Guest Post - 4 Ways to Increase Indoor Storage Space on Your Property

Storage space is always a key factor to consider when you're in the process of organizing your home. However, most people have their belongings scattered about in an inefficient manner and aren't fully utilizing the storage capabilities of their property. When you consider the overall acreage that you have with the interior and exterior space combined, there are usually plenty of ways to further optimize your storage configuration. With that said, here are four ways to increase the indoor storage space on your property:

Construct an External Storage Building

If you have a significant amount of stuff that needs to be stowed away, it may be best to free up some of your indoor storage capacity by moving some items to an external structure. If you don't already have a shed, you could construct a steel building using one of the kits from Armstrong Steel. Their kits make it easy to assemble a large storage building in the same way you'd put together a piece of the furniture, with all the parts and instructions included.

Add a Storage Compartment Under the Stairs

If you have a staircase in your home, you could consider building an under stairs storage compartment to hold some items. There are plenty of DIY tutorials that will show you how to convert the space under your stairs into a storage closet. This also provides the additional benefit of increasing the amount of closely accessible storage within your home, as the stairs are probably frequently used and centrally located.

Organize and Compartmentalize Your Garage

If you have a garage, you're already one step ahead in the battle to free up more storage space inside your home. Assess the available square footage and consider building wall-mounted cabinets or closets in your garage to add organized storage space without sacrificing the space where your vehicle would normally be parked. If you're like most homeowners, chances are your garage may already be packed with stuff, so organizing the existing clutter might be your first challenge in making room for other items while practicing optimal space-efficiency.

Use Stackable Storage Containers

Just like cities are having to build upwards to accommodate population growth, you may also have to do some vertical stacking to get a better grip on your indoor storage situation. If you're struggling to find spots in your cabinets and closets, it might be time to get some stackable containers. This will not only keep everything neatly contained, it will also help you find what you're looking for faster because each stacked drawer can be labelled to indicate its contents.  

Consider the Use of Packing Cubes

Finally, as an extra tip, if you have an abundance of clothing and small items that can be compressed, you might want to look into compression packing cubes for stowing away some of your out-of-season clothes. For example, if it’s summer time you could compress all of your winter clothes into packing cubes so they're not taking up rack space in your closet. Ultimately, with the simple techniques in this guide, you should be able to get a handle on your indoor storage predicament within the course of a single weekend.

Author Bio: Emily Roberts is a young aspirational writer who spends as much of her free time as possible on the web. When she's not writing, she's reading. She's always trying to learn and digest new information so that she can stay on top of whatever stories she wishes to write about.

Guest Post - Timeless Style: Seven Ways to Add Modern Flare to Your Historic Home

You’ve fallen in love with a historic home. It’s not difficult to see the appeal. Packed with charm and character, a historic home has an undeniable appeal that modern homes simply don’t possess.

What you need to consider when purchasing a historic home is how you plan to bring it into the 21st century. This is a huge design challenge for many homeowners, and it requires careful thought and consideration. How do you balance modern flourishes without comprising the unique character of your home?

Whether you’re buying a historic home Charleston, S.C., or renovating your Georgetown loft in Washington D.C., here are a few tips for adding contemporary touches to an old home:

Give the Walls a Fresh Coat of Paint

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to modernize an older home is with a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Not only does this refresh your walls and instantly update them, it can also draw attention to the elaborate crown molding and trim so common in older homes.

To highlight these beautiful details, consider using a higher gloss finish such as satin or semi-gloss. This will give your walls some shine and attract the eye to the gorgeous details of your historic home.

Add a Pop of Color to the Exterior

If you’ve ever strolled past centuries-old homes in Europe, you might have noticed that many of them feature colorful doors in a high-gloss paint. This attractive look is also widely seen in the charming single houses in historic cities such as Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, G.A., both of which were strongly influenced by European aesthetics.

It doesn’t need to be a bright color to attract attention. In fact, shiny black doors are absolutely stunning against a white façade and can potentially fetch a higher price when it comes time to sell your home.

Black doors are trendy yet truly timeless. You can add more modern flare to your home by adding trendy brass décor, as well.

Spruce Up the Fireplace

A brick fireplace in an older home can be a total eyesore if you haven’t given it some TLC. To make it an attractive focal point for your home, lighten up dark red brick by doing a German smear.

Also known as a mortar wash, a German smear is a whitewashing technique that involves spreading wet mortar over bricks and removing some of the material before it dries. It mimics the look of centuries-old cottages in northern Germany, creating an old-world charm that is both modern and traditional.

