Tag Archives: storage

May12

Tips & Tricks To Make The Most Of A Small Home

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Tips & Tricks To Make The Most Of A Small Home

Are you ready to embrace the cozy and charming lifestyle of small space living? Downsizing to a smaller home can be a liberating experience, allowing you to simplify your life and focus on what truly matters. However, moving to a smaller home can also be overwhelming, especially if you’re used to a larger living space. That’s why we’re here to share some creative tips and tricks for making the most of your new home:

Get Rid Of Clutter:

Decluttering is an art form when it comes to small space living. The key to success is to get rid of anything that you don’t absolutely need – this includes clothes, books, furniture, and knick knacks. So what should you do with all of these things? You can either donate them to the less fortunate, plan a garage sale, or hire Junk removal to take them away for you.

Invest In Unique Storage Solutions:

Living in a smaller home requires thinking outside of the box when it comes to storage. One idea is to buy a bookshelf that also serves as a room divider or use floating shelves to free up floor space. Another option is to use an ottoman or bench that provides seating and storage space.

Maximize Wall Space:

Take advantage of vertical space! There is no need for a blank white wall. Hang artwork, use peg boards for kitchen utensils or tools, and even turn your spare wall space into a mini library. Storage options can truly start from the ground up.

Utilize Multi-Functional Furniture:

Multi-functional furniture is like having a mini-transformer in your home. It can turn into something entirely different with just the flick of a switch. This type of furniture is great for small spaces because it gives you more bang for your buck and helps save space. Examples of multi-functional furniture include a foldaway bed or a Murphy’s desk.

Play With Natural Light:

The sun is your best friend when it comes to making small spaces look bigger. Let as much natural light in as possible by taking advantage of large windows and skylights, and opt for lighter colors on your walls.

Don’t Forget The Outdoor Space:

No matter how small of a space you have, make sure to take advantage of the great outdoors. You can use your patio or balcony for extra seating and storage or to grow a small potted garden with herbs and vegetables.

With these tips and tricks, you will find yourself falling in love with your cozy new home. All it takes is a bit of creativity!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

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Oct13

Revamp Your Laundry Room

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Revamp Your Laundry Room

The laundry room is, easily, one of the most forgotten rooms in the home even though it serves such an important purpose. Often tucked away in the basement or a “junk room” the washer and dryer tend to go unnoticed and unappreciated despite using it almost every day. But, it doesn’t have to be that way! Turn doing the laundry into your favorite chore with these simple fixes:

Evaluate The Space:

First things first, let’s do a quick check on your appliances. Take a look at your washer and inspect your dryer and avoid potential dangers. All good? Perfect! Now, does your laundry room have the space for some additional shelving and maybe a small table to assist with folding? If so, you are well set! If not, you could designate a different area in your home for folding and placing your freshly laundered clothes. This leads us to our next point…

Shelving Or Cubby Shelves:

Standard shelving units in your laundry room or elsewhere are fantastic. This is ideal for storing your detergent, stain remover, laundry bins, and dryer sheets. However, a cubby shelving unit might be just what you need if you want some extra assistance with the chore. Once the laundry is folded, you could place each piece in the cubby for your partner or children. Then, it is up to them to put it away themselves. Don’t forget that your laundry room can also be used to house shoes with a door fixture or other odds and ends like cleaning supplies!

Add Some Fun:

Time and time again, I hear that doing laundry is a least favorite chore. You can change this, though! There are all kinds of things that you can do to add a touch of fun to your laundry space. Bring in a radio and listen to your favorite songs, add some essential oil to a diffuser and enjoy some aromatherapy, or paint the walls a peppy shade. No one loves doing housework but you can make it tolerable, at the very least!

Hone Your Craft:

Maybe, you don’t like doing the laundry because your folding skills aren’t quite up to snuff. That’s okay! Purchasing folding boards can give you perfectly folded T’s in no time. A clutter free table can also be very helpful. And, if all else fails: Have a lot of clothing hangers handy to just hang things up – no wrinkles required!

