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At the moment, there are quite a few modern home decor trends that are popular. Think monochrome or scandi styles for example. They are styles that people are getting quickly bored of, though. They look good for a little while but it can easily become outdated. It can hard to keep up with too. Imagine trying to keep an all white room pristine and crisp, when it is a nursery for your toddler? Not going to happen. So they can look great. They just aren’t that practical. One look that is always a winner, is choosing a vintage look. It is easier to maintain and you won’t need to get a whole lot of new furniture for it either. So it makes it a more affordable option than other styles. It is more feminine as well as being sweet and charming. So here are some tips for creating the vintage look in your own home.

Make Things Yourself

The vintage look isn’t all about having lots of technology or modern accessories. So one way to create the vintage look in your home is to make some of the accessories yourself. How about making your own curtains? You could update some that you have already. You could add new stitching or applique some netting or beading on to them. You could hang some lace over your window, to create a vintage style lace blind. You could try making your own photo frames or word art for your walls. There are a lot of possibilities of things that you could create yourself. It is a lovely way to decorate in the home and will leave you feeling happy that you created it all. Rather than just buying it all.

Upcycle Furniture

One way to get the vintage look is by upcycling furniture. You could update chair cushions by altering the material and then reapplying it. You could sand down something like a dresser or a sideboard. Then you could repaint it to update it. Lighter colors work well for the vintage look. White or cream coloured furniture, that has been distressed slightly works well. Pastel colours also add to the look and can look so pretty. Try not to go for deep, bold colors like navy or reds. If you wanted something that isn’t as plain, you could use something like mod podge to stick patterned fabrics or papers to the furniture. If you have a bookshelf, you could attach them to the shelves, so you see a pattern through the books. You could attach them to the front of a chest of drawers, to add a different dimension to the drawers.

If you already have some furniture to update, then great. Have a look around and get creative. If you don’t, you could look around some oak furniture stores to choose something. Real wood furniture is the best to upcycle and alter. 

Finding a bathroom remodelling contractor that thinks outside the box and produces something individual and outstanding is not easy. Here we’ve compiled some insider tips so you can sift the good from the bad.

1. Ask to see some examples of work – You’ll be able to judge their creativity, get some great bathroom ideas, and know the standard of work you can expect. You can also see if they have worked on a similar project before.

2. Reputation and review – Look up reviews, check recommendations, and assess the reputation of your bathroom remodelling contractor.
3. It’s the small things – Consider how fast the company gets back to you, how open communication is, how long they have been in business, and how you feel about the customer service.

4. Get a vision – Ask for a plan of your potential bathroom, both blueprints and a sketch or 3D walk-through. This way there is no grey area in design and expectations are clear.

5. Are they legitimate – Make sure your bathroom remodelling contractor has all of the necessary qualifications, experience, insurances, and licenses to work in your area and on your bathroom. Sometimes looking local can be a great idea for these exact reasons.

6. Make it official – Your relationship with your contractor should be transparent. There should be a contract in place with a clear timeline, plans, expectations, and costs once you make your choice.

Choosing a good contractor is imperative to your bathroom remodelling experience. Your chosen contractor will be with you from start to finish so you need to feel you have 100% trust in them. If you’d like to come up with concepts for your next bathroom remodelling job, check out this bathrooms page to find some great ideas and products.

Have you bought a project? Are you renovating an older home or planning a cosmetic overhaul? Renovating is hugely exciting, but it can be hard work. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead and get all the essential tasks done without any stress.

Structural work

If you’ve bought an old house, it’s always wise to get any structural work done as a priority. If there are imperfections that need tending to, repair work can take time. If you can get this done before you move in, it will make life easier. Any problems should be flagged up in a structural survey. If everything is sound, but you’re planning to make changes, these should be next on your list. You may wish to knock down a wall to create a large kitchen-diner, for example. If you’re altering the layout, look through some design ideas and talk to your architect.

