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Going Green: Renovations That Won’t Cost the Earth

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Must it always be a choice between what you want and what’s good for you? Being environmentally-conscious can be hard sometimes, but it doesn’t have to come down to living with a home that is aesthetically shocking. By using sustainable materials and smart energy-saving techniques, you can effectively spruce up your home and lessen the environmental impact it has on the earth.


Outside the Home

The key here is insulation. By properly insulating your house, you can greatly reduce your energy requirements, which helps to save you money as well as reducing your carbon footprint. Obviously the optimum solution is to hire an energy expert when you’re designing your home so you can install the correct level of building shell insulation, but if your property has already been built you can still talk to the experts to find out what can be applied.

There are multitudes of energy-saving options and many of them are also eco-friendly, involving long-wearing or natural materials being installed in your house. Cool roofs, double-glazed windows, and radiant barriers can all reduce solar heat transfer, while double-glazed windows, partitioned rooms and sealed doors will help to keep a house warm in colder climates.

Inside the Home

It’s natural to be a little apprehensive about applying sustainable principles to your home. After all, green is great, but not if the chair collapses underneath you! It might reassure you to know that sustainable materials can be some of the most durable and hard-wearing substances in the world. They’re also much more inclined to feel natural and lend elegance to the room.

One of the quickest ways to change the feel of a room is to change your window dressing. The correct form of blinds or curtains can assist with energy-saving measures, and there’s a large range of colours and materials available so you can brighten even the dullest of rooms.

Great materials to think about include natural wood, bamboo, marble and stone. Your floor and furniture should be the right mix of durable and recyclable and if possible, you should think about purchasing your pieces second-hand. There’s a great community of interior designers out there who love to adapt recycled materials like old tyres and whiskey barrels into quirky furnishings.

You might also consider purchasing modular furniture, that is, furniture which can be transformed by moving parts and used for more than one purpose. There are incredible designs that function as couches, beds, bookshelves, ottomans, tables and more – all with the one set. Purchasing this kind of furniture means you reduce the overall number of pieces you require. Combine this with buying modular furniture made of 100% recycled and recyclable material and you’re onto an eco-friendly winner!

Finally, when you’re thinking about interior accessories, you should consider the fact that these will be discarded more readily and more often than furniture. Invest in one or two pieces made from a strong material like marble or stone, and the rest can be comprised of materials like clay vases, wicker, river rocks and branches. Get creative and lend a touch of the wilderness to your living room!

Kate Lee is a freelance writer who specialises in environmentally-friendly solutions for the home. In her spare time, she writes for Susan-Hopkins.com as well as various renovation websites.

Top (Smaller) Ways You Can Switch To Alternative Power

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Switching to an alternative power source is the number one way to reduce your carbon emissions and to help your finances at the same time. This way you will be able to stop relying on energy companies to supply your energy and you’ll thus be able to drastically reduce your energy bills as a result. In a perfect world if you could get all your energy from entirely renewable sources then you would of course be able to completely forget about energy bills and live in a world of free energy.

Unfortunately this isn’t something that most of us will ever be able to experience – we are simply too reliant on large amounts of energy for daily living and we lack the space and funds that would be necessary in order to install roofs full of solar panels.

That said though there are still ways that we can enjoy switching to alternative power sources without spending a fortune or destroying our homes and though some of these require barely any real work on our part or any expense they can still make a difference for the planet while at the same time saving us a lot of money. Here are some suggestions.

Solar Panels

Switching entirely to solar power might be a big undertaking but this doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach. Even if you can’t go entirely solar powered, there is no reason you can’t install just a few solar panels on your roof and still cut your emissions in half.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

This takes a lot of work to install in that you need to dig up a large portion of your garden, but it’s still more attainable for many of us that switching completely to solar power. Here you have pipes added underneath your property so that the warmth of the ground around them heats up the water flowing through. This then will be enough to warm a swimming pool for instance, or perhaps even your radiators and so your home without costing you anything each time.

