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Health & Home Home Improvement

The Don’ts of Designing Small Spaces By An Expert

Whether it is your first-ever apartment or a tiny hostel dorm, it is important to decorate it so that your small space feels more homely. You may have already tried a few things to make your home feel welcoming, cozy, and beautiful. However, decorating small spaces can be a real challenge as the slightest change in positioning furniture can take up all the available space or free it up for more room. In fact, a lot of things that you think would enhance the ambiance end up doing the opposite.

There are no hard and fast rules to what furniture or décor items you should pick for your personal space. After all, it’s yours, and it’s totally okay if you love how your space feels and looks. However, interior designers have a lot to say when it comes to designing small spaces. And we agree that such tricks make a big difference. Let’s have a look at what you shouldn’t do while decorating your space.

No Dark Colors

Darker hues like navy blue or black surely make for great décor as they add sophistication and personality to a space. However, it is not the best choice when it comes to spaces that are already small and congested. The dark colors can often give the feeling of the walls closing up on you.

You may have already realized that your space looks smaller and congested when you paint the walls or install curtains in dark colors. Therefore, it is better to go for lighter hues and neutral tones to paint your walls and decorate your space with. Such colors can make a small room appear bigger and more spacious. They will also serve to brighten up the area.

No Patterns

Similar to how dark tones can make a space look small, patterns can make it look busy. If your space already has a lot of things sitting in it, it is best not to go for patterned décor. While it can look really stunning and stand out, grabbing a lot of attention, it is not a good option for smaller spaces.

Small spaces generally do not allow room for a lot of décor. And if you add patterned pieces, it can just get worse. Patterns and vibrant colors can give the space a busy feel and overwhelm it.

An easy way to make your space reflect back your personality is to experiment with textures instead of colors and patterns.

Don’t Overlook Light Fixtures In The Small Space

 When it comes to small spaces, interior designers choose décor and designing methods that can make the space appear more spacious and bigger. Adding lighter colors and subtle textures helps with eliminating the feeling of a closed and busy space but is it enough? Using light colors and allowing as much natural light as possible inside your space is good yet insufficient. While you may not feel the need, they can make a big difference in brightening up your space.

Make sure you get your hands on some traditional lamps for the heavy lifting up that will make your home look lighter, brighter, and bigger. Make sure you use all kinds of lighting fixtures you can get.

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Health & Home Home Improvement

DIY Home Improvement Projects To Do This Summer

Summer typically calls for lazy times in the pool but it’s also a great time for the much-needed home improvement projects you’ve been putting off. DIY home improvement ideas are literally the best because they save time and money and your home too gets a lot of TLC.

In this blog, we’re going to share five fantastic DIY home improvements for this summer and how you can upgrade your home without much effort.

1. Improved Window Treatments For Your Home

Have you ever thought of window treatments to beat the summer heat and keep your house comfortably cool despite the blazing sun outside? The best part is that installing advanced window treatments is not a complex job at all and it’s an easy DIY thing. You only need simple things like a blackout curtain or two, some motorized roller shades or even greater options from the market variety.

You’d probably even enjoy installing these, not to mention how outfitting the windows with shades will protect you and your family from harmful UV light and blind glares. Rid goodbye to scorching summer heat indoors with this DIY idea.

2. Bring Summer Into Your Home With More Plants

Summer may be hot but it’s a beautiful weather nonetheless. How better to enjoy it than bringing in some more greenery right in your house? This summer, give your outdoor area, a balcony or a designated corner in your home a fresh makeover with vibrant summer plants.

If you can afford it, try to spruce the area with a bright paint color too or landscape it if you’re feeling a tad more adventurous. Gardens have a magical ability to transform the aesthetical appeal of homes and perennials, hydrangeas, lupines etc. make the best choice.

If you’re not up for braving the summer heat and venturing outdoors, then you can stay in, give your interiors some glam makeover and still enjoy the season. A wall gallery sounds like a very creative idea and it is the best ways of livening up a home. You can look at creative DIY ways of converting a prominent wall in your home into a gallery wall.

