Category — HowTo

Now that you know that wood flooring is a trendy choice for remodeling your home, you need to know how to choose wood flooring colors that work throughout each room. This guide to choosing wood flooring will help you eliminate wood finishes that would clash with your decor otherwise. It will also offer guidance for narrowing down your choices if you are having trouble in that area.

1. Dark and light woods rarely coordinate. Stay away from blending light and dark wood finishes that touch each other, such as baseboards and flooring. They do not coordinate, and the color shift is too drastic when wood is the focal point in the room. In fact, the aesthetic value becomes so low that it takes away from the value of your house to mix woods within the same space when the colors are not the same or very similar.

2. Dark woods look great with light color palettes. To break up a very light decor style, dark wood flooring is a very good choice. Choose your wood flooring based on the room’s decor, and the most important choice is whether to go with the flow, such as light with light colors, or go against the grain, dark with light or light with dark. As long as you are not mixing the wood finishes, you can do a lot with colors against your wood flooring.

3. Light woods and contemporary decor are difficult to match. Many top designers recommend pairing dark woods with contemporary design styles or avoiding wood flooring altogether in favor of laminate, slate, tile, or other modern options. Wood and metal are rarely a good combination, although wood and glass or wood and fabrics are very easy to coordinate. The lighter woods tend to clash with the cool color palette of the contemporary design style, but the darker ones are manageable with the right shades.

4. Stay away from light colors if you have small children or pets. Light wood finishes show dirt and other debris very easily, and although dark can show it too, most experts agree that dark works better than light in this case. As a matter of fact, many decor experts say that real hardwoods are not a good idea at all when you have small children or indoor pets, so avoid them altogether in these cases. Instead, choose a laminate that looks like wood flooring with a color you love instead of real hardwood since it is far more durable and easier to clean and maintain.

5. Use a color wheel if you have any doubts. Many home improvement stores offer color strips that feature dark, medium, and light versions of most colors, and some even have wood samples to compare. Do not take the risk of colors and textures that do not coordinate, choose your colors with a lot of research and some expert advice when necessary. This can be a great way to save time and money as you renovate your home, making sure that you get the biggest return possible on your investment.

Professional designer Jessica Ackerman, writes for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, and specializes in decorating with contemporary metal wall art and large wood wall art.

One of the biggest debates surrounding historical homes is the question of using modern materials to recreate a look that was first put in place well over a century ago. Can modern materials really make the grade? Is searching for the best reclaimed woods, old windows and other original features the best way to go?

Many owners of older homes will point out the difference in cost. Original features can be hard to find, and that makes them rather expensive. Modern materials can be much cheaper. New technologies can make those new materials look very much like the real thing, especially in the case of vinyl siding or replacement windows.

But don’t make a purchase based solely on looks. Take these points about replacement windows:

1. New windows can provide a serious increase in comfort and a significant reduction in your utility bills. Those original windows are lovely, but they are usually single-pane, which doesn’t provide much in the way of energy-efficiency. Replacement windows are double-pane or triple-pane, with modern technologies that make them a superior choice for comfort and savings.
2. New windows can very closely replicate the older ones. Well-known companies like Marvin offer windows that are specifically designed for historic homes, and some smaller companies specialize in creating windows that look as though they have been around for centuries. You can even get these windows in single-pane if you are looking to truly replicate the originals.
3. New windows actually work. Anyone who has ever been in an old house for an extended period of time knows the pitfalls of old window systems. Pulleys, cranks and springs can rust and fall out of service over time, making a window difficult or impossible to open. In some cases there are provisions to keep a window open–how many times have you seen an old window propped open with a stick? New windows can slide open and closed with ease and stay open exactly how you like them. That comes in especially handy in a home that was built before air conditioning became the rage.
4. Custom jobs can give you the best of both worlds. So you want a window that actually works, but it breaks your heart to sacrifice the delicate, bubbled panes or that original stained glass that has been there as long as the house has? You can have both. Custom replacement windows can be created that incorporate those old panes of glass into a new window that preserves the character of the real thing but offers the relief of a simple window that does exactly what you want it to do. However, keep in mind that custom jobs mean the window replacement cost goes up.

A few decades ago, replacement windows looked very out of place on historic homes. Today, they are not only acceptable, but often the material of choice for those who want the old-fashioned look but the modern convenience.

Many use laptops these days and there’s a great tendency to literally plop it on your lap whilst you work away from the comfort of your bed or sofa. Some say, for men, the heat generated from the laptops aren’t good for their swimmers. I don’t know how much truth there is in that but just having all that heat transferred to my lap annoys me. And this is where lapdesks come in handy.