Solar Thermal Panels

Solar panels in the sense that you put on your roof are actually called ‘solar voltaic’ panels. Meanwhile solar thermal panels exist to heat water in a similar way to geothermal pumps just on a smaller scale. For heating a pool or something this is a great option.

Solar Power Lights

While you might not have the funds to install solar panels on your roof, smaller solar panels come in all kinds of household items and appliances. For instance why not switch to solar power calculators rather than using batteries? Or use solar powered garden lights to light up your garden?

Solar Powered Phone Chargers

You might not think that using solar powered lights will make much difference particularly when you could just forego garden lighting altogether. A more effective way you can switch to solar power in this case then is to use it for powering your phone and other devices. Solar powered chargers allow you to do this which means you can take less of a toll on your monthly electricity bill.

Hybrid Cars

If you can’t afford to go full electric or don’t think there’s currently enough of an infrastructure there to warrant the purchase of a Roadster or a S Model, then why not compromise with a hybrid car that will help you to use a lot less fuel without affecting the experience of driving for you.

Thomas Stew often writes informative posts on green living and environment. According to him, solar power is capable enough to overcome the existing energy crises.

Things To Consider Before You Order Custom Rugs

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Every homeowner has their own idea of what looks good in their home. They each like things to look and feel a certain way. Of course, some people like to leave the decorating in the hands of professionals who are good at interior design and decorating. You can also get a little help from magazines and online websites that offer design advice.

Custom rugs can be a great addition to any room, no matter what style your room might be. There are so many styles, colors, patterns and more to choose from. Choosing the right custom rugs for your home should not be a quick decision. There are factors that should be taken into consideration before you pick them. Below are some of the top things to consider before you order your custom rugs.

Choose A Theme

One of the first things to consider when choosing a custom rug is what theme you are working with in the room where the rug will go. To figure out your theme, look at the current colors, furniture, curtains, doors, windows and more to see what the common quality is in them. Once you find the theme, you can then get a customized rug to match with your current decor.

Do Research

Now that you know what theme you are working with in your room, you need to search around for rug companies that will be able to offer you the customized rug that you want. Make sure that the company is reputable to order from and has a consistent record of selling quality rugs to their customers. A quick search online can lead you to many companies that sell custom rugs. Check out their online portfolios if they have them. This should give you a better idea of which company to order your custom rugs from.

Create A Budget

A custom rug is not always cheap. Before you buy a rug, you need to figure out what your budget is going to be. Knowing your budget before you begin searching will keep you from spending too much and also keep you from falling in love with a rug that you cannot afford. Also, bear in mind that certain rugs that you buy might require a more expensive form of upkeep than others. This should also be a factor when creating your budget.

As you can see, there are many things to take into consideration before you purchase any custom rugs. These types of purchases can be a little on the expensive side and should not be done spontaneously. You need to take the time to find a rug that will meet all of your decorating needs and still be within your budget. The right custom rug will make the perfect addition to any room and is a great investment.

David Dennel is a self-proclaimed interior designer. He recommends choosing iCustomRug for any possible modern area rug choice. They carry a large selection at low prices.

Top Ways To Display Your Photographs Around The Home

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Photographs are some of the most personal items we can use to decorate the home, and are a completely unique decoration that can help to show visitors who we are and what’s important to us as well. No home then is really complete without a few photographs then, but this doesn’t have to mean just putting images into square frames – there are many ways to display photography that are more creative and more interesting and that will provide a more interactive or creative look. Here we will look at some of them.

Frame 16 - Ornate Gold

Creative Photo Frames

Of course manufacturers and designers realise the demand for more creative and interesting photo frames which is why it’s possible to find all kinds of more interesting ways to display your pictures. These include photo frames that allow you to decide images on the sides of a cube (which can then be rotated), that show your images in tiered layers, or that allow the images to hang and sway.

