Unique Home Accents to Make Your Home More Fun

 

Are you looking for out-of-the-box decorating ideas for your space? Below are a handful of interesting accent ideas to up the creativity of your interior design.

Hanging accent lights. Caged, bubbled, modern, antique—there are myriad styles for hanging accent lights, which can be clustered, paired or used solo to fill up an empty corner or decorate a blank wall.

Mantels. Who says a mantel should only sit above a fireplace? You can easily install a freestanding mantel to rest photos, art or your favorite books. Another trick? If your walls are dark, paint your mantel to match and your items will suddenly be floating.

Dips. Dipped frames, art or even doors are all the rage right now. Imagine a series of white picture frames with their bottom dipped in gold. The best part? You can DIY these in a couple of hours; all you need is your item for dipping and your favorite shade of paint.

Painted fireplace. Whether your fireplace is no longer active, or its only active for a few months a year, painting the inside a fun pop of color can add life to your space. Think a bright blue, merry orange or buttery yellow.

Vertical garden art. That vertical garden is no longer reserved for your back patio. If you have a blank wall, hang a grid-style vertical garden and decorate it with cool succulents, your favorite herbs or a climbing vine.

Paint Yourself Happy: 5 Colors That Bring Joy

 

Studies have shown that looking at certain colors can impact your mood, so if you’re looking to brighten your days, look at the walls.

Orange
This color boosts social connection, so paint a wall in your living room or kitchen a vivid orange and enjoy deeper, longer, joyous conversations.

Yellow
This sunny color is one of the most obvious mood brighteners, and there are many shades of yellow soft enough for an entire room.

Green
This earthy tone is a stress reliever. Roll it onto the wall across from your bed and smile your way into sleep.

Violet
This royal hue fosters creativity and intuition. Add it to your home office for more satisfaction in your work life.

Fuchsia
While this color is a tad bright for most rooms, fuchsia accent walls can still splash around enough of the color to make an impact.

The Pros and Cons of Heated Flooring

 

While you might be considering adding heated flooring to your new home, there are a lot of questions to ask before you put your money into this luxury feature. If you’re looking for another level of comfort in your home, it’s a great option—but it does come with a hefty price tag. Here’s what you need to know:

Pros 

• Durable and reliable. This method of heating lasts longer than a regular home furnace—with proper care it can last up to 35 years.

• Comfortable. There’s no better feeling than a warm floor on a cold day, especially when you first get out of the shower. No one enjoys stepping on cold tile, so bathrooms are particularly popular options for heated flooring.

• Saves you money in the long term. Since radiant floor heating warms from the floor up, you’ll be able to set your thermostat at a lower temperature to feel just as warm.

• Quiet. Because it does not require a blower, there is no extra noise produced when running it.

• Distributes heat evenly and consistently throughout each room.

• Better for allergy sufferers, since traditional central air heating pushes dust, dirt and pollen through the vents and around your home.

• Customizable. Electric floor heating allows for the option of only having heated flooring in certain rooms—so you can customize where you want it.

• Hidden, so your home has more space and less unattractive radiators.

• Versatile. Can be installed under any flooring.

• Profitable. Increases the value of your home.

Cons

• Costly. Installation will cost more than replacing a furnace, and hydronic systems are more expensive than electric.

• Not ideal for older homes as you will have to tear out existing flooring in order to install them. Wait until it’s time for a remodel before considering it.

• Repairs are costly. Because the system is under the floor, this also means repairs to the system are more costly as well. Since heating elements are out of sight, it can be hard to find the problem area.

• Slower to warm up the house than traditional heating. Especially true for water heating, which can take a few hours to circulate enough hot water to warm the home (but since they retain heat well, this allows for use in off peak hours, saving your utility bills).

5 Ways to Add Chic Vibes to Your Bathroom

 

Looking to add some of your own personal chicness to your bathroom? Below are a few ways you can add a little oomph to your powder room.

Climbing plants. Climbing vines indoors can add a jungly, naturalistic element to your space. Some of the coolest vines for interiors are ivy, heartleaf philodendron, jasmine and betel leaf plant.

Art. Don’t be afraid to add some unique art to your bathroom! A cool painting or sculpture can make a great focus piece.