But then again, many Malaysians aren’t willing to pay close to or above RM100 for a lapdesk. Contributor kandrejk from instructables has a great step by step DIY for making your own lapdesk with the gist of it being a cutting board glued to a cushion!

kandrejk’s intructable on a DIY lapdesk

What I find works great for a cushion are airline pillows! They’re just about the same size as a regular cutting board you can get from IKEA and do the job pretty well. If you’re flying business class, the pillows are made from goose down. Don’t just knick them the next time you fly, ask the air crew politely and they’ll probably give it to you.

I write this article as a tribute to my previous electrician – Mr Lee – whom I have come to find out had passed on due to a work related incident. It dawned on me that whilst his job as an electrician was dangerous, what with being exposed and in contact with raw electrical elements during installation and repair works, we as home owners are also at risk (albeit, less) due to our everyday contact with electrical appliances and electronics. Do you know enough about your home electrical system, disaster preventive actions, and methods to putting out electrical fires? If not, let’s change that today.

Electrocution and electric fires cause thousands of deaths and injuries each year. Knowing good practices can help save lives. Most energy providers are also able to furnish you with adequate home safety measures and checklists. Here are some basic safety checks you can do on your own around your home:

In all living areas

• ensure all lighting is of the correct wattage. If your current wattage is higher than the recommended wattage, you run the risk of overheating and potential fire situation

• check that each socket connection is solid. If you have purchased cheap extension sockets, ensure that plugs work when completely inserted into the socket. Should you have to adjust the plug and move it around to get an electrical connection, replace the socket immediately

• make sure no power cords are frayed (fire hazard) , out of foot traffic (tripping hazard) , not resting under a heavy object (shock hazard)

• ensure all outlets and switches are working properly. Those that don’t or work intermittently indicate an unsafe wiring condition

• if you’ve ever received a slight shock from any appliances, this indicates a highly unsafe wiring condition. Have the appliance checked out immediately

In the kitchen and bathrooms

• unplug all kitchen appliances that are not in use

• ensure power cords are placed in a manner that they will never be in contact with hot surfaces

• do not place appliances near the sink

• make sure no combustible objects are placed near hot surfaces

Outdoors

• ensure outlets exposed to the elements have adequate waterproofing covers

• avoid corded tools in damp and wet areas (try not to mow the lawn after it rains)

Another important periodic item to perform is to test circuit breakers to ensure that they have not become stuck and to keep them in good working order.

Whilst many of you think that going green is a good way to preserve our environment, you are only half right. In fact, taking green measures for your home from an electrical perspective has more gains than just keeping mother earth that much more sustainable. Making concious energy saving efforts also ensure you reduce the risk of electrical accidents and fires as you’re using only what you need, having adequate wattage in your lighting and appliances, minimizing heat production. Visit Synergy Energy Providers for great energy saving tips which allow you to go green and maximise home electrical safety.

Do you ever get annoyed when you unplug the cables off your devices like your mobile phone and laptop and the cables just fall right off the table because there’s no more weight attached to it? Tired of bending down to keep picking the cables up whenever you need to use them to charge your devices? Well, here’s a simple solution using binder clips

Simply ingenious, isn’t it? Just anchor a couple of binder clips by the edge of your table and hook all your cables through it. When you unplug the cables from your devices, it’ll be caught by the binder clip when it slides off the table! No need for expensive cable management products.

via osxdaily

Sometimes creating partitions in a large space is necessary and with a little fortitude and imagination, this can be done without any remodeling. Most urban dwellers are often overwhelmed when it comes to dividing a space sensibly and optimizing it to its complete potential. The very thought of erecting walls is daunting enough to scare even the most enthusiastic homeowner. A cheaper and less troublesome alternative is to make use of furniture pieces like sofas, floor lamps, armoires, to name a few, as these can act as natural walls and divide a space aesthetically. Before starting, it is imperative to write down the desired arrangements on paper first and to ensure that the divided space will enhance your lifestyle and not hindrance movement.

Room Dividers And Curtains

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Once the room to be divided has been determined, look around the house to see what can be used to close in an area and create additional space. The most obvious choice is a room divider or a paneled screen. There is no dearth of room dividers in the market and they are available in a plethora of shapes, sizes, and styles. One can choose accordingly to their tastes and if money is an issue construct it at home, or just hang a curtain from a rod to get that desired demarcation.

