If you’ve found the prospect of designing a gallery wall a bit intimidating in the past, now’s the time to reconsider! We’ve taken the liberty of gathering all of the best tried-and-true strategies to design the gallery wall of your dreams.
By Lauren from Allied Van Lines Moving to a new city or state is an exciting adventure, but it can also be stressful. Even after the initial chaos of the move subsides, unpacking and settling in can take a while. Here are some key unpacking strategies to help you feel comfortable and at home in your new place as soon as possible. 1. Pack an Essentials Box for Easy Access One of the most important tips for both packing and unpacking is to create a designated “essentials box.” Before you move, compile a list of items you’ll need right away, including: Clothes for a week Medications and toiletries First-aid kit Chargers for electronics Snacks and drinks Having this box readily available in your car will make the first few days in your new home much smoother. 2. Prioritize Utility Connections and Major Appliances Ensure a smooth transition by scheduling utility connections (electricity, water, internet) well in advance. Ideally, have them turned on before you even arrive. This allows you to focus on unpacking essentials upon arrival. Next, prioritize unpacking and setting up major appliances like the stove, refrigerator, and coffee maker. If you work remotely, prioritize setting up internet access
There will always be new technologies and attractions that vie for our attention, but in recent years, “screen time” and other indoor distractions have become more dominant than ever in capturing our kids’ interest. All parents should want their kids to spend time outdoors for many reasons, but here are just a few benefits: With the school year coming to a close, the time is now to prepare for outdoor activities. If you don’t want your kids glued to their screens all summer, here are a few ideas that just might encourage them to spend more time out of the house. Make Your Yard a DestinationOne reason why some kids have limited enthusiasm for spending time outside is they simply haven’t found “their game” quite yet. If you’re willing to make a small investment and do a little DIY, there are a number of ways to transform your front or backyard from boring, unused space into the talk of the neighborhood. 1. Get a Basketball HoopBasketball is a great source of exercise for all ages, and a hoop can be enjoyed by many people at once or a single person at a time.Whether playing “Horse,” jumping into a one-on-one game,
Becoming a new homeowner can feel intimidating to some. Between maintaining your yard, keeping major systems in good repair, and identifying costly projects like installing new flooring or countertops, there’s certainly a learning curve that comes along with the homeownership experience. With that said, veteran homeowners will undoubtedly say the experience is worth it! Over time, new homeowners naturally have to pick up many skills to keep their property in tip-top shape. Starting with simple fixes, their knowledge of home systems tends to expand until they’re ready and confident enough to DIY a new deck, handle a moderate plumbing repair, or dive into any ambitious “handyman” job. Understandably, these types of projects can still feel far-off for most newer homeowners, but there are options for those looking to get their feet wet with a more approachable DIY job. Refinishing wooden furniture is a fabulous way to give a piece new life, and although this task requires time commitment and determination, the basic knowledge required is not very demanding. So, if you’d like to take your first steps in becoming a DIY Pro around the house, here’s a basic outline on how to refinish your furniture. Step 1: Clean Once you’ve
In this day and age, new homeowners are more informed and mindful about their family’s health than ever. Between dangers like lead paint, asbestos, and carbon monoxide leaks, builders have come a very long way in eliminating harmful toxins within the home. Still, threatening elements continue to loom around the home, and although air pollution today is not as high as in the past, reducing indoor air contamination should be on every homeowner’s to-do list! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stresses that, although many visible forms of air pollution have died down since the 1970s, air pollution can be harmful even when it’s invisible. So, how can homeowners feel confident that their air is clean in a world full of smog and wildfires on top of some of the pollutants that are tougher to recognize? To find out, let’s discuss some common contaminants, and what people can do to keep their homes fresh. What are the dangers posed by outdoor air?Modern home design has led to houses being extremely closed off from outside elements, which is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, houses do a great job of keeping out many harmful pollutants that can
As a kid, there’s nothing like spending the summer hanging out in your own custom-made treehouse, looking out over the neighborhood like you’re on top of the world. Many homeowners have a nostalgic attachment to their own childhood treehouses or miss the treehouse experience they never had. For the ambitious homeowner looking to get their kids to spend some extra time outside or to give themselves a more unique hideaway, a DIY treehouse project can be an exciting endeavor. However, treehouses can have the unintended effect of harming your tree if you don’t take the right precautions. To create a memorable hideaway that doesn’t sacrifice the health of your tree, keep these points in mind. Note: Check with your local building authority, HOA, and your neighbors before getting started. Certain areas may require special permits, and it’s always a good idea to talk with your neighbors before building something that might block the view! Pick the Perfect TreeNo matter your building practices or your comfort with larger scale projects, the success of a treehouse DIY project lives and dies by whether you’ve identified the right candidate for the foundation. A stable and safe treehouse needs a tree that’s matured, with
