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For the home owner, the term landscaping encompasses many different things. But there are two primary keys to successfully landscaping a property - Planning and Knowledge. In this article we will look at planning stage.

Planning: Unless you are quite wealthy, the best way to landscape a home is to break the complete project into a group of smaller sub-projects. The completion of the smaller project, when completed will provide you with the look and comfort that you truly desire, ever if it takes a number of years to complete. However, breaking the project into a number of sub or smaller projects will only have a successful outcome if you have a vision of the entire landscaping project. Many homeowners waste hundreds if not thousands of dollars, landscaping portions of their properties and not considering the entire project. As an example, if you will desire lighting throughout your landscaping it is wise to install the entire underground conduit system at the same time, as this will avoid having to dig up finished portions of the total project in order to run an additional conduit to an outlying area. This also applies to piping for underground sprinkler systems. Items such as conduit and piping are inexpensive and it is not necessary to buy the valves and wiring, as the case may be, until that portion of the project is undertaken.

If your project is installing concrete patios or driveways, paving a driveway, installing a deck, placing brick pavers or flagstone it is always a good investment to install at least one if not two 2″ PVC pipes below the surface and at least a foot on either side of the installation, even if at this point in time you have no plans or concepts for how they might be used. Make a drawing or sketch of where the pipes are located. By installing the pipes you will have given yourself the ability to run pipes or wires under the project without having to dig it up and redo it.

As with any project, big or small, proper preparation is one of the biggest keys to success. Know and understand the materials that you are using. As an example, plants need a variety of soils and fertilizers in order to become hardy and survive the seasons. Materials to construct driveways, patios and walkways are laid down different depending on the foundation that the products are being installed on top off. Read and pay attention to manufacturer instructions, believe it or not they know the best way to install and maintain their products. They understand and have experimented with the best ways to create a foundation and they really want you to be happy with the end result. Use tools that are specified, especially when cutting products. Make sure that all tools, whether powered or hand, are in a safe condition.

For more information about landscaping and other renovation projects visit Renovation Headquarters.

[tags]landscaping, planning, renovation, reno, diy,[/tags]

“If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might not the heart of man become in its long journey toward the stars?” G.K. Chesterton

I woke up today with achy muscles and hamstrings that felt
stretched to the max. Too much time at the gym? Too many miles
on my bike?

Nope. Just lots and lots of gardening.

This week I joined hundreds of others who, pulled by Spring
Fever, sunshine, and fresh air, flocked to nurseries and garden
centers in search of the perfect annuals, shrubs, planters, and
garden ornaments. And boy oh boy, did we find them. We came in
droves, fellow gardeners and I, driving way too many miles in
this gasoline-crisis-environment of ours, looking for the best
prices, the best selection, and the best accessories.

And you know what I mean by garden accessories, right? It’s a
business reaction as befitting this gardening frenzy as hot dog
buns are to hot dogs. And we’re not just talking planters,
birdhouses, and birdbaths anymore, either. We’re talking benches, arches, baker’s racks, shutters, statues, sundials…with bunnies and roosters in all shapes and sizes to boot. Do you want those in bronze, black or antique white? Distressed? Shiny? Whatever your fancy, they’re yours for the buying.

And buying them we are. What with cocooning becoming the “in”
lifestyle of the 90’s, it’s no wonder that we’ve attacked our
yards with passion. And our wallets. Americans spend just under
$40 billion-yes, that’s a “b”-on lawn care annually, according to the National Gardening Association. And the annual rate of growth in the industry has been at 8% for the last five years. In fact, eight out of ten households in the U.S. actively participate in indoor and outdoor lawn and garden activities of the do-it-yourself nature in one way or another, a degree equal to the highest level of participation in the last five years. Sales of bulbs to consumers have nearly doubled within the past five years, too. And retail sales of floral products come in around $13 billion.

