Happy August, friends! With school starting back and the anticipation of fall’s official arrival in just a little over a month, I have started transitioning our home from late summer to fall with subtle touches. I really like to savor all that each season has to offer, (so no pumpkins around here yet) but sunny sunflowers and autumnal tones are giving some of those cozy in-between-season vibes that I actually enjoy. Today I am sharing how I started making seasonal changes in our foyer with my late summer/early fall flower arrangement inspired by our recent summer trip to Scotland.
Happy almost summer friends! Over Mother’s Day weekend I had a chance to start playing around with the planters and pots on our front porch. Our school greenhouse has a wonderful selection of affordable flowers. and this year I fell in love with their dark bronze leaf white begonias and interesting coleus varieties.
Welcome friends, and welcome fall! Today I am excited to be joining my friend Marty of A Stroll Through Life and 30 talented bloggers for the annual Fall Home Tours! If you are coming over from Savvy Snowbirds or if you just happened to stop by, I am very pleased to have you here! *This post contains affiliate links.
Happy fall my friends! Don’t y0u just love decorating for this beautiful and cozy season? It is certainly my favorite time to decorate although my “methods and materials” for fall decorating has changed over the years. Instead of using a lot of cutesy store bought fall items, I have been using more natural items or things I can find around the house with fall themes. Dried hydrangeas are one of my must-haves in fall decorating, although I love using them year round too.
It’s the time of year once again when we start thinking about cozying up our homes for fall, but it’s still 100 degrees and sunny outside! If you are unsure how to decorate during August and September, think “Simple Sunflowers!” They are the quintessential transitional flower that will brighten up any area indoors or out from now through Thanksgiving!
Hello friends! I hope you are enjoying the beauty of late August wherever you are! Summer is winding down and fall is just around the corner. Sunflowers are putting on a lovely show right now in Kentucky, they and will be in bloom for a few more weeks as we slowly transition into autumn. I have always loved how these bright and cheerful flowers take us from summer-to-fall in the garden and home decor. With that in mind, today I am sharing some beautiful ideas for summer-to fall decorating with sunflowers. *This post contains affiliate links.
Welcome friends! Today I am excited to be joining my friend Marty of A Stroll Thru Life for the 2019 Fall Home Tours! This week thirty creative bloggers are sharing all kinds of beautiful fall decorating inspiration. You can find links to each of the tours via the links at the end of my post. This post contains affiliate links.
Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Labor Day has come and gone, so that means fall is here, right? Well, not exactly, but it’s certainly okay to start transitioning our home decor from summer to fall. If you struggle with decorating between summer and fall then you’ve come to the right place! *This post contains affiliate links.
A survey by This Old House revealed that nearly 50% of US homeowners are planning to revamp their abodes in 2025. Remodeling has several benefits, but there are also risks. For many people, updating and modifying their homes can be stressful. Here are some essential dos and don’ts to help you navigate the process with minimal hassle. *This post contains affliate links.
Home remodel dos
When you renovate your home, it’s natural to want to achieve fantastic results without any stress. These guidelines are designed to help you achieve this goal. Here are some steps to follow:
Set a budget
Setting a budget is critical, no matter how big or small the project. If you’re modernizing or altering your home in any way, you should be aware of costs from the outset. The cost of home renovations can vary enormously, from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Before you start making plans, hiring contractors, or buying products, figure out how much you want to spend.
The best way to get an accurate idea of how much projects cost is to compare multiple quotes and explore different ideas and options. If you have a figure in mind, you can adapt and adjust plans in line with your budget, or explore alternatives.
When you think about your budget, consider adding value as well as sticking to a spending limit. You don’t want to spend more than you’re adding, especially if you plan to sell the property in the near future.
Hire the best local businesses and contractors
It can be daunting to put your trust in people you don’t know, particularly with an investment as important and financially significant as your home. One way to reduce risks and achieve peace of mind is to hire the best local businesses and contractors.
