Love my house

Caliente is the Spanish word for ‘hot’, but also the new Benjamin Moore color for 2018.

It is definitely stronger than the shades the famous paint producer got us used to in the last years. However, it is a good way to spice up a house exterior or to give some attitude to a boring interior.

Read the full story of the Benjamin Moore colour for 2018 in this article on Architectural Digest.

Photo source: Pinterest http://bit.ly/2fZwHMB

To put it in a context, Caliente is a special type of red.

The 2018 trends do not stop here, for what Benjamin Moore is concerned. You can find the entire suggested pallet for any type of redecoration you have in mind for next year right here.

Read more

Wallpaper is a versatile decorating element that can fit all spaces, large of small. One of the primal benefits it that it fills up an open space or it can make an open plan flat come together as one.

Photo source: Freshome http://bit.ly/2wL1mEa

For most of you, just the word ‘wallpaper’ might bring up memories of your grandmother’s house, but keep your minds (and eyes!) open for the new wallpaper trends that started this year.

We are talking about:

Photo source: Pinterest http://bit.ly/2fZwHMB

Small spaces can also benefit from some extra color or shape brought easily with some wallpaper design. Use pieces of a wallpaper design that blends in or comes out of the general design by:

  • putting wallpaper behind shelves;
  • hanging it into frames;
  • cover your book display;
  • give your small tables a creative face.

Inspired by this great article on Freshome:

Wallpaper is Back!

These Are the 2017 Wallpaper Trends You Need to Check Out

Read more

‘Prefabricated’ houses appeared in the Second World War as a necessity. Fast reconstruction was the need then.

These days, prefab houses might be a new trend. The need they should be fulfilling now is the increased demand of homes and the super-fast pace they should be built.

The UK is one of the main countries in which this need can already be seen on the property market. However, prefab homes are going to bring some new problems to the market, starting with viability, and ending with insurance.

A good point of view on the problem of creating new communities based on prefab houses can be found in this article on Property Division:

Are prefabs set to make a comeback?

And if you want a clear image of how how prefab/ fast houses can look like, here are some ideas:

Photo sources: Inhabitat

Read more

Photo source: Wikimedia http://bit.ly/2xJHXXt

A successful renovation project starts with a good plan. Make a list of all the things you want/ need to replace to make you – as in inhabitant of the place you are renovating – happier.

To make the process more efficient, design in your mind (and maybe on a piece of paper) the entire plan. Here’s how to start a renovation project for a bathroom.

Source of video: ThisOldHouse

Always have a clear image of how you want the end result to look and keep in mind the aim of the entire project: to increase the value of the property. This will keep you on budget and away from any useless features.

Read more

Photo source: ThisOldHouse http://bit.ly/2dgveSH

We already gave you a few tips on how to make this autumn more special for your home. However, some early preparations for the winter can also be done this time of the year.

We searched for a useful guide on how to make your house safer for the cold season and we came across this article on This Old House:

Button Up Your House For Fall

There are six essential tasks that you can complete in the fall:

1. Weatherproof Windows and Doors

2. Check Your Gutters

3. Find and Fix Cracked Concrete

4. Clean Cooling Devices

5. Check for Holes in The Attic

6. Check Your Insulation

Read more

Photo source: Goldie Cleaning http://bit.ly/2wGJdpW

Changing seasons always comes with some extra jobs when it comes to cleaning the house. Most people think of a all-around-the-house cleaning session when the weather changes… and it is not exactly wrong.

Taking good care of your house, though, implies cleaning it constantly. Even with the weekly cleaning routine, there are still corners or things inside the house that might need more attention. Even more, there are a lot of tricks when it comes to easy cleaning.

For example, mirrors are more shiny when cleaned with a black tea infusion. Lemon works perfectly on water stains on fixtures.

You will find more helpful advice in the following video from HouseHold Hackers:

7 Genius Cleaning Tricks For Your Bathroom

In addition to these every-day cleaning tips, there are some ‘can’t believe it until I try it’ tricks that we came across.

What are your magic tricks when it comes to cleaning? Share some with us!

Read more

Photo source: Property Division http://bit.ly/2xLzYtA

How many of you wanted to choose a house with a beautiful concrete floor but thought of the high level of maintenance needed for this type of flooring? However, taking good care of a concrete floor should not be harder to do in a normal house than with any other type of flooring.

You should first get advice for cleaning and ‘pampering’ your flooring from the contractors. After cleaning, a polish and a sealer should be used in most cases. Small problems like cracks should be deal with carefully – and immediately, making sure they do not extend.

We came across a helpful article on Property Division upon maintaining decorative floors which we recommend.

How to Maintain Decorative Concrete Floors

Read more

You wish you had more space in your apartment or house, but, unfortunately, space is limited. Luckily, ideas to maximize it are not!

You might not know it now, but there are hidden spaces and corners of your house that can be fully used for storing extra stuff. Here are some ways to find those places, or even create them from scratch.

  1. The storage bed. You can hide anything unused of not used very frequently under the bed, or

    Photo source: This Old House http://bit.ly/2f3sJSG

    you can make some extra shelves right on the exterior of the bed.

  2. Use storage containers. These are usually specially designed for types of things, so make sure you buy adequate boxes for the items you are going to hide away in them.
  3. Benches. In the garden, or even inside the house – maybe in the hallway, wood benches can have depositing spaces under the seat.
  4. Build-up. Stack things up vertically. Extra storage space can be found on top of cabinets or wardrobes. Just make sure you do not deposit anything too heavy above your head, and if you use boxes it can actually look very neat.
  5. Drawers inside the walls. Cabinets with drawers for example can be placed inside walls (as long as it is not a resistance wall of the house).

Share with us your examples of maximizing space inside your home or find more ideas in the following articles:

37 Easy Ways to Add Storage to Every Room

How to Create More Storage Space

 

Read more

Photo source: Pinterest http://bit.ly/2y6rvNP

Keeping up with the trends this September! Shaded Spruce is the color of the month!

Inspired from a forest of conifers, this shade surely matches some corner of your house, if not an entire room!

If you choose it for as highlighting wall shade keep in mind to use contrasting and warm light shades for the furniture you place on it. It matches white windows or light beige armchairs.

If you only plan to use it as an accentuating color for a room already painted, you can go for Shaded Spruce accessories like pillows for the couch or blankets.

More ideas on how to use the September color in your house in the following links:

Color of the Month, September 2017: Shaded Spruce

Pinterest: Pantone Shaded Spruce

Concepts and Colorways: Shaded Spruce

 

 

Read more

Photo source: House Beautiful http://bit.ly/1iAgAUt

Saying ‘Goodbye!’ to summer is never easy! The vacation is gone, the weather starts to get worse, and, before you know it, it starts snowing!

To prevent things from getting that dramatic, we thought of some easy ways to change seasons. Preparing for autumn is one way of getting accustomed to the change. So our advice is to start with some pieces of decor for your home.

Here are some ideas that guarantee you will enjoy this autumn.

  1. Make a vase out of a pumpkin.
  2. Prepare your table for the late autumn dinners with a nice centerpiece made with pumpkins.
  3. Decorate the entrance with fallen leaves or huge pumpkins.
  4. The blanket corner. If you have a garden and you already know you are going to enjoy talks and meals with your friends outside even during this fall, make sure you have the blankets handy.
  5. Learn how to make that yummy steaming pumpkin-spiced latte at home.

More inspiration in the following articles:

47 Cozy Ways to Decorate Your Home for Fall

Fall Decorating on Pinterest

20 Cozy Fall Decorating Ideas to Delight Your Inner Homebody

 

Read more