Many of our readers will have used Houzz and will be aware of its popularity but the story of its growth is a fascinating one. It started in a very simple way when Adi Tatarko and Alon Cohen had difficulty finding inspiration when remodeling their own home.
Houzz is now home to 40 million users and has 25 million unique monthly visitors. Unique monthly visitors are important as it demonstrates how active the Houzz user base is and it really demonstrates what a vibrant community Houzz has become. 55% of their user base is in the United States but it has now launched in many other countries and is growing steadily. In the United Kingdom, the app has over 2 million users and its popularity continues to grow.
Check out this infographic from Half Price for more information on the growth of Houzz around the world.
Roof insulation is very important for new age buildings because through this process, you can save your roof and the procedure can also control the noise level as well as the temperature of your home. If you have an old damaged roof and you have been noticing leakages on the roof of late, then the time has come to consider professional roof repair services. They will inform you about the kind of services they provide and you should make sure if they deal with the roof insulation process.
Generally, roof insulation is done by installing a separate layer and you are free to make a choice regarding the layering process. You may increase the insulation layer as per your requirement. Roof repairing to prevent water leakage may incur you a huge cost, and the problem will recur again in the near future. Roof insulation is a better alternative to save your property from the extremities of the climate.
Reasons for installing roof insulation
The exterior surface of the roof may get damaged due to high moisture level. Especially during a rainy season when the moisture level is at its zenith, the problem worsens. This may intensify the damage and may also result in the collision of the roof. In this regards, you can install some drain or vents on the roof to let the moisture and blocked water escape through these channels and keep it dry.
If you are noticing lately that the bill for the energy consumption need of your house is growing bigger, then there must be some ventilation problems in your house. Due to a lack of ventilation and air tight issues, your air conditioner and home heating system do not provide you with accurate heat and cooling temperature. The cooling air can escape through these leakage points without maintaining the required temperature at the earliest. As a result, these machines remain on the working mode all the time to reach the desired temperature. But if you install the roof insulation then you can prevent this excess energy consumption and it will also keep the roof of your home dry and air tight. Hence, it offers better control to the room temperature and also minimizes the electricity bill.
After installing the new roof insulation, you do not need to spend any additional maintenance cost. The companies which deal with the roof repair and roof insulation services will conveniently do the installation for you.
If you have a restricted budget, then you can also choose the lower thickness of the insulation. But it is recommended to install the roof insulation as per a professional company’s guidance. They will inspect your property and will also suggest you regarding the best roof insulation process as per your budget, and you can also install some colorful roofing in your home and commercial property.
Why do you need to opt for roof repair after the winter season?
During the winter season, your roof can get damaged due to the wind, snowfall, and frozen climate. There are several hidden damages that can occur and these will result into leakage during the spring season also. In this regard, you need to avail the services of roof repair contractors on an immediate basis to rectify the issue from getting it damaged further.
During a new roof installation process, you can incorporate with the thermal insulation of your roof. It will save your power consumption cost and will also provide your home a more secure environment.
Appropriate lighting in a home is very important for both functionality and aesthetics. Unfortunately, trying to get the lighting right in your house can be a very complicated task, because the light can turn out to be too bright, too dark or in wrong color temperature. Also the light fixtures themselves can look inappropriate or odd in your space. So to make it a little easier for you to choose the lighting for your home, here are some of the most popular lighting mistakes that you should never make.
Installing only overhead (ambient) lighting
Most people choose to install only ambient lighting in their homes, but interior designers recommend using three different types of lighting – ambient, accent and task lighting. Ambient lighting is the one that gives overall light to the room, and it is usually achieved by placing one or multiple overhead light fixtures all over the room. Accent lighting is used to emphasize some specific characteristics of a house for example, shelves, paintings or other wall decor. But task lighting is lights that are used to perform specific tasks, for example, it can be a desk lamp for doing paperwork or a nightlight next to your bed for reading. And combining these three types of lights will ensure sufficient lighting for everything and anything.
Choosing the wrong light for the coloring of your rooms
What many people don’t know is that you should match your light to the colors in your interior, because colors of your walls and other design elements can severely change how you perceive the color of your lighting.
