Nice Home Live

Houses nowadays often have relatively small bedrooms even if the rooms downstairs are large. However, with a few tricks when furnishing and decorating you can make the most of the smallest of rooms.

by sarahridgley

Here are our tips to maximise your space and fool the eye!

• Remove clutter which always makes a room look smaller than it actually is. Be creative with your storage solutions (pretty baskets on shelves, under-bed storage drawers etc) so that your room does not look cramped. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a tale of how I learned – again – how important it is to do preventive maintenance on a house. I certainly want to keep everything in good working order, but sometimes I slip up.

Photo: Massachusetts Dept of Environmental Protection

Just as the heating season started in earnest I noticed an odor that seemed to be coming from the basement. I ignored it for a day or two, thinking it would pass, as many smells do. By the third day I couldn’t ignore it any more. I went down to the basement and noticed a little oil around the fittings on the hose from the oil tanks to the furnace. The drip pan was full. I emptied the drip pan, wiped up the oil, and spread kitty little to absorb any oil that night have spilled onto the floor. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s only over the last century that drawing rooms became known as living rooms, lounges, front rooms, back rooms – or even parlours depending on your social stratum and the type of house you live in.

Photo: Universal Pops

If you’re really posh, though, the drawing room (pronounced “rum”!) remains the drawing room and always has. Read the rest of this entry »

With the hot weather coming around again it is time to think about how you are going to be comfortable at home.  Air conditioning is an easy way to cool your home and ensure that you maintain a high level of comfort, but what can you do if you don’t have an air conditioner?  There are ways to keep your home cool during the warmer weather, even without an air conditioner.  They are not only easy but you also will save money on your power bills as air conditioners can cost a lot to run.

Even if you are fortunate enough to have a cooling system you can still put these methods into place so you don’t have to switch on the air conditioner as often.  Simple things like having roller blinds or curtains on your windows with make a big difference to the temperature inside your home.  If you install security doors and have security screens on your windows you will also be able to leave your doors and windows open without letting insects in, and your home will still be secure. Read the rest of this entry »