Quote of the Week – Elizabeth Gilbert
Rise and shine – wake up to new home decor ideas
Bring a touch of nature to the room by transforming a boring headboard into a grand focal point. Simply spray paint it with Krylon’s Natural Stone Textured Finish, which goes on easy and gives you the natural beauty of stone. Available in eight designer colors, this paint features a smaller particle size for an elegant and professional-looking appearance. To complete the look, add a new comforter and accent pillows to your bed to complement your new creation.
Don’t stop there. Give outdated dressers or vanities a facelift with a fresh coat of paint. You can match the furniture to your new headboard, or paint each with a complementary color for extra visual intrigue. For the finishing touch, add new decorative knobs – or simply paint your current ones – to create additional dramatic impact.
Next, look to the accessories around the room that might need a bit of improvement or pizzazz. Lamps, frames and vases can be easily updated from bland to beautiful with a quick spray of paint to coordinate with the rest of your room’s new color scheme.
Finally, add a bit of cheer by filling your newly painted vase full of fresh cut flowers on the night stand. For an ultra-relaxing vibe, add lavender to the mix, as the scent soothes and comforts while you drift off into dreamland.
From the moment you wake in the morning to the moment you close your eyes at night, your bedroom should be your haven. By rising to the occasion and incorporating some small spray paint updates, you can kick back and enjoy – morning, noon and night.
For more product or project ideas, visit www.krylon.com.
Seven reasons to mulch! Why’s and how to’s
Your landscape is a large living investment and like most investments the more information about it, the more you get in return. Most of us regard mulch as having one function, to give our landscape a fresh new appeal. The truth is, properly laid mulch has many other functions that are vital to the health and life of our plants.
There are basically two types of mulch, organic — such as hardwood, bark chips, leaves and pine straw that easily decompose, and inorganic — such as stones, brick chips and dyed rubber that are permanent. Although inorganic mulches have their place in the landscape, this tip sheet will be limited to the use of organic mulches.
Why Should I Mulch?
- Mulching is one of the simplest and most beneficial practices you can use in your landscape and can give your planting beds a uniform, well-cared for look.
- Help maintain soil moisture. Evaporation is reduced, and the need for watering can be minimized.
- Help control weeds. A 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch will reduce the germination and growth of weeds.
- Serve as nature’s insulating blanket. Mulch keeps soils warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
- Improve soil aeration, structure (aggregation of soil particles), and drainage over time.
- Improve soil fertility.
- Can inhibit certain plant diseases.
Plants growing in a natural wooded environment have their roots anchored in a rich, well aerated soil full of essential minerals. Urban landscapes, however, are typically a much harsher environment with poor soils, little organic matter, and large fluctuations in temperature and moisture. Applying a 2 – to – 4 inch layer of organic mulch can mimic a more natural environment and improve plant health.
How To’s
While mulching can be beneficial to your landscape, if improperly applied it can be equally harmful. Most organic mulches must be replenished but the rate of decomposition varies. Coarser mulches may remain intact for many years while finer mulches many need replenished every year or two.
- Define the edges of your landscape beds using a garden spade or power edger. Cutting a 3 to 4 inch deep trough along the edge of your landscape bed will keep mulch from bleeding into the turf.
- Check the depth of your existing mulch. If there is an existing layer of mulch, either remove and replace with fresh mulch or till the existing layer.
- Not too much! Deep mulch can lead to excess moisture in the root zone. Remember recommended mulching depth is 2 to 4 inches.
- Piling mulch against the trunk of plants can stress stem tissues and may lead to insect and disease problems.
- For trees, the mulch bed should be as large as the drip line of the tree. This will ensure the feeder roots, located near or even beyond the drip line of the tree, will be protected from drying out as quick and receive nutrients from the mulch.
- Thick blankets of fine mulch can become matted and may prevent the penetration of water and air. In addition, a thick layer of fine mulch can become like potting soil and may support weed growth.
- For landscape beds that do not drain well, apply a thinner layer of mulch.
Remember, your landscape is a large living investment and the more information you know about it, the more you can expect in return.
by: Steve Combs
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_6873.shtml
Quote of the Week – Albert Einstein
Don’t settle for a mundane bathroom remodel
Walking through the door you notice beautiful tile in rich, deep tones beneath your feet. Then you see polished, elegant fixtures, and warm, gentle, ambient lighting. Have you walked into a posh resort with a top of the line spa? No, you’ve simply entered your own modern bathroom designed with your style and your needs in mind.
When it comes to bathroom remodels, the sky is the limit. In fact some plumbing contractors also provide total, upscale bathroom makeovers. Long gone are the days of the water closet where function is the only driving force in design. Today, aesthetics, functionality, indulgence, and personal taste rule the design and remodeling of the modern bathroom.
It is no longer necessary to limit yourself to the regular old standards for bathroom design. So many options are available in a wide range of budgets that it is completely realistic to design the bathroom of your dreams and go far beyond the mundane. What about going for a spa type bathroom with a whirlpool tub, warming lights, and heated towel racks? Or why not create a man cave with a state of the art sound system and television screens?
Although today’s bathrooms offer all the functionality of designs past, they are no longer stark and minimalist. One look in the showroom and you will see many style choices from classical to contemporary to modern. There are also many choices in the type of products. Indulge in such things as rain shower heads, saunas, tankless water heating systems, and surround sound systems, to name a few.
Completely modernized whole shower systems with multiple jets, temperature controls and individual memory options can be installed to suit your personal needs. If a bath is more your style, whirlpool bathtubs, nostalgic claw foot style tubs, or the larger and more spacious garden tub may be the option for you. Perhaps both will find their way into your design, and why not? With professionals available to make sure your quality products are installed correctly there is no reason not to pamper yourself.
When it comes to a bathroom design or remodel, using a professional will not only save you endless time, but it can potentially save you a lot of money as well. No one else knows the products they work with better than a professional, let alone how they should be properly installed and maintained. Performance is extremely important and no one wants to worry about whether their fixtures and appliances are going to be installed to work correctly. Peace of mind, after all, is priceless.
For your new bathroom, whether it’s a new construction or a bathroom remodel, contact a professional. They can help make your vision become reality. And should the need arise, you can also call them for help with water heaters, drain cleaning, and sump pumps. All of your needs can be addressed by the professionals.
by: Nick Messe
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_6428.shtml