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The living room is perhaps the most complex room in the entire home. It’s the place we sit to relax, where we talk with friends, where we snack and where we often like to relax with a good book and cup of coffee. However, it also means that it’s the busiest room in the home and that can then infer that it will be cramped, cluttered and messy. That is so often the case for many family homes, which is why we thought it would be a good idea to show you how to make your living room more spacious and more stylish. You don’t have to engage in the same old same, open plan, minimalism and neutral palette. These things work but almost too well as they have been done over and over. Let’s look at the new way, maximalism and space convening together.

The window out

When you think of the classic or traditional living room, you cannot help but think of the windows and the windowsill. In other words, you think of bay windows. This is where you can actually sit and watch the outside, and enjoy a cup of your favorite drink. You may find that these Renewal by Andersen bay windows are just the ticket. They have a brilliant design with two swing open windows and the main window being in the center. The two side windows are slightly smaller and the central window is going to be the main window which you see out of. The design is such that it’s strong and can hold a decent amount of weight. So place a throw and a sofa cushion on top and sit back on it. It’s where you may find your dog and cat sitting, watching cars drive by and noticing whether the postman has come or gone.

It’s all about proportion

Time and time again, the main reason for a stuffy living room is the lack of proportion control. Why is a seat the same size as the sofa in comparison to the overall size? Seating should be a little smaller, more intimate and something you can use to read a book. A winged chair is a good accompaniment to the living room sofa, but it should be able to seat two people or even 1 ½. You must always look at the proportion of each item in a room and ask, does it need to be as large as it currently is? 

For example, you like to put a bookcase in the room, okay that’s fine. But make sure the bookcase is being used fully. Empty spaces that are not being used are just wasted space. You could get a smaller bookcase if you just want it to be a vanity piece in the room. You may have your real books upstairs in your office or bedroom, but you may want to have trendy magazines and books in the living room as a cultural hub. Then just buy a small bookcase and enjoy the extra room.

Lighting the room

No, you do not need to paint the room white to make it feel spacious. What you can do is focus on the lighting. It’s the dark patches, spots and corners that make a room feel small. Usable space as they say, is something to focus on. Space that can be seen and entered, is space that you can utilize for your own comfort and style. A dark corner that isn’t being used by anything, will present itself with an opportunity. You can place lamps and side tables in the corners to build a foundation. Placing magazines, items and interesting objects on the side table will draw people to the corners. Using this space will immediately make the room feel larger. Because, if there is room you never venture into, then in your mind you will think the room is smaller than it actually is.

Place some figures, ceramic dolls, some photos or perhaps some kind of moving artwork that can draw people to the table. This is often called bric-a-brac of tchotchkes. This seemingly random style is actually very deliberate and gives you a chance to explore your style.

These are some great ways for you to make your living room spacious. The bay window is a superb addition. Giving you a ledge to sit on, enjoy the outside view and let in as much natural light as possible. Light the room effectively so this feeling of space and light carries on into the evening.

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While there are still a few weeks left of summer, it is never too early to start getting your home ready for fall. After all, if there is something that the past months have taught us is how important our homes can be. 

During the pandemic, we have all turned our living rooms, garages, and gardens into private gyms, yoga studios, movie theatres, and offices. Now that the cold season is coming around again, it has never been so important to check that your home provides a healthy and comfortable environment for all. 

Here are 8 maintenance tips that can help you get your home ready – make sure you get started while the weather is still on your side! 

Check Your Roof and Gutters

One of the most important maintenance tasks you will have to address before the colder months involves maintaining your roof and gutters. In fact, as leaves begin to fall and the wind picks up, it is possible for your roof and gutters to become clogged with debris. 

Checking your roof for damages is essential to ensure that your home is safe and there are no structural damages. However, the gutters, which are often overlooked by homeowners, are just as important. In fact, clogged gutters can cause rainwater to stagnate and cause water damage and rotting to the fascia board. 

Address Your Driveway

The second step is to address the area outside your home and your driveway. During the summer months, keeping this area clean and in order is easy – all you need to do is keep up with a strict maintenance schedule and invest in professional power wash services such as the ones offered by Renew Crew. 

