How to Know When to Upgrade Your Appliances

Whether for cooking or cleaning, we rely on good appliances to help make our lives a little easier. Stoves, refrigerators, washers, and dryers, are all just some of the household appliances we use everyday. These are often large-ticket items that come with a hefty cost, and we try to avoid unnecessary upgrades and purchases by taking care of them when we can. So, it’s easy to become complacent with what you have and put up with the odd burner that doesn’t work quite right. 

How do you know when it’s time to swap out your old stove or oven for a newer model? There are many clues that let you know it’s time to throw out the old and install the new, and we’re here to help you find them! Here are our top three signs it’s time to upgrade your appliances. 

1. Things aren’t working right.

All right, this one is obvious, but it’s true! Because appliances can be expensive, we often put up with things not working properly. After so long, these minor inconveniences can become large hassles and annoying nuisances that take up a lot of extra time in the day. Here’s what to look for on some appliances: 

Stoves: 

A stove or range usually lasts around 15 years, so if you’re pushing that timeline or are well over it, it might be worth it to start looking for something new. When a stove starts to go, you can expect uneven heat distribution and faulty burners. Another sign is the control panel stops working, and this is the most expensive part to have replaced. 

Refrigerators: 

Current refrigerators are built much more efficiently than those of 20 or 30 years ago. These appliances last about 20 years, and can end up costing a lot of money to repair. If you notice a water leak, it may just be a simple hose that needs replacing, or it could be indicative of a larger issue. If your fridge is over 20 years old, it might be smarter to invest in a newer, more efficient refrigerator to cut down on energy costs and electric bills. 

Washing Machines: 

Washing machines last around 8-10 years, and in those years, they do a lot of work for your home. A tell-tale sign of a washer in need of an upgrade is excessive leaking. Some water here and there is no issue, but when it’s an excessive amount every time, you should start looking for a new washing machine. Also, listen for excessive noise. Older washers get easily unbalanced and cause a loud banging that is not only annoying, but causes even more damage to this appliance. 

2. Your appliances don’t match. 

There may have been a time in your life when you didn’t care about having mis-matched appliances. A white fridge, with a black stove, and a brushed-nickel sink seemed just fine at the time, but that aesthetic can become distracting. Or if you only replace appliances as they break, it’s easy to get this style. Because appliances last so long, many kitchens have this look. If you’re tired of your stove from the 90s and modern fridge butting heads, it’s time to upgrade. A kitchen should have a seamless, effortless look that is inviting and modern. Not every piece needs to be exactly the same, but once you pick a theme, stick with it and opt for streamlined appliances that match and make your kitchen look more expensive. 

3. There’s no more joy in cooking or any house work. 

Not everyone likes to cook or do chores like home organizing. When appliances are breaking and not working properly, these simple tasks can become a huge chore that ends up sucking the life out of your day. If you are someone who loves cooking, but have suddenly dreaded the thought of using your stove, you should upgrade! Ovens with uneven heat distribution, dishwashers that make loud noises, and dryers that need to be run multiple times to get the job done make doing small tasks draining. 

Now, a lot of items are built to function, even with broken parts, so that’s why it’s easy to let this go unnoticed for so long. But if cooking your favorite meal fills you with dread, and you often find yourself cursing your appliances, upgrade them and restore that small joy in your life. 

There are loads of appliances in your home that only live for so long. Everything from outdoor grills to dishwashers have an impact on your life. Not every appliance needs to be replaced right away, but it is smart to know your options and the tell-tale signs that an upgrade is imminent. 

Replacing appliances doesn’t have to be a hassle or intimidating––you just have to do your research, and there are many resources you can utilize to find the perfect fit for your home. 

Guest Post - 5 Decorating Tips to Make Your Home Office More Enjoyable

Have you made the switch to working from home? Following the stay-at-home orders imposed on 1.5 billion people after the outbreak of COVID-19, many people have made this transition, but at the cost of their productivity. A major obstacle is creating the right environment to ensure you are focused and relaxed. 

In addition, elements in a home office like colors, plants, noise and lighting all have a significant impact on one’s concentration, and can also help you enjoy your work. After all, one of the important benefits of working from home is the freedom you have to decorate according to your personal tastes. This is an opportunity to customize your workspace to unleash creativity and your hidden talents. 