Every year, people all around the world make resolutions to live a little more productively, pick up a healthier lifestyle, and maybe make smarter choices with their money. While many resolutions revolve around bettering their own lives in some way, most should consider whether they’ve been showing their homes the same amount of care and attention. The unfortunate truth is that many homes carry hazards that owners are completely unaware of, hazards that present a very real and persistent threat to their own health and the health of their families. Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that infiltrates homes through natural processes such as through miniscule cracks in the foundation or through drinking water. Homes everywhere are impacted by radon to a certain extent, but homeowners continue to be mostly unaware of the ever-present danger that this gas poses as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US. According to the EPA, radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, and 2,900 of those deaths were people who never smoked in their lives. January is known as National Radon Action Month, a time to bring awareness to the increased efforts each state is taking
When putting your home on the market, you obviously want to get as much out of the sale as you can. And ideally, you’d like the process to run quickly. Throughout the years, agents, interior designers, and other real estate professionals have searched for the best strategies to make residential transactions move as smoothly as possible, and what they’ve discovered is the fine art of home staging. Home staging is the act of redecorating, cleaning, and designing a home so that buyers can more easily imagine themselves living there. Real estate agents are professionals at accentuating the strengths of a home while bringing any flaws into perspective, and home staging is there to reinforce these efforts through what potential buyers actually see and experience during a tour. According to a National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Research Group’s 2023 Study, 81% of buyers’ agents said that home staging made it easier to visualize the property as their future home. Despite this, many home sellers skip this step in order to save on costs. Since the largest investment most people will make is their home, home staging is well worth the cost and time commitment. 3 Options for Home-StagingHome sellers can go
The modern home comes in many strange and striking varieties. From the staple Mid-Century Modern to classical Queen Anne homes, the residential market never stops innovating to fit new tastes. One new trend that’s been turning heads and appealing heavily to DIYers everywhere is known as the container home. In other words, homes constructed fully out of shipping containers. That’s right! Although it may sound strange to those unfamiliar with the concept, many homeowners are using those same steel-based boxes used to transport goods across the ocean as bases for their own prefabricated house, or the start of an ambitious DIY project. So, are container homes just a quirky, trendy home alternative that’ll fade away in a few years, or can these lego houses make a practical impact that lasts? To try and answer that question, let’s take a deeper dive into what makes these homes tick. What is a Container Home?Container homes are a newer trend of homebuilding that seems to be cut from the same cloth as tiny homes, appealing to individuals and families who would like to cut down on unnecessary space, while having an incredible amount of input on the construction of their homes. One way
One major challenge that can come from moving into a new neighborhood involves transforming your new house into your new home. As we’ve discussed recently, a great way to become comfortable with a new city or a new area is to invest in relationships with your neighbors! Becoming familiar with (and hopefully liking) your neighbors often sounds nice in concept, but breaking through that initial comfortability barrier can be tough. The good news is this: there are many underutilized strategies that new homeowners and long-time homeowners alike can employ to make their neighborhood of strangers feel much more like a community. As homeowners, learning how to be a little more self-sufficient is smart. Challenging yourselves with progressively difficult DIY projects should give you an excuse to spend some more time outside and break the ice while meeting new neighbors. For a beginner-level DIY project that can be as simple or complex as your experience allows, nothing works quite as well as starting a Little Library. What is a Little Library?Also known as Little Free Libraries, Library Boxes, or just Neighborhood Book Exchanges, Little Libraries have been popping up more and more in coffee shops, apartment buildings, and neighborhoods all around
If you’ve found the prospect of designing a gallery wall a bit intimidating in the past, now’s the time to reconsider! We’ve taken the liberty of gathering all of the best tried-and-true strategies to design the gallery wall of your dreams.