However, as the colder months come, and, with them, more frequent rain, ice, and wind, it can be hard to look after your driveway. Make sure to complete all maintenance tasks before dealing with colder weather!

Clean Up Your Garden or Patio

It is not true that you can only enjoy your garden or patio during the summer months! By getting these areas ready in advance, you can enjoy the beauty of the outdoors for the next whole season! Just make sure you have gotten rid of leaves, updated the furniture, and invested in covers and heaters. If you have installed an outdoor fireplace, you can also enjoy marshmallows on the fire pit in autumn and beyond. 

Check for Drafts

Drafts can let the heat escape, thus making your home less energy-efficient and more uncomfortable. While these issues are easily addressed while the weather is still warm and sunny, they can become severe inconveniences as the temperatures drop. Make sure to check the whole home for drafts and consider investing in insulation – this might seem like an unnecessary investment at first, but it can truly help you reduce your energy and heat loss. 

Clean and Declutter

Clutter can have a significant impact on your ability to focus and your mood. Additionally, a cluttered area is easier to clean, which causes dust mites, debris, and mold to accumulate. In turn, this can cause the home environment to become less healthy and the indoor air quality to decrease. You can prevent all this by deep-cleaning your home before the winter months come. Consider embracing minimalism to elevate your interior decor while creating a healthy atmosphere. 

Let Nature In

Letting nature inside your home is important all year round. However, as the temperatures start to drop and the winter months approach, it is always more difficult for everyone to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Therefore, it is essential that you do all you can to let nature in as much as possible, especially during fall. To do so, consider letting fresh air in, installing air vents, and swapping heavy drapes for lighter curtains that let the sun through. Placing mirrored in the right locations around the house can help you create an even hairier environment. 

Check Your Thermostat and HVAC System

Your thermostat and HVAC system might have not been in use during the summer months. However, periods of inactivity can cause HVAC systems to become clogged, and, once they are back up and running, they might worsen the indoor air quality and result in far less efficient appliances. Additionally, your thermostat should be properly checked and maintained – or, consider investing in a new, smart model. 

Complete All of Your Renovation Projects

Home renovations can truly enhance the indoor style and feel of a home. Whether you are renovating the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, or patio area, make sure you complete all these jobs during the summer months. In fact, it can be far more complicated – and more inconvenient! – during fall or winter. 

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Proper insulation in the home is essential as it will not only protect you and your family from the elements, but also reduce your utility bills. If your home is well insulated, it will be easier to regulate temperature meaning you’ll spend less on heating and cooling. There are several upgrades you can make from smaller jobs such as sealing drafts, to entirely replacing siding and windows. Here are seven simple ways to improve the insulation of your home.

Upgrade your siding

It might be time to upgrade your siding. Consider the material of your siding and whether this is the most insulating and economical. Look into a local siding company that offers insulated siding. This will help protect your home in all seasons and will save you money on your gas bill. Vinyl siding with a breathable foam underlayment is a great choice, for example. It’s both stylish and practical, and ensures superior performance in any climate and weather conditions.

Install eco-friendly windows

You may also want to think about upgrading your windows. Although it might seem like a big job at first, installing eco-friendly windows will save you money in the long run and will make your home much more comfortable. If you install windows with well-insulated sustainable frames and low-e glass, you’ll be able to maintain the right temperature in your home all year round. Low-e glass works by reflecting heat energy. It has a thin coating which will reflect heat back outside or inside depending on the season, leaving your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Change your window treatments

You could upgrade your curtains, blinds, or shutters to provide more insulation. This will help to make final touches if you’re refreshing your exterior. Shutters can be custom-made to fit exterior windows and create a rustic, country style. You could also switch out your lighter summer blinds for heavier curtains in winter, for instance.

Insulate your roof

A quarter of the heat your produce in the home will escape through the roof, so it’s essential to stay on top of roof maintenance. Inspect your roof for leaks and replace and broken tiles or worn out guttering. You may also want to add extra insulation to your roof to prevent the heat from escaping. It’s worth hiring roofing services to do this for you to ensure you get a professional job. They will also recommend the right type of insulation for your roof depending on the type of property you own and how you use your attic.

