• Moving and organising    • Selecting furniture    • Choosing Patio Furniture    • Decorating in the Mediterranean style    • Kitchen interior and decoration    • Benefits of granite kitchen countertops    • Selecting the appropriate lighting for a living room    • Bathroom interior ideas    • The fireplace and home décor    • Winter is coming - is your swimming pool prepared?    • Home improvements sell homes

Moving and organising


Good for you on your new move! Once you decide to relocate, the moving date will seem to arrive more quickly than you may think. Moving out of your house is a big change and it requires a great deal of preparation. The following hints can make the process go more smoothly.

In your bedrooms, you'll have the opportunity to attend to your closets closely, as you probably haven't done so recently. You will probably find things you used to think you couldn't depart with. Now, it may be easier to discard them before moving. Leave all the old junk behind, and make a clean break when you move to your new home. Many people make the mistake of bringing a lot of useless items that they don't really need when they move. Don't be one of those people, get rid of any personal possessions you do not truly need.


To Keep or not to Keep?

Next to removing things you do not use anymore, cleaning all cupboards will also help. After all, there will be fewer items you need to move to your new location. Much of these things may be given in charity or Goodwill. Not only will you be helping yourself, you will be helping other people as well. What is frivolous, extra stuff to you could come in handy to people currently in need. Indeed, the old saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is true.

Utilise this approach for your closets for the rest of your house. It will come into practical use in other areas of your home, as well. For example, is the old dresser something you'll really use in your new home? If not, consider getting rid of it in a garage sale, or even leave it in your current house. Do you intend to purchase new sofas in the next home? If so, then don't move the ones you have now. Be sure to make note of all the things that you plan to dispose of when you move to the new place. Remember, it's a great idea to give these items to charity so that you don't have to move them to your new home.


Pack with an Objective

Begin first on your breakable and collectible possessions when you pack. To keep your collectibles safe as you move, wrap them very carefully and securely. Transport them in a strong, well-built box and be sure to clearly mark "FRAGILE" in several places to be certain that anyone who handles the box knows to be careful with it.

You should be the sole person responsible for taking all of your personal items out of the drawers in the bathrooms. It is likely that many of the products that you have will be old and worn. Get rid of what you don't need. Only take the things in your bathroom that are still usable or haven't been used at all, as you will be able to make use of them in your new residence.

These are just a couple of the things to think about when first moving to a new house. Don't work hard, work smart: don't be afraid to donate or throw things away. Also, pack in a way that protects your belongings during the move.


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Selecting furniture


You've just moved into your new house or have just completed a renovation. The paint is fresh, the carpets are clean, and your appliances sparkle. Now it's time for a different kind of home improvement:
transforming your house or apartment into your home. Selecting furnishings and home decor that reflect your taste and personality will make your abode a haven that you can call your own. Here are five areas to consider when selecting your furniture.

1. Selecting Wood

Are you drawn to the dark richness of mahogany, the simplicity of cedar, the light hominess of maple, the sturdiness of oak, or the ruddiness of cherry? From pine, elm, and willow to walnut, teak, and birch, you have a wide range of choices when it comes to wood. When planning your interior home decor, keep in mind that designers recommend consistency within a room. In other words, you don't want a dark mahogany coffee table and a light birch end table. If you do mix woods, keep the colour tones in alignment. For example, a lightly stained pine can go with a lightly stained birch. Keep in mind, though, that you can change furniture woods from room to room.

2. Selecting Furniture Styles

Do you love the classically solid Mission style of furniture, or are you drawn to ornately decorated Victorian tables and chairs? Does the retro Art Deco style appeal to you, or do you want to bring to your home Italian old world charm? Most of us have eclectic tastes, and it's fine to incorporate different styles into your home decor as long as they complement one another.

3. Step-by-Step Home Improvement

Most of us don't have the money to completely refurnish our homes in one clean sweep. When it comes to home improvement, the step-by-step approach can work to your advantage - particularly if you're not ready to commit to a single furniture style. Sometimes the best approach to home decor is to start with one piece that really speaks to you, and then find another. Once you've selected a few pieces, you'll get a better sense of your tastes and the pieces you still need in order to complete a room. From there, you can move on and purchase additional furniture with more confidence.

