Tips In Fixing Closet Doors

Have you ever had a sliding closet door come off the track in your hand and you don’t know what to do? This article will help to explain how simple it is to correct the problem and make the repairs yourself so there is no reason to hire a repairman.

There are a few items that you will need to collect before starting on this project. You will also need to wear a facemask and protective glasses to keep you from inhaling dirt or dust. The items you will need are not complicated and they are usually found in every household. These items are: Screwdrivers, a flashlight to help you get the brightest light you can, a vacuum cleaner to clean up dust and WD-40 to help with the squeaky door and help the door slide on the track easily.

Once the problem has been determined it is time to get to work. There can be many reasons why the doors are not sliding easily and smoothly:
The most common cause of this problem is that there is a build up of dust and dirt that causes there to be fuzz stuck on the wheels. Once it is found the fuzz can be easily removed with your fingers. The guide of the closet doors can have many things get stuck in there. Be sure that the guide is empty and free of dirt. The screwdriver can make a good tool to scrape dirt out of the track.

 Keep scraping until the blade of the screwdriver comes out clean. If the doors are still not sliding smoothly you can spray some WD-40 on the wheels of the door. This will help the wheels slide and will also penetrate the dirt and dust that has built up on the track.

You will find that the doors for the closet will also drop down from the top clips of the doors. With the screwdriver it is possible to tighten these hangers. Once the hangers are tightened the doors can be tightened and put back where they belong.

Having the floors replaced can cause the track to bend and no longer be straight. Once again the screwdriver comes in handy. Using the screwdriver you should be able to put the track back where it was originally placed.

After following the steps listed above your doors should now be sliding and moving just like they are brand new again. For more information visit InteriorDoorandCloset

Putting You Back Into Your Home

   

photo credit: Avia Venefica via photopin 

 It’s easy to get lost in the world of DIY interior design with limitless knick knacks calling your name. Keep in mind that the best accents in your home are direct reflections of you and your passions. Beginning a tradition of picking up a keepsake on trips is a great way to start collecting conversation starters that actually mean something. This doesn’t mean that you need to budget in expensive decorating items on every trip. Something as minor as a hand-woven banana leaf picture frame from your trip to Central America is a fantastic piece that no department store can match. Consider this an optional (and very fun) homework assignment from here on out. 

Until then, check out these tips for bringing you back into your home.

Spend Money Where it Counts: 

We all have hot button items that fire us up. Some of us have a penchant for safe cookware and others are nurturing a lifelong love affair with first edition books. If it’s in the budget, allow yourself to splurge only on the items that are really close to your heart and show them off. A pot rack in the kitchen for that copper set is a stunning centerpiece. However, for all of the other items, there’s no need to overspend. Luckily for us non-celebs, the trend of distressed high-quality furniture looks like it’s here to stay. If you want to freshen up your home, start scouring second-hand stores, flea markets, and garage sales. Opt for items that are solid-wood and well-made. 

  

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Your Best Decoration is Outside:

Lighting can make a world of difference. The right light can completely change the ambiance of a room and the mood of those in it. If you already have access to natural light, never cover it up with heavy curtains or furniture. It’s the best (and free) decorating you have at your disposal. Not all of us are lucky enough to live in a home with plenty of natural light. Choose lamps instead of overhead lights to create a homier environment. Selecting floor lamps with adjustable features is your best bet. Positioning a lamp upward towards the ceiling provides a softer light.

 A New Room for $100:

The most affordable way to completely change the look of any room is with a DIY paint job. Drastically changing shades can mean an instant transformation. Select high-quality paint and carefully mark off the edges with painter’s tape. Remember that matte, glossy, and semi-glossy is just as important of a consideration as the color. If it’s not in the budget to purchase anything beyond the paint, rearranging the furniture instead of buying new pieces can complete the makeover. Try out some new angles and placement. Experiment with feng shui. Put the couch in the middle of the room instead of against the wall and see how that changes your perspective on things. The point is, changing your home’s interior doesn’t have to cost a fortune. From painting to making a new seating arrangement to adding a well-placed personal keepsake, let your home’s look develop organically.

Wallpaper Vs Paint - Which One Is Better

Homeowners the world over have to make a decision about what to put on the walls of their homes. Wallpaper and paint are two of the most commonly used materials, but which one is better? Wallpaper used to be something that people hated to use in their houses because it was considered to be distasteful. Nowadays wallpaper is back in, and people can't write off the idea of using wallpaper on this basis anymore. Both wallpaper and paint have their own unique and distinct advantages and disadvantages, and this article will take a look into the pros and cons of using each material, respectively. 

