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3 Simple Home Improvements Realtors Look For

3 Simple Home Improvements Realtors Look For

When it comes time to sell your home, leave yourself plenty of room to make a few improvements that will spruce up your house and property. While completely remodeling and updating will be attractive to buyers, it may not be worth the return on investment. If you aren’t sure what to upgrade, your realtor can give you some guidance for your particular property. Here are a few things you can do that won’t take a long time or cost you a fortune.

Put Some Care into your Landscaping

Curb appeal is very important when selling a home. The outside of your house is the first thing that potential buyers we. You want their first impression to be a good one. If you aren’t a DIY gardener, it may be well worth the money to hire a local landscaping company or nursery to clean up your lawn, gardens, and hardscapes. Weeding and planting fresh flowers or greenery will be a great asset.

Paint

Freshly painted walls and ceilings will brighten up your home. Go for lighter tones to achieve this. Chances are good that the new owners will want to customize the house with their own palette of colors. Give them a blank canvas to work with and imagine. It is worth hiring a painter to get this done quickly. Leave enough time so that the house doesn’t smell like paint when your realtor is showing your property.

While you are at it, wipe down the faces of all your cabinets in the kitchen and the bathrooms. Otherwise, they will look dingy next to a fresh coat of paint.

Expose Hardwood and Clean Tile

Do you have wall to wall carpet covering hardwood floors? If so, consider removing any carpet that is worn to show off the floors. You may have to hire a flooring company to lightly sand, seal, and buff the floors, unless they are in good condition. Hardwood flooring is something many buyers look for.

If you are in a beachside community and have more tile flooring than hardwood, this is a good time to have those tile floors professionally cleaned and resealed. If the grout in the joints is cracked or worn away, consider having the tile re-grouted or repaired. Many buyers are not looking to tear up tile flooring, as it is a big and messy job. If yours is nice tile, make it standout.

There are a lot of ways to add value and curb appeal to your home, but it’s important to pick the ones that will get people in the door. If you aren’t sure where to start, professionals like those at North Captiva realty Inc. can give you some ideas of what is popular in your area.

Update Your Home This Spring with These Eco-Friendly Options

Update Your Home This Spring with These Eco-Friendly Options

It can be hard to think of spring while in the depths of winter. However, this has been one of the warmer winters in recent years, depending on where you live. However, the colder it gets, the closer we are to spring! Spring is a classic time to clean and update your home because everyone is sick of being cooped up all winter and you can finally get outside and play. If you’re interested in making your home more environmentally friendly, then this spring is the perfect time to do it.

Give Your Windows a Perk

Bringing natural light in is always a welcome relief from winter, but it can also put a hurting on your climate control. Replacing the windows in one room, each year, lets you update them slowly so you don’t have to shell out the money all at once. Double paned windows allow for the best insulation, but they are more expensive at a minimum of $500 each. In order to get the full benefit, all windows would have to be replaced. A cheaper option is to upgrade the insulation around your windows, but that requires regular upkeep.

home improvement new windows

Paint Your Roof

Greece is well-known for their stark, white homes. There’s actually a very good reason for that. The white helps to keep the home cooler, which is a necessity around the equator. You can achieve the same thing by painting your roof either white or another light color. However, it’s likely that you would have to repaint it frequently, about once a year. If that idea doesn’t agree with you, it’s also a good place for a garden or solar panels!

Update Your Insulation

A properly insulated home is your best defense again wasting extra energy to remain comfortable. Take a look at your home, and see what’s lacking. Insulation in the attic and basement is often neglected, even though it’s vital to keep your home’s heating and cooling costs under control. Putting in new insulation isn’t even that expensive. If you shop around and are willing to put in the work, it’s even something you might be able to DIY, if you get some advice.

Update Your Insulation

Replace Old and Damaged Goods

Old drafty doors need to go. If unchecked, they can be a constant drain on your energy usage. This actually applies to a lot more than just your front and back doors, as well. Garage doors are rarely replaced when they need to be. Damaged siding or roof tiles also need to be replaced before they cause more damage. Doing a thorough, yearly inspection of your home’s exterior can give you the chance to fix problems before they become serious. Plus, a new garage door can do a world of good for improving your curb appeal. That update can pay for its self, as do many other green updates.

