Posts Tagged ‘Tips’

Our homes are usually the most expensive single item we ever buy.  Not only do they represent a significant financial investment, but our home is a big emotional investment.  They are the places where we raise our families and celebrate our lives.  Our homes are our refuge from a busy world – a safe place where we live, love and grow together.  Yet in the U.S. alone there are more than 500,000 residential fires every year that are serious enough to require a call to the fire department.  Worse yet, every year more than 4,000 Americans die in home fires and approximately 20,000 are injured.  Tragic statistics indeed, but equally tragic is that the vast majority of these fires and related injuries and deaths are preventable.

Top Ten Tips for Fire Safety

1. Install Smoke Alarms
The single most important purchase you can make for your home is smoke alarms.  Working smoke alarms can double your chances of surviving a fire.  Most deaths that occur in home fires aren’t from fire, but from smoke. Homes should have at least one one smoke alarm on every level.  To make certain smoke alarms are fully functional they should be tested monthly, kept free of dust and have the batteries replaced annually.  The smoke alarm itself should be replaced every ten years, or as recommended by the manufacturer.

2. Plan an Escape Route
If a fire does break out, you must get out fast.  Being awakened by a smoke alarm at 2:00 a.m. is not the time to have to think through how to get you and your family to safety.  You must plan ahead by sitting down with your family and go over an escape plan that includes at least two exits from every room.  If you live in an apartment building, your escape plan must not include elevators.  Finally, when you develop your escape plan decide on a safe meeting place outdoors where everyone meets after the escape.  Your household should practice the escape plan two times a year.

3. Beware of Smoking
The leading cause of fire deaths is careless smoking.  Avoid smoking in bed and take great care to make large ashtrays readily available to smokers throughout your household.  Cigarettes can smolder under and around upholstered furniture unnoticed only to ignite into a full blaze minutes later.

4. Take Care Cooking
Never leave your cooking unattended.  Furthermore, be aware of flammable materials like curtains, dish towels or loose fitting clothing around cooking areas.  To avoid accidental spills of hot oil or boiling water be sure the handles of pots and pans are turned inward on the stove so they can’t be bumped or grabbed by children.  Should cooking oil in a pan catch fire cover the pan immediately with a lid.  Under no circumstances should you pour water on a grease fire.  This will cause the fire to spatter and spread.

5. Space for Space Heaters
Whether electric, kerosene or some other fuel space heaters need space.  They should be kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn. Always keep children and pets away from heaters and never leave them unattended when you leave home.

6. Matches, Lighters and Children Don’t Mix
Children are often fascinated by fire.  Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys, should never be played with and are to be used only by adults.  Store all matches and lighters where children can neither see them nor reach them.  Because children are naturally curious, don’t hesitate to check under your children’s bed, in closets and other places where they may hide matches or lighters in their rooms.

7. Use Electricity Carefully
Promptly replace cracked or frayed cords on appliances.  If an appliance sparks, smells or smokes unplug it immediately and have it repaired or replaces.  An all too common cause of electrical fires is the improper use of extension cords.  Never run extension cords under rugs and never use an extension cord to overload a circuit.  Only a trained professional should service circuit breaker or fuse boxes.  If a fuse must be replaced, use only the proper sized fuse for that circuit.

8. Stay Low Under Smoke
If you must escape a fire, stay close to the floor.  Smoke and toxic gasses rise, and the air near the floor is cleaner.

9. Stop, Drop and Roll
If your clothing catches fire, DO NOT RUN!  Running feeds more air to the flames and will cause them to spread more rapidly.  Instead, stop where you are, drop to the floor or ground, cover your face with your hands and roll around until the flames are covered.  Should you encounter a person whose clothing is on fire, cover them with a blanket, rug or coat and roll them on the ground.

10.  Treating a Burn
The best quick treatment for minor burns is to run cool water over the burn for 10 to 15 minutes.  This will cool the burn.  Never use ice on a burn.  Using ice on a burn may damage the skin or even cause mild frostbite.  And contrary to what your grandmother may have told you, don’t apply butter or any grease to a burn.  It will prevent air from reaching the burn.  If skin is burned severely enough to cause blisters or charring, seek medical attention immediately.  Severe burns can easily become infected.

Preventing fires and fire related injuries and death isn’t a matter of luck.  It takes planning.  Every household should have a plan that includes a home safety checklist, smoke detectors, escape plan and regular safety audit.  Make protecting your family, household and valuables from fire a priority.  Your life may depend on it.