Black color absorbs light, but white reflects it light, blue color absorbs the red tones, but red – the blues. And that means that white-yellow light, which will have the color temperature of around 3,000 Kelvins, will make red, orange, and yellow tones more vivid in your interior, while blue-white colored light (with the color temperature around 6,500 Kelvins) will enhance the blues and the greens, but will mute warmer tones. So, depending on what mood you want to create in your space, you should choose the appropriate color of your light sources.
Using wrong color temperature lights
The color temperature of a light source also often is chosen wrongly. Beside the lamp itself, there are many factors that can determine the appropriate light color temperature for each room, for example, the dimensions of the space, the owner’s preferences and the feel that the owner is going for in their home. On top of that, each room also has different lighting needs and expectations, and you should consider all of this before you pick up your light bulbs.
How to figure out what type of color temperature lights will work best for you? Well the easiest way to do this is to figure out if you want your room to feel bright and awake, or you want a more cozy vibe in your space. If the former is true, then buy blue-white bulbs, but if you like your house warm and homey, then chose warm-white bulbs, that will help you achieve that.
Installing the wrong size light fixtures
It is very important to choose appropriate size light fixtures to keep the balance in your space. Light fixtures that are too small for your space, like recessed lights or small accent lights can create a very cheap look, to your room, if they aren’t used correctly. At the same time, lamps that are too big, like solar outdoor lights or big chandeliers can make your room look disproportional.
The best method how to choose appropriate size light fixtures, so they look good in your space as well as provide enough illumination, is by creating a simple cardboard light model and hanging it up, because this way you will be able to see if it fits in the rooms interior or not.
Not thinking about wattage of your lights
Lastly, most people simply doesn’t consider how much watts their lighting uses to light each room and end up with huge electricity bills. So to solve this, you should first figure out what is the optimal brightness of light in each room in your home, and then buy your light bulbs according to these requirements. For example, you don’t usually need that bright of a light in your bedroom, so 800 lumen bulbs will provide enough illumination. But for your living room you should go for around 1,600 lumen output lights, because they will ensure that you have sufficient lighting to perform different everyday tasks.
But where does wattage comes in? Well, wattage is the thing you need to consider once you know what brightness bulbs you need. And it will come into play when you will be choosing between incandescent, fluorescent or LED bulbs, because each of these bulbs consumes different amount of watts while producing the same amount of light. For example, both a 100-watt incandescent and 16-watt LED bulbs will produce enough light to illuminate your living room. So you chose which type of light you want to buy.
Proper lighting in your home means that not only it will be lot easier to do different tasks because you will have sufficient lighting, but also that your home will have the right atmosphere. So no matter if you are designing a brand new lighting setup or just want to tweak your existing lighting situation, take some time to read these home lighting mistakes and to think about how to make sure that you are not making them in your house.
Authors bio: Arthur Smith is a blogger, efficient lighting enthusiast and solar power aficionado. He has been working in the lighting and solar industries for most of his life, and now shares his knowledge on these topics in his blog LEDwatcher.com.
Thinking of renovating your home and worried about your finances at the same time? Well! Home redesigning can be a hassle if not properly planned and can seriously overburden your pocket if not executed in the right direction. Therefore; here are 5 easy and budget friendly home décor ideas for a better, more beautiful home.
1. Do It Yourself:
Since home designing is incredibly open to ideas and personal understanding; be skillful in creating your own items rather than visiting any market and spending money on them. If you have a flare for photography; try taking a few good pictures, get them framed and hang them on the walls of your living room.
If you like to paint; put some strokes to work and complete a set of paintings to be proudly displayed on the walls of your drawing room.
2. Focus on Minimal Designs:
Yes that’s right! Choosing a minimal approach to design your home can help you manage your finances as compared to other more flamboyant methodologies. Moreover, minimalist designs can never go out of fashion so you can always opt for one.
When it comes to home décor; minimalism is classified as neutral, even colors especially the ones more appealing to the eyes. Lighting should be self-effacing yet it should not be sharp. You can put a sobered up vase with a bouquet of flowers in it rather than filling the room with lots of unnecessary things.
3. Add Up More Furniture:
If you are looking for home décor within a budget; buying one or two solid furniture items can save you from a lot of extra spending. It is also a good investment since it would serve you for many years. Moreover, you can always get them painted whenever they look a bit tarnished and they will become new all over again.
