Articles on Making Your House a Home!

Looking for a way to dress up a drab room in your home?  An exotic adventure to the Far East could be just the ticket.  Asian inspired décor can be a simple but elegant look that’s easy to achieve provided you control your impulse to over-decorate.  In fact, when planning out your Asian decorating adventure, simplicity is the key to success.  No need to overdo it, when it comes to Asian themed decorating, less is more.

Color:  For the walls, think beige or tan, inspired by aged bamboo or rice parchment.These neutral tones will create a good base color that can be decorated with bolder Asian color combinations.  Monochromatic colors can work well in Asian decor.    Mix in some green that conjures up visions of a dense bamboo jungle for a bold, expressive look or a jade sculpture to create more muted, tranquil space.  Don’t be afraid to add some bold strokes of gold and red to really bring out the Oriental flavor.

Floors:  Bamboo flooring is an obvious, but sometimes expensive flooring solution to create that Asian inspired feel in a room.  most home improvement stores offer bamboo look laminate flooring. Any wood flooring should do just fine.  Stone and ceramic tile look great to terra-cotta tile will really make a statement.  While an oriental rug might seem like an obvious choice, consider passing on it.    Instead, seek out a jute rug.  This loomed, natural fiber alternative offers a simple solution that supports your design theme well.It shouldn’t be hard to find a rug that’s 6′ x 9′ for around $200.  If you’re on a budget, consider a wool blend or synthetic version.

Windows:  Embrace the ambient light in the room and use light silk drapes tied back with gold cord with tassels.  To set a mood that’s more relaxed, use roll-up bamboo shades.  You can find bamboo blinds that are painted in Asian themes with calligraphy, classical oriental art of Asian symbols.

Lighting: Chinese lanterns can be found in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes not to mention budget.   These are perfect.  The use of candles or faux candles can complement the room as well.  Try not to use lighting that’s contemporary or associated with a specific era.  Water plays an important role in Asian culture, so a lighted water treatment or fountain might make a good substitute for a lamp.

The smart shopper can find a bargain anywhere, but if you’re going to splurge this is the area to do it.  Traditional lacquered furniture is a mainstay of Asian décor.  Finished in polished black, red, gold or white — it can be a statement piece that brings the room together.  Think about a small table, trunk, armoire or stool.  These furnishings generally painted with scenes of life, landscape or floral designs.  Bamboo furniture and wicker are also excellent choices for Asian inspired décor.

Decorations: Now you get to really have some fun. Make bold decisions, just remember the axiom that “less is more”.  For function, consider a Shonji room divider available in hundreds of looks and colors.  A Buddha statue makes a great Asian décor accent or you might consider a statue of Kuan Yin.  For a chance at wealth and good fortune consider a laughing Buddha statue.  You may want to do a little research on Feng Shui as its theories will surely give you inspiration and instill your decorating ideas with meaning.

Oriental fans and umbrellas are a great choice for the wall. Silk paintings, Asian themed wall reliefs and lacquired wall art are all exceptional choices.  Porcelain vases or fishbowls make a great Asian décor accents as well.  Bonsai trees, Asian plants, tea jars, Asian clocks and mirrors work great too.   The possibilities are as limitless as the imagination.

Have a blast with all the great decorating options, just remember that in the case of Asian-themed decorating it’s important not to overdo it.  It’s important to make sure that the space is free of clutter, otherwise you won’t get the same effect.  Don’t overdo it. Use a few key decorative accessories to project your theme. You can always add more later.

There is always a good reason to want more space at home, and during hard economic times, it may be easier and more budget-friendly to add to your current home than to sell and find a bigger place.

However, how do you decide what to do?  Should you finish the attic?  Turn the basement into an apartment?  Build a completely new addition to your home?

The best option will depend on your home, your needs, and the budget you have to work with.  Here we give you a list of the advantages and the disadvantages for the three options mentioned above:

Option one- Basement remodeling
The basement is a very large open space that offers tons of different and interesting opportunities.  Your basement could become a full apartment, a playroom, a guest room, an office, an entertainment center, or a gym, among a variety of options.  The amount of money you have to spend is the decisive factor.

Basements have an important inconvenience: moisture.  Before beginning any basement remodeling, you have to make sure the space is protected against moisture; otherwise, you will have wasted your money and time.  A good interior designer will help you find the best solution for any moisture condition you may have to solve.

Option two- Attic remodeling
Remodeling the attic may be more difficult than remodeling the basement because of the low ceilings.  A very good design is needed to ensure the space is taken full advantage of while making it look beautiful and ensuring it is safe.

