Nice Home Live

Children’s Bedroom Ideas For When Stepchildren Come To Stay
By Susan Greenan

Every few months we are bombarded with divorce statistics and reports of how family life is changing. This probably sounds a bizarre topic for an interior design article, but the changing face of family life can throw up some real design challenges.

Photo: http://static.howstuffworks.com

Let me outline a recent project I worked on for a family in Brighton and I’m sure it will either be relevant to you or you will know a family just like this.

My clients have two young children and live in a four-bedroom house. Both the parents also have children from a previous marriage, one of which (in their late teens) lives with the family and two of which regularly stay for weekends. Therefore, on some weekends, there are seven people in a four-bedroom house.

The challenge the family set me was to review the space available to them and to try and create a personal space for everyone. Not easy when two of the children only visit every other weekend, but critical that when they do, they feel at home and integrated into the family.

Here are some of the top tips I learned from that project which I’ve since passed onto other clients and hope they are of use to you too.

1. A tip which applies in every situation, but which is particularly important when space is really at a premium is de-clutter as much as possible. A good rule is for every new item you buy, remove an old one.

2. Rooms fulfil many purposes today, for example, lots of families who have a separate dining room, may also decide to use this room to house a communal computer and study area. Don’t allocate too many uses for any one room. In my view, a room can only have two purposes effectively, decide at the outset and stick to it.

3. If you have a wide hall way, or landing, consider placing the family computer and desk in this space. This can be a really effective use of space, particularly if your budget extends to buying some really smart shelving to keep clutter to a minimum. It also has the advantage of keeping computers out of children’s bedrooms, which is the preference of some parents.

4. Bunk beds are always a good solution if you have siblings sharing, but can also be really useful if you have step-children regularly visiting. Whilst sounding a small point, allowing children to choose their own bedding to match the overall colour design of the room can help to transform even that small area into personal space. Good quality bunk beds can be divided into separate single beds, so offering a versatility that may prove useful as children grow older and older ones leave for university.

5. Choose storage solutions carefully. If visiting step-children do not have their own room, it is really important that they have some space to store their belongings so that they do not constantly feel as though they are living out of a suitcase. On my project, I found the classic Cilek bookcase design invaluable as it is thin, but tall with a mix of cupboard and shelf based storage.

6. On my project, I could not believe the number of duvets and pillows my clients had, with summer and winter versions, storing them took up a surprising amount of space. I’m a real fan of the vacuum based storage bags that are now widely available. In my view you should only reduce duvets/pillows by 50% of their size if you want them to “bounce back”, but even this can make a real storage difference.

I hope that you find some of these tips useful. I’m always keen to hear your tips for design and can be contacted at susang@srbworld.com.

Susan is the founder of East-Sussex based interior design consultancy Interior Motives. Susan acts as a consultant designer to http://www.srbworld.com and works closely with the srbWorld team in the development of their children’s bedroom furniture and accessory range here -> http://www.srbworld.com/Department/childrens-bedroom-furniture.aspx

The Need For Home Renovation Tips
By Eric J. Slarkowski

Home renovation is one of the biggest projects experienced in one’s personal life. At any stage, undertaking a home renovation project involves an enormous amount of time, effort and resources. It is for this reason that planning and guidance are the two most crucial factors involved in the entire process. For an individual initiating a home renovation project, it is important to gather sufficient information about procedures, costs ad other factors involved. In addition, it is also crucial to seek expert guidance and assistance at each of the stages of home renovation.

Photo: thegreenguide.com

Why to seek home renovation tips

The most important reason to seek home renovation tips is to draw benefit from the experience of those who’ve already gone through the renovations stage. Even the best of professionals and literature on the subject will not be able to give you such tips that can be had from individuals who have actually undertaken the renovations project. In addition, taking tips on home renovation can also give you valuable information about the service providers in the field along with genuine feedback from the existing users of such services.

Useful Sources

When you embark on your home renovations, you can tap a number of resources for taking valuable tips on the subject. The most important place to look for is the internet. You will actually be able find a series of tips on the various aspects of the project. Most often, you will also be able to find useful lists of various service providers associated with the task of home renovations including mortgage and loan services providers, hardware stores and the like.

