Tag Archives: painting

Feb22

Do You Love Your Home? Time To Show It

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Do You Love Your Home? Time To Show It

A home is much more than walls and a roof. It’s a place that means something to you and your family. It’s where memories are made. Your house should feel like a safe and inviting shelter from the world. Whether you’ve had a hard day at work or your kids have had a hard day at school, everybody should feel as if they can stroll through that front door and let all of their worries fade away. It’s not just about creating a practical environment for physical relaxation but an aesthetically-pleasing environment that relaxes the mind. For example, your couch can look modern or sophisticated and still be comfortable.

Essentially, creating an inviting home is all about finding a good balance between prettiness and comfort. Whatever improvements need to be made, it’s time to put some effort into the appearance of your humble abode. Do you love your home? If you do, then you should want to show that. Let’s talk about some of the improvements you could make to your household in order to create a warmer and more relaxing environment for you and the whole family. You don’t need to hire a professional team or become a DIY expert either; any beginner with determination can renovate their home:

Space is everything:

The first step towards improving your home is to declutter every room. This is a chance to get rid of all the junk you’ve hoarded over the years (and perhaps make some money by selling those things at a yard sale). In turn, you’ll notice that the house slowly opens up. There’s more potential space in your home than you realize. That minimalistic and spacious design you’ve always wanted is within reach. It’s just about putting your home’s available space to better use. Putting up shelves on the walls as additional storage space is another great way to “tidy up” rooms in the house.

Lighting affects the mood of a room:

The importance of lighting in a home can’t be underestimated. If your house feels a little drab and dreary despite being decorated with all of the bells and whistles, then you might want to consider that the problem lies with the lighting. So many households have a bad interior design because the decorator doesn’t consider the layout and colors used in each room. If you want your home to feel bright and enticing, then you need to utilize lighting cleverly. Throughout the day, you should be allowing natural light into your home as much as possible. Neutral colors such as white will naturally reflect any sunlight pouring in through the windows and serve to brighten up each room in the house.

Tame your back garden:

Another important aspect of a happy home is a nice garden. That’s right – you need to push your horizons a little further than interior design. Your house’s exterior is just as important to your home. Is it nice to look out of your window and see an overgrown jungle that used to be your garden? If you really love your home, then you need to tidy up this outdoor space. You might even want to look into companies such as ABC Home & Commercial to help you mow, fertilize, and essentially tame your garden if you need help. The key thing is to make this area feel homely. Create a relaxing patio area with comfy seats, a dining table, and maybe even a patio awning for shelter from the elements.

Once your backyard has been tamed, fixtures like ponds or pools can make an amazing addition and boost property value. Not a lot of space? No problem! Spools (AKA small pools) are becoming wildly popular and for good reason. They require a lot less maintenance and, due to their small size, can fit in almost any yard. When you choose a fiberglass, gunite, & vinyl spool, you create a backyard oasis for your home, ready for the kids (or you!) to jump right into when the sun comes out.

Reinvent the front of the house:

Continuing from the previous point, you need to think about the entire house when it comes to exterior design. Tidying up your back garden is one thing, but the front of your house is a crucial element of your home’s overall feel. It makes the first impression on you and your guests, after all. If you want to come home to a pleasant sight before you’ve even opened the door, then you might want to consider repaving the path leading up to the door and putting some plants on the front window sills. You could even repaint the front door to give it a “fresh” feel. Reinvent the front of the house, in other words.

With spring just around the corner, there is no better time than now to give your home a new beginning and spruce things up a bit!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Oct25

Bright Ideas To Spruce Up A Gloomy Home

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Bright Ideas To Spruce Up A Gloomy Home

When summer is put behind us, it’s tempting to revert to dark, deep colors. Mustard yellows and soft browns are autumnal and reflect the changing leaves outside. However, if one goes too far with a deep color palette, a gloomy home can be created, which is somewhat depressing. Remember that the sun sets far earlier and that there is less sunlight during the autumn and winter months. Exploiting light to combat this is never as important as it is now and in the months to come.