If your home decor is beginning to look a little “frazzled”, then here are seven tips to give your room a quick make-over without breaking the family budget.  Not all home decorating projects have to mean knocking down walls and hiring a contractor.  You can easily accomplish these seven tips over a few days and bring a lifeless, dull room back to life.

1.    CLEAN:  If you have a family, then you probably have newspapers, magazines, books, toys, shoes, clothes, etc., that detract from the personality of your room.  Find or create new storage spaces for these items.  Give your draperies and upholstered furnishings a good vacuuming.  Remove all your decorative collectibles and give each piece a thorough cleaning.  You want the space to have a fresh beginning.

2.    FOCAL POINT:  If your room is lacking a focal point, try painting one wall in a different, but coordinating color, that complements the rest of your room and furnishings.  The newly painted wall will instantly become the focal point of the room.  Decorate the wall with interesting art work or a large ornately framed mirror.  (If you opt to use a mirror, make sure it reflects a pleasant view – never a blank wall or closet door).  Place a favorite piece of furniture against the new focal point wall to complete the look.  If your room already has a nice focal point, consider giving the entire room a fresh new coat of paint.  A simple color change can make an incredible difference in your room.

3.    REARRANGE THE FURNITURE:  No matter the size of your room, pull the furniture away from the walls.  Place your furnishings at interesting angles in front of your focal point to create an intimate conversation area.  If you room is narrow, try placing the sofa on the diagonal to make the room appear wider.  Never arrange your room so that the traffic flow runs directly through your conversational area.

4.    REARRANGE THE RUG:  If you have an area rug, turn it on an angle and use it to define your newly arranged conversation area.  If you have wall-to-wall carpeting, try layering a complimentary area rug in your conversation area.  (Use carpet-to-carpet tape to anchor the area rug.  This helps keep the area rug in place, and, more importantly, helps prevent someone from tripping over the edges of the rug).

5.    ADD GREENERY:  Breathe new life into your room with the addition of healthy green plants.  Use plants of varying heights and species for interest.  Keep your plants in good health and well-trimmed.  (A vase of fresh cut flowers is always a beautiful addition to any room).  If you have poor lighting, consider using good quality silk greenery.  Silk greenery is actually a safer choice if you have small children or pets.

6.    BUY SOME NEW LAMPS:   Nothing can make your room look more outdated and stale than lamps from the sixties.  Find unique, interesting lamps that will make a bold statement and relate to the personality of your room.  Look for lighting with three-way switches.  This offers you a variety of lighting options to set the mood in your room.

7.    ADD PERSONALITY AND ACCESSORIES:  Refresh your favorite family photographs by treating them to a new frame.  Hang interesting artwork, mirrors or architectural pieces that reflect your personality.  Give new life to your sofa and chairs with decorative pillows and throws.  This is an easy way to add color and texture to your room.  Create vignettes with your freshly cleaned collectibles.  Group them in odd numbers at varying heights.  Use hardbound books in stacks, or assorted decorative boxes, to assist with varying the heights.  Bring in some candlelight to add drama and warmth.  Last, but not least, add something “unexpected” just for fun.

With a little bit of imagination and creativity, you can turn your “frazzled” home decor into a fresh, exciting new space.  Renew your passion for decorating your home – “one room at a time!”

Has your bedroom stayed the same for the last 20 years? Do you want to make it into a fun, cool bedroom, but without spending money on new furniture? We have some ideas for you to do just that – re-do your bedroom on a budget!

- Coat of paint. Nothing freshens up a room like a new coat of paint. Make it into a weekend project and involve your kids – you can do something together, and at the same time, create a whole new bedroom that you need.

We don’t recommend painting the bedroom walls into bright colors. Beige, peach, light and pastel blues and greens work best. Make sure that your new wall color coordinates with your furniture, as you are not buying new furniture.

- Organize your bedroom. Sometimes all a room needs is organization, to look completely different. Many bedrooms are full of kids toys, old clothes and even dishes, that should be in the kitchen.

Put those items away, and organize the rest of the room to make it look very different.

- Rearrange furniture. Sometimes the best way to decorate without a budget is to use the same furniture, but rearrange it, and add something else into the mix.

Walk around your house – you will find a chair in the basement, or an ottoman in the family room, that will look great in the bedroom. Use those to create a whole new bedroom – with your old furniture.

- New wall art. Add a splash of color to the room with some new wall art (or borrow some art from another room). Another idea is to frame some of your kids’ drawings, or draw something yourself.

- New bedding, pillows, bedspreads. It is amazing how much you can change a room by adding just one new item to it. Pick some new bedding or a bedspread that you really wanted, and splurge on them! You will have a great looking bedroom in no time.

