Home Improvement — Home and Garden Diva

Bathroom Remodeling Requires A Plan Before Taking Any Actions

In a world of DIY home renovation projects, it can be easy to get started on an extensive bathroom remodeling project without taking the time to plan ahead. After all, the bathroom is a relatively small room compared with the rest of the house. With so little to work with, planning the project out might seem like a waste of time. However, getting organized ahead of time will save you money, stress and energy as you progress. And having a plan means you’re less likely to forget crucial steps in the renovation process. If you’re planning to remodel your bathroom, then read on to learn about the best ways to get started and stay focused.

Sizing Up the Place

Remodeling projects should always begin with a detailed summation of the size of the space. You can’t go forward without knowing how much room you’ve got to work with and how much room you can steal from other sources. For example, your bathroom might connect with empty wall space, or it might border a wall that contains crucial electrical wiring. Before you plan out what to do with your space, you need to make sure you have the room to do it.

You may not need a professional to help you remodel your bathroom, but you will need a professional contractor to evaluate the project if you plan to extend your space at all. Regardless of your prowess as a DIY home renovator, you probably don’t have the same expertise when it comes to understanding complex wiring and structural systems. Speaking with a professional now will help you avoid expensive mistakes later.

Steps in the Right Direction

Once you’ve established the space limitations, it’s time to start planning your remodeling project. The easiest way to begin is by listing the necessary steps. Doing so will help you stay focused as the project progresses.

Step 1: Establish a budget. Be firm, but allow yourself some leeway in case of emergencies.

Step 2: Create a scaled picture of the final project including dimensions, sizes, fixtures and necessary details.

Step 3: Choose your materials, fixtures, equipment and other necessary items both for completing the project and for furnishing the bathroom.

You can always add or eliminate steps, but start with the basics so that you know you’ve planned appropriately. You may not be able to expect everything that happens during a remodeling project; unforeseen complications and unexpected expenses may throw you off momentarily. But having an established plan and following it in order will help reduce your stress and allow you to see the bigger picture.

Professional Advice

Just as you spoke with a contractor regarding electrical wiring and structural issues, you’ll want to seek advice from someone with experience on where to begin. You don’t have to hire a costly home renovator, but you should ask for help from friends who have done similar projects. You can also browse hundreds of online videos for specific renovation aspects along with books containing useful information.

However, nothing trumps experience, and you may need advice, especially when you get stuck. While you might be able to renovate your bathroom using online tutorials, you could benefit from some expert advice before you begin. Many professionals don’t charge the same rate for advice as they would for actual construction. Consult some local contractors for their tips and tricks before beginning a remodel.

Extras and Special Features

After you’ve planned for the basics and consulted with a contractor, you can add in extra features to really upgrade your bathroom. Universal elements such as handlebars in the shower and comfort-height toilets add immediate convenience and future value. Whether you plan to resell the home or retire in it comfortably, adding in extra universal features will help you in the long run.

Alissa Young works as a writer and a part time blogger. Her subjects are mainly about home and home improvement and in this article, she is giving us tips on how to remodel your bathroom.

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Areas Of A Home Most People Overlook When Decorating

by Trish

If you’ve been a homeowner for quite some time, then you can probably relate to just how much a room can change with the help of a few minor tweaks. Those new blinds and freshly painted walls can take a room from feeling outdated, to exciting and new. However, there are some areas of your home that you may be neglecting without even realizing it. While you may feel you’ve thought of everything possible to make your home look exactly the way you’d like it, at least one of the items we mention today has probably slipped your mind.

Putting Focus on the Not-So-Minor Details

While most home-improvement gurus are going to tell you about the importance of color, wall and yard decor, what many of them fail to mention are the upgrades that make a home look more aesthetically appealing. Sure, that perfectly themed bedroom may be stunning on the eyes, but can you imagine how much nicer the room would be if the doorknob matched as well? What about those towel holders in your bathroom? They’ve been there for quite some time and stick out like a sore thumb. These days, there is what seems like an endless number of possibilities because not only is shopping around easier than ever but so is having items custom-made.

Simplifying the Day

The smallest changes can make the world of a difference. Not only that but they can make your life easier. Not have a place to hang your jackets near the front door? Why not install a barely-noticeable rack on the wall? You can choose to have it match the picture frames located on the same wall so even when they aren’t in use, they still blend nicely with the scenery. What about those books that always seem to fall over underneath your coffee table? A few matching bookends can not only give your guests another object to enjoy, but you won’t have to worry about falling books day in and day out.

