Interior Design as a Form of Expression

Every home is unique. Your home sets the tone for you each day, whether you are conscious of it or not. When you’re home, it should speak to you, and everyone who visits should see you in it. But, if you’re having trouble putting yourself in your home, here are a few ways to use interior design as a form of self-expression. 

Know Your Aesthetic

Your aesthetic is the overall theme of your home. There are dozens of aesthetics, such as minimalist, vintage, or modern. Look online for ideas of different options and determine your style.

Once you have an idea of your general aesthetic, expand on it. There’s no need to lock yourself into one look; it’s simply a jumping-off point for your style expression. You may like two different styles and pick pieces from each. If there’s ever a time for “you to do you,” it’s now! 

Set a Budget

Before you embark on getting your style on, you need to understand your budget. Understanding how much you have to spend can make it easier to pick out which pieces mean the most. 

And, you’ll feel more comfortable and confident knowing you didn’t break the bank to create your perfect, unique space. 

Choose Your Colors

Once you have an idea of your general style aesthetic, dive into the different color pallets that fit into your vision. Though you should have a color story throughout your home, you don’t need to pick the same colors for each room. 

After deciding on your color pallet, you can paint or wallpaper your space to set the appropriate background for your design. 

Pick a Statement Piece

Choosing furniture for your spaces can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Make your life easier by starting with a single statement piece for each room. 

This can be a family heirloom, something stunning you saw in a window, or a custom piece designed just for you. Whatever it is, it’s your jumping-off point for filling your room with elements that speak to your unique style. 

Add in Finishing Touches

After you have your larger furniture pieces set, you can start putting in those small finishing touches that make a room come alive. Add in artwork, throw pillows, photos, and other small items to tie everything together. 

Where to Start in Your Styling Journey

If you’re styling your home for the first time, you may not know where to start. There are a few common high-impact areas you can address first to get your design rolling. 

The Bedroom

Your bedroom is one of the best places to start when expressing yourself through interior design. This is where you spend most of your time, and it’s a sacred space for your wellbeing.

Start your bedroom design with the most important piece: your bed. Once you have that statement piece selected, move to determine some artwork that will create the soothing or sexy vibe you want. 

Pay attention to color, too. Look for something that gives a sense of calm and relaxation, like an earthy green or calming cream. Finally, sprinkle in small trinkets, comfy pillows and blankets, and other elements to put the finishing touches on your design. 

The Kitchen

The kitchen is another area where you likely spend a lot of your time. It also tends to be the central gathering space for guests. It should give off a warm, welcoming vibe in line with your chosen aesthetic. 

For the kitchen, your table is your statement piece. Select something that has the right blend of fashion and function for your space. When it comes to your walls, consider a brightening color like orange or yellow or a soothing shade like blue. It all depends on what you want your cocina to say. 

The Home Office

More people than ever are working from home these days, making your home office a very important room. You want your office to make you feel productive yet also offer a place to relax between intense meetings or tasking projects. 

In your office, your desk is your statement piece and sets the stage. The walls can be dark or light, depending on your work vibe. Decorate your desk with small reminders of why you’re working so hard: photos of family and friends or a favorite framed quote can do the trick. 

Beyond your desk, you should also include a place to relax, like a chair or loveseat. Everyone needs a break at times, and this is your refuge spot. Drape a soft blanket over it and add some custom throw pillows to show off your style. 

Express Yourself

Wherever you start, go confidently in your style! 

Your space is about you. Make it your own, and you’ll love coming home to it every day. 

7 Ways to Turn Unused Space Into the Rooms You Need

Ever dreamt of having a designated entertainment hub in your home? Maybe you desire a game room for your family or you want to add a workout space in your house. Is inadequate square footage holding you back? Don’t despair, you can create that entertainment hub or a home gym with the space at hand. Use unused spaces in your home to add more functional rooms without altering the structure or adding additional square feet to your house. Transform your house using the following ideas. 

