Archive for August, 2011
Bathroom Tile Trends to Try for 2011
In case you would like to be in trend from every possible point of view, there might be a lot more to be taken into consideration than you might think. It’s not just about clothing, hairstyle, cars and houses anymore. Trends are set in some of the smallest details as well, such as the bathroom tiles.
This year came with something quite unexpected, and some of the most popular items used, include copper, glass, stainless steel and hardwood.
So, let’s look at them one by one.
The glass accent tile is one of the most fashionable items in the hip bathrooms. This kind of tiling might be used for backsplashes, floors and shower walls and the advantage of it is that it adds depth, luminescence and also sparkle to the bathroom that could not be offered by traditional ceramic or natural tiling.
There are numerous different kinds of colors to choose from and also many different kinds of finishes that vary between glossy and flat. In case only a small portion of a wall is covered by it, it offers an interesting highlight, while if you decide to use the tiling on the whole wall, it adds a spa-like atmosphere to the entire room.
Kids Bookshelves – From Cute to Practical
The most popular devices used to teach organizing skills for your children are the bookshelves. Choosing your kid’s bookcase or bookshelves is not hard, because it’s only a place where they can deposit their study materials or books.
However, you can motivate your child to read more by purchasing or making a fun and attractive bookshelf or bookcase. Therefore, your kid’s bookshelves can reflect his or her personality. The design of the bookcase can be combined with the theme of your children’s bedroom, or it can be an eye-catcher element that adds more fun and color to the room.
It is good to help your child to organize the books by color or type, like mystery, fantasy or study material. Because every kid is different (one likes TV and videogames, others likes sports or dolls), it is important to know what your kids want, so you can put a smile on their faces. Forward, we will present you 8 ideas of children bookshelves.
Barbie
Because most girls like Barbie dolls, why not make them a Barbie bookshelf. You can apply magazine clippings or other images and drawings of your daughter’s favorite doll, to create her dream bookshelf. For a better look, display several dolls on the shelf, because they accentuate the theme. If they are collectibles, put them in shadow boxes.
Hard Floor Details You Should Be on a Lookout For
When thinking about renovating a home there is more to consider than just the walls – there is also the floor that you have to make decisions about. Nowadays there are many different kinds of flooring, and this is why it is difficult to distinguish the high quality ones.
The solid wood strip floors or the prefinished hardwood floors, as they are mostly called, are usually 4 inches wide or less and the kind of flooring that is wider than 4 inches is usually poorly designed. The disadvantage of the prefinished flooring is that it shrinks during the winter and you can’t screw or peg a prefinished floor.
In the first instance, you should consider looking for 2 ¼ inch and 3 ¼ inch sizes of the strip floor. When buying this kind of flooring, you should ask the salesperson to allow you to open a box of flooring and to assemble it on a table. There are some people that are reluctant about allowing you to do so, but you wouldn’t buy a car without testing it first, right? This is just the same thing.
The Beginner’s Guide to Home Improvements via Solar Panels
One of the most popular topics in our days is ‘going green’. This is something that affects not only the adult generation, but seniors and children as well.
When people talk about ‘green’ homes, they usually refer to energy, but there are also some other aspects of life that can be turned green, and such examples are hybrid cars, wind energy, reusable bags, eco-friendly clothing, and recycled home décor. All these represent a part of the defense line for the safety of Earth.
Mankind has come up with alternative options for fuel, and in our days people are talking more and more about saving energy.
There are two major types of plans for solar houses. One of them is the ‘Passive Solar Plan’. This refers to trapping the solar energy and using it as part of the design of the house.
This kind of plan could be effective or not, based on where the house is located; the climate could be cooler, such as in the case of the Northeast, or the climate could be warmer, like in the case of Southwest.
The Perfect Plants to Grow Inside the Greenhouses
Outdoor planting offers great satisfaction to those that like gardening, but the advantage of growing plants inside a greenhouse include the fact that you have greater control over the environment that the plants are growing in.
There are some plants that develop better in a greenhouse than others, and all you have to do is to take care of the temperature and offer the plants the water they need.
When thinking about what plants to choose, consider the leafy green vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard. They develop very well in constant warm climate. In case they are planted outdoors, they could become the prey of caterpillars or other ‘predators’, but they are safe in the greenhouse.
The tomatoes and the cucumbers are both easily grown vegetables, but you may be surprised by the bounty if they are grown in greenhouses. You can consider growing the red beefsteak greenhouse tomatoes, and other varieties such as cobra, Caruso and Capelo. The cucumbers are more sensitive than tomatoes when it comes to cold.