Don’t fret, though, because sprucing up a gloomy house is by no means impossible. In fact, with the following tips, it’s pretty easy!

Paint It White:

The Rolling Stones are a fan of painting things black, but they’re rock stars and allowed to be miserable. The average person can’t pull off their attitude without a guitar in hand. So, as a rule, it’s better to use white when brightening up a home. The reason for this is the sheen. All paint is glossy, yet white has an extra shine, which gives it an added edge. Even lighter colors can’t compete because they are softer and not as bright. It’s okay to use non-autumnal colors. Use white as the foundation, and then you can accessorize the rest of the house with darker tones.

Glass Paneled Doors:

Removing blockages from the windows and using power light bulbs are simple fixes. Still, the light may not travel well from one room to another. The reason, quite simply, is the blockages within the rooms. Doors are a prime example because they are big and bulky. As soon as the light hits the wood or PVC, it will bounce elsewhere. With panels, the rays will travel straight through unimpeded and into the next area of the house. The doors don’t have to be paneled from head to toe because it’s overkill. Just install them halfway up the wood for excellent results.

Make It Fun:

You didn’t think to brighten up a home was all about light, did you? No, the right light settings are crucial but not the end of the line. To make a house less gloomy, it needs to be a place that you enjoy. Whether it’s relaxing or bright and poppy, there should be a stylish and practical nature throughout the property. Relaxing is easy, so let’s focus on having fun. If there is space, turn an empty bedroom into a games room. The best billiard tables can provide you with hours of entertainment. Make sure you get a mini fridge and an awesome speaker system, too! Finally, make sure that the house is accessible. Nothing is more annoying than struggling to move in your own home. Clear away the clutter and the boxes and watch the space and light flow better than ever.

Keep It The Same:

The above are useful tips if a gloomy house is a problem. But what if you love your house the way it is?! Keep everything the same if your home looks perfect. For one thing, it should be a reflection of your family’s likes and dislikes. Secondly, some people are winter people, as in they love this time of year. In that case, embrace the dark afternoons and freezing cold temperatures! Pull a Mick Jagger and Paint It Black and light some candles for a spooky chic atmosphere. Go all out, because nothing is cooler than a house that is completely and utterly you.

A murky home is not always doom and gloom. But if you do want to brighten things up, follow the above steps and let the sunshine in!

Featured Image By: PxHere

Sep7

4 Reasons Why Blue Is The Most Soothing Color For Interior Decor

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4 Reasons Why Blue Is The Most Soothing Color For Interior Decor

Some colors are naturally overwhelming to your senses, but blue somehow promotes calm because most people associate blue with something good in their life. There are varying shades of blue and none of them have been noted to give you a headache from exposure. Whereas, too-bright colors, like lemon yellow or neon green, have been known to cause migraines if viewed in large doses.

Blue is a color that is widely associated as soothing and these are the top four reasons why. Incorporate various shades of blue into your decor and get your calm on!

Blue Goes with Nearly Everything in Your Home Decor:

Like your favorite pair of denim jeans that goes with everything in your wardrobe, other shades of blue go with nearly everything in your home decor. You can pick a single shade of blue, then plan an entire room around it. For example, if you deck the walls in cobalt blue, you can add touches of silver in vases, pillows, and frames, to represent the night sky directly after a sunset. Fairy lights optional!

If you are struggling to picture your home in a sea of blue but love the idea, then tools like this 3d interior visualizations software can be invaluable. You will work with a team to create a 3D mockup of your design as well as a game plan for making it happen. This is a fantastic way to experiment with colors.

There are Dozens of Shades of Blue:

You could count off two handfuls of blue shades and still not be done naming all of the different kinds of blue. There are dozens to choose from; ergo, you get more to work with when designing your interiors. And who doesn’t love options?! You could wind up with four or five different shades of a similar color just because it makes you feel calm and positive, and your room will look positively fabulous.