Give your washer and dryer the space that they deserve with the tips above. Who knows? You might just love doing laundry yet!

Sep7

Start Better Home Maintenance With These Ideas

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Start Better Home Maintenance With These Ideas

We all love our homes. At the end of the day, this is the space where you’re going to find yourself spending most of your time. Outside of the average eight hour work day, most people will spend hours in their home. It’s not surprising that you’re going to want the space to be nice! Of course, this is going to take some hard work and effort. This is where home maintenance comes into play. Home maintenance can ensure that your property is always in full working order and the best condition possible. Here are some areas of focus you might want to get started with:

Deep Cleaning:

Sure, you probably have a chores schedule that you stick to. Vacuuming. Sweeping and mopping. Wiping down work surfaces. Cleaning the toilet. But you do need to remember to carry out some deep cleaning every once in a while too. Deep cleaning tackles the areas that don’t get too much TLC on a regular basis. Over time, they can develop dirt and other issues that need to be addressed. There are all sorts of deep cleaning tasks that you can take into consideration, ranging from carpet cleaning to cleaning the oven or sinks.

Repair Jobs:

Are there any repair jobs that need to be carried out around your house? The majority of us have one or two that we keep putting off and avoiding. This is illogical, though. You may not want to spend the money on necessary repairs right now but they’ll need to be done at some point and sooner is always better than later. Issues left unattended simply tend to worsen. They can become more expensive to fix as time goes on or they can begin to negatively impact other areas of your home, which will need to be repaired in turn too. The most convenient and cost effective approach is to always tackle repair jobs as quickly as possible.

Animal Control:

Having mice, rats, or other animals in your personal space can be very problematic. They could bite, they would cause a mess, and they can be particularly dangerous for children and pets. This is where you need to practice some animal control. Make sure that you don’t leave uncovered and unpackaged food lying around. Limit access to your home, making sure to shut unattended windows or to have shutters fitted. This can all help. In cases where creatures can’t be easily dealt with, such as termites, you may need to call pest control.

Exteriors:

When was the last time you paid any attention to the exterior of your home? This is often one of the most neglected parts of any living space, despite being subject to the elements on a constant basis. Take some time to survey your home and decide what needs to be done. This could be clearing your gutters, repainting a gate or fence, or power washing your patios. Take a full look around and decide what needs to be done to bring everything up to scratch.

Storage:

It’s a good idea to go through a decluttering process every few months. All of us are guilty of picking up items that we don’t actually have much use for or like that much. Every so often, you should remove these from your life. You can sell, donate, or recycle them to reduce your environmental impact. Once you only have the belongings you plan to keep, it’s time to look into some storage solutions. Browse options that not only function well but also fit your home’s aesthetic too.

Home maintenance takes a lot of time, thought, and effort. But once you’ve spent some time focusing on and implementing it, you should begin to reap the benefits pretty quickly!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jul27

How To Make Rural Life Easier

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How To Make Rural Life Easier

Living in a rural area is never an easy task, especially if you don’t have much experience with being far away from the hustle and bustle of big cities. Fortunately, figuring out how to thrive despite leading a rural lifestyle doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might imagine. This guide contains some of the most effective ideas that you can make the most of today so you can start to thrive in no time:

Have Home Experts On Speed Dial:

It is so important to have a range of experts on speed dial so you can call a professional if you find yourself in a tricky situation. For example, a number of rural homes which are not directly linked to utility services have their own septic tank, meaning you should certainly add an emergency septic company service to your contact list.

To add to this, you’ll also likely benefit from sourcing a trusted plumber, as well as a registered electrician. Making the mistake of not building relationships with such people could leave you in a terrible situation without access to electricity or hot water, or even stop you from using your toilet. Always take the time to read reviews beforehand so that you can locate the most trustworthy and reputable providers, as you need to be able to put your faith in whoever you call.

Always Stock Up:

When you’re far away from the grocery store, it’s always best to stock up rather than being left without the ingredients or items that you need. There are bound to be many items that you can stock up on to begin your journey to a constantly full pantry, starting off with dried foods. It’s likely that you and your family will eat things like pasta or rice at least once a week, so you can purchase these items in bulk to ensure you have enough for the next few months!

