Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 655

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 655

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 655

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 657

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 657

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 660

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 660

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 885

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 886

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 887

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 888

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /dom694484/wp-content/plugins/seo-image/seo-friendly-images.class.php on line 889

Most people who are living in apartments for rent will not pay too much attention on how the lighting in their homes will look like. Most of these people would be focusing on how they can decorate their living space — the type of curtain to use and how they can change the wall color without angering their landlords along with the most common renting decoration problems.

For your information, the lighting of your home can have a great impact on how the apartment will look. Even if you do not recognize it yet, having the right lighting in your apartment can make it look more homey and livable. With that in mind, here are some tips that can help shed light to achieving the perfect lighting in your apartment:

[Tweet “Having the right lighting in your apartment can make it look more homey and livable”]

Let Softer Lights Shine Through

In most apartments, you will see bright overhead lights installed in each and every room. While these bright lights are highly needed and wanted in busy home areas like the kitchen and your study area, other parts of your home may benefit from softer lights. These will create a more comfortable ambience and more relaxing vibe.

Take Advantage of Lamps

Aside from using overhead lights, one great way to add light into your home is to make use of lamps. You can take advantage of either a floor or a table lamp. The living room will look great with a floor lamp that has lower watt bulbs. On the other hand, a table lamp with a brighter bulb will provide just the right amount of light in your reading area.

Use Night Lights

To set the tone in your bathroom and bedroom, you can take advantage of night lights. With the warm light that night lights give off, your bedroom and bathroom can be turned into a personal sanctuary.

Incorporate Accent Lights

Accent lights are starting to become more and more popular and this is due to lots of good reasons. Accent lights are easy to install and to be removed. More than that, it provides a warm atmosphere into the living space, making it a great choice for you entertainment area or your living room.

Make Your Light the Star Attraction

More than achieving the perfect lighting, light fixtures can also be used to achieve a well-decorated rental. Instead of settling with an old fashioned lamp, try to find lighting pieces that can make your living space look more interesting. Light fixtures come in a wide array of sizes, designs and colors so don’t hold back and allow yourself to enjoy the beautiful light fixtures that are made available today.

Lighting plays a much more important role than you think. This is why it is best that you take time to think about your lighting fixtures and needs once you moved into an apartment. That is the best way to make your home look more livable and homey.

Apartment

Solutions to The Common Apartment Living Challenges

September 21, 2014 Jonathan Clark

When you sign on the lease and you move in, life seems so great and happy. For the first few weeks, it will seem that life is so good and that your apartment is perfect. However, there will come a time that you will finally meet your apartment for what it really is– a rented apartment that comes with various problems and challenges.

What happens when you have encountered a threat to your happy apartment living? When you come across various bumps along the way, our natural tendency is to react negatively. However, acting that way would actually do you more harm than good. If you wish to successfully address any apartment living concerns, you need to be rational and strategic about it.

To help you out, here are some of the highly recommended solutions to the most common challenges that people living in apartments for rent have encountered.

Problem #1: Inadequacy of Storage

This is a problem that most renters would expect but hope that they would never experience. No matter how hopeful you are, most apartments today lack storage solutions that you will definitely need, especially if you have too many things at home.

Problem #2: Inconsiderate Neighbors

Dealing with annoying neighbors is one of the most common problems that you will encounter when living in an apartment. People usually deal with this problem in two extreme manners. One would yell and pound on the doors of their neighbors while others would just try and hold it in.

Problem #3: Too Good Apartment Advertisement

Let’s face it– not all apartments look as good as its pictures on the posted ads. But after signing the lease and moving in, you have discovered that the apartment (in real life) is not as beautiful as it looks on the ads.

Top Five Door Knockers And Knobs

January 12, 2014 Jonathan Clark

Most people probably don’t pay much attention to the type of knocker or knob that they have on their door but, in actual fact, one that is interesting and unusual can add huge appeal to a home. It’s the first thing a visitor will come into contact with when they arrive at your home, so it can help create the right (or wrong) impression, as well as make your home stand out from your neighbors. Here are 5 door knockers, knobs and handles to get you inspired.