Safety and Beauty Can Go Hand in Hand

When many adults think about safety, the last thing on their minds is design. A safe home means less time worrying about the children, the pets or any guests you may have staying the night. While you’re making upgrades to improve the security of your residence, why not do a bit of research and figure out if you can’t locate options that are not just going to offer the functionality you’re looking for but also the visual appeal that you’ve worked so hard to create throughout your home?

You Don’t Have to Go with the Majority

A perfect example of this would be household locks. It can be so easy to grab the first solution you come across, install it and go about your day – as most homeowners do. However, there are a wide range of good-looking solutions. Instead of sticking with the medal door handles you currently have and the mismatched deadbolt, why not spend a few extra bucks and get a completely new set? A lever may be more up your alley than a standard knob. While silver and gold are two of the most common colors, don’t be afraid to experiment a little. Choose a style that will compliment the rest of your home. The same goes for your deadbolt. Have you considered one that allows you to peak outside before completely unlocking your door? These are great when trying to keep little ones inside, while still being able to speak with the mail man or see if company has arrived.

Let Your Imagination Run Wild

Once you begin noticing the items you typically didn’t offer a second glance, ideas are going to begin forming. Even something as simple as adding new hinges on your doors can mean a much better overall design. Walk through your home and take note of what objects you use but maybe haven’t truly ‘looked’ at in a while. Install a new towel holder or change the style of your blinds so they better match the rest of the home. Try not to reach for popular brands or companies because these are often going to offer the most expensive prices. Locate discount shops and ask local home improvement stores if they know where you can find different solutions. Much of the time, they are more than happy to work with you and potentially even offer you discounts in order to have your purchase with them, instead of the competition. Ask them if they would be willing to sit down with you and draw out room plans while you’re at it.

Attached Images:

License: Creative Commons image source
License: Creative Commons image source
License: Creative Commons image source

Ron Gatting is a Interior dseigner by profession and also the author of today’s guest post. A fun loving guy, he likes to reinvent himself through his work by trying out new design ideas. He believes in compactness and effciency and trusts none other than adh.com.au for providing building materials. He has written several articles upto now on various topics and this is his latest one on home decor.

Learning to Let Go – How to Transition to a More Minimalist Decor

by The Diva

We all know the benefits of a minimalist décor and almost every home improvement site you read about it seems is currently pushing the idea very heavily. Minimalist interiors are fashionable and modern, they’re easy to look after and keep clean, they’re efficient and they’re inexpensive. Meanwhile it’s easy to move home when you have less in it to move, and the items you do have suddenly take on more importance and drawing more eyes.

But there’s one problem – and that’s that you probably like your stuff, and suddenly having to get rid of it all can feel a bit painful and heartless. Here then I’m going to talk you into deciding to take the plunge and make the split, and at the same time show you how you can lessen the pain of separation….

Ornaments: Here’s step one – take everything on your surfaces that is either a: candle holder, placemat, vase, photo frame, tissue box, fruit bowl or non-essential lamp and put it in a box on your wardrobe overnight. Now spend some time in your room and see how it feels – nice and clean feeling isn’t it? Knowing this, you should now put back just a few – two decoration per half a surface maximum – and make sure to cut down your things by at least half.

Collections: The urge to collect is something that leads to a lot of clutter but it can be overcome. First of all note that if you thin out your collections and display just the pride of your collections that you will immediately make that one item seem that much more important and special. If you have a collection of blue and white china then for instance this can just look cluttered and dusty on a shelf whereas just one single nice blue and white bowl that you’re incredibly proud of can make a real statement and stand out. Likewise rather than having a collection of hundreds of DVDs you don’t really care that much about, how about having just a select few that create a picture of who you are and the kind of things you enjoy?

Boxes: You may think that having boxes full of junk on your wardrobes or in the loft won’t affect your décor – but you’d be wrong. Even though you can’t see this stuff, just having it there is enough to prevent you putting other things away, while having boxes on wardrobes and under beds means there’s less clear space in your visual field which we still register as clutter. If you have a box of old things that you haven’t been in for the last year then you should simply take it down, remove anything valuable or sentimental and throw it out. The point here is that if you haven’t used it in that long, you probably won’t use it again anytime soon either. And if you do find you suddenly need whatever it is? Then you can probably buy a new one.

Stop Buying: Of course to limit your clutter you also need to stop adding to it. One easy way to do this is with a ‘one in, one out’ rule, which simply means that for every new item you buy and display, you have to remove one old one to make space. This forces you to think more carefully about purchases and means you can’t amass too much.

