Tag: living room

Wallpaper Sticking Around Home Design in 2021

September 13, 2021

If you’re looking for a way to brighten up that bare wallspace, fresh wallpaper could be what you need! While wallpaper has seemingly faded since its heyday, new styles have breathed life back into the design trend. Homeowners are customizing wall coverings to give a throwback feel with a modern twist. The History of Wallpaper Wallpaper first became popular at the very beginning of the 20th century. Most houses had plain wooden planks for walls, and wallpaper helped cover any blemishes and add color to rooms. As time wore on, builders began utilizing drywall or other materials, and wallpaper wasn’t as necessary. In fact, you may have removed old wallpaper in your own house at some point. But now wallpaper is being revived with new patterns and an easier application process. It’s even estimated that the resurgence of wallpaper could turn it into a multi-billion dollar industry by 2026. Stick, Don’t Glue It used to be that wallpapering your home was a major decision. You’d better love the pattern you chose because it would likely be there forever–it was notoriously difficult to remove. Not to mention the old glue could rip up existing paint and create an even bigger makeover

What to Know About Removing Wood Paneling

July 12, 2021

Homes of the past can be time capsules of design styles from long ago. From shag carpeting to floral wallpaper, these features can take you back in a house’s history. But you might feel as if your home looks a bit outdated for your liking. Wood paneling is a common style used in homes built from the 1950s through the 1970s whose heyday has certainly come and gone. The good news is that it doesn’t take much to do a quick update! Tools for the Job Removing wood paneling is relatively quick and easy, making it a great weekend project! As you get ready to demo, make sure that you have: You can also get the materials you need to hang drywall to replace the paneling. Depending on how big of an area you’re remodeling, it might be worth it to rent a dumpster so that everything gets disposed of properly. Set Up the Room As with any project, you want to protect the spots you aren’t going to be working on. Before you start ripping off any paneling, lay down plastic sheeting. This will prevent dust from getting everywhere and also catch loose nails. Take off any outlet covers

Using Circadian Lighting to Help Your Mental and Physical Health

March 15, 2021

Natural lighting in your home provides numerous benefits for your well-being. It gives you crucial Vitamin D, helps ward off seasonal affective disorder (SAD), reduces stress, and much more. Natural light also ties in to your sleep schedule and how well you fall and stay asleep. If you aren’t getting enough light in your home, you might be able to artificially substitute it. Circadian Rhythms You may have heard about a circadian rhythm before, but if you haven’t or aren’t quite sure what it is, here’s a quick rundown: A circadian rhythm is essentially your body’s internal clock that carries out different functions during a 24-hour period. The most commonly discussed rhythm is the one that controls your sleep-wake cycle. Your body uses cues such as the intensity of daylight to know when it needs to energize you or when it needs to begin the sleep process. It’s important to maintain a consistent cycle, or else you can experience conditions like insomnia. The production of melatonin, a key “sleep ingredient,” can be hindered if your body’s rhythm becomes disrupted. How Rhythms Get Interrupted Now that you’re more familiar with your circadian rhythms’ various purposes, you need to identify what could

Sanitizing Your Home the Correct Way

March 8, 2021

Spring is just around the corner! Saturday, March 20 marks the spring equinox, and the start of thawing out from winter’s cold grasp. While there’s still time before you have to fully dive into your spring cleaning list, it’s never too early to get a head start. Here’s what you can do to tidy up your home and also fight off germs in 2021. Stay Safe as You Clean Since you’ll be using different cleaners throughout your home, it’s essential that you guard yourself against any harmful chemicals. Wearing the correct protective equipment will keep you safe as you sterilize each room. Some basic items that you should wear and keep stocked in your house are: Remember to properly ventilate your house as you clean as well. Breathing in chemicals for a lengthy period of time can have severe side effects. Carefully follow each product’s instructions as well, and don’t ever mix substances together. When you’ve finished, store your cleaners in a secure place away from children and pets. Rugs, Carpets, Upholstery, and Curtains For softer surfaces, you’ll need to use a certain amount of care and take your time while cleaning to avoid ruining them. Begin by vacuuming off

Making A Safe Home for Seniors

February 22, 2021

Being able to live your life independently becomes more difficult the older you get. Since February is National Senior Independence Month, it’s a good opportunity to think about your long-term safety plan for elderly loved ones. It’s a tough decision to know what steps to take in protecting them at home, but you have a few options to make the best choice for them and you. Stay or Move The biggest question you’ll have to face is determining whether to stay put or relocate. Moving away from a place that holds so many years of memories isn’t easy, and it may complicate your final choice. To maintain a sense of freedom and avoid the dangers that come with living alone, downsizing is a favorable option. Retirement homes or assisted living centers are also popular, and ensure that there’ll be regular supervision of your family member. But you can still make their current dwelling safe without making them feel restricted. Reduce Fall Hazards 27 percent of people 60 and above live alone in the U.S., while almost 25 percent age 65 and up live alone in Canada. However, almost a quarter will experience some type of injury, most likely a fall,