By Lauren from Allied Van Lines Moving to a new city or state is an exciting adventure, but it can also be stressful. Even after the initial chaos of the move subsides, unpacking and settling in can take a while. Here are some key unpacking strategies to help you feel comfortable and at home in your new place as soon as possible. 1. Pack an Essentials Box for Easy Access One of the most important tips for both packing and unpacking is to create a designated “essentials box.” Before you move, compile a list of items you’ll need right away, including: Clothes for a week Medications and toiletries First-aid kit Chargers for electronics Snacks and drinks Having this box readily available in your car will make the first few days in your new home much smoother. 2. Prioritize Utility Connections and Major Appliances Ensure a smooth transition by scheduling utility connections (electricity, water, internet) well in advance. Ideally, have them turned on before you even arrive. This allows you to focus on unpacking essentials upon arrival. Next, prioritize unpacking and setting up major appliances like the stove, refrigerator, and coffee maker. If you work remotely, prioritize setting up internet access
There will always be new technologies and attractions that vie for our attention, but in recent years, “screen time” and other indoor distractions have become more dominant than ever in capturing our kids’ interest. All parents should want their kids to spend time outdoors for many reasons, but here are just a few benefits: With the school year coming to a close, the time is now to prepare for outdoor activities. If you don’t want your kids glued to their screens all summer, here are a few ideas that just might encourage them to spend more time out of the house. Make Your Yard a DestinationOne reason why some kids have limited enthusiasm for spending time outside is they simply haven’t found “their game” quite yet. If you’re willing to make a small investment and do a little DIY, there are a number of ways to transform your front or backyard from boring, unused space into the talk of the neighborhood. 1. Get a Basketball HoopBasketball is a great source of exercise for all ages, and a hoop can be enjoyed by many people at once or a single person at a time.Whether playing “Horse,” jumping into a one-on-one game,
Becoming a new homeowner can feel intimidating to some. Between maintaining your yard, keeping major systems in good repair, and identifying costly projects like installing new flooring or countertops, there’s certainly a learning curve that comes along with the homeownership experience. With that said, veteran homeowners will undoubtedly say the experience is worth it! Over time, new homeowners naturally have to pick up many skills to keep their property in tip-top shape. Starting with simple fixes, their knowledge of home systems tends to expand until they’re ready and confident enough to DIY a new deck, handle a moderate plumbing repair, or dive into any ambitious “handyman” job. Understandably, these types of projects can still feel far-off for most newer homeowners, but there are options for those looking to get their feet wet with a more approachable DIY job. Refinishing wooden furniture is a fabulous way to give a piece new life, and although this task requires time commitment and determination, the basic knowledge required is not very demanding. So, if you’d like to take your first steps in becoming a DIY Pro around the house, here’s a basic outline on how to refinish your furniture. Step 1: Clean Once you’ve
In this day and age, new homeowners are more informed and mindful about their family’s health than ever. Between dangers like lead paint, asbestos, and carbon monoxide leaks, builders have come a very long way in eliminating harmful toxins within the home. Still, threatening elements continue to loom around the home, and although air pollution today is not as high as in the past, reducing indoor air contamination should be on every homeowner’s to-do list! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stresses that, although many visible forms of air pollution have died down since the 1970s, air pollution can be harmful even when it’s invisible. So, how can homeowners feel confident that their air is clean in a world full of smog and wildfires on top of some of the pollutants that are tougher to recognize? To find out, let’s discuss some common contaminants, and what people can do to keep their homes fresh. What are the dangers posed by outdoor air?Modern home design has led to houses being extremely closed off from outside elements, which is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, houses do a great job of keeping out many harmful pollutants that can
As a kid, there’s nothing like spending the summer hanging out in your own custom-made treehouse, looking out over the neighborhood like you’re on top of the world. Many homeowners have a nostalgic attachment to their own childhood treehouses or miss the treehouse experience they never had. For the ambitious homeowner looking to get their kids to spend some extra time outside or to give themselves a more unique hideaway, a DIY treehouse project can be an exciting endeavor. However, treehouses can have the unintended effect of harming your tree if you don’t take the right precautions. To create a memorable hideaway that doesn’t sacrifice the health of your tree, keep these points in mind. Note: Check with your local building authority, HOA, and your neighbors before getting started. Certain areas may require special permits, and it’s always a good idea to talk with your neighbors before building something that might block the view! Pick the Perfect TreeNo matter your building practices or your comfort with larger scale projects, the success of a treehouse DIY project lives and dies by whether you’ve identified the right candidate for the foundation. A stable and safe treehouse needs a tree that’s matured, with
