DIY

House Cleaning Tips: Four Ways to Get it Done Fast

October 12, 2020

Most people hate cleaning and want to get through it as fast as they can. In an ideal world, you would keep up with cleaning your home every day. Still, even if you enjoy cleaning, sometimes you don’t have the time.

Whether you love breaking out the dusters or not, use these house cleaning tips to make tidying your home a breeze.

Before You Start

Before you even start cleaning, clear away all the clutter. While this may seem like a tedious task to, it will save you time when you get into the soap and scrubbing. It means you won’t have stop in the middle of cleaning to move clutter out of the way.

Move from room to room and decide what should stay and what needs to go. Throwing away trash and putting miscellaneous items in their places will also leave you with less to clean as you go.

Plan your route around your home before you dive into cleaning it. Knowing which room you’re cleaning next will keep you focused on the task at hand. A plan creates an efficient system so you won’t be wondering what to do next. This plan doesn’t need to be complicated—you can make it as simple as working from the top left of a wall to the bottom right.

Work in Blocks

One of the best house cleaning tips you can learn is to not focus on finishing all cleaning tasks in one room at a time. This process might sound counterintuitive to some, as moving all over the house seems like it would take longer. But by working on one task at a time, you can clean more efficiently.

If you decide to clean the kitchen or the bathroom in one go, you could find yourself stuck in there all day. Instead, work your way around your home doing the same task in each room.

Wipe down all the surfaces in each room first. Then move on to another task like mopping the floor. This process is called task cleaning and it helps keep you motivated rather than continuously switching tasks in the same room.

Tools of the Trade

As declutter the house, try to take stock of everything you might need to clean. Then when you start, gather all the tools you’ll need and take them with you as you move from room to room. Keeping your tools on hand will keep you organized, which can only increase efficiency.

Remember to keep your tools clean as you go. There’s no point to wiping down a surface with a cloth that’s covered in grime from a previous room.

Get Everyone Involved

This house cleaning tip might be easier said than done but try making cleaning a team effort. The more people involved, the quicker the job gets done.

Organize a group and schedule a time for everyone to clean. When you’re done, make sure there’s a treat you can all enjoy. Order a pizza or find a movie everyone loves. Finding something that makes cleaning worth it gives everyone incentive to complete the task.

Expert Interior Design Secrets to Styling Shelves

September 14, 2020

Styling shelves is a great way to give your unique items the attention they deserve. Framed photos, books, and decorative pieces that you might otherwise keep stored away find a place at the forefront of the room, where they catch the eye.

Decorating marries style with substance. You can take something that seems purely practical and make it a stylish part of your room’s design. Shelving makes it easy to create a striking atmosphere in a room.

However, shoving everything you own onto some shelves doesn’t always work. You have think about what you want to see when you look at your shelves—and the answer isn’t a wall full of junk. Follow these simple rules to create stunning shelves.

Clear Everything Out

Shelving units are the perfect way to show off your favorite items, but you still have limited space. Choose carefully what you want on display. That doesn’t mean you need to throw everything else out, but tidying the space goes a long way.

After spending so much time curating your shelving, you don’t want to ruin the effect with unnecessary clutter.

Start with Empty Space

Before you start filling your shelves, look ahead and imagine how it might look when you’ve finished.

There will almost always be some empty space exposing the back of the shelves. Consider painting this space or filling it with a fabric or wallpaper. These finishing touches can add new layers of depth and contrast to the shelving unit.

Choosing Books

Start with the books when you’re styling shelves. If you’re a collector, try grouping them by color. If you have a limited book selection, add bits of color throughout the shelf. Using colors sparingly will make the books you have stand out.

You can stack the books or line them up on the shelf, but never have less than three together or they’ll look sparse. At the other end of the spectrum, avoid putting more than twelve or fifteen books together, or you risk making your shelves look too crowded.

Don’t be ashamed of buying a book for looks alone. Sometimes beautiful book covers can really make your shelving unit pop, and that’s what you want.

Add Sculptures and Vignettes

Sculptures and vignettes can add a lot of character to shelving units, but only if you use them correctly. While pairing smaller sculptures with books will draw the eye, larger sculptures should stand on their own. Putting large pieces in with books or other items can make the space look cramped.

It’s easy to fine unique bits and pieces to add to your shelves. They add personality to your shelves and function as conversation pieces when you have guests.