Picture Perfect: Hanging Art in Your Home the Easy Way

January 18, 2021

Your favorite artwork or family pictures can brighten up your home and turn it into your own personal art gallery. However, trying to get the right layout and preventing your walls from getting damaged by nails and hooks can be a hassle. These tips can help you get things right the first time and save your walls. Plan Before Your Hang If you have several pictures that you’d like to hang together, plan out your arrangement before you put it up. Make paper cutouts of your different pieces, and use tape to place them on your wall. Also mark with a pencil or tape on your wall where the center of each frame is so you’ll know where to place the hook or nail. This way you’re free to rearrange and position your art how you’d like, without puncturing your walls unnecessarily. Use Adhesive Strips and Hooks Want to preserve your walls and secure your pictures? Then adhesive hangers are just the tool you need. They’re easy to apply to the back of a frame and quickly stick to wherever you place them. While you can apply them to larger frames, they tend to work the best with lighter ones.

Here’s What You Should Know about Removing a Chimney

September 8, 2020

A fireplace in your home can be a nice decorative item to have, and they can be a high selling point in certain locations. But if a fireplace sits unused for a prolonged period of time, they can become a safety issue. Potential buyers can see them as more of a hassle to maintain, and a bulky fireplace can disrupt the look of a room. So if you’re a homeowner or renovator, how can you cut out that old smokestack to update your property? Have a Professional Look at It Chances are that if you don’t use your fireplace very often, you may not know the condition it’s in. If that’s the case, don’t immediately turn on your fireplace to see if it works. Dirt and other debris can build up over years of inactivity, and suddenly lighting a flame can start a dangerous fire. Call in a professional to examine your chimney both inside and outside. They can give you the necessary information on the condition of your fireplace and accompanying components, as well as advise the best course of action to have it removed. These inspectors may also be licensed to get everything shut off and closed to

Removing Wallpaper Made Easy

September 10, 2019

If your home is plastered with outdated wall coverings, you might hesitate to make the upgrades that you want. After all, wallpaper is notoriously difficult to remove (picture hours and hours of steaming, scraping, peeling, grunting, etc.), life’s too short, and you’ve got better things to do. There’s good news though—removing that ugly wallpaper is easier than you think with the right tools, so you can get your project done without breaking a sweat. Here’s what you need to do. First, start with the right tools.Depending on the type of wallpaper you’re dealing with, how long it’s been on the wall and how it was originally applied, the tools you’ll need to remove wallpaper fast and easy will vary. Here’s a breakdown of everything you might need: Follow with the right technique.Before you know which technique will work for your situation, you’ll have to do a little test. If you’re using a steamer, saturate one panel of wallpaper, wait 10 minutes or so and lift an edge with your razor scraper. If it comes up easily, that means the last guy prepped the surface correctly when he applied the wallpaper—lucky you! Continue with soaking the wallpaper and lifting with your

The 5 Best Housewarming Gifts to Give a New Homeowner

February 15, 2019

Nothing says “welcome to the neighborhood” or “congratulations on your new home” like a housewarming gift. Whether you want to drop by and introduce yourself to new neighbors or you’ve received a formal invitation to a housewarming party, this list will ensure you don’t arrive empty-handed. 1. Glass food storage containers This one is a little unconventional, but let us explain. Think of your own storage container collection. Unless you’ve culled it recently using some tried and true decluttering tricks, you’ve probably got a mismatched pile of lids and containers. Some are glass, some are plastic, some are long gone, but their lids remain. Wouldn’t YOU love a brand new set so you can start from scratch in your brand new home? We know we would! 2. A gift card to a nearby pizza restaurant Moving is an exhausting process and unpacking can be drawn out for weeks. Who has time to cook? A gift card to a local pizza restaurant that delivers to the neighborhood will never go amiss. Bonus idea: gather menus from your favorite local takeout restaurants, decorate a fun folder and present it along with the gift card. You’ll get to bond over great food and

Are Electric Blankets Safe? Here’s What Experts Have to Say

January 29, 2019

Electric blankets have come a long way since the first automatic model hit the market in 1936. But even with the modern versions of today, is it really a good idea to curl up under an electric blanket at night? We’ve done our research, and here’s what you need to know. Under Blankets and Over BlanketsFirst, let’s distinguish between the two types of electric blankets available for purchase: under blankets and over blankets. Under blankets, also known as heating pads, are placed directly on a mattress, while over blankets are just like traditional blankets you would cover yourself up with. We’ll go ahead and put one huge safety concern out there right off the bat: Using both an under blanket and an over blanket at the same time can create a major fire hazard, so you should only ever go with one or the other. Common ConcernsWe should exercise caution when it comes to anything that plugs into the wall, but electric blankets seem to have a reputation that precedes them. The good news is that at least with modern electric blankets, that reputation is, for the most part, undeserved. An average of 360,000 home fires occur each year, and