We can hardly help ourselves. Researcher Mike Steven established
in a research project in Australia entitled “The Congruent
Garden: An Investigation into the Role of the Domestic Garden in
Satisfying Fundamental Human Needs,” that gardens have the
potential to satisfy nine basic human needs, including, in
addition to subsistence, affection and creation, which resonate
most closely with my own experience there.*

Gardening allows me to forget the troubles of my everyday world
and become immersed into creating something of beauty. Gardening
allows me, as I mindlessly pull weeds, arrange potting soil into
containers, and pat dirt gently around freshly planted flowers,
to sift my thoughts through a filter energized by sunshine and
fresh air. It gives me the freedom to enjoy the wild songs of the birds, the bubbling of the brook….and the humming of the
lawnmower of a neighbor I hadn’t previously recognized.

Gardening forces me out of my comfort zone behind the computer
screen at which I stare seven days a week, and into the world of
perennials and annuals, the names, sunlight requirements, and
bloom cycles which continue to escape my memory. It forces me to
get my hands and fingernails dirty (I hate wearing gloves) and
celebrate the tactile pleasure of running damp soil through my
palms and pressing it into the earth. Gardening stretches me. It
helps to illuminate my innermost thoughts. It forces me out of
the cerebral nature of the work that I do, and pushes me into the physical nature of work in which I feel so incompetent.

As we celebrate Spring….and fight the Fever together…engage
in work of your hands by working the earth beneath your feet.
Allow yourself to become intoxicated by the beauty and aroma of
flowers. For as it was so aptly said in the TV show A Gardener’s
Dairy: “What grows in the garden, so lovely and rare? Roses and
Dahlias and people grow there.” Yes. People grow in gardens.
Robert Ingersolll wrote: “Every flower about a house certifies to the refinement of somebody. Every vine climbing and blossoming tells of love and joy.”

And growing in love and joy is, after all, what growing in one’s
garden is all about.

*Note: Mike Steven, Lecturer in Landscape Studies, University of
Westen Sydney, Australia

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; ten years of homeschooling and raising four kids provide fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is widely available online, in bookstores or through 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via seminars, workshops, keynotes and monthly meetings of the ROCKET MOM SOCIETY, a sisterhood group she launched to “encourage, equip and empower moms for excellence.” Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com.

[tags]gardening, landscaping and gardening, home and garden[/tags]

There are many decisions to be made when it comes to improving the look and feel of your home, but few decisions are as critical as the choice of the right general contractor. Choosing the right contractor is the best source way to ensure a smooth, seamless and cost effective addition or improvement to your home. Choosing the wrong general contractor can make your long awaited home addition into your biggest nightmare.

Determine what you need

The first step in finding a great general contractor is to determine just what your needs really are. Be sure to scope out and identify the project before you begin contacting general contractors. If the job is a small one, only one type of professional, like a carpenter, may be required. If a home addition, or extensive remodeling, is needed, it may be necessary to hire not only a contractor but an electrician and plumber as well.

If the job is a complicated one, it is important to hire a general contractor who is able to handle all the additional work, and deal effectively with any subcontractors he or she needs to hire.

Make a list

It is important to make a list of general contractors who operate in your area, and to check that list carefully. It is important to carefully check the background, and the references, of all the general contractors. Ask around for references, and be sure to carefully check any references given to you by the contractors themselves.

Be sure to get an estimate

Entering into a relationship with a general contractor without a good estimate in hand is simply asking for trouble. It is important to get at least three general contractors to bid on the project you have, and to spend time with each bidder in order to find the best one.

Before seeking an estimate, it is important to provide a firm project in order to assure an accurate estimate. Be sure to describe the project clearly and in great detail. It is also important to ask each contractor when they can start, and how long they expect the job to take. Remember that general contractors have their busy seasons, usually in the spring and summer months. If you hit the contractor during a busy time, he or she may not be able to get to your job for some time. Be sure you know the start date, and projected completion date, before agreeing to the project.