The door ‘hand’le

If you’re looking for a door handle with a difference, then one of the top designs you can get your hands on – literally – is the handle or knob shaped in a hand. There are lots of variations of the door ‘hand’le theme, made from different materials, in different sizes and different shapes, but the common idea is that you give the hand a firm, greeting shake when you turn or twist the door open. It’s quirky, fun and appealing for any home.

Tools

Garden tools or general DIY tools make for interesting additions to door handles or knobs, especially if the building or room is related to that activity. For instance, consider the gardening store that has a spade and fork as its handles on the front door, so that you feel immersed in the spirit of gardening as soon as you open the door. It certainly makes for an interesting shopping trip! Or, what about the gate in Seattle where you can open it using a pair of metal wrenches? Anyone interested in DIY of any sort should consider getting door knobs of this variety!

Toothpaste handle

Located in the Green Backpackers in Mitzpe Ramon, Israel, it’s worth visiting this hostel just to view the interesting methods of recycling toothpaste tubes into door handles that the owners have created. It’s a really great, eco-friendly idea that works well and would look stylish in any bathroom. As the hostel owners are all about being green and environmentally friendly, it fits in really well with their ethos.

The snail knocker

Barcelona in Spain is teaming with awe-inspiring architecture, but one of the most intriguing sights has to be the door knob of Cases dels Cargols, which is shaped in a large brass snail. It’s a really quirky addition to any door, and is perfect for animal lovers or those who appreciate inspiring and interesting door furniture.

The shoe door knob

For a door knob that will entice customers into its store, then you can’t get more alluring than the Sneakerknob door handles from Metrofarm. The knob to the store door is in the shape of a golden Air Max running shoe, and can be found in the retail company’s stores in Berlin and Vienna. The idea behind the intriguing door knob was not just to add visual appeal to get customers into the shop, but also to help cement the brand message it was trying to put across.

Home Improvement

5 Tips For Properly Installing A Ceiling Fan

January 10, 2014 Jonathan Clark

A ceiling fan helps you to cool off during the warm weathers by creating cooling breezes. In winter, ceiling fans circulate heated air to keep your room warm. They can also help keep the indoor air free of any odor, smoke and other offensive airborne substances. Many people now have ceiling fans in their home, and they are not difficult to install. However, installing a ceiling fan requires attention to details, and you must follow some simple rules in order to accomplish this. Here are some tips on how to properly install a ceiling fan.

1. Ensure Stability

A ceiling fan is typically installed onto a ceiling joist to achieve maximum stability. Sometimes people like to put the fan somewhere without a joist, and if this is what you would like to do then get a mounting kit that allows you to place a bracket between two separate joists. Always use the provided installation kit when installing a ceiling fan, and be sure to follow the instructions as provided. Once a ceiling fan starts rotating, it could cause serious damage and injury if it’s not mounted properly.

2. Take Safety Precautions

Ceiling Fan Safety — Image Credit: http://www.delmarfans.com/

Make sure electricity to circuit is turned off. After turning the breaker off and you have verified that the current is off, it’s time to start working. Review manufacturer’s instructions on ceiling fan installation procedures. Every manufacturer is different so it’s important to follow their specific instructions. If you are installing a light below the fan, you need to ensure that the two parts are designed to work together.

3. Connect Wires Correctly

Performing the electrical work for a ceiling fan installation can seem easy, but this is not a job for an amateur or inefficient person. Everything looks easy when diagrams or instructions are outlined on paper, but doing the actual work takes a great deal of knowledge of electrical wiring. If you do not have a good understanding of electrical wiring and how to work with electricity, you need to get a qualified professional to do the work.

4. Ensure Proper Balance

Ceiling fans come already balanced, meaning that once you installed and turned on, the fan should work without any hassle. However, sometimes things don’t go as expected and one of the blades may be warped. Sometimes a ceiling fan may wobbly when it spins. Warped blades should be replaced in order to ensure balance. If the replacement blades do not resolve the wobbling problem, you need to use a ceiling fan balancing kit to straighten out the fan.

