home improvements

How to Add Some Personality to Your Home

Angela Manning DIY , , , ,
How to Add Some Personality to Your Home

We all know that our home is a reflection of who we are, and is one of the biggest investments we’ll ever make. If you consider how much time and money we spend transforming our homes, we should take the time to make sure what’s reflected back is a place we want to call “home.”

Let’s start with the areas that mean the most to us and where we spend the most time whether our living room, kitchen, or in our own backyard. Here’s how to get started adding more meaning and personality to your home.

Bring the nightlife home

Instead of meeting up with friends and family at the movies, pub or nightclub, bring the nightlife home. Transform an entire area of your home that caters to nightlife and entertainment. Set up a tiki bar outside under the stars or in your basement and add everything you need to make it your favorite hang out, like beer glasses, a dart board and surround-sound speakers. You can also get innovative and set up a popcorn machine and an outdoor projector for an evening movie. For something more spirited, create an area to dance all night under a disco ball.

Show off your hobbies

Instead of tucking away your artwork or hoarding your travel photos on your smartphone, show them off in style. Create sacred space, whether on a wall or on a dedicated table in your den, to showcase your favorite hobbies. You can also add colorful frames and embellishments to give your hobbies balance with the decor of your home. For example, if your hobby is collecting sea glass or growing beautiful flowers, show it off in a stunning bud vase or dish and add colorful pebbles to tie into the aesthetics of your home.

Get creative

If you want to set your home apart from the rest, add more creativity to your favorite spaces. Paint a wall of your den matte black or cobalt blue to show off your favorite style. If you love to entertain at home, purchase a ping-pong table that doubles as a dining room table with the help of a quick cover. You can also store board games in an ottoman that doubles as storage space and hang plenty of unique artwork to show-off your creative eye.

Keep it cozy

A home full of warmth and personality needs a cozy touch to transform it into a place you love. Add impossibly plush throw pillows and blankets around your home so you can warm up whether you’re relaxing in a living room or den. And remember, you can transform your fireplace for year-round warmth. Just add pillar candles to a non-working fireplace to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. During winter months, move the pillar candles to the mantle and dim the lights to showcase a roaring fire with a magical glow.

Make it personal

At the end of the day, a home with personality requires a personal touch. Fire up your smartphone and print out those photos of family and friends, find your grandmother’s old quilts to add to your bedding rotation and show off your keepsakes on end tables and shadow box frames. The more you can bring yourself into your home, the more personality you’ll see.

Your home is an extension of yourself and should be celebrated and honored. Get to work showing off your signature style and personal touches from a new entertainment area to your personal keepsakes. The concept of “home is where your heart is” will take on a whole new meaning.

5 Eye-Catching Centerpieces You Need for Your Living Room

Angela Manning DIY , , , ,
5 Eye-Catching Centerpieces You Need for Your Living Room

Spicing up your living room can be quite a conundrum to figure out, especially if you’re not someone well-versed in the complicated art of interior design. However, anyone can improve the appearance and feel of their living room with a few simple touches, one of which is by installing a strong and striking centerpiece into the room. By doing so, not only will your living room have a strong and visual focal point – one that ties its many disparate elements together – but you also get a great conversation starter with your visitors and guests.

With that said, here are some ideas for centerpieces that are guaranteed to catch the eye of the company you’re having over.

  1. An indoor water fountain. One of the latest trends in interior design is adding an indoor water fountain into your living room. It sounds excessive, but it really isn’t, as there are now many miniature and downsized models that can be installed no matter how tight your space constraints or budget is. There are also models that can be integrated into a living room wall (i.e. a wall fountain) to save even more space. Having a water fountain as your centerpiece gives your living room not just a calming effect, but it also freshens up the air inside due to the flowing water’s air purifying and humidifying qualities.
  2. A fireplace. If you’ve got a fireplace in your living room or you’re planning to have one installed very soon, then it can definitely serve as a very captivating centerpiece. Fire not only gives you a great way to naturally illuminate your living room, but it also helps keep things feel more cozy especially in cold winter nights due to its ability to give off heat. Just make sure that it’s properly cleaned and maintained, as you don’t want a filthy fireplace to be the thing your guests can focus on when they’re over.
  3. A sofa. Sofas are one of the modern living room’s staples, and chances are you already have one installed. Why not make it the centerpiece? If you’re willing to replace what you have now, then opt for a bigger and more brightly-colored couch. You can also pair it with a glass center table with some heavy but tasteful ornaments such as a vase or a stone statue bust. If you’re not willing to part with your original sofa, then simply draping a richly-colored blanket over it can suffice.
  4. Something personal. Another great idea for a living room centerpiece is to feature something that’s a part of your personality or family. It’s your own living room, after all, so you want to make sure it has your own personal touch. If you’re a collector, you can feature one of your prized collectibles as a centerpiece, like perhaps a model or a poster or even a painting. If you’d rather make it a bit more family-oriented, have properly-framed family pictures be the centerpiece. Whatever you choose, it’ll make your living room feel a bit more lived-in and personable, which is always a good thing.
  5. Who doesn’t like flowers? They add a splash of color in any room as well as give off a light and appealing scent, so having a bunch of artfully arranged flowers would make for a great centerpiece. Just be sure to replace them regularly, as wilting or dead flowers will definitely be an eyesore. If you’re not up for that kind of expense, however, then imitation flowers or even flower sculptures will suffice.