Whether you’re updating your bathroom, creating new living spaces, revamping the kitchen, or converting your attic, it’s wise to take your time to research extensively, get recommendations from others, and compare service providers and quotes. The Internet is an incredibly valuable tool for finding the best bathroom remodel contractors, local building companies, kitchen designers and fitters, and top architects. You can use websites that connect you with highly rated local professionals, read verified reviews and testimonials, and view virtual tours, galleries, and portfolios.
If you’re moving to a new area or you don’t know anyone who could recommend local contractors, explore social media groups in your neighborhood. They are often brilliant resources for referrals and recommendations.
Before you hire a contractor, get a full, written quote, check insurance, accreditation, and licenses, and ask about payment options. It’s best to avoid paying anything apart from a down payment until you’re happy with the work and the job has been completed. Red flags to be wary of include negative reviews and feedback, no reviews, no company information online, and reports of unfinished jobs, poor communication and customer service, and low-quality workmanship.
Get a clear picture of what’s ahead
There are many different types of renovation projects, with varying timescales and tasks. It’s beneficial to get a clear picture of what’s ahead if you’re revamping your home. Depending on the nature and scale of your project, you may need to take time off to manage the build, move out of your home temporarily, or figure out how you’re going to navigate not having a bathroom or kitchen for a few days or weeks. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can start making plans to ensure the renovation period runs as smoothly as possible.
Home remodel don’ts
Just as there are several steps you can take to maximize the success of a remodel, there are also things you can do to avoid stress and eliminate risks. Here are some essential don’ts:
Opt for the lowest quote automatically
We all want to save money, but the lowest quote doesn’t always offer the best value. Before you accept the cheapest offer, compare all the quotes you have, analyze each one, and see what you’re getting for your money. Limit your options to reputable, trustworthy companies with an excellent track record and high review scores, and weigh up the pros and cons based on your needs and preferences. You might find that paying slightly more speeds up the process or enables you to access better-quality materials or a higher level of expertise, for example.
Follow trends that don’t suit your taste or requirements
It’s very easy to get carried away with interior design and home remodel trends in the age of Instagram and Pinterest. The trouble is that what suits one person may not suit another. When you’re conjuring up plans and ideas, think about what you like, what you need, and what you want. Open-plan living is a great example. Some people love open spaces and they transform the way they use their homes. For other people, they simply don’t make sense for their lifestyles or suit their aesthetic preferences.
Underestimate costs
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when renovating your home is to underestimate costs. When you’re budgeting and making calculations, ensure you incorporate everything and always round up, rather than down. Check every quote, invoice, and bill, ask for itemized breakdowns, and make sure you add any extras, such as taxes or charges that aren’t included in the quote. If you miss expenses, forget to add taxes, or round down, the final figure could be far higher than you anticipated. If you have any doubts, it’s always best to overestimate and double-check costs before you place any orders or make payments.
Image courtesy of https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-counting-cash-money-4475525/
Renovating your home can help you create living spaces you love and add value to your property, but there are pitfalls to avoid. If you’re eager to start planning, it’s beneficial to set a budget, search for the best contractors and companies, and get a clear idea of what the project entails and how long it will take. Avoid underestimating costs, opting for the lowest quote automatically, and following trends that don’t cater to your preferences and requirements or suit your lifestyle.
Have you ever stepped into your garden, only to feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of junk lying around, or how disorganized it feels? Maybe you want to maintain a beautiful garden, but it’s contrasting with all the random items strewn about. Or perhaps you’ve been meaning to get some work done on your fences or furniture, but the only thing you see is the remnants of a long-abandoned DIY project!
Nobody wants to escape to their garden, only to find more mess and clutter waiting for them. Let’s talk about some ideas on how to tidy up your outdoor space and transform it into something more desirable through a little organization and garden design planning.
While it might seem depressing to see lots of seemingly random items placed around your garden, it’s not exactly a bad idea to use it for storage at times. After all, your garden is a large open space that has plenty of room, so storing a few boxes and large items won’t really detract from the overall experience and design. However, it is important not to place things around in random locations, as it can feel like a complete mess.