If you’re obsessed with the TV show “Fixer Upper,” you might have seen Chip and Joanna Gaines use the German smear technique for Jeff and Sara Jones. Although this style was far outside of Joanna’s typical farmhouse style, she nailed the look by perfectly creating a traditional European look.

Mix Contemporary Furnishings with Antiques

No matter how much you try to preserve the original character of your home, chances are good that you have modern appliances and furnishings mixed into your design. Most of us prefer to have a TV and other 21st century technology.

To avoid making your home appear too modern, decorate with a mix of antiques and contemporary furnishings. Check out your local antiques store and scour it for fun statement pieces that will add interest to your home.

For example, you can balance the look of your flat-screen TV over the fireplace by decorating your mantel with an old sign encased in a modern frame, a charming figurine or antique books arranged artfully on the shelf. Mixing old and new is an artform, so don’t be afraid to play around with your décor until you get the balance just right.

Play up Contrast

Rather than hide the distinctive features of your historic home, why not play them up with contrast instead? For example, painting stair railings and doors black will make them pop against white walls and create a visually striking look.

If you’re really daring, you can paint an entire wall black as a strong contrast to your white fireplace. For those who prefer a bit more color, adding foliage or playing with different textures can achieve a similar effect.

For instance, pairing sleek furniture with textured antiqued lamps and a uniquely-patterned coffee table can create visual contrast that is slightly more toned down while still emphasizing your historic home. You can also showcase different textures in a modern bookcase to incorporate traditional elements into your historic home.

Preserve Some Time-Honored Character

Most people don’t purchase a historic home with the intent of changing everything that makes it unique. Rather than renovate each space entirely, consider the original purpose of the space.

This will require you to know the history of your home — a fun exercise in itself. If you have a room that was once used as a mini-ballroom, consider placing an old piano in the room to preserve its original function in a small way.

Use Distressed Pieces for a Well-Worn Look

Modern pieces that feature a distressed look will fit perfectly into your historic home without making it seem too contemporary. Your bedroom is an easy place to start.

Some well-worn items for your bedroom can include an antique chest at the foot of a modern bed, a distressed nightstand or a rustic clock. It doesn’t matter whether these items were made in 1920 or 2019. Their vintage look will fit right in with your historic home.

Bring Your Historic Home into the 21st Century

To modernize your historic home, you don’t need to replace or update everything that makes your house unique. You also don’t need to be feel obligated to live in the time period of when your home was first built.

Decorating a historic home involves finding the perfect balance between old and new, respecting the character of the home while incorporating modern flourishes for a 21st-century mode of living. Eventually, you’ll have a visually stunning home that strikes the right balance between old quirks and modern charm.

Author Bio: Traci Magnus is a realtor for Dunes Properties located in Charleston, SC. She was born and raised on the Charleston coast and attended the College of Charleston before obtaining her real estate license. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her husband Glen and son Max or wandering the historic streets downtown.

Guest Post - 5 Ways to Increase the Comfort of Your Home

When you think about home, probably the first thing that comes to your mind is comfort. The more comfortable your home is, the more relaxed you are, both mentally and physically. That being said, aiming at making your home as comfy as possible makes a lot of sense. And if you don’t know where to start, here are five great ways for increasing the comfort of your home.

Bring the nature in

Filling your home with plants really is a good idea. Not only that potted plants can cheer up your place but they can also help you improve the air quality inside of it. For example, aloe plant is considered to be one of the best natural air purifiers out there. Of course, there are other plants you can go for such as spider plant, dracaena and peace lily. No matter which of these you decide to go for, there’s no doubt you’ll be making your home more comfortable. Introducing plants into your home is possible even if you spend a lot of time at work, since there are so many low-maintenance houseplants you can opt for.

Go for comfortable and warm floors

Another thing that can make your home more comfortable is your floor. If you pick the right type of floor, you can ensure your home is as cozy as possible. For instance, carpet flooring is an extremely popular option right now as it can provide you with all the coziness you need. In case you want to go for something more lasting, hardwood flooring is also an interesting option. However, it doesn’t offer as much comfort as carpet flooring and you’ll have to throw in a couple of cozy rugs to get that barefoot soothing feel. For ultimate coziness, you can consider the idea of installing floor heating.

Invest in air quality

We already talked about how plants can help you increase air quality inside of your home. Even if you do get potted plants for your home, it’s still a good idea to spend some money in order to make sure the air inside of your home is both clean and fresh. The best way to do this is to get a ducted air conditioner for you and your family. Many new air conditioners have been designed specifically to help you reduce your energy consumption which is an important thing to have in mind if you want to go green. Of course, getting a brand new air conditioner is recommended, simply to avoid dealing with repair issues.

