Designing the Outside of the Home

When you move into a new home, you probably want to decorate the inside and outside with items that are pleasing to the eyes of your family and visitors. One of the easiest areas to decorate is the outside of the home. The best time to get supplies is at the end of the summer. Large patio sets and chairs are often on sale, and you can usually get decorations to place on the sidewalk, in a garden or on a porch at a reduced price.

image: hummerswholesale.com

Think about how you want the outside of the home to look before you get the decorations. If you want something modern, then consider solar water fountains and other items that rely on the sun during the day to light up at night. There are birdhouses in all shapes and sizes and patio furniture made of almost any kind of material imaginable. Plastic is easier to care for, but wicker often gives a comforting look to the home. You can get wind chimes to place on the porch, BBQ sets with either propane or charcoal or lanterns to add a fun atmosphere for entertaining. There are themed decorations, such as lighthouses or birds, or you can get something simple in a basic color and design. Click here for images of items as well as ideas on how they can be arranged.

Shopping Online for Fabrics

Instead of waiting in long lines or only seeing a small portion of that a store has to offer when you need more options, consider an online fabric store. This is a way for you to shop for all of your craft needs in the comfort of your own home. You will be able to see more of the items that stores sell, and you can usually get discounts when you order online that you wouldn't get if you were to make a purchase in the store. 

If you're starting a craft business or simply want to make something for the home or a friend, you will likely need various craft supplies, such as buttons, jewels, cloth and more. Some box fabric stores only carry the fabric that you would need as well as the materials to make quilts, blankets and other items with the fabric. An online store will have these materials, but you can also find other craft supplies that are needed to make jewelry boxes, picture frames, crafts with children and much more. If there's something that you see that is sold out, you can order it and have it sent at a later date. Shopping online will let you see examples of how the items can be used so that you can get ideas instead of relying on a basic design.

Caring for Your Chimney

If you are lucky enough to have a chimney in your home, you should be looking for ways to get the best out of it. It’s often difficult, however, to know exactly how this might be achieved.

Depending on how often your chimney is used, it will need to be swept at least once a year. Many chimney owners neglect this particular chore and instead allow the soot lining the interior of the chimney to accumulate wherein the performance of the chimney to diminish over time.

A clean chimney is a healthy chimney; clearly a chimney which cannot effectively do its job – namely to remove harmful gases from the room – is a dangerous thing indeed.In some cases, the results can even be fatal.This danger can be avoided through sensible maintenance, so that the chimney remains as clear as possible and these fumes are allowed to escape.

As well as slowly poisoning you, smoke which cannot properly escape will cause damage to the interior of your home – it will spread soot though your living room, causing blackened smears to appear across your walls and upholstery – rapidly devaluing them.

Another more dramatic outcome of not having your chimney swept is that it might catch fire.This is because the ash and tar which collects within the chimney is flammable and in sufficient quantity, capable of igniting.This will cause significant damage to the chimney itself and will quickly damage it to the point where it can crack which will require a lot of work to fix. In some(mercifully rare) instances this has resulted in the fire spreading to the rest of the property – with disastrous consequences!

Replace damaged chimneys

If your chimney should become cracked, then it is imperative that you seek to replace it before using it more extensively.The heat that comes from the chimney can escape through any cracks, causing them to rapidly widen – to the point where the chimney itself might fall off the building! In order to avoid this danger, enlist the services of a specialist company like Marcus Roofing.Their website, which lists a whole range of roofing services, can be found at www.marcusroofing.co.uk.

Hire a professional chimney sweep

Many have attempted to clean the interior of their chimney with just a vacuum cleaner.This is not sufficient, as much of the grime and soot which collects within a chimney has solidified and is utterly adhered to the chimney wall.It will need to be removed, using a brush designed for exactly such a purpose.

It is perfectly possible to perform the sweep yourself – provided that you are willing to venture onto the top of your roof.You will need a special long pole and a chimney brush (brushes are available in different shapes to suit standard chimney dimensions). There are several drawbacks to doing this, however.The first prohibiting factor is the cost.While the services of a qualified chimney sweep will cost around £50, the cost of this equipment can amount to a great deal more. Since this is a task which is only performed very occasionally, hiring a professional is often the more sensible option.