5. Considerations

Ceiling fans continue to gain increased popularity as more and more people discover dramatic, year-round energy savings. Having a ceiling fan is a great way to save on your energy costs while staying comfortable, and you need to ensure that it is installed correctly. Make sure that you take safety measures; otherwise you risk causing damage to your property or even injuring yourself or other people in your home. You should turn the circuit breaker off, and make sure that the electricity to the fixture is off. If you are not properly skilled in working with electrical devices or wiring, it is advisable to get a professional to do the work for you.

Uncategorized

Are You Wasting Electricity With Your Christmas Decorations?

January 4, 2014 Jonathan Clark

Now that the holidays are over it’s time to dispose of discarded boxes, ripped paper and finish up the last of the left overs. It’s also time to assess the financial damage to bank accounts and credit cards – and that includes some costs you might not be thinking about – such as energy costs.

Impact of the Holidays on Your Electricity Bill

Back in 2010, a certain price comparison website did a survey in an attempt to compare energy costs for Christmas across the UK, and found that every household which has an outside lighted display of Christmas decorations used an average of 100 bulbs per home. This resulted in a calculation that suggested that for every home with an external Christmas light display, almost 23 days worth of electricity is consumed over the festive period. That is, 23 days of one average household’s full electricity bill. An average household might spend as much as $5 per day, which turns that 23 days into almost $75. Quite a lot, isn’t it? That’s on top of what you’re already paying.

Even fairy lights use more energy than you’d think. In fact, an energy comparison of 400-light string of fairy lights shows that they could cost you as much as $17 extra per day. The lowest estimate is around $3.51 extra on a daily basis.

It might be an obvious step to lose the lights altogether, especially if you have a green conscience, but the dedicated folks of ‘lit-up-like-a-Christmas-tree’ homes across the country (and we know there is at least one on every estate), don’t have to be disappointed just yet.

An Alternative to Standard Christmas Lights – LED Lights

Energy-saving CFL bulbs aren’t suitable for Christmas lights, but there is an alternative: light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.

LEDs have been with us for many years, and the technology is getting better all the time. They might be a little more expensive in the shops, but only by a few quid, and what you pay out on the new fixtures, you save many times over on your electricity bill, year after year. You have to shop around and see which decorations you prefer, and which give off the quantity of light you like – there are, of course, a lot of different standards of LED decorations out there.

There are some serious advantages to buying LED Christmas lights, whether it’s for outdoor use (enveloping your home and garden in the best lights in town) or indoor.

LED lights use between 2 and 17 watts of electricity per bulb. It depends what type and size you buy. This amount is equal to around one-third or one-thirtieth of electricity usage by an incandescent or even a CFL bulb.

LED lights are cool. Okay, we know this, but they’re extra-cool because they don’t allow the build-up of heat. This makes them more energy efficient (because you’re not paying for the lights to heat up the air around them) and it also makes them safer. The UK experiences up to 3-times the number of house fires during the Christmas period, and much of this is put down to the use of decorative lighting. LEDs don’t set on fire. All good.

LED lights are cost efficient. Although they’re initially more expensive than the ordinary type of lights, the costs continue to reduce as the manufacturing technologies improve, and they save you electrical output. This means that cost continues to go down for every year you use the same string of LED fairy lights.

Home Improvement

The Essential Tool Kit Guide For Christmas

December 30, 2013 Jonathan Clark

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and for most of us that means it’s time to dig out our decorations, tree and lights, hang up the stockings, and put the advent calendar on display. Getting ready for the holiday season, and decorating and parties that come with it, is not easy. If you dread the thought of trying to get your lights to stay up or your real wood tree to sit correctly in the pot, read on for some simple tips for preparing for the holidays.

Putting Up Your Tree

If you are working with a real, freshly cut Christmas tree, you should make sure that the tree remains well hydrated while it is in your home. If the tree was cut more than four hours before you erect it in your living room, use a saw to cut one inch of wood off the bottom before putting the tree up.

You should store your tree in a stand that is big enough to hold enough water to satisfy the tree for 24 hours. Freshly cut trees use about a quart of water per inch of trunk diameter per day. Keep the clump of the tree in a strong, galvanized tub, and use a secondary tub to protect the floor from damage caused by excess water and dirt.