Every year, people all around the world make resolutions to live a little more productively, pick up a healthier lifestyle, and maybe make smarter choices with their money. While many resolutions revolve around bettering their own lives in some way, most should consider whether they’ve been showing their homes the same amount of care and attention. The unfortunate truth is that many homes carry hazards that owners are completely unaware of, hazards that present a very real and persistent threat to their own health and the health of their families. Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that infiltrates homes through natural processes such as through miniscule cracks in the foundation or through drinking water. Homes everywhere are impacted by radon to a certain extent, but homeowners continue to be mostly unaware of the ever-present danger that this gas poses as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US. According to the EPA, radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, and 2,900 of those deaths were people who never smoked in their lives. January is known as National Radon Action Month, a time to bring awareness to the increased efforts each state is taking
When putting your home on the market, you obviously want to get as much out of the sale as you can. And ideally, you’d like the process to run quickly. Throughout the years, agents, interior designers, and other real estate professionals have searched for the best strategies to make residential transactions move as smoothly as possible, and what they’ve discovered is the fine art of home staging. Home staging is the act of redecorating, cleaning, and designing a home so that buyers can more easily imagine themselves living there. Real estate agents are professionals at accentuating the strengths of a home while bringing any flaws into perspective, and home staging is there to reinforce these efforts through what potential buyers actually see and experience during a tour. According to a National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Research Group’s 2023 Study, 81% of buyers’ agents said that home staging made it easier to visualize the property as their future home. Despite this, many home sellers skip this step in order to save on costs. Since the largest investment most people will make is their home, home staging is well worth the cost and time commitment. 3 Options for Home-StagingHome sellers can go
The modern home comes in many strange and striking varieties. From the staple Mid-Century Modern to classical Queen Anne homes, the residential market never stops innovating to fit new tastes. One new trend that’s been turning heads and appealing heavily to DIYers everywhere is known as the container home. In other words, homes constructed fully out of shipping containers. That’s right! Although it may sound strange to those unfamiliar with the concept, many homeowners are using those same steel-based boxes used to transport goods across the ocean as bases for their own prefabricated house, or the start of an ambitious DIY project. So, are container homes just a quirky, trendy home alternative that’ll fade away in a few years, or can these lego houses make a practical impact that lasts? To try and answer that question, let’s take a deeper dive into what makes these homes tick. What is a Container Home?Container homes are a newer trend of homebuilding that seems to be cut from the same cloth as tiny homes, appealing to individuals and families who would like to cut down on unnecessary space, while having an incredible amount of input on the construction of their homes. One way
One major challenge that can come from moving into a new neighborhood involves transforming your new house into your new home. As we’ve discussed recently, a great way to become comfortable with a new city or a new area is to invest in relationships with your neighbors! Becoming familiar with (and hopefully liking) your neighbors often sounds nice in concept, but breaking through that initial comfortability barrier can be tough. The good news is this: there are many underutilized strategies that new homeowners and long-time homeowners alike can employ to make their neighborhood of strangers feel much more like a community. As homeowners, learning how to be a little more self-sufficient is smart. Challenging yourselves with progressively difficult DIY projects should give you an excuse to spend some more time outside and break the ice while meeting new neighbors. For a beginner-level DIY project that can be as simple or complex as your experience allows, nothing works quite as well as starting a Little Library. What is a Little Library?Also known as Little Free Libraries, Library Boxes, or just Neighborhood Book Exchanges, Little Libraries have been popping up more and more in coffee shops, apartment buildings, and neighborhoods all around