Sofas And Other Seating Options

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If placed correctly, a sofa set or an arrangement of chairs can dramatically alter the flow and look of a room. Two sofas can be placed back to back or can be placed perpendicular to a wall. Rearranging other seating units like stools, chairs, ottomans together can also give the desired effect. Using a piece of furniture to divide a space can also be effective, like the picture above. Grouping chairs with a desk or placing them next to an imposing freestanding light fixture or an entertainment console can also visually divide a room.

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Everybody knows that moving can be a pain but at the same time, there’s nothing quite as rewarding as having your own place to call home. Most people often make checklists and plans for the move but little do they realise that there’s still some work left to be done AFTER moving in.

Here’s a laundry list of items to do after moving in to help make moving that much easier for you:

1. Check that all the basic services are up and running such as water, electricity, gas and for those who must be connected, broadband. Contact your service provider immediately if you do not have access to any of these basic services
2. Check that all major electrical appliances and electronics are working. This is to ensure nothing was damaged during the move. Do this immediately so that you can claim damages from the movers or your insurance company as there may be a limited time to make such claims
3. Change your billing and mailing address so that new mail gets routed to your new abode instead of the old one you moved out of
4. Meet the neighbours. I know this may sound traditional and many people these days don’t pay much attention to the person living next to you but surely it’s worth your time to make their acquiantance as you never know how they might be able to help you out one day. At the very least, it’s worth your while to know who your children might be interacting with in the neighbourhood
5. Check out the area to locate utilities such as clinics, grocery stores, 24 hour supply stores, petrol stations
6. Get home insurance for the new place and ensure your policy provides the desired coverage. Many people forget to set this up early on due to the excitement of moving into a new place so make sure that this item doesn’t sit on the backburner perpetually
7. Once you’re settled in, have a house warming party. Gather close family and friends to celebrate the joyous occasion of having moved into your new home. In fact, why not invite the neighbours too?

LCD televisions are an extremely popular choice but as they have a wide range of features, picking the right one for you can be tricky and always remember to hunt out those LCD TV deals.

Here are some tips so that when your shiny new TV arrives at your doorstep, it’s the one that will serve all your needs and will take pride of place in the living room.

More and more TV channels are being produced in high definition formats which gives a much higher quality image.

Once you start to watch HD television it’s very noticeable when you select a channel that is not in this format.

So make sure when you buy an LCD TV it has an “HD-Ready logo” somewhere on it, which will allow you to watch that stunning high definition programming, whether it’s the latest film or watching your favourite sports team.

With TVs size matters, and it’s important to get one that will work well inside your living room.

There is no point opting for a 42 inch screen unless you have at least 10 feet of room to sit back from it and enjoy the view.

If you don’t have the luxury of space, why not try a smaller screen, for example a 32 inch TV will only require you to sit six feet back.

Make sure that your new TV has a high contrast ratio and brightness to ensure you are getting the best viewing experience.

Some LCD TV have a contrast ratio of up to 2000000:1, while brightness (measured in Cd/m²) should be no less than 400 Cd/m².

Ensure that your TV has plenty of HDMI ports, as this will allow you to plug in more devices such as Blu-Ray players or games consoles.

By making sure you tick all these boxes you won’t go far wrong in buying the new LCD TV of your dreams.

Here’s a really cool DIY I found on instructables.com. String pendant lamps are the rage these days but I’m sure you’ll find that they really aren’t worth paying for. Why whinge when you can make your own at a very low cost?

Here’s how in a nutshell

Materials:

- fabric stiffener

- balloon

- crochet thread or cotton yarn

- rubber gloves

- newspaper

- lamp cord (look for Ikea’s HEMMA)

Steps

- first, inflate the balloon to about 80%

- wet option: soak the thread/yarn with a generous amount of fabric stiffener and then line the thread around the balloon

- dry option: line the thread around the balloon and when completed, start applying fabric stiffener evenly

- leave to dry for 24 hrs

- pop the balloon and remove it

- insert the lamp cord and voila! you have your string pendant lamp!

Click here for super detailed instructions

Can’t be fussed to draw out a floor plan? Have an iPhone4 or 4th generation iPod? Then the MagicPlan app is the perfect solution that combines modern technology to bring out the architect in you.

With this app, all you need to do is take a picture of each corner of a room and Magicplan then creates the floor plan for that room. You can then swipe and slide the rooms around into their correct location and Magicplan will nicely align them and manage the thickness of the walls as well. For a finishing touch, you can add furniture as well as geotag your completed floor plan.

MagicPlan comes in two versions. The free version allows you to create watermarked non-commercial JPEG and PDF files whilst the paid version removes the watermarking feature. Sensopia, the developers of MagicPlan charge $9.99 for the app but provides a free 6 month hosting on their site to buyers.