Large trees may need stabilizing with a tree stand in addition to their bucket. If the dirt and water in the bucket is not enough to hold the tree in place, consider making a tree stand out of spare wood and eye bolts. Cut four pieces of wood to make the frame (the bigger the tree, the longer the frame should be), and four shorter pieces to make the risers. Use eye bolts to hold the frame together.

Repairing Christmas Lights

It’s almost inevitable that at least one of the bulbs in your strip of Christmas lights will fail while the lights are in storage. The good news is that it is quite easy to find and replace the broken bulb. Typically, if even one bulb is broken, the entire strip will not light up. To find the broken bulb you will need to use a multi-meter. Unscrew each bulb and test it using the voltage tester setting on the multi-meter. If the voltage tester chirps when you test the bulb, it is working. If the tester is silent, that bulb is blown and must be replaced.

If, after testing all the bulbs, the strip of lights still does not come on, the problem may be with the fuse. Replace the fuse in the plug and try the lights again.

Hanging Your Lights

Take care when hanging lights around your tree. Older incandescent lights can get quite hot and may cause a fire hazard. Consider purchasing LED lights instead. In addition, you must be careful not to damage the wiring of the lights when hanging them on your wall. Do not be tempted to staple or use drawing pins to keep your lights in place. Instead, consider drilling small holes for ornament hooks into the wall and using the hooks to put the lights and other directions in place. Discrete plastic hooks can be used to hang other decorations for other seasonal holiday celebrations.

Making and Hanging Stockings

Personalized stockings are easy to make, even if you aren’t talented at needlework. You can find many free stocking patterns online. Simply cut the pattern out of felt, sew it together, and add a strong threaded loop at the top. Make sure that the loop is securely attached to the stocking itself, and that it can handle the weight of any gifts that you plan to put in there.

If you want to hang your stockings on the fireplace, use decorative hooks rather than drawing pins. Non-marking self-adhesive hooks are available from most DIY stores. These hooks are strong enough to support the weight of your stockings, but are easy enough to remove once the holiday season is over, leaving no marks on your wall or fireplace surround.

Making a Card Holder

If you get a lot of Christmas cards, then you may struggle to find places to put them. Instead of cluttering your windowsill and fireplace with cards, why not make a festive card hanger?

Take a couple of old wire coat hangers and unfold them, then use pliers to re-shape the hangers into triangles of differing sizes. Tape these triangles together to make a Christmas tree-like shape (With the smallest triangle at the top). At evenly spaced intervals, securely wrap and tape pipe cleaner around the hanger, leaving enough jutting out to hold each Christmas Card in place. Secure the card holder to the wall with two strong hooks.

Your Tool Shopping List

Multi-meter
Spare fuses
Saw
Hammer
Screwdrivers
Tape measure
T-Square
Drill
Scissors
A sturdy bucket or galvanized tub
Pliers

Enthusiastic DIY fanatic Justine Writes for www.toolorders.co.uk– leading suppliers of high quality tools and machinery.

Home Improvement

Christmas Light Decorations: 3 To Avoid This Holiday Season

December 27, 2013 Jonathan Clark

There are hundreds of holiday light decorations to stay clear of and most people know what they are. Some are so weird they cannot be mentioned and others are so crazy you hope no one thinks of them. Christmas lighting offers a chance for anyone to display his or her creative side. During this season, you will see a lot of good home decorating but there will also be many bad. However, if you adorn your home with beautiful table linens, gorgeous bedding and other lovely home fashion, you may be able to forgive the strange and distasteful you see during the holidays.

1. Burning Candles

Many instances show where live candles are used, but unless necessary never use burning candles. If you must, keep them in sight and never let children play with fire. Candles are represented in movies, television and film as a solemn part of the holidays. They glisten with the mystery of everything that was and might be, but they are also, especially today, more dangerous than ever. Artificial candlelight is available in stores, not as intriguing as the real thing but a lot safer when instructions are followed. Do not use electric light on a metal tree. Bad wiring can cause the Christmas tree to become a hazard and electrocute someone. Instead, use lovely decorations that catch light.