4. Find Inspiration

It's hard to find the right interior home decor when you don't know what's available or how other people are approaching home improvement. Start by looking through magazines and finding furnishings that appeal to you. Tear out those pages and keep them in a file that you can refer to later. If the furniture in a friend's house matches your taste, tell her that you admire her home decor and ask her how she went about choosing her pieces. Once you have a sense of what furniture speaks to you, go online and see the variety of pieces that are available. You'll be able to find a much greater selection online that you will by going to a local furniture store.

5. Have Fun!

Home improvement and redecorating projects can sometimes feel overwhelming, so remember to have fun. Take the time to enjoy the process, find pieces that you absolutely love, and take pride in transforming your house into a home.


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Choosing Patio Furniture


The importance of patio furniture to make your home even more enjoyable. How to choose the right kinds for you.

Years ago, the furniture on patios was big, bulky pieces that could barely be moved or even walked around. Today, there is a wide assortment of stylish, light and elegant patio furniture. What exactly is patio furniture? Any furniture that you use in or around the garden, lawn, pool or patio is considered patio furniture. The most basic set of patio furniture is a table with matching chairs. Then lounging chairs, a love seat, and a coffee or other small table can be added.

You can now obtain patio furniture in so many different shapes, styles and sizes that no one can complain that they can't find something they like. When you choose your furniture, keep in mind the space it is going to fill. Large, open areas can take big pieces, but if you are putting you furniture on a small deck or patio, keep the proportions small. If you have a patio set with a full table and benches or chairs surrounding it, you can easily entertain out of door whenever the weather permits. In this case, you will want to buy the whole set together so it matches.

If you pick the right kind of patio furniture, you will create an atmosphere that is relaxing and calming to the spirit. Nothing beats sitting out in the breeze, enjoying your view, your garden, or your pool area. Whether it is on the weekend, or after a hard day's work, it is one of the true joys of home ownership.

You can now get patio furniture in many different materials. Redwood is the old standard, but you can also choose between plastic, wrought iron, wider, bamboo and teak. There are benefits to each, but more and more, teak is becoming the most popular material for patio furniture. In any case, the first thing you should look for in patio furniture is good quality construction material. Patio furniture is exposed to a lot of detrimental factors, such as wind, rain and sun.

For this reason, you should choose furniture that is made from materials that can resist these elements. You may be able to get less resistant furniture if your patio is enclosed, and have an even larger range of styles to choose from. Whatever you choose, make sure you keep it clean and in good repair. A bright, cheery outdoor or patio area with well kept patio furniture will be a great addition to your home.

After you have chosen your patio furniture, you can start to think about accessories for your outdoor living area. Lovely seat cushions, great umbrellas and other items can really add a unique touch to the furniture. An umbrella is a must if you want your guests to be able to sit outdoors and remain cool and protected from the sun. Choose your patio furniture wisely and you will create a lovely extra living area for your home.


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Decorating in the Mediterranean style


The beauty of the Mediterranean. What elements comprise Mediterranean style and how you can incorporate them into your home.

Many homes today are adopting this style of decorating since its palette of rich colours in earth tones is so attractive. In addition, there are so many attractive accent pieces available to enhance this style.

If you decorate your home in the Mediterranean style, you will incorporate some beautiful colours and textures. Walls are textured or rough to reflect the stucco walls of the region and they are painted in earth tones. Clay pots in rust or sienna cover the window sills and are full or herbs or geraniums. Herbs also play a role in the art work and you will frequently find posters or tiles with the herbs of the area, such as oregano or thyme decorating them.

The accent pieces remind one of the old fashioned pace and look of the area. Pottery pieces with olive themes, religious items that look like they came from Assisi or Sienna and depictions of vineyards and wine abound. Picture place mats or a border with bottles of wine such as Chianti or Grand Tuscany, and you have a sense of this style.

The furniture in a Mediterranean style home is a mixture of both simple and fancy pieces. The furniture is always very practical, but it may contain fancy decorative embellishments of wrought iron or carved wood. Texture plays an important role in the furnishings as well, and so you will have tapestries or cut velvets on the furniture. The style is wide with variety, but one common feature you will always find is colour, either contrasting or matching. In either case, the style will be immediately recognisable.

