Few things to take note for before starting a home remodelling project

With the sky-rocketing real estate prices, most people now prefer to stay in their present home for as long as they can rather than shifting to a new pad every few years. Staying in the same home for a long time means you have to remodel it every few years to keep up with the trends and retain its charm and appeal. Home remodelling also increases the value of your property so that when you eventually decide to sell it off, it will fetch a good amount. However, you should not have unrealistic expectations about the value of your property. You should not expect the recover the entire amount spent on remodelling when you sell off your home. Remember that there is a cap to the value of your home and you should be aware of this.

Chalk out a plan

Once you have decided to start a home remodelling project for your home, you need to first chalk out a plan as to how you want to go about the entire process. You need to clearly define your home remodelling goals, like which areas you want to work on and which areas you want to leave untouched. Home remodelling can be different for different people. Some might want to carry out much needed repairs while some may want to add a hot tub in the enclosed porch. Ensure that you have clearly defined your goals before you start the remodelling task. When you draw up a home remodelling plan, include a fixed budget. With a budget decided, you will have an idea where you need to spend more. It is always good to keep your home remodelling budget as flexible as possible. You never know what unexpected costs might rise up at the last moment.

Two simple ways to effectively use space in a small bedroom

If you have a large room to decorate, there are too many choices and you can go for any design that you like. However, when it comes to designing small spaces, you need to be careful as you do not want the space to look even smaller with the décor and furnishings. When you have a small bedroom, designing it can be a real challenge. The bedroom is a place where you look to find some solace and relaxation. So, you must be wondering what are the different ways by which you can save some space in your small-sized bedroom. Here are a few tips that will help saving some space in your master bedroom.

Do away with clutter

As far as possible, avoid clutter in your bedroom. Remember that in a small sized bedroom, space is very limited and the last thing you would be doing is to cluttering with dirty laundry, kids toys, papers, too any books and other items that are of much less importance. Apart from the fact that clutter can make your room looks messy, it also affects your quality of sleep. There have been studies to prove that too much clutter in the room disrupts sound sleep.

Organise

It always pays to organise things in your bedroom. A bedroom is a place which should be peaceful, cosy and serene. When you are at the task of decorating a small bedroom, you need to ensure that there is place for everything. Arranging place for everything means using your creative instincts as well as creating storage space for everything. When pressed for space, you can use the under-bed space for storage, built-ins, multipurpose furniture, closet organisers apart from creating shelves in your walls to create additional storage space.

So, care must be taken to re-decorate the bedroom. Proper planning needs to be chocked out.

So how do you save water in the kitchen?

All the activities in the kitchen are carried out by water and without clean water; the functionality of the kitchen remains zero. Be it cooking, washing or cleaning, water is required for each and every activity. With water being used for a number of activities, it becomes important to use water judiciously. With the water crisis in different parts of the world, it is even more essential to save water and avoid wastage of water.

Leak-proof appliances

The first step towards saving water in the kitchen is to install only those appliances and accessories that come with a fixed guarantee and are from a reputed brand. Ensure that the pipes used in the kitchen are strong and designed to be leak proof. If the pipes have any leakage, then this can cause wastage of water. The market is filled with a host of appliances that guarantee no leakage but you should do your homework before you decide on any appliance for your kitchen. Apart from the pipes, it is also important that the taps that you select for your kitchen come with no leakage. Leaking taps can cause a lot of water wastage, reducing the amount of water in the main tank. Hence, always opt for taps that are completely leak-proof.

Washing process

While washing vegetables, do not hold them under a running water tap. Instead, take the vegetables in a bowl and pour water in it and wash them. This helps to save a lot of water. Another way of saving water is to recycle the water. You can create a drainage wherein the used water from kitchen can be used to water your plants in the garden. This ensures there is good recycling of waste water.

Two good options for industrial tiles

When you are looking for tiles for industrial spaces, you have to be extra careful as the type of tiles required for an industrial space are quite different from those required for a residential space. Any industrial space will be experiencing a lot of human traffic apart from being subjected to a lot of harsh chemicals and other toxic materials. The industrial tiles you select should be able to endure all tough situations and come out strong. When it comes to industrial tiles, you have many options to choose from.

Rubber flooring

One common type of industrial tiles is rubber floors. Rubber floors are popular as industrial tiles in areas with high human traffic like educational institutions, hospitals and gymnasiums. Rubber acts as an insulator and is also resistant to water, is hygienic, is simple to clean and maintain apart from being extremely durable. The good thing about rubber floors is that they do not require sealing or waxing. This implies that the maintenance cost of rubber floors is less. As a material for industrial tiles, rubber has many advantages as it effectively absorbs sound and also provides cushioning against impacts. The only disadvantage about rubber as a material for industrial tiles is that rubber is quite prone to minor scratches and gets easily damaged.