From a Chilly Basement Into a Light-Drenched Workout Space

Perhaps you need a home gym to stick to a fitness routine. What’s holding you from enjoying the satisfaction that comes with owning a home gym? Is space an issue? Home gyms are not reserved for the rich alone. All you need is an empty space to create a breath-taking home gym for you and your loved one. You can rework your garage into a classy gym with the right planning and resources. Start by clearing and cleaning the garage. You will need to renovate the space, add more lighting, switch up the wall color to brighter colors, and replace the garage flooring with suitable gym flooring to ease and support your workout. When shopping for gym flooring, consider getting rubber flooring for the home gym. The rubber flooring adequately supports any gym equipment. Rubber flooring is durable and a good shock absorbent. 

Switch Up that Blah Attic Into a Snuggy Bedroom 

If you need an extra bedroom, look up towards your attic. It may look creepy, dark, and restricting at the moment. Don’t work. You can unleash the coziness out of your attic, by adding lighting, using warm colors on the walls, and letting in more natural lights. If your attic comes with a tall ceiling use pendant lamps. For a low ceiling attic, use spotlights. You can use floor lamps to enhance the lighting in the room. Stick to one or two patterns, colors, and textures to make the bedroom less crowded. Minimize and use sleek furniture. If the attic has beams, consider refinishing them. 

Step Up Your family’s Entertainment by Getting Them an Entertainment Hub 

Looking to ramp up your home’s entertainment? Bring the cinema to your home by leveling up the basement and turning it into a theater room. With the right skills and a bit of ingenuity, you can jack up the basement and set up a luxurious cinema room. If your basement has no windows, it would be a perfect room for an intimate and cozy theater. If there is a window, use blinds to reduce outside light. Think of adding soft lighting to give out an inviting atmosphere. 

Create an Ultimate Family Room 

Consider redesigning the garage into an ultimate family room if you need more space to entertain your guests or hold conversations with your family. Clear up the garage, add a window, warm up the garage with heating vents, insulate the walls, add lighting, brighten up the walls, and consider turning the garage door into a wall. Replace the concrete floor with laminated or hardwood floors. Add mats and rugs to make the space more inviting. 

Use The Extra Room and Set up a relaxation suite 

If you hardly have guests in your home, turn the guest room into a relaxation room. You need a sanctuary to turn to after a stressful workday. Create a sensory environment by using calming colors for this room, incorporating softer textures and lighting, and adding scented candles. Group the furniture to build on the warmth and create an inviting atmosphere. 

Position a Homework Station Under the Stair 

Use the space below the stairs to set up a breathtaking homework station. You need a little creativity to create a space that sparks productiveness and makes your kids or anyone using the space focus on their task. Ensure the space provide a semi-private space to focus 

Convert the Landing Into a Home Office

Add more functionality to your staircase landing by turning the space into an office. Use slim office furniture and storage units to avoid filling the narrow space. You can mount open shelves and racks on the walls to store extra supplies. Stick to whites to create an airy feeling. Find creative ways to make the landing and the staircase feel cohesive. 

Final Thoughts 

There is a high likelihood you’re not utilizing all the spaces in your home. Even a tiny house has lots of unused spaces. With a little patience and effort, you can turn any unutilized space in your home into a functional space. 

Remove pests from your home naturally

Noticed some uninvited pests in your home? Though it might be tempting to call a pest control company, harsh pesticides often do more harm than good. Not only can it pollute your groundwater, it can also release pesticides into the atmosphere. It can also prevent your furry companions from enjoying your backyard. 

Natural pest control methods are safer and often more effective than traditional pesticides. Some of the benefits of removing pests naturally is that the pests are less likely to develop a resistance, it’s less damaging to your lawn and garden, it keeps beneficial bugs alive, and it’s safer to use around people and pets. Eco-friendly pest control saves you time and money!

Below are five different ways you can use natural pest control methods to rid your home of pesky insects.

1. Make sure your garden is healthy

Having a healthy garden with nutrient-rich soil is less attractive to pests. Adding fertilizer to your soil that comes from your food waste is a great way to put those banana peels to good use! 