The solution is simple: start decluttering your garden and designate storage spaces. For instance, you can keep your hedge trimmer and other power tools in a shed or even your garage instead of leaving them outside leaning against your fence or walls. If there are gardening tools and items lying around, consider installing shelves, hooks, or pegboards to add extra storage to the exterior walls around your house. This not only looks neater but makes those tools more easily accessible for when you need them in a pinch.
Decluttering may also involve throwing away items that you don’t need anymore. For example, some people might have old children’s toys and bikes that they’ve grown out of. You might even have things like an old basketball hoop that nobody uses anymore, or soccer goalposts that haven’t seen use for years. These kinds of items are distracting and could detract from the overall feel of your garden. If they’re not being used anyway, there’s nothing wrong with removing them. If you have space, you can always keep them in your garage or garden shed. Alternatively, you could even consider selling them or donating them to someone else.
Create A Polished Look With Boundaries
With well-defined and solid boundaries, your garden will feel organized, protected, and together. The likes of hedges and planters can be used to create borders, but subtle fencing is a much more powerful way to create distinct, separate zones.
You will feel more at ease, and the kids will be able to relax & play. If you want a more fixed and permanent solution, hiring an expert fence installation service will bolster both aesthetic appeal and durability. With clear boundaries, you will improve the visible structure while keeping yourselves private 24/7.
Thoughtfully chosen enhancements like these make your garden instantly tidier. The entire place becomes more inviting and significantly easier to maintain over the years.
Outdoor furniture can be a wonderful addition to any garden space, but it’s important to consider how you’re arranging things like tables, chairs, and benches. If you place them randomly on your patio or on your lawn, then it can look rather chaotic and won’t create the cozy relaxed vibes that you’re looking for.
The goal here is to create areas with a purpose. For instance, if you’ve got garden furniture on your patio, then it’s probably for the sake of creating an outdoor social area where you can relax, socialize, and maybe even enjoy some snacks. As such, your garden furniture chairs should be pointing at each other to create a more social atmosphere, and there should be a coffee table where you can place items like food and books.
You also have to consider the weather when it comes to designing an outdoor space. Don’t overlook the importance of things like shade to keep the social area cool, and don’t forget that uncovered areas will be exposed to rain and debris. This will require your garden furniture to be cleaned and maintained more often, hence why many people prefer to place garden furniture in covered areas.
Source: Unsplash (CC0)
Another step to helping you regain control over your garden is to declutter the plants themselves. If you haven’t been maintaining your garden carefully then it’s not unlikely that you have plants growing in areas where you don’t want them to, and you might have too many different colored flowers which creates a confusing mess of tones and themes. This can lead to chaotic scenes which will turn you away from spending more time in the garden.
If this is the case for you, then it’s time to take action. If plants are no longer thriving or serving their purpose in your garden, it’s time to clean them up and let them go. Not only will this lower the amount of maintenance required to keep your garden looking great, but it’ll also provide more space for healthier plants to grow.
If you don’t want to get rid of certain plants, then it’s always an option to pot them and grow them indoors as decorative elements, or separate them by forming more flower beds. Alternatively, you can also introduce large planters that are great for creating more visual interest and even forming borders around your lawn.
Removing excess plants and maintaining a consistent color theme around your garden will greatly enhance the visual appeal and also be easier to maintain. While it sounds like a lot of work, it’s a crucial step in helping you regain control over your garden space.
Your garden debris might make your outdoor space look messy, but it’s actually a great opportunity to create natural mulch. Before you gather up everything and throw it in a compost bin, you could consider repurposing it as natural mulch. Whether it’s fallen leaves or grass clippings, everything can be used to enrich your garden soil and suppress weeds.
After mowing your lawn, gather up all of the grass clippings and recycle them as mulch. Bag them up together with your fallen leaves, and shred anything large such as twigs and branches. Layer it around your plants, but be careful not to pile it up against stems and trunks. This will help suppress weeds, retain moisture, and even regulate soil temperature.
The combination of small wood pieces, grass clippings, and leaves will promote healthy plant growth, and it’s a sustainable way to reuse a lot of the debris around your garden.
With these tips, you can tidy up your garden for spring and help promote a healthy and sustainable, chemical free garden!