Are you completing a home renovation project or completing maintenance on your property? You should always start with one question. Can I DIY? There are lots of advantages to completing DIY work. First, there’s that wonderful sense of achievement once you’ve completed the job. Second, there’s the money that you’ll save. If you can DIY you won’t have to call in the experts who might charge an arm and a leg for their services. That said, it’s true to say that some jobs are more suited for DIY jobs than others. With that in mind here’s show you’ll know whether you should DIY.

Got The Safety Gear?

When you live somewhere that experiences hot summers or is even warm all year, it can be hard to stay cool. If your house is poorly designed, it can heat up quickly and stay hot throughout the day. If you need to feel cooler in your home, you can make some modifications to the design. If you're lucky and you haven't built your home yet, you have even more room to design it for a hotter climate. There are lots of design choices you can make to create a cooler home that will help you to relax. Try these tips to stop your property overheating.

No Carpets

Some people choose to have wall to wall carpets in their homes. However, if you want a cool home, this isn't a great idea. Walking around on carpets isn't going to help you if you're hot, and it could trap the heat in. Homes in hotter climates usually have hard floors. If they're not wooden, they could be stone or concrete. Tiled floors is a popular choice in many places, including the Mediterranean. If you worry about it getting too cold during the winter, you can use a couple of solutions. Adding rugs in colder weather will help, and you could also have underfloor heating.

Working on your own projects can be both fun and rewarding. There is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from making something yourself, and being able to display the finished product. However, with many DIY projects, there are some injury concerns that you need to be aware of. Depending on the type of project you are working on, you could be dealing with power tools, different chemicals, welding, or hazardous materials. When you are working on any sort of project, you should take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety. Here are just a few ways that you can do that:

Enough Space

The first thing you should make sure of is that you have enough space. When you try to work on your projects in a cramped area, this is more likely to lead to accidents. Things can get knocked over, tools can cause an injury, and materials can spill. Find a space in your home that is large enough for you to comfortably work on your project before you begin. If you have to, set up some tables outside in order to give yourself some more room.

Safety Glasses

Another thing you should consider is whether or not you need to wear safety glasses. Safety glasses are very important if you are going to be working with power tools, outdoors, with any kind of chemicals, or when there will be dust or debris in the air. Safety goggles will make sure that nothing comes into contact with your eye, and help you to keep a better focus on what you are doing. If you are not sure if you need glasses for your specific project, we'd say it is better to be safe than sorry.

Electricity

Extreme care must be taken whenever your DIY project involves some electricity. You want to make sure you have taken the right precautions so that you do not accidentally injure yourself. Be sure your power source is disconnected, or that your home's power is shut off before you begin. For more tips on how to safely work with electricity, you can visit this link.

Clean Up

As you work on your project, it is important that you clean up along the way. Leaving tools, materials or chemicals lying around while not in use can be very hazardous. Once you are doing using something, be sure to put it away properly so that you have a clean workspace. Then, once you are done with the project entirely, clean up everything that you used. This is especially important if your work area is in the middle of your home, as you are likely to have other people around and you do not want them to get injured.

First Aid Kit

Lastly, no matter how careful you are, accidents may still occur. Because of this, it is important that you have a well-stocked first aid kit nearby. Your first aid kit should be in a place that is easily accessible, and should have plenty of supplies to handle any kind of emergency that you may encounter. For a list of items that you should have in your kit, you can visit this resource from the Red Cross.

Be Safe

A DIY project will not be nearly as rewarding if there is an injury along the way. Take as many precautions as you can to ensure that you and everyone else working on the project remains safe. Use the suggestions mentioned above to get you started, but also use your own common sense and knowledge about the type of project that you will be working on.

Fully caring for a home consists of so many jobs and tasks that it can all get overwhelming. There’s the grass to cut, windows to clean, carpet to vacuum, loft to insulate… and then there’s the roof!


That being said, it’s not a 24/7 task - assuming you do little things here and there to care for it. If you’re not sure what these little tasks should be, then look no further! Below, you’ll find the top five tips we could gather regarding roof maintenance and roof care.

Tip 1: Thoroughly Clean The Gutters

Yes, your guttering does technically count as part of your roof. For the purposes of this post, anyway. Leaves, small rocks and even rubbish can all accumulate in your roof’s rain gutters over time, so it’s important to keep them clear.

