When it comes to the changing seasons, Autumn to Winter is a firm favourite for many. Long dark nights, cosy comforts and candlelit fireplaces are an idyllic way to spend the season in your living room. But achieving this look may present you with a bit of a challenge. So, here’s some tips for adapting your front room with some lovely touches to welcome in the Winter and create the perfect ambiance for you and your family:
Think about lighting
You might want to bring in candles to add a lovely romantic warmth to the room, but thinking practically, candles might not be the best idea for providing much usable light. Not only this, but if you have children in the house, it can also be a safety concern. Consider balancing the light in your room with some table lamps. Don’t be afraid to multiple lamps in the room at lower wattages to create an even spread of soft ambient light. Ceiling lights can be a little harsh, so if you do have these on, try adding a dimmer switch to the room. Then, when it comes to candles, you could opt for LED ones on your fireplace (if you have one.) If not, try a few dotted on your window sill.
Add texture
Creating warmth can be achieved easily with shaggy rugs, blankets and cushions. These items can be picked up pretty cheaply, too. Experiment with rich, darker tones, like reds, mustards and emerald greens, to really bring a festive feel to your room. Clashing colours can really work well, too. If you’re unsure about how to match colours, try Oka’s cushion arranger to help you envision how these colour and texture combinations would look in your home. It really can allow you to be daring and find a combination that works beautifully before you spend any money. Place blankets on the back of armchairs to complete the look, and fluff and stack cushions to add depth.
Make it smell right
You can get so many different room diffusers, scented candles or potpourri, specifically designed for that nostalgic Winter joy. The scents might be winter berry, cinnamon or vanilla – anything that evokes a strong feeling of cosiness and contentment. You can pick these up quite cheaply from most supermarkets or home décor suppliers, or if you’re feeling creative, you can make your own. Snappy living suggests Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme to give a lovely green herbal scent to the home. You might also consider dried apple slices, cinnamon, cloves, pine cones and berries, or a simple citrus blend of jasmine, sandalwood, grapefruit and other essential oils.
However you tweak your home this Winter, it really doesn’t need to break the bank (we’re sure the presents will do that all by themselves). You can simply adapt what is already there to suit the season, creating a beautiful space for you and your family to cosy up in.
DIY projects are a great form of constructive entertainment that develops skills, but sometimes it’s not the best option to go DIY. Hiring a professional to help you with your kitchen cupboard installations is necessary, especially for newbies, to ensure a top-quality end product. Remember, you can always be around, helping the professional, so you can still gain experience- except you are promised perfection.
Here are the three main reasons why we say you should hire a professional:
You are guaranteed not to waste money
Yes, hiring s professional means added expense, but it will save you money for other reasons. The job will be done right the first time. This means no back and forth working on the same thing, driving up and down to get more product and of course, the money spent on additional product because of irrevocable mistakes.
A professional is expected to have all the tools needed to get the job done easily and properly. So, you don’t need to investextra because of the screwdrivers and drills that are outdated or that you didn’t even have from the start. A professional will also be able to tell you exactly how much of what you need so you won’t be splurging money on products that are not needed.
Minimise time and effort spent on difficult projects
We all know what it is like to start a project and then put it down two minutes later because the kids need to be fetched or because you have to answer an important phone call. Working on and off on a project and living in rubble kills the joy of kitchen renovation. Hiring a professional will ensure that the job gets done quickly because the project at hand is their main priority for the day. Hiring a professional to avoid having a half-finished kitchen for longer than needed.
Understand their insight and expertise
Professionals have a lot of insight based on past experiences. We should never fully trust second-hand sourced information from the internet. Some people follow step by step instructions of various projects that they find online without knowing that the writer at hand may have followed misleading information that will be detrimental to your end product. For example, it is advised to use 1.3 mm edging for MelaWood SupaGloss, but some people are told otherwise. A professional is also less likely to make silly errors that renders newly bought products useless. They will also be able to work with tricky corners and strange designs, saving you a lot of sweat and tears.
Moving into a new home is an exciting step which requires a lot of planning. The house needs to be fully-equipped to make it a comfortable place for the whole family to live in. Read this helpful guide about the ten essential things to get when moving into a new home.
A New Boiler
Old or faulty boilers need to be replaced by a professional plumber in Perth. Boilers which are older than fifteen years old might start to develop several problems such as rust or sediment. These issues may cause the boiler to malfunction, which could leave the house without hot water.
The lack of hot water could lead to clothes being unwashed or people going without showers. Problems with the boiler need to be identified and then fixed as soon as possible.
Boilers need to be regularly inspected to make sure that they are working properly. People who are unfamiliar with their hot water systems in Perth should not attempt any DIY fixes because this could damage the boiler beyond repair.
New Furniture
Brand-new furniture will make the house look incredibly inviting. Buy a new set of dining room chairs and a table so that the whole family can sit together at meal times. Make sure that the table can be extended in case extra guests come round for dinner.
Cushions And Throws For The Furniture
Buy cushions and throws so that furniture in the living room and in bedrooms can be transformed. Patterns on the cushion will make the furniture extremely eye-catching and inviting. These cushions will come in handy for anyone who is experiencing back pain. Cushions placed around the floor can help to break a child’s fall if they happen to trip over whilst they are playing.
A New Oven
The kitchen is one of the first rooms that people renovate when they move into a new house. Replace the old cooker with a new oven in order to prepare delicious meals on a daily basis. Choose an oven which will complement the design of the rest of the kitchen.
A New Air Con System
Old aircon systems will become inefficient over a number of years. The temperature gauge may be broken or the unit may not be able to operate at full power. Replace the air con so that the house can be kept cool during the hottest summer months.
