Homistic

Archive for March, 2010

If you’ve just rented your first apartment then you probably cant’ wait to start decorating. Just because you are renting your living space doesn’t mean that you can’t turn it into your own home that reflects your personality. So if you want the best decoration without spending a fortune, here are some suggestions.

If you don’t know yet what kind of decoration you want for your apartment then you can start by deciding on an emotion that you want your place to inspire. Do you want people to feel relaxed, excited or intimidated when they enter your home? Once you’ve decided, you can use this emotion as a base for your motif.

No apartment can be complete without furniture. You probably think that you have to spend thousands of dollars buying brand new furniture at your home improvement store but there are actually much cheaper alternatives. For instance, visit thrift shops, yard sales or even swap meets. You know what they say: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That bamboo stool that one person decided to get rid of may just be the perfect addition to your Hawaiian Luau-themed dining room. If you have old furniture pieces that you have no use for, you can also try repainting them so they can go along better with the interior design of your home. Remember those multi-colored dining chairs in the sitcom Friends?

Don’t be afraid to add personal touches to your home as well. Whether it’s an animal print bean bag chair or a vintage lamp, little details can make your apartment really “you”.

Decorating your home or apartment can be extremely exciting. Whether this is your first time to give interior designing a try or you just want to change the look of your home, you probably want a decoration that won’t burn a hole through your pocket. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to beautify your living space while saving money at the same time.

One of the first things you can do to make decorating easy is to decide on the feeling or emotion that you want your home to inspire. For instance, if you want a relaxing home that you can unwind in then you might want to come up with cool colors that you can use as a theme in your interior design. Cool colors such as blue and green are known to have calming effects. On the other hand, if you want to show off your vibrant and colorful personality then why not use combination of striking colors like reds, yellows and oranges?

Every starting homeowner is faced with the expenses of buying furniture. If you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars for the furniture pieces you need, you can always explore your other options. For instance, yard sales, thrift shops and even online auctions are all good sources of affordable furniture. With any luck, you can even find pieces that are as good as new. You will also have more chances of finding pieces that are unique or vintage. To make sure that your furniture can go along with almost any decoration, be sure to stick to simple designs.

You can then accent your furniture with blankets and throw pillows of your choice.

Moving into your first home or apartment is definitely one of the most exciting times in your life. There is nothing like having your own place to make you achieve independence and make you feel that you are starting a new chapter of your life. Now that you’ve taken care of the down payment of the mortgage or the rent, it’s time to actually furnish your place. Many first-time homeowners can find this quite confusing so here is a concise guide to make your place a real home.

When it comes to furnishing your home, there are actually 5 S’s that you need to remember. These 3 S’s will not only help you designate spaces in your home but will also help you learn what furniture and other items to buy. So what are the 5 S’s?

Basically, these stand for:

• Sleep
• Study (or work)
• Snack
• Sanitize
• Sit or socialize

These are the five activities that you will be doing in your home so you have to set up spaces where you can do each of them. In the bedroom, try to add accessories like table lamps and headboard lights. These are ideal for those who like to do a bit of reading before bedtime. For studying and working, you don’t need a separate room to have your privacy. You can simply choose a quiet corner of the house and equip it with your desk, computer and chair. Organizing furniture like shelves or filing cabinets are also great. Naturally, your kitchen will be the place where you do most of your snacking or dining. Stick to kitchenware that you actually use not those that you feel you ought to have. Bathrooms should also contain items that you use to clean the house, such as mops, brooms, etc. As for your sitting or living room, invest in coffee tables, lamps and comfortable chairs to make the room more lived in.

Many homeowners think that they need to spend a fortune just to improve the interior design of their homes. However, a little time and determination can allow you to take your home decoration into your hands. Here are some practical tips for those who are planning to give their homes a makeover.
If this is your first time to venture into interior design then you’re probably looking for a way to gain ideas. One of the best things you can do is to flip through interior design and home improvement magazines. These magazines often feature dozens of decorating ideas that you can copy. Feel free to use more than one interior design theme. Once you’re done, you can do some “editing” and adjust the aspects that you don’t like. This will make the design truly yours instead of being copied.
It’s always good to decide on a theme that you can keep in mind when buying future pieces for your home. Instead of coming up with a general theme such as Victorian or contemporary, try to be more specific. Do you prefer simple and minimalist designs or do you prefer designs that are more intricate.
Always start off with a small budget. For instance, if you don’t like the color of your kitchen then you can always ask help from loved ones to paint them with you. To get an idea of how the room looks, take pictures so you can analyze the design in your own time. You’ll be surprised at how different the look rooms in the picture.

Has it been years since you last paid attention to the interior design of your house? Do you often sit down, look around your home and feel that you hate everything you see? If you answered yes to these questions then this article is for you. Redecorating your home doesn’t mean that you need to pay an interior designer thousands of dollars. Here are some tips to help you accomplish the task yourself.
When it comes to selecting furniture and other items for your home, always combine beauty and function. Try not to add something just because it’s useful or just because it’s decorative. If you have unsightly necessities in your home, work on improving their appearance or replacing them.
A color scheme is also a good and easy way to decorate your home. This doesn’t mean that your entire home and furniture set will have only a single color. Instead, try to have a motif or theme that will dictate the colors you choose. For instance, a sunset color theme will most probably include oranges, pinks and pale purples.
Reality TV shows are now featuring people who are called “hoarders”. These are the homeowners who refuse to throw something away. No matter how beautiful your house is, it can be ruined by the presence of clutter. Take stock of your belongings and get rid of those that you have no use for. Hold a garage sale, or better yet, donate them to your favorite charity. If you have items that you cannot throw away but you don’t want to put on display either, such as sentimental gifts, you can always store them away in the attic or the basement.