Remember, updating a room does not mean buying everything new for it. Use some (or all) of our ideas to completely re-do your bedroom. You will be glad you did.

Several unwanted challenges arise when updating older type bathrooms from the ancient plumbing leading into the shower cabin, bath or sink to water damaged flooring.  You never know what you will find once you start dissecting the bathroom. When you lift up that old ceramic or vinyl flooring, don’t be surprised as to what could be lurking beneath the surface.  I recently completed a home renovation tour with a local home contracting company, because I would soon be tackling my own bathroom renovations and wanted to ensure nothing was left to chance since I would be doing most of the work myself.

Turning my focus to the bathroom renovation project, I was taken back a few steps by what I saw and quickly realized, if initially the job is not done correctly, you will actually spend more money in the repair process. Since the ceramic tiling was not properly laid, severe water damaged occurred over time and was in desperate need of replacing, the mortar was not spread evenly across the floor boards which gave way to rotted plywood and ultimately lead to having to start from scratch.

If you are not a professional and need advice on proper installation techniques, local hardware stores often hold weekend classes on a number of different home renovation projects. From the installation of new showers enclosures, bath panels or shower cubicles, everything you need to know for your bathroom renovation project. Investing a few hours of your time to get it right the first time will pay off in the long term or if you are looking to hire an expert, before you do, thoroughly research past home contracting projects and get references from various sources.

Hire a Bathroom Contractor to do your renovations

If you have friends or relatives that have had any work done using a home contracting company, go out and have a look at the workmanship. I had the opportunity of visiting an older home that was completely renovated, where the home contracting company took on the huge undertaking of ripping out and installing new bathroom furniture, a new bathroom suite, and new ceramic flooring.  The project was granted to Pano Sofianos of Rombus.ca Home Contracting Ltd., located in Toronto, Canada who has been in the home renovation business for several decades and sets the precedent in superior craftsmanship.

A perfectionist and extremely meticulous when it comes to doing the job right, Pano Sofianos never leaves anything to chance.  The picturesque bathroom looked like it belonged on the front cover of Better Homes and Gardens, the well-finished bathroom included a beautiful corner bath for space conservation, a traditional fixed rain shower head, wall mounted bathroom storage cabinets, new bathroom vanity and earthy colored ceramic floor tiling.  When the bathroom was completed it was a professional design that provided a tranquil space that included subtle variations of wall colors, woodwork and bathroom cabinets all of which visually enhanced the look of the bathroom and gave the appearance of spaciousness. It is highly recommended if you get the opportunity to see first-hand the previous work of a home renovation firm as I did in the case of Rombus.ca Contracting, this will help in the selection process based on pricing and the quality of work.

Sign a contract with your bathroom design firm

Before signing off with your home contractor, scrutinize their work under a magnifying glass, look for the slightest cracks and furrows in the ceramic tiles, examine the grouting, caulking around bathtub, showers, sinks and any cabinetry along with any imperfections in the walls, remember once the home contractor disappears from the worksite, it can be difficult to get them back to the home to make repairs. It is also vitally important to draft a binding contract between the homeowner and the company you are contemplating hiring for your bathroom renovation project and don’t sign on any dotted line until you are completely satisfied with their work ethics and policies. You want to make sure the company you hire will return to the worksite to make any necessary repairs should something go wrong with the bathroom installation from the plumbing to the flooring, being consumer smart will protect your investment.

Of all the hassles and nuances you go through while picking the right bedroom furniture and furnishings for your home, reaching a ‘stuck-up’ situation can be the worst. It can happen when you buy furniture without looking into practical details of your home, or a particular room, the bedroom, for instance. Buying bedding set, bedroom mirrors and storage furniture like an armoires and dressers may be tricky. The kind of practical problems you face while buying furniture is different from the world of modern bedroom furniture and suites that you see on online furniture stores.

It helps to have a basic guideline in place. Here are a few tips on buying furniture that fits your home,

1. Local retailers can be a source of information to help you decide. Sometimes you may end up finding a great deal unlike retail shops that spend so much on floor space and as a result, hike up furniture prices. As online furniture stores save on this part, they get to pass on some part of the savings to customers as discounts.

2. Define your style. Each one of us has his own unique liking. If Bahamian is your style statement, you can buy furniture that fits the idea; and also combine it with other traditional and modern furniture.