If you want to get really creative with your photo frames, then you can even get more creative still and start making your own. There are a vast number of ways you can do this from working with wood and other materials to carve them into the shapes you need, to using 3D modelling and 3D printing to have complex designs created for you on demand.

80collage

Collages

The only downside of using photo frames is that they aren’t particularly efficient in term of the amount of space they take up and the number of pictures they allow you to display. If you really want to display a large number of pictures then one of the best ways to do so is by creating a collage whereby you can cut out multiple different images and then put them together by tying together a theme or just using a layout that will look great.

Embedding Them in Other Items

You can also use all kinds of other things as photo frames without that being the main purpose. For instance a placemat can easily make a great photo frame as can a coaster – and you can buy ones online that are specifically designed for this purpose. Alternatively clock faces, bottled drinks and even mouse mats can also provide great canvases for your photos.

Fall (painting and poem)

Canvases

If you have a particular image that you are especially proud of and you want to display well, then using canvases and mounting them is a great way to turn your memories into works of art. If you want to really make this look artistic meanwhile, then you can use this strategy with a series of similar side by side images that show movement, or by splitting one image across three or more thin canvases.

Using the Computer

Digital technology also allows for many more ways to display photos in unique and interesting ways. Of course photos make great backgrounds for computers, phones, tablets and other devices, but you can also buy specific digital photo frames that will enable you to have a slideshow of images you like rather than having to choose just one to display. Using the computer it’s also possible to edit your pictures using photo editing software and to this way make them look more stylish and more suited to the room they’re going to be used in.

Matthew Davison is a successful interior decorator who also maintains the website GrantElevators.com.au.

Top 4 Guidelines To Choosing Great Garbage Bins

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Hiring a bin service is simple if you know what you are looking for. Choosing the first service provider that you see, or one that you come across, is not always the right way to go about it. For quality services and satisfaction on your part, you have to know everything about your service provider.

This may involve the kind of the size of bins you are looking for, the location you are in, the amount that you will have to pay, the services that come with the bins that you want to hire, and many others. Before you choose a bin, try to do some research on elements such as:

  1. Product and service variety

When you are looking for the best ways to handle your waste and garbage, think of the variety of products and services you can use. Select one that will suit you. Whether this entails using a company that will provide skip and mini skips, hire services, different meter lengths of the bins, garbage removal and other services choose what best suits your needs. Settle for a company that has more in terms of variety and services. All of these should also be have quality equipment that will be durable and serve you well. All in all, choose a good package!

  1. Customer satisfaction

All bin and garbage collection services are more or less the same. The reason why one service would stand out from others is because they have better customer services. It is important to settle on a company that will be able to meet your needs. The best way to identify one is to select from companies that you are already assured of.

These companies have already provided people you know with quality services. Satisfied customers are always willing to advertise the products they are using, so keep an ear out for the bins that your co-workers or friends are talking about. Let the company you use be a ‘name’ that you have confidence in.

  1. Professional goods and services

Professionalism always speaks for itself. When visiting a collection and bins service providers, you can judge this by the kind of packages they offer and the franchise that they have if it is worth using their services and products. Avoid old and worn out equipment. Always insist on having a look at the kind of equipment being used and find out all the safety precautions and advantages that with the bin you settle for. Use a bin provider that has been there for a long time since it is more experienced.

  1. Insurance and certification

Have some sort of security and trust in what you pay for. This means that you can attach yourself to a group of bin service providers who have proper certifications and evidence that they are compliant will all the requirements and laws of the council. Insurance is also important so that you are assured of your safety and security.

All these eventually play a role in the credibility of the company you are using. Garbage services are continuously increasing and some of the companies may not be legit, hence you need to ensure that you are in the right camp.

Crystal is an avid blogger who has written numerous blogs on waste management techniques. She has more than 15 years of industry experience in waste management solutions.

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