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Top 3 Basement Renovation Ideas That Will Make The Basement Your Favorite Place In The World

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Is your basement a dark, dingy, and damp area which is used only as a utility room or a storage dump? Is it a shady neglected area where the only occasional visitor is a solitary spider and where the only resident according to your children, is a three-eyed monster who looks more like a mix between SpongeBob SquarePants and an amoeba? No, this is not happening at all. Its time you rolled up your socks and considered transforming your abandoned basement into something fun, constructive and entertaining. There are plenty of remodeling concepts and ideas that you could implement on your basement. Here are a few:

Pool table

Gaming Zone

Probably the most exciting thing you could do to your basement is to convert it into a game room – the perfect get-away from stress, homework, nagging girlfriends and other worldly issues. It can be a place where you can just chill with your mates after work or school. You can adorn the game room with a cozy sofa and a television set for video gaming and watching movies. The other portion of the room could have a pool table or a table-tennis table, or both, depending on the space available and your budget. You could also include other games like darts, foosball, and some table games like Monopoly, chess, checkers and backgammon. So why spend money every time going to the mall or the gaming zone when you can have your very own game room in your basement!

Untitled

Basement Bar

Why not charm all your friends and guests with an attractive and wonderful basement bar? Turning your basement into a cozy drinks bar can be an amazing idea. A fantastic way to unwind with your favorite drink after a long day at work, a basement bar will also come in handy to host small parties and fun gatherings with friends and family members. You can choose from a variety of incredible bar designs and exclusive bench-tops to give your bar that classy and elegant look. You could also add to the charm by putting a billiards table and a television set where you can enjoy a few beers with your mate over a game of football. So if you’re looking to give your basement a splendid makeover, an awesome basement bar might just be what you’re looking for!

Home Library/Study

My Game Collection

Is reading your favorite way to spend time? After a long day at work, do you like unwinding with your favorite novel and a glass of wine? Well why not consider turning your basement into a library? With the perfect lighting, study lamps and comfortable sofas, you could create just the right cozy ambience of a library. You could arrange racks and built-in shelves to accommodate your mounting collection of books which currently seem to be scattered all over your house. Your personal library could also station a couple of computers with internet access to help you with your research work and basic surfing or for your kids to do their school projects and other study work. Having a basement library is an awesome way to read all your favorites in your own personal haven of knowledge.

There are so many more such incredible remodeling ideas that your basement could offer, such as a home gym, kids play area/nursery, a home theatre etc. So what are you waiting for? Get into action and start working on your basement’s cracking makeover.

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Patrick Hugo is an interior designer by profession and whenever he finds time, he writes to help people improve their lifestyle by unconventional yet cost-effective methods. His designs mainly include bar design, basement renovation, pool design and others.

How to Make Your Property Into a Pad

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Every guy I know has a secrete yearning to own a ‘pad’. When you’re young, successful and single, having a bachelor pad that shows off your success and your sense of style can serve not only as a great way to impress friends and potential partners, but also as a reward for all your hard work and validation of your success. Having a great flat that has all the bells and whistles means you’ve ‘made it’ and it’s a sure fire way to be the envy of all your friends and colleagues.


But how do you make a flat or a townhouse into a real bachelor pad? Here we will look at the secrets to making your flat say ‘success’ and ‘style’ even if you aren’t actually bringing in the mega bucks yet.

Minimalism

The first thing you need to focus on is creating a minimal design that doesn’t feature too much clutter or crowd out your spaces. Many people who want to have the best looking homes will make the mistake of decorating them with as much as they can find and stuffing them full of trinkets and items, but all this does is to dilute the impact of each thing on display and make the space look untidy.

Living Room with Bamboo Garden

By having just a few items on show instead you can make sure you choose only your very favourite belongings to display which means the average quality and value there will be greater. Furthermore this will create more open space which makes the rooms look larger and thus more luxurious (and more relaxing to spend time in).

Light

To further make your space look larger you should try and open it out as much as possible and use large windows and light colours to ensure lots of light gets around the room. This will make everything look instantly cleaner, instantly bigger and instantly more relaxing.

Using an open plan layout can also help with this and that’s a great way to make a space look modern while enabling you to entertain. An open plan kitchen that is nevertheless separate from the main room will allow you to cook and prepare food while guests relax on the sofa, or to eat your cereal on the counter while you watch TV before work.

Flooring

A wooden floor or concrete floor is a great way to avoid patterned or coloured carpets which date and stain and also a great way to make your home easier to keep clean.

