Are you tired of looking at your old exterior light fixtures, or you are putting your house on the market? Whatever the case, replacing the exterior light fixtures can transform your home quickly without taking a big hit to your wallet. To help, we have listed some tips below that should make the refresh much easier while allowing you to have fun while doing so. Let’s take a look!

Proper Size

Often times, homeowners make the mistake of choosing a fixture that is too small. Please keep in mind that if you are replacing commercial builders’ light fixtures, they will use fixtures that are on hand or too small to save money. The general rule of thumb is if you are replacing two fixtures on either side of the front door, the fixtures should be ¼ the height of the front door. If there is only one light, purchase a fixture that is ⅓ height of the door.

Style

You may want to change the fixtures to an industrial- or modern-style fixture, but you must stay with the overall style of the home. If your home is a mid-century modern home, then stick with those types of fixtures. If you are not sure about what fixtures go with what style of home, simply google it, look in magazines, ride through neighborhoods, or visit new home construction communities. Also, regarding the color of the fixture, stay with the matching door’s hardware (a dark bronze for a dark or black look). Dark bronze goes great with ranch- and traditional-style homes. Chrome or stainless is a popular choice in modern design.

Light Output

Lighting output is often overlooked and is a significant factor for how the fixtures will look when lit and for safety reasons. Pay attention to the type/kind/wattage of the bulb that the fixture recommends, the number of bulbs required, and what type of glass bulbs (like clear or opaque, etc.). By using the recommended bulbs for the fixture, it will certainly enhance the beauty of the fixture and provide a well lite pathway when dark.

Do you have any tips that you would like to share with other readers? If so, be sure to leave us a comment below in the comment section.

Lawn maintenance is essential year-round. During the fall, you want to be sure you get your yard cleaned and ready for the winter months. For step-by-step instructions on what to do with your lawn this fall, we have created this simple guide for you. Let’s take a look!

Supply List:

• Gardening Gloves
• Rake
• Garbage Bags
• Lawn Moss Herbicide
• Border Fork
• Topdressing
• Stiff Brush
• Autumn Lawn Fertilizer
• Hose

Steps: 

Step One: Remove All Dead Leaves

Rake away all of the dead leaves that have fallen in your yard. Put the leaves in a pile then put them in garbage bags for collection. 

Step Two: Kill Moss

Taking a lawn moss herbicide, you will want to kill the moss in your yard. 

• Pro-Tip: Experts recommend figuring out why you have moss growing in your yard. Potential reasons are poor drainage, low soil pH, lack of nutrients in your soil, or an excessive amount of shade.

Step Three: Dethatch Your Yard

Grab your rake and begin raking out the thatch from your yard. 

• Thatch is dead/alive shoots stems, and roots in your lawn. The build-up of thatch can negatively impact the growth of your yard; therefore, you want to remove thatch with a rake. 

Step Four: Aerate The Soil

Taking a border fork, you will want to push it down into the soil to open up air channels.

Step Five: Add in Your Topdressing

You will want to add in your topdressing into the holes you just created from aerating. 

• Topdressing can be found at local home improvement stores, or you can make your own with a simple DIY project. 

Step Six: Make The Topdressing Even

Take a stiff brush and gently spread the topdressing around the top of the soil. Make sure that you have applied the topdressing evenly. 

Step Seven: Fertilize Your Soil

For this step, you want to make sure that you get the appropriate fertilizer for your lawn type. Once you purchased autumn lawn fertilizer, you will want to sprinkle the seeds over your yard. Be sure to use garden gloves for this step! 

We hope you enjoyed these steps and that your yard flourishes this fall! 

Lawn maintenance and care are essential to our home’s curb appeal and overall exterior aesthetics. While bushes and shrubs can offer privacy and shade, sometimes they can become too overgrown and need to go. Plus, this can also be important to do if the plants are dying or diseased. Removing shrubs and bushes is a project you may want to seek professional help for, or you may consider tackling it yourself. If you are an experienced do-it-yourselfer, this is the perfect job for you.

Equipment 

• Safety Goggles 
• Gloves 
• Chainsaw/Saw 
• Shovel 
• Stump Remover 
• Bypass Pruners 
• Hatchet 

Removal

To begin, remove all the branches from your tree. This can be tedious but can help break down your bush or shrub into more manageable pieces. Use your bypass pruners to remove all branches. For large branches, you may need to use a pruning saw or a hatchet. Be very careful when cutting and wear your safety glasses. A power tool like a chainsaw can also help speed up this process but is not essential.