Brooke Sikula is a freelance writer based in Ventura, CA and writes on a wide range of topics from home improvement to credit repair and everything in between. She is a regular contributor to http://www.get-home-improvement.com and http://www.credit-card-faq.com

For more information and advice on home improvement projects, check out http://www.home-improvement4u.com

[tags]home improvement, project, contractor[/tags]

In this age of the open plan, live-in kitchen where the kitchen is exposed to other rooms of the house like the family room, it is becoming more popular to disguise the ‘kitcheny’ look of the kitchen in favor of the more comforting look of the adjacent room. We are concealing refrigerators and dishwashers behind decorative cabinet panels and using furniture like features on the cabinetry to help rid the kitchen of its ‘laboratory’ look. Some people are even mixing pieces of ‘unfitted’ furniture into the mix to help ease the transition between the busiest workroom in the house and its more relaxed neighbor.

But there is one menace that is always present in a busy kitchen. Clutter. Clutter can be found along the back edge of most countertops, up against the backsplash. Most of the time clutter just sits there, hogging countertop space while leaving little workspace in front for food preparation. In fact, clutter is the main reason why we think we need so much counterspace to prepare a decent meal.

In a kitchen-only kitchen, countertop clutter may not be offensive or objectionable at all. It serves a purpose and we get used to seeing it and having it in our lives. But clutter can destroy the look of a kitchen that is trying to blend into another room. The chaotic look of clutter is generally an unplanned assault to the eye, typically the same eye that chose the cabinetry, appliances and countertops to blend so well together in the first place! Clutter however, should not be mistaken as a form of accessorizing, where everything on display is specifically chosen to create a desired theme. Accessorizing can actually enhance the room blending process, but it is difficult to maintain over time as our daily lives change. On the other hand, real countertop clutter that accumulates over time is so diverse that it is obvious that it is completely unplanned.

Clutter can be just about anything that sits on the countertop. Most common are food canisters and condiment containers for salt and pepper, vinegar and oil etc. Clutter can be a basket filled with car keys and notepads, boxes of cereal, an assortment of spices, crockery filled with cooking utensils, or collections of all sorts that show off the owner’s personal conquests at the flee market. But the biggest pieces of clutter are all the small appliances that we need to use so often each day as well as those that we only use occasionally. In period design, where the kitchen design theme tries to emulate a certain historic time period, modern appliances can completely spoil the desired effect. The ‘appliance garage’ nestled between the countertop and the top cabinets has addressed this situation with some success, but in many cases it has just added itself as another form of clutter.

The Working Pantry to the Rescue! A Working Pantry is simply a modestly sized, two foot deep (or more) countertop that is hidden behind bi-fold doors. Above and below the countertop area is storage in the form of open shelving and/or cabinetry. When the bi-fold doors are open, the countertop can be used to store clutter and can be used as dedicated workspace too.

Working pantries can be created in the form of a closet or as full height and depth cabinetry or even as freestanding furniture (similar to a bedroom armoire with a countertop in it.) The least expensive pantries typically are closets with a plastic laminate countertop and exposed shelving hidden by full height bi-fold doors. A walk-in closet style pantry can become a working pantry as opposed to just a storage pantry simply by adding a real worktop. Full-height cabinetry, with bi-fold cabinet doors above the countertop can be retrofitted into most kitchens at the end of a long run of cabinetry. And a freestanding piece of furniture like an armoire/working pantry can truly ease the visual transition between the world of a furnished family room and a utilitarian kitchen. Pocketing flipper style doors can be substituted for bi-fold doors in cabinetry or furniture when it is desirable to keep the doors out of the way when the countertop is exposed.

But in all of these configurations, the main feature is that the interiors can be kept neat and orderly or completely chaotic, and with the doors closed, nobody knows the difference. Visual order is restored!

The Working Pantry does a great job hiding clutter while providing extra workspace and storage space. But it can also become a dedicated workspace to handle specific tasks. For example a baking center can have a marble top and special areas to store the mixer, chopper, baking pans and everything else that’s needed for baking. It can even have bins for flour and sugar built right in, just like the old Hoosier cabinets. Another version can be designed as a wet or dry bar with areas for liquor bottles, a stemware rack, wine bottle rack, a sink and even an undercounter refrigerator. A built-in bar/working pantry can even be used as a partition between two rooms, with bi-fold doors front and back so that the bar can be accessed from either room, but closed off when it is not desirable to be seen from either side. Or it can become a breakfast/snack bar that accommodates the coffee maker(s), toaster and a small microwave along with the breakfast/snack foods and dishes. The breakfast/snack bar is especially nice as a piece of furniture located in the breakfast area/transition space between the kitchen and family room. It becomes a hard working alternative to the decorative hutch style cupboard found in many dining areas.

