Ready to Sail

 This boat belongs to people who live close to the lake. Captured two months ago, when we're visiting my husband's hometown.

Location: the Petuguran Lake, Bumiayu, Central Java, Indonesia

The Weekend in Black and White

How to Buy Containers for Shipping Container Homes

Green architecture. Alternative housing. Cargotecture. Whatever one calls it, using old shipping containers to construct homes has become a remarkably viable option for a lot of people. They are affordable, adaptable, and easily sturdy as living spaces. Moreover, they keep construction time to a minimum because, essentially, building will be reduced to using modules. But make no mistake, building shipping container homes is far from being a walk in the park.

If you have been considering these impressive steel boxes for building your very own home, you will need to consider several factors to guarantee a structure that is not just suitable for living but also quite impressive to look at from any angle.

The first step is to decide on the architecture, the floor plan — the overall design of your house. Finalise this before you go looking for shipping containers to buy. Do you prefer a multi-level home with a contemporary design? Are you more interested in a rustic cabin-type house? Will you need a lot of space to meet your growing family’s needs? By deciding on the type of architecture for your home, you can easily determine the size and number of shipping containers you are going to need.

Aside from the size and number of shipping containers, your house’s final blueprint will determine what kind of modifications you will need. Are some of the panels going to be removed to make way for floor-to-ceiling windows? Would you want to install solar panels, soy-based insulation, and other eco-friendly amenities? Naturally, the less modifications you want, the easier it will be on your construction budget.

The next step is to completely and thoroughly examine the shipping containers you will be buying. You have two options: old and new shipping containers. With second-hand shipping containers, always ask the seller about its history. Find out what it was used for and for how long. You also want to make sure that the container has been certified for vermin proofing and weatherproofing. Also, inspect shipping containers in daylight so you can see whether there are pinholes and other damages.

If you want to save money, you can also ask the shipping container seller about doing the modifications you require. You might be able to get a package or discount.

Finally, try and buy your shipping containers from sellers that can deliver to your location. This service is especially crucial if your site happens to be quite a ways off. You not only save yourself the stress of finding a suitable service to pickup and deliver your shipping containers, but you may also be assured of proper handling since the seller will have done such deliveries hundreds of times.

Container homes allow you to be creative and unique. With proper design and a little bit of artistic touch, you could get to have a wonderful shipping container home. The best part is that it is cheaper than building out of pure concrete, but it is very sturdy and built tough to last long.

About the Author: Kenneth Lawrence is a “handyman”. His craft involves DIY home concepts and he shares his ideas, guidelines and tips about home improvement through blogging. Kenneth shares that http://containersfirst.com/ is the best place online to find quality ISO standard shipping containers at the least possible price.

Choosing the Right Canvas Art for Your Home

Are you still searching for great but affordable home decoration ideas? When appropriately done, home decoration can be simple, as easy as adding art piece like oil paintings into a room. Whatever the kind is, artwork is always becoming an important part of decorating a home.

Wall is like the life of your home. Too empty or even too cluttered walls will decrease your home’s look and value. Thus you should be careful when decorating your wall; right chosen hanging art will create walls that able to show your personality, creativity and artistic taste. I’ve ever read that a canvas art on a wall is like a small escape window to one’s inner soul. To reach this value, home owners should choose paintings that not only they love but also art that matches their souls. You may listen to other’s opinion, but buying art should be your personal decision.

Wall art mustn’t be costly and force you to break your wallet. If you have planned to ornament walls with hand painted paintings, you may depend on the finest beauty and quality of oil painting reproductions that provided by reliable online art galleries.  Unfortunately, when buying a painting for your home, choose one that you like isn’t enough. The right art should also have the right color and size that suits your home décor. The right painting will cheer up and beautify the room at once!

Popular Apps for Cellular Home Security Systems

Cellular technology has made it possible for many to enjoy home security with a few key features. When you have a cellular system installed, your system is not connected to the home security company by a traditional phone line. Instead, it uses cellular technology to relay messages to the security company about your home alarm. This also means that there are no risks of phone lines being cut and hindering the operation of your security system. Because of this, many people have decided to go with a cellular system and there are a number of smartphone and computer apps that are designed to work with many of these systems.

