becoming more accepted and is actually trendy to casually throw a fur rug on a wooden floor then putting a metal table on top of it. This style, called hygge, comes from the Danish and embraces the idea of making your home into a cozy gathering place for family and friends.

Layer Lighting

Gone are the days of rooms having one overhead light that you operate from a switch plate. Now, people are taking advantage of multiple types of lighting in a room to create a relaxing atmosphere and even mimic natural daylight. Try adding a couple floor and table lamps to your room to create multiple levels of lighting. Having alternative lighting sources can also produce lighting that not as harsh on the eyes as traditional overhead lighting.

Manipulate Mirrors

Did you know that hanging mirrors in small rooms can trick the eye by making the room look bigger? If you have a small room take advantage of mirrors to give your room a larger, airy look. When placed strategically, mirrors can also be a focal point for sunlight to bounce off of, which spreads natural light throughout the room.

Understand Your Artwork

One of the best home decorating tips & ideas homeowners should heed is how to hang their artwork. Often, you’ll see people’s walls crammed with too many photos are pieces of artwork that aren’t the right scale for the size of the wall. People often think that hanging large artwork will make their home look gaudy, but it actually creates a focal point for your room and makes your walls look less cluttered than hanging multiple pieces. When hanging your artwork, make sure it meets at eye level and isn’t being hung too high.

Cut Clutter

Having too many knickknacks around your home can give your space a cluttered look. While it may be tempting to display all your favorite pieces, instead opt to put out a few of your most interesting decorations and store the rest. Every few months, rotate your pieces to keep your home interesting.

Buy Window Dressings

Having the right curtains or drapes for your windows can make a big difference in how your home looks. If you buy the wrong size, for example, it can make your windows look smaller. Many people hang their curtains tight to their windows, which is a major decorating faux pas. Give your windows room to breathe by purchasing curtains that are slightly taller and wider than your windows. Then, hang them above your window rather than right on top of them to create the illusion that your windows are bigger. This opens up your room and naturally draws the eye upward, which also makes your room seem larger as well.

May 20, 2018
What Bed Design Best Suits Your Bedroom
A home is a place where people feel calmness. This place is an area where a person rediscovers oneself and it is where most dreams are made. More often, a home is something that is also being dreamt about by people. It has to be unique and a manifestation of who you are, what you are like, etc. Every corner has to be precise, has to be designed well, has to have a personal touch. However, there is one specific place that people usually take as intimate side —- the bedroom.

Our bedroom is composed of many elements. May it be the color scheme, the theme or the furniture. The most common problem for bedroom designers is how to choose the right bed for the bedroom. In this article, some tips and bed suggestions were included to make bedroom designing much easier.
1. Four Poster Beds
On top of the best bed list is the Four Poster bed. This type of bed is one of a kind because you cannot see a bed like this in most bedrooms. A four poster bed is a bed composed of four posts and a queen-sized foam. Aside from the stylish vibe, this kind of bed is perfect for families or couples because it invites intimacy and relaxation.
1. Sleigh Beds
This type of bed is commonly known to be perfect for traditional houses. Sleigh beds are often used for “old” themed houses, which should not be the case. A sleigh bed is also perfect for a bedroom with different vibes and themes. Aside from the extra security it provides the users, this bed also offers a better sleeping experience because of its size and durability.
1. Leather Beds
Contrary to the first two beds, leather beds is one of the more latest edition of beds being sold in the market. Leather beds are perfect for modern-themed houses and are often places in light-colored rooms to highlight its style. The bed itself is already a bedroom because you won’t need any more furniture to design your entire room.
1. Traditional Beds
Traditional beds are often mis viewed as old and unstylish when in fact it’s the opposite. Sleigh beds and Four Poster beds are still considered as traditional beds because it follows the old requirement for bed frames which are strong and steady. While some traditional beds may not suit a modern-themed bedroom, the fact that it never goes out of style opposes the first statement. Traditional beds are the safest option to consider when choosing a bed because it will never betray the users. After all, safety and comfort come first before style, right?

Revival Beds like the ones above have climbed up the ladder when it comes to bed frames and styles. Why? Because they never go out of style, along with its purpose of being safe and secured. The fact that these beds are even customized and are included in the handmade wooden bed collection makes it more appealing to buy. When buying a bed, make sure safety comes first before style. In addition, style can also be achieved by doing your research. Make sure to check out different traditional beds to help you in your bedroom designing.
May 19, 2018
Why Do You Need A Conveyancer When Selling Your Home?