Lighting options. From an interesting lighting fixture to a colored bulb or recessed lighting beneath, don’t be afraid to get funky with your lights.

Mirroring. Add an expressive picture frame to the edge of your vanity mirror, or create an entire mirrored wall to open up the space and add light.

Playful patterns. If you’re a fan of patterns, consider placing a bold pattern on your ceiling, floor or on one wall to make the space more interesting.

7 Safety Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

Like most homeowners, you probably have your water heater strapped down and you flush out the gutters every spring. But there are many other tips that make a big difference in terms of both safety and thriftiness.

The home safety watchdogs at FamilyHandyman.com offer seven tips to start with:

Monitor furnace filters. Clogged furnace filters cost you in both efficiency and higher bills. For peak performance, replace them every 30 – 60 days. Keep track of when you replaced them last by buying several and labeling them by month.

Shut off the water when on vacation. Every insurance adjuster hears it: “We left town on Friday and returned Sunday evening to find thousands of dollars in water damage.” Before going on vacation, turn off the main water valve. In less than a minute, you can eliminate the most common cause of home damage. 

Don’t leave the remote in your car. Anyone who breaks into your car can grab the remote for easy access to your garage, and the registration card in your glove box gives the thief your address. Ditch the remote on your visor and buy a keychain model you can take with you every time you leave the car.

Think about replacing pipes. If you have galvanized steel pipes in your home and low water flow at faucets, chances are the pipes are to blame. Galvanized pipe is prone to mineral buildup, which eventually chokes off the water flow. Replacing the pipes is the best cure, especially if you live in an older home.

Check the breaker first. When a light goes out or a switch doesn’t work, check the main electrical panel for a tripped circuit breaker. Look for a switch that’s not in line with the others. Flip it to the ‘off’ position and then back on.

Get low flow showerheads. Showerheads are heavy water users and major energy eaters, since 70 percent of the water used is heated. By reducing hot-water consumption, a low-flow unit can pay for itself in just one month. Many of today’s water-efficient showerheads now provide a high-flow feel.

Install ceiling fans. Moving air increases evaporation from your skin and helps keep you comfortable at higher thermostat settings.

5 Financial Moves New Parents Should Make

Having a child can require many adjustments. Losing sleep and changing dirty diapers are just some of the things parents have to deal with. And even though you’re probably a little sleep deprived right now, there are some financials you’ll have to think about, as well.

Here are five financial moves parents should put at the top of their to-do list after coming home with a new baby:

Revise Your Budget
Children can be expensive, especially in the first year when new costs you’ve never experienced crop up. Diapers, formula, a crib, a changing station, car seats, toys and clothes are just some of the items you’ll have to purchase. Day care may also be needed if both parents are working full time. Some families may need a bigger car or house, and that require more long-term financial planning.

Revise your family budget and find ways to cut costs, if necessary. Since medical bills will likely go up, check with your employer about starting a health savings account so you can use pre-tax money to contribute to an account for your family’s medical costs.

Save for College
A 529 college savings plan can help you save for college costs. Contributions grow tax-free and aren’t taxed when withdrawn to pay for qualified educational expenses, such as tuition. More than 30 states offer a full or partial tax deduction or credit for 529 plan contributions.

As of 2018, each parent and grandparent can contribute up to $15,000 per child and exclude the money from gift or estate taxes. If four grandparents contribute, that could mean $60,000 per year in a 529 plan.

Update Your Life Insurance
Any major life change should lead to a discussion with your life insurance agent. In the case of a parent death, you could be left to pay and take care of your child by yourself. Insurance can, however, provide money to pay for childcare or a lost income. You’ll also want to update your beneficiaries in case something happens to you.

Update Your Estate Plan
As with life insurance, you’ll have to update your estate plan documents when you have a new baby. Wills and trusts should be updated to include a guardian for minor children and to determine who has control over your assets. Without an update, a court could appoint a guardian for you.

Also update your beneficiary designation forms for your 401(k) and other retirement plans, along with any other bank accounts that aren’t designated in a will.

Organize Your Records
Make paper copies of key records such as the birth certificate, Social Security card and immunization record. Order three copies of your child’s birth certificate so you have one and your child has one later in life.

Keep a record of immunizations, which will be needed if your child goes to day care. Put everything in a fire-proof safe.

