close

March 2022

Home

Tips For Creating A Cozy She Shed

Congratulations! You’ve added a she shed to your backyard, built a craft room addition above your garage, or turned an extra bedroom into a cozy reading room. No matter where your sanctuary is, now is your opportunity to decorate the comfy space especially for you. Here are some ideas to get creativity flowing.

Decide on a decor theme: Maybe your home yoga studio will have a boho flair, complete with a rattan sofa, Moroccan ottomans on the floor, or a macramé hammock suspended from the ceiling. Or perhaps you want to give a Hollywood glam vibe to your walk-in closet by including a tufted sofa with hobnail trim. Whatever suits your tastes.

Incorporate versatile, dimmable and smart lighting: Your private room might have several purposes. If that’s the case, include versatile lighting. You will want over-the-shoulder lighting for reading, task lighting for crafts, and soft, glowing light strings for long winter naps. Look for floor lamps with dimmer switches and attached reading lights. If you want to go high tech, investigate voice-activated smart lights, for when your hands are full. There are even smart light bulbs that change colors.

Use “hide-away” furniture: If your book nook still needs to double as a guest room, free space by incorporating convertible furniture, such as a sleeper sofa or a pull-down Murphy bed.

Wrap up: Keep a cozy electric blanket or warm afghan handy for chilly days. 

Make room for your BFFs (best furry friends): Cats and dogs appreciate good naps, too. Be sure they have separate comfy, color-coordinated beds and pillows to snooze upon, while they keep you company. 

Bloom where you are planted: Plants are good for your body and mind. Having plants in your space can lower blood pressure, increase attentiveness and raise productivity, which makes them well-suited for home offices. The aromas of plants can benefit your physical and mental health. For example, the scent of eucalyptus may help relieve cold symptoms, and the scent of lavender is said to be calming. If you’re a foodie, stock potted herbs to use in your cooking, such as rosemary, basil and thyme.

Store important beverage and snack equipment: Include a coffee maker, electric tea kettle and mini fridge. (Pro tip: This is where to keep your favorite ice cream that you don’t want your kids to find.)

Make it personal:

  • Gather your vacation photos and group them into shadow boxes with souvenirs from your trips.
  • Frame your kids’ early masterpieces and hang them on the walls.
  • If you still have your old record collection, display favorite album covers.
  • Unpack all your boxes and plastic totes that are stored in the garage to uncover forgotten treasures.

Now that you have your cozy space, create the look you’ve always wanted. See the accompanying resource created by the experts in online furniture shopping.

Infographic provided by Sofas & Sectionals
read more
Kitchen

Handy Provides You with Kitchen Island Suggestions for Great Custom Kitchen Islands

Introduction

According to Handy, a well-designed kitchen island is not only super functional but can also serve as a focal point of your home. However, kitchen remodeling is no easy task. You have to work with limited space and carefully evaluate your options to achieve a balance between beautiful design, form, and functionality to truly make the space feel like home.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few tips you can follow to build a great custom kitchen island:

  • Consider the main purpose – A kitchen island can serve multiple purposes such as prepping meals, cooking, and even for entertainment. However, it is useful to focus on one aspect to reduce the cost and make the space suitable for the main purpose.

It should include a prep sink and a large surface area that allows you to prepare the ingredients of the meal. For post-meal cleanup, having a dishwasher can serve well. For cooking, you have to add adequate ventilation and include space for essential appliances such as microwave, cooktop, warming drawers, and range.

The countertop should have ample space for dining or serving your family members or guests along with a sufficient seating zone around it.

  • Consider the kitchen island design – A kitchen island doesn’t have to be rectangular. You can substitute the common shape with an L-shape, T-shape, or even a rounded island if it matches the space in your kitchen better.

You can even opt to build freestanding kitchen islands instead of a built-in island. Although they can be less permanent, a portable or mobile kitchen island is just as functional, especially for small spaces. Since you can custom build it you can include all sorts of amenities including storage, fixtures, seating, appliances, and more.

  • Focus on the lighting in the kitchen space – Kitchen island lighting is crucial and it needs to be both aesthetic and practical. It is recommended that you incorporate a mix of different lighting types including ceiling-mount, recessed, and pendant lights. It is also important to ensure that the space receives plenty of natural light.

A line of pendant light fixtures above the kitchen island can not only look elegant but infuse the space with a lovely charm. And you can use low-hanging light bulbs that act as task lighting for making it easier to do the prep work. However, it is important to ensure that you install dimmable lights so that you can adjust the mood of the room when cooking or dining.

  • Consider the features you want – The materials you choose for your kitchen island are incredibly important. Marble and granite countertops look gorgeous but require routine maintenance since they are porous. Quartz and laminate surfaces are a better alternative if you want a durable surface that doesn’t require much maintenance.

Also, you have to carefully consider the storage options that you want to include in your kitchen island. These include display storage, shallow open shelves, extra-deep drawers, vertical slots, open shelving, drawers for storing dishes and cutlery, and more.

Conclusion

Handy suggests you hire a reputed professional for building your custom kitchen island. An expert can provide you with practical suggestions after arriving at your space and recommend you the best options.

read more