An eye-catching centerpiece can really tie a living room together, and you don’t even have to spend all that much to get that very same effect. Just be sure to pick something that not only fits your budget and space constraints, but also something that you yourself can show off and display with pride.

Tips to Ensure a Successful DIY Remodel

Angela Manning DIY , , , ,
Tips to Ensure a Successful DIY Remodel

(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

When a homeowner decides to tackle a remodeling project, it’s understandable that he or she wants to start right away. However, failing to plan for the entire project often means disappointing results and spending much more than anticipated. Proper planning requires homeowners to create the following types of documentation:

  • Budget
  • Drawings
  • Materials list
  • Price quotes from several contractors
  • Proposed schedule

The next step is to ensure the availability of all items he or she wishes to use. It’s important to order them as soon as possible to prevent delays later if the items are no longer available. Homeowners should also plan to inspect all materials when they arrive.

Consider Getting a Professional Opinion

Even homeowners who intend to complete the project themselves can benefit from the expertise of a professional designer or home inspector. A design consultant can point out potential issues with the homeowner’s plan while a home inspector can uncover safety issues that he or she might have overlooked.

Estimate Time to Complete the Home Improvement Project

While it can be challenging to know exactly how long each part of the project will take, creating a rough estimate is essential. Most homeowners, especially those with little or no experience with home improvement projects, tend to underestimate project length. A good rule is to add 20 percent to his or her best estimate. It’s also a good idea to add 20 percent to the budget. The danger of a project taking much longer than expected is that the homeowner may give up on it halfway through.

Don’t Forget About Safety

Some homeowners get so excited about tackling the project that they forget to invest in safety gear. This should include steel-toed boots, a hard hat, goggles, and work gloves at a minimum. Additionally, it’s important to avoid wearing baggy clothes that could become stuck in moving parts or tools and to make sure the work area remains free of clutter.

Avoid Fines for Building Violations

Homeowners sometimes feel tempted to skip applying for permits to save money and because they figure no one will know about their home improvement project. While it might seem like unnecessary bureaucracy and expense, safety is the real reason behind the permit requirements. A city building inspector will make sure the project meets compliance and that the homeowner and his or her family remain safe. Here are three common violations that anyone considering a do-it-yourself project should avoid:

  • Incorrect venting in the bathroom: Building codes require bathroom fans to vent humid air outside through a vent pipe four inches in diameter. Failing to follow this code results in rotting wood and mold in the attic.
  • Handrails at the wrong degree: When installing a wall-side handrail, it must create a 90-degree turn and a dead-end leading to a wall. This helps to prevent purses and clothing from snagging on the handrail and causing a fall.
  • Out-of-code junction boxes: All junction boxes for electrical outlets must be accessible and visible with a minimum wire length of six inches inside of the box. The wires entering a box must be clamped to prevent it from moving.

Additionally, taking care of construction debris removal on a regular basis will help prevent unwanted attention from neighbors. An unsightly pile of old drywall and/or appliances in the front yard is a sure-fire way to generate calls to the local building department.

As long as homeowners take the time to plan their project and learn local building codes, everything should go just fine.

JAC Interiors: Modern Eclectic Interior Design

Angela Manning DIY , , , ,
JAC Interiors: Modern Eclectic Interior Design

Are you looking for a new style for your home? Are you tired of the traditional design methods that everyone else is using? If so, you may appreciate modern eclectic style for your next redecoration. Not only will it make your interior much more vibrant and noticeable, but it will make your house feel more like a home. Enlisting los angeles interior designers can also help bring your new, modern look to life.

What is Modern Eclectic?

One of the defining characteristics of this interior design style is the inclusion of a variety of different pieces. Rather than creating a single, homogenous appearance for your home, modern eclectic utilizes various colors, textures, and motifs to create something more unique.

Core Components of the Style

To better understand how this all comes together, it’s important to know what the core concepts are for modern eclectic. At first glance, it may seem like you’re just throwing a bunch of stuff together, but it’s so much more than that.

Curation

To really get into this type of design, you have to be able to bring elements that compliment each other instead of clashing. Also, everything should be part of the homeowner’s persona, so it’s a bit like combining different parts of a person’s personality. Curation is the key to making it work, which means that you can’t just go with anything.