With the above guiding principles in mind, here are some things must be taken into consideration when designing an ideal work from home space. We’ve rounded up some of the top tips below.

Make yourself at home. Design your workspace to naturally extend the overall interior design in your house or apartment, and it should blend seamlessly. Incorporate the same design elements you love in your home, and overall plan to decorate with the same themes. For example, if you love plants in your home, then include a lot of green in your work space. If natural wood tones are your vibe, then select the same material for your office desk and chair. Don’t limit yourself just because this is your workspace. You will be much more productive in an environment that brings you joy, so put some extra care into creating a work space that feels like you’re at home.

Let there be light. Natural light has been proven to improve productivity, and having sufficient sunlight in an office space will elevate mood and benefit overall health, so it’s extremely important to create ample opportunities for natural light to filter into your home office environment. Ensure you have sufficient light to work well, but try to avoid stark lighting like fluorescents, and instead supplement natural light with incandescent bulbs that are softer and integrate well with natural light. We spend most of our days staring at our screens, so the aim is to balance that with natural light as much as possible. 

Add a dash of color. You can get a boost of inspiration whenever you need it by ensuring you have bright colors added to your home office décor. Strong colors with refined compositions help improve focus and concentration, while abstract art and neutral palettes like green and beige help with tasks that require a calm mind. Blue is soothing, inspires focus and stimulates productivity, but be sure to break it up with some brighter colors, like orange, to create a balance. Put a little time into decorating your space with vibrant colors—on your desk, on the walls, basically anywhere your gaze falls. Make sure you have a spirited, lively environment to keep your creative juices flowing, and ensure that your productivity stays high. 

Stay organized. Keep your home office space fully-stocked with great organization solutions. The sight of extraneous items strewn about an office can add to stress. Instead, add shelves or install cabinets against the walls. Rather than your typical office storage bins, keep baskets, boxes and containers on your desk and fill them with your essential stationery and work items, so you have what you need within easy reach. Clear, acrylic boxes with lids are ideal for compartmentalizing your go-to office accessories, and you can easily stack them on top of each other to save space and still see what is inside, so items can be easily located again.

Hide the cables. Electrical cords and computer cables are essential, of course, but try to make them as unobtrusive as possible. Leverage Bluetooth and other wireless technologies to cut down on the number of cables you require to work. Choose furniture and built-ins that make computer monitors and TVs fit seamlessly into a cabinet or the wall, and find furniture that will hold the printer, which is often the bulkiest piece of equipment. Mount a power strip on to the back of your desk or underneath, and use cable ties to wrangle any cords that get plugged into that power strip and run them along the back of the furniture where they’re out of sight. You will be astonished how much cleaner and brighter your home office will look once the cables and cords are gone.

Conclusion

The most important thing is to make your home office reflect the way you like to work. If you do your best work behind a desk, then center your decorating around a desk and chair. If you prefer to lounge on laptop, pick out comfortable couches or chairs to start. The goal is to create a space that will make you happy, and always inspire you to work.

Finally, decide whether your workspace will be exclusively for work, or serve a dual function in your home. For example, some prefer to have a work from home space where they can close the door and leave it behind at the end of the day. While others, prefer the space to also serve as a library, TV room, or sitting room. Either way, it can work and it is entirely up to you. But make a decision, and stick to it—that way your home office will be everything you want it to be, even when you’re not working.

Author Bio

Ray Ko has been creating effective visual merchandising and interior design strategies for retailers for more than 20 years. Today, he is the senior ecommerce manager for shopPOPdisplays, a leading designer and manufacturer of stock and custom retail displays that helps brick-and-mortar and ecommerce stores of all sizes, across all industries, showcase their products to drive sales. 

4 Dashing Ways to Upgrade Your Home's Exterior

Every home exterior looks different based on its location, climate and materials. You may see a lot of siding damage or grow tired of looking at the same design. Either way, consider these four ways to upgrade the outdoor look and function of your home.

Siding Replacement

Your home's siding is the first layer of protection against external elements. You don't have to replace it only when you find damage, but if you've had damage before, upgrade to a newer, stronger material. Natural wood is not the best material, but engineered wood, brick and aluminum are good choices. Due to the weather, the wood must be very strong to resist all forms of damage, and the metal should be designed to avoid rusting.

