How to Make Sure Your Home Is Ready for Cooler Fall Weather

As the temperature starts to drop, many homeowners are preparing to turn on their air conditioners for the first time. If you're one of these people, we want you to be prepared before it gets too cold. Here are some tips and tricks to help your home stay comfortable during those cooler fall days.

Furnace Repair

Furnaces are great for keeping the home warm during winter, but they can also make it too hot in the fall if you don't take some precautions. One of these is checking and replacing your filter regularly so that air circulating through the house isn't warmed up by passing over a dirty or clogged filter. In addition to making sure your filter is clean, you may want to invest in a programmable thermostat. This will help save money and prevent overcooling the house while you're away or sleeping during the day. If you notice other issues with your furnace that you aren’t able to repair yourself, contact a furnace repair company. 

Keep the Shades Closed

Along with checking your filter, you might also want to keep curtains and blinds drawn during the day. This will help maintain a more consistent temperature throughout the house, which may be important for rooms like kitchens where sunlight can cause heat gain. 

Stay Comfortable With Layers

Many people will start wearing jackets and sweaters as the temperatures drop, but it can be hard to dress for comfort indoors. If you want some relief from heat or coolness, try layering clothes that are made out of different materials, such as cotton/wool blend or a cotton t-shirt under a sweater. Also, using space heaters to maintain a consistent temperature in certain rooms may be necessary, so make sure you keep them away from flammable items and consider installing smoke alarms.

Check Your Windows for Drafts

If you want to keep cool, don't forget about the windows. If any areas of your house feel drafty or cold, make sure these spots aren't near a window. You might also consider installing storm panels if they haven't already been installed on older houses. Storm panels will help block out cold air while still maintaining a clear view out the window.

The steps we outlined above may seem like a lot of work, but they'll help keep your home comfortable as the temperatures change and will make those cooler fall days feel just right. 

Eco-Friendly Home Upgrades for Any Budget

Taking on eco-friendly home projects can be intimidating, but you have choices at every budget. It’s important to consider sustainable options because they will have long term positive impacts on your quality of life.

Even if you’re not sold on their eco-friendly characteristics, a lot of sustainable options save you money and are more convenient than their traditional counterparts. 

Start Small

The little changes in your daily habits add up, so start small in your eco-friendly upgrade journey. 

Smart plugs are a cost-effective way to decrease your family’s energy use. They can be controlled from your phone so you know exactly which appliances you left on when you’re already out the door.

Another easy swap that you can make is to switch to a water-saving shower head. This reduces your water use without even thinking about it! A bonus to this switch is that you get to reduce both your water and energy use because heating water takes a significant amount of energy.

Invest in Your Future

If you’re looking to make a bigger difference with your home upgrades, consider switching to an alternative power source. Installing solar panels or a at-home wind turbine takes a bigger investment up front, but both these options add value to your home and significantly reduce your power bills. 

Another investment is installing a smart sprinkler system to reduce your water usage. This gives you easier control over your sprinklers and means that you don’t need to sacrifice your garden for the sake of reducing your water bill.

Still not sold? Keep reading the infographic below for more eco-friendly home upgrades that will save you money at any budget.

Essential Home Office Design Elements for Productivity and Comfort

For the last year and a half, many of us have been forced to work from makeshift home offices (read our beds or even closets) but since the situation is not getting better, people have started to think about creating something more permanent and stylish. If you also need a proper home office, here are a few essential design elements you have to consider if you want to constantly deliver great work:

A good desk and chair

It’s truly essential to have a good desk and chair in your home office because you will spend hours at a time at and on them. When choosing your desk, opt for something wide and deep enough to accommodate your computer and important papers (at least 120x50cm). If you only need your laptop for work, you can get away with less, but ensure you’re surrounded by plenty of shelving. Your chair should be adjustable and comfortable. Give it a try at the store and consider the hand rests (it’s important they are adjustable too so you can tuck your chair away when you’re not using it).

Storage and shelves

Storage is placed very high on this list and for a good reason. Clutter is a destroyer of productivity and creator of stress—guess which one you need at your home office. Shelving, filing cabinets and storage cupboards will boost your workflow and allow you to control what comes in, stays in and where does it go after you’re finished using it. Your current work should be placed near (in your inbox) but the rest should be filed neatly away from your desk. In case you need to use reference materials like catalogs, manuals and other documents, a shelf next to your desk is a great place for those.

Decoration

The best thing about working from home is that you can be in control of your aesthetics and choose how your office will look and feel. You can either match your office to your home design or go a completely different route to create a more obvious divide between your professional and private life. Add a few pieces that inspire you and provide you with positive feelings. Greenery and flowers are always a great route, but if you don’t want to take care of plants, you can reach for a beautiful everlasting rose in a crystal dome that requires zero maintenance. Place it on your desk or as a backdrop to your Zoom calls—it will impress both you and everyone who sees it.