2. Bad wiring

Bad wiring is one way to set a home on fire but too many wires lying in poor arrangement can cause serious accidents. Falls injure many people every year sometimes seriously. Anchor Christmas wiring with insulated clasp to avoid serious injury.

You have the practical things to look out for and most decorations are safe. Unless you are into super cheap, tape up old lighting and repair chipped decoration. As a precaution, avoid decorating a chicken with a hat waving it from your car radio antenna saying merry Christmas. Do not put the megaphone Santa outside your house that waves and yells Merry Christmas. Kids will spend hours getting it to make noise. Do not decorate your truck so brightly other drivers are not sure what is coming down the highway.

3. Talking Decorations

Objects that talk when you come near are especially annoying and nativity scenes that are placed in every space in a property. Avoid lighting up your home so brightly your neighbors cannot sleep, even with the blinds closed. Christmas is a time of cheer but sometimes it can get a little too cherry. Santa’s on rooftops with Reindeer in tow, makes you wonder if leaks will show up in January. Avoid any decorations that will send your utility bill beyond your food bill, your kids may begin to think Christmas is not the great holiday it is said to be. Themed décor is fun but over doing, it with every inch of a home in lights is a little frightening.

Despite the above, Christmas is a time when everyone will say Merry Christmas in his or her own way, no matter what the rest of the world thinks, and so it should be, Merry Christmas.

+Paul Reichman is the founder of BedBathStore. Using decades of experience in home fashion, Paul offers quality bed, bath and home furnishings at affordable prices through www.bedbathstore.com.

Home Improvement

5 Tips For Safe Holiday Lighting Decorations

December 24, 2013 Jonathan Clark

Part of the magic of the holidays is decking your home out with lighted displays of splendor. As much fun as holiday decorating is, it can turn into disaster when safety is an afterthought. During this time of year, people get electrocuted, they fall from high places and their homes burn to a crisp because they are not careful while putting up their lighted displays.

Say bye-bye to ragged cords

Plugging in decorations that have frayed or damaged cords is a fire hazard waiting to happen. If you find lights with damaged cords, don’t try to rewire them or fix them with tape. These measures will not make the lights useable. Rigging the electrical cords on your decorations will only increase the potential for fire or electrocution. Do yourself a favor. If you find cords that look like rats have nibbled on them, put them in the trash.

Broken bulbs beware

If you find lighted decorations with broken or blown bulbs, replace them with bulbs of the same wattage. If you can’t find bulbs to fit your decorations, call the manufacturer and they can either send you the right bulbs or tell you where to buy them. Always unplug the lights before you replace the bulbs. Just because the light is not working doesn’t mean it won’t electrocute you.

Get grounded

Plug all your outdoor lights into a GFIC or ground-fault circuit interrupter. This device looks like a regular electrical outlet, but it is designed to protect you from electrical shock. An electrician can install one for you or you can buy a portable unit at a home improvement store.

No substitutes

There are different types of lights for indoor and outdoor use. Do not try to substitute one for the other. If the package says “interior use” the product is for indoor use. If the package says “exterior use” the lights are for outdoor use only. Unless otherwise noted on the package, indoor and outdoor lights are not interchangeable.

Outdoor lights are designed to hold up to cold and wet weather and they get hotter than indoor lights. Indoor lights are safety tested for use on holiday trees. If you use them outside, they might break down and become a fire or electrocution hazard. If you are using lights from last year and are not able to determine whether they are interior or exterior, don’t use them.

Grab a partner

If you are hanging your lights in high places, have someone hold the ladder for you. When you have someone assisting you, he can call for help if you have an accident while you are hanging your decorations.

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to get wrapped up in decorating and forget about safety. Although holiday lights are beautiful, being careless or hanging them improperly can lead to disaster. While you are decking out your tree, house and yard with festive lights, follow the above tips to stay safe.

+Paul Reichman is the founder of BedBathStore. Using decades of experience in home fashion, Paul offers quality bed, bath and home furnishings at affordable prices through www.bedbathstore.com.