Pack Your Home with Green

Pack Your Home with Green

House plants are good for a variety of reasons. They tend to be good for your spirits, they help keep the air clean, they provide a visual reminder of warmer weather and they can help your home be a bit eco-friendlier. In addition to filtering out a wide variety of potentially damaging chemicals from the air, they also pack your home with humidity. Heating and air conditioning both tend to suck that right out of the house!

Update Your Floors

Most classic flooring isn’t exactly environmentally friendly. A little updating can make a big difference in it. This is a slightly more expensive option, but floors take a lot of wear and tear. They all need to be replaced at some point. Bamboo is a beautiful, sustainable option but it’s also pricy. It’s hard enough to last a lifetime, cutting down on the environmental impact of another replacement.

However, if it’s not in your price range, or you don’t like the look, then cork is another green option. It’s much cheaper, incredibly simple to harvest, it lasts a very long time and it has an unusual texture. It’s great for kids and keeps the floor warm during the winter.

Update Your Home This Spring

Take it Outside

Since these are tips for spring, it only makes sense to remember the landscape. Native plants are wonderful, and provide a simple way to keep your lawn healthy with minimal work. You can also look into drip irrigation, composting, rainwater harvesting, and growing your own garden. Leave as many plants and trees as you can, especially if they provide protection to your home. Bushes provide an extra layer of insulation, and lots of plants allow for the wildlife to have food and cover. With humans encroaching on their land everywhere, they need it!

If you plan to spend a hefty chunk or just a bit, there are a ton of options to make your home greener. Pick a small one to start, and progress on to larger endeavors. With all the savings you’ll get from updating your home, you’ll be able to make bigger changes!

Kacey-MyaKacey is a lifestyle blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts.

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How Air Duct Cleaning Can Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

In today’s world technology is constantly expanding. Some of the technology can be seen in the latest phones and some of this technology can even been seen in home products. Today’s homes and home products are built so much different than what they used to be. This basically means that homes are sealed tighter than they ever have been before. However, with these airtight homes this can lead to concerns with indoor air quality. Due to this revelation, more and more people are considering air duct cleaning services to improve indoor air quality.

Every home regardless of how clean it is will contain a certain amount of dust. Dust can be a major contributor to allergies. Every time the heating and air unit comes on it causes this dust to be circulated throughout the home. Your unit sucks and blows air, so most of this dust is sucked back into your vents where it will be stored unit the unit kicks back on again. Of course, the filter catches a lot of this dust, but the truth is that it can’t catch all of it. This is where a duct cleaning services can come in handy.

Exploring Other Indoor Air Quality Products

When air duct cleaners come out to your home and clean your ducts, this is not the end of the process. Sure, a home air duct cleaning will improve the indoor air quality, but How Air Duct Cleaning Can Improve Your Indoor Air Qualitythere might be other steps that you need to take. For instance, if your home is particularly dirty or dusty then you might need to do an overhaul on the home or the vent cleaning will just be a huge waste of time. Air duct cleaning companies also offer a wide variety of other products like UV light and MERV filters that can be installed on your system to greatly improve the indoor air quality.

Vent Cleaning Service

When you hire professional air duct cleaners to perform a vent cleaning service, you will need to inquire about how the task is completed. Vent cleaners will gladly sit down with you to go over this process, which involves utilizing powerful vacuums and rotary brushes. The rotary brushes utilized air in duct cleaning services will break the debris loose from the interior walls of the ductwork. The vacuum will then suction up the debris and place it into a collection container. The home air duct cleaning team will dispose of the debris in the proper manner when they return back to company.

Improves Air Quality

Duct cleaning services is a necessity for improving indoor air quality. This process will remove all the debris out of the air duct system and eradicate fungus and bacteria. Once the vent cleaning process is complete, you will immediately notice a difference in the indoor air quality. You may also notice that you home smells better because bacteria and fungus emits a pendant odor that is very noticeable. Poor indoor air quality will lead to upper respiratory ailments, which is something that you will want to avoid at all cost.