If your gutters are indeed filled and blocked with all manner of debris, that’s a serious problem. This causes rain to overflow into your home, and we all know what a nightmare that would be. Also, this extra water can lead to mold and fungal growth. They’re two issues that are hard to rectify!

More often than not, you can step out onto the street and eye up the condition of your gutter from here. If you can see an excess of leaves, it’s time to act fast. If it looks fine but you aren’t convinced, either (carefully!) hop on a ladder yourself, or call a roof professional. Sometimes, the problem isn’t necessarily visible from down below.

Tip 2: Have It Completely Revamped

Sometimes, the only way to move forward is to restore your roof to its former glory! Perhaps it’s seen better days, and is in severe need of a thorough re-pointing and cleaning. A complete roof restoration accomplishes several things:

- Your entire roof will be pressure cleaned. This removes any dirt, moss and debris that’s lodged up there, leaving it sparkly clean.

- Your entire roof will also be repointed. This seals any small holes or gaps that may have been letting heat escape.

- Anti-fungal protective coatings will be applied, which shield your roof from any long-term effects

Of course, I’d recommend you have your roof thoroughly inspected first, before you commit to a restoration. If it simply needs a quick tweak here and there, that would be much cheaper than a full restoration. Anyhow, if your roof hasn’t seen much love in recent years, it’s safe to assume it could use an update.

Tip 3: Check your interior for leaks

You may be so laser-focused on the outside that you neglect the inside! This is a mistake, and damage can be shown indoors too. Head high into the top roof of your house, and check the ceiling for any damp and leaks.

Sometimes, these can be hard to spot, and it may just be a slight trickle. Other times, it’ll be a huge patch - quite hard to miss! This is indicative of a roof leak, and it needs to be addressed pronto. As we previously mentioned, this leak can lead to mold and fungal growth in your home. If left unchecked, the problem will continue to get worse.

You’ll need to hire a roof professional in this instance. Your entire roof will either need replacing, revamping or repointing. Have an audit done and see to what extent the damage has occurred. In the meantime, air the top room of your house with dehumidifiers, air conditioners and by opening windows.

Tip 4: Don’t touch it!

Not that you would, but it’s worth mentioning. Climbing up on your roof for whatever reason can cause the shingles to come loose and break down. It’s also very dangerous to do, but that goes without saying.

You should also avoid painting your roof where possible. If you want a splash of color, buy colored tiles! The chemicals in paint can also damage shingles, breaking them down rather quickly. This leads to increased damage further down the line, and it can be hard to rectify.

Tip 5: Cut Overhanging Tree Branches

It’s quite common for households to be placed near trees nowadays. They’re attractive features that can provide you a patch of cool shade in the burning summer heat. While they’re usually not an issue, it becomes a problem when their branches begin to hang over your roof.


This is a problem for several reasons. One, the longer and more overhanging those branches are, the easier they can be snapped or blown off by the wind. If that happens, it’s bye-bye roof! Longer branches make it easier for squirrels and other rodents to clamber onto your roof, potentially causing damage.

Furthermore, the leaves from these overhanging branches will be able to drop into your guttering more easily. We previously discussed this issue, and it’ll be repeated ten times as badly in this situation.

Since trimming tree branches is rather tough to do at home, I’d recommend you contact your local government office. It’s likely that those trees are their property (if they’re not in your back garden), so they should do it anyway. If the trees are causing a major problem, rally your neighbors and sign a petition. Your voices are more likely to be heard this way.

Overall

Overall… your roof is now perfection! If you followed this advice, anyway. In our homes, the problems can start at the top, so it’s important to eliminate them at the source.

Roofing and the attic is the cause of a large chunk of heat loss in the home. Losing this heat causes your home to become colder, which ups those energy bills. It’s a vicious cycle that never ends, but with proper care, it can be stopped.

So, check your roof regularly, or have it checked regularly. I’d recommend every six months. Problems can only take a couple of weeks to develop. Just because it’s clear in January, doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way until summer. Contact a professional where necessary, and above all, keep an eye on those interior damp patches!

