Having a backyard is a blessing! Not everyone can afford to buy a property that has space for gardening and many other outdoor activities while in their vicinity. If you are one of the lucky ones you probably are happy to take care of it for your enjoyment or to add to the aesthetic appeal of your house (and to prevent it from becoming an eyesore for your neighbors!) If you don’t have a space for organizing your lawn and garden equipment and supplies however, your backyard might look cluttered and neglected. If you want your property to look “spic and span,” read on to see how garden sheds can be beneficial.
Hello friends and welcome back for another post in my Interior Decor and Style series! Today’s post is also a part of the cleaning, organizing and great ideas category. As I have been giving our home a deep clean as I have been on a major decluttering and organizing binge, and it feels so good to get things in order. I am looking for mudroom ideas and storage solutions for our front hall closet and landing area just off from the kitchen. *This post contains affiliate links.
Even though it isn’t a “mudroom” I can still maximize the space using creative storage options. In the future I hope to have a separate mudroom on the back of the house. Today I am sharing eight great mudrooms that I love.
This beautiful mudroom area is full of farmhouse charm! I love the creative use of corbels for shelf brackets and the big metal tray as a shoe tray. Faux flowers and plants like the little olive tree or a few real houseplants make great accents in an entry way or mudroom just off from the garden.
Using free standing lockers, cabinets and armoires in mudrooms is a great way to organize personal belongings. If you are building a new mudroom, fitted, bespoke furniture and cabinetry is an investment, but can be perfectly designed to fit your custom space, design style and storage needs.Finishing off a hallway with a coat rack, artwork, and trinkets on a shelf can be a simple way to create the “feeling” of a mudroom or entryway.
As I have been spring cleaning, boy am I ready to approach more of the Minimalists’ philosophy to design and lifestyle in general, which is to live meaningful with less. I love the simplicity of this mudroom which keeps everything neatly hidden behind closed closet doors and drawers. Walking into a cluttered mudroom can be overwhelming, but coming home to a clean welcome can be so inviting!
Of course there are many storage tips and tricks like using baskets, crates, containers, and buckets to keep things organized and clean in a mudroom or entry way, all they while keeping the space stylish and welcoming. You can also look for multi-purpose furniture from such as an entry bench that doubles at storage. Freshhome even has tables and chairs that double as storage.
Right now we have faux shiplap in our side “mud entry” but I am wanting to install real tongue and groove or beadboard when it gets a makeover this spring. Usingthe best cordless drill and a nail gain will help make the job go much faster.
I love the idea of adding a laundry/mudroom combo onto our house. We are looking at design options for the future. There are some tricky aspects to remodeling a nearly 100 year old home, which means taking special care and safety precautions when tearing down walls to open up space. Teams like Integrity Restoration show plenty of examples on their website of how to maximize space by opening up walls and creating new spaces altogether.
I hope you have enjoyed these eight great mudroom ideas today! Do you have a mudroom or a space that you use specifically for organizing backpacks, shoes, coats and purses? Let’s talk more about mudrooms. I love hearing from you!
Hello friends! I am in full New Year’s/spring cleaning and purging mode around here. One thing I love to do while I am cleaning my home and after it is completely clean is diffuse essential oils. The right essential oils can dramatically improve the ambiance of any home, but only if you choose them carefully. I have so much fun combining different oils to use for various cleaning and aromotherapy purposes.
You can buy oils designed for use in home aromatherapy, and purchase different scent diffusers for each room of the house. This makes it possible to create unique scent profiles that match each room’s use. Before getting started, check out these four tips for choosing the right essential oils.
True essential oils are derived from plants via one of two methods: steam distillation or expression. Neither of these techniques is better than the other, so there’s not really any need to investigate everything about a producer’s manufacturing process. What’s important is that the essential oils be made from plant extracts, not artificial ingredients.
The best way to avoid purchasing low-quality products is to choose a well-respected brand and stick with it. AromaTech has been around for long enough to establish a reputation for itself and has a wide selection of fragrances for homes, offices, and commercial spaces. Browse their website to see what scents are available.
Choose Calming Scents for Bedrooms
The main purpose of a bedroom is to provide a safe and comfortable environment that’s conducive to good sleep. Aromatherapymakes it easier to establish a calm and soothing ambiance. Choose scents like lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood before bed to encourage better sleep or spice things up after a romantic night out with more exotic scents like jasmine and ylang-ylang.
Bathrooms are often the most unpleasant-smelling rooms in any house. Installing a scent diffuser is a great way to freshen up the air, but make sure to choose scents carefully. Invigorating natural scents like lemon, pine, fir, or grapefruit are all great choices for bathrooms.
Most bathrooms are filled with harsh chemicals. There’s no need to use chemical scents to cover up unpleasant odors when natural essential oils do a much better job without risking anyone’s health. Some essential oil aficionados even make their own bathroom cleaners using eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, and other natural substances to replace their chemical cleaners while simultaneously creating a more pleasant environment.
Try Mixing Scents
There are different essential oils available, and many companies now provide pre-mixed combinations to create unique and engaging scent profiles. Don’t be afraid to give them a shot, as mixing essential oils is one of the best ways to get into aromatherapy. It’s best to start with a fewtried-and-true combinations to get a feel for proportions before getting more creative.
When mixing oils, keep the scent profile and its intended use in mind. It makes more sense to combine a calming scent like lavender with vanilla than citrus, known for encouraging wakefulness. Of course, those who just want to experiment with pleasant smells shouldn’t be afraid to think outside the box. It’s just better to get a feel for the basics before moving on to create new and unique blends.