You cannot decorate in the Mediterranean style without the use of tiles. Kitchen walls, alcoves in entryways and other areas will have tile accents, if not completely made of tile. Mosaic tile plays an important role, since the tiles used are considered art as well as building materials. The tiles used will reflect the theme, be it herbs, or vines or village scenes. The typical Mediterranean colours will also predominate, including rusts, tans and the greens of the earth. The beauty of this mosaic tile cannot be imitated.

If you live in a Mediterranean designed home, you are truly living within a work of art. Beauty abounds, yet the style is practical and functional and very easy to create.


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Kitchen interior and decoration


When experts cost a fortune just for an advice, designing your kitchen becomes your job. Kitchen interior design comes into the picture after your architect has done his job of erecting a building for you.
The kitchen interior design is very dependant on the right decor to make this design work. Unfortunately, many people mess up this very important component when remodelling their kitchen, and end up with the wrong look or feel. Here are some guidelines to help you avoid this scenario and achieve your dream kitchen.

The kitchen decor is probably the most important aspect of your kitchen interior design, because it is the measuring stick you use to decide if all your other appliances match accordingly. The décor all about choosing the theme that you want. For different people this will be different. The most important component is that it matches your personality and tastes.

* If you have a big kitchen then chances are you have probably wished for a smaller one from time to time and chances are that with a smaller kitchen you have asked for a bigger one. When you are changing the interior design of the kitchen you may be able to make your kitchen look bigger or smaller all based on the type of paint you use.

* If your kitchen is small (or any room for that matter) use light colours: off white, beige etc. but you can accent the room with bright colours if you like to brighten up your kitchen. Dark colours will make a room look smaller than it's actual size.

* The kitchen sink, cooking stove and the refrigerator should form a work triangle where the total distance of the three stations is no more than 26 feet. The three stations should be close enough for convenience when preparing food.

* Other small things which you can do to improve the overall appearance of your kitchen includes getting kitchen accessories such as a shiny new kettle, maybe a soap dish, and don't forget the all-important tea cloths.

* These all come in kitchen sets of course - other than the kettle - so you're fine on cash as well, since getting things in sets does tend to be less expensive than buying things individually. Another good idea for kitchen sets is an assortment of salt and pepper shakers. The soap dish idea with a hand pump dispenser also works well if you're leaning in the way of updating the oddments in your kitchen.

* You also have the choice of getting things like coasters and place mats, trivets, dishes, bowls and the all important cutlery. These all work well in the whole scheme of things and need not be expensive either. As long as you go about it in an orderly fashion you won't even need to cut down on quality or quantity.
* You can also place a mirror in the kitchen. A good place is opposite the window, it will not only make the room larger but it will reflect the light and brighten the room.

* Put small indoor plants on small pots in your kitchen. Plants gives a fresh feeling to the interior design of the kitchen.

* Always make sure that there is adequate lighting on kitchen. Inadequate lighting makes the kitchen feel cramped and gloomy. Aside from the general lighting fixture at the centre of the room. Put task lights under the kitchen hanging cabinets.

Follow these simple tips to finding the right kitchen interior design decor for your kitchen, and you will achieve your dream kitchen affordably and even quickly. Many people make the mistake of limiting their options in this process, such as only shopping at the local improvement store without taking in the other outlets available.


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Benefits of granite kitchen countertops


For renovated or new homes alike, granite has grown in popularity more and more. There are many reasons for this due to the many benefits of granites use as a kitchen counter top material. The entire list would be too long for this article, so we've compiled the top benefits listed below.

1. The natural beauty of a granite counter top. Vast arrays of shades, colours, and textures are available. Colours to compliment any decor can be found weather its a neutral colour or something bright, your personal tastes can always be satisfied. One note here, if your counter top will need more than one slab to complete, make sure they come from the same mine batch or colour shades could be objectionably different between slabs.