It is always difficult to let go of the things that we once loved or even still loving. If we truly loved a thing, we always want the best new owner to have it. One of those things is our home. This is the place where we made our beginnings. But as what they say, when a door closes, a new window opens. No matter how hard it is to let go of our home, it is safe to say that there is something bigger that will follow. Now, selling a home is not that easy. It is not like when you sell something pre-loved wherein you can just post online and choose whoever takes it.

When selling a home, it is important to background check and even investigate the prospective owners. How do you do this if you, yourself, are busy with your life? You also have your own stuff to keep in mind. So, the best thing to do is to have a conveyancer help you with your home selling.

A conveyancer is a professional home selling agent who does all the paper works, advertising and selling for you. They will be the ones in charge for everything, may it be the description of your home layout, your estimate cost and estimate selling profit. They are basically your body guard when it comes to your beloved house.

If you are very busy with other things going on with your life, a finding a cost-effective conveyancer would be perfect for you. You need him if you have value for money, which I hope you do. Selling or buying a home is a very serious matter that should be thought of a hundred times. A conveyancer makes sure that you get what you deserve in terms of home selling. If you spent too much money on renovating, accessorizing and developing your house, your conveyancer will help you sell your home equal to your total spending.

A conveyancer is someone who will file necessary documents for your selling transactions to be legal. If you don’t want to face the hassle of all the filing, printing and scanning of documents, sure, don’t hire a conveyancer. If you want to spend quality time with your loved ones without worrying of your house selling, go look for a reliable conveyancer.

Letting go means moving forward. But when you let go, make sure that you let it go legally and safely. You don’t want to hand over your house to a family who will not take care of it, right? Your hired conveyancer can always make it or break it so be sure you get the best one. Another benefit of hiring a conveyancer is that you can also solicit ideas when buying your new house. It is like hitting two birds with one stone, you sell wisely, you buy wisely. Every family, small or large, should always have a value for money. And the way to do it is to have someone to help you make the right decisions.

May 18, 2018
Transitioning Your Home From Winter To Spring

The days are longer and the birds are singing the sweet songs of Spring; it’s time to pack away the remnants of winter and usher in the beauty of new beginnings. Pull out that annual Spring Cleaning to-do list and get started. Of course cleaning windows, curtains, and the patio deck are on this exclusive list, but there are a few important chores you don’t want to overlook. Join us as we walk you through the most important chores of the season, and remember, a tidy home will help with your overall sense of wellbeing!

Vents

The air in your home is vital to the health of everyone who enters, therefore, it is important that the vents are free of debris and allergens that can cause adverse health effects. The first thing you’ll want to do is to turn off the heating and cooling unit. Next, get your vacuum and use the hose attachment to collect the dust from the grate. After you’ve vacuumed your grates, feel free to wash them down with some soap and water. Don’t forget about the ceiling grilles during this process. The Environmental Protection Agency has some great information to help you decide whether or not you need to have the actual ducts in your home cleaned.

Filters

Spring cleaning presents the perfect reminder to change the air filters in your home, as well. This is an important step to keeping your home cool for those sweltering upcoming months. Filters help to keep dust from blocking the coils that heat and cool the air in your home; if the coils are blocked then your air conditioner may not be able to function at its peak performance.

Go through your home and check the size of your filters, they come in different sizes so you want to be sure to get the right one when you go to replace them. Consider purchasing a pleated filter, as they will capture more pollutants than the alternative flat filters. Filters are flexible and will easily insert into the space behind your vent. According to experts, replacing a dirty filter can lower your heating and cooling unit’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%.

Air Conditioner

The best part of Spring is the warmer weather. Warmer temperatures will also mean that the air conditioner will need to have it’s annual check and cleaning – usually by a licensed technician from a company like Toronto Refrigeration – to ensure that it is functioning properly. There are three parts of the unit that you will want to pay close attention to: the air conditioning coils, the coil fins, and the condensate drains. The coils, as described earlier, should be free from debris as much as possible. It is suggested by professional appliance experts that any shrubs or foliage be trimmed at least two feet away from the unit. Also, check to make sure that the coil fins are not bent or damaged to ensure proper ventilation. There are several things that you can do yourself to keep your unit in good repair. However, keep in mind that only a professional can check the coolant level of your unit.

May 14, 2018