Blue is Associated with Good Things in Nature:

From the beautiful blues of the oceans, to the blues of summer skies or velvety nights, the color is often associated with the beauties of nature. And you can design your home with these shades of blue, using nature as your inspiration. When designing a room around your favorite nature scene, use a blue hue as the backdrop, then add onto your palette with other colors from the same scene. For instance, if you love the cerulean of a rainbow, throw in red, yellow, orange, and purple accents around the room to complete the prism look.

Often Times, Blue is Associated with Favorite Scents:

You would be surprised, but most people associate their favorite colors with their favorites scents. When someone closes their eyes and sees green, they might envision forests, fresh-cut grass, and raindrops on flowers. Whereas, when people think of blue, they imagine sea breezes, brisk summer rains, and cold winter nights. From the palest blues to the deepest indigos, the color blue inspires a scent that is as crisp and refreshing as a huge intake of clean, mountain air.

Blue is soothing because it simply is. There are different reasons for different people, but it’s no wonder why it’s such a popular color for home decor. Some people have a natural knack for interior design and choosing colors that “work”. But if that is so not you, you can always pay an hourly rate for the advice of a home renovation contractor. It will be well worth it, once you have your own little slice of zen in your home to unwind in after a stressful day!

Featured Image By: Pantone

Jun22

Bedroom Makeover: Quick Fixes That Can Make A Huge Difference

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Bedroom Makeover: Quick Fixes That Can Make A Huge Difference

The bedroom is one room in the house that we probably don’t prioritize enough when it comes to decorating. We can be too transfixed with the rooms that other people see more regularly, like a kitchen or a living room. It’s understandable. Those rooms are the ones that we may entertain in and ultimately spend our waking hours in. But the sleeping hours are just as important!

Do you find that your bedroom is cluttered? Perhaps it has become a room in your home that is multifunctional? These things can be causing problems with the quality of sleep that we are getting, and every one of us deserves a place that is a sanctuary to retire to when the day is done. Here are some quick fixes that you can make to your bedroom that will make a huge difference in your quality of sleep:

Let’s Talk Mattresses: Where we lay our head at night is an important part of any bedroom, wouldn’t you agree? So it’s important to have a good quality mattress and bed to ensure that we get the most restful night’s sleep as possible. It may not be possible to change your whole bed, but one thing that you should consider is a new mattress. Companies like Puffy offer a great selection of mattresses that are comfortable, lush, plush, and perfect for a good night’s sleep. Sleep is vital for our well-being, and feeling rested for the next day can help improve productivity. So replacing your old and battered mattress is definitely a worthwhile investment!

Get Rid Of The Clutter: Clutter can be a big issue when it comes to your mindset. Any bedroom with multiple uses will not only look cluttered but feel it, too. This will make you relaxing in the evening when trying to get some sleep all the more difficult. Focus on what you need in the bedroom and try and get rid of or find homes for everything else. Invest in some good storage so that if it has to be there, then it is out of sight and out of mind.

Redecorate Your Bedroom Purposefully: We may all have our favorite colors that we go to, but when it comes to decorating your bedroom, try and decorate it with purpose. The purpose being a restful night’s sleep. This means avoiding brightly colored walls and opting for something more sedated like a pastel shade. If you insist on color, then use accessories to bring it out. Funky colored frames, cushions, and bed sheets will still enable you to get a peaceful night’s sleep. Hot pink walls? Not so much!

Finally, make sure you keep your bedroom airy throughout the day. Summer can make sleeping very difficult, so you might want to invest in a fan or at the very least open the windows during the evening to let the air circulate. A stuffy room is the farthest thing from comfortable!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

May5

How to Add Value to your House Without Having to Remortgage

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How to Add Value to your House Without Having to Remortgage

We all know the importance of taking pride in our homes. We work hard to keep our dwellings spick and span and looking its best. We constantly strive to make sure they are cozy, comfortable, and a happy place for our families. But, sometimes we need to really up our game and whip our houses into shape with some serious elbow grease. However, that can be easier said than done as it can be tough to know where to start.