2. The durability of kitchen granite counter tops. Granite is one of the most durable materials available. Unlike Formica, it isn't subject to burning by hot pots or pans being cooked with. Granite is resistant to staining and discolouring when properly sealed on a regular basis. Sealing is easily done by anyone, and a properly sealed granite counter top will maintain a beautiful shiny luster for a lifetime.

3. Every slab of granite will have different feature from the next. Patterns, colour textures, distribution and depth can all vary from slab to slab, providing different character. Any type of cabinet hardware fixtures can be complemented as well as cabinet finish or flooring. A richness is added to your kitchen, one that simple cannot be duplicated with other materials.

4. Although granite will add some expense to your kitchen remodel project, there are few better investments in your homes value. Using granite for your kitchen granite counter top will increase your home value, whether you're planning on selling your home soon or not. Home shoppers are more inclined towards a recently remodelled kitchen void of repair needs. They're more likely to pay more for the home, or go from feeling indifferent to preferred.

Builders and contractors have noticed an increase in demand for granite counter tops over the recent decade or so, and it's no wonder with all the benefits of granite. Weather using granite to enjoy the luxury yourself, or looking to sell your home, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Consider the decor of your home while choosing the pattern and colour of granite to be used. Will you be changing the decor or do you have something new in store. Neutral colours are more flexible with any decor changes due in the future.

2. Always make sure you are the one who chooses the actual granite slab to be used in your kitchen counter top. Since every slab is different, sample chips won’t match exactly what's available. If your counter top is big enough to require more than one granite slab, make sure the slabs are from the same quarry batch. Different granite quarry batches will vary in hue for the same granite type. It would be a disaster if slabs from different batches were used.

3. Never try to recycle fixtures such as the faucet or sink. With granite applications, an under mount sink looks best - mounted on the underside of the granite, with a silicon sealant preventing leaks. An under mount sink can not be installed or replaced after the granite is in place. So purchase the best quality sink you can afford.

With these few points in mind, you're ready to go and have your kitchen counter top transformed with gorgeous granite. Don't be alarmed when friends and neighbours see it for the first time and gasp at the transformation.


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Selecting the appropriate lighting for a living room


In order to select the proper lighting for a room you should know your needs. Know your need before you make any purchases and you may not know what you need while you are at the store.

Otherwise you can find inefficient lighting & you have to go back some times. This is a task with moderately ease.

The first thing that you have to do is to view the light in your living-room for a different times per day. Position your blinds or draperies as they will be throughout most of the day.

Look at the dark spots in your room that will have to be illuminated. E.g. if you read a book in the corner of your living-room at four p.m., verify to check the lighting for that specific time at that specific place.
If there are sofa tables or end tables, make sure to have the correct lamps on them. The lamps must not only reflect the style of the living-room, but also the scale of the table. Use teller lamps to add height to the sofa tables instead of the end tables.

The overhead lighting should be bright sufficient to be illuminated as many areas as possible. Some may want to have a ceiling fan attached to the lighting in the living-room.

You may get pleasure from it in hot and humid days in the evenings. Let there be as much natural light in the room as possible. Natural light is soothing & will aid you to calm and unwind.

You may also add specific lighting to the pictures on the wall. Also make certain that the lighting from the ceiling doesn't cast a glare on the television.


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Bathroom interior ideas


All you want at the end of the day is to relax and soak in a hot bath, but your current bathroom offers a tub the size of a teacup and feels dated. Whether you spend a lot of time in the bathroom or only a little, the bathroom is a vital part of your day.
Modern bathroom interior design focuses heavily on incorporating warmth, style, and functionality in equal measures. Designers will often look at adjacent space and consider the possibility of losing space in one room to add space to the small bathroom. They view the room as a potential retreat and design with that in mind. By adding storage space, square footage, and modern fixtures built for real people, bathroom interior designers can take your bathroom out of its time warp and into the new millennium.


1. Lighting Fixtures
You might spend a lot of money renovating the bathroom, but it will be the lighting fixtures that will add the finishing touch and make the bathroom a pleasure to use. Be sure to give sufficient attention to lighting from the start. Proper lighting will highlight your remodelling efforts, while inadequate lighting will detract from them. Too often bathroom lighting is inadequate. You don't have to buy expensive bathroom lighting fixtures to solve the problem, but you do need to buy the right fixtures. You can be creative and buy distinctive yet tasteful fixtures that go with the rest of your décor.