Focus

One thing that can happen easily with modern eclectic is that the interior can feel cluttered or overwhelming. As such, it’s very important to create focal points in each room and have the additional pieces flow outward from it. This will ensure that the result is more refined and appealing.

Ergonomics

While decoration can enhance the feeling of a room, you don’t want to have an abundance of items for show purposes only. Instead, try to incorporate pieces that are both functional and aesthetic so that you get the best of both worlds.

Balance

Finally, the tricky thing about modern eclectic is that you need to have an overarching premise for everything. Randomness is not a design element, so it’s critical that you have a balance of eclectic and classical motifs.

If you’re interested in having the modern eclectic design for your home or business, contact interior design firms in Beverly Hills. We specialize in making this style blend seamlessly into your space.

Things to consider when doing DIY

Angela Manning DIY , , ,
Things to consider when doing DIY

For some people, a DIY attitude comes naturally to them. They see a crack in their wall, or even their neighbours and they don’t hesitate to get their equipment ready and fix it themselves. If there is no problem then, they will come up with a new job to occupy themselves such as making a small vegetable garden or planning an extension to the house. A lot of the time these can become long, uncompleted tasks and simply turn into hobbies rather than necessary jobs, but for others they work out incredibly well. It is when you see these completed tasks that you become a little disappointed that you didn’t do it yourself. You lack the motivation, the know how or the time. There are many benefits to DIY, in either short or long projects and we are going to look at some of those here to give you that added motivation.

You are not alone:

When you start out on your project, remember you are not alone. Everyone started somewhere especially in fields they hadn’t a clue about. Plan, make sure the project isn’t too big and gather some equipment and knowledge online. You will learn what you are capable of and what you are not and then you can bring this into future projects.

Do a little research:

Before you carry out an DIY projects ensure you do a little research. On larger projects, especially around your property you must ensure that you can carry out the work that you want to and that it can be down in a safe manner. Possibly there are building restrictions in your area which means you can’t carry out work. There might be cables or pipes within your work area that could affect your project.

If you don’t have a background in the field there are plenty of online resources and books which you can use as guides. Ensure they are from reputable sources and this will make your project easier to organise and carry out in a much faster manner.

There is always professional help:

There is always a possibly that you won’t have the skills to carry out the project to its completion or the time. It is then always important to remember that you can call on professionals to help. Companies such as Gordon powers can come in at any time and help with your electrical issues and then you can continue with you project. If you don’t feel up to it any more then there are a host of other that you can hire in to do the job.

Carrying out your own personal DIY project is always a great way to stay motivated and keep yourself busy when you are at home or in an otherwise boring situation. You get to learn some new skills, have the satisfaction of completing the job your side and you won’t be able to blame anybody else for the failures. Remember to always, research carry it out in a safe manner and call on the professionals when necessary.

Easy home improvements for DIY novices

Angela Manning DIY , , , ,
Easy home improvements for DIY novices

Home refurbishments are a great way to give your home a new lease on life, but the expense of hiring decorators can be a huge turn-off. For many, the idea of DIY as an alternative is just as unappealing.

Thankfully, there is a way to get the best of both worlds. Following these simple guidelines, you can transform your home at minimal expense with some DIY that even the biggest novice will find easy and enjoyable: 

Mood lighting

Adding a couple of free-standing lighting fixtures can help turn any room into a new space or at least one that looks new.

Budget versions of stylish floor uplighters and lamps can be picked up from “big box” home decor stores. The best part is, there is absolutely zero effort or electrical knowledge required to install them. Simply unbox, assemble and plug into the wall.

These simple and affordable lighting fixtures can be a great addition to a room that doesn’t get much natural light. They can also be moved around the room to ensure that they have the optimal desired effect with no electrician’s bill in sight. 

Repainting

There’s no end to the benefits that a new coat of paint can bring to a room. While professional painters will surely disagree, it’s a job that can be done well by simply following a few simple guidelines, so there really isn’t any excuse for putting up with drab or worn-out paint jobs.

The key to selecting an appropriate color is to go for a neutral shade. While it may be tempting to add in a feature wall, you may regret this at a later date if fashions change or you decide to change your furniture. So, opt for a gray, off-white or perhaps a “fashion-neutral” navy (be sure to only use dark neutrals such as charcoal and navy in rooms with plenty of natural light).

Hanging pictures

Does your home look like you live in it, or does it just look like somebody lives in it? The key to making any space your own is to include plenty of personal photos of loved ones or artwork that means something to you.

Hanging photos of friends, family and places that you’ve traveled to is a simple and cheap way to bring a room to life. The best part is, it requires no DIY skills whatsoever.

