Easy Kitchen Remodel

Home-improvement magazines and television shows have turned many homeowners into pseudo-interior decorators. They have made both men and women more interested in beautifying their dwellings. Anyone can have an amazing kitchen remodeling in a few steps.

The most important thing to have on hand is a plan, and a good one at that. It is the key to realizing your wishes can come true. This detailed plan should include everything that makes up a kitchen, such as work spaces, storage, even areas to gather and converse. Nothing should be left to chance including the hardware of the door handles, the appliances and the like.

Do not allow for anything to be ignored or forgotten. Do as much research as you can. Use all resources that are available to you including magazines and home improvement shows, home improvement or DIY centers, designer books (you can find them at your local library), and even upscale stores. Do not forget the importance of the allowable budget. The majority of the population lives with a budget.

Scrutinize your choices. Consider the style of your home and stay within that style. Do not try to force a different look unless you are aiming for an extensive overall renovation. Keep the look of your new kitchen in tune with the look of the rest of the home. For instance, an all modern home would look slightly off with an extremely traditional kitchen.

Working men, women, and busy families don’t have time for fussy cabinets. Ensure your choice of cabinets are easy to maintain. Above and beyond the style of the cabinets, think very carefully of ways to get as much storage as you can from the same space you’ve always had. Think of the best spots to place items when stored away and incorporate the proper cabinet into the plan. Even a few inches of cabinet space can serve a purpose, such as standing serving trays.

Hire a contractor with experience and references with regards to kitchen remodeling. Perhaps you should also hire an interior decorator as well. This may seem like an unnecessary cost, but more often than not, many save money when using these professionals, even with their fees! They are experts and know proper procedures. See if you can work one into your budget.

Flooring in the kitchen plays a huge role. Many things must be considered when installing a floor in the kitchen. Besides the look of it, the durability should be examined prior to committing to it. Also, the floor choice must be true to the cabinets and other elements in the room, as well as the rest of the home. There are so many different options when it comes to flooring for the kitchen and they come in all different price ranges to suit all budgets.

The countertop and back splash must be chosen wisely as well, as they have a lot of surface area that attract the eye. Whatever your choice of style or budget, try to steer clear from trends. Trends come and go and therefore become very costly to the homeowner. A wise decision would be to aim for timeless beauty.

A Guest Room Everyone Wants to be Invited to

The holidays are just around the corner, and as we begin to prepare our homes for parties and get togethers, it’s a good time to cast our gaze upon the guest bedroom.

Sometimes it’s necessary for house guests to stay overnight due to bad weather or long distances to travel to their next destination, and sometimes family comes to stay for a planned visit. Whatever the reason, it’s a wonderful idea to have a warm, comfortable, and welcoming guest room prepared for these sort of occasions.

Here are some tips to help you create just such a space:

Use Neutral Tones

The goal is to create a space in which anyone and everyone can feel comfortable and at home. By utilizing a more minimal approach to paint, and bed linens, you avoid overwhelming your male guests with gardens of flowers and lace, and your female guests will also appreciate your chic sense of style.

Provide Adequate Space

No matter the actual size of the room, it’s important to make it feel as if your guests have what they need to be comfortable. It’s best to have more than just a bed and a dresser if possible. Arrange one corner of the room as a small sitting area so that your guests can work or read for a while before going to sleep, as these rituals might be part of their usual nightly routines. Place a chair and a table, along with a lamp and a small ottoman if you have enough space, to create a relaxing nook. Make sure that the closet is empty except for hangers and perhaps a set of extra linens and a couple of blankets neatly folded and stored away on the top shelf. The same goes for the dresser drawers – make sure they’re empty and neatly lined with attractive paper.

Invest Money in High End Linens and Pillows

It may seem impractical at first, but it’s actually a very sound investment. It’s important to create comfort for your guests, and as much as I dislike admitting it, being the frugal gal that I am, higher thread count sheets and comforters really are more comfortable and worth every penny of the extra money we shell out for them. In addition to being more comfortable, they wear beautifully and last seemingly forever – the more you launder them, the softer they become – you can’t beat that. Also make sure to have comfortable pillows – not too soft and not too firm.

Choose the Right Window Coverings

This is easy enough to provide. Just make sure to have blinds that can be opened or closed depending on how much or how little light your guests want to allow into the room, and if you have full length curtains, they should have tie-backs so that they can also be adjusted.

Lighting

Provide table and/or floor lamps in addition to any overhead lighting that may be present in the room. Lamp light is always much more comfortable and welcoming than harsh, overhead lights. A lamp directly at the beside is crucial. Your guests will be unfamiliar with the arrangement of the room and might bump into things or -worst case- trip over something and fall, trying to make it back to the bed after turning off the light. These situations can be avoided by having a lamp right at hand that can be switched off from the bed.

Reading Material

While expected guests will most likely have their own reading material, unexpected guests might appreciate a selection of books and magazines in the room to help them relax. Many people are in the habit of reading before bed, and it can be difficult to sleep when you’re in an unfamiliar bed even under the best of circumstances, so, having something available to read is a good idea.

Provide a Clock Radio or Alarm Clock

It can be disorienting to wake up in a strange place, and having a clock to glance at helps to bring everything into a more familiar focus. Even though most everyone has a clock and alarm feature on their mobile phones, it’s still a good idea to have a clock in the room, and it makes things seem more home like as well.

Follow these tips and add your own personal touches and ideas to create the perfect guest room. You’ll always be ready, and even eager, to welcome overnight guests into your home.