Improves Air Quality

Removes Dirt and Debris

Air duct cleaning services can undeniably improve your home’s air quality. This is the case because this specific service will remove dirt and debris from your duct system. If you leave the dirt and debris in the ducts, it will be blown into your home when the HVAC unit turns on. Venting cleaning is capable of removing the dirt and debris. Once these contaminants are removed, they cannot be pushed into your home’s atmosphere. Home air duct cleaning can be an excellent way to maintain immaculate air quality and also decrease your allergy outbreaks.

How Air Duct Cleaning Can Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

A Professional Will Seal Off Rooms

If air vent cleaning is not performed correctly, it will actually create more problems. It is absolutely essential to choose vent cleaners that will take additional steps and prevent the dust and debris from spreading during the cleaning process. Professional air duct cleaning companies should use tape and plastic to seal off the vents in most rooms so the dirt and debris will not enter the atmosphere. This will give the air duct cleaners the ability to clean the duct system, without contaminating your home.

When attempting to invest in a vent cleaning service, you should make sure you choose a company that takes these precautions.

Additional Benefits

It is undeniably true that air vent cleaning can improve your home’s air quality. Of course, this isn’t the only thing that vent cleaners can do for you. When you agree to pay for home air vent cleaning, you will be able to improve your health, decrease your electricity bill, eliminate clogs, and prolong the lifespan of your HVAC unit. It is true that air duct cleaning companies will be able to help you maintain pristine air quality. However, you should never overlook the other benefits that they’ll be able to provide.

Pure AirwaysAuthor Bio

Pure Airways is a leading provider of air duct cleaning services. The company has been in business for countless years and has truly revolutionized the art of duct cleaning.

A Brief Guide to Home Fire Prevention and Safety

A Brief Guide to Home Fire Prevention and Safety

The statistics are chilling: every year, home fires destroy 7 million dollars’ worth of property and end the lives of more than two thousand people. Luckily, the deaths caused by home fires are becoming fewer, but the numbers are still exceptionally high, especially when you consider the fact that these deaths are so easily preventable. We offer you a brief but useful guide to home safety which will help you prevent fire in your home, and even if there is a fire, the damage will be minimized.

Smoke detectors save lives

First and foremost: smoke detectors should be mandatory in every home. When it comes to home fires, fire alarms are the number one reason the lives of people are saved in the first place. According to National Fire Protection Association, three out of five deaths from home fires happened in homes that don’t have smoke alarms or any kind of alarm. Even if there is a smoke alarm in your home, go through a little bit of trouble and check if it’s working properly. Sometimes, something as simple as a dead battery, no battery, or some sort of malfunction can cause the alarm to fail. Regularly check up on your smoke alarms and make sure the ‘test’ button is working. Also, your smoke alarms should be replaced approximately every ten years.

Smoke detectors save lives

Fire extinguishers at hand

Having a fire extinguisher in your home is necessary, but it is equally (or even more so) important to know how to use it at the right moment. Not every fire that can occur should be extinguished with an extinguisher. In fact, they have been made to use only on very small and contained fires like the ones in a pot on the stove or in a wastebasket. If you have a large fire, your number one priority shouldn’t be to grab an extinguisher, but to get everyone out of the house and away from the danger. At least one extinguisher should be present on every level of your home, and they should be kept in rooms where the probability of a fire is highest. This means the kitchen and the garage, but also hallways. So, if you notice a fire, don’t try being a hero: lead your family out of the house first and only then try to extinguish the fire or call the firefighters.

Home Fire Prevention and Safety

Escape ladders in every room

This is rather simple: if your home has more than one story or a basement with window wells, you should have fire escape ladders on hand. If you have window wells, you will get a plain metal ladder, approximately 5 feet tall, which you can plant in the ground a few inches, and use hooks to secure them on the wall. For other rooms in the house you will need “standoffs” – simple, small protrusions which should hold the ladder rungs away from the house and allow your foot to move down more easily because you will have enough space not to slip. When it comes to lengths, fire safety services recommend that you use standard length ranges for upper floors: 13-15 feet for the second, and 23-25 feet for the third. Before you make your purchase and rely on these, make sure they are marked as load tested load tested for at least 1,000 pounds.