3 Ways to Clean Your Sponges

Sponges are a kitchen staple, but a clean sponge can spread grime all over your eating space. How often should you clean your sponge, and how should you do this? Don’t just trash a sponge when it begins looking spotty. Instead, clean them weekly, and toss them out monthly or sooner, depending on frequency of use. Our friends at Good Housekeeping offer the following solutions:

Soak ’em. Mix a third-quarter cup of bleach in one gallon of water. Soak the sponge for five minutes, then rinse. How effective is this? In testing, the bleach solution kills 99.9 percent of the three bacteria strains from the test sponges, which is the benchmark based on the EPA’s requirement for sanitization of non-food-contact surfaces.

Brine ’em. Not a fan of bleach? Vinegar is nearly as effective, killing 99.6 percent of bacteria. Simply soak your sponge in full-strength vinegar for five minutes, then rinse with water.

Zap ’em. Microwaving your sponge does indeed work, zapping 99.9 percent of germs. How do you do it? Saturate your sponge with water, then microwave it on high for one minute.

Cycle ’em. You can run your sponge through the dishwasher to sanitize them, again killing 99.9 percent of germs. Just add your sponge to a regular dishwasher load, and, if you can, use the heated dry setting.

Source: Good Housekeeping

How to Childproof Your House

Children are often oblivious to the many dangers around them. Accidents in the home are a leading cause of injury and death among children. Here are a few ways to childproof your home and keep your little one safe.

Potential Hazards
Look at your home from a baby’s or toddler’s perspective. Ask yourself: What would catch my eye if I were low to the ground? Look for those things that your child would reach for, pull down, play with or put in their mouth.

When babies are learning to walk, they grab furniture and bookcases for support. Many injuries and deaths occur each year when young children pull on furniture or televisions and the objects fall on top of them. Secure heavy objects to the walls to prevent this. Keep dressers and filing cabinets closed when you’re not using them. Cover sharp corners on furniture to prevent injuries if your child falls.

Use childproof gates to keep your baby or toddler out of hazardous areas, such as specific rooms or stairs. Choose gates that are difficult to climb and do not have V-shaped openings, which can trap children.

Open windows from the top or keep them closed. A screen is not strong enough to prevent a child from falling out of a window. Do not place furniture near windows because that can make it easy for a child to climb onto a windowsill. Children can be strangled by cords on blinds. Use window coverings without cords.

Outlets are a common source of injuries. Children are tempted to play with them and stick objects in the openings, which can lead to electrocution. Use outlet covers with safety latches to protect your child.

Store any medications, vitamins, cleaning supplies or other chemicals in cabinets with childproof locks to keep them out of reach. Properly dispose of any expired medication. Store the phone number for your local poison control center in your cell phone.

A child can drown in just a few inches of water. Never leave a child unattended in a bath, even if he or she is sitting in a chair. Install a latch on the toilet’s lid to keep it closed. If you use a bucket of water for cleaning, never leave it unattended and dump it as soon as you finish. Always supervise a child using a pool or kiddie pool.

Install smoke detectors throughout your house and check the batteries regularly. When your child is old enough, explain the dangers of fire and how to prevent accidents and injuries. Never allow a child to touch the stove. Put away any appliances that use heat, such as a hair dryer and curling iron, when they’re not being used.

Look Around Your Home
Your child will want to explore your house as soon as they’re able to crawl. Dangers are everywhere, and they will increase as your child becomes more mobile. Take the time to childproof each room in your home to prevent accidents.

Wood Floor Alternatives Worth a Second Look

Wood floors are a top choice for modern homeowners. Proponents believe they offer warmth as well as elegance, but they do require care to maintain their luster and are costly. Fortunately, say flooring exerts, technology makes it easy to achieve the look and feel of wood flooring without the need for special care—and at a far lower cost.

Check out the look and feel of these alternatives at local flooring or big box stores. (If you don’t plan to do it yourself, factor in $30 to $45 an hour for professional installation):

Bamboo
Bamboo flooring is an eco-friendly alternative to hardwood that is easy to clean, shrugs off wear and tear, and results in a similar look. Available in vertical, horizontal or strand-woven varieties, it will cost $2 to $5 per square foot.