So whether you’re looking to add value to your house because you’re wanting to sell or whether you’re just looking for the best ways to really make the most out of your home, here are our simple tips on how to do just that:

Start From the Top: Looking at our attics as a potential area for extending our living space is one of the top ways to add significant value to our homes. If you think your property would benefit from an extra bedroom or if you think that your home needs an amazing game room, your attic could be just the ticket. Get a builder to take a look at your attic and see what possibilities are open to you. Although attic conversions take money and time, the return on the investment is usually really high. A £15,000 attic conversion, can add an extra £30,000 to the value of your house, so it’s well worth considering. Or if you’re staying put and just looking for extra room for your family, this really is the best part of your house to consider opening up.

Extend Into Your Garden: Extending your property into your garden is another great way that you can expand your living space and subsequently add value to your home. Be cautious when taking on conservatory projects, however, as sometimes they can look like an afterthought. An extra unit just bolted onto the side of your home doesn’t look so attractive. Work closely with an experienced builder to see how your conservatory can create a natural flow from your internal home and out into your outdoor world.

Make sure that the style fits well with the existing decor of your house and consider putting the same flooring down from the connecting room so that you give off that natural flow. A full build conservatory can cost as little as £4,000 and can add as much as 9% to the value of your home so, again, this option is well worth looking into.

A Lick of Paint Works Wonders: There’s nothing that drags down the overall appearance of a home more than dull, tired, and old paint work. Look at the paint both internally and externally on your house and get to work. This is a job that you can take on yourself, but to make it as easy as possible for you, you should consider investing in a paint spray machine. It will quarter the amount of time that you spend painting and provides really even coverage. Try shopping around for the best paint spray machines at Tool Nerds.

Before rolling those sleeves up and going in, all paint guns blazing, take some time to consider the most attractive colors for your home. Think of how to cleverly mix neutral with statement colors and plan each individual room and living space accordingly.

When considering the outside of your home, you will need to look at the bigger picture. Look at the houses on either side of you and along your street. Look at the general color palette on the street and think about a color for your house that would not only make it look fantastic, but will also compliment the colors of your neighbors’ home. This will not only give your home an instant facelift, but it will also help make your street look more desirable in general.

Windows are the Soul to Your Home: Windows can be so easily overlooked when sprucing up and renovating homes. Whatever plans you may have for your windows, make sure that they are cohesive with the age and style of your house. Replacing old, tatty, and even moldy or rotting windows will instantly lift the look of your home and provide some much needed sunlight and fresh air into your quarters. This transformation is sure to boost your curb appeal if done right so take the time to explore several different styles before making your decision. You could go eclectic with some stained glass fixtures, classic with custom timber windows, or rustic by adding quaint wooden shutters. The possibilities are endless!

First Impression: The smaller details are just as important as the big when it comes to adding value to our homes. Dingy, faded, and old front doors are certainly not the first impression that you want to give off to any potential buyers or guests coming to your home for the first time. Make sure that you get your new paint spray machine out on your front door, too. Once you’ve painted your front door and it’s looking shiny and new, think about elements such as doorknobs and the sign to your house (if you have one) or your house number.

Look into solid, decadent looking doorknobs and stainless steel house numbers to really have your front door looking in tip top condition. These little extras are incredibly affordable and can make all of the difference to visitors getting excited about stepping inside of your much-loved home.

The Hall: The hall is your second opportunity to make a lasting first impression. Keeping the kids’ shoes stored away and all coats and scarves neatly hidden out of site is the first thing that must be done. Then, take a look around the space. How can you improve the overall feel and style of your hallway so that people instantly feel warm, welcome, and inspired by your home? It all starts with mirrors and lighting.

Hanging mirrors on the wall will open up small hallways and give the impression that they are larger than they are. Natural light will also give off a feeling of spaciousness. For evening lighting think of low, mood lighting that will create a soothing and calming ambience to the entrance of your home. Avoid harsh overhead lighting and invest in interesting lamps or low-lit floor lights for a warm and inviting atmosphere that beckons visitors into the heart of your home.