Household fires are serious business

Household fires are serious business, and before firefighters come and rescue you all, you can do a lot to protect yourself and your family. Being aware that there’s a possibility of fire is simply not enough, you should prepare and do whatever you can to protect your family and your home and lower the odds of firefighters ever having to risk their lives trying to save you.

Author bio:

Diana smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in topics related to latest DIY projects and home décor. In her free time she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family.

More Than Average: How to Make Your Driveway Better Than Your Neighbor’s

More Than Average How to Make Your Driveway Better Than Your Neighbor

Your driveway is more than just an entrance to your property; it’s part of your home’s curb appeal. If your driveway is in less than pristine condition or mundane in appearance, there are steps you can take to make it the most impressive driveway in the neighborhood.

Repair Unsightly Cracks

Cracks in a driveway are detrimental to your home’s curb appeal. Home improvement stores and online sites can guide you through the process of repairing cracks in a driveway. One of the first steps you’ll need to take is to determine the size of the cracks in your driveway and what is causing them. This can be done through testing with special tools, such as those that Certified Material Testing Products provides. The type of product you’ll need to make the repair and the physical steps required to complete the project vary according to the size of the cracks in the concrete.

Staining Your Driveway

You can elevate the aesthetic value of your driveway by staining it in a color that complements your home’s exterior. You might want to stain it to match the walkway leading to your front door. An attractive driveway can make your home more appealing to potential buyers. It can also increase the value of your home. To create a driveway that is unique among the driveways of nearby houses, you may want to stencil a design on your driveway or add a stained border in a contrasting color. Be conservative with the decorative aspects so that your driveway looks sophisticated.

Driveway Covers

Driveway covers serve a practical purpose such as protecting your car from the outdoor elements. A driveway cover can also be a contributing factor to the curb appeal of your home. When selecting a driveway cover, keep the material and design cohesive with your home’s exterior style. A driveway cover can be an eye-catching architectural feature in your landscape.

Enhancing the Driveway

Adding a driveway to your property gives you the perfect opportunity to elevate the curb appeal of your home with plants and flowers. If you have a circle or semi-circle driveway, the interior space of the driveway is an ideal place to create an impressive flower garden. A straight driveway can be made more visually exciting when trees are planted along its edge. Flowering trees make your driveway a spectacular attraction during peak blooming time.

With a little attention to detail, your driveway can be the most impressive in the neighborhood. A well-maintained driveway is an impressive landscape feature.

Plumbing Issues to Watch Out for When Renovating an Old Home

home construction
Home Renovation

Generally speaking, your home will probably need some renovations after 10-15 years. In order to make your home look good, you will need to make sure that you take care of every aspect of your home. After so many years of usage, your plumbing system will also need to be upgraded and changed in order to get a modern and functional plumbing system at place. Most homeowners will only replace and repair the plumbing system that is visible but when renovating your old plumbing system, you need to make sure that you take care of every aspect in order to get the best results. Mentioned below are some of the plumbing issues that you need to watch out for while renovating your old home and call for drain cleaning services immediately.

  • Sewer Line in Your Home

Most home owners only take care of the 4 walls in their home when renovating their old home. However, you need to remember that you are the owner of the sewer line from your home until the end of the street as well. In old homes the sewer lines may be problematic and since you have already taken up your home for renovation, make sure that you change this line with the help of drain cleaning services as well in order to experience smooth drainage for the future years. There could be various problems like roots, cracks in the pipe and so on. When you take care of this aspect, you can be sure of efficient results in the long run as well.

  • Galvanized Pipes in Home

In older constructions, most of the homes have galvanized pipes installed. Some of them may have changes in some parts of the pipe and not only the pipes that have a problem. This means that your home will still be having pipes that are rusted and corroded and you will need to replace these with time. Make sure to check out all the pipes in your home and replace these at the time of renovation if you want a smooth plumbing system. The money that you invest here will go a long way in saving money for you.

plumbing
Plumber

  • Old and Inefficient Plumbing System

In some setups, you have the old plumbing system and they look good as well. However, you need to realize there is a lifespan with everything and it is true with the pipes as well. With constant use, these fixtures will have some or the other problems in them and this may lead to leaks and inefficient water flow as well. So when you go for renovating your home it is best to change these fixtures in order to conserve water.