Engineered Wood
Designed to handle moisture and wear, engineered wood flooring is durable, moisture resistant and available in a variety of wood-look patterns. This faux wood flooring is so much like the real deal (because it includes real wood in the layering) that it can even be refinished. Expect to pay $8 to $12 per square foot.

Laminate
Laminate vinyl is a photo of wood that is laminated onto vinyl flooring. Very resistant to high-traffic wear, it’s available in a wide variety of wood-like designs. It’s moisture-resistant, making it a great choice for kitchens and bathrooms. Laminate vinyl can come in sheets, tiles or planks. The price is significantly less than hardwood, with luxury vinyl tile coming in at $2 to $5 per square foot.

Porcelain Tile
A perennially popular flooring material, porcelain flooring comes in a variety of sizes, colors, and designs, many of which mimic wood-grain textures. In general, tile is durable, easy to clean and water resistant, making it ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. Large-format tiles can serve as a dramatic decor element, visually expanding a room due to minimal grout lines. Average cost is $4 to $9 per square foot.

Dual Purpose Plants: Cleansing and Decorating

A good-looking houseplant adds pizzazz to your home. It can also be the next best thing to a live-in housekeeper, says John VanZile, author of Houseplants for A Healthy Home, out in May.

That’s because a number of houseplants contain properties that help rid the air around you of various chemicals and parasites. In fact, VanZile told House Beautiful, installing a few potted plants in your home can help you breathe and even sleep better without ever lifting a vacuum.

Top contenders to choose from include:

Rubber Plan: In addition to a adding dramatic accent to any room, studies show that rubber plants can remove airborne toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde—found in many cleaning supplies. VanZile advises wiping the leaves with a moist paper towel now and then to keep their pores open for optimal air purification.

Boston Fern: These lush ferns are great for removing common airborne pollutants like formaldehyde, xylene and toluene, which are thought to cause headaches, trouble breathing and the growth of cancerous cells. The Boston fern also combats winter dryness by raising indoor humidity.

Areca Palm: A 1989 NASA study declared this stately palm to be one of the most powerful air-purifying plants, particularly for its ability to remove formaldehyde from an indoor environment.

Peace Lily: The beautiful, blooming Peace Lily is a powerhouse for filtering air. NASA studies show it can filter benzene, formaldehyde, tri-chloroethylene (TCE), xylene, toluene and ammonia from indoor air–toxins that can cause headaches, respiratory problems and an increased risk of cancer. The Peace Lily can also remove airborne mold that aggravates allergies and asthma symptoms. VanZile recommends placing a few in your bathroom to reduce mold growth.

Philodendron. These popular and attractive houseplants are easy to grow and clean the air of formaldehyde and xylene, a toxin found in glues and leathers.

5 Ways to Save Energy and Money

Cutting down on energy use is great for the environment. It can also save you big bucks. Alternative energy proponent IGS Energy suggests four green and easy ways to do both:

Minimize ‘phantom loads.’ The term ‘phantom load’ refers to the energy that an appliance or electronic device consumes when it is not actually turned on. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), some 75 percent of the electricity in an average home is used to power electronics while the products are off. A report from the University of California Berkeley says that phantom loads account for about six percent of all residential electricity consumption. You can eliminate phantom loads by unplugging appliances and electronics when you are not using them or by plugging them into a power strip and turning the strip off when they are not in use.

Upgrade your appliances. When shopping for new appliances, look for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star label. These appliances use less energy and water than their conventional counterparts. They may cost more than appliances without the Energy Star designation, but, in most cases, they will more than make up that additional cost through energy savings.

Change your light bulbs. One of the least expensive and most effective changes you can make in your home is replacing your light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which cost just a few dollars more and will save about $30 in energy costs over their lifetime. CFL bulbs use 75 percent less energy and last about 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Some people are concerned because CFLs contain mercury, but Energy Star says CFLs do not release any mercury when in use, and actually reduce mercury emissions because they lessen the need for electricity from power plants that emit mercury.

Install a programmable thermostat. These thermostats automatically adjust your home’s temperature to your schedule, keeping it comfortable only when you need it to be. If you don’t already adjust your thermostat throughout the day, a programmable thermostat could save you as much as 15 percent on heating and cooling costs.