More often than not, the simpler the idea, the more successful it can become. A working pantry is one of those simple ideas that just makes sense. Though it is not required in every kitchen, it certainly can simplify the look of most kitchens, especially the ones that we label ‘The Heart of the Home’, the ones that need to blend with an adjacent room and become more than just a kitchen.

David Beer is an architect and founder of YesterTec Design Company a company that makes Kitchen Workstation Furniture (instead of kitchen cabinetry.) YesterTec’s Working/Bar pantry won Home Magazine’s 6th Annual American Kitchen & Bath Awards as one of the 14 Best New Products of 2004. It was also recognized as the WINNER of the cabinetry category in Woman’s Day Specials Kitchens & Baths Magazine’s First Annual KB Awards for the Best New Products of 2004. http://yestertec.com

[tags]kitchen design, cabinetry, storage, clutter, unfitted, working pantry, pantry, heart of home, simple[/tags]

Drapes are basically long curtains. They are used to dress the windows up. Window coverings come in so many varieties these days that it may be hard to decide what you want. The decision may come down to personal taste, but you can help yourself by doing some research on the different varieties of window coverings. There are many types of drapes like draw drapes, stationary drapes, lace, sheers, casual swags and many more.

Drapes compliment the look of your house and give it a touch which is both traditional and stylish. They come in a variety of fabrics ranging from cotton to silk to linen to lace to net and many more. You should choose the one which goes best with the d

Do you appreciate your china cabinet? If not, perhaps you should. This item of furniture holds some of a family’s greatest possessions, like china dishes that may have been passed down from one generation to another, perhaps even through several families over time. Other special mementos, like framed photos, prized silverware, or even collections of some type typically fill a china cabinet. If you have one in your dining room, it may well be the center of attraction there, drawing everyone’s eyes to behold its beauty when they gather for holiday, celebratory, or routine meals. That’s why you want to take good care of this beautiful item to ensure it continues to hold valuable keepsakes and remain the focus of attention in your dining area.

Begin accentuating this beautiful wooden piece by clearing the clutter from its shelves and interior. Move books, mail, or other non-essential things to another part of the house. Clean out the inside, too, moving equipment manuals, insurance policies, or children’s toys from the interior and clearing the area for more relevant items. Then clean the cabinet from top to bottom, including the bottom and back. Dust it carefully, and then look for stains or spills that require special attention. Use a furniture crayon to cover scratches, and consider the application of furniture polish to keep it gleaming and protected from future spills.

Save the shelves for something of special significance, like a framed picture of your great-grandparents, especially if they were the original owners of the cabinet. Or you can feature a collector’s ensemble of tins, plates, or other memorabilia that will catch guests’ eyes. Of course, on the inside shelves you can settle your favorite china pieces, along with a drawer for the silverware. Arrange these in a sensible way so they won’t tip or fall. If you have glass doors on the top half of the cupboard, make sure the glass is secure, clean it if necessary, and stack visible items so they appear attractive and yet are secure. If all the china won’t fit, feature the most often used pieces or those that are most attractive.

Depending on the cabinet’s style, you may be able to nestle a corner cupboard into a perfectly fitting nook of the dining room. A freestanding cabinet can go against any wall where it won’t interfere with windows or vents. You may want to place a suitable dried flower arrangement, vase, or decorator accent on top of the cabinet, if it goes with your room’s d

The first step is to plan the design - as with kitchens, your local supplier will run off a computer-generated plan based on the room’s dimensions and your particular requirements.

If you’re sticking with the same layout, measure your bathroom suite carefully before you go shopping for a replacement so that you know the new items will fit.