Seal drafty windows and doors

Heat can also escape through drafts in the windows and doors so look out for these. If you find any gaps, you can seal these off easily with caulk or sealant. You can do this yourself or hire a professional. It shouldn’t take long to do. If you have a spare afternoon you can probably DIY this. Here is a quick guide on how to seal drafts. You could also consider upgrading your doors as well as your windows if they’re particularly drafty. This will be a worthwhile investment if it saves you money on your energy bills in the long-term.

Upgrade your flooring

If you want to improve the insulation of your home, it’s advisable to consider flooring insulation options. These include underlayments made from poly foam, silicone, and recycled rubber and foam. Certain types of flooring are more insulating than others. Materials such as carpet, vinyl, and linoleum are very insulating combined with underlayment. Underlayments can wear out after a time so it’s a good idea to have these checked and replaced. You could also decorate your home with a few new rugs or carpets as these provide insulation. Add a personal touch to any room with a stylish new rug and improve insulation as well.

Consider going smart

One of the best ways to monitor the energy efficiency of your home is by going smart. There are several benefits of smart home technology. By upgrading to a smart home system, you’ll be able to control your thermostat remotely from a smartphone or other device and reduce your energy usage. You’ll also get notifications about how to make your home more energy-efficient. This will help you to understand whether your efforts to insulate your home have been successful and will point out any areas for improvement. Get your home properly insulated in time for the cooler months and this will save you money on your utility bills and keep you comfortable.

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When you’re designing your home, there’s a lot to think about. If you suffer from particularly bad allergies, it adds another dimension to how you organize and decorate. 

Whether you suffer from pollen, dust allergies, or skin irritation, here are some home design tips you should consider. 

Keep your air-con units clean

Air conditioning can be great for people with allergies, but only if they are kept scrupulously clean. If you fit HEPA filters to your air con units, you can remove a lot of dust and pollen from the air, rather than having it circulating around your home, irritating your allergies. 

If necessary, call out an AC repair company to fix any issues and give your system full service. Change the filters as often as you need to. 

Keep the air at the right humidity levels

Your lungs can be irritated by too much or too little moisture in the air. Very dry conditions and air conditioning can dry out your sinuses and throat. If this is the case, invest in a humidifier to add moisture to the air. Or, a good old-fashioned way to do it is to have a bowl of water near your radiators, or drape a damp towel over them when they are switched on. 

Sometimes your home might be the opposite and have too much moisture in the air. This could be from a problem with your damp proofing, poor ventilation or you live in an area with high humidity levels. 

This can encourage dampness and mold to grow in your home and make any respiratory issues worse. In this case, a dehumidifier is needed. You can buy powered ones or small moisture traps that you can place around the home. 

Embrace minimalism

Dust can make allergies and asthma much worse. So keeping your home clean and dust-free is important. Unfortunately, the dust gets everywhere, and the more things you have around for it to collect on, the harder it is to keep it clean. By keeping your home as clutter-free as possible, it will be much quicker and easier to clean your home. As an added benefit, it will look better too. 

Choose fabrics wisely

Soft furnishings are another place for dust and pollen to settle on. But most people never think of these as possible places for irritants. The best way to remove this is to wash them regularly, so you will need to look for fabrics that are versatile and can be washed regularly. 

Fluffy fabrics can also trap much more dust than other, smoother fabrics too. 

Set a thorough cleaning routine

Unfortunately, when you suffer from bad allergies and asthma, you have to keep on top of your home cleaning as a priority. Having a space free from allergens that you control is very important. Homes build up dust and allergens all the time, and you need to create a thorough cleaning schedule to keep your surfaces, floors, and fabrics as clean as possible. 

It is just as important to upkeep the exterior of our homes as it is the interior.  Having a home you feel happy to come home to can make a big difference to your day.  The exterior can feel overwhelming though as we don’t always know how to improve it.  In this article we will give you a few ideas to improve the exterior of your home.

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Repair

It’s really important to make sure the exterior of your property is in a good state of repair, as otherwise it could cause you problems on the inside.  You need to regularly maintain your roof and guttering, and eaves and soffits.  Consider if you need new windows, or a waterproofing contractor to fix any leaks.