Hi, I am Anne Warren and I write home improvement articles. I am passionate about home decor and share my experiences through guest posting. I choose Central Heating Boilers to get all info on central heating types, providers of home heating solutions.

Easy Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look Like New

by The Diva

Completely remodeling your kitchen is not a cheap undertaking. It’s not just the expense, either, but the amount of time it takes to complete. In addition, there are lots of possibilities for things to go wrong. Therefore, the amount you end up paying might be considerably higher than what you anticipated.

But you can make a dramatic difference in the appearance of your kitchen for much less time and money with the right kitchen remodeling ideas. All it takes is a modest amount of cash and some time and effort on your part. Here are some ideas that can update the look of your kitchen, and you can do them yourself.

1. Add some light. You might find it incredible that a new lighting unit could make such a big difference to the look and feel of your kitchen. Be creative in your choice and choose something truly eye catching. A fixture that incorporates a fan will be both practical and a focal point of the kitchen.

2. Grab a bucket and a brush. Your kitchen will seem like new if you give it a new layer of paint. The look of the room will be livened up considerably with a change in color. By selecting the color carefully, you can also enlarge the appearance of the room.

3. Add some tiles. You can find tiles in a huge assortment of patterns, colors and materials that will add instant style to your kitchen. Try adding some tiles on the wall around the countertops. You can also use tiling on your floor. It’s not that difficult to install flooring tiles yourself if you follow the directions.

4. Spruce up your cabinets. Many people simply can’t afford to replace their kitchen cabinets; it’s just too expensive. However, you can achieve a similar effect and shell out less money if you just refinish what you already have. Your cupboards will look like new with a coat of paint and some new handles. Be certain that the paint you’re using is appropriate for the type of cabinets you have.

5. Buy a fridge. Buying brand new appliances may not be cheap. But it’s amazing how much of a difference it can make to the appearance of your kitchen, at much less expense than a total makeover. Also, if you purchase energy efficient appliances, you might recover some of your money through lower utility bills. Try a completely different finish, like stainless steel. Simply changing the color can also make a big difference.

A few simple changes like these can make a remarkable difference in the appearance of your kitchen. Only you will know just how easy and cost effective your DIY home improvement project actually was.

How to Take Care of Your Furnace Filter Needs?

by The Diva

An electronic furnace filter is the kind that will collect all of the debris, grit and grime from your furnace. If you have a furnace, you should be serious about furnace maintenance. The easiest thing that you can do to maintain your furnace is to replace the filter regularly. If you have an electronic furnace filter you can cut back on spending, as this will do a better job at removing the debris from your furnace so that it isn’t able to get dirt and debris within the furnace that will finally spread throughout your rooms. Your furnace will also work more effectively with this 3M furnace filter.

If you suffer from allergies or keep pets, an electrostatic furnace filter is the easiest way that you can keep this dander and other allergens from invading your home. This is why many people today are choosing the electrostatic furnace filter as it does so nicely for the home.

Any air that swirls through your home through your furnace needs to stay clean. This is healthier for you and your kin, especially if you are similar to the hundreds of thousands of people who wish pure air and may suffer from allergies. When you use the electrostatic furnace filter, you will receive the highest quality 3M furnace filter available today. Know that you still are required to maintain the furnace.

When you have a furnace, you need to clean it regularly. This means having the furnace cleaned up once every two years. This is most often carried out by a professional. Cleaning up the air ducts is also a good idea if you would like to keep the air in your home as clean as it can be.

Changing your furnace filter is important to attend to every month, especially during the winter months as you are needing the furnace more regularly. You must be diligent in keeping up with your furnace chores so that you can keep the furnace in good operating order and make it stay operational even longer. A reliable furnace will last you for about 3 decades if it receives proper maintenance. And if you pick a good furnace, like a top notch model, and clean it on a regular basis, you will help it stay operational for a long time. You can use the electrostatic furnace filter and replace it regularly and even make it last longer.

Why get a lower functioning furnace filter when you are able to use the electrostatic furnace filter using electrostatic styling that is modern? You can get an electrostatic furnace filter at a number of Internet storefronts? Although that this is a cutting edge 3M furnace filter, you will still want to change it periodically so that it can help the furnace remain in great condition. Maintaining your furnace is not difficult, especially when you use an electrostatic furnace filter, one of the most efficient furnace filters that you could ask for.

Bathroom Remodeling Requires A Plan Before Taking Any Actions

Areas Of A Home Most People Overlook When Decorating

Attached Images:

Learning to Let Go – How to Transition to a More Minimalist Decor

Easy Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look Like New

How to Take Care of Your Furnace Filter Needs?

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