Month: February 2020

Home Design, Organization

Both homeowners and renters will have to contend with storage. Below are some tips on how to efficiently organize your stuff at home.

Go with Squares

Using square storage containers are always a better choice because they can maximize the space as opposed to round containers. They don’t fit as flush as square containers do when placed side by side or stack on top of each other.

Go for Premium

The idea when it comes to storage containers is that it should last for a decent amount of time. It only makes sense, then, that you should not go cheap on them especially when you’re going to be using them to store things in areas where they will be exposed to changes in temperatures or exposed to the elements.

Go for Nesters

Nesters are the type of containers that stack together. These are a great solution if you have limited space. They won’t take up too much space when they’re not in used and they stack together when they’re used for storage.

Know your Storage Space

Before even running to the nearest home depot and buying boxes of storage containers, you first have to consider your storage space. Check how much you can store in it and determine the right boxes for your needs. Also, don’t forget the kinds of things you plan on storing there so you get a good idea of the boxes you might need.

Magazine Holders for Veggies

Want something truly unique for your storage space? Get a couple of those magazine holders and use them to store your vegetables, especially the rooted ones, in your cabinets or in your fridge.

Tacking your plastic bags

If you hate rifling through your drawers and cabinets looking for a plastic bag or foil when you need one, you should tack the boxes they come with to the inside of your pantry door using a push pin. Open the flaps and tack it firmly for easy access to bags should you need one.

Magazine holders in the kitchen

Magazine holders are making an appearance again. They are great for organizing a lot of things, especially in the kitchen where we tend to horde more than our fair share of stuff. Use these holders to store cutting boards, cling wrap and plastic boxes.

Tea tin with dividers

If you’re a fan of drinking tea, you know how hard it is to find the right tea bag when you need it. We all have a tea box in our kitchen filled with assorted tea bags. How about you organize your tea box by putting dividers for the different blend of teas you prefer. This way, it’s easier to find the right tea for the occasion.

Veggies in the drawer

This next tip might seem a little odd but hear me out. Putting your veggies in the drawer is actually a genius idea. We usually have a tray filled with onions, garlic, and tomatoes. They look unsightly and have the tendency to rot since smaller pieces get hidden. Putting them in drawers is an easy way to corral them, keep them organized, and it frees up space in your countertop.

Pegboard in your drawer

This next tip totally blew my mind. It’s simple yet so ingenious I’m surprised I’m only finding out about this one now. Pegboards are easy to come by; almost all arts & crafts store has one. They come in a variety of sizes so you’re sure to find one that’ll fit snugly into one of your drawers. It’s great for keeping trays and plates upright.

Chalkboard paint for labeling

Not many realize this but chalkboard paint is actually pretty great for labeling. It’s an inexpensive way of labeling jar lids so you know exactly what’s inside. Should you change the content of the jar, all you’ll have to do is erase the previous label and write a new one with chalk.

Home Design, Renovations

Remodeling a kitchen is no easy task but there are a few tips and tricks to make the endeavor manageable. Read on and find out these simple kitchen renovation tips.

  1. Undoing the kitchen

Most kitchen cabinets are attached to the wall but not its doors. Start by removing cabinet doors. Next is to remove doorways and trims if you’re planning on reusing them. Shut off power to the kitchen and remove appliances as well as lighting fixtures. Take care to cover exposed wires. If you want to remove the paneling, use the crowbar to pry them loose.

  1. Finding someone in charge

Before even starting the renovation of your kitchen, you first have to consider who is in charge of the project. You can find a general contractor to supervise the work or take on that responsibility yourself. Keep in mind that hiring a contractor will cost you around 30% of the overall budget, money that you can use for some other purposes. Whatever you decide to do, make sure the contractor is licensed, skilled, bonded, and insured.

  1. Replace old plumbing

Now that you’ve taken on the challenge of redoing your kitchen, you might also want to consider changing the dated plumbing system. Older plumbing might leak and break so make sure you have plenty of buckets on hand. Also, consider installing a shut-off valve box for the fridge and installing a new gas line.

  1. New wiring

Newer kitchen style is all about recessed lighting, pendant fixtures, and breakfast nook lighting. You should also look into upgrading your circuit breaker, increasing it up to 200 amps. Talk to your electrician if you want to get this done. Change all wiring that is not up to code as well.

Consider mudding

The job of hanging sheetrock is a rather simple job but muddling, the process of installing multiple compounds to the joint takes some skills. Mud is basically a joint compound that used when it has been dumped into a mudding tray then smushed to create a softer consistency. It can take up to three coats of mud. It will take the work one day for each coat, amounting to three days total.