Paint

A fresh coat of paint can make all the difference to the outside of a rendered home.  You could even change the colour if you are feeling adventurous.  If your home is not rendered you could consider cladding to completely change the look and improve the exterior of your home.

Fencing 

Wonky and derelict fencing immediately makes a house look uncared for.  They might just need a coat of paint, or you might need new panels entirely.  You can buy fence panels made of composite material which are very low maintenance and weather proof and great for the environment.

Driveways

It could be that you need to repave your driveway, or maybe you just need to weed it!  You can use a wet and forget weed killer that you only need to apply once a year to reduce the maintenance.  

Bin Storage

We have to store our rubbish somewhere before it is collected.  But bins can be an eyesore.  You can make or buy bin compounds that hide the bins away and stop animals from getting in there too.

Door

A statement door can completely change the look of your home.  Whether you want something in-keeping with the era of your home, or you want to modernise it, there are lots of options available.   Plus it makes it really easy to explain to the deliveroo driver which one is your house!

Plants

Plants make a house inviting.  You can start small with a window box, or create plants that climb fencing, or indeed the house itself.  

Lighting

Lighting is important for security and safety.  A modern outside light increases curb appeal.

Grass or Aggregate?

If you have a lawn outside your property, maintain it.  If you are finding it too hard to maintain, consider an aggregate such as sones or chippings, sweep regularly to keep it contained to your property.  Aggregate can be an added security benefit to your home too.

Letterboxes and Door Numbers

If you want something unique or a bit quirky, search for handmade letter boxes or door numbers and make your house the talking point of the neighbourhood.

Conclusion

Sometimes to improve the exterior of your home will require money and skilled labour.  But sometimes a bit of paint and some pretty plants can make all the difference to the curb appeal of your home, and give you a house to be proud of.

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When it comes to adding elegance to your home on a budget, there are plenty of options. For example, with the right paint colors and decorating skills, you can transform any room into an elegant space that will make you feel like royalty without having to spend thousands of dollars. 

There are also many ways to add elegance with little or no money at all. Here are a few favorite budget-friendly tips for you, so that you may be inspired!

Change Your Furnishings

The way you furnish your house can say a lot about who you are. If it’s uninviting or doesn’t match the personality of everyone living in it, that might be an indicator that someone is unhappy with where they live. You don’t have to spend a fortune on home goods and furniture to have an elegant and functional home.

You can use several methods to make your home look more elegant on a budget. One option is to change out your current furniture. Pieces like couches or armchairs that are too worn down can get replaced with something new. If the style of your furniture is not what you want, it can be an excellent time to redecorate and get something that matches your personality.

Add Little Details of Decor in Different Sections

There are many creative ways to add elegance to your home on a budget. Of course, you don’t have to spend much money or time, but you can transform the look of a room with just some small touches. Foremost, you can add mirrored cabinets and wall mirrors. And you can get them from Glasscrafters.  

Liven up empty walls by adding simple posters or framed prints. Use colorful frames to give your home an artistic feel and change them around for different looks throughout the year as new pieces go on sale in stores. If wall decor is not your thing, hang pretty curtain panels or a rug on the walls for an exciting accent.

Work on Having a Beautiful Green Lawn

For many homeowners, having a beautiful green lawn is an integral part of their home. It not only creates curb appeal but also provides support to the house, and particularly in coastal areas, it helps keep from erosion.

There are many different ways for you to beautify your lawn without breaking the bank! One, use mulch throughout the garden. You can also install artificial turf or grass instead of natural lawns in the backyard. This is an excellent option for those who don’t have time to maintain their yard regularly. Lastly, you can plant drought-resistant plants, such as cacti which require little water and maintenance.

Incorporate Different Types of Materials in the House

To add elegance to your home, mix other materials in the form of decorative pillows or rugs, like combining a wool rug with an animal print pillow cover, for example. The mix will create dimension and contrast that makes it visually attractive; this is especially true if you have neutral color walls.

It is possible to create a classy home without spending lots of money. These ideas on adding elegance are just the start, but they will get you started designing your way of adding class and sophistication to your home. It’s all about doing what works for you and finding new ways little by little as time goes on.