Leave a little bit of your stump exposed to help give leverage to remove. Use your shovel to help dig and remove your stump. You may need to use a trowel or hatchet to help break down roots. With the remaining stump, rock it back and forth until it breaks free from the ground.

Stump Grinder

For harder or more difficult stumps, you may need to invest in a stump grinder. This is recommended if you plan on planting anything new in the spot you are removing the shrub. You can rent one from your local tool rental stores. Put on your safety glasses and start up your grinder. The teeth will rapidly break down your stump to help you remove it.

It is important to be safe at all times and never forget the safety protocol. If the shrub or bush is close to powerlines or your home, you may also want to contact a professional. If you are confident in the situation, go ahead and remove your bush. This task can help improve lawn aesthetics and save you some extra cash.

Homeowners are spending more time outside of their homes. Long workdays and tedious travel commutes have us constantly living indoors. But our home is our place of refuge to unwind and escape the world’s daily demands. We love to indulge our time in the luxuries of the outdoors because it can feel like an escape. However, without an inviting landscape, you may not be facilitating your home’s exterior. Sprucing up your landscape can be super easy and a great hobby to keep you coming back outside. Here are three exterior upgrades that can make your exterior your very own private oasis:

Plants and Flowers 

Take advantage of the outdoors! Decide if you would like to start a garden by having beautiful flowerbeds, or just create some privacy with some trees and other plant life. Plants can easily add energy to your landscape. First, build flower beds to give more depth to your landscape then consider what you like in other landscape designs and create your own version. Plants and flowers will add color to your home, enhance your curb appeal, and have you continuously returning to the outdoors.

Running Water 

There are several ways to add running water outdoors. Plus, running water can give your landscape a more tranquil vibe. You can add fountains, a pond with a waterfall, or find other unique ways to add water to your landscape. We enjoy elements of nature more than just with our eyes. Give your ears a treat by adding running water to your home’s exterior.

Seating 

If you have a patio or a deck, you need to invest in some quality seating. Think of your interior. You could have the most gorgeous living room, but without proper seating, chances are, you probably will not hang out in there; therefore, you want to add different areas of seating. From tables, bars, relaxed patio seating, or even a fire pit, give your outdoors some options you can enjoy.

Your home encapsulates so much more than just the rooms inside of it. Do not neglect your home’s exterior since itis a great way to get the most of your home. Make your landscape your own by adding some of these tricks. With fall around the corner, this is the perfect season to spend time outdoors with your loved ones.

With social media and the high demand of modern society, we seem to find little time for ourselves. Many people are desiring to have more privacy and a secluded atmosphere. But some homeowners have pushed this a step further with off-the-grid homes as the answer to total seclusion. The idea is to live in a country oasis that can “self-survive” without means of supplied electricity or water from an external company. Therefore, “off the grid” is literally referring to going “off the power grid.” This style of living is trending more and more nowadays, and if you are considering this exclusive lifestyle, here are three things you need to know:

Tiny Homes

Typically, off the grid homes are referred to as “tiny homes.” These structures are small in size and can be around 200-400 square feet. It is important to understand how to get the most out of a small space. This “RV Style” of living creates functionality and household essentials to create a compact living structure. Sometimes, these home will have multipurpose areas and store away tables and beds until the need of use.

Is It Legal?

This question is a little more complicated than just a yes or no answer. Living off the grid is not illegal; however, zoning makes it a bit more complicated. City ordinances will allow you to camp on your property. They also allow you to generate your own forms of electricity as well as grow your own food supply. Yet, some laws make it illegal to camp on your property for over two weeks. Crazy, right? To get around this, you need to have a long-term camping permit. There are also laws which prevent you from building a construct on your property under 500 square feet. So, if you wanted to add a cabin, it may not meet codes of zoning. It is also illegal to collect rainwater in some areas. This means, unless you have a well, you may have a hard time getting water to your off the grid home.

Water and Electricity

There are several solutions for having water and electricity in off-the-grid homes. For electricity, you can invest in solar power. This will allow you to convert light into electricity. You can also invest in a generator, but this will limit your stay before you need to buy more fuel. Several solutions are available to in high wind areas and if your home will be near running water. Water may be challenging to come across. Some off-the-grid homeowners will harvest rainwater. Other solutions include water cisterns, digging a well, or gravity fed water systems.