Ready, get set, and get to work on making your home look brand new and beautiful!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Feb7

Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Attractive to Buyers

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Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Attractive to Buyers

Selling your home is no mean feat. Even if your property is in the most respectable neighborhood and has been well looked after, there will be many buyers who are put off by the simplest of things, which is why if you want to sell your home quickly, and for the best price, you should take some time to make it appear as attractive as possible. Any real estate broker will tell you that, even if your home isn’t the best on the block, you can make it more appealing than the rest by doing some or all of the following:

Make a Good First Impression: Perhaps they shouldn’t, but first impressions count. If you want potential buyers to be drawn to your home, you need to make sure that they see it in a positive light right from the beginning, and this means taking good care of your lawns, trees, hedges, driveways, and the exterior of your home. Do not neglect the outdoors if you want to make that all-important sale!

Declutter: Most homes have a lot of stuff sitting around, some functional and some not. We use this clutter, and much of it has sentimental value to us, but that is not so for buyers. What buyers want is to walk into a spacious room, one that they can picture their own stuff in and one that lets them think about how the space can be best utilized to accommodate their family and lifestyle.

Little Touches: Although for the most part, you want to keep personal keepsakes to a minimum when your house is on the market, it is always a good idea to add little touches that will make the property feel homely without being overwhelming. Cut flowers, potted plants, expertly placed candles, and a fruit bowl can make all of the difference.

Decorate in Neutral Colors: If your rooms haven’t been decorated in a while, you might want to consider giving them a fresh lick of paint. This will brighten up your rooms and make them more appealing to buyers who don’t want the hassle of decorating when they move in. If you do decide to paint your property, try to stick with neutral colors because they are less likely to put anyone off, they make a room seem bigger, and they provide a blank canvas for the desires of potential buyers.

Spring Clean: No matter how amazing your home might be, potential buyers are unlikely to see it in its true light if it is messy or dirty, which means that you need to put some serious elbow grease into cleaning your home and making it sparkle.

DIY: Attending to any home repairs is something that you should always do when putting a home on the market. Many buyers are looking for a home that is as near perfect as possible. They don’t want to have to take care of all of those little jobs that you, as the previous owner, left unattended. By taking care of any little problems with your home via DIY or through a Handyman Service, you can present a more impressive property that the buyers will be clambering to buy.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but making your home more attractive will make it easier for you to sell and it could mean the difference between a sale at the optimum price and one significantly lower.

Featured Image By: Flickr

Feb2

Renovation Frustration: Things Most People Will Overlook

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Renovation Frustration: Things Most People Will Overlook

If you’re planning to renovate or improve your home this year, you’ll have to think long and hard. You need to make sure that your budget stretches to cover everything, or you’ll never feel satisfied with the outcome. However, the issue is that many people overlook simple jobs. Which they only realize after they’ve spent all their money, and so people don’t get the results they desired. With that in mind, we wanted to provide a helping hand with this article today. We’re going to list some of the things people overlook in the hope of making sure that you don’t follow suit. So long as you read this information and consider our tips, you can’t go wrong. With a bit of luck, you’ll perform an entire home renovation during the next few months:

Adding a New Bathroom: When it comes to replacing your bathroom, you will have to spend a lot of time considering your options. In some instances, you won’t have to change the entire suite. Maybe you just need a new bath because the panels are cracked? Most bathroom retailers will sell individual items so you won’t need to break the bank. However, if your bathroom furniture is more than ten years old, you should treat your family. At the end of the day, adding a new suite could make your home appear far more luxurious to guests. Even so, it has functional benefits too. The latest products like modern illusion cabinets are designed to save space and that can go a long way in a smaller bathroom. New fixtures also stay in working order for as long as possible so you shouldn’t have to worry about dealing with any more leaks, creaks, and malfunctions.