Decorate it with family photos, some colorful artwork or even blend the two for a more striking end result.

4. Give Your Home’s AC Filters a Good Scrub

This might not be a lot of fun but it is necessary nonetheless. Replacing or at least cleaning your AC filters will make the summer more bearable and especially important if you have not done it for long.

The filters of any HVAC unit can accumulate tons of dirt, when we fail to clean them in a couple of months. You could make this DIY idea your summer project and thankfully, it does not take very long. You only have to locate the furnace vents on your AC, unscrew then and clean the filters thoroughly. If they’re beyond rescue, replacing them would also be a good idea. You can rid the filters of the mold, dust and tons of allergens living on it and ensure your family will only be breathing in cleaner air through the season.

5. Give Your Floor Some TLC This Summer

We’re usually focusing so much on statement walls, light fixtures, kitchen hardware etc. that we fail to realize the floor could do with some makeover too. This summer, you can give your floor some brightness and make it the highlight of the summer season.

You can go for an all out black and white tiling, neutral light tiling, matte tiles or those with graphic patterns or even settle for some hexagonal beauty. If you want something simpler, perhaps a darker stain to your existing hardwood or pulling up the carpet would do the trick too.

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Health & Home Home Improvement

11 Popular Pandemic Home Improvement Projects

Are you done sitting idle during the pandemic? We have eleven most popular home improvement projects to share with you. Perhaps you’d get the inspiration to make your time more interesting as the pandemic subsides and you home will get a fancy makeover too.

1. Fencing

Fencing is an ideal way of creating an impressive outdoor living space. You can add more definition to your outdoor area plus increase privacy with this home improvement project. The best part is that this upgrade is achievable in $100 or even less.

2. Exterior Upgrades

The pandemic has also seen 86% increase in exterior updates. So if you’re looking for a striking home improvement task, opt for landscaping or some exterior painting. The average cost for this will be around $2,960 for the exterior paint while landscaping may cost you $3,423 on an average.

3. Bathroom Remodeling

The other most popular pandemic home improvement trend has been bathroom remodels. If we’re to spend more time at home, it only makes more sense to have bathrooms where we can have a spa like or at least luxurious experience each time. At an average, bathroom remodels can cost around $10, 778.

4. Interior Painting

During the pandemic, home interiors have been seeing a lot of fancy makeovers too and are a relatively economical upgrade. If you’re planning an eye-catching transformation for your home, you could paint your interiors at an average cost of $2,007.

5. New Flooring

The next best pandemic home renovation trend is new flooring. The average costs of replacing worn-out wood, tiles or carpets are $4,680.

6. Kitchen Makeovers

During the pandemic thus far, 43% of homeowners have upgraded their kitchens, if your kitchen is approximately $150 square per foot, then you’d have to spend around $25, 544 on this home improvement project.

7. Remodeling the Living Room

Are you bored of your tired and dill-looking living room? So were 38% of other home owners too who utilized the pandemic free time to transform the highlight of their house. Renovating a living room costs an average of $2,050 to $3,150.

8. Upgrade Your Entryway

The entryway is among the first impressions of your home and it is only right to invest on upgrading it. Just like other homeowners, who spend an average of $509 in giving their entryways a fancier and newer look during the pandemic.

9. Make Your Bedroom Look New

Primary bedrooms have been the most lived-in during the pandemic and perhaps why more homeowners revamped these. Upgrading a basic bedroom during this time can cost your around $880 to $2,300.

10. Dining Rooms Upgrade

Since we’re no longer eating out at restaurants, home owners thought they create a fine dining ambience right at home. Dining room upgrades have been trending since the pandemic and cost an average of $12,000 for refurnishing.

11. Basement Upgrades

The pandemic is a good opportunity to make use of your fabulous spacious basement, if you haven’t done it before. Take cue from the 13% home owners who thought make their basement an appealing hangout was a good idea for surviving the social-distancing time.

This home renovation project will cost you $20,428 on an average.