3. Bed sizes
Who will sleep in the bed? What is the size of your bedroom? Take into account the number of people and the size of the person/s. Master beds are the largest, followed by King-size beds (California and standard), queen beds, full beds and twin beds. The dimensions of each size are as follows:

California king bed: 72 inches wide x 84 inches long
King bed: 76 inches wide x 80 inches long
Queen bed: 60 inches wide x 80 inches long
Full bed (or double bed): 54 inches wide x 75 inches long
Twin bed: 39 inches wide x 75 inches long (80 inches for extra long twin beds)

4. Bed Design
The construction of a basic bed is simple. It has a headboard on one end, footboard on the other. In between is the frame whereon the mattress fits. Depending on your taste, you can opt for anything from low-slung platform beds with an Oriental touch, to regular beds with much classy color and finish options. It is good to keep in touch the kind of scheming you plan to have with your bed. Then there are futons, day beds and trundle beds that make a great combo of utility and style.

5. Bed construction
Wood is the most common material used in bed construction. The advantages are sturdiness, longevity and easy maintenance. However, other material like powder-coated steel and brass are popular for its robustness and sleek features. Depending on your lifestyle, you can choose one that suits your taste and practical needs of your home. You don’t want a bulky bed when you keep shifting places more often. Something neat and handy, which can be assembled and dissembled easily, may be the best choice. So assess your need, first.

6. Night stands
Nightstands may be a tricky thing to choose. Especially if you have a designer bed, teaming up a pair of nightstand with other furniture and the overall theme may be difficult. But you can always get suites that come with complementing nightstands, armoires, dressing tables and mirrors. If you already have a bed, then you can opt for a design that is either the same color/finish as the bed or something complementing that fits with other furniture items in your bedroom.

7. Wardrobe/ Armoire
A wardrobe or armoire is one of the most important features in the bedroom. Depending on the number of people, the armoire should be combination of functionality and space, with drawers, hanging bars and other units you desire. Classic wooden armoires are popular, so are glass and wood wardrobes that look modern. Make sure you check the door dimensions of your bedroom to make moving the armoire easy.

8. Dressers, Mirrors and Chests
Well, we all know the story of cluttered drawers and closets. If you practically estimate the kind of space you need on daily basis, you can round up on a sensible dresser with spacey drawers and a complimenting mirror. Roomy drawers also allow more air and help with the uncluttered space we all so much crave for. While chests are vertical, dressers are wide and horizontally inclined. Check the dimensions carefully, for you need space to move around the bedroom.

9. Mattresses
Beds and mattress is an inseparable pair, both complimenting each other. There are regular mattresses and box spring mattress that require a basic construction. While others are built in a manner that needs no box springs, especially platform beds.

Bed sets or suites are also great money savers. You need not hassle over too many details. You get a matching bed, night stand and dresser together, so you won’t have to spend much time stewing and fretting over whether or not all your wood bedroom furniture will match. If your bedroom is large enough, also consider new chairs, a bookcase or two, maybe a new entertainment center.

With a new bed, you may want to add fresh bedding. Go for subtle serene shades that go with the curtains, wall paint and rest of the décor. With our huge discounts and low shipping, you can furnish your whole house without ever leaving it.

If you’re in the market for a new mailbox, you may find it difficult to decide what to buy. A type that has gained in popularity is the plastic mailbox. They are the least expensive version of all mailboxes. Often costs less than $ 50 (without postage). For more information on the bit for plastic mailboxes please read.

Plastic mailbox is very durable, lightweight, weather resistant, and often with indestructible double walled plastic building (which protects against vandalism) was prepared. This is a huge advantage when dealing with a different type of mailbox. They are also rust-free and generally not be necessary, repainted.

Plastic boxes come in many shapes and styles.The most common is the form of a standard mailbox. It can also came with the extended lower mailbox, which are used to magazines, newspapers, store and small packages.The most common colors are brown, black, white and green.There also a style that many people really enjoy. This is a plastic box in the form of a small house. It’s very nice to see you and can be painted to be adapted home.

Now you know a little more about plastic mailboxes, you might consider one. There are many advantageous to have one and you are sure to have plenty to choose from. Take your time and shop around, so you can find the perfect mailbox!

Keywords:

plastic mailboxes

The colors are very important design element for kitchens and bathrooms because it plays an important role in our modes.

A good combination of kitchen colors in your decorating scheme, you can look your kitchen more exciting. But it does not match the color scheme, you can ruin your device.

Color can affect the atmosphere of the room. For example, research has shown that red can speed heart rate and breathing, and increase appetite. Yellow, especially soft yellows can make people feel happier. When used as accent bright yellow can be used to attract attention and stimulate the kitchen. You can also affect color, feel how big or small a kitchen can.

