How to Use Pastels in Your Home Design

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Nothing can influence an atmosphere quite as powerfully as colors. Incorporating warm tones and cool tones can change the whole feel of a room. You can use dark colors to “shrink” a room or light colors to make it feel bright and airy. Yet, colors go deeper than just their tones. Their hues can equally be as effective in a room. Think of a room that is neon green versus a room that is a deep forest green. These hues have a significant influence on the character portrayed. Likewise, pastel colors have a very distinct and purposeful place in design. Here are some of the best ways to incorporate pastel colors throughout your home:

Soft

If you are looking to incorporate color into your home, but do not want to stray from a neutral influence atmosphere, try incorporating pastel colors. These are more muted tones of colors. Instead of using a bold red, try a pastel pink. It can help make a passive atmosphere while using warm and cool tones throughout the design. These dusted shades are perfect for creating the most calming, yet colorful environment.

Spring Décor

All colors can have a psychological influence on an atmosphere. They can be used to influence hunger, passive sales, and even creativity. Marketing companies use this knowledge when creating logos or ads to catch your attention. Pastel colors are most commonly affiliated with spring décor. Hence, spring ads will usually use a wide variety of pastel pinks, yellows, and blues to grab your attention. You can use this trick in your own home. Pastel colors work great for spring décor and Easter decorations as well as catching attention in any design.

Balance

With any color scheme, it is all about balance, and when using pastels, you can create harmony with light, neutral colors like white or tan. These soft colors will help emphasize the light, airiness of the space without taking away from the beauty found in pastel colors.

Like with anything, designing a space takes time. Sometimes it is about waiting to find the perfect pieces to create an effortless masterpiece. For more expert advice, visit our blog hub here.

Tips for Healthy and Happy Green Lawn

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If you drive around your neighborhood, you may notice that certain homeowners take better care of their lawns than others. They have green, lush yards that almost seem effortless. Having a great front yard is not difficult, but it does take patience and dedication. Transform your lawn from drab to fab this spring with these easy lawn maintenance tips:

Set The Soil

Remove all weeds from your yard, especially their roots. Then, grab your rototiller and loosen the soil to at least six inches deep. Next, slowly add in loam with sand and topsoil to your yard. Lastly, take a roller to help pack down your yard’s soil and grab a metal rake to go over the freshly soiled area.

Seed Your Yard

Seeding by hand has become a recent trend with homeowners because it is widely used by farmers. You will want to seed your front yard to help with growth.

Mow on The Highest Setting

You do not want to mow your grass too short; therefore, you should place your mower’s blade on the highest setting. The tall grass will help the yard discourage the growth of new weeds.

Water, Water, Water

Your yard only needs to be watered once a week, but it requires deep water. The weekly watering can help deter pests from attaching to your grass.

  • Note: If your grass has been freshly seeded, you will want to water it every day for five to ten minutes. Newly seeded grass needs to be damp, but not soaked. Once your seeds are sprouted, you can begin to water it once a day for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Fertilize

Buy a fertilizer that has micronutrients (sulfur, copper, and iron) in it to assure your grass is adequately fed. Also, use dolomitic lime every couple of years to help balance the soil’s pH levels.

Remove Any New Weeds

Mow your yard frequently to remove any weeds before they distribute throughout your lawn.

Aerate Your Lawn

You can take a pair of soccer shoes and walk through your yard to help air out your lawn. This is important for the nutrients and oxygen to move throughout your lawn.

Each yard will see different results depending on the grass and climate of your area. For more information on lawn maintenance, visit The United States Department of Agriculture’s website. Thanks for reading!

What to Do When Your Basement Floods

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Your basement has recently flooded; what a daunting nightmare! Nothing is more disheartening than a basement flood. They can be unpredictable, detrimental, and expensive. Natural disasters can show no mercy and wreak havoc on your homes. While you go through your insurance company, it may take days before they can attend the situation. Letting that water sit is a productive environment for bacteria to grow. To prevent further damage, you need to make some proactive steps in the meantime. But what are they? Luckily, this is not our first rodeo, so we put together our top tips on what to do when your basement floods.

