How to Use Zoning In Your Home

zoning in your homeWhenever we hear the word ‘zoning’, the thing that readily comes to mind is that device used by local governments in developed countries for land-use planning purposes. What you probably don’t know is that the concept of zoning can also be applied within your home to help you organise and arrange everything about it. An article by Naomi Findlay for RealEstate.com.au talks at length about zoning in your home.

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US Study Says White Roofs Save Money

white roofs save moneyApart from aesthetic reasons, does the colour of your roof really matter? It does, if the findings of a recent U.S. study are to be believed. In an article written for RealEstate.com.au, Paul Thornhill says white roofs save money and are much greener too.

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Renovation Tips For a Small Apartment

renovation projectThere are many reasons why many people choose to live in a small apartment. In most cases, the reason is economical in nature. These days, big apartments cost a lot, whether you’re buying or just renting.

Because of their size—or lack of it—small apartments tend to get a bad reputation, particularly in the space department. In all honesty, small apartments do tend to be cramped, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it through the wonders of renovation. Yes, you can make the place seem more spacious and comfortable with a few tweaks here and there.

If you’re willing to go down that route, here are some renovation tips for a small apartment to help you get started.

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Tips For Decorating Your Child’s Room on a Budget

decorating your child’s room on a budgetWhen you decorate your kid’s room, you need to understand that it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. More often than not, you can decorate your kid’s room on a budget. You can still transform your child’s room with just a little money and a lot of creativity. Here are some tips for decorating your child’s room on a budget.

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Tips For Preparing Your Baby’s Room

preparing your baby's roomCongratulations! In a just a short while, you will be welcoming the newest addition to your family. By now, you should have already prepared his or her room. If you still haven’t, we’d like to share some tips for preparing your baby’s room to help you make sure that your baby’s room will have everything that it needs.

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Interior Lighting: How to Brighten Up The Darkest Areas of Your Home

interior lightingThere are a lot of reasons why we sometimes feel cranky and so not in the mood even when we are just sitting idly in some corner of our house and in some cases, that dark mood may have something to do with the interior lighting or the lack of interior lighting to be precise.

It has long been established that we humans respond, act and feel better in a home that has plenty of natural light. That is the very reason why we need to let natural light in as much as we can. However, brightening up the dark areas of your home is not just all about finding ways to let natural light in. It also has a lot to do with how a certain room is finished, or its current paint colour scheme.

To help you get started, we’d like to offer some tips that will help you brighten up the darkest areas of your home.

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Quick Home Improvement Ideas for the New Year

home improvement ideasThe new year brings a fresh start that more often than not inspires new home improvement ideas. Nothing spells “fresh start” better than to get home improvement projects up and rolling . These projects don’t even have to be big ones. They can be quick, simple and should not cost you that much.

Here are some quick home improvement ideas for the new year to get you started:

1. Do some painting

Whether it’s done in a high-traffic area or a barely used room in your house, painting adds a pop of colour and a fresh clean feel to your walls. If you’re painting newbie, don’t hesitate to ask for tips from people working at the paint store, from colours to do to painting techniques that will make the job easier and faster for you.

2. Put up wallpapers

If painting is too much work, then perhaps putting up wallpapers might do the trick for you. Many of the wallpapers available in stores today are very chic, and they certainly would make amazing accent walls. Plus, the choices are simply amazing. You can get wallpapers with texture, wallpapers with retro patterns, metallic wallpapers and many more.

3. Change your drapes

Changing your drapes is one great way to greet the new year. Sure, everyone wants brand new drapes every single time we change them, but there are less expensive ways of changing them. One such way is to recycle your curtains and drapes to another room. The drapes you had in your living room, for instance, could be switched with the ones in your bedroom, and vice versa.

4. Give your cabinets a facelift

When you give your cabinets a facelift, it  does not necessarily mean you have to change a lot of things about them, although that could be an option. Giving it what we call a “spa treatment” will do. Dust the cabinets inside out, then wipe them down with a soft, damp cloth. If your cabinets have nicks and scratches, get a soft cloth and dab those areas with just a tiny bit of wood stain. When the wood stain is dry, wipe lemon oil onto the whole cabinet using a soft, clean cloth. All these will enhance the natural colour of your cabinets and give them a newer feel.

5. Change door handles

Your door handles are perhaps the most worn-out among all the fixtures in your home, and the coming of the new year is the perfect time to replace them. To spice things up, you can actually replace them with handles that are actually different from the last ones. Just make sure that they look perfect for the door and that they don’t end up looking out of place.

6. Organise your home

With the holidays just a few weeks in the past, it’s safe to assume that your home has to deal with a lot of clutter, especially when you have children at home or when you’ve had people come and go for the entire holiday season. The new year would be the best time to organise your home. You can start with just putting things back where they actually belong. If you’re up to it, do some segregation, like keeping the things you still use and deciding which ones you can actually throw or give away. Organising your home may not be as simple or as quick as other home improvement projects, but it’s one of those home improvement ideas that has to be done, whether it’s the new year or not.

Kitchen Renovations: Ideas to add Appeal

Kitchen RenovationsThe kitchen, as far as many home owners are concerned, is the most important part of the house so if you are planning a kitchen renovation, naturally, you will want to get it right in all respects.  Here are some kitchen innovations to think about when you are planning and designing your dream kitchen.

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Kitchens of the Future

Kitchens of the FutureThe way the kitchens of modern homes function and look like today, most of us are probably thinking that we have reached the pinnacle of kitchen design. Then again, if the innovators of the past thought about things that way, it’s highly likely we’re not going to be enjoying stuff like smartphones or even the Internet.

No matter how seemingly modern and multifunctional our present-day kitchens may be, they can still be made significantly better with innovations that may seem crazy or just too much today, but could be really necessary and useful in, say, half a century into the future.

Let’s talk about some of these kitchens of the future, which are actually really cool to have.

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Should You Use a Credit Card for Renovation Projects?

renovation projectIf you’re thinking about taking on a renovation project, there is no better way to spend for it than using a credit card. Using a credit card for these projects, without a doubt, is the most convenient way to buy the materials you need. It is easy to use, and purchases are a lot easier to track, especially when you have one dedicated to just your renovation project.

Credit cards, for sure, are not without their disadvantages. There’s always the lure of easy spending, which could lead you to buy building materials that cost way beyond your budget. Even if you do use your credit card responsibly, there’s always the risk of forgetting a monthly payment due date, which could have costly consequences.

Still, no one can argue how valuable credit cards can be as long as you use credit cards responsibly and wisely. When used strategically, many renovators have found credit cards to be quite the powerful tool.  Here are some benefits of using a credit card for your renovation project.

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