The greenhouse is useful also in the case of the late-maturing crops. This is because the cold weather cannot affect the production.
Top Veggies You Can Grow Inside a City Flat
If you are determined to grow your own vegetables, you should know that you don’t need a huge garden to do so. There are a lot of possibilities even in case you only have a balcony or a patio. There are more and more options to choose from every year so if you are a daring flat garden make sure you keep an open mind.
There are some vegetables that you have never eaten before, or you didn’t like the canned version, but now you could have your own fresh vegetables.
The vegetables for containers include beets. There are some people who simply hated them until they tried the fresh ones.
You should know that the fresh vegetables taste very different from the pickled ones.
The plant doesn’t need a lot of space, even more, it is enough to have as little space as a cake pan, and you should pick them while they are small and tender.
Spinach is another vegetable that you could grow in your little garden. The advantage is that it is good both raw and cooked. You should pick the leaves while they are young and tender and the best thing about the plant is that it doesn’t have to produce fruit, so it doesn’t need a lot of space.
Small Kitchen, Small Space Wonders on a Small Budget
Space is at a premium and one needs to do with smaller living spaces. Kitchens too suffer from this and it may be very difficult to the proud owner of a big airy kitchen. Small kitchens are the norm these days.
However, this does not mean that the kitchen has to be a dreary corner of the home. It can be renovated using budget ideas to look vibrant and full of life. Smart ideas can help renovate a kitchen on a small budget.
(photo credit: bhg.com)
Change the cabinet doors in the kitchen. It will be less expensive then installing new cabinets. By changing the doors you will succeed in creating a new, look for the kitchen. Avoid a profusion of colors as it will make the mall space more claustrophobic. Think in terms of neutral shades highlighted with a bold color.
If it is not feasible to change the cabinet doors simply change their color with paint. Check to see if the doors are sturdy, and then use some sand paper and remover to remove the old color. Put on a fresh coat of color to change your kitchen over the weekend.
Budget Upgrades for a Refreshed Home Décor
Renovating or upgrading your home need not be an expensive project. Small inexpensive changes and additions can go a long way to give your home a new and fresh look. One of the easiest ways to save money while contemplating renovations is to look for easy to do DIY projects.
Wall paints and floor paints are one of the easiest ways to give a room or a home a completely new look. Get yourself a can of wall paint and bring life to a drab room. All you need is a weekend to transform a home. Use of bold lush colors can help bring in life.
(photo credit: thisoldhouse.com)
Floor paints too can uplift a room. They can be used on most surfaces and you can paint the floor in a pattern or go wild with colors to bring more vitality to the room.
Add elegance to any room with the help of crown moldings. They are now available in easy to install styles that help you add plenty of charm to a room or an entire home. The new generation of crown moldings is made of polystyrene and can be easily cut with a hand saw.
Learn to Use Artistic Dyeing in Home Décor
Dye can be used on many things in your house, when it comes to decorating. You can use it on fabric, for things like pillows or blankets, on napkins and, of course, on your walls. Here are some dyeing methods using different fabrics, so you can decorate your house in an original way that represents you.
First of all, you have to know the basic steps of dyeing. Use your brush clockwise, from top to left. You can use an artist’s bristle brush or a foam brush. When it comes to tie-dye, you have to gather all your fabric into bunches and fix them with several elastic bands. Avoid synthetics for they will cause a bunch of unpleasant surprises.
Put them in dye, rinse and after that squeeze them with the elastic bands on. You have to remove the elastics only when you hang them to dry. When you dye fabric you have to partially place it into the dye bath. To get a gradation of color, apply the dye using a spray bottle.
Stylish Projects for Cool Furniture Makeover
Who said that you can only buy furniture? You also have the possibility to make it in your own, and this way you will also have the satisfaction of having things around you that you have created with little money.
Side table
In case you would like to have a new side table, nothing is simpler. All you need is an adjustable chair and an oversized tray. Then just use a bit of glue to adhere the tray to the top of the stool in order to permanently connect the two objects.
(photo credit: bhg.com)
Bookcase… buffet?
When you are thinking about creating new items for your dining room, you should let your creativity free. If you happen to have a bookcase there is nothing easier than turning it into a custom made store-and-serve buffet.
Hang two bookcases on the wall with the help of anchors and place another one on the floor. The middle one should be hanged at counter height so you could also use it as a serving station.