Remodeling your kitchen can be a big undertaking. As long as you take a step back and ask yourself a few simple questions first you can avoid a lot of stress. Many of the problems are caused by a lack of preparation and consideration.

Here are 5 things to think about before a kitchen renovation.

Why are You Renovating Your Kitchen?

Understanding “why” you want to do something—namely renovating your kitchen—is an important thing to understand. If you’re renovating for yourself because you want a change then you should pick a kitchen that suits you. If you’re looking to sell your house or improve its value then you need a kitchen that appeals to others. They may be entirely different things. Perhaps you need more storage space or you want to update your appliances. Ask yourself what you really need out of your new kitchen.

What is Your Budget?

Your budget is super important. Another common problem with any renovation is underestimating the cost involved. While the DIY route can be cheaper, it can easily be more of a hassle and cost more in the long run if you’re not sure what you are doing. Also plan for unexpected occurence that will cause you to go over budget. Work out a budget and add 10% to it for emergencies or changes that cost more than expected.

What Can You Keep?

A great way to cut down on the costs of renovation is to keep things you can still use. If your appliances work great then don’t replace them. The same applies to your shelves and cabinetry. If you like your shelves, sink, and appliances then don’t get them replaced. Appliances are definitely a major cost. The more of the original kitchen you can keep the more you will save on the renovation.

Are You Staying in The House During Renovation?

If you’re going to be staying in the house during the renovation then you need to prepare for that. You pretty much won’t have a kitchen until the work is done—at least not a functioning one. You could be living off of takeout for a while. This can be a big hassle if you have little children or you prefer to eat fresh foods. Come up with an alternate plan for dining—whether it’s backyard grilling or eating out, just know ahead of time meal times are going to be affected.

Where Are You Going to Keep Everything?

Another big thing to consider is where you’re going to keep the food you already have in your kitchen. You won’t have access to all of your kitchen and there’s a chance that your power might be cut for a short time, rendering your refrigerator useless. If you have a lot of frozen goods then they could end up spoiled. Find other places to store what’s in your kitchen while the renovation is happening. Getting a kitchen renovation completed doesn’t have to be super expensive or incredibly stressful. Just ask yourself these questions and really prepare for it. Accept that things may take a while and you are going to lose your kitchen for a short time. Work out what you want out of the renovation and how much it’s going to cost you. You’d be surprised at what a little preparation can do for your stress levels.

Home requires care and maintenance to keep it the same cozy place where you love relaxing and unwinding yourself. There are many reasons to opt for home improvement but the difficulty lies in commencing the home improvement project as there are many factors guiding the decision. The need for home improvement can be related to maintenance work, inconvenience of some kind, or just to make it a better place to live in. You may have your own reasons for home improvement but at the same time you may have your hindrances like lack of time, technology, or finance to get it done. We very well know the issues you face in making this happen and we have therefore made this excellent checklist to work as your step by step guide for starting the home improvement project.

When water enters unwanted places like our homes, it can be a serious pain to the homeowner. It can cause a lot of damage and ruin your prized possessions. However, you can minimize the damages and save some of your household possessions if you act quickly. Water damage and restoration is an important skill that a team of professional cleaners is able to offer. It involves the professionals going into a home affected by water disasters such as floods and burst pipes and restoring the home back to its pre-loss condition. In this guide, I will show you how to clean up a water damaged home before professionals arrive.

Stop the flow of water

First and foremost, shut off the main water line in your home if the flooding was caused by a burst pipe. After that, turn off the power system and remove all items out of the water's way. You are more likely to save the items when you move them much faster from the water. Get in touch with a professional and tell them where the water is coming from.

Get rid of standing water

Getting rid of all the water and drying the area is very important in preventing the growth of molds. When water continues sitting there, it is more likely to cause a lot of damage. Therefore, you should pump out any standing water. Be sure to wear protective gear like gloves and gumboots when working in a flooded area and keep children as well as pets away from the standing water.

Dry out the area

After you have got rid of all the water standing, dry out the area using a dehumidifier. Fans can only be used if the molds have not started growing since they spread mold spores to other areas. For the area to dry faster, open windows to allow air circulation which promotes faster drying. When everything has dried out, you should use disinfectants to disinfect all the areas that have been affected by the flood waters.

