Archive for the 'Contractors' Category
By Relocation.com
After moving you will have a lot of home improvement projects to work on. One of the easiest is to wallpaper your home. Wallpaper is great way to spruce up a room, especially if you’re tired of boring old paint. Usually, you’ll get wallpaper in sections, which you’ll have to unroll and use to cover entire walls. However, these days, with so many choices in colors and patterns, you’re not stuck with the same flower-and-paisley prints your grandma used to have in her house. Here are some creative wallpaper ideas you can do to spruce up your home.
Selective Use:
Instead of wallpapering your entire room, try doing only some portions to accentuate certain parts and give it a dramatic look. You can choose to wallpaper panels, doors, the wall above the fireplace, or a single wall. You’re not limited to the walls either – a wallpapered ceiling in a bright print can make a room more visually interesting.
Funky Art:
You can create some unique pieces of art to decorate your room by framing wallpaper. Take a piece of wallpaper and slip it into a pre-made frame and hang it on your wall. You don’t even need a frame – hang it from your wall like a scroll for the Asian look. This is also a great way to save on decorating costs, as you can use left over wall paper from your friend’s projects or from home decorating stores. Wallpaper needn’t be limited to your walls, or even your home.
Upcycle:
You can upcycle old things or flea market finds with a bit of pretty wallpaper. Use it to cover and old lampshade, the face of an old clock or even use it to lacquer old trays and tables. If you have cheap waste baskets, wrap them in wallpaper to match your décor.
Other Surfaces:
There’s a current trend where you can find wallpaper just about anywhere in the home. Some people wallpaper ceilings and even floors! But there’s no need to go wallpaper crazy. Think of other surfaces that can use a little jazzing up, like the inside of your closet, your door, tables, or even create your own headboard covered in your favorite wallpaper pattern. Also, instead of buying liners for drawers, use wallpaper instead.
Scrapbook with Scrap:
Finally, if you have some leftover wallpaper, you don’t have to thrown them away. Keep them for scrap booking projects and use them to cover books and notebooks or make cards and notes. You can even use wallpaper as wrapping paper for gifts.
By Relocation.com
After the moving companies have left, it will be time to unpack and set up your home. When considering a home improvement project, there are two basic types of window treatments — curtains and blinds. In general, window treatments can become a major investment or a challenge to your artistry and creativity. Window treatments can be seen in different sizes, shapes, colors, and combinations.
When moving, consider sprucing up your windows with the attractive design ideas below. Determine which will match your style and enhance your home at once.
Renovate with colorful treatments:
Although brown continues to stand out and more often preferred as the basic color, white is also widely chosen and always combined with blue or black. Blue comes in various ocean shades of soft green, teal, and aquamarine. Trendy jewel tones, such as persimmon, orange, and gold, are also favored.
Use luxurious fabrics:
Luxury fabrics, such as silk, velvet, fur, leather, and suede, are the common options for opulent and trendy curtains. Bold colors and textures indicate desire for embellishment and luxury while a simple ring heading can be used to balance the lavish fabric and general design, resulting to an uncomplicated, overall look.
Opt for modern stripes:
The easiest and most common option for window treatment is the use of simple panels. Pick out panels with broader stripes and complementary hues to give a more modern look. You can also try to create bold statements by using panels with black and white stripes. Insert rings on the upper portion of the curtain fabric to make contemporary hanging drapes.
Utilize organic and natural products:
While people get more obsessed with gadgets and other electronic devices, they still try to create balance in their homes by using organic and natural products. Despite the technology, people still crave for simplicity. Try to use several high-thread-count cottons and layer them to make a pleasant and appealing window.
Bring nature indoors:
Green design shows to be a popular trend nowadays. Use Zen-chic bamboo in various Roman shades for a sustainable, environment-friendly decorative hardware. Exposed wood grains and natural woven shades in matchstick that come in different colors likewise make popular choices. Most people also prefer maple and birch.