Lighting

If you want to improve health and productivity, you need good lighting. Bad lighting will not only ruin your focus but also result in eye strain, headaches and sitting in uncomfortable positions. Don’t just rely on lighting you already have or, even worse, use your computer screen for lighting. Proper task lighting is affordable and makes you look great on Zoom calls, yet it allows you to move your light source and manage its intensity.

Technology

Wires hanging out and electronics scattered all over your home office will make your space feel and look very cluttered. Luckily, it’s easy to hide your cords and rein your technology in with a few simple solutions. For instance, you can invest in wireless tech that will half your amount of wires (wireless routers, printers, mouse and keyboard). Next, add a grommet to your desk to neatly lead the wires away from your workspace and underneath your desk, and employ a simple cord tamer to gather anything that’s left loose.

A seating place

No matter if you see clients, have many Zoom calls or often host your curious kids in your office, you will benefit from a small meeting area or some additional seating in your home office. All you need are two chairs, a small table and some comfy lighting.

Safety features

Office safety is very important, especially when it comes to your confidential information like hard drive backups, financial records and tax information. When you’re working from home, you have to protect them yourself. Also, while fires and floods are not common, they happen. You can protect your important documents with a strongbox that will keep all your possessions safe from burglars, fires and floods.

A home office with these aforementioned elements will be a joy to work in. You will not only enjoy your time there but also impress every client and employee with your professionalism and dedication. 

Amazing Bedroom Trends To Try In 2021

The bedroom is the ultimate sanctuary of one’s home. This is a place where we go to rest during the night or to maybe take a refreshing afternoon nap sometimes. Also, it’s where you probably keep your clothes and some other valuable items. Therefore, it’s important to furnish and decorate it in a way that will make your time there relaxing and peaceful. These amazing bedroom trends will help you make your bedroom your true oasis of elegance and peace, so feel free to check them out.

Bringing nature in

If there’s one thing that we’ve all learned in 2020, it is the importance of spending time outdoors. After all, the lockdown showed us how beautiful and energizing nature can be, so in order to remember that, bringing nature in is one of the ultimate 2021 bedroom decor trends. So, for those who want to add more nature-inspired details, then floral wallpapers or framing the windows is a good step in that direction. Also, green wallpaper is an excellent way to link your bedroom to outdoor trees outside the window.

Clever storage solutions for less clutter

Clutter is unnecessary and can only devalue the appeal of your space. Since the bedroom is often where we keep and change our clothes, it means that it’s often cluttered with unneeded items. So, opting for clever storage solutions will keep your bedroom free from clutter. Well-designed joinery can bring a sense of calm while keeping all your stuff organized and in one place. Also, if you’re thinking to renovate your closet, be sure to opt for simple, sleek, and flush-fronted doors that will evoke an atmosphere of relaxation and peace.

The bed is the focal point

The bed should be the main focus of your bedroom, so if you’re replacing all your furniture, then make sure to invest some effort and resources to find the most comfortable bed. The said bed should also match with other decors, in order to create a cohesive and stylish appeal. And in order to have the right bed that you deserve, it’s important to get a designer fabric bed head that will act as a perfect feature for your bed. If you want to add a whole new sense of elegance, then feel free to get inspired by luxury boutique hotels or similar places, as they always emphasize the importance of elegance when it comes to beds.

Natural textures that evoke grounding and peace

Textures are a huge part of interior design, as they enrich the space and can reflect your preferences and personality a lot. And the upcoming bedroom styles are all about natural textures, heavily influenced by nature. We’re talking about earthy hues and textures that have a comforting and safe feel. Cotton, linen fabrics as well as rattan, wicker or wooden furniture are all great suggestions if you want to evoke a vibe of harmony and unity with nature.

Experiment with different beddings

Matching beddings are always the safe choice, however, in 2021, they may look a tad dated. Now it’s more important to personalize your bed using various (and often contrasting) textures and colors. But, even if you’re going to choose contrasting details, make sure that everything looks complementary and cohesive, so your bedroom will be wholesome without unusual details that stick like a sore thumb.

Minimalistic settings and details are in again

If you’re familiar with Marie Kondo, then you know the importance of keeping your space clean and simple. The same goes for your bedroom and in 2021, the less is definitely more. Since the majority of people were sort of forced to turn their bedrooms into temporary offices, that often meant cleaning up the clutter and opting for sleek, minimalist solutions in order to create a calm and neutral environment. So, soft hues, straight lines and minimalist art inspired by Scandinavia or Japan are definitely going to turn your bedroom into a simple, yet an elegant oasis of peace.

Conclusion

These bedroom trends are expected to be popular throughout 2021 and possibly even later.

As long as you keep things comfortable, cluttered and simple, your bedroom will look great and inviting. However, if you’re up for experimenting, feel free to add various colors and textures that will spruce things up and breathe a new life into your bedroom.