Dispose of the damaged items

You should make a list of all your damaged property and call your insurance agent before you begin the cleanup process. Let them know where you are disposing the damaged items and ask if you need to keep samples. When you use the services of a professional water damage restoration company, they will document for you the materials that have been affected and also determine their proper value of all the materials lost.

When builders create a sustainable home, they are conscious of using resources that do not harm the environment. A secondary goal is to equip the home to use water and energy in the most efficient manner possible. While the concept of sustainable housing has existed in developed nations for the past few decades, the push to make them more affordable has only come about in recent years. World leaders, including those in the UK, are realising the benefits of using limited space and resources to create homes for their citizens. Below are several examples of sustainable homes that people of average means can afford.

There are many responsibilities that come with owning a home. Of course, owning a home comes with many benefits as well, but it means more than being able to take advantage of tax breaks every year when you file your taxes using software from Quill. In fact, one thing that people may see as both a perk and a drawback is decorating. This is partly due to the work that it may involve and the time and money that people spend making a home theirs, but when all is said and done, their home is beautiful inside and out, granted they know how to properly decorate.

Here are a few tips for decorating your dream home.

Don't choose busy designs

When picking out furniture or decor, steer away from things that have busy designs. They may seem cool at the store or when you view them online, but in person, certain designs can be distracting and almost nauseating. Not only may you find that the pattern or design distracts you, you'll find that it will distract guests in your home as well.

Don't try to match too much

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are decorating their home is matching too much. It is nice to have everything in the home flow together, but having too many things match can be just as distracting as having a busy design on the walls or on your furniture. If possible, choose one color to have in all rooms, but avoid having the main pieces of furniture in those room the same color. For example, if the couch is navy blue in the living room, maybe having the carpet or curtains navy blue in another room is a good idea.

Use mirrors 

If your dream home is small, a good way to fix this is by using placing mirrors in some of room, specifically the living room and bedrooms. This will give the illusion that the room is bigger and make the space feel more open.

When anyone is purchasing their first home, it can be a very exciting time in their life. While they may be excited about their purchasing, they may quickly become overwhelmed. When they take a look at all of the decorating that must be done, it may seem like a lot of work is to be done before they can really settle in and call this place home, but once it is complete, they will feel right at home.

When you choose a new air conditioning system, you'll find that you have two primary choices for your home. A standard central air conditioning unit relies on ducts, while a multi-zone ductless system is duct-free. While both types of air conditioning systems can keep your home cool, they have distinct advantages and disadvantages. Take a closer look at the pros and cons of each type of system.

Plumbing disasters are a headache for everyone, whether you're an experienced homeowner or a first-time renter. In order to avoid common plumbing issues, watch out for these common plumbing problems and learn how to prevent the issues in the first place.

Renovating your home is exciting, but it's important to keep safety in mind. Before your home can have its beautiful new look, all the work has to be carried out. Renovations can mean that there are lots of inconveniences in your home. There could be a lot of dust, fumes from paint and glue, and things you could trip over. Whether you're carrying out the work yourself or hiring someone else to do it, you need to pay attention to safety. There are a number of things you can do to make the process safer. Follow the rules below to ensure it all goes smoothly.

After years of dreaming, planning, and building, your new home is finally complete. All that’s left to do is the final fix of painting and decorating. Right? Wrong. You still have a long way to go to be happily settled in your new home. There is still plenty to do, and you may also have another house to move out of. So what comes next when you’ve just built a new home?

Bills

No doubt this project has been pretty expensive. You don’t want the builders to hold your property to ransom or start expensive court proceedings. Now is the time to start settling the bills. Another reason for getting your payments squared away is to help you identify the exact budget left to complete your home.

Most of us want high end fixtures and fittings when we build our dream property. The trouble is, the building budget can easily spiral out of control and you may not have enough left to do everything you want. When you reach this stage of the build, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’re so close to that dream becoming a reality. The last thing you need now is to get into financial dire straits and be forced to sell.