2. Integrating Storage
When you're planning your bathroom interior design, remember that you'll need somewhere to put the linen cupboard. Storage is a boring but essential aspect of bathroom design; you'd be surprised at just how much we keep in our bathrooms, including medicines, toiletries, stacks of towels and sometimes the laundry basket too. Don't be tempted to skimp on storage to save space. This is a false economy, because the mess has to go somewhere, and a bathroom with little storage is a cluttered bathroom - not spacious or restful at all. Don't be shy with ideas: matching your storage receptacles to your bathroom's theme will make you feel less resentful about devoting space to it. A minimalist bathroom will look great with a traditional white bathroom cupboard, while a rustic-style bathroom will be enhanced by a pine cupboard, perhaps with stencilling.


3. Bathroom Mirrors
Bathroom mirrors come in many different shapes, sizes, and styles: rectangular, round, oval, special shapes, with and without frames, and large to small. Decorative wall light fixtures mounted on each side of a standard mirror will illuminate both sides of the face evenly, without shadows. A wall bracket lighting fixture can also be mounted across the top of the mirror. Fixtures using incandescent bulbs behind glass or plastic diffusers emit the most flattering light.


4. Safety precautions in bathroom design
One of the most important safety precautions to remember is that water and electricity don't mix. Light switches should either be the cord kind or be situated outside the bathroom itself. You should also make sure that the electrical outlets for items such as hair dryers are safe, especially if those outlets are positioned near water sources. Old or damaged outlets may cause electrocution, or overheat and present a fire hazard. If your outlets are showing signs of wear and tear, get a qualified electrician to replace them. A good way of reducing your risk of electrocution is to install ground-fault circuit interrupters, which detect faults and stop the power supply when there are any electrical leaks in a circuit.


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The fireplace and home décor


This article will provide some useful advice on the fireplace and home décor. Before designing the fireplace, the décor of the room where it is to be placed should be considered. This ensures that the style fit in harmoniously with the overall look. All colour, materials and shapes must be totally integrated into the whole. It is advisable to ensure good visibility for the flames in order to fully enjoy the light and heat of the fire. Lastly the placement of the fireplace with respect to the surrounding elements and the distribution of the furniture around it must also be taken into account. Key focus is on the seating.

If the room is designed solely for the use of the fireplace, the placement of the furniture is simple, as the fireplace takes centre stage. A single functional area around the fireplace is the key to this type of distribution. On the other hand, if the fireplace is part of a room that's divided into several areas, a balance needs to be struck so that the fireplace is the focal point when the fire is lit but merges into the setting when not in use.

In this case, the placement of the furniture is multidirectional, even though this may cause interference between the different functional areas. The aim here is that the field of vision from the seating is diversified when the fire is not lit and goes beyond the simple dark hollow of the hearth. So, the seating serves primarily as functional living room furniture, and only secondarily as vantage points for contemplating the fireplace. In both cases, however, it is advisable to make the visibility of the flames and the warmth as similar as possible for all the seating. The furnishing around a fireplace can be characterised by a radial, transversal or frontal distribution.

Bear in mind that when the fireplace is not in use for extended period of time e.g. summer, it can become a sterile void. By adding decorative elements, it can be transformed into an interesting space. Some suggestions of decorative elements are plants, candles, stones or unusually shaped logs. All these make good substitutes for the focus of attention provided by a blazing fire.


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Winter is coming - is your swimming pool prepared?


Many people are facing problems with their pool equipment and swimming pool supplies not starting properly during spring start up. The reason being is that many people do not close their swimming pool properly during the fall and it may cause unnecessary expenses during spring start up. By properly closing your pool for winter, you spend less time and money opening your pool in the spring will eliminate additional electrical costs, chemicals and cleaning avoids possible freeze damage to equipment and plumbing.
Here is a check list of things to do before closing your pool for the winter.