Dried foods generally have a really long shelf life and can be left in storage for many months or even years without degrading in any way. Canned foods are great to stock up on too, as canned tomatoes, beans, vegetables and more can also stand the test of time without going off very easily. When you can stock up properly, cooking becomes an easy task that you can genuinely enjoy, rather than a chore that leaves you worrying about your next restock.

Success in a rural setting means lots of planning ahead and having trustworthy people to help you when you’re in a bind. Use these tips to get started today!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Apr12

How To Make Your Home Look Bigger & Better Than Ever

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How To Make Your Home Look Bigger & Better Than Ever

We all wish that we could live in bigger properties, especially after being stuck inside for so long during the pandemic. In reality, moving to a new home isn’t on the agenda for most people. On a brighter note, though, it is possible to make your home feel bigger and better. You simply need the right plan of action.

Here are some ideas that you can take on over the months to come. While you might not use them all, the relevant projects will have a telling impact on the look and feel of your home:

Clean & Declutter:

Nothing makes a home feel cramped quite like clutter. Therefore, the first job you should look to complete is a simple clean and declutter. A thorough spring clean will change the atmosphere of the home. You can also use this as an opportunity to adopt greener cleaning with eco-friendly materials.

Before completing the deep clean, though, you may wish to declutter. Selling your unwanted possessions can create extra space throughout the home. The fact that it’ll also generate some extra money will put you in an even better position as you make further updates.

Opt For Lighter Color Schemes:

When first entering a room, you naturally respond to the color schemes. It alters your perception of size while also influencing your emotional response. Understanding the meaning of color with the Lush Home guide to feng shui is useful. When you want to make the most of the space, lighter color schemes are better.

Opting for white and off white schemes will reflect the light to maximize the space. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to have a room void of color. Feature walls, furniture, and decor can all help to add personality.

Embrace More Light:

As touched upon in the point above, lighting will play a significant role in building a better home environment. Replacing outdated windows with double glazing can work wonders for your energy efficiency. Moreover, letting more light into the home makes it look larger, cleaner, and full of energy.

In addition to new windows, blinds and drapes can be used to achieve greater control over lighting and privacy. Furthermore, you can use strategically placed mirrors, LED lamps, and ceiling lights to achieve great results. It’s a simple concept but has a telling impact.

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Do More With External Spaces:

Your love of the home doesn’t begin and end with what’s inside the four walls. Giving some much needed TLC to the backyard can transform the whole home. It adds a new dimension that also makes your living spaces far bigger and better. Sliding doors onto the patio can be very useful as it combines inside and outside areas.

Experts like NightScenes landscape lighting professionals can extend the fun into the evening. Better still, the right lighting can alter the atmosphere. When you make sure that the garden’s function is suited to your family’s requirements, it’ll be the best upgrade of all.

Revamp The Guest Room:

Keeping a guest room is one of the most common mistakes made by modern homeowners. While it’s nice to have a dedicated space for your friends and relatives to sleep, the average guest room is used for fewer than ten nights per year. That means you are sacrificing a huge space for less than three percent of your year.

It makes far more sense to transform this room into a games room, home office, or gym. Alternatively, it can be an art studio or a place to meditate. The options are limitless. As long as you give it a function that your household will genuinely benefit from, success is assured.

Convert The Basement:

If you have the funds or can get a loan, an attic conversion can work wonders. It saves you the hassle and costs of moving while literally adding liveable space. It also adds a lot of value to the property to counteract some of the costs. However, if you can’t afford to change the structure of your attic, the basement is an option.

Many households find that the basement needs less work, especially if your plans for it are less demanding than bedrooms and lounges. It is a good candidate for adding a gym. Alternatively, you can make a better storage space, which will remove pressure elsewhere.