Choose some sentimental photographs from Facebook and print them out on high-quality black-and-white photographic paper. This can be done cheaply at any copy shop and at many “big box” department stores. Because black and white are neutral colors, your photos will have a classic look that complements any room.

The frames are an easy win, too. Just look out for the correct-sized frames at yard sales and charity stores. Remember to stick with frames that are neutral in color and simple in design.

Ladder shelving units

Ladder shelving units are on-trend at the moment. This is why you’ll see them in stylish city cafes and restaurants and in virtually every home décor store.

If you want to get in on the trend, then consider adding a set of ladder shelves to your bedroom, living room or dining room. Assembly is as simple as putting up a normal ladder, which virtually anyone can do, and you can include ornaments on the shelves themselves to suit any room.

The DIY versions of shelving ladder units require a little more assembly but will spare you the inflated fees that boutique stores often charge for very similar items.

Be aware that these units will have their own shelf life, so may start to look a little dated in a few years’ time.

Window shutters

Shutters may not be the first thing that come to mind when thinking of easy DIY projects. but there are DIY shutters available that won’t break the bank. They also look great and take no time to install.

Most importantly, a new set of window shutters will give any room in your home a fresh new exotic feel. On a practical level, they’re ideal for keeping out the summer sun.

Get back to nature

Greenery is always in fashion. So, why not add some to your home? Aside from the mental and physical health benefits that plants can bring to a home, they can also change the look and feel of a room entirely. They can also be picked up from a garden store relatively inexpensively and require no DIY skills at all.

DIY Bathroom Improvements to Consider

Angela Manning DIY , , , , ,
DIY Bathroom Improvements to Consider

The real estate market has a steep learning curve, and lacking the knowledge, experience, and foresight necessary could leave you open to costly mistakes. But practice makes perfect. Taking on a few home improvement projects is an excellent way to start.

Aside from improving functionality and comfort, updating your bathrooms adds value to your home. Unfortunately, determining the most suitable bathroom improvement project is not always an easy task. To help you get started, here are some fairly inexpensive but highly effective ideas.

Replace your bathroom floor

DIY floor replacements are a great way to upgrade and modernize your bathroom space. Tile stands out from the various flooring options available for use in bathrooms. Aside from being simple, hard-wearing, and long-lasting, tile comes in different shapes, colors, and designs, and can, therefore, be used to complement just about any style.

As seen in this picture, you can use tile to expresses your personality by creating a signature look and feel. Tile offers endless options. For instance, you can give your bathroom floor an elegantly unique look by installing a large medallion at the center or accentuating the borders with small intoned tiles.

While you’re at it, you might as well enhance the bathroom’s appearance and feel by refinishing the bathtub. You just need to remove the old caulk, thoroughly clean the tub, apply a two-part epoxy to fill any surface chip, sand the rough spots until they are smooth, and spray at least two new coats of paint onto the bathtub.

Improve the lighting setup

It’s unfortunate that some people don’t know the importance of properly installed bathroom lights. Although adequate lighting is essential to the many functions of a bathroom, unflattering shadows are a common concern.

As seen in this picture, sconce lighting fixtures can provide evenly distributed light when installed at the vanity. You can also prevent the occurrence of shadows by installing eye-level lighting solutions. On the other hand, having dimmers and dimmable light bulbs improves the ambience. While dim lighting works well for relaxing baths, you’ll want a brightly lit bathroom for your cosmetic functions. If you have a small bathroom, adding more overall lights is bound to open up space.

Enhance the ventilation

When it comes to the bathroom’s functionality, humidity is one of the biggest concerns. Aside from the fact that mold needs moisture to grow, wet walls are a danger to the structural integrity of your home. Moisture could, therefore, make quick work of any renovation. In most cases, the unsightly spots commonly associated with mold and mildew will develop in the bathroom first, mainly because it is often the wettest room.

To keep mold and mildew from growing, you need to allow proper air circulation. After you’ve showered, leaving the bathroom door or window open could be a great first step, especially since such actions can help ventilate the room. But if you want to draw out moisture and ensure proper ventilation, installing a vent fan might be the best solution. In fact, many would agree that vent fans are a must-have. In addition to being a lot quieter, currently available models come in elegant and stylish designs.

Clean grout

If you don’t seal your grout lines after a tile job, you’ll probably notice variable color patterns before long. Thankfully, superior grout cleaning products are currently available on the market. Although these improved products can help you achieve desirable results, it’s unfortunate that most of them are noxious, making it important to take the necessary precautions. Alternatively, you can use a steam spot cleaner plus a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Either way, you will need elbow grease and heavy-duty brushes. Remember to allow adequate drying time before you seal the grout.

Jessica Kane writes for Advance Online, a leading provider of web-based OSHA. DOT. and HAZWOPER training.