Re-plumbing and re-wiring will push the cost up so stick with the existing service points if possible - although this may be unavoidable if you want to change the position of the bathroom suite.

First decide on the right place for the bath and/or shower. If your loo is in your bathroom, decide where this will go and then position the washbasin.

Once the fittings are planned you can work out how to use the remaining space which, in modern bathrooms, may be quite limited. Some kind of storage, either cupboards or shelves - preferably both - is required for toiletries, cleaning products, toilet rolls and children’s bath toys. If your bathroom is spacious you may also keep clean towels and your linen basket in there.

Choosing the bath and basin can be a time-consuming task. Even if you’re not opting for something like a jaccuzzi or indoor hot tub, baths come in all shapes and sizes - standard oblong, rolltop, corner, curved, wider at one end than the other - and colours. Unless you desperately yearn for a particular colour it’s best to stick with white. It’s clean-looking, inoffensive and will go with any colour you decide to use for paint and furnishings.

Taps, too, come in a bewildering array of styles - choose a design that will complement your bathroom.

Before making your final decision on the bathroom suite it is helpful to check your plans with your plumber to see if there are any potential snags with the designs you have picked.

Even if your window has frosted glass make sure you have a curtain or blind with ‘blackout’ lining unless you want neighbours or passers-by watching the silhouette of you bathing, washing or worse.

When it comes to decoration, remember to use - or specify, if someone else is doing the work - grout that is resistant to steam and water. Similarly, choose paint and wallpaper that will stand up to heat and steam - look in the ever-expanding ‘kitchen and bathroom’ ranges.

Pale colours brighten a small bathroom, especially one with no natural daylight but it’s fun to experiment with colour. And a large mirror across one wall, especially the wall opposite the window, will help make a small bathroom look and feel much bigger and lighter.

Floor coverings, too, come in all types of material and colour - but avoid carpet which is impractical and unhygienic in a bathroom. Vinyl, cork tiles or lino are good choices - warm underfoot and easy to clean. However, if the surface you choose is shiny always use a non-slip washable rug for extra safety.

If you’re installing a shower - either as a separate feature or above the bath - investigate the different types before deciding which to choose. If you have high water pressure you could opt for a thermo shower which is connected direct to your heating system and keeps the water temperature even.

An electric shower system heats the water itself and is mostly used above the bath. Power showers will give you the ultimate shower experience, even if you have low water pressure.

Look for a non-slip surface in both bath and shower. Check with your plumber that the drainage can take the amount of water your shower is producing - an overflowing shower tray can cause serious problems.

Above all, the main thing to remember when redesigning your bathroom is - choose a design that works for your lifestyle.

Barry Dunlop is the Founder of Bathroom-Buyers-Guide.com - The site that promises you lots of tips, advice and help to plan, design and buy your dream bathroom! Find out more at his http://www.bathroom-buyers-guide.com

[tags]bathroom, bathrooms, shower, diy bathrooms, bath, electric shower, bathroom accessories[/tags]

Home improvement has now become an important process for all homeowners, especially those who have budget, time and patience to improve the look and feel of their home. Home improvement has now also become an elaborate process, with many things concerned with home improvement being incorporated into the process.

Home improvement is not just about walls and paints anymore. It’s about giving your home a certain flavor that complements the ambience of your home and also makes you feel good. Homeowners now take care of every aspect while home improvement (not ignoring Feng Shui and co. here!). Style, furniture, functionality are major components of home improvement. Although home improvement largely depends on individual taste and style, there are some things that need to be taken care of while going for extensive home improvement. Home improvement also incorporates kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, flooring, roofing, basement remodeling and more - all depends on your requirements and the structure of your house.

Home improvement is a specialized task, and homeowners often hire contractors for the job, unless the task is very miniscule. However, it is recommended whatever be the task, it is better to hire professional contractors for home improvement. First, they are experts in their work and second, they provide with a professional package. There are specialized and general contractors available. It depends on your requirements that you want to hire.