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Think About Furniture Choices:

Even a larger room can be made to look small when the interior design and layout choices are wrong. Experts at Cable TV can teach you to add a wall-mounted TV bracket. When combined with wall-mounted shelving, you can remove the need for bulky coffee tables or units. Meanwhile, extendable tables are a great addition.

Some furniture pieces can be fold-up solutions too. It might take out ten seconds of your day to store them when not in use, but you’ll claw back valuable space. Another option is to use high cabin beds in a child’s room to make the space work smarter. You could also add a science table to your child’s room for extra drawers and a homework space too.

Find Extra Storage:

Getting rooms under control is one thing, but it counts for very little if you do not have the storage space to back it up. Even if you have decluttered and cleaned, you will have a need for storage. You can create extra spaces behind doors, under the stairs, or by adding shelves above the clothes hanging spaces within the wardrobe.

Unless your family is getting bigger due to the addition of kids or a partner moving in, you probably don’t need to upsize your home. You simply need to do more with the space that’s currently available in your property. If you’ve grown tired of seeing the same four walls due to the pandemic, now is the perfect time to act!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

 

Jan20

Making A Small Home Feel Spacious

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Making A Small Home Feel Spacious

There are plenty of benefits to having a small home, one of the biggest would be the fact that smaller homes are significantly more eco-friendly compared to larger ones. Less energy is used to warm up the space, and this on its own means there is less of a chance of furnace repair or high energy costs. While small homes have their perks such as being more sustainable, it’s understandable why people would prefer to gravitate more towards larger spaces.

Larger spaces tend to make people feel happy. There is more breathing more in a large space and more privacy. Larger spaces also tend to look better from an interior design perspective. But what about living in a small space? While small spaces are far more eco-friendly, is there a way to make them feel more spacious? These tips can help:

Add a lot of lighting:

Lighting is one of the best ways to create a spacious look for your home. Most (but not all) smaller homes, especially apartments, will tend to have low ceilings. Low ceilings essentially add fuel to the fire of having a space look far too small. So you’ll want to think about creating illusions and how to maintain them.

When it comes to spaces, it’s best to utilize natural lighting whenever possible, but it’s also acceptable to have artificial lighting too. You’ll want the space to be very bright. One idea for carrying out this bright space can include adding some lamps in corners of the room, removing curtains, and placing mirrors on the wall where they can easily reflect light. Doing all of this will help in achieving an airy space.

Be wise with your furnishing choices:

When it comes to furniture, it can be quite tricky. Sure, you want a style in your home that feels right for you. That’s completely understandable but you should also keep in mind what your options are too. If your furniture is too big and bulky, then it’s only going to cut down on the free space that you have in your home. You may be better off cutting down on the statement pieces that you have and pick pieces of furniture that have multiple functions such as a couch with storage space or an ottoman-chair combination.

Always declutter:

You should make a habit of decluttering on a regular basis. This can also help with your mental health as tight and cramped spaces tend to make people feel anxious. Decluttering allows you to give yourself the mental challenge of what you can and can’t part with and will help open the space up. This is not to say to clear out your entire home but to limit the objects that are making your space feel cramped.

Making a smaller home feel larger is all about making smart choices and creating illusions. Using storage spaces will be your friend, too, and there is no shame in tucking away those odds and ends you don’t know what to do with!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Feb19

Best Practices For Keeping Your Clothes Like New

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Best Practices For Keeping Your Clothes Like New

Any fashionista wants their clothes to continue looking as good as it did the first time you tried it on in the store and that means knowing how to properly care for them. Keeping your clothes in great condition will allow you to get more use out of it as well as give you the opportunity to sell it on Poshmark once it is ready to retire from your wardrobe. Today, we’re going to go over a few best practices when it comes to taking care of your clothes to keep them like new for as long as possible:

Tend To Appliance Repairs:

A dryer that overheats or a washer that doesn’t fully rinse away detergent isn’t going to do your clothes any favors at all. Tend to all dryer and washer repairs when the problem arises to avoid an even bigger repair a month or two down the line as well as potentially ruining some of your favorite pieces. 