Make use of velvet and grosgrain:
Grosgrain is a closely woven wavy textile, often made of rayon or silk, which is usually used as a ribbon detailing on drapes and blinds. Comparatively, velvet banding is also used to add detail on the shades. It can also be used as a ladder tape to protect or hide route holes for string in blinds.
Go for bold prints:
Curtains with bold and bigger prints are the top choices for fabrics used in window treatments. Although bold stripes continue to trend, bold prints and bright floral attract traditional taste and graphic geometric patterns because they offer more youthful spunk. Patterns can change the way how you view window fashion.
Keep it simple:
A stylish room can have a better and more elegant look by using curtains with simple shades and modern geometric pattern. Keep the windows open and light by avoiding the use of jabots, swags, or other outdated, overly elaborated treatments.
By Relocation.com
Now that we are a few months into 2012 we have been thinking about our resolutions – both for moving and our home. We all promise to get in shape, quit smoking, spend more time with the family etc., but perhaps we should also make some home decorating resolutions for the coming year. These are some of the promises we should keep in 2012 when it comes to our homes.
Resolution #1: Reduce Clutter:
Clutter makes your home look messy and crowded. There’s nothing like keys, receipts, unopened mail, and other various knickknacks to make a beautifully decorated home look untidy an unkempt. The problem with clutter is that it stems from our habits, our attitudes of “I’ll clean that up later” and before we know it, there’s a big pile of stuff in every corner of our room. We have to train ourselves not to do this, or at least make it easy for us. Hang a key caddy near the door or the garage so you immediately put your keys there when you go home instead of tossing them on the counter. Give yourself no more than 48 hours to sort out mail. These things will make a difference when it comes to your home.
Resolution #2: Break out of your comfort zone:
Symmetry can create an orderly look, but it can be too boring. The same goes for neutral palettes and even patterns. This year, do something daring, even if it’s just in your living room or bedroom. Why not rearrange the furniture to break up the monotony of your room? Or have a bright-colored bed spread to contrast to your neutral colored walls. If you’re feeling daring, add color to a room by painting it with a color you’d never think of. This is the new year, so it’s time to shake things up.
Resolution #3: Adjust your lighting:
Lighting can really can the mood of the room. Perhaps all you think of light are the bright lights overhead that you switch on and off. You can change the look and feel of the room by adding some low lamps with soft lighting. Also, think of the environment and change your old high-wattage lamp into energy-saving bulb (you’ll save a bundle too!)
Resolution #4: Reduce your stuff:
Is your garage so filled with things that you can’t even fit a car in there? If you have a lot of things lying around that you don’t need and always tell yourself you’ll get around to cleaning it out eventually, stop everything you’re doing and get to it NOW! This is the best time to get rid of all the stuff you have, like the pair of skis you bought but never used, or the old lawnmower that you’ve replaced. Start by removing everything you have in your garage or storage area and divide it into things you want to keep, throw or you can give away. Be ruthless – if you haven’t used or seen it in a year, then you don’t need it. Throw out old trash and have a pile that you can give to Goodwill or sell at garage sale or eBay.
The secret to keeping New Year’s Resolutions are to make it easy for yourself and have concrete goals. With these decorating resolutions, you can keep your home clean, tidy and beautiful throughout the year.
By Relocation.com
After you settled in from your moving experience, it’s time to think about the look of your home. If your current home décor looks old, tired and outdated, then now is the time to bring in a fresher look. There are lots of upcoming trends in 2012 you should check out, to help you find ideas for your next home improvement decorating projects.
Green is Always In:
These days, everyone is getting on the environmental bandwagon, so don’t get left behind! Going green not only helps the environment, but in many cases helps your wallet too, such as switching to eco-friendly light bulbs. You can redecorate your home to reflect an environmentally-conscious personality by using materials that are eco-friendly. For flooring, for example, you can use cork, instead of pricey hardwoods. If you want the look of marble, but don’t want the expense of the larger carbon footprint associated with having it shipped from abroad, a material called paperstone is perfect for countertops. It is durable and made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Using unbleached linens can lessen your impact on the environments, and even the simplest linen can make any room look good.