Off-the-grid homes are a great solution for creating your dream retirement. While the investment up front may be expensive, it is incredibly rewarding. For more insight on interior design and home trends, make sure to subscribe to our blog page here.

Garage conversions are perfect for individuals not facilitating the space.  If you do not mind parking outside, your garage is a prime location to create some fantastic home additions.  There are hundreds of avenues you can choose to go down when designing this space.  We put together our top four to help you start thinking outside the box on how you want to convert your garage. Let’s take a look!

Home Gym

An easy yet super beneficial renovation to your well-being is creating a home gym.  It can be challenging to get to a gym after a long day at work and having the convenience of a gym studio in your own home is optimal for time management and fitness goals.  Install rubber flooring or the flooring style of your choice and invest in some equipment.  It is your home gym, so create an environment that you will want to train.  Discover what workouts are tailored to your goals and invest in the equipment best in line with your goals.  Lastly, buy a couple of mirrors, paint the walls, and enjoy your new home gym.

Playroom

If you have children, it can be nice to have a designated spot in the house for them to play.  Create a space with toys, playhouses, and games for kids.  This can be great for when they have friends over and to help consolidate the mess from spreading throughout your home.

Lounge

You can fully convert your garage to a hangout lounge by finishing off the garage door wall, or you can leave it to allow your lounge to open to the outdoors.  Create your own man cave or female getaway away.  Insulate your walls and create an area with seating, television, and you can even add a bar.  Creating your own lounge can be a great way to convert your unused garage into the new house “hot spot.”

Home Theater

Another great renovation is creating your own home theater.  Insulate your space and create a surround-sound home theater by installing a projector and sound equipment.  You can use a blank white wall and have a pull-down screen.  A home theater can offer hours of entertainment for the whole family and be a great place to invite over friends for game night.

Never let an area in your home go unused.  A garage is an excellent opportunity for special home designs.  You can think outside the box and create so much more than just a designated parking area.  What will you do with your garage space?  Let us know below in the comment section!

Do you wish to utilize all the available space of your home, even outdoor space? Below are some questions to ask yourself before you start:

Q1. How much useable space do you have to work with?

Really consider the useable space available. You may have an acre of space in your yard, but if 75% is a steep hill plunging into a creek and 25% is relatively flat…you really only have the 25% of flat yard available to work with.

Q2. Do you know of anyone (family or friend) who has special needs and might be frequenting your place?

For instance…your mother comes over every Sunday for dinner and is in a wheelchair. Take into consideration how a wheelchair or walker would handle on your lawn.

How would a wheelchair user get from inside to your outdoor kitchen? Are there steps leading down to your yard? If anyone has special needs, a smooth transition from indoors to outdoors is required.  There are great natural stone and outdoor tile options that allow this transition to happen.

During the design planning process remember to be realistic and consider who will be using the space!

Outdoor living is not just a trend anymore. In today’s world outdoor spaces are being used almost as much as indoor spaces. Below are some guidelines to follow when designing your outdoor space.

Create Harmony

Take some time to observe your home. What style architecture is your home? What style of decorating is your interior? When shopping for outdoor furniture take a picture of your interior. Look for furniture that has similar styling and characteristics of your indoor furnishings. Your interior and exterior should mesh well together to ensure an appropriate look.

Buy the right furniture

Most likely there will be a seating area somewhere in your outdoor space. Buy outdoor furniture that will hold up in all types of weather. Fabrics and cushions should be rated for outdoor use. Be sure to ask the sales person what type of fabric and cushions are used on the furniture you are considering. This cost a little more but you will get your money’s worth by selecting furnishings that will last for years to come.

*Outdoor rated fabrics and cushions allow water to pass through. Standing water on outdoor furniture is a bad sign that it is not rated for outdoor use. Standing water allows mold to grow. It also wears down the strength of fabric and cushioning.

Outdoor = Natural

Use natural elements where you can. Making a path? Instead of cement, use natural pebbles. Pebbles allow water to filter into the ground. Cement prohibits that natural cycle. The pebbles will make a beautiful contrast against grass and it is environmentally friendly

Cater to your four senses.

Add flowers and greenery that are pleasantly fragrant. Don’t forget to create contrast for a pleasing view. Comfortable furniture will allow you to spend more time in your outdoor space. Running water always creates an immediate sense of comfort and relaxation. Install a small fountain or a fishpond with a small waterfall that adds oxygen to the water.