  • Invisible Leaks In The Plumbing System

The pipe from the water meter to your home is your responsibility. If you identify leakage in these pipes while going for renovation, make sure that you get these changed with the assistance of drain cleaning services in order to stop the problem causing further damages to your property.

sewer-pipe repair

Renovating your old home is a major project and you are going to invest a lot of time and money for this. In order to get efficient results, make sure to call drain cleaning services to identify the problems in your plumbing system. They will help you to identify plumbing related problems in your old home and help you understand the areas that you need to take care of when you go in for renovation. When you take care of the plumbing in your home you can be sure to get the best results in the long run and need not worry about plumbing problems after years of service.

Painful at a Glance: 4 Eyesores That Ruin Your Curb Appeal

Painful at a Glance 4 Eyesores That Ruin Your Curb Appeal

If you’re planning to put your home on the market, you most definitely want the curb appeal to generate a favorable impression. If you’re simply looking for a way to make your home more attractive, improving its curb appeal is an ideal place to start. There are some specific areas that can be considered definite eyesores. Improving those aspects is a good place to begin your beautification project.

Clean Up and Spruce Up

Overgrown trees and shrubs and dead plants left in a neglected flower bed are definite eyesores. Do some trimming and replanting and you’ll make a noticeable difference with the landscaping. Little details matter when you’re trying to improve your curb appeal. Straighten your crooked house numbers or mailbox. Paint or buy new ones if the ones you have are faded or damaged.

Driveways Get Noticed

Cracks in a driveway are an eye-catching feature that you’d rather people not notice. Cracks in a driveway can be a tripping hazard for you and for visitors to your home. Driveways that are sinking and cracking are also detrimental to your curb appeal. Lakeridge Paving Company or a similar business in your particular area that specializes in residential driveway repair or installation can make your driveway a safe and attractive part of your home’s curb appeal.

Doors

Doors with peeling paint, dents or those that are outdated in design can be an eyesore. According to the information provided by Realty Times, replacing your garage door and entry door will increase the value of your home. With the multitude of exterior door designs available, you can replace outdated doors with doors that complement the exterior of your home and doors that attract attention because of their beauty.

Lighting

Sometimes, it’s what you don’t see that can be a negative aspect of your home’s curb appeal. A home that has insufficient exterior illumination, broken or non-working exterior lighting or outdated lighting fixtures can look forlorn in the evening hours. Exterior lighting can be a safety feature and a decorative aspect of your home at night. During the daylight hours, the style of lighting can enhance the curb appeal of your home.

The curb appeal of your home is often the basis for a potential buyer’s first impression and a feature that heavily influences the opinions that guests form of your home. By eliminating the eyesores, you can immediately create a more impressive curb appeal and quite possibly increase the value of your home.

Guest Post By:
Anica Oaks

Freelance writer and web enthusiast
Read some of my published work on my Google+ page.

Caring For Your Siding

The exterior of your house does more than give visitors their first impression of your home — it serves as the first line of defense against the elements. When properly cleaned and cared for, your home’s siding protects you and the investment you’ve made in the property. Over time, however, wear and weather can take their toll on siding, no matter what it’s made of. Taking the time to properly clean and care for your siding can significantly extend its lifespan, help protect the value of your home and save you thousands in repair and replacement costs.

caring for your siding

General Cleaning Tips

Cleaning any type of siding can be as easy as using soap and water. Experts recommend using a half cup of trisodium phosphate — which can be found at most grocery stores and home improvement stores — in a gallon of warm water. However, trisodium phosphate is banned in some states, such as California, so a general cleaner can be used as well. Using a soft-bristled, long-handled brush, work in 10-foot sections and scrub your siding from bottom to top, being sure to rinse often with a garden hose. Be careful on ladders when cleaning the upper story of your house.