Home improvement is not something that is done everyday. It is a specific task that is undertaken once in years, and that’s how it should be done. Consult a good designer to get the best for your home now!

For more tips and details please visit www.allremodel.com.

Natasha

[tags]Home improvement, all remodel[/tags]

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art, where placement of objects in a room depends on the movement of chi or natural energy of our environment. Based on the patterns of nature, a Feng shui master will tell us where to place every individual object in our home or workplace. A master will also provide advice on how a building should be positioned on a property. Feng Shui shows us how to support the flow of energy in our lives for better health and prosperity.

The best location for a bedroom, according to Feng Shui is in the rear of the home. This is where it is said that all “restful” energy lies. In order to preserve this energy the bedroom should have only one door connecting it to the rest of the house. It is best that the bedroom is not located over a garage. If it is, to preserve a restful sleep, one must use heavy solid objects on the floor or hang a mirror on the garage ceiling so that it will reflect the image of the car away from the bedroom. If a kitchen is located over the bedroom, place a mirror on the ceiling of the bedroom reflecting downward, sealing off the bustling activities occurring in the kitchen.

There should always be a door connecting the bedroom and the bathroom, and the door should always be kept closed. Feng Shui recommends not having a television in the bedroom as it causes less interactions between couples. If one is present, it should be covered when not in use. A work station in the bedroom is also discouraged as is exercise equipments because these release opposite energies than that of restful energy.

Mirrors in a bedroom can be a problem as they are said to reflect one’s negative energy when one is sleeping, thereby causing nightmares. This principle applies to any object that reflects like paintings, computer screens or metal surfaces.

Feng Shui recommends that a person sleep with legs facing away from the door because such a position is referred to as the “coffin” position. Colors in the bedroom should be subtle, as should the colors of bedroom furniture. Clean up clutter in the bedroom including closets for good energy.

Bedrooms are rooms to go to for peace and relaxation. To distract negative energy Feng Shui encourages a good circulation of natural energy and plenty of fresh air.

Bedrooms provides detailed information about bedrooms, bedroom furniture, bedroom sets, bedroom accessories, and more. Bedrooms is the sister site of Carpet Cleaning Machines.

[tags]bedrooms, bedroom furniture, bedroom sets, bedroom accessories[/tags]

Your house doesn’t have enough storage space, bathrooms, or counter space! Not too mention your kitchen is old, small and poorly ventilated. Now you are trying to decide between remodeling your current home to address some of these needs and buying a new bigger home. This is a question many homeowners find themselves trying to answer. There are a few key factors to consider as you try to decide what will be best for you and your family.

First think about the location of your current home. Do you like this area? Do you have kids in local schools? Is there a low crime rate? If you like your current location, then you need to determine if you are able to buy a new bigger home in this same neighborhood or would you be forced to buy in a different less desirable area? If you can’t afford a bigger home in your current area and you want to stay local, then you should consider remodeling/adding more square footage on to your current home.

Another factor to consider when deciding between remodeling and buying a new home is the disruption caused by remodeling. If you are remodeling your kitchen this means you will be without a fully functioning kitchen for a couple of weeks. Even if you are not working in a key area like the kitchen you can still expect disruption from any remodeling project. Construction materials, dust, noise, and additional trash will be sure to accompany any remodeling project. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea then maybe you should buy a new house and leave the messy, inconvenient remodeling to someone else.

Finances obviously need to be taken into account when making such a large decision. If you don’t have the cash on hand then you might want to tap into your home’s equity. When remodeling you can leverage the equity you have in your home to pay for the upgrades. If don’t have a strong equity position in your current home you might be better off selling you home and buying a bigger home for a similar price in a less desirable neighborhood.

When thinking about adding more square footage to your existing home you need to consult your local zoning laws. In some areas you might not be able to add-on due to zoning laws so be sure to do your research before starting construction.

All of these factors need to be considered before making a decision on whether it makes more sense to remodel your current home or buy a new home. The home is often our largest investment so when making decision about remodeling or buying a different house it is important to consider all factors.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors.

[tags]Remodel, Kitchen[/tags]