How To Lower Heating Costs During the Winter

If you live in a cold climate, your heating bill is likely to shoot up during the winter—that is, unless you choose to sacrifice comfort and spend the entire season shivering. For most people, however, the idea of being cold for months on end isn’t ideal—but neither is spending a ton of money on heating their homes. Fortunately, we have a few solutions. Here are some effective tips on how to lower heating costs during the winter.

Invest in an Energy-Efficient Temperature Control System

Investing in an energy-efficient temperature control system may have a steeper up-front cost, but it can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run. Because heating systems are some of the largest consumers of energy in homes, reducing the amount of energy your heating unit consumes can greatly reduce your monthly utility bill.

To purchase an energy-efficient temperature control system, pay close attention to the unit’s SEER rating. SEER stands for “seasonal energy efficiency ratio,” and the rating will provide insight as to how energy-efficient the unit is. The higher the SEER rating, the eco-friendlier the temperature control system will be.  

Clean or Replace Your Filters

Another tip on how to reduce your heating costs during the winter is to clean or replace your heating system’s filters. If these filters become clogged with dust and other particles, the airflow throughout the vents will become blocked. As a result, your heating system will have to use more energy to properly heat your home. To ensure heated air is able to circulate effectively throughout your home, make sure to clean or replace your filters on a regular basis.

Improve Your Home’s Insulation

Improving your home’s insulation does have a fairly significant up-front cost. However, properly insulating your home is essential to keeping it warm and reducing energy costs. If your home isn’t well-insulated, heated air will continuously escape from your home, and your heating system will have to work extra-hard to keep the space warm. In addition to increasing your energy bill, this can also shorten the system’s life, which will result in repair and replacement fees. As such, it’s often financially advantageous to improve your home’s insulation.

Tips to Design a Luxurious and Elegant Bedroom

Your bedroom doesn’t have to be an ordinary space, as it is one of the most personal spaces in your home that you long to be in after an exhausting day at work. It has to be every bit comfortable and functional so that you always have endless possibilities to relax and recharge. However, your bedroom should reflect your taste and style preferences also.

If you crave a luxurious and elegant look and feel in your bedroom but don’t know how to go about it, you are on the right page. Here we are to inform you that giving such look to your bedroom doesn’t require you to spend a fortune. Rather, the luxury bedroom design isn’t always about million dollars but thoughtful details. So continue reading to find out the tips and rules to follow for giving an elegant and luxurious look to your bedroom.

Pay Attention to the Bed

There are no two ways about the fact that the bed is the most crucial element of a bedroom. Therefore, do whatever it takes for making it the focal point of the room. As the quality of your sleep has a lot to do with the maintenance of your mental and physical health, your bed has to be comfortable. Invest in high-quality beds, quilts, pillows, blankets and mattresses, or else be ready to say goodbye to good sleep and rest. These high-quality bedding products not only provide you with the required comfort but also give your bedroom a luxurious feel. You can opt for a precious and rich-looking quilt, pillow and cushion fabric, which would become the highlight of your bedroom. 

Besides comfort, you should keep in mind the importance of making your bed stylish. The more stylish and modern the bed, the more elegant your bedroom would appear. One of the best ways to enhance the style quotient of your bed is to add a suitable headboard. Although it is an optional element of any bed, its presence makes a huge difference in the overall appeal of the bedroom. Pick a swanky headboard to suit your taste and complement all the other elements of your bedroom décor as well.

Subtle Color is all You Need

While planning a luxury bedroom design, color choice is one of the most important things that you would have to do with caution. Your bedroom is a place that you seek rest and solace in, so it doesn’t have to have bold colors but soothing shades. You can go for a restful palette of monochromatic tones, which can fill up your bedroom with a calm and serene effect. Besides gentle hues of blue, green and lavender, you can try topaz, toasty browns and deep pomegranate shades. To put all this in other words, you should pick the toned-down versions of your favorite colors. For example, you can choose mauve instead of eggplant color.