Document

Your initial instinct is to grab your belongings. If the flood has not got them yet, go ahead and grab them. However, you need to begin documentation for your claim. You need to recognize all areas in your home that were affected. Check the drywall and foundation, flooring, electrical, and plumbing. Take pictures, videos and write down anything you need about the damage.

Salvage

After you have finished your pictures, salvage everything you can. You may want to prioritize your electronics to prevent electrical currents. Grab everything that was not damaged and move it into a safe area of the home. If anything may be destroyed, take pictures. You need to act with haste; woods cannot sit in water for long at all. Dry your belongings when they are safely removed from the environment.

Remove

Time to get rid of all your damaged property. Carpet and fabrics can introduce homes for unwanted bacteria. Cut your carpet into small one to three-foot runners to remove. Wet carpet is extremely heavy, so you may need to make smaller runners. Next, repeat the process with your padding. If your couch or other fabric materials are soaked, remove them from your home. It can harvest microbes and put you at risk for becoming sick.

Insurance Claim

Now, you need to make your insurance claim. You will probably need your homeowners’ policy, personal identification, and proof of ownership papers. Decide what insurance policy you need. A natural disaster can be filed through the federal government or private insurance, whereas broke pipes are homeowner’s insurance claims.

Before attacking any of these procedures, ensure it is safe to maneuver through your home. Water can jeopardize structural integrity. If you have any concerns, do not attempt these tasks. For more advise, contact your insurance company today.

2019 Color of The Year: Living Coral

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Annually, Pantone, the global authority in colors, selects a new “Color of The Year.” Their select team of color experts travels the world to see what colors are up and coming and influential in marketing and design. The chosen color makes a high impact on many industries over the year. In fact, Pantone’s color choice influences many significant companies, and it is incorporated in modern merchandising, marketing, interior design, fashion, and much more. Knowing The Color of The Year can allow you to stay ahead in your home’s design as well as incorporate in commercial work. Let’s take a look at 2019’s Color of The Year:

Living Coral
2019’s Color of The Year is Living Coral. Living Coral is an energetic, “buoyant” color that can liven up any area while still complimenting passive, cool tones. It is referred to as a tangy-peach hue with golden undertones that evoke a powerful statement to any application.

Complimentary Colors
Living Coral is a stimulating color that can pair well with other accompanying accent colors. As a warm tone, Living Coral pairs well with all of the other warm tones. You can try accompanying Living Coral with a Raspberry Red for a robust and spicy design. You can also move toward the cool tone family and choose a teal, navy, or turquoise to balance the space. While usually warm and cool tones can be paired with Living Coral to neutralize a space, these pairings are full of adventure, fun, and inspire an optimistic atmosphere.

Application
Pantone declared, “Just as coral reefs are a source of sustenance and shelter to sea life, vibrant, yet mellow, Pantone 16-1546, Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.” Applying this to your own space can help you stay up-to-date with modern colors as well as trends. It can be a great application to include in your business’ marketing or commercial space if you own your own business. If not, try incorporating Living Coral in your own home to bring new levels of energy into your own space.

The Color of The Year can be a great design addition. Pantone meticulously identifies a color that’s influence has the most significant impact on design that year. Have you seen this color used this year? How will you apply this trending color in your own space? We would love to hear from you! Comment below what you think about Living Coral.

Where to Start When Designing My Space

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Without harmony in a design, there is chaos.  When you are designing your space, it is easy to find things you like and want in your home; however, the challenge occurs when decor, furniture, and architecture clash.  Some people have a natural eye when it comes to creating a balanced space, whereas the majority of us may have no idea where to start.  And if you fall into the category with most individuals, designing your home feels like a daunting and challenging task but have no fear!  We put together simple guidelines you should use to help your design style work with itself, not against itself.   