A fresh coat of paint

Most likely you’ll have to add a fresh coat of paint to your kitchen walls and ceiling during your renovation. There are many people who label themselves as painters but don’t deliver the high-quality job a true painter could. Any homeowner can do the job of painting their kitchen but they’ll never match the quality a real professional house painter can. In this regard, let the pros handle the task; they’ll do a better job at it. Also, their paint job is going to look a lot more beautiful and will also last longer.

New floor and baseboard

Most contractors will install a new floor after they’re through with the cabinets but you might want to consider doing it before. There are several choices for kitchen floors available in the market. Cork flooring is an eco-friendly option that’s made from tree bark, leaving the tree still intact. Bamboo is also another option. Although set at a premium price, they are easy to install and comes in a variety of patterns. Also, bamboo is a grass and grows extremely fast so it’s a sustainable option than hardwood.

New cabinets

If you’re tired of your old kitchen cabinets and prefer something fresh and new, then you’ll have to include new kitchen cabinets in your kitchen remodel. This will require the help of a professional who can level and install them properly. If you approach a company for your new kitchen cabinets, they should be able to also provide qualified and skilled installers to do the job correctly.

New hardware

And last but certainly not the least when it comes to a kitchen remodel, you should have new hardware and ones that match. They add a tiny spark of accent to your otherwise monotone paint job.

Follow some of these guidelines for a successful kitchen makeover and welcome some new design trends into your home!

Home Design

A new year and a new home! If that is your motto, here are some trendy home decoration tips for you to think about this 2020.

Artisanal fixtures are in

The New Year brings in new style choices and this year seems to be the year customized pieces are going back in. Many homeowners are becoming more and more conscious of what they put in their home and many are opting for unique pieces such as lighting fixtures. Often hand-crafted and totally one-of-a-kind, these pieces make the home more personal and give the space a central focus.

Incorporate natural elements

If you’re as obsessed with social media as I am, I’m sure you’ve seen a few personalities showcasing their almost tropical-like home decor. They’re bringing in a lot of plants into their indoor spaces to give it a more natural vibe. This is a totally doable and total departure from the tech- and industrial-obsessed decor that dominated 2018. With the greens, add little hints of concrete, copper, and stone to balance the theme.

Are you ready for velvet?

Yup, this New Year also brings in new material for home decoration. Velvet doesn’t have to mean stuffy and old fashioned. Think of it as luxurious and comfortable. Velvet is multi-dimensional and multi-purpose and many designers have started using this material in many of their projects.

You can’t go wrong with floral

We might still be in the dead of winter but a little floral is all you need to look forward to spring. Classic and classy, floral decorations are also making a comeback this year. They freshen up as well as modernize any space.

Black-and-white is in

For years, decorator shave shied away from black and white, thinking of these colors as too contrasting. Both colors are at the end of the color spectrum and totally clash with each other. But there are so many ways you can incorporate these two totally opposing colors into your home this New Year. Think black sofas and chairs and white throw pillows, sexy black and white marble, even black and white tiles.

Go geometric

Geometric patterns have seen an increasing trend over the last couple of years. At this point, you literally see geometric patterns everywhere; on t-shirts, pants, and yes, even in interior decorating. The problem comes when geometric patterns are incorporated in virtually every aspect of the home, from curtains to cups and plates. There is such a thing as less is more. These patterns might draw the eye’s attention unto the object or decor but it can induce a headache if used excessively.

Canopy beds anyone?

Who doesn’t want to sleep like royalty? A four-poster bed might be overdoing it but there’s a trendy workaround for that. How about a canopy bed? At first glance, these beds look and feel regal and luxurious. It can help create a relaxing sleeping environment, one you actually like spending time in. But before jumping into the canopy craze, you should first consider the size of the bed relative to the room. A canopy bed in a tiny room might make the room cramped and bulky.

Copper accents

Forget rose gold, the year 2020 is all about going back to basics and adding some old school metal elements like copper into the mix. Copper’s orange and red tones and its overall earthy tone give a breath of freshness for the new year. It can be used as accents or a focal point in a room. Think copper lighting fixtures, vases, and cabinet hardware.

Move away from muted

Muted colors can help make the space feel stuffy and overwhelming but for the year 2020, it’s time to step up your interior decorating game and go for bolder colors. It’s the start of a new decade, after all, the perfect time to be a little braver. Go for richer tones for your home this year like dramatic reds, bold yellows, and lush greens.