Store Your Clothes Properly:

Knowing how to store your clothes properly will help prevent wrinkles and creases which will limit the possibility of you burning your favorite top on the iron! That’s one of my nightmares, anyways. A good rule of thumb is to fold clothes that have a stretchy material like T-shirts and sweaters while hanging items that need their shape supported like a jacket as well as materials that can wrinkle easily like silk blouses. Learning the Marie Kondo method of folding will also help with the overstuffed dresser drawers that won’t shut!

Don’t forget to take care of your accessories too. Invest in a cute jewelry stand or a wall mounted fixture to display your bling while keeping them tangle free. Keep sunglasses in protective cloth bags and, if possible, keep your shoes stored in their original boxes. Remember to stuff your purses, shoes, and hats with tissue paper to help reinforce their shape.

Follow Washing Instructions On The Tag:

For some reason, people never seem to follow the cleaning instructions on clothing tags which provide a how to guide to the best care for the item. There is nothing more disappointing than a new favorite shirt that shrunk because you didn’t wash it in cold water! Following the instructions on the care tag will prevent the colors of your clothes from bleeding as well as the fabric from stretching, shrinking, or tearing. And, please, if it says “Dry clean only” just take it to the dry cleaner!

The clothing and accessories in our wardrobe were bought because we thought they were flattering so we want them to stay in great condition for as long as we can. Follow the best practices above to help increase the longevity of your clothes as well as giving truth to all of your “next to new” listings!

Feb17

Mini Makeover: Laundry Room Edition

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Mini Makeover: Laundry Room Edition

It is not uncommon to hear someone say that doing laundry is their least favorite chore. I, personally, love doing laundry and there is nothing better to me than putting on clothes that are still warm from the dryer. If this doesn’t sound like you at all, however, then maybe giving your laundry room a Mini Makeover will help encourage a newfound love or, at least a little less disdain, for your least favorite chore. Consider the following and turn your laundry room into a space that feels as light and clean as all of your freshly washed clothes:

Tend To Repairs:

If doing laundry is a major eyeroll for you because you might need washer or dryer repairs, then that is the first thing that will need your attention. You can’t do a job well without the right tools and not only are appliances that don’t work properly potentially dangerous but they will be an even more expensive problem if you let getting it fixed go for too long. The most important part of a laundry room is, of course, a functional washer and dryer so any redecorating can wait until repairs are taken care of.

Use Storage Wisely:

Perhaps your dislike for laundry comes from a cluttered laundry room and this is nothing a good clean won’t fix. Find homes for everything in there that doesn’t have to do with laundry or cleaning. Laundry rooms are, usually, not particularly spacious so you want to use the limited storage available in there wisely. This way, you are not playing stacking Tetris every time you need to get the detergent down and, once decluttered, the room will feel a lot less claustrophobic.

Don’t forget that shelving doesn’t just have to be placed smack dab in the middle of the wall. You could install shelves floor to ceiling to help with your storage situation so the room stays more organized.

Fresh & Clean:

What do you associate with nice, freshly washed clothes? Is it a certain color like eggshell white or pale blue? How about fields of flowers or freshly fallen rain? Maybe it’s a certain soft texture? Whatever you associate fresh and clean with, incorporate it into your laundry room’s decor. This could be improving the lighting in there if it’s dim, repainting, incorporating a floral motif, or even adding a plush rug or installing carpet in the room.

You want your laundry room to look and feel as clean as your clothes are about to be and, with a room so lovely, you won’t want dirty laundry piling up in it! Thus, encouraging you to complete the chore in a timely manner. It’s a win/win and soon your laundry room might just be your favorite or less least favorite place in the house to be!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb8

Giving Your Kitchen A Mini Makeover

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Giving Your Kitchen A Mini Makeover

If you had success during your Mini Living Room Makeover, then now might be the time to start turning your attention over to the kitchen. In my opinion, a house is only as great as its kitchen and not only will improving on it increase its functionality but it is also a surefire way to increase your home’s property value, too. Today, we are going to explore some ideas to help start your own mini makeover for your kitchen:

Tend To Maintenance:

The most important thing to do in your kitchen is to first make sure that all of your appliances are working properly. Maintenance like stove repair or a garbage disposal making questionable noises should be tended to immediately as more damage will be caused the longer you hold off. Despite appliance repairs not making a visual difference, they will sure improve your kitchen’s functionality and that’s just as good, if not better.