Essential oils are a healthy way to create an inviting, pleasant home. They don’t contain dangerous chemicals and when used properly, confer both psychological and physical health benefits.
Are you an essential oil lover too? I love hearing from you, dear readers! Thanks for visiting today!
Hello and welcome back to the Home Ownership series! Over the past couple of months I have shared a lot of inspirational kitchen posts, from French country, to farmhouse, to ideas for maximizing space and creating big style in small kitchens. Today’s focus is a little more practical, but very important: kitchen safety. It is easy to get carried away in the design and decorating when building a new kitchen or remodeling an old one, but safety should always be a concern. Here are some top safety features for modern kitchens.Read more
Most homeowners would agree that there’s a huge difference between buying a house and creating a home. A house is a physical structure that can simply be purchased, whereas a home is something that evolves over time. I have moved many times over the past few years, as my husband and I have enjoyed the process of renovating and “flipping” a few houses. While it can take a while to truly bond with a house, here are a few tips I have learned that will help you get settled in and connect with your new home as quickly as possible.
One of the best tips with regard to making a new house feel like home is to take immediate action and build momentum before you get overwhelmed by a house full of boxes and totes. It’s best to get started cleaning, unpacking, and organizing as soon as you take possession of your new property. First things first however…if you notice any pests or other household problems, you may require the professional services of a company like ABC Home & Commercial.It’s obviously best to take care of these prior to unpacking! Once you are sure you are pest free, then it’s on to the cleaning!
Ask Ana Moseley
It is very important to thoroughly clean your new home before unpacking and getting settled in. In addition to the rational, scientific need to clean in order to kill germs, the emotional aspect of cleaning your new home is a powerful process as well. There are many emotional benefits of cleaning your new home. In the process of deep cleaning you will have the chance to connect with your new house and feel united with the space. You will become acquainted with every nook and cranny and start to get a feel for your new space, as well as what it will need to become your true home over time. Above is a wonderful cleaning checklist and blog resource you can check out for some fantastic cleaning tips when moving to a new home.
Almost every house will have an scent that lingers after the previous owners have moved. If your home is a new construction, it may also smell like new building materials. Diffusing essential oils is a great way to clean the air while filling the space with a familiar and comforting scent that will help you feel more at home. It can also promote a positive and uplifting vibe.
Don’t rely on essential oils to mask the smell of mold or mildew! If you suspect or see any signs of mold in your new home, immediately contact a mold remediation company or local restoration contractors.
Unpacking
The longer you leave things cluttered in boxes, the more overwhelmed you will feel. Even if you don’t have a budget for all of your dream home improvements, new furnishings and decorating extras, you can make your house feel like home by getting settled in as quickly as possible. Start by unpacking clothing, toiletries, and cleaning supplies, as well as stocking the kitchen cabinets and setting out anything else that provides general comfort. The old quote, “how do you eat an elephant – one bite at a time” is really just an analogy for this principle. While the task of unpacking may seem overwhelming, if you create a strategy you can get the job done effectively. There are many resources online to help you unpack in an an organized manner.
It’s important that your house feels like it belongs to you from the start. There’s a strong chance your new house will have remnants of the previous owners tastes and preferences in terms of its style. Even if the house might have been stripped back to the basics, and you are starting with a blank canvas, there’s still likely to be a feeling of it belonging to someone else. Therefore, it can be symbolic and celebratory to add a brand new decorative piece as soon as possible in your new home. I really love some of the popular farmhouse style signs or throw pillows that can create a “welcome home” vibe.
If there is one thing that you will find that most people overlook when it comes to renovations, it is the importance of natural light. When you are creating brand new spaces in the home, you should be mindful of how light interacts with the room.
Your family is also likely to have certain items they feel a strong emotional connection with. Just like a child with a teddy bear, there’s often a few pieces of furniture that just feel like home… whether that’s an old coffee table you’ve had for many years or a painting that’s been in your family for generations. While it’s important not to clutter your new home in the first few weeks so you can get a good feel for the type of decor it really needs and to let it “speak” to you first, it always feels good to put out a few photographs or favorite familiar decorative accents that allow you to immediately start feeling more at home in your space. Perhaps a cute wreath on the front door with your family’s initial is a great place to start.
While only time can truly help you bond with your new home, following these simple suggestions shared here today can help you feel more comfortable in your new space if you have just moved. Even if you have lived in your home for some time, a good deep cleaning, decluttering and decorating with personal items can help you bond with your home. Most importantly, you will find that home is where the heart is by concentrating on making memories with family and friends no matter where you live. When I get frustrated with not getting any projects accomplished on my home “to-do” wish list, I slow down and practice gratitude for the home I have, and simply refocus my priorities on celebrating family time within our home. If you are struggling with the stress of a move or are dissatisfied with the current home you have, I encourage you to try this last tip. It works for me every time!
Winter is an important time home maintenance and upkeep to ensure our homes are safe and cozy during the coldest month of the year. While we often spend lots of time dedicated to making our homes look beautiful and feel comforting, it only seems logical to consider the safety of our homes at the same time. Here are some simple tips to make your home safer. *This post contains affiliate links.
Buying Real Estate: What You Should Know First Before Taking The Plunge
Investing in real estate is a very attractive form of trade for you to put in your hard-earned money. Real estate is a reliable asset, and it is one that stays with you for as long as you live. Real estate grows in value as well, as land and property assets are continually appreciating in value because they have a steady rise in demand. Do remember, however, that as is the case with any other investment, you have to put so much thought into it first before jumping right in.Read more