Install a bird guard

A common problem for chimneys is that they make excellent locations for birds to make their nests.This problem is particularly troublesome, as one might expect, far out in the countryside where the bird-to-chimney ratio is a great deal less favourable. There are many methods out there to help prevent birds getting inside your chimney,but birds can be very crafty and have been known to remove makeshift solutions.For this reason, it is advisable to invest in a special bird guard for your chimney.These will exclude birds and are rugged enough to withstand any damage birds might inflict while not affecting the efficacy of your chimney.

Do not burn wet wood

You might be forgiven for assuming that if wood is dry enough to catch fire, then it’s dry enough to use as firewood.This assumption is slightly erroneous when it comes to an indoor fire.For one thing, wet wood is liable to spit and crack, sending white hot sparks shooting out – which is not such a problem in a bonfire or campfire, but definitely a problem in your living room. It is particularly important, from the point of view of your chimney’s long-term health, to prevent moisture accumulating in the flume.This can lead to a build-up of tar on the interior walls of the chimney and cause it to require more frequent cleaning.

Rattan VW Beetle

This VW Beetle made of rattan can be seen at Museum Angkut (the Transportation Museum) in Batu Malang (East Java, Indonesia). I didn’t know whether it still can run or not. 

Monday Mellow Yellows

7 Interesting Ways to Decorate Your House

Decorating the house is the second most important option for you after you get in a new residence. All of us want to make our residence look apt but is often confused which one would suit better. You cannot just use a trial and error technique to find out which one looks better and is also affordable at the same time. Here are some interesting ways by which you can give a special look to your hard earned residence.

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A good colour combination: The foremost thing in decorating your house comes with the colour. The colour you put on the walls marks your taste at the very first visit. Choose the colours which befit your choice. You can use alternate light and dark shades on the walls which gives a bright appearance to your house. Add borders using a different dark shade which gives it a vibrant appearance.

Put different photo frames: Use a variety of frames on the wall and try to make a photo grid on the wall of your drawing room. This gives a good appeal which will hold the various pictures down the memory lane. This shows your family line in a more eloquent manner and adds to the beauty of the room. The photo frames must a variety in design which will have a new pattern on the wall of your drawing room. You can use the wooden frames on the side table also to give a family feel to your house.

 

image:houzz.com

Use different lampshades: Arranging various lamp shadesin your bedrooms and along the stairs gives a new look to your house. Use dimmer lights as it gives a soothing feel after the day’s work. Use lampshades of various shapes and sizes to place it on various positions. Brighter light spoils the mood of the house, use dim lights on the four ends of your ceiling which focuses on the floor and lights up your room romantically.

Use ropes as curtain rings: Instead of using metal rings for your curtains use ropes to hang your curtains. This is cheaper method and gives a contrasting flavour to your residence. Use curtains of lighter shade so that the ropes can be seen distinctly and add to the eco friendly feel to your house. They are innovative and will give a completely different look to your house. You can even colour the ropes so as to make them look vibrant and attractive.

Decorate your unused fireplace: You can use a series of white candles or candle stands to decorate your fireplace. Place a nice sliding chair or bean bag around so that you can sit back and have a conversation. This area of your house gives a romantic essence. Use the glass stands which looks like small chandeliers to give a more eloquent look!

Place mirrors of various designs: Mirrors gives a reflection of yourself. You can place mirrors on the walls with equal spacing to give it a more spacious look. You can also place a series of mirrors as a decoration of your ceiling. This is different from the other methods and looks more beautiful.

Use wallpapers: You can also opt for wall papers for your walls. A portion can look different using wall papers with a similar colour combination like your wall colours. A wall paper behind your sofa set will look enamouring as it is different from the conventional use. You will get a variety of wall papers in the market, Try and use a brighter pattern on your wall in case you have used light colours on your walls!