There is an app for virtually any home security system and any smartphone. The apps allow you to access your security system from anywhere. You can turn lights on and off, change the temperature inside your home, lock your doors and do many other things using these apps. Depending on your security system and plan, you may be able to use an app to access your home and see video feed of rooms with cameras as well as many other tasks. The security company that you select for your home system may have their own app that allows you to access your system or you may be able to download a third party app, depending on the company you choose.

Most third party apps are designed to work with any system and many of these stay up to date on the latest in cellular system technology. They enable you to review footage of videos, arm and disarm your system, lock and unlock doors and even open and close your electronic garage door. Vivint is one third party app that works with most security systems and enables you to do a number of tasks from your smartphone or tablet.

Alarm.com also offers an app that gives you control of your home from your smartphone. This app will partner with your home security system and can allow you to check past videos, run live video footage and perform a number of other tasks, all for free. While the features may cost a bit extra on some systems, many feel that the costs are warranted, particularly considering you can save energy by turning off the lights when you forget to do so before leaving home or turning down the thermostat when you are going to be away. Even on the coldest of days, you can keep the thermostat turned down until just before you return home. You simply access the app on your smartphone and turn the thermostat to where you want it to be when you get home.

There are a variety of other apps and most can be accessed from any smartphone. You should check with your home security company to ensure that this feature is enabled on your system and again, some companies offer their own apps that come standard with their wireless systems. Check to see if you have this option before you have your system installed.http://www.zionssecurity.com

Home is Where the Hearth is

If you are thinking about re-decorating because you want something different or more up-to-date, you will have many decisions to make and many things to consider.

Where to Splurge

If your money is limited, you will need to make careful choices. However, if you are purchasing new furniture, new rugs, and window coverings, it’s best to splurge on high quality, because these items must last a long time. Be sure to take the dimensions of your room before buying furniture. Furniture that is too large will make your rooms look small and cramped. If the pieces are too small, the areas will look skimpy.

A Few Ideas:

• Consider a fireplace in the living room. A fireplace is timeless. It can be a focal point and you can plan everything else in the room around it. Snuggle up cozily on cold nights. The mantle or hearth will hold pictures of your friends and family, a vase of flowers, a graceful houseplant, or a few of your precious knick-knacks, the possibilities are infinite.

• Select accessories that are functional as well as fashionable. Magazine racks, a quilt stand, and an umbrella holder go nicely in a room with a fireplace.

• Instead of carpeting, consider hardwood or tiled floors with woven area rugs.

• Don’t try to match everything. Vary the textures, especially in the living room. Try an over-stuffed chair with a leather couch-or vice versa, or a hounds-tooth ottoman.

• Be sure your rooms have adequate lighting. Use overhead lighting in the kitchen, bath, and living room. Freestanding lamps are best in the dining room and bedroom.

• The color scheme is important. Too many shades can be chaotic. Limit your colors to four or five restful hues. Tan, gray, blue, and pink make a room appear bigger, while red, green and brown will shrink a space.

• In the bathroom, attach a small shelf above the towel rack, or a little wrought iron table under the sink. Use space effectively. Organize items in containers and on shelves to avoid a cluttered look. Add a pretty vase of flowers, or a tin to hold soap.

• Houseplants add interest and help to filter the air. Choose low-maintenance plants that do not require a lot of water.

• Consider a breakfast nook in the kitchen, with sunny yellow curtains; a bookshelf nestled in the corner; a rocking chair on a round braided rug.

• Search the attics of relatives. Think about a breakfront in the dining room with a display of depression-era dishes, ladder-backed chairs and a grandfather clock.

• An old-fashioned armoire would go well in your bedroom-and of course many homemade patchwork quilts.

These are just a few ideas; you will have many of your own. The important thing is that your home suits your needs—and that it is comfortable as well as beautiful. After all, home is where the hearth is!

Author Bio: Joana Hall is an avid writer who likes to write blogs on Home Decoration & Gardening. She has written many articles on water features design. In this article she is providing the readers some valuable information on home is where the hearth is.