Go for Glamorous Lighting

By glamorous lighting, we mean multiple light points and fixtures that you can use as per your needs and convenience in your bedroom. There have to be ceiling lights, pendant lights and table lamps as per the available space and lighting requirements of your room. The key here is to choose lighting designs and looks that are sophisticated, stylish and elegant altogether. You can mix yellow and white lights to create a décor that you crave to be in after a day out. 

Elegant and Right Sized Furniture

Regardless of the furniture item, you desire to add to your bedroom to give it a sophisticated and luxurious appeal, don’t forget to consider its size beforehand. This is because no matter how stylish and pricey furniture you pick, it cannot provide the desired effect if it is too big or small in size. Therefore, start with a measured drawing of the bedroom. Avoid choosing a large bed for a small bedroom, a heavy and bulky dresser for a tiny bedroom, a tiny headboard for a big bedroom and like. You can source stylish chairs and ottomans from leading furniture suppliers like Duravit Bathroom London and place them at the end of the bed. Not only luxurious but such additions make the bedroom more functional and inviting also. 

Plan Plenty of Storage

The best way to give a luxurious appeal to your bedroom is by giving it a minimalist design and appearance. For, a cluttered and messy space can never appear elegant or sophisticated to anybody. To prevent your bedroom from looking cluttered, you should design one with plenty of storage space. This would allow you to have everything you require in your bedroom yet not putting them all out on display. You can invest in a headboard with a hidden space so that you can hide your books and glasses inside, an ottoman that can safely store some of your cosmetics or a bed with hidden storage space for your extra bed sheets and blankets.

How Can a Sectional Change Your Living Room and Your Life?

When you close your eyes and imagine a living room, chances are the first thing you envision is a sofa. Whether you use them as an art piece or a place where you can Netflix and chill, a couch is undoubtedly indispensable. 

Choosing to have a sofa is not a hard decision; the rough part lies in picking which kind of sofa would make your room inviting, cozy, and stylish. There is one type that encompasses all of those so-desired traits: sectional sofas. 

Not convinced they are the best option for your living room? Sit down on your provisory chair and relax while we enlighten you about the splendors of sectional sofas. Now, this is a more overall view of the advantages of a sectional, so if you want to see some real options, be sure to check out Sectionalist.

Sectionals: Saving Space and Money

When reading the word “sectionals” your mind may immediately exclaim “But we don’t have enough room!”; this is merely your brain not recognizing the optical illusion behind sectional sofas. What if we told you they can actually save space? 

Sectional couches offer a variety of positions on their display. Some may even undock into multiple pieces, allowing you to get the maximum value for your dollar. Since they are composed of smaller pieces, they will be a breeze to deal with if you plan on moving out. 

Their versatility makes them easier to fit into tight spots, and their volume eliminates the need to buy extra seating! This is especially handy if you have a large family, group of friends or large dogs that insist yours is the best spot on the couch. Sectional sofas can quickly turn into a makeshift bed; some even pull out to sofa-beds. With these bad boys, you will have room for everybody, no matter the room’s size.

By optimizing space and adapting to your configurations, sectionals make an incredible option for those of you who enjoy varying the feng-shui every now and then without loosening your purse strings. 

Fancy Doesn’t Mean Uncomfortable

Have you ever walked into a room, saw a sectional sofa, and didn’t think: “Wow. Stylish.”? Chances are, you’ve been rightfully charmed every time! 

Sectionals are unquestionably an aesthetically pleasing piece. Their stylish and fancy allure have the ability to brighten up a room, making it effortlessly elegant. Another great thing about them is their flair to cleverly define spaces; they can turn an open-spaced plan into two divisions. Using them to separate a living room from a dining room, for example, is brilliant for making a place feel cozier.

These eye-catching works of furniture are surprisingly simpler to maintain in comparison to regular couches. When you find damage on your sectional you can repair that exact spot without having to replace your whole sofa (since they are composed of multiple pieces).