Another important source of information for valuable tips on home renovations is to consult the large variety of books, magazines and other literature available on the subject. Such print material gives useful information that has been gathered from the experience of professionals, service providers as well as homeowners. Overall, helpful home renovation tips can play a very significant role in reducing judgment errors and the probability of the project not turning out as planned and expected. Thinking your contractor is installing a set of country ruffled curtains, you may find he has a different idea of what “country ruffled” means! Last but not the least, it is important to take opinions from several professionals before you actually start with the home renovations. Taking a second opinion once you’ve decided on the main plan will help you iron out any doubts you have in your mind. Apart from giving you useful tips, such measures will also help you search for the most cost-effective and suitable methods for your home renovations project.

Eric Slarkowski frequently pens web pages on ideas related to country kitchen curtains and country courtains. His abstracts on country ruffled curtains can be encountered on http://www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com/country-curtains.html.

House Wallpaper Preparation
By Russell R. Freeman

A tremendous variety of beautiful house wallpaper is now available in stores across the country. If you’re in the midst of a remodeling project you’ve probably been accumulating swatches and samples. Here is the procedure for papering once you’ve selected a pattern.

Photo: www.boston.com

As your first step, size the wall. Buy ready prepared sizings of house wallpaper at your local paint store. It usually comes as a powder and 1 lb. of the stuff will do an average room. Following the instructions on the label, mix the sizing with water to form a thin liquid. Apply the material to the wall with a large sponge. It’s not necessary to get fancy with this stage of the operation. Just get the sizing on the wall. Start at the top and work down.

When you buy your house wallpaper, pick up an inexpensive kit of the special tools needed for the job. Admittedly these will be on the cheap and shoddy side but they will do the work without costing you more than two or three dollars. Included in the flimsy cardboard box will be a paste brush and a long, flat smoothing brush, a plumb bob, a roller knife and probably a few other odds and ends.

Measure the wall area of the room. Also measure and count windows, doors, etc. Dump all this information into the lap of the guy behind the counter. Let him figure out approximately how many rolls of house wallpaper you need. If at all possible select a paper that is in open stock.

Should the storekeeper goof in his calculations you’ll still be able to pick up an additional roll of house wallpaper or two. If the rolls are not ready trimmed, have the store do this job for you. They have a special machine that cuts off the waste selvage edge in a matter of seconds. Otherwise you’ll have to do this job with a straightedge and a razor blade. It’s a miserable, time consuming process.

Buy ready-mixed house wallpaper paste. (It’s ready-mixed except that it has to be mixed with water.) There’s a method to getting it ready to use. The whole trick is to add paste to water, sifting it through your fingers while you mush it around with a wire pastry whisk. The paste should have the consistency of condensed milk. If you run into any trouble with lumps forming in the adhesive, allow it to sit overnight. A little fast work with the wire whisk will then make the mixture creamy smooth.

To start house wallpaper papering, measure the distance between the wall and ceiling and tear off some strips of paper about 8 in. longer. No need to cut the paper precisely, just hold a straightedge in place and tear. If you’re using a paper that has no pattern, all the strips can be torn one right after the other from the same roll.

If the house wallpaper does have a pattern, tear the first strip from one roll. Unroll a section from the second roll, adjust the pattern to match and tear off a strip. From here on you can just tear strips from alternate rolls and they will match. Stack the strips one on top of the other and, if necessary, scrape them over a table edge to remove the curl.

Spread a batch of newspapers on the large table that will be your pasting surface. Place the first strip face down on the newspapers. Brush paste onto two thirds of the strip. Always apply adhesive working from the center of the strip toward the two edges. This keeps the paste from oozing under the edges of the wallpaper. Fold this section in two, paste to paste, but don’t press the crease down. Finish applying paste to the rest of the strip and fold this closed, paste to paste. You are now ready to apply the house wallpaper.

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Wall Fountains – Spring Into Springtime Decorating Inside And Out
By Donna L Turner

Wall fountains offer a wonderful way to add the unmatched sight and sound of water to your home. They can be installed either inside or outside the home to allow you to add this perfect touch of sophistication and style. These beautiful works of art are self-contained fountains and can be found in many different styles and materials. Using fountains as wall art inside your home will bring a new level to your décor, one that you will enjoy, not only during springtime, but all year long, as adding one of these hanging wall fountains can instantly create a feeling of rejuvenation that you will love.

Photo: garden-fountains.com

Material Selection
Wall fountains are available in so many different materials and styles. From slate to copper to stone to stainless steel to glass and more, you can find any type of hanging wall fountain that you can imagine. From contemporary to traditional or from Asian or Italian styles, you are only limited by the size of your wall, either inside or out, as well as your budget and your decorating preferences.