Moving can be a very stressful time for anyone. There is the long list of things you need to do, the limited time when you need to accomplish them and the worry that a dozen things might go wrong. To make sure that you are fully prepared for the big moving day, here are several tips that you can keep in mind.

Don’t do things on your own. The more help you get, the easier and faster the job will be. Ask relatives and friends to help you out. Distribute the labor so the work will be more organized. Your friends can pack the stuff in the living room while your brothers can throw away the stuff you won’t be packing. If your children are already of the right age then enlist their help as well.

No moving can be possible without the right moving boxes. Collect boxes of all shapes and sizes. You can purchase them from a retail stores around your town or better yet, buy them from a moving company. There are now moving boxes that are customized to the items that you will be packing. For instance, there are boxes for clothes, documents, fragile kitchenware and more.

When packing, keep in mind how you will be unpacking your belongings. Then proceed to marking the boxes in order or priority. For instance, the first couple of boxes will contain things that you immediately need to unpack such as bed mattresses and kitchenware. The last few boxes will hold items that you can save for last, such as paintings and other decorations.

Moving can be a very stressful time for anyone involved. Packing all your possessions, transporting them to a new place then unpacking and arranging them again in the new place is a process that can surely consume anyone’s energy—and sanity. To make sure that your moving day does not become a chaotic disaster, there are some reminders that you should keep in mind. Here are several of them.
Make a checklist to make moving day as organized as possible. List down all the things you need to accomplish before the big day as well as those that need to be done after you’ve moved. Most people who move tend to want to bring everything along with them to their new home, including the things that they never even used in their old home. Packing that old broken washing machine or that bookshelf that you no longer use will not only cost money but can be a source of a lot of hassle as well.
A few days before moving day, devote some time to freeing your house of clutter—old toys, clothes and shoes that you no longer wear, broken appliances, etc. Removing this clutter will greatly help you take stock of what you really need to bring to your new home. If you don’t want to dispose of your old belongings, you can always hold a garage sale or donate them to charity.
Hiring a moving service is not the time to be a cheapskate. When your new home and possessions are at stake, a few extra bucks can be worth it if you will be getting the best service.

Burglary is one of the most common crimes in the country. Surprisingly, some of these burglaries occur in broad daylight and some burglars even need not force their way into the house. One of the most important aspects of your home is security. Just because you lock your doors at night doesn’t mean that you are already safe from burglars. Here are some tips to keep your home and family secure.

Be sure to do the basics like securing locks for your windows and doors. There are many types of security gadgets that you can now buy in stores so select the one that works best for you. Once you’ve bought an expensive appliance, a piece of electronics or any costly home item, try not to display the box by putting it in your garbage bin outside. Garbage on the streets is public property and any burglar can go through yours to see if your home has anything worth stealing.

If you like to do some work in your garden, front yard or garage, make sure that you store all your tools and equipment back inside. It would be ironic if the burglar uses your own pair of pliers or drill to force his way into your house.

Entries to your house like the front door and back door should also be properly secured. Install outdoor lights so you can always see who is standing outside. Put peepholes in your doors as well so you can get a glimpse of who is knocking before you open the door.

Home renovation can be a daunting task especially if you’ve never had any house remodeling done before. When done right, you can make improvements to your home that will make it more impressive and a more enjoyable place to live in for you and your family. When done wrong, you can end up wasting your hard-earned money on changing your house for the worse. Here are some reminders to make sure that you have a successful renovation.

Before you even start scouting for contractors, be sure that you have a clear idea of what you want to add or change in your house. Once you know what you want to get out of your renovation, it will be easier for you to research a reasonable price so you can set up your budget. Make this budget clear to your contractor and expect to pay a bit more for unforeseen expenses. Unless you want to break the bank, be sure that you stick to your budget. You and your contractor should also agree on a specific payment plan or schedule. Make sure you follow this plan to ensure a harmonious relationship with your contractor.

Whether it lasts for a week or for an entire month, expect home renovation to be a messy and noisy process. To prepare for it, be sure that you gather all your breakables and valuables so you can store them in a safer place while your house is being renovated. Be sure that you also take security measures to avoid accidents and injuries during the renovation process.

Home renovation is one of the most important processes that a homeowner can go through. Not only will it take a big cut from your savings but you will also be changing the home where you and your loved ones live. The wrong renovation decisions can result to wasted money, worsened living conditions and conflict with both the contractor and your family. Here are a couple of useful tips to make sure that you have a successful renovation.
When it comes to looking for contractors who will be handling your renovation, it’s advisable that you hire experts that you feel you can trust. However, if you don’t know any builders yet in your area, then it’s best to ask from people you trust—relatives, friends and even neighbors whose houses you admire. However, be sure to take the time to interview the builders yourself. It’s important to get a feel of the people that you will be trusting your home with. How much experience do they have in the business? Will they be able to pull off what you want for your home? Can they give you a list of satisfied past clients?
Once you have chosen the right contractor for the job, it’s time to talk money. Never begin a renovation budget without establishing your budget first, or you can find yourself needing to sell your house just to pay for its remodeling. Know clearly what type of renovation you want—an added sun roof, a remodeled kitchen, an extra floor, etc.—and do some research about how much this project will cost. Don’t let the contractor or even your family talk you into extras that you don’t really need.