Window Replacement

When you look at the outside of a home, you notice the windows but never give them a second glance. There are countless designs available to replace your old windows for a unique, memorable look. In addition, a window replacement increases the amount of light and ventilation allowed into the room.

Door Renovation or Replacement

Remodel the front door by turning it into a totally different color or design. Replacing the door is recommended to change the color, material and design all at once. Improve home security by installing a stronger door with a more secure locking mechanism.

Many homeowners replace their doors with enhanced window designs like stained glass. A door window does not have to be all functional since you can change its shape, size and shape. Change any detail from the color of the glass to the types of window accessories.

Lighting Replacement

Every old home has patio lighting that is outdated, wastes a lot of electricity and burns out very easily. Many homeowners hate having to replace the bulb every few months. Today, there are LED lighting solutions that are more energy efficient and last years longer without being replaced or maintained. In addition, there are unique lighting fixtures to add as decorative elements to your front or back yard.

People have different reasons for enhancing their home exteriors. Some of them want to save energy and money by installing energy efficient lights or windows. Others want to stand from a neighborhood full of similar-looking houses. You have hundreds of different housing styles and materials to choose from. Regardless of your budget and tastes, you'll find the perfect upgrades for your home.

4 Steps to Restore Your Home from Flood Damage

Homeowners are worried about how to restore their houses to how they looked before flooding hit them. Most of the affected homeowners concentrate more on decorating the house than fixing the damages. After your house has been hit by floods it takes more than just cleaning up the water, laying a new carpet, or re-painting. The first thing you should prioritize is safety.

Flood damage house provides the perfect environment for mold to grow hence poor air quality leading to sneezing, skin rashes, running nose, and red eyes. These kinds of health conditions are caused when the post-flood restoration is not done to the very best. Whether the flood is caused by a water system malfunction, groundwater, or falling water, it is crucial to act fast and start doing repairs on your house as soon as the water is cleared out of the structure. What do you do with a flooded house inside? The first thing is, by all means, necessary you should find a way to stop the flow of water but if the water source if from outside then the best way to prevent this is by using sandbags

To conduct a professional flood and water damage restoration in a flooded house you will need to bring on board professional labor to ensure you don’t miss anything. Before gaining access to the house make sure that electricity is turned off from the main switch. Below are steps to guide you when your house is undergoing repairs.

1. Claim insurance

The homeowners who have flood insurance should contact the respective insurance company for them to send an adjuster as soon as possible. Before the adjuster arrives make sure to take photos that will be used as an inventory. After you have done taking the photos of the house both in and out, begin cleanup, drying, salvage, and restore. Cleaning the house will give the adjuster a better view of the damages caused. For the damaged items, keep them as proof of loss. When the adjuster arrives he will assess damages done to the house and later the owner will sign a proof of loss document. If you don’t have flood insurance then the homeowner’s insurance won't cover the damages but if the government declares the floods a disaster you should apply for assistance.

2. Turn Off the Gas and Electrical Services.

Before gaining access to the house it is very important to be cautious and hire a professional to check your flooded house for gas leaks and electric wires. Failure to do this may lead to further damages like getting hurt by fire or electricity which in some cases may cause death.

3. Dealing with the Interior

After the house is declared safe, take your team into the house remove all the furniture, carpet, and bedding take them out. Replace the carpets and rugs because they might be contaminated by the floodwater. In case you want to salvage the carpets then take them out and spread them out, have them cleaned professionally using carpet shampoo, and later rinsing them with a solution consisting of 2 tablespoons of chlorine lead mixed with 1 gallon of water. If you own a wool carpet do not use bleach. After cleaning make sure to dry the carpet to avoid it getting damp after installation.

4. Check the Walls

To prevent mold, prolonged structure delay, and odor all walls should be opened even if they look undamaged. Drain all the water from the structure. When washing the walls use a phosphate-free cleaner of disinfectant starting from the top going down. Dry well after cleaning if possible use a fan, heater, air conditioner, or dehumidifier to speed the drying process.

It is very crucial to act quickly after such a disaster has affected your home to prevent further damages that might increase the cost of repair in cases where homeowners have no flood insurance. It is advised that even if you don’t live in an area that has frequent flooding disasters you should get flood insurance. If left unattended a flood-damaged house will be a new breeding ground for pests and diseases making it hazardous.