Add A Backsplash:

Adding a tile backsplash behind your stove or dishwasher is an amazing way to transform your kitchen relatively cheaply and easily. It also gives you the opportunity to have some fun as you decide on how you want your backsplash to look. From sleek monochrome colors to checkered, paisley, or even glitter you are sure to find a tile that will suit the mood you are going for in your kitchen.

If the backsplash you love doesn’t go with your current color scheme, fear not! That is nothing a new coat of paint won’t fix and you can space out these projects for as long as you need.

Storage:

If you proudly have had your ingredients like flour, sugar, and salt displayed in the same jars for years on your countertops, then it might be time to change things up! There are countless cute and functional storage tins and containers to house your most used ingredients in. You could even incorporate some shelving onto your kitchen walls to place them on to help free up counter space.

Storage accessories as well as dish towels, place mats, and dishes are all perfect opportunities to add bright pops of color or patterns into your kitchen. It is also one of the cheaper ways to makeover the space.

Improve The Lighting:

Having good lighting in a kitchen is crucial as you read new recipes, chop veggies, and measure ingredients. Not to mention entertain your guests and family! One of the best ways to improve the lighting in your kitchen if your current situation isn’t up to snuff is to add a few hanging light fixtures in the problem area. They will instantly illuminate your work space, island, or dining area and turn your kitchen into an even brighter space in the house.

The kitchen is the heart of the home and we all want ours to look its best. Follow the mini ideas above to start making big improvements!

Nov19

Garage Organization Tips You Need To Know

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Garage Organization Tips You Need To Know

If you are currently rooting through your home looking for small DIY jobs to pass the time, you might not have yet considered the garage. Our garage is as much a part of the home as any other but, sadly, it becomes a dumping ground all too often with no rhyme or reason. Today, we want to show you how you can easily organize your garage and keep everything as tidy as can be.

Here are our simple tips for organizing your garage to make it into a functioning part of your home once more:

Clear out clutter:

Over the years you may have accumulated a lot of things in your garage such as random tools, partial tins of paint, and other knick knacks that don’t fit in the house. Now is the time to go through your garage and get rid of anything you don’t need. By clearing out some space in your garage you will open it up for better storage ideas, and it will make the space feel more like an actual room.

Secure the door:

It is important before you do anything else with your garage that the door is secure and safe. You can hire a garage door installer to help you update your door, and be sure that if you choose a rolling door that there is plenty of space around the area for it to open and close. Updating the door will not only make the garage feel new and fresh, but it will increase your security and give you peace of mind.

Make use of plastic trays:

Plastic trays will soon become your best friend as you try to organize and improve your garage. You can buy steel shelving similar to warehouse shelves and buy plastic trays to fit inside which can hold all of your tools, spare paint tubs, and random items such as bungee ties and wire. Labeling your plastic trays with the contents of them can also be a helpful trick to use.

Hang up tools:

When you have large garden tools such as an axe, rake, shovel, or hoe – it is a great idea to hang them up rather than standing them awkwardly in a corner of your garage. You can install hooks cheaply or even use sturdy nails in the wall and hang these larger objects to so no one trips over them.

Use your paint:

If you are short on space and have some random partial paint tins in the garage, why not use them to spruce up the place? A well placed white or cream on your garage walls can make all the difference to the space and it will allow you to get rid of empty tins rather than waste paint that is perfectly good.

Utilize vertical space:

When you have a garage and a lot of things to put in it, it is a good idea to make the most of vertical storage. This means using hooks and shelves on the walls of your garage to maximize how much you can store safely away from the floor. Such an effective way to clear clutter!

Using these small tips, you should be able to make a positive change to your garage this winter and store all the things in a much more organized fashion!

Featured Image By: Pixabay