Theme

Essentially, deciding what you are trying to accomplish throughout your design is the best place to start.  Do you know a theme you would like to attempt to mimic?  Are you trying to make your room more upbeat and inviting or more relaxed and subtler?  Colors can play a vital role in how your room feels.  A basic rule of thumb is to not go over three colors in your room’s design.  A primary color should be sixty percent of the color in the room.  Find a secondary color to use for the other thirty percent of the room.  Lastly, you can add an accent color through decor, pictures, and other elements to fill the remaining ten percent.  There are many different combinations of colors ratios you can apply to your home, but this is a safe place to start.   Pay attention to hues and tones as well.  If you choose a muted color palette, metallic colors can stand out exceptionally well.  You can use these different hues and tones to create focal points in your room.

Balance

Hardwood, tile, curtains, wallpaper, even furniture can all add character to a room.  Be cognitive of making a room feel “too busy.”  If you have a busy patterned wallpaper, allow it to be the focus of the design.  If you apply too many patterns, textures, and designs, a space can feel overwhelming.  Also, remember that unctionality is a key element to consider; less is always more.  Over-furnishing a room can be obtrusive to your design.  Having an open space to move freely can make an atmosphere more inviting to you and your guest.  Make sure the natural elements in your home, like woods and stones, complement each other and do not work against each other by both demanding attention.  Decide how you plan to use symmetry in creating before starting your design.  Do you want a room asymmetrical or perfect symmetrical?  Knowing before you start a project can save you time and money later in the design process.

Express Yourself

Maybe you have seen designs you like on Pinterest or online.  Perhaps, you love how your friend’s kitchen looks, or you would love to have a restroom like the one in the hotel you stayed in last weekend.  Borrowing ideas from other designs that are tried and true are great!  Remember your home is tailored to you.  Your design should express what makes you happy.  All guidelines are just to help you get started.  Truly customizing your space to you, begins with discovering what you love.  

In conclusion, remember that having balance and a theme is essential, but what makes your space yours is most important.   How you create your space is truly up to you, but we do not recommend going into it with no game plan.  Decide what you want to accomplish before you buy furniture and decor because preplanning a room will save you time and expenses. 

How to Pick The Perfect Paint Color

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The color of a room can completely change are aesthetics and mood.  The color in a room is the first visual given when entering a room. Picking the perfect paint for your space can be quite a task.  There are many variables to give weight to before jumping into this task.  Here are five important topics to ponder before choosing the color right for your space.

1. Lighting 

2. Existing Furniture 

3. Windows and Other Views 

4. Room Dimensions 

5. Express Yourself

Lighting

Carpeting, generally, looks lighter when applied from a small sample to the entire floor. Typically, this concept is opposite with paints, whereas they can feel much darker when taken from a small area and applied to the entire wall. Lighting plays a huge factor in how we perceive colors. How a paint swatch looks in a store’s fluorescent lights may appear entirely different in a dimly lit den. Make sure to test your paint in different areas of the room before applying it in the entire room. In doing so, you can give yourself a better understanding of how the color will look in different areas, lighting, and times of the day. 

Existing Furniture

Unless you are planning on buying new furniture to remodel a room, we suggest you find colors that complement your pre-existing furniture. If your furniture is rustic, you may not want to do a bright, bold wall; however, a bold wall may look beautiful in a game room that already features decor pieces in that shade. Remember to let your furniture help decide the theme and where your room is going to go. 

Windows and Other Views

What you can see from the room can play a role in the design. If you are on a lake, an aquatic theme may be a great way to bring that beautiful oasis indoors. Also, consider what you can see from focal points in the room. Try to make your rooms flow into one another. If you can see a bright orange room, you may want to be cautious about what color you put on the wall running into that room. 

Room Dimensions

The size of your room can play a role in paint color as well! Like lighting, the size of your room can give the room a cozy size or a grand gathering room. Decide what color complements the size of your room and whether it amplifies the Feng Shui. 

Express Yourself

Pick colors you will enjoy. You have colors in your life every day that will make you happy. If you wear pink every day because it makes you happy, maybe you will want to make one of your rooms pink. If you feel bold wearing red, maybe a black and white space with a red accent will help express you. This is the most crucial part of your room design. Make sure it makes you happy!