Balance is key when you’re choosing what to put on a new shelving unit. It’s tempting to fill them with everything you own, but attractive shelves take some thought. Make sure that everything on them has a purpose. By styling shelves with carefully selected items, your room can become its own piece of art.

Choosing the Right Appliances for Your Kitchen

August 17, 2020

Kitchen appliances can make or break a kitchen remodel. There are so many styles, features, and technology options available it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Then, there are always budgetary concerns—picking the right appliances would be easy if money were no object. Even so, it is possible to design the perfect kitchen with a little forethought and your priorities firm in mind.

choosing the right appliances for your kitchen

Here are some things to consider when choosing kitchen appliances to ensure you fall in love with the heart of your home.

Ovens & Cooktops

A high-performing, quality oven is crucial. Because ovens can have many features, it is best to focus on those you’ll actually use and the food you want to cook. A good oven will have a fan to cook food faster and more evenly. You’ll also want an oven with bake, roast, and broil features for all your baking needs.

Picking a suitable cooktop is important for both the practical purposes of remodeling your kitchen as well as aesthetic purposes. Just like your oven, you need a cooktop that gets the job done, but it certainly doesn’t hurt if it looks good, too. Try to pick a cooktop that takes up appropriate space and fits your overall color scheme.

Most cooktops have four burners, which is pretty standard for home cooking. However, if you like to entertain guests and large crowds, you may want to pick a cooktop with more burners. Then, you have to consider how easy it is to maintain. Whether you’re a clean-as-you-cook or cook-at-the-end type, you’ll most likely want clean-up to be easy.

Refrigerators

There are three fridge installation types:

Built-in
Freestanding
Fully integrated

These three options all come in a range of sizes and styles to suit your needs. You will also want to consider performance and configuration. Performance-wise, you need to choose between a single-compressor or a double-compressor unit. A single-compressor unit works twice as hard to maintain both the fridge and freezer. While double-compressor refrigerators cost more, they allow you to keep food fresher for longer.

One of the most popular refrigerator configurations is the French-door style with a side-by-side fridge and freezer. Make sure you don’t go too small when you’re choosing kitchen appliances. When you buy your fridge, you want to have enough room for your typical food storage. For two people, consider a fridge size of 12 cubic feet.

Sinks & Dishwashers

Your sink tends to be the focal point of your kitchen. Some popular sink configurations include:

Single, rectangular basin
50/50 double-bowl
60/40 double-bowl
Three-bowl

Once you know your ideal configuration, the next step is to compare materials. The material you choose affects whether your sink is resistant to scratches and stains, how you’ll clean the sink, and your kitchen’s overall look.

As for your dishwasher, you want to choose something that is efficient and fits into your kitchen seamlessly. If you use a dishwasher often, choose one that has deep-cleaning features and a variety of options. Running volume is one of the most important factors. Find a dishwasher with a low decibel rating so it won’t keep you and your family up all night.

General Tips for Choosing Kitchen Appliances

No matter what appliance you’re shopping for, there are a few general tried-and-tested tips that can help:

Don’t be afraid to mix-and-match. You don’t have to buy all your appliances from the same collection or brand.
Tailor your budget allocation to your lifestyle. It doesn’t make sense to spend a big chunk of your budget on a double oven, for example, if you rarely bake. Forget what a traditional kitchen “should” have and get what you’ll use.
Time your remodel. Many appliance retailers hold annual sales around the same time every year, such as Memorial Day or Black Friday. Time your remodel to line up with these sales to save more. Buying your appliances as a package from a single retailer also often comes with a discount.
Know your space. As appliances of all types come in standard sizes, measure your space, and note any size restrictions. It can help to draft your kitchen on graph paper. Also, note any ventilation or power requirements and where they are in your kitchen.
Stay neutral. That bright blue retro fridge may look amazing right now, but will you still love it in 10 years? With big-ticket items like appliances keep to neutral colors—silver, black, or white—so that if you choose to redecorate in the future, you’re not choosing kitchen appliances all over again. Paint colors and cabinet handles are much easier to change!

Your Interior Design Budget: Planning for Expenses

July 20, 2020

If you’re planning a new project, it’s easy to get caught up in mood boards and Pinterest ideas and forget one crucial detail—the cost. Creating an interior design budget might not be the most exciting step in making your house a home, but it is one of the most important.