Replacing or Fixing Your Air Conditioning: Your air conditioning unit is important if you live in a location with a warm climate. You have a few months before the summer arrives, so there’s plenty of time to sort it out. Again, you should look towards replacing the entire unit if it’s more than around ten years old. Those devices will often stop working properly after that period which could result in wasting electricity by running it when the weather improves. Of course, sometimes your AC unit just needs some care and maintenance. Getting your AC fixed is easy these days because there are many specialists in the marketplace. Just search online for a local firm that can visit your property without too much hassle. Also, make sure that you settle on a price before you let anyone mess with your unit.

renov1

Beep beep boop

Installing a New Boiler or Furnace: Those summer nights can become rather cold if you live in the middle or southern areas of the United States. The temperature often drops below freezing so you’ll also need to think about heating your property. Most homeowners use a furnace or a boiler these days as they’re the most economical and convenient solutions. You need to check yours as soon as possible to discover if you require a replacement or not. Getting a new system installed is easy and it should take no longer than a couple of hours. Indeed, some companies selling those products will provide the installation for free depending on how much you spend. Make sure you don’t overlook this task or you’ll regret it when those summer nights begin to turn cold and a case of the chills comes on.

Converting Your Attic: Most people would agree that adding more space to their properties is a wise move. It could also mean that you don’t have to sell your home and move as your family grows. At the very least, you will make better use of the rooms available to you. Perhaps instead of spending all your money on new kitchen tiles, maybe you should convert your attic? You could turn the attic into an office, recording studio, or extra bedroom. The job is going to cost a few thousand dollars so you need to contact the experts as soon as possible. Obtain some quotes and work out if you can afford to push ahead with the plan. Attic conversions are an excellent idea because they will also add value to your home so you should see the spending as an investment.

renov2.jpg

I want an attic room!

Using Your Garage For More Ground Floor Space: If you don’t like the idea of converting your attic, there is an easier and cheaper solution. People who own a property with a garage attached could knock down a wall and extend their ground floor. Maybe you’ve always liked the idea of having a dining room? Perhaps you need somewhere to brew lots of wine or beer? A garage conversion could be the ideal solution. You won’t break the bank, but you could give your home a new lease of life. Just bear in mind that you will have to insulate the space for the best results. Failure to do that could mean the temperature is too low to make the room comfortable. Ideally, you want to ensure that it’s the same as the rest of your home. That way, you shouldn’t notice that you’re walking into what used to be your garage.

Painting the Property Exterior: Many homeowners spend time painting the interior of their properties every single year. It helps to keep the house looking fresh, stylish, and modern. However, almost everyone forgets about the exterior of their building. Painting the outside of your home brings a couple of advantages. Firstly, it will make sure your house looks stunning when people get out of their cars on your driveway. Secondly, it could help to ensure that your home is more resilient to weather damage. Giving your home a new coat of paint will help to protect it. It will also make sure it doesn’t deteriorate. Even so, unless you like working at heights, it’s sensible to employ a Painter in Houston TX or a team in your area. Most professionals would complete a job like that in under two days.

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Flickr Image

With a bit of luck, you shouldn’t overlook anything important when renovating your home after reading this post. Now you just need to make your plan and set the wheels in motion. At the end of the day, you want to feel as proud as possible of your house so you should always try to make improvements whenever you have the time and money. It will keep your family happy, but it will also mean that you could make a substantial profit when you decide to sell.

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jan26

Feel The Rainbow: The Importance Of Color In The Home

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Feel The Rainbow: The Importance Of Color In The Home

Decorating the home is an exciting time. You get to turn a new leaf on the parts of the home that you don’t like. And, with the bits you do like, you can refresh them and make them look new again. But, despite most people’s love for beautiful rooms, most struggle to find colors that suit their space and style. This means that loads of people end up with rooms that they don’t like, even after redecorating. So, to help you out, this post will be going through the importance of color in the home and how you should go about choosing them.

Room Size: Color can have a great impact on a room. It can change the feel, mood, and even the size of a room. And, size is something that you have to consider. Some rooms feel far too big, even when they’re filled with furniture. Whereas, some rooms feel tiny, with no room at all. This needs to be a consideration. Different colors can have different effects on how we perceive the size of a room. For example, a small room would benefit from lighter colors, which make it feel more open. But, huge rooms are better with darker shades, to make them feel a little cozier. Of course, you’re not actually changing the size of the room. Color can just have the effect of doing so. Dark colors absorb more light than lighter ones, which reflect it. This makes a room darker, making it feel smaller. When a room is lighter, it feels more open and large.