With kitchen color taking more importantly, many manufacturers of cabinets, appliances, floors and countertops offer consumers a wider choice of colors. The best kitchen colors should be brown, peach, yellow, pink or blue.

Kitchen color schemes have come and gone over the years. Some kitchen color schemes remain popular over time.

White as a kitchen color remains a popular choice because it has a cleaner look. A disadvantage of all-white kitchen that they can see and feel is sterile and cold. Therefore, white is usually accented with another color like blue. Also appear to design elements such as light oak parquet or soft accents provided by curtains to make the kitchen warm. It is a good idea to choose a color as a whole or the basic color, and select one or two accent colors.

You can feel safe to choose any color to your kitchen by following some important guidelines
to use different color schemes kitchen

It is considered a good idea to have color in a room with a 60-30-10 split between three colors,
60% is the main or dominant color, probably on the wall or cabinet. 30% of the secondary colors in the floor or carpet, windows and treatments. 10% for accents such as dishes, artwork, pillows and other soft goods.

Monochromatic color schemes are for the use of only one color accounted for. To create more variety various tints, tones and shades were used.

Complementary color scheme uses two colors placed opposite each other on the color wheel. This scheme is very intense and a dramatic touch and energy brings home decor.

Analogous color scheme consists of three colors are arranged side by side on the color wheel with either warm or cool colors in combinations of colors such as yellow and green, blue and purple or red and orange. The kitchen is generally not a kind of space where the type of color will be used. Color scheme would be better for more informal area home, such as family room, den and bedrooms or where you rest and recovery related to the activity that day.

Neutral colors are taupe, brown, black, white, cream and gray. Neutral colors can be combined with an accent almost any color. Because your cabinets make the most of the cost of kitchen decor would be better to choose the style in a more neutral color. This also applies to table and floor.

A good decorating scheme is to mimic the colors found in nature, like sky blue or yellow-green range or earth brown or light or pale. Light can bring an important element in the emphasis on color and can be different shades and colors on the views of different intensities basis.

Keywords:

kitchen accent colors 2010, soft kitchen colors

Bathroom renovations are a homeowner or a nightmare vision, depending on the number of adventures to have. Much thought was good in the bathroom renovation practices.

One of the most important areas to examine whether the entire bathroom to be stripped out and replaced completely or if only part of it changed. If large enough, the relaunch of the whole, get the opportunity to update the decoration and furniture.

Bathroom renovation is sometimes unexpected events due to damage from drops of water or more others from damage type. Unless you a carpenter, plumber, electrical, other than an interior designer, you need the help of a qualified expert to finish the job.

Bad is the basic idea in a bathroom renovation. If your bathroom is big enough, you may want to consider a relaxing Jacuzzi. Every bathroom needs a lot of storage space for towels and other supplies intended.

It’s easy to get online recommendations. Committed not to do any of the roads to work. Confirm they are authorized to do the work and that in a great performance with the licensing office. Be sure to get the details of the individual in writing prior to renovate the signing of an agreement to your bathroom.

Celebrity Interior Designer and Television Personality Cathy Hobbs (ASID/LEED AP) shares her knowledge and expertise with viewers. “Selling? Making Your Home More Marketable!” provides home sellers with all the tips they need to help sell their properties for the highest price with minimal investment. Cathy Hobbs teaches viewers you don’t necessarily need a lot of money, just some elbow grease!

www.harmonyinandout.com. In this video Linda Binns talks about clutter and how it affects the energy in our home. When the energy in your home is stuck and stagnant, that’s how your life will feel. People are looking for Feng Shui Tips to help them create more harmony in their homes and in their lives. The Chinese Art of Placement is very effective and very powerful, and yet many people struggle to apply it correctly. Dealing with clutter is a major factor in the successful application of Feng Shui. Clutter can keep you stuck in life, stopping you from moving forward. When you try to use Feng Shui in your home or business without paying attention to your thoughts, beliefs, emotions and actions, it may not work as you want it to. To subscribe to a weekly newsletter with articles, Feng Shui Tips and invitations to monthly tele-seminars, as well as other bonuses, go to http Watch all the videos in our series if you truly want to apply Feng Shui to your home successfully. You’ll get Feng Shui Tips, as well as tips on how to deal with what comes up for you when you start to move the energy around in your home and work environments. You’ll learn how Feng Shui is more than just decorating, interior design or placement of furniture. It’s about how your home is connected to you, it’s part of you and represents everything about you and your life. When you want to change something in your life, you can work with your home to bring about that change. Much more information on Feng …