Attic floors may require reinforcing or replacing to support the weight of new furniture and regular traffic, and stairs may be needed to make the attic easily accessible.  These are all aspects that may discourage you to pursue an attic remodeling project; however, when they are done, attics turn out to be one of the favorite places for family members to hang around, because they become cozy and beautiful spaces.

Option three- Room building
To add an entirely new area to your house may be, by far, the most expensive option; nevertheless, it is the one that will add more value to your house if it is done right.

One of the preferred ways to add more space to a home when building a new room is by building a sunroom or enclosed patio, which offers a different and pleasing option of family room or place to throw parties.

If you decide to build a new room, you will most definitely need the help of a professional interior designer, because no matter where you live, there will always be permit issues and construction standards that you will have to meet.  Interior designers in Seattle take care of everything for you; they ensure your project runs smoothly in the practical, technical, and creative sides.

The most important thing after making the decision is doing it right, thus, find the right help, and make your home a better place to live.

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Selling your home can be stressful, but you can get the best HDB resale price and have it all done in record time if you make a few small changes to your home that will appeal to potential home buyers. Changes do not have to be costly to be effective, but it might take a bit of elbow grease on your part.

The outside of your home will form part of the first impression that both the valuer of the house and the potential buyers will see. This means that you should ensure that they get a good feel about your house from the outside. Neaten up your garden and ensure that it is looking welcoming. Any fences, paths or other outdoor features should be in excellent repair and working condition.

The basement and the attic are notorious spots for accumulating junk. If you can have these areas well organized, then it tells home buyers that you really look after your property and also gives the impression that there is an abundance of space and storage. Anything that has not bee used more more than a year should be donated to a charity.

House hunters are often swayed by the state of the bathrooms or kitchen so make sure it is all in good repair. Any loose tiles and fittings should be fixed or replaced and the areas should be repainted so they look fresh and appealing.

Clean all floorings thoroughly so they sparkle: carpets should be cleaned with a dry wet vacuum to get rid of all the dust and dirt that accumulates in them; wooden floors should be polished and tiled areas might need to be re-grouted. The living room should also be repainted since this is one of the most used areas of the house.

Home decor accents can add a nice feel to the house, without having to be expensive. Choose some items that will make your home look more organized such as baskets and storage containers. Lamps that can add light to any darker corners of the house might also be a good idea.

You should take a look at your house through objective eyes. Think about the things that you would notice if you were house hunting and try to be unemotional about it. People who are looking for a new house are known to have eagle eyes and spot every speck of dust or bit of clutter. Small improvements can make a very big difference to the price you end up getting for the sale of your home and they could make it sell faster.

A baby nursery and the things that go into it should be thought about whenever a decision is made to bring a baby into the family unit. Deciding on how it should be decorated and what articles will go in it to help the baby mature peacefully generally gives most every prospective parent a sense of anticipation and enjoyment, to tell the truth.

The first thing to look at is the actual room itself. It needs to be of decent size and it’s always a good idea if one of these rooms has a window in it so that some sunlight and even fresh air can make its way in, on occasion. This doesn’t mean that a separate area in a parents bedroom can’t be used, but if one is going to decide to go with the nursery, one should try to make sure the baby gets a little sun.

Once the room or an area in another room has been decided upon and the general decorative theme of the walls and floors has also been discussed and selected, it’ll be time to start looking at what kind of baby bedding and furniture will best suit that only the baby but also the parents and what they want for this very happy area of the home.

For one, consider designer crib bedding, which actually is not nearly as expensive as it once was, though no parent should be fooled into thinking that anything to do with the baby will be inexpensive or cheap. Truthfully, anything with the word ‘baby’ on it seems to be more expensive than might seem reasonable, so never forget that fact when heading out to buy baby things.

Currently, there seems to be a trend away from white colored furniture, even in a baby’s nursery. Black baby furniture — which can be good at hiding stains and other discolorations — seems to be on the rise, especially among younger couples who came of age in the 90s or later. Black is externally stylish in certain cases, even in a baby nursery, it would seem.

For parents who think they might want to take some of the baby nursery with them, they might consider going with a convertible crib that has been designed to match up with the colors and general theme found in the baby’s nursery. They won’t be cheap, so maybe consider going with a crib that is more about general color and style rather than just fashion, especially when money is important to consider.

In the end, any parent who stops to take a few moments to think about what is important for a nursery will find that even thinking about equipping a nursery will be a pleasant experience. After all, the new life that will be occupying that nursery or area in a parents room will be living in the best-looking environment that a set of parents or a parent can give to the baby, and that’s a wonderful thing.