In addition to it; the minimal factor in home designing is also reflected in a solid piece of furniture placed in your bedroom or living room. A good sofa set in a living room or a stylish dressing table in your bedroom can serve as a cohesive piece between the home décor items and your room or you can change the bed set, comforter and cushions of your bedding. It just enhances the overall look of the room immediately!
4. Go for Removable Wallpapers:
Removable wallpapers can be very useful in home décor especially when you are a design freak and want to change your wallpaper after every two years or less. Permanent wallpapers can become more unapproachable because they are not easily removed. Therefore, you are stuck with just one type of wallpaper even if you want to change them.
For those home owners who are obsessed with home decoration; the use of permanent wallpapers in their homes is completely discouraged. Removable wallpapers, on the other hand, can give your room a more vibrant look especially when you change them often.
5. Let Your Creative Juices Flow:
Lastly! Be more creative with the artwork or furniture in your home. Think about how you can hide all the clutter in your room. Get rid of old magazines, newspapers and books that are of no use and fill your room with a useful piece of furniture.
Moreover, you can always buy a cheap and affordable book rack where you can put all your reading stuff if you are an avid book collector. Think how you can do more with little and remember that minimalism is the key.
Author Bio:
This post is written by Julie Austin. She loves traveling, home decorating and hanging out with her friends. She regularly blogs at http://mybedcomforter.com/
When remodeling your home, focus on updates that you’ll benefit from for an extended period of time. Also keep your family’s comfort and overall lifestyle in mind when choosing products and materials.
Creating a Smart Home
Smart homes are in. If you haven’t transitioned into the technological world yet, now is the time to do so. If, in the future, you decide to sell your home, being able to list “smart home” as a feature, can impress potential buyers. Just how much technology you include in your remodeling project will depend on your budget and your lifestyle. You can have your home equipped so that you can control appliances, the alarm system, lighting, your sound system, television and much more with the touch of a finger.
Choosing Faucets for Your Remodeling Project
From a decorative standpoint, you want the finish on your bathroom and kitchen faucet to complement the countertop color and material. For 2017, faucet finishes such as satin black, bronze or rose gold finish are expected to be quite popular. Installing water-saving faucets is a money-saving benefit you can appreciate immediately after installation and in the years to follow. There’s a diverse selection of water-saving faucet designs to select from. Touchless faucets are trendy, convenient and can reduce the spread of germs.
Installing Stone in Your Home
If your remodeling project includes the addition of a fireplace, you’ll want to explore the exquisite selection of stone at places, such as Harristone, that manufacture precast, natural-looking stone. As you’re browsing through their diverse selection of stone, you may get some ideas as to how to incorporate stone into your remodeling project. If it’s an open floor plan you’re creating, stone columns can be included in the project to frame a dining area or living space. Adding a stone wall to any room can make the overall design more impressive. Areas that are often overlooked as a decorative feature can be transformed into a main feature when stone is added to that area.
2017 Lighting Trends
Your remodeling project most likely requires the installation of new lighting. Industrial and modern lighting fixture designs are highly popular. Lighting in 2017 kitchen designs includes recessed lighting and under cabinet lighting. Bathroom lighting expands to include mirror lighting and money-saving dimmer switches.
When you plan your remodeling project, it’s best to choose design features that accommodate your needs. Making choices that will increase the value of your home is also a factor to consider.
If you haven’t redone your bathroom in a while, it’s high time you did. Try getting rid of an old paint job and cracked tiles, or put your crafting skills to the test. There are various ways you can repair, restyle, and redecorate your bathroom in order to make it the most pleasant space in your home. To help you bring life back to this often overlooked space in your home, we have prepared 5 efficient tips and tricks which won’t hurt your bank account.
1. Get rid of mold
This issue is the most important one, and we therefore list it first, because it concerns your family’s health. Before you begin, you have to establish the causes of mold development, which are most often poorly ventilated rooms and leaky sinks, bathtubs, showers, and most importantly pipes. If you don’t have mold, then you should think about methods of successful mold protection. Firstly, get rid of any damp old rags and cloth pieces that you can find lying around, because they can attract mold spores very easily. The safest way to resolve this issue is to invest in an air purifier that can dehumidify your bathroom and keep the humidity below 50%, which prevents mold from forming. On the other hand, if you have already discovered black mold patches on your bathroom walls, you have to start removing them with anti-mold products, such as vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide.