Indoor Wall Fountains
You will be astounded at the many different indoor wall fountains that you can find for the rooms in your home. From your home office, to your living room, to even your bedroom, fountains can bring a feeling of peace and serenity to your indoor living space. The great thing about wall fountains is that they work much like a living piece of art. The movement of the water down the plate and into the tray of the water fountain continuously ripples and flows, which creates visual interest and beauty. This unique style of decorating is what leads many home owners to purchase this unique work of art.

Outdoor Garden Wall Fountains
Don’t neglect your outdoor living space, especially during the spring. After being confined during the winter months, we feel rejuvenated and excited in the springtime and that’s when our imaginations go wild with ideas. There are spectacular outdoor garden wall fountains, ranging from very detailed, ornate conventional wall fountains, to fun, theme-oriented fountains. You are sure to find the perfect wall fountain for your garden when browsing the wide selections available online.

Weight Consideration
Weight is a consideration in fountain placement. Due to the types of materials that are used in hanging wall fountains, they can be extremely heavy. Slate, stone, marble, glass, and steel are very common materials that are used in indoor wall fountains and these materials may be used alone or in conjunction with each other to create a relaxing piece of art for any room in your home. Rocks of many different materials can be used in the tray to help increase the sound of water trickling and enhance the look of the water fountain. All of these materials together can create a piece of hanging heavy wall art that will give your room or garden a relaxing feel and beautiful look.

You may then ask what are some average weights of fountains of this type. A 46x22x5 inch slate hanging water fountain weighs approximately 120 pounds, while a 48×27.5×6 acrylic and copper hanging water fountain only weighs 40 pounds. As you can see, weight is all dependent upon the size of the water fountain and the materials used. The fountain you decide to choose will depend again on your personal preferences regarding type, placement and budget.

Your décor should provide you with a relaxing, peaceful and enjoyable atmosphere, both inside and out. By hanging a self-contained wall fountain, you can obtain this atmosphere anytime of the year.

Donna Turner is owner of Fountains-a-Flowing.com, a website dedicated to offering the greatest selection of Water Fountains online, as well as useful, interesting information related to these beautiful water features. From beautiful self-contained Tabletop Water Fountains to the more glorious Indoor Water Fountains, these wonderous water features bring beauty and serenity to any indoor living space no matter what size. Discover for yourself the natural power and wonderment of water fountains as they are becoming increasingly more popular accents used as indoor home decor. Also search the broad selection of Outdoor Water Fountains to bring new life to your outdoor decor as well.

Look For Reputable Home Improvement Companies
By Kurt A. Schefken

Homeowners that do not have the time or skill to renovate their homes should call in home renovation companies. Professionals will put your mind at ease as the work is performed on your home. There are plenty of home renovation companies will give homeowners the results that they are looking for. When you are thinking about a renovation you should contract a home renovation companies that specializing in the areas of home renovation that project is locates in. There are some contractors that will provide a number of different services but it is best to go with one that specializes in the type of renovation you want.

Check out renovators that perform the type of renovations you want done. Look for a company that is very familiar with the type of work that you want done. Do not go with a contractor simply because they offer a low price. Also, do not go with the first contractor that you find. Look for a number of contractors and get some estimates.

Going with home renovation companies that specialize in a certain type of work types of work can save you money. The company might have parts and fixtures from jobs they completed before Using some used parts will cut down on the cost of the totally project. Home renovation companies that need to contract out some of the work may end up charging extra fees for the added contracting. This is something to be aware of.

As a consumer you want to know who is the boss. Find out who the go to guy is on the project and talk to him only. The guy that is in charge is going to be the best communication piece for you. He is the guy that will be able to tell you the about cost and time estimates. The other guys are waiting for his cues and often they do not have information to share with you. The renovations you want done should be mapped out between you and your spouse. Once that is done, you need share those plans with the boss of the contracted company.

Most of the time, it is wise to get a contractor and straighten out the details with them before they begin working. Be sure that everything that you want done is clearly understood. Waiting until the project is underway to explain things could be disastrous. Make sure that you see eye to eye with the contractor and vice versa..

Once you have iron things out with the contractor, let them do their job. Do not interfere constantly and complain. They are the ones doing the work, let them have their space and get the job done properly.

Kurt Schefken writes articles largely for http://www.insidewoodworking.com, a web publication covering information on how to do drywall taping, drywall finishing tools and various other topics. You can find his contributions on how to tape drywall at various other sources for how to tape drywall news.