Boring, Interesting, or Ugly! Once you’ve figured out the shade you’d like for your room, you have to figure out a balance. It’s easy to have too little color in a room, making it look boring. Likewise, you can also have too much going on, making the room look ugly. But, you want the house to be interesting – somewhere right in the middle. Doing this can be hard. So, it’s usually best to get the help of a professional. Having a painter give you their opinion on the room ideas you have is a great way to start. They see loads of rooms and they know what looks good. They will also be able to help you to complete the job. And, using a professional for painting will almost always have a better result.

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Ladders are scary! :((

Choosing Well: Choosing the colors for your home is completely down to you but rooms shouldn’t have more than one vibrant color as a rule of thumb. Neutral colors can be played with a little more. But, it’s usually best to be conservative with what you choose. Use guides online to choose colors that fit with moods. For example, if you wanted a relaxing room, you could choose yellow as the main color. This sort of method will always see that you choose something that you love.

Hopefully, this will inspire you to start making changes when it comes to the decor in your home. It can be hard to make decisions like this. It takes a lot of work, and you have to be confident in your choices before you start the job. But, once it’s all done, you’ll feel much happier in your home!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Feb1

Monday Update: Paint Nite Edition

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Monday Update: Paint Nite Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! For Christmas my brother and sister-in-law got me a Groupon for two admissions to a Paint Nite. For those of you not familiar with the event, it’s a lot of fun! You go online and pick a bar as well as the theme of the picture that you would like to paint. Then you make your way to whatever location you picked and paint a beautiful picture and enjoy some drinks while doing so. My boyfriend, Kyle, and I went to the Paint Nite that we chose last Tuesday and we had a blast. Kyle took pictures of our progress on the canvasses throughout the night, so take a look and then let’s chat:

^^^ The one on the left is mine and the one on the right is Kyle’s.

Kyle and I spent close to a half hour browsing through Paint Nite’s website to find a theme and a location that we both liked. We settled on the Love Birds theme which would take place at the Canton Brewing Company in Canton, Ohio. This location was good for Kyle because he’s a beer drinker but looking back on the event, I would have preferred to be at a wine bar! We booked our tickets thanks to my Groupons a few weeks in advance so for two or so weeks all we could talk about was how excited we were for our night out.

Finally, our date night on Tuesday the 26th rolled around and it was all I could think about for the entire day! We arrived at the Canton Brewing Company which was gigantic and then headed down into the basement where the event was taking place. After we walked down the huge stairway we saw all of the canvasses set up on easels and a bunch of people gathered around to enjoy their evening. We snagged a spot where we could sit together which I was afraid was not going to happen because almost everyone was there by the time we arrived. After we established our spots we went to the bottom floor bar to get ourselves some drinks before the extravaganza began.

The Canton Brewing Company had a great selection of beers (obviously) and that was great for Kyle but not so good for me! I’m not a big beer drinker at all – mama likes her sweet white wines! Unfortunately, they only had two wines to choose from which was a red and a chardonnay which ended up being way too dry. I threw back the chardonnay even though it was extremely unpleasant and was then able to get a drink that I actually like upstairs at the main bar. After I got a vodka sour in my system, I was feeling much better!

Our painting party started promptly at seven o’clock and was led by a lovely hostess whose name I can’t remember for the life of me, so we’ll call her “Anne”. Anne is a high school art teacher and had a lively personality which made listening to her talk a lot of fun. The basic idea of Paint Nite is that Anne will paint a section of the canvas and tell you how to do it and then you repeat the process. This back and forth went on for about an hour and then we dispersed for a fifteen minute break to get more drinks, go to the bathroom, and let the paint dry.