Advantages of Using Paint:

Paint has the advantage of being cheap and easy. Almost anyone in the world can pick up a paint brush and use it effectively. With paint, you can choose from high gloss, flat and semi-gloss. Imperfections can easily be covered up using paint by simply adding more layers. Walls that are irregular can easily have these imperfections hidden by a good paint job. Painting doesn't take much preparation either, a definite plus.

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Disadvantages of Using Paint:

When using oil-based paints, you run the risk of the paint running when it's drying out. Oil-based paints take a long time to dry out, and they are not very heat resistant. Painting has to be done every couple of years to keep your home looking nice and it can give off harmful fumes called VOC's.  

Advantages of Using Wallpaper:

Wallpaper lasts much longer than any paint will, usually from ten to fifteen years. This not only reduces the amount of hassle involved in maintenance, it also reduces the amount of money you spend. Wallpaper also has the extra advantage of adding texture and variety to your house. Instead of a boring uniform paint job, you can create diversity with wallpaper. There are even some kinds of wallpaper that can be made to look like wood or cloth. 

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Disadvantages to Using Wallpaper: 

Wall paper is more expensive than paint. It also needs to be installed, which takes more preparation. If you get tired of wallpaper, it can't just be painted over, you will have to DE-install it first. If you damage your wallpaper, somehow, and are lucky enough to find a match to it, even though the print matches, it may not be the same color because of exposure to the sun. When you are applying new wallpaper, it is best to remove the old paper first instead of putting more paper on top.  

Why Choose? 

You can have the best of both worlds by adding the texture and diversity to rooms that you want to see wallpaper in and leaving it out in the ones you do not. Most people mistakenly think that every room in the house has to look identical. This could not be any further from the truth, in fact, a home looks better when not every single room looks uniform. Each room can have its own theme. Make some rooms with paint and some with wallpaper and get the best of both worlds.

Modern Concepts for Garden Renovation

Popular Garden Design Tips

Some of the popular modern landscaping materials include wood, metal and concrete. Many landscapers choose to leave the concrete surfaces a natural gray color. But, staining can be more fun, and can be done in one bold color or a variety of colors. Metal can be great for an accent to your garden, especially corten steel with a weathered look. You can use it in planters, as a retaining wall or even a privacy screen. Adding a wood deck to your garden will give it an inviting look. Brazilian hardwood, such as Ipe, is rich in color.

One of the number one goals of modern garden designs is creating contrast. Ornamental grass plants add color that pops out against any plain concrete wall. Orange and purple flowers draw your attention when planted near patio furniture with simple colors and finishes. Colorful shrubs, such as Knockout Roses, a Dwarf Burning Bush or a Rosa Glow Barberry demand the eye's attention when you set them against a row of bluestone. Just be sure to be selective. You want to create contrast, but you don't want your colors to be overwhelming. Contrast should only be created in two or three areas of your yard, not the entire garden.

A paved area with a simple grid of green plants is a modern landscaper trademark. It can be done using stones, with green grass that grows where there would usually be grout. Or, you can pour concrete in sections, allowing thyme to grow between each section. Your modern look can be accentuated with architectural plants with unique textures. They're interesting to look at, and give your garden a unique look. Also, add some containers to create patterns that can be changed when the mood strikes you. As the leaves fall from your colorful bushes, you can add color to that area with your potted plants.

Caring for Your Garden

Two things you must pay close attention to when caring for your garden are weeds and water. Weeds create competition for your plants and flowers. They compete for garden space, as well as water. Check your garden regularly to ensure that there are no weeds soaking up the water your garden needs to grow. Water is needed for cell enlargement and cell division. If the cells don't get enough water, the plants will start to wilt. The easiest way to make sure that your garden gets a sufficient amount of water is with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinkler systems can be set to come on and go off automatically. And, if installed properly, they water your garden evenly. Check out some of the best sprinkler systems from Sprinkler System Store.

The 5 Top Ways to Know When to Change Your Outdated Wall Decor

You pride yourself in your home’s wall decor. However, you might not realize when it becomes stale or outdated. It is often said that old things will eventually become new again, but don’t wait that long to freshen up the walls!

Sure, you probably still get tears in your eyes and smile when you think about how your son scribbled on the walls when he was only a baby, but keep the memories of those treasured moments and get rid of the outdated wall decor instead.  This might seem difficult to do, but the following tips can help.

