Archive for April, 2011

Were you shocked to see the electricity bill for this month? Well, you need to understand that a bit of effort can cut down on your electricity bills significantly. Light efficiency can help you to save almost 25% of the money you pay on electricity bills.

To save the cost on lighting your home, you will first have to dispose off all the old incandescent light bulbs you have. You may think that this is a waste of money, but getting rid of those bulbs will prove beneficial in the long run. Choose LED bulbs while lighting your house. They have a long lifespan and will save a lot of money.

Though LED bulbs were earlier used only for accent lighting, now there are LED bulbs that can replace the bulbs of 100 watts. These bulbs have a lifespan of almost 50,000 hours. You will also save the money which you were likely to spend on replacement and to using other bulbs.

Remodeling your kitchen to give it a new look is one of the best ideas to make your house look as good as new. In spite of having exhaust fans, chimneys, the kitchen becomes sticky and dull looking. Therefore remodeling must be done from time to time, not only to enhance the interior of the house but also to remain in prefect hygiene.

Starting off with the tiles, you get various types of them in stores now. Tiles made of granite, marble, slate, sandstone, etc. You can choose the best shade you think that suits the kitchen. You must select them according to the color of the walls of the kitchen and the accessories in it. Then you can buy matching accessories to make your kitchen complete. If you have furniture in the kitchen, then you can repaint them or if required, you can buy new sets of furniture. This will complete the look of your kitchen as a fully remodeled one.

Having a sublime interest in wall painting? Some unique methods can be considered. These are different methods and depict a well refined rhythmical sense.

One of the most unique methods is the rag painting process. Here you use rags of different sizes, roll and dip them in a tray of paint. Press them gently on the wall in a random manner; it gives you the effect you want to bring out. These generally give out an idea of a marble print on the wall.
Sponge and feather paintings are also efficient to create an indiscriminative pattern on the wall. Feather painting is unique in its own way; you dip the feather in the tray of paint to get various wispy patterns.

The Plastic Bag technique; you dip a small grocery polythene bag in the paint and create an appealing pattern of your own on the walls.

To bring an aesthetic look like that of the Egyptian times, stencil painting is ideal. It simply adorns the walls. The use of a spectrum of colors for the paint can give a unique effect too.

Our homes are incomplete if we don’t take care of it, be it cleaning or decorating. If you want your home to have a classy and elegant look, then adding some vintage items for decorating the house is one of the best ideas. Illogical as it may seem, vintage articles are costlier than new articles. This is because, these articles might be old but with the passage of time their values increase just like gold. So it might prick you to spend a little more, but this is for sure that the end result will be totally worth it.

If you still don’t want to spend a leg and an arm on these antique, you can always go to the flea markets. They sometimes have some amazing antique home décor item which would look just perfect for your home. Get some old paintings for your living room and some traditional metal crockery for show. You can even polish your old belongings and give them an antique look.

The backyard is always a place for innovation in any household. You can attach a tea table or a waterfall in it. Else, you can be simple and choose an effective garden to go with your backyard. Having a garden in your backyard will be helpful for many things.

If you have your own garden, you can plant little veggies like tomatoes and potatoes in it. With the increasing prices of all the vegetables, these will be really helpful and could end up saving thousands of bucks for you in the long run. You can also use the garden in your backyard as a focal point for all your gatherings. You can have a small meet up of friends or family and all of them will have a great time in your garden. A garden party can be something very interesting and heartwarming.

Bored with the same old look of your rooms? Planning on what to do next to make them have a complete makeover? Don’t worry, as giving a room a makeover might not be as expensive as it sounds. Maybe all you need is some great taste in curtains. Curtains are amazing household items which can dramatically change the look of an entire room from a dingy bleak look to a classy and elegant look.

The material to choose can be anything. You can go for either an opaque look or a translucent look for the material of the curtains depending upon the kind of feel you want in the room. The designs can be plain, printed or may have multiple shades. Beige and silvery champagne colors are perfect for bedrooms with whitish walls. Baby blue and silver would go well with rooms with a more dramatic wallpaper like Prussian blue or purple. Then again you can stick to the basic white. But at the end, choose what suits you the best and goes well with the room.

The months of summer demands an entire change in clothing and bedding patterns. This article gives a brief insight into the bed sheet materials required for a comfortable summer. However, make to sure to opt for soft pattern and light shades.

Firstly you have cotton bed sheets. The hundred percent cotton ones would be ideal since it is soft, light weight and very importantly breathable. They are available in various price ranges and the more the thread count, the greater the cost. Egyptian cotton is renowned for its durability and softness. Then you have the satin sheets which are manufactured from cotton but given a special treatment to give it a smooth softness like satin. It keeps your bed cool and relaxing in the hot summer nights.

Bamboo bed sheets are a modern choice. These fibers are blended with cotton and thus are breathable and simple to maintain. Besides, they are anti bacterial and eco-friendly too.

A few years ago no one had the slightest idea that someday we would be so technically and ideally advanced that it will be possible for us to have even floors which are eco friendly. It is very important today for every person to be environment conscious and use as much less energy possible, recycle and use materials which are biodegradable. Green homes are the talk of the time these days. Eco friendly flooring options are many these days so you can choose from a wide range.

Cork, bamboo, even recyclable wood are some great options. The wood used is eco friendly and more sawdust than real wood is used to save trees. They are easy to maintain as well, given you know the ways. The reason behind this is that they are sensitive to constant dampening and dust. So, special products and methods have to be used to keep them clean. Avoid using harsh chemicals and avoid rough scrubbing as well.

Wooden flooring is a very popular alternative to tile and carpets. Wooden floors look really beautiful and they are easy to take care of. However, you need to understand that maintaining your wooden floor properly is very important.

While installing your wooden flooring, make sure that you hire a reputed installer. The installer will give you instructions on how to take care of your flooring. Use a water-based PH neutral cleaner to clean your flooring once a week. Add distilled water to the water based solution in order to avoid the hard water streaks on the wood flooring. To prevent squeaks in the wood flooring, you can use talcum powder.

Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and dirt from the wooden flooring before cleaning it with the cleaner. If your wood floor does not have polyurethane finish you can wax it once every three to four months. Try to keep grit off the wooden flooring.

While furnishing your kid’s room, you have to make sure that it is safe and practical and at the same time attractive. Choosing the right furniture for your child’s room is really very important and you have to make sure they are not very expensive.

While choosing the bed for your child’s room, get a single size quality bed that is strong. The design of the bed must be simple yet appealing. You can opt for beds made with light wood. If you are worried about your kid falling off the bed, you can get temporary railings. The bed linens must have a fun, colorful theme.

When purchasing a dresser for you kid, ensure that it is a low. The big advantage of low dresser is it can double of as a night table as well. Buy a small matching desk for your child. Get a matching chair as well. A rocking chair is also a great option for your kid’s room.