Think about the lighting

You won’t be able to fully relax in your home until you get the lighting right. Of course, you need lighting in order to be able to perform your everyday tasks but too much lighting can sometimes cause stress. Therefore, what you might want to think about is installing dim lights in your home. That way, you’ll have separate lighting for when you want to just sit down and relax. Switching from standard incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs is also a smart move. Not only that these little things consume less energy but they also create less heat, which should help you achieve that cozy environment you’re aiming for.

Get rid of the clutter

No one is able to fully relax in a messy house. So, if you have a lot of clutter just lying around, it might be the right time to get rid of it. In case you’re not sure how to do it, there are certain strategies you can use. For instance, you can take three different boxes, labeled keep, sell and donate, and use them to separate your clutter. That way, figuring out what you really need will be made easier and you’ll manage to help someone along the way. When it comes to selling the clutter you have in your home, you can always have a garage sale or sell your things on eBay or Craigslist.

If you want to turn your place into a real sanctuary, following these five ways should help you get the job done. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should ever stop looking for new ways to add comfort to your home.

Lana Hawkins is a young architect and a home décor blogger on Smooth Decorator. She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, and that's where she gets most of her inspiration from.

Guest Post - 7 Ways for Filling your Home with Positive Energy

Did you know that your home can have a big effect on your mood? Being in a place full of positive vibes and energy can benefit both your body and mind. When we and our children are surrounded by things that we find comforting and pleasing, we tend to feel happy about life. On the other hand, being in a home filled with negative vibes can trigger bad memories and easily bring you down. Instead of letting your home become a negative place, let’s take a look at 7 ways for filling your home with positive vibes.

De-Clutter

De-clutter your house today and get rid of various items that no longer have much use in your home. By doing this, you and your kids will feel much more comfortable and happier. The truth is that cluttered spaces create stress and nothing helps more to bring positive vibes in your home than reducing waste and clutter. There are many effective ways to de-clutter your home. For example, it is recommended to use multi-purpose products and always choose quality over quantity.

In those rare cases when you are just too busy to de-clutter your home yourself, you can always hire some help. If you have time, involve your family! Decluttering a house together might be a great bonding experience, bringing you all together and instilling a sense of duty in your children.

Create Happy Memories at Your Home

Creating happy memories at your house is one of the best strategies to fill your home with positive energy. If you and your family travel a lot, print out pictures from these vacations and hang them on your shelf or your wall. By doing this, you’ll remind yourself of all those happy times. Think of other items that bring back cheerful experiences and put them in your home.

Introduce More Plants

Introducing plants is one of the best ways to increase the oxygen levels in your home. Fill your living room with fresh flowers and potted plants to create more positive energy. Plants like jasmine, cactus, rosemary, orchids, and lavender in your home can help you experience nature indoors. Keep in mind that some plants require more attention than others. Therefore, it is important to choose something that you can look after on a regular basis.

Maintain an Organized Home

Maintaining an organized home is an important step in creating a positive atmosphere. Scrub off the greasy kitchen counters and dusty coffee tables. Get your kids to help by organizing books and accessories in a proper order. Repeating these actions at least once every two weeks will help preserve a positive interior atmosphere inside of your home.

Create a Space for Relaxation

Besides making your entire home an enjoyable place to live in, you and your family should also create a special space, room, or a corner just for relaxation. You can use this space for a variety of activities like practicing yoga, reading, meditation, or for anything else that can lift your spirits up and raise positive vibrations.

Let Fresh Air Flow in

Oxygen-deprived places can be really unpleasant and bring out all those negative vibes that you wish to avoid. The easiest way to increase the oxygen levels in your house is just to open your windows and let the fresh air flow in. Fresh air boosts energy levels, improves overall health and helps you sleep better.

Let There Be Light in Your Home

Artificial lighting is not that good for your home. It can cause insomnia, stress, and headaches. This is why it is important to open the curtains during the day and let in plenty of natural light. A home that is exposed to plenty of sunlight is a place you definitely want to live in.

The truth is that it’s really not that difficult to bring in positivity in your home and get rid of all the bad vibes. By following these simple steps, you and your kids will create a home packed with positive energy and awesome vibes.

Melanie Saunders is a blogger and content manager at 1300 Rubbish – experts in the field of rubbish and junk removal. Personally, a huge fan of sustainability and green living.