It is frequent to look at classy things and perceive them as uncomfortable; things to be looked at, not used. This could not be further from the truth when speaking of sectional couches. 

As a matter of fact, one of the amazing things about this kind of furniture is their nap appeal. Their spacious cushions are ideal for you to sprawl out on a Sunday afternoon. They are big enough to allow two people to stretch out and relax in the comfort of their own home - something you might be doing more these days. 

In Conclusion 

Even if you feel like you are spending a bit more money when opting for a sectional instead of a “normal” sofa, keep in mind they are a fantastic investment. 

You won’t have to fumble around with new furniture: these sofas adapt to you and your living room, not the other way around. They are a perfect fit both for people who love to entertain, and people who don’t go without having that perfect place to snuggle.
When you realize you can have it all (comfort, style, versatility, and money in your pocket), going for a sectional is an absolute no-brainer. Happy shopping!

What are the Different Types of Cladding?

Renovating your house is an undertaking where you get to both improve the value of your house, or add an aesthetic appeal to it, or do both at the same time – depending on what part of it you’re fixing up. 

The great thing about house renovation is that it almost always means that you will single-handedly improve your house in multiple ways if you decide to do it. 

For example, if you fit new energy-efficient windows, you will not only save energy but also have a clearer view of the outside and also – the value of the house will inevitably go up with the new upgrade, too.

If you decide to clad the walls of your house, on the other hand, you will achieve a tri-fold improvement of your property:

1. More insulation (meaning less expensive heating and air-conditioning bills)

2. Added value to the building (in case you decide to sell at one point down the road)

3. Massive aesthetic enhancement.

In this article, we’re going to talk about this type of house improvement – exterior cladding. To be more precise, we’ll talk about the different forms of cladding there are.

Here’s the deal.

Natural Stone

Representing one of the best-looking types of insulating wall cladding, natural stone is the first choice for many people around the world. 

Houses that have a natural stone exterior possess a special sort of appearance that gives off the impression that your house is a part of the natural order, so to speak, while also retaining its sturdy structure.

The benefits of cladding your house with natural stone don’t with just its aesthetic appeal, though. 

This material is also an excellent insulator, so if you have a wall clad with natural stone, your heating costs will certainly go down, too. Also, natural stone does not absorb that much moisture, so you won’t have problems with it soaking in massive quantities of water every time it rains, either. 

Brick 

Another excellent solution for cladding your house would be brick. 

While this may seem a tad confusing since bricks are already used as a material to build the house itself, another layer of special bricks can be added to the base layer for purposes of cladding. 

Typically, this cladding brick layer will then be made out of a different sort of brick – usually, one that is more aesthetically appealing than the base layer.

The great thing about using brick for this purpose is that you can create unique and interesting visual patterns, so you have plenty of options to make your house stand out from the rest of the bunch in your neighborhood.

Metal 

Apart from its role in increasing the strength of concrete, metal can have one other interesting role in house building – exterior cladding. 

The great thing about metal is its endless malleability, meaning that you can get in a wide variety of shapes and forms, which is typically not the case with other cladding materials. 

What’s more, no matter what the pattern or design of a metal cladding solution – you can always rest assured that it will be sturdy and add further reinforcement to the structure of your house. 

Timber 

Representing possibly the most sustainable and eco-friendly cladding solution out there, timber cladding can be a great solution for folks who care about climate change and want to be a part of the push against it, in a way.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you would have to sacrifice anything in terms of the quality of the cladding, just so you can brag to your friends about how eco-conscious you are. 

Timber, in general, is a great insulator, which is why it is routinely used for building forest shacks in colder climates. Also, looks good as it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

Last but not least, timber is tough and fairly weather-proof, so even if you live in a rough climate with plenty of precipitation, chances are – you won't have any problems if you decide to go for a timber wall cladding.

All in all, listed above are all materials that are already well-proven to be effective when it comes to the purpose of wall cladding. Depending on what your needs and tastes are, each of these can do a terrific job for improving the insulation rate, the strength of the structure, as well as the look of your house’s exterior.