Technology

Having lots of technology in your property is a great way to make it seem more luxurious, more automated and more modern. A big TV has long been a mark of success, but other smaller elements like having a tablet computer on a coffee table or a more advanced shower with multiple shower heads and settings can also sell the fact that you’ve spared no luxuries.

Taste and Variety

Wall Plates

To have a real pad you shouldn’t just be trying to demonstrate your resources but also your taste and lifestyle. Choose some items to display then that will show off where you’ve travelled and your hobbies and interests, but again keep these more minimal – so that means one piano or guitar, or just one tribal mask from your gap year. These also serve as fantastic conversation starters.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Creative Commons image source

Susan Lewis is a home maker and has bought her first home recently. She says that Investment in Property in Melbourne is on a high these days as a huge number of houses have been sold and bought.

5 Overused Decorating Trends You Should Avoid

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What’s old is sometimes new and what’s new can sometimes get old. While a design trend may be hot, there comes a time when you should move on. Whether it’s a room completely covered in chalkboard paint or a room filled with reclaimed “treasures”, some trends have been done to death. The following are just five overused decorating trends you should avoid.

Stereotypical Design

Stereotypical design has been a problem since the first homeowner added a tiki bar to their basement. People think that they can just throw a symbol of a culture in the room and create the style, but it isn’t so. Instead of trying to recreate Mexican flare with a sombrero, study the colors and design of Mexican culture and create a room doesn’t look like a Mexican restaurant.

Chalkboard Paint

There’s no denying the fact that chalkboard paint is a cool addition to almost any room. Unfortunately, people have taken this trend to the extreme. Instead of painting your entire child’s room in chalkboard paint, boarder off an area to make it look like an actual chalkboard. This would be a great place for him to keep notes about upcoming sports practice or tests.

Above the Fireplace TV Mounting

Let’s get one thing straight. A fireplace should be the focal point of a room and it should never have to compete with a TV. Not to mention that the heat of a fireplace can shorten the lifespan of your precious TV. You can opt to focus your seating arrangement on the fireplace, but still have comfortable access to the TV or you can create separate seating areas.

Disconnected Design

Stop trying to make your bedroom look like a posh hotel room. A room should be designed with your interests in mind. The room should scream your name, rather than looking like a room that can be seen in hotels across the country. Choose design elements that relate to you. You might start out with a bold paint color or even base your design off a beautiful duvet.

Reclaim Overload

There’s nothing wrong with salvaging that piece of furniture from the flea market and making it new again. A reclaimed piece can add character to an updated room. When the room is nothing but reclaimed pieces, it starts to look more like a thrift store than a chic living room. Be careful not to fall prey to reclaim overload.

There are so many wonderful design trends to choose from. Instead of choosing one that you’ve seen on TV numerous times, why not choose something new or even create your own design?

About the Author: Armand Heitland and his wife spent a lot of time planning their home decor. They recently found contemporary sectional sofas from gowfb.com and have had a few classical murals painted directly onto some of their entryway walls.

How to Create a Warm, Inviting Home

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Home may be where the heart is, but is your home a place those outside your family love to be? This is a question many forget to ask themselves regularly. Maybe you enjoy how your home is set up but is your current setup something that makes people want to stick around? Are your guests comfortable when they walk through the door? Are things organized? Do they have a place for their shoes and coats? Are there things to look at and keep them entertained during their visit? Today we are going to help you think of some of the things that are easy to drop the ball on when you see the same area day after day and are immune to your way of doing things.

Start Outside and Work Your Way in

08 Front Yard Garden

If you’ve ever heard the term ‘curb appeal’ and know a little about it, then you probably understand just how important it is to make your home look nice not only on the inside but on the outside as well. Even if you aren’t selling your home, this is something you should keep in mind. What people see first when they walk up to your house matters. Do you want them to notice the fact that your yard hasn’t been mowed in months or do you want them to get lost in your beautiful marble entryway? Would you prefer them to notice the paint chipping on the side of your house or the beautifully painted mailbox you worked so hard to decorate?

Even if we don’t mean to, as humans, it’s only natural to make assumptions and expect that what we see on the outside is going to be similar to what we see on the outside. Wouldn’t you be shocked to see a run-down looking home and yard with torn apart cars that have been used for scrap metal outside, only to find a fascinating home that is organized to perfection on the inside, with expensive pieces of unique art all over the walls and a spiral staircase drawing you towards the upper level? You see, setting the tone from the get-go really makes a difference.