Concrete floors

As a popular form of industrial tiles, concrete floors have been in use since ages. Concrete floors can be widely seen in commercial garages and restaurants. The good thing about concrete floors is that they are strong and resilient if they are properly maintained. They can be reasonably durable if maintained well. Apart from the conventional grey colours, concrete industrial tiles can be etched, stained and polished into many other colours. Concrete industrial tiles cause less allergic reactions and easily adapt to different conditions.

Marble floors- The right flooring option

When choosing flooring materials, a lot of options flood our mind. However, each has their pros and cons. Some types of flooring are not meant to last long while some are touted as difficult to clean and maintain. There is also a perception about some types of flooring that they get damaged easily and should be avoided. Though these can be termed as pure myths, the reality about them does not escape either.

Marble flooring

One type of flooring that escapes all these negative perceptions is marble flooring. When we think of marble flooring, a pretty, serene picture comes into our minds. Marble flooring is all about pure white floors with sunny, Spanish styled interiors. Marble flooring is the most preferred flooring option in areas with hot climates. This is because marble is a cool stone and it helps to keep the room cool and pleasant. As such, marble floors have a huge market in hot climatic regions.

Age-less appeal

Marble floors have a unique appeal to them which lasts for a lifetime. Once you have installed marble flooring in your home, you do not have to worry about it losing its appeal as they have a timeless appeal, unmatched by all other types of flooring.

Unique graining pattern

Marble stone is characterised by a range of different patterns of veins running through the stone. These unique patterns lend a distinctive look to each marble tile and you will not find any two marble tiles that have the same graining pattern on them. This unique feature makes marble floors a preferred choice among many. With marble floors, you can create a unique look for your floors and at the same time do not have similar looking tiles.

Two common design blunders for your home design

So you have finally thought of decorating your home after much thinking and planning. You obviously want your home to look like a palace, the kind you have dreamt of all this while. However, you also have to stick to your budget and ensure that it does not go haywire and you are left penniless in the end. The first and foremost way to plan a home remodelling process is to chalk out your budget and stick to it. There are also some common design blunders which people commit while designing their homes. Though falling prey to these mistakes is easy, it always helps to be aware of them so as to stay away from them. Here are two common blunders which people often commit while designing their home.

Sticking all furniture against the wall

You may be under the impression that by pushing all your furniture against the wall, your room will appear larger and spacious. With the middle of the floor left open, it certainly might create an illusion of free space. On the contrary, it is exactly the opposite. Always keep your furniture in groupings in centre of the room unless you decide to have a dancing party frequently in your room.

You can arrange a sofa and keep a table behind it. Leave enough walking space behind the sofa so as to show off the back of the sofa. Move your chairs out from the corners and you will have an airy and open space in the room.

Keep collectibles to minimum

Many people like to put on display all sorts of collectibles like ash trays, salt and pepper shakers, small pieces of sculpture and other knick and knacks that they receive from their long distance travels. While some of these collectibles will look aesthetic and enhance the beauty of your room, it surely does not make sense to add each and every collectible in your room. Use your mind and choose the best pieces which either has a sentimental or a monetary value. If you do not discard any of the item, then you can always keep rotating the pieces so that you get to display each and every collectible in your living room.

Five handy tips while designing your living room

Designing the living room can be an enormous task at hand as you just do not want to create a room for your pleasure but you also have to think of the likes and dislikes of guests and visitors. The living room is where you will be welcoming all your guests. Naturally, the living room will have a first impression on them. Hence, it only makes sense to select designs that have a universal appeal. If you wish to know some easy design tips for your living room, then read the following points.

1- An open concept of a living room can be achieved by a uniform flooring pattern and consistent finishes. Having consistency in the flooring pattern not just appeases the eye but it also creates an illusion of larger space in the living room area.

2- For the main entryway, you can go for stone flooring. Stone flooring is considered an ideal choice for the entrance because it is durable and also easy to clean.

3- If your old glass windows have developed stains and do not work anymore, then it is time you replaced them. Today, you get energy efficient windows that easily lighten up a dark space without using too much of energy. This way, you get a save a lot on your energy budget.

4- If you wish to remove the old radiators, then it is best to hire professionals to do the job. If you still wish to keep them in your home, then find an innovative way to keep them covered without losing energy efficiency.

5- If you have a small sized room, then it is not necessary that you only go for small sized furnishings. Even large pieces of furnishings can make a small room appear big.