Even a few extra dollars here and there can add up to an unexpectedly costly project. How do you set an interior design budget, then?

Step One: Establish Your Interior Design Budget

Determine what your actual budget is and be specific. Avoid rough ranges like “a few hundred dollars,” and opt for a hard figure to set as the maximum budget for your project instead. You can spend less than this amount but not more.

Your interior design budget also needs to be realistic—be brutally honest with yourself and set a figure you can afford comfortably. Keep in mind that you don’t have to design your home’s entire interior in one go. You can take it room by room to make the best of your budget. Start with the areas you use the most or that bother you the most.

Step Two: Budget Your Goals

Once you know exactly how much you have for your project, make a list of your goals. Ideally, you should have two lists: “needs” and “wants.”

The need list should include things the space has to have. For example, if you are remodeling your kitchen and your sink needs replaced, that’s a need. Come up with estimates for your list of must-haves to create mini-budgets, and don’t forget labor costs! It can help to price-check actual items at this stage to avoid sticker shock. Many people underestimate how much simple household items cost.

After your needs list is complete, take your estimate for those improvements, add another 10 to 15% as a cushion, and subtract those costs from your total budget. Whatever is left is for your “want” list.

Step 3: Make a Plan and Stick to It

Armed with a firm budget and a list of what you want to achieve, the next step is to plan your project. Set a timeline for each improvement on your list and what you’ll need at each stage.

It’s also helpful to draft your design at this point. That way, you can visualize what needs to be done and when throughout the process. For instance, you don’t want to bring in new furniture before you paint.

If you’re undertaking a major overhaul and haven’t done much interior design in the past, it can pay to work with a design professional. An interior designer can offer insight and ideas that are incredibly helpful when it comes to taking your ideas from dream to reality. Plus, they often have insider knowledge to reduce your budget without impacting the quality of your results—you might even be able to score more items off your wants list!

Interior Design Dilemmas Solved: 5 Simple Tips for a Stylish Home

June 22, 2020

interior design dilemmas swatch color samples

Everyone wants a beautiful home, but getting a picture-perfect, Pinterest-worthy house is harder than one might think. Our own homes pose interior design dilemmas that can be challenging.

The good news is even the trickiest interior design problems have solutions. Here are a few of the most common interior design dilemmas and how to solve them.

Finding Your Style

Is your decorating style Farmhouse, Coastal, or Modern? Many people get frustrated because they like so many style elements that they don’t know their true style.

Instead of worrying about labels, find your own unique style. Find furnishings you love, regardless of their style. Then incorporate a few favorite family treasures.

Focus on how your family lives in your home. Soon, your style will begin to shine through.

Tiny Room, Big Style

Small rooms create big headaches for many people. Whether it’s a powder room, a tiny bedroom, or a small sitting room, these spaces pose special challenges when it comes to decor.

First, embrace color—the bolder, the better. Paint your tiny room all one color for dramatic effect, and it will actually seem to bigger.

You can also apply mirrored tiles to one wall. The reflection will give the impression the space is twice as big.

Disguise Poor Views

Not every view is glorious. Fortunately, a less-than-stellar view is easy to fix—consider floor-to-ceiling draperies. Drapes are a great way to add color and texture and even some extra drama. Go with a sheer version if you need extra light in your living space.

If your problem is outdoors in a patio area, consider growing a wall of vegetation such as a row of bushes or shrubs. Even climbing vines can be trained to grow against a trellis. This option can provide a naturally stunning solution to a problematic view.

Create Rooms in an Open Floor Plan

Open floor plans create a light, airy feeling, but they can also be impractical. Sometimes you need to create a little more privacy for sleeping or study areas.

Freestanding bookcases can solve the problem. They create a visual barrier, similar to walls. Bookcases come in a variety of heights, so you can find one that gives the right amount of privacy. As a bonus, bookcases provide extra storage space.

Another option is folding screens, which can be put in place and removed as needed. Likewise, a curtain hung from the ceiling provides quick and easy privacy.

Boring Windows

Window treatments are a primary interior design dilemma. Many people aren’t sure what to do about their windows, so they stick with neutral blinds.

Consider replacing vertical blinds with draperies for an updated look. You can call attention to a seating area or other focal point with carefully placed draperies.

Roman shades and valances can also create a polished look for windows, especially when crafted in a print fabric.