Picking the right paint color can be challenging, but it is a great way to change a room feel. Make sure to consider how the lighting and existing furniture will look against your paint. We suggest you take the paint swatch home and compare it to your furniture and lighting. Make sure it feels good with the room size and the atmosphere around it. Most importantly make sure it is what you want! A freshly painted room should make you feel excited and happy when entering and be confident with your choice.

What is Engineered Tile?

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What is engineered tile? You have probably heard of it before, but are unsure how it differs from traditional tile. To help expand on the topic, we dove deeper into discussing what it is and why you should choose it.

What is it? 

You may be wondering how engineered tile differs from traditional tile. What exactly is the difference? Engineered tile is built on a stone composite base to help deliver it with incredible durability and resilience. This tile differs from your traditional ceramic and porcelain tile options because of its strength. 

Why choose it? 

	1. Stylish. 

Engineered tile comes in a wide selection of designs that have been inspired by elements found in nature. You can find anything from a wood-like finish to classic tile. If you choose a class tile look, you can have your engineered tile installed with grout to create a more authentic look. Otherwise, you have the option to work without grout for a more seamless and aesthetically-pleasing look. 

	2. Durable.

Like we mentioned before, the resilience found in engineered tile is outstanding. If you were to drop something hard on your traditional tile floors, you would often find a crack. With engineered tile, you will find a more resilient and durable flooring that can handle drops and accidents. This attribute helps to make engineered tile a greater investment. Plus, if damage were to occur in your engineered tile, it is easier to replace than traditional tile. 

	3. Comfort. 

You will find that traditional tile floors are often hard and cold. It can feel uncomfortable to stand on for hours at end, especially in kitchens when prepping meals. With engineered tile, you can receive the natural tile look with more warmth and comfort. Engineered tile offers a softer underfoot to help your feet feel at ease during meal preparation. 

	4. Quick Installation.

You will find that engineered tile comes with a fast and easy installation process. Helping to make your remodel process go by faster for more enjoyment. 

	5. Easy-to-Maintain. 

With engineered tile, you are guaranteed an easy to clean and maintain flooring option. Plus, this flooring is extremely resistant to stains and scratches helping to make accidents less tragic. 

	6. Versatile. 

Amongst the vast selection of styles, engineered tile can be installed on your walls for a transitional look in bathrooms and kitchens. 

 7. Long-Lasting. 

Engineered tile is long-lasting with high performance and beautiful features. It truly is an incredibly flooring choice for your home.

What are your thoughts on engineered tile? We would love to hear your thoughts below in the comment section.

Tips for The Most Effective Spring Cleaning

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With winter drawing to a close, spring is on the horizon. The dreary, monochromatic grey skies are retreating as the spring air begins to brew up again filling our days. As days grow longer as nights become shorter, emerald blades emerge back from the earth’s depths while bushes are ignited once again with crimson roses and sunny open-mouth daffodils. The bitter snowcapped ground melts and the once reminisced melodies of our feathery friends return to the air. Yet, this transition leaves our yards in shambles. A collection of broken timber, mucky, turfed terrain, and an unkempt patio is no way to celebrate. It is time to reinvest time in your exterior and curb appeal and have your home beautiful again in time for spring.

Front Entrance

Consider your front entrance your gateway to your castle. The path to your fortress of solitude. Ask yourself what makes your entrance? Your front door, the pathway, a courtyard, or perhaps steps to a porch? Remove any winter debris. Depending on where you live, you may need to consider sanding and staining your patio as a spring project. If you have seasonal decor, bring it back out to prepare for spring. Take down any winter door hangers or welcoming mats that are for the cold season. You can spruce up your curb appeal again by painting your door or simply putting a seating area on your porch for entertaining.

Back Patios and Decks

Our back patios and decks may not add to our curb appeal, but they are vital retreats for outdoor spring nights with family and friends. Bring out your patio furniture and decor pieces to liven up the outdoor space. Easy additions can include an outdoor kitchen and grill, fire pit, or even fun games like bocce. Investing time and money in your back patio this spring is a great way to incorporate all the aspects your home has to offer.