If preferable, you can use a power washer to save time and elbow grease, but exercise caution if you do. If you’re not careful, the intensity of a power washer can strip paint, rip caulk out of seams, blast mortar from between bricks, damage soft-wood siding and send water under joints that can lead to irreversible damage later.

You may notice black, spotty-looking stains on your siding even after you clean it. These spots are most likely mildew, but to be sure dab the area with a cloth soaked in diluted bleach. If the spot goes away, it’s mildew, and you can clean the rest of your mildew spots with a solution of one part bleach in four parts water, rinsing with clean water. You also can try using a solution of 30 percent vinegar and 70 percent water to remove mildew spots.

Caring For Wood Siding

Wood siding gives your home a classic look that other types of siding can’t equal, but it is by far the most difficult to care for. The experts recommend washing wood siding at least once a year, and they also recommend painting or staining it every five years to keep it protected. Because wood expands and contracts in response to weather conditions, you also should keep an eye on areas around windows and doors to make sure all seams are caulked and sealed.

Caring For Vinyl Siding

The durability of vinyl siding has made it the most popular type of siding sold in the United States, and for the most part, washing it once a year is all the maintenance you can expect it to need. However, you should double-check the type of cleanser you use on your vinyl siding before doing any spot cleaning. Cleansers containing organic solvents, furniture polish, de-greasers and nail polish removers can cause severe damage to vinyl siding.

Your one stop resource for all your home improvement & remodeling needs!

Caring For Brick Siding

Brick is one of the strongest materials for home exteriors, and maintenance generally involves inspecting to ensure it is not flaking or cracking, and that mortar remains in place. When cleaning mildew spots on brick, be sure to soak it thoroughly to make it more absorptive before applying a bleach solution.

Caring for Stucco Siding

The main consideration for taking care of stucco is watching for chipping or cracking. Although it is possible for homeowners to make small repairs using store-bought fillers, large-scale repairs should be left to professionals. Work from the foundation up when cleaning stucco, as the material is likely to absorb dirty water otherwise.

Caring for your siding can go a long way to ensure your home not only looks good but also lasts a long time. A thorough inspection along with a little bit of soap and a little bit of hard work once or twice a year can save you a lot of money and strife down the road.

New Rochelle-Exterior Painting Remodel

How Do You Know When It’s Time To Replace Siding?

Since siding is your homes number one defense against the elements, there are times when simple cleaning and care won’t cut it and your siding will need to be replaced. Replacement frequency often depends on where you live and whether any type of damage has occurred. When siding is damaged due to weather and age, it can no longer do its job and you might feel the effects in your energy costs and overall home value.  Some telltale signs of damage include fading, rotting, cracking, peeling bubbling or sections of your siding can come loose. You may even see signs of mold or mildew.  Aside from damage, many homeowners choose to replace siding for personal aesthetic reasons, or to increase the value of their home by updating the look.  Whatever the reason, it’s always wise to ensure that you choose a reputable company that is fully insured and uses premium products.

Author bio: Richard Watkins is the founder of Aerotech Gutter Service. He has been a contractor and home remodeler for over 50 years. Watkins has completed a number of home remodeling jobs and has seen pretty much everything that can go wrong with your home.

5 ways to infuse your home’s design with modern minimalist principles

5 ways to infuse your home's design with modern minimalist principles

Born initially as a reaction to the dizzying displays of abstract expressionism, minimalism has developed quite a bit since its rather humble beginnings. In fact, over the past decades the trend has grown to encapsulate numerous ideas about art and life in general. Perhaps that explains why even today, this style continues to be such a popular choice among interior designers and people who aspire to live a simpler life in general. If you want your home to benefit from all the qualities inherent in a minimalist art work without sacrificing its ultimate livability, here are five essential aspects to consider:

  1. The “less is more” mantra

This central tenet of minimalism is often misunderstood in today’s society. It doesn’t refer to spending less money to buy more goods, nor does it involve eliminating some of the basic pleasures that make life worth living. Instead, “less is more” simply means that abundance by itself does not always guarantee happiness. With regards to interior design, this translates into having just the right amount of things at all times. Owning extraneous objects can quickly clutter a home, so be sure to always give away the things that you no longer need as you acquire new possessions.

home design

  1. Furniture placement and the value of open space

Open space is valued above all in minimalism. Just like the space between two musical notes can sometimes mean more than the actual notes themselves, it is believed that the absence of things can in some instances lead to more contentment than their relative abundance. This doesn’t mean that rooms should be devoid of essential objects like beds, bathroom fixtures and cooking appliances, but it does mean that the way you arrange things is all-important. Instead of simply placing things at random, opt for fitted furniture instead, making sure that you leave plenty of space around your most important items.