New Carpets
New carpets will instantly give the interior of the house a facelift. Make sure to clean the new carpets on a regular basis so that they look brand-new for as long as possible.
New Curtains
New curtains will give the living room, the dining room and the bedroom an instant lift.
A New Washing Machine
A new washing machine is a good idea when moving house, especially if there are lots of people in the family.
A New Set Of Lamps
Lamps can help to create an inviting ambience throughout the house.
New Blinds
A new set of window blinds will help to keep bright sunlight out of the living room.
Follow this guide for buying things when moving house.
Renovating the bathroom is an easy way to make having a shower more comfortable as well as making the house look even more attractive than it already is. There are lots of bathroom design tips which are so straightforward that they are used by pretty much everyone who is attempting a bathroom makeover: for example, everyone knows that hiring a professional plumber to deal with faulty pipes is an excellent idea which will make the toilets, sinks and shower perform at maximum capacity.
However, there are several bathroom renovation ideas which go beyond the obvious. These ideas may seem unusual as first, but they will make perfect sense once the work has been completed. Research different companies which offer bathroom design services. Hire a plumbing company which will offer a quality service at a good price. After all, plumbing in Perth does not have to cost an arm and a leg for the work to be timely and thorough.
Read on in order to discover eight ways to turn the bathroom into something truly special.
Install Air Con
Whilst it may not seem obvious to install air-conditioning in the bathroom, this is an effective way to keep people as comfortable as possible when they are using the toilet or the shower. Bathrooms can become uncomfortably hot and stuffy, especially during the summer months. Peter Stannard Plumbing & Gas are the no.1 plumber in Perth who can also install air-conditioning.
Install A Motion Sensor Toilet
Motion sensor toilets were once only seen in science-fiction films. However, fantasy has become reality and motion-sensor toilets are becoming increasingly popular. The first country to truly embrace motion-sensitive toilets was Japan, which is no surprise given their love affair with technology. However, people in lots of different countries are now having them installed.
Install Stained Glass Windows
Privacy is one of the main concerns for people when they are using their bathrooms. Some people use window blinds to ensure that they won’t be seen from the outside. Instead, why not have some stylish stained-glass windows installed?
Install A Book Shelf And Magazine Rack
Sometimes people like to read whilst they are on the toilet or enjoying a nice long soak in the bathtub. Put up some shelves or a magazine rack so that the bathroom is free from clutter and the books won’t get wet.
Install A Jacuzzi
Install a Jacuzzi that doubles as a bathtub. The jet streams from the Jacuzzi can be extremely relaxing after a hard day at work. Commercial plumbers in Perth can install a Jacuzzi.
Use Black And White Tiles
People may be more used to using black and white for the kitchen or in the living room, but this colour combination can give the bathroom a striking look.
Install A Mobile
Bathing babies and young children can sometimes be challenging, especially if they are restless. Install a colourful mobile above the bathtub to distract the baby when they are bathing.
Install A ‘Statement’ Bathtub
Bathtubs don’t have to be boring. Install a bathtub that has an interesting shape so that it becomes a statement piece as well as an important part of the bathroom.
Use this guide to create a unique bathroom.
It is important that children learn about electrical safety from a young age. Teaching them about electrical hazards will help them to stay as safe as possible. The lessons that they learn at a young age will aid them throughout their life.
When teaching children about the dangers of electricity, it helps to use props or to make a game out of what is being taught. They will have fun whilst they are learning about how to be safe. Read this helpful guide in order to learn more.
Put Up Warning Signs
Young children respond to visuals, so some clear signs around the house could help to prevent them from getting into any dangerous situations with electricity. The signs should be extremely simple with a red crossed circle and a simple command like ‘DO NOT TOUCH’. The children will learn not to put their fingers in sockets if there are warning signs nearby. Any faulty appliances should be fixed by a company such as Thornbury Electrics.
Have A Puppet Show
Using children’s toys to illustrate important points about electrical safety means that the little ones are much more likely to pay attention to what is being taught. Try not to use lots of long sentences or complicated words because the children will quickly get bored and will want to do something else.
The puppet show should be extremely simple: put the characters in a variety of ‘dangerous situations’ (putting their fingers in sockets, for example) so that the child can understand the different types of scenarios which they have to avoid. Repeat some scenarios in slightly different ways to really get the point across. Any problems which are highlighted in the show can be fixed by a qualified electrician, so visit www.thornburyelectrics.com.au for repairs.
Monitor the children to see how they deal with similar situations in the future. The puppet show could become part of a regular routine, with a different subject each time. If the shows are interesting enough, the children won’t be able to wait until the next one.
Reward Children For Safe Behaviour
Children thrive on positive reinforcement. Whenever they do something safety-conscious (such as stopping their younger siblings from putting their hands in the toaster), they should be rewarded. This could be anything from a gold star to a being allowed to stay up an extra half-hour before bed. Children will strive to get as many treats as possible if they know that their safe behaviour is being rewarded.
Make Older Children Lead By Example
If older children lead by example, their younger siblings will start to adopt the same safe behaviour when it comes to electrics. Reward the older children if they help to steer the younger children away from dangerous situations.
Help Children To Understand Why Their Behaviour Is Unsafe
If children behave recklessly around electrical equipment, there is no use in getting angry because the children could get upset. Instead, explain to them why their behaviour is unsafe so that they can learn from the experience.
Hopefully, they will start to change their behaviour in similar situations.
Use this guide to educate children about electrical safety in an engaging and positive way.