Lawn & Bed Maintenance

Nothing says spring like a well-kept lawn and some beautiful flower beds. Make sure your yard has no winter damage or missing grass patches. You will want these to be fixed as soon as possible to allow the lawn to look good during the next couple months. Remove any remaining leaves, twigs, or timber from your lawn, and decide what kind of flower beds are tailored to your desired home. Mulch, gravel, even wood chips can all create a distinct look and work with certain plant life better than others. Build harmony around your house with complementary flowers, bushes, and trees to give your home a more complete, balanced look.

The time is now! Be proactive in creating your spring atmosphere before spring reaches us. Spending a couple of hours on the weekends can make a world of difference. Eliminate the damage and remainders of winter and enforce the majesty of spring. For more tips and tricks, make sure to subscribe!

How to Prepare for Guests | Part Two

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In the first part of this series, we discussed the importance of making the guest bedroom and bathroom comfortable for your guests. Since you will be opening up your home to your out of town guests, they will have access to the entire home. Of course, the goal is to ensure that your guests feel relaxed. Below are some additional ways you can be the ultimate hostess. Let’s take a look!

Kitchen 

We all enjoy our coffee in the morning. Earn some brownie points by setting out coffee and tea every morning during their stay. To make it more like a stay at a charming bed and breakfast, you can have everything set out on a serving tray complete with creamer and sugar to go along with their morning drink.  

Since we all have to eat, go the extra mile by stocking the refrigerator with some of your guest’s favorite snacks and bottled water. Be sure to ask your guests beforehand what type of foods that like to have as a snack. If you plan on cooking, it is best to prepare meals ahead of time. There is nothing more welcoming than having your friends arrive with a spread of their favorite foods.   

Pets 

While we love our furry friends, not everyone is comfortable around animals; therefore, if you have a pet, you should try keeping them contained in one area of the house. Keep their potty mats and food bowls out of sight.   

But what if your guests are traveling with a pet? If your friends bring along their pet, you will want to make things easier for them.  Block off areas of the home that you do not want their pets to have access. Make it easy for them to walk their pet by providing them with an extra house key. 

Living Room Area 

Since you will likely be spending a lot of time entertaining in the living room, you want to make sure your guests enjoy themselves. Keep clean throws lying around so that they can cozy up with if it gets chilly.  Make sure books, magazines and movies are readily available. Even more importantly, do not forget to share the Wifi password! 

How do you prepare for guests? We would love to hear your entertaining tips below in the comment section.

How to Prepare for Guests | Part One

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So, you have some out of town friends visiting for the weekend. No doubt, you want to them to enjoy their space. Preparing for guests involves much more than merely ensuring that they have a comfortable place to rest their head at night. In fact, you feel that your main priority is to make sure that your guests feel like they are at home and that they have a memorable experience during their stay. To help you create a guest oasis, we created a list of ideas to help give your guests a five-star hotel treatment. Let’s take a look!

Choose The Right Bedroom

Ideally, having a guest bedroom with an attached bathroom is excellent; however, if you do not have an extra bedroom that is not in use, be sure to put your guests up in an area that gives them privacy. That means you should not choose the room that is next to a busy, public area. In addition, the room you prepare for them should be close to the bathroom; that way your guests will not have to migrate through the busiest parts of the house just to get to the restroom.

Cleanliness

The most obvious step in preparing for guests is ensuring that the guest bedroom is squeaky clean. Since this will be their home away from home for the next few days, you will want the room to be fresh and void of anyone else’s footprints. You will need to perform a deep cleaning and get rid of clutter and dust every crevice. But remember, the guest bedroom is not the only area of the room you will want to perform a deep cleaning. The entire house should be “spic and span.”

Stocking The Bathroom

You can further make your guests feel comfortable by stocking the bathroom with essentials for your guests. If your guests are using their own bathroom, you can fill the vanity with essentials such as extra toothbrushes, cotton balls, soap, and toothpaste. Travelers often forget essential items so having them on deck will relieve their frustration. Additionally, you may want to supply a few luxuries such as plush bath towels and scented lotions and bath beads.

When creating a guest’s oasis, think of the things that you need while you are away from home and put those items inside of their space. For more guest bedroom tips, be sure to check out part two here.