Good as Gold:
Long thought to be gaudy and a feature only used by “nouveaux riche,” gold is making a big splash in 2012. While silver metals have always been associated with class, a few touches of gold can make any room look elegant (just don’t overdo it.) Use it sparingly and only for accents, like gold throw pillow, gold tassels on your curtains or gold picture frames. Mix it up with some rich colors like purple to make it really pop. Brushed brass is also a good alternative, if you don’t like the too-polished look of gold.
Neon is Back:
Neon shades are making a big comeback, and it’s not just in fashion! Neon colors can really brighten up the room, the key is to not overdo it and stick to one color. These bright shades look best against neutral tones like gray or white, but try mixing it with softer shades. You might be surprised how neon green works with soft shades of blue.
Mix-and-Match:
Decorating has its rules, and many designers want to make sure that they keep pieces together according to style. However, this is the year to break the rules, and you’ll find styles and centuries mixing together. For example, an elegant art nouveau chair can look good in a minimalist apartment, provided it be the focal point. Don’t go crazy by mixing too many styles, and make sure the room still looks beautiful.
Men’s Motifs:
It seemed for a long time that decorating was purely a woman’s job and so many designs and prints are geared towards the ladies – just check any sample book or decorating magazine and you’ll see the prevalence of florals and paisleys, silks and satins. However, prints that have been traditionally “male” like pin stripes and houndstooth, as well as fabrics like wool and tweed are moving from the boardroom to the bedroom.
So, now that you know what to look forward to in 2012, start planning your next project today!
Know what to look for when seeking to hire a contractor.
By Dermound Becker
Special to Relocation.com
When it comes to hiring a contractor to do work in your home, you need to take your time in choosing just the right one for you. A contractor is going to have people spending time in your home, so they need to be trustworthy and professional. Here are some helpful tips for choosing the right contractor for you.
• Get as many bids/quotes as you can. Not only are you looking for a good price, but the more quotes you get, the better idea you have as to what the going rate in your area is for the work you want done. Remember, though, that the cheapest quote may not prove to be the best contractor for the job. Ask if the quote is a hard quote (the actual price that you will be charged) or just an estimate.
• Ask for references and then, actually call the people. Find out if the job was completed entirely to the customer’s satisfaction. Was the work completed on time? Was the work site kept clean and safe? How close was the final bill to the estimate that was provided? And would they consider hiring this company again.
• Is the contractor fully insured, licensed and bonded? Are ALL of his employees insured as well? The employees should be covered by workman’s comp and liability insurance. Also ask if the contractor is a member of any trade associations.
• Check online for litigation history for the company. If they have been sued a number of times, this would be a definite red flag. You should also call the Better Business Bureau. They can provide you with a lot of useful information as to the company and its business history in the area.
• Find out how long the contractor has been in business. As a general rule of thumb, a contractor that has been in business for at least five years is probably reliable. It is difficult to stay in business that long if they are doing shoddy work.
• Ask if the price covers everything, such as permits, materials or blueprints . You should know the actual cost before you start working with a contractor.
• Make sure you choose a contractor that you are comfortable communicating with. Does he or she really listen to you? Are they taking what you want done seriously? After all, this is your job, your home and you should have the final say in decisions. The contractor should have ideas to present to you, but you make the final decision.
• Is the contractor going to be easy for you to reach if you need to? They should respond to your messages the same day.
You should realize that problems can arise. Weather, material problems, any number of reasonable problems can pop up and slow the course of your home improvement project. The contractor should communicate fully with you about these. But make sure that it clearly states in the contract before you sign it what will happen if there is a dispute. Mediation is a lot less costly than having to go to court.
Choose wisely and your home improvement project should go through without a hitch.
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