Interior Decorating

Space Saving Christmas Tree Ideas

December 19, 2013 Jonathan Clark

If you live in a small apartment or home, you probably don’t have a lot of extra room to spare for a large, or even average size, Christmas tree. This Christmas, you can bring an abundance of Christmas spirit into your home while taking up minimal space with these great alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree.

Mini Christmas Trees

The simplest way to add a space efficient tree to your home is to purchase a small, or mini tree. The smaller trees are cheaper and disposable, so you don’t have to take up room to store it for the next year. If you have enough storage space, the most cost efficient choice of a small tree would be the purchase of a fake one.

Wall and Door Xmas Trees

There are many creative ways to have a tree without taking up extra space with tree stands and skirts. Take advantage of the space on your walls doors to create a beautiful and efficient Christmas tree.

Lights, Garlands and Ornaments

Use strands of lights and garlands strung along clear pins to create the shape of a tree on your wall. Do this in an area of a room where you can allow for a small gathering of gifts to be places. Use ornaments as well to add your own personal or sentimental touch.

Christmas Tree Wall Decals

Wall decals are a growing trend in home décor. Many companies offer a variety of beautiful and stylish Christmas tree decals for those seeking a modern, alternative to the traditional tree. You can find traditional tree design options as well as the most creative trees you can imagine. Use them wherever you would place a real tree, as the focal point of the room, next to the couch or in the corner.

Christmas Door Trees

Another great alternative, and possibly the most space efficient option, is to utilize a door in your home as the canvas for your tree. Like the wall trees, use strands of lights, garlands and ornaments to create the tree. To avoid holes damage to paint, use damage free hooks to hang the strands and ornaments.

Other Resourceful Christmas Trees

Be both resourceful and efficient this Christmas by creating your tree out of things you already own. Turn your old ladder into a functional tree. Decorate with traditional lights and even stack gifts on the steps to take advantage of the storage space it has to offer.

If you really want to get creative and wow your guests, hang your existing ornaments from the ceiling from different areas and lengths to resemble the shape of the tree. It takes time and skill, but it’s worth it!

Pack on the Christmas spirit without cluttering up your living space with a creative alternative to the traditional tree.

Home Improvement

Bringing the Craftsman Style to Your House Plan

November 17, 2013 Jonathan Clark

In the first two decades of the 20^th century, designers including Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustav Stickley created a new Craftsman house plan style, which valued originality, high-quality craftsmanship, and functionality. These and other Craftsman designers envisioned a home style that would bring the average person closer to nature, through contact with natural materials—stone, timber, and glass are the stars of Craftsman styling. Partially a rebellion against ornate Victorian design, Craftsman homes featured clean lines and simplicity of design, with geometric shapes dominating. Designers also focused on maximizing functionality; hence the predominance of built-in storage, niche benches, and breakfast nooks in Craftsman house plans.

Craftsman homes thrived because they were affordable for middle-class families, who often built some or all of their Craftsman homes themselves by hand. Through 1940, Sears, Roebuck and Company sold entire home plan and material kits, which were shipped to homeowners by railroad and erected on site, by contractors or by families.

Today, Craftsman home styling has stood the test of time; this design approach enjoys perennial popularity among homeowners and designers alike. No wonder, as Craftsman homes featured many of the elements today’s homeowners cherish: Open floor plans, environmental friendliness, affordability, and built-in organization.

Because of the simplicity of Craftsman styling, it’s not difficult to add Craftsman flair to any home. Read on for a few ways to bring the Craftsman spirit into your existing home or house plans.

How to Add Craftsman Styling to Any Home

As any designer will tell you, transforming a home into a certain style is all in the details. So, you can make your “Craftsman-ization” as small or as grand as you like. Simply switching out cabinet fixtures will immediately add a new feel to your kitchen, for instance. On the other end of the time/money investment spectrum, you can replace your roof with one that features dormers and wide eaves. Whatever you do, make sure your choices reflect the square lines, solid materials, and emphasis on clean functionality that embodies the Craftsman style.

Add built-ins

Craftsman designers recognized that built-in bookcases, dining nooks, window seats, and benches added functionality for homeowners.