2. Colorful tiles
Tiles should also be on your bathroom redesign list. Forget about hiring a contractor to do the job for you, because you can easily do it on your own. Remember that by placing tiles next to your bathtub or shower and on your floor, you have essentially covered all the important places and that everything else is up to your desires. If you choose to place tiles in this way, you only have to pick out the color and the style of the tiles. Luckily, we have prepared some great and affordable ideas on how to add new flare to your bathroom
3. Paint jobs
This next suggestion is considered the most inexpensive and authentic way to redo your bathroom without calling a contractor for help. The greatest feature about the idea is that you can engage your whole family in the color choosing process and in the paintwork as well. Try experimenting with various designs and patterns – avoid the one color option. Try painting pleasant murals on the walls or something your children might find interesting. We recommend looking for great paint job ideas which you can use as inspiration for your own bathroom. Make sure to use protective tape to cover all the vulnerable spots around the windows. For the ceiling, you will need to use acrylic paint which prevents damage caused by humidity and mold.
4. Lighting
Consider getting some lamps for your bathroom with adjustable light settings, so that you can dim the lights whenever you want to take a relaxing shower and relieve stress. We would recommend opting for candles, preferably scented ones, to soothe the bathroom atmosphere and allow you to get in touch with your inner self. If you are feeling handy, you can take some colored paper and recreate a rustic looking candle holder to serve as a lighting fixture, making your bathroom more sophisticated. For more great and affordable ideas regarding the work you want to do in the bathroom, we recommend consulting with experts like an expert in bathroom renovations from Sydney.
5. Be economic
It is important to remember that not everything has to be completely exchanged and bought for you to make your bathroom perfect. The key is in repurposing and refinishing existing items. You can keep your old fixtures by buying a refinishing kit and activating your inner DIY expert. The only real expenditure that you can anticipate concerns protective gear and protective materials. A great method for turning your old bathroom into an extravagant one is transforming the bathtub into a walk-in shower. This will add more space and elegance to the room. Take used plastic cups and turn them into a holder for your toothbrushes, toothpaste and other products.
Redoing your bathroom can be a fun and practical way to revive an unhealthy and dull-looking space and turn it into one where your family can safely relax, and where your friends can feel at home.
Author Bio:
My name is Alex Williams. I am a journalism graduate, and a rookie blogger trying to find my luck. Blogs are the perfect opportunity for presenting yourself to wider audience, getting the chance to showcase my expertise and receiving recognition. I am a regular contributor at BizzMark Blog.
We all have our own way of preparing for a big marketing presentation or sales pitch. Some of us make final teaks to our PowerPoint slides, while others shuffle the order of their notes. As the time to walk into the room or stand up in a meeting approach, the nerves start to kick in and taking deep breaths may help but what you really need is a power up tune that will help your feel more relaxed and confident. But which tune is most appropriate and right for you?
Power up tunes are brilliant at instilling confidence, and even though it may not be quite the right thing to dance your way into a presentation, they have the ability to calm your nerves and make you feel in charge of the situation.
We have created a quiz that will help you select the right tune based on your own unique personality. Don’t assume that the old favorite tunes are the best ones, you’ll find that having a tune that you’re comfortable with is essential if you’re going to knock ’em dead with your sales pitch!
So, have a go at our power up tune quiz below and you’ll go from a hand wringing anxious wreck to a cool, calm and confident presenter.
You might be surprised to hear just how much waste is produced during the construction process. Even for a smaller home, your construction crew could potentially release a huge volume of toxins into the air and contaminate the local environment. If you are getting ready to break ground, then take a look at these four tips for reducing your carbon footprint during construction.
Focus On The Location
Determining the location of your new home is probably the most important step in this process. While building deep within a city is not always ideal, those who buy property far off the beaten path will drastically increase the amount of fuel it takes to transport supplies. Whenever possible, you want to build on a piece of property that is relatively close to the materials you need. You should also research local water sources to make sure that your construction will not contaminate creeks, rivers, and underground aquifers.
Consider Recycled Materials
Not only are recycled materials very trendy right now, but they are also much better for the environment. Many construction companies and contractors sell their leftovers at just a fraction of their original price, and you will be saving those materials from going to the dump. When buying these supplies, you should double-check to see if they have been manufactured with any toxic chemicals. Materials such as construction-grade lumber and pipes are often treated with hazardous compounds to increase their longevity.