Keeping Things ‘Old School’

By ‘old school’, we do not in any way, shape or form, mean ‘outdated’. Sometimes, it’s nice to get in touch with our roots and add something fresh and new that isn’t as commonly found in others’ homes. Many people these days are so focused on technology and having the ‘best of the best’ that they forget the ‘best’ isn’t necessarily what’s popular now. Fewer people have bookshelves nowadays, for example. If you love reading or know of people who do, this may be a great addition to your home; adding sophistication to your style.

Offering Comfort for You and Your Guests

Staying comfortable is important and as we touched on a bit above, it is an important part of setting up your home. Lighting is one of those things many people simply forget about; this and the color you choose for each space truly do set the tone. Colors that help to relax and calm include: green, blue and purple. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to paint your entire wall one of these colors but finding ways to add accents of any of them here and there is always nice.

Another very important aspect of comfort is entertainment. Not many of us like to sit around without anything to do. Make sure you have things for your guests to take part in when they are staying over. A few ideas to get you started would be a gaming system in your spare bedroom, or board games that the whole family can enjoy.

Everything Should Have a Place to Call ‘Home’

The Rorschach Light

Clutter can be overwhelming for guests. It gives the eyes too many things to want to focus on. To create an inviting atmosphere, it’s important that you limit how much you display. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to put everything away but choose wisely and don’t be afraid to alternate your favorite pieces from time to time. These ‘pieces’ can be simple objects such as lamps, flowers, family photos or awards. They don’t necessarily have to be paintings or anything fancy.

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Deborah Walker is a home improvement expert and has done interior designing for a lot of homes. She says that Marble Tiling & Flooring gives your house a very classy and elegant look.

Clever Ways to Use Pressed-Tin Panels to Jazz Up the Look of Your Home

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There’s an old adage that goes “what goes around, comes around” and this rings true in the case of pressed-tin panels. Introduced in the late 1800s, these metal sheets were widely used in both residential and commercial buildings as a practical solution to cover up damaged ceilings. The fact that they are fire-resistant was an added bonus. It didn’t take long when homeowners realized that pressed-tin panels also make for great ceiling décor since they look like ornate plasterwork without the pricey tag attached to them.

Although their use somewhat declined in the subsequent years after their introduction in the market, pressed-tin panels are making a comeback. According to experts, part of the reason why they are popular again is the increased interest in home restoration. Many homeowners find that these panels are perfect elements to bring the life back to traditional home designs and they also fit in well with some contemporary decorating schemes.

More than just as decorative elements overhead, pressed-tin panels can also be used in a variety ways to add interest to homes. And if you’re looking at redecorating your place and you’d like to incorporate such elements to your decor, here are some suggestions how you can creatively use them to give your nest a bold new look.

Feature wall

Pressed-tin panels may seem like a cold choice for a wall surface, but with their ornamental design they are actually an excellent choice to create a focal wall. Once applied, they lend a truly distinctive feel to the space. And with the numerous finish options and the fact that you can paint them, they provide you a lot of room for customization. One caution, though: when using pressed-tin panels as a wall covering, especially if you intend to use them on all four walls, make sure that you incorporate a lot of fabrics into the room. The fabrics will help absorb the reverberating sound that these metal sheets bounce off to the space.

Backsplash

Pressed-tin panels are also great alternatives for conventional backsplash materials like tiles and stones. In fact, a lot of manufacturers today create pressed-tin panels that are especially designed for backsplash use. They made them resistant against spills, stains, rust and mold and mildew growth. Some manufacturers also copy dozens of antique designs and patterns and apply it on their products to befit a range of interior design. So whether you have a cottage-style or contemporary kitchen, you’ll surely find pressed-tin panels that you can use as a backsplash that won’t detract from the look of your space.

Headboard

Tired of the same old look of your bed? Spruce it up a bit by making a headboard out of pressed-tin panels. All you need is to assemble a basic headboard frame and add the pressed sheets onto it. The raised patterns of the panels will definitely give your bed a fresh face. If desired, you can paint the surface with a semigloss enamel paint so that your new headboard won’t reflect light.

Framed artwork

If you’re not ready to commit using pressed-tin panels on a large scale, you can just use them as accessories such as framed artwork. Simply cut the panels so that they fit in frames. Then paint each piece with your desired colors. Once dry, place them in the frames and group them together on a bare wall.

This home improvement advice was penned by one of the regular contributors of McIntyre Masonry, a family-run business in central Scotland that provides a wide range of stonework solutions. All their services are carried out by professional Stonemasons, thereby ensuring premier quality craftsmanship.

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