Change out fixtures

Craftsman lights were simple, often composed of iron or bronze and glass, in rectangular and square shapes. Cabinet and furniture hardware tended to be in copper or brass, with hammered, oil-rubbed or polished finishes. Again, geometric styling dominates.

Add a new backsplash

Hand-made tiles were included in many original Craftsman homes. Your kitchen backsplash is a great way to express this aspect of Craftsman styling. Solid colors and natural motifs are common in Craftsman tile work.

Add interior paint in earth tones

Earth tones are especially appropriate for the Craftsman style, which aimed to highlight the natural beauty of materials such as stone and wood. Creamy white, beige, green, brown, blue, and gray are common colors found the average Craftsman home plan.

Install moldings

This finished carpentry detail of bygone eras will make any room feel more removed from contemporary life. Choose crown moldings (around the top of the room) or wainscoting moldings (at waist height).

Add Craftsman details to your fireplace

Add colored tile surrounded by a heavy wood mantle. Placing built-in bookcases on either side of a heavy wood mantle is especially Craftsman.

Put in a breakfast nook

Eat-in Craftsman kitchens represented a break with older Victorian designs, which usually aimed to hide the kitchen from view. A carpenter or home designer can easily incorporate a wood breakfast nook in your home design, provided you have the space.

Add stained glass panels

Original Craftsman homes often featured stained glass windows, which add privacy and beauty. If cost is a barrier, Craftsman style window sticks are available.

Install natural wood floors

Craftsman homes tended to have practical, easy-to-clean wood floors, with cozy rugs.

Replace the front door

Whether consciously or subconsciously, the entryway is how many people assess a home’s style. Craftsman homes tend to have wood doors with simple flat panels, shelves, and square detailing.

Feature Craftsman furniture

Period furniture tended to be wood (walnut, oak, and mahogany in particular), with simple geometric lines, spindles and slats, and hand-hammered copper hardware. (Again, we see the focus on handmade craft.)

Change the roofline

You can create a Craftsman roof style by adding deep eaves with exposed rafters and square brackets. Dormers are also common in Craftsman home plans.

Add on a front porch

The Craftsman porch was covered by an extension of the front roof, and supported by tapered square columns.

Weekend project by weekend project, with enough effort you can transform nearly any home into an expression of Craftsman style. The simplicity and warmth of the 1920s Craftsman homes provided a respite from the newly modern surroundings of the turn of the 20^th century. Now the same Craftsman charm can help you relax and unplug from modern life.

Post and photos courtesy of Houseplans.co , the online home of Alan Mascord Design Associates, where visitors can find more than 700 gorgeous house plans, including styles from Contemporary to Craftsman house plans.

Let Softer Lights Shine Through

Take Advantage of Lamps

Use Night Lights

Incorporate Accent Lights

Make Your Light the Star Attraction

Problem #1: Inadequacy of Storage

Recommended Solution:

Problem #2: Inconsiderate Neighbors

Recommended Solution:

Problem #3: Too Good Apartment Advertisement

Recommended Solution:

1. Ensure Stability

2. Take Safety Precautions

3. Connect Wires Correctly

4. Ensure Proper Balance

5. Considerations

Impact of the Holidays on Your Electricity Bill

An Alternative to Standard Christmas Lights – LED Lights

Putting Up Your Tree

Repairing Christmas Lights

Hanging Your Lights

Making and Hanging Stockings

Making a Card Holder

Your Tool Shopping List

1. Burning Candles

2. Bad wiring

3. Talking Decorations

Say bye-bye to ragged cords

Broken bulbs beware

Get grounded

No substitutes

Grab a partner

Mini Christmas Trees

Wall and Door Xmas Trees

Lights, Garlands and Ornaments

Christmas Tree Wall Decals

Christmas Door Trees

Other Resourceful Christmas Trees

How to Add Craftsman Styling to Any Home

Add built-ins

Change out fixtures

Add a new backsplash

Add interior paint in earth tones

Install moldings

Add Craftsman details to your fireplace

Put in a breakfast nook

Add stained glass panels

Install natural wood floors

Replace the front door

Feature Craftsman furniture

Change the roofline

Add on a front porch

Information and Reviews of California Apartments