Step 1
Several days prior to closing the pool, test the water for pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness and chlorine. Adjust levels if necessary. It is important to get the water balanced to protect the pool from corrosion or scale build-up that can occur during the period the pool is shut down. Use a water test kit to test for: pH 7.2 - 7.6 Alkalinity 80 - 120 ppm Calcium Hardness 175 - 250 ppm Chlorine 1 - 3 ppm


Step 2
Your pool needs to be clean before winterising. Brush and vacuum sides and bottom. Use Super Shimmer or a Clarifier to get water crystal clear. Lower water level while vacuuming (set filter to waste bypassing sand). Clean the tile line with Tile & Vinyl cleaner to remove oil and scum line. This will be easier to get off now before it sets on during winter months.


Step 3
To help protect water quality during the winter months, use a Winterising Kit. Follow instruction on product labels. Additional algaecide and shock can be purchased separately for larger size pools.


Step 4
Clean the filter, skimmer, and pump basket. Remove all unused chlorine product from Chlorinator. Cartridge filter elements and D.E. grids should be sprayed with Filter cleaner and rinsed clean with a garden hose. Sand Filters should be backwashed.


Step 5
Lower water of pool below returns and skimmer. Never completely drain a pool - Hydrostatic pressure can cause damage. Using an air compressor or shop vac (attached to the blower side of the vac), blow water out of system by forcing air down skimmer and through the plumbing. Add Anti-Freeze to plumbing and install threaded winter plugs to return fittings to keep water out of lines. Anti-Freeze is a non-toxic formula. DO NOT USE AUTOMOBILE ANTIFREEZE.


Step 6
Remove all drain plugs from pump, filter tank and any other pool equipment. Follow the manufacturers' instructions for your specific equipment. Place all drain plugs in pump basket for storage.


Step 7
Air pillows need to be inflated with a leaf blower or shop vac. Tie off air pillow in the centre of pool, larger pools will require 2 or more air pillows. The air pillows will shed water toward the edge of pool for easier removal. They also allow forming ice to crack inward preventing damage to the shell or structure of the pool.


Step 8
Place winter cover over pool surface, black side down. There are different covers for in ground and above ground pools.

Above Ground Pools:
A cable and winch are included to fasten cover under top ledge of pool.

In Ground Pools and Pools With Decks:
Place water tubes end to end around edge of pool. Fill water tubes 1/2 full of water (do not over fill or expanding water will damage water tube). Water tubes are sold separately. Never use concrete blocks, bricks, etc to secure cover because they can damage pool cover or pool.

If you follow these easy steps in the winter. Spring Start up will be a snap!



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Home improvements sell homes


Did you know that making a few small home improvements can skyrocket the chances of your home selling quickly? If you're in the market for a new home but need to sell your home first, there are a couple of things you can do to vastly improve your chances of a quick sale.

Do you remember the old saying "you only get one chance to make a good first impression"? That's not only true when you meet someone or apply for a job, it's also true when you are trying to sell your home.

First, decide that you'll be perfectly honest with yourself. Also, take the opportunity to ask someone who is brutally honest, to help you see your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. Having done that, drive up and down your neighbourhood for a block each way from your home. What stands out to you about any of the other homes in your neighbourhood? Any certain paint combinations, yard decor or maybe even a white picket fence?

Now take note of your home and ask your friend to help. If there's anything about your front that needs attention, that should be the focus of your first home improvements. It could be a simple as repairing cracks in your driveway or painting the trim around windows and doors. Maybe you need to add some colourful flowers that stand up and contrast with the colour of the front of your home. If you impress that potential buyer with the first things they see when they drive up, you are about half way home to impressing them all the way.

Next, swing your front door open and take a really long look at things. That's the next thing a buyer will see as she comes to preview your home. If you've painted your walls with some kind of outlandish paint colour that you just love, remember that your buyer may not share your taste or enthusiasm for that colour combination.

Consider repainting, at least the first room they'll see, with an off white colour. That will brighten up the room and it is the most universally accepted colour for walls, sure not to offend the eyes of your buyer.
Carpet, window dressings and furniture arrangement can be other areas of attention but the home improvements you most want to concentrate on are the first impression things. These are what makes a home sell quickly.


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