Green Insulation
Insulating your new home is one of the best ways to reduce your energy consumption, but you don’t need to stop there. Many older insulation pads and rolls are made with petroleum-based chemicals, and they can wreak havoc on the local environment during the installation process. Modern polymer sprays, like those offered at SPRAY FOAM DISTRIBUTORS, provide homeowners with the same amount of insulation, but they are produced with sustainable materials that will not release additional toxins into the air.
Request LEED Certification
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program is designed to exhaustively test new buildings to ensure that meet the strictest standards for sustainable construction. In order for your home to be certified, a third-party inspector will need to follow every step of the construction process starting on the very first day. In addition to being better for the environment, this certification could significantly increase the value of your home as well.
Green building methods are going to promote biodiversity while protecting the local ecosystems. Many of these alterations will also provide you with long-term savings to keep your energy consumption and utility bills as low as possible over the years.
Kitchens are undoubtedly the heart of homes today. Naturally, most people want to focus on the appearance of their kitchens and make it look the best. There is no perfect shape, when it comes to kitchens. Whether it is a plan for the sink, an L or U-shaped galley, cook top and fridge to create a triangle, you have to consider everything properly. There are many designer kitchens available in the market, and you can even customize the designs and layout as per your needs and budget.
Designer Kitchen
Create a feature wall
It is a perfect way to add more character and depth to your kitchen, and allow you to make a solid style statement. Use patterned or colorful tiles or wallpaper that is particularly designed for kitchen spaces, or use a distinct backsplash in order to make a focal point. Moreover, countertops and wall hangings inside the kitchen also enhance the aesthetic value of your kitchen, and you can either go for a renovation, or just refurbish some parts according to your choice.
Use tiles for walls and flooring
If you have an old kitchen, you can provide it with quite a facelift with low-cost tiles used as a backsplash around the whole kitchen or just behind the cooker. For less than 15 pounds per sq. m, you can buy cheap tiles. You can use colorful or bold ones sparingly, and make them run along the plain white ones, in order to achieve an arresting appearance.
Opt for colored cabinets
You should not be worried about using bold colors for your kitchen cabinets in designer kitchens. You can opt for blue tones, deep grey or mid grey tones and even sage green or peppermint shades for the cabinets.
In case you have kitchen walls of white colors, you should not simply opt for white colored cupboards. If you do so, you will miss the amazing chance to add a little more character to your kitchen space.
When it comes to soiled and sticky finger problems, cabinets of a darker shade can also be great options to choose from.
Place shelves around the light
Kitchen Interior
You can also try building your appliance shelves and storage cabinets around the windows, so that the objects placed inside can be illuminated and clearly visible. In case your window is in an unusual spot, you can combine wall cabinets of varying heights, depths and widths in order to create a dynamic and interesting storage solution for your kitchen, even if it has a limited internal space.
Place colored appliances
You can make a strong and nice fashion statement with colored appliances in your kitchen, and add style, contrast and interest to it. You may try the European style of picking sleek black appliances over stainless steel ones or go for red appliances in a specific shade of rich dark or white color scheme.
Color block your kitchen
This is a fantastic way to add color to your kitchen space, without making it look overwhelming. By adding contrasting cabinetry in timber grain or any other color, you can easily change your plain-looking space into a dual-toned one with unique visual appeal and more depth.
Finally, you can add more variety to your kitchen by adding a tiled backsplash as part of the interior decoration. Using a backsplash in designer kitchens can be a big decision, as it is permanent. Do not opt for mirror, glass or a similarly reflective surface. Reflective backsplashes’ reflect everything in your kitchen and simply add to the mess, which is the last thing you would want. You can maintain a tiled backsplash with a lot of ease.
Season 7 of Walking Dead begins soon, so we thought we’d take a critical look at the various vehicles’ used in seasons 1-6 to see whether they would be useful should there really be a zombie apocalypse.
The guide below highlights some of the trucks, cars and RVs, not forgetting the Triumph Bonneville, that have featured in past episodes. Giving you the low-down on each vehicle’s capabilities, or lack of them, to kill menacing zombies or get away from them, the guide takes a look at the pros and cons to see if they are more likely to kill you than the zombies.
Take a look at the guide below to find out which vehicle is top, and which wouldn’t really be very useful, in a zombie apocalyptic scenario.