Once we returned from our break we got to work on the second half of our painting. Our hostess did a really good job of explaining the process in laymens terms which was so helpful because Kyle and I don’t have an artistic bone in our body. It was also nice to have another art teacher there who made her rounds around the tables to give some pointers and replenish our paint supplies. Before we knew it, another hour and a half had passed and our paintings were finally complete! Again, here are the finished products:

I was really pleased with how our paintings turned out – everything except Kyle’s dumb old cardinals that he decided to paint hair on to differentiate which bird was which. He gave his alter ego bird spiky hair and he ended up giving mine a mullet…Thanks, babe. -_-

I had so much fun at Paint Nite but there are a few things that I would do differently. It was nice to be among such a lively crowd while we got our paint on but at times, it was almost too much. There were around thirty or more people there so it would get incredibly loud which made it hard to hear Anne teach us what to do. I would definitely prefer smaller groups because then you would be able to get some type of attention from the hostess and her helper. You also wouldn’t have to deal with the insatiable urge to yell “SHUT UP” at everyone. 🙂

Other than the over abundance of people, I’d say that Paint Nite was a wonderful time. I was so thankful for my Groupon Christmas gift because the cost to go to an event is forty five dollars per person. I honestly think that that’s a bit pricey which is too bad because I would love to go to another one but I don’t particularly want to break the bank for it – especially when you still have to pay for drinks, snacks, and parking.

My best friend, Lea, wanted to try a Paint Nite after I told her about how much fun it was so we looked in to going to an event together. We were both not too keen to spend sixty or so dollars for the evening so we planned our own Paint Nite to have at home. We searched on YouTube for instructional videos on painting canvasses so we’re going to get our own supplies, grab a bottle of wine, and let an over enthusiastic YouTube painter walk us through creating a picture. Hello, girls night in!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Paint Nite Edition! If you’re looking for a unique and memorable date night, girls night, or gift idea then I can’t recommend a Paint Nite outing enough. How many of you have attended a Paint Nite before? What did you think of it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr24

Renovation Station

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Renovation Station

Hi hi hi hi hiiiiii. So tomorrow I planned on showing you guys what the new renovations on our hallway/entry way look like, but then I remembered that I’ll be out of office for most of the day so I figured I’ll just get it out of the way now! I mentioned earlier that we were getting our hallway and whatnot painted and the finished product looks SO fab and shockingly modern considering my dad came up with most of the ideas! Take a look at the before and after pics:

BEFORE:

renovation

AFTER:

renovation2

I know that the lighting in these pictures isn’t the best, but you get the idea. Our faithful handyman who we go to for literally everything did such an amazing job. He spent the better part of this week painting, doing whatever else it is that he does, and making everything look perfect. I know you can’t really tell the color of the hallway in the very first picture on the PicStitch because it didn’t photograph very well, but it’s a sage green and it’s SO pretty. I’m really hoping that we can get some cool artwork to hang on the walls soon, because they’re looking super bare. But yes, being woken up early every morning by the handyman doing his thang was totally worth it, as you can see by the finished results!

^^^This has been my blogging soundtrack and I’m so obsessed it hurts. I love AWOLNATION too much and am so excited to listen to their new album in its entirety later tonight because I finally added it to my iTunes today!

Tomorrow my parents, my best friend Kate, and I are going to see Beauty & The Beast at Playhouse Square in Cleveland and I CANT WAIT!!!! I haven’t seen a musical in ages and shocking as it may be for some – I absolutely love them. It’s going to be so much fun and I’m really looking forward to telling you guys all about it, so make sure you keep it posted at lifewithlilred! I’ll try and get some pictures if I can!! ALSO, I have a really fun photo shoot planned on Sunday for some fresh new pics for the ol’ blog so make sure you come back and check them out! I’m not going to give the idea away completely, but I can tell you that the shoot revolves around my early birthday gift from my mom….a super adorable Betsey Johnson purse!! I live for Betsey Johnson’s quirky/girly/fun clothes and accessories so needless to say I’m beyond happy with my month and a half early gift! :))))

I hope all of you are having a terrific Friday night! I’m actually about to go watch The Theory of Everything again with my parents. They didn’t watch it with me last week and the movie was so nice damn right I’ll watch it twice! Have any of you done any home renovations lately? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight. -Sarah