  1. The role of color

Color is another underrated aspect that usually gets misunderstood in minimalism. While the trend does indeed reject gaudy displays in favor of a more restrained approach, colors certainly have their place in minimalist decorations. The trick here is to settle on a relatively stable color palette, and then use variations of it throughout your entire household. It’s well known that colors affect our mood so you should always be careful when choosing the right one. In 2017, for instance, the fashionable hue is believed to be greenery, a fresh yellow-green shade that symbolizes new beginnings. If you were to pick such a shade as your base color, you should refrain from employing clashing tones that undermine its simplicity. Nevertheless, the occasional accent wall or stand-out piece can still be used to spruce up your home’s overall look.

infuse your home's design with modern minimalist principles

  1. Choosing appropriate building materials

If you are what you eat, then your home is what it’s built of. From its basic structure to its subtlest finishes, the materials you use to construct your home will inevitably have a big say in its overall character. To that end, a minimalist home will generally favor natural materials such as wood or masonry, but there is a place for man-made materials as well, if the situation demands it. Owing to their sleekness, minimalist homes can sometimes be perceived as overly distant, but this too can be fixed with the likes of textured timbers, which create warmth and give your home a friendlier, rustic vibe.

  1. The importance of good lighting

As a general rule of thumb, minimalist homes are designed to be bright, clean environments for people who want to gain a clearer perspective on life by leading an orderly existence. This kind of goal cannot be achieved in the absence of light, which is why optimizing access to light sources is one of the most important aspects of minimalist interior design. Natural light is always preferable, as safe sun exposure grants certain benefits that no artificial light can provide. To that end, make sure that your home’s windows are perfectly placed to absorb the sun’s rays without overheating the room or bothering your eyes. And don’t forget to also invest in plentiful artificial light sources that are kind to your eyes and only consume a reasonable amount of energy.

As you can see, the many precepts of minimalism can be successfully employed in interior design and will likely lead to beautiful, cleanly-designed home that many people will no doubt enjoy living in. While the minimalist style isn’t for everybody, plenty of homeowners could stand to benefit from its central tenets, as they generally translate into a much more relaxed and serene outlook on life in general. For all these reasons and more, keeping it minimal is something that you should definitely consider when designing your very own dream home.

 

Playtime with Blind and Visually Impaired Children-Infographic

It’s been accurately quoted by Helen Keller that “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight, but no vision.” It’s not important what means are available to you, the wisdom of utilizing those means correctly is what counts. That’s exactly what we are trying to focus on in this article regarding the playtime for visually impaired children.

It’s important for children to be involved in games at an early age to be successful in every walk of the life. It was understood well by the ancient educationist and, therefore, included as a customary element for schools and colleges curriculum. In this aspect, the indoor games are as important as outdoor ones. Indoor games have a major role in shaping up a child’s mental health and intelligence. However, these games are not accessible for the visually impaired children or the blind children. In actuality, they too must sharpen their mind and intelligence using indoor games. If those children can make use of Braille, why can’t they have access to games which are intended for them? Has this question crossed your mind while having a read at this article?

However, with a gradual development in technology, a solution is available for this issue in recent times. Now games designed exclusively for visually impaired children are available for them. It focuses on innovative methods of involving children in art and craft activities. It surely helps them to learn a new manner of playing indoor games. If used on a regular basis, it can certainly develop a sensory proficiency for the visually impaired children. Have a glance at this infographic to be acquainted with additional information on the topic.
Playtime with Blind and visually impaired children
Playtime with Blind and visually impaired children by Wooden Toy Shop

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