2. Plant beneficial herbs

Mint, lavender, and basil have natural pest-repellant properties and are also companion plants. Add some of the following plants to your garden so that they can do your pest control for you:

• Rosemary

• Lemongrass

• Clover

• Marigolds

• Petunias

• Eucalyptus

• Chrysanthemums

3. Add some spice in your life

The strong smells of spices like cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne deters pests. Mix one teaspoon of your choice spice with one cup of water in a spray bottle to spray on your counters, windowsills, or other entry points. Below are some more spices you can use:

• Cloves

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Bay leaves

• Tumeric

4. Use essential oils and vinegar

Essential oils and vinegar also have strong smells that bugs don’t like. You can make another DIY spray consisting of one cup of water, a quarter cup of vinegar with a teaspoon of your choice essential oil! Below are some additional essential oils you can use.

• Peppermint

• Tea tree

• Citronella

• Eucalyptus

• Lavender

• Lemongrass

5. Put your food waste to good use

Food waste makes great fertilizer but it can also deter pests. You can add chopped citrus peels to your soil as fertilizer or you can place it on the pests' point of entry like a doorway or countertop. If you have mosquitos, leave a bowl of chopped onion in water on your kitchen counter. Got leftover coffee grounds? Put it on the perimeter of your home to keep bees, ants, wasps, and mosquitos away. 

For more eco-friendly pest control methods, check out this infographic from Hippo. 

How to Manage the 4 Most Common Household Emergencies

Dealing with emergency situations of any kind can be quite stressful; however, nothing beats the sheer panic one feels when something goes wrong in their home and they don’t know what to do. Fortunately, this article is here to help you adequately respond to common emergency situations such as power outages or cracked pipes. Also, read on to find out how to deal with getting locked out and how to quickly fix broken windows.

Power failures

Most power outages are caused by harsh weather, meaning there’s not much you can do to avoid it. However, sometimes power outages will be announced by the local government, so the best thing you can do is to be prepared and ready to act. Prepare for emergencies by stocking up on essentials like torches and batteries, as well as gas-powered cooking equipment and a radio. If you live in an area where blackouts are quite common, think about investing in a generator since it’ll make your life easier in the long run. Be sure to have enough bottled water on hand just in case your local water treatment facility is affected during the outage. For prolonged periods of a power outage, make sure to have a variety of board games to keep you and your family entertained at these tough times.

Burst pipes

One of the scariest situations to deal with is definitely burst pipes. Water can cause a lot of damage to your property and belongings, so it’s crucial to act fast. The main water valve in your house, which is usually located near your boiler, regulates the flow of water. This valve must be shut off immediately in the case of a leak in order to avoid expensive water damage. Once you’ve done everything in your power, you should contact your local plumber. If you live in the Eastern Sydney area, a plumber from Eastern Suburbs will help you with all kinds of plumbing emergencies at all times. Having a reliable plumber on speed dial is the best solution to any kind of piping issues around the house.

Getting locked out

Forgetting or misplacing your keys is probably one of the most annoying emergencies because it’s very preventable. For instance, being prepared by keeping an extra key in a safe place will help you avoid being locked out. There are many locations where you may keep a spare key, such as with a trusted family member, in an electrical panel with a combination lock, or in your work or school bag. However, in order to stay safe, you should always make sure to have the key in a secure spot. There are a few places you should avoid keeping a spare key which are your doormat, a faux rock, or the window sill.

Broken windows

Your kids may have gone overboard when playing with their ball or your cat may have gotten the extra case of the zoomies and in a blink of an eye, your window is now broken. First, you need to check the damage but don’t forget to wear thick gloves so as not to cut yourself. Carefully collect and remove any glass shards. Once only the window frame is left, take a garbage bag and tape it to the frame as a temporary solution. For the best insulation, use multiple bags layered on top of each other. Now that you’ve ensured you’re not going to freeze from the lack of windows, you may want to consider hiring a professional to adequately deal with the damage.

Home emergencies can be very scary to deal with but if you keep a calm demeanor and act quickly, every situation is easily manageable. Getting a quick fix for any issue is easy if you’re even a tiny bit handy but if you want the best long-term results, it’s better to call the professionals.