5 Ways to Tell that it’s Time to Let the Old Wall Decor Go


1.You held a Home Interiors party 2 years ago.  One of the wreaths from that party is now so thick with dust that it looks like you have made the choice to celebrate Christmas year round by decorating with snow covered wreaths.  Of course, your family and friends are not saying much about your decision.

2. Remember your son, the budding artist of the family?  Well, he has moved on to college, but samples of his artistic talent continue to linger on your living room walls, in crayon. Your friends continue to look the other way and have never acknowledged your son’s artistic abilities.

3.You got your roof repaired a few years ago, but you still have a water stain on the wall that reminds you of Napoleon.  Because of the size,you can’t help but notice it.  To be quite honest, it has become such an influence in your life that you are actually thinking about taking French cooking lessons.

4.  For some reason you still have a 1989 Holly Hobby border going around the top of your laundry room. C’mon! Really?

5. You have a picture hanging in your foyer from a family reunion that was held twenty years ago.  You were only a child then and do not know half of the people in this photo. It creeps out your children. Even your big and strong husband will not look directly at it.  Maybe it’s time to put your relatives back into the closet, where they belong.

So, when you finally see the light and get rid of that old cruddy wall decor, update and refresh your rooms with functional, trendy and affordable wall murals. Your family and friends will thank you!

Infographic! Women and Men, When they are shoping for Furniture

Via: Shop 4 Furniture

Extending Dining Sets are perfect for Every Dining Room

There are many benefits to Extending Dining Sets no matter what kind of dining room you have. With the extending table, there are pieces that can be adjusted making the table either larger or smaller according to what is the most suitable at the time. There are a variety of situations where these particular types of dining sets can be appropriate.

For example, if you have a small dining area but tend to need more table space for meals, you can easily extend the table only for meal time. After the meal is over, you can return it to the smaller size once again. Such a table is a nice option if you like to have guests or social events. Being able to have a large table is practical for these purposes. Making it smaller afterwards prevents the table from looking clumsy or too large for the area.

Even if you have a large dining room and the average sized table would look good, there may be occasions when more table space is required. With these extending dining sets, you have the options that you need whether it is more table space or less.

The style of the dining room may be a concern for you but there really is no need to be worried. There are a few factors to consider when looking at these sets: size, material, colour, style, and quality. When thinking about the size, take into account the smallest and the largest sizes of the table plus any in between that you can obtain. Compare it to the size of the room where it will be placed.

In terms of the materials, some last longer than others and some offer a different appearance than others. There are extending dining sets made from woods such as cherry, oak and pine. However, there are also those made from synthetic materials and chip board.

Colour and style in some ways go together. There are dining sets available in the natural colour of the wood that is chosen. Some are stained or painted. Those that are made from synthetic materials can be found in almost every colour imaginable. This means that no matter what colour your dining room is, there is something to match.

The same rule applies for the style. There are plain extending dining sets while there are those that have the luxurious look. Simply choose the one that matches your room or your desired appearance of that room in the best way.

There is an extendable dining set on the market to suit any taste and need. You can purchase varying amounts of chairs or stools with the table therefore catering to any family size. These types of dining sets never go out of style simply because they are very practical and attractive. If you are making an investment on such a product, it is a wise choice to spend that money on something that gives you so many options. With these available options and such versatility, extending dining sets really are perfect for any dining room.

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How to Make your Living Room More Cosy

There’s nothing better in the evening than getting in after work and relaxing in a warm cosy environment.  A cosy room feels like a cuddle and there is no better place to wind down at the end of a hard days work than in a nice cosy living room. The important elements of a cosy room are that is feels soft, gentle and warm.

Lighting

Lighting has a tremendous impact on the cosy-factor of a room. Harsh, bright, white lights can make even the smallest, softest environment feel sterile and unwelcoming. People are opting for bight modern décor more and more these days, there is nothing wrong with this as long as you balance the lighting. This is where lamps come in to their own. Diffuse lighting and well placed lamps will light your room with soft glows rather than harsh flares of light. This will instantly make the room feel more intimate, gentle and cosy.

Colours

Modern homes tend to use a great deal of white and black, which looks fantastic but can really remove any cosy feelings from a room. To make up for this, you can add splashes of warm colours such as reds or maroons. A good way to incorporate these colours into your modern décor is to use rugs, pillow covers, throws or paintings.

Materials

Soft soft soft is the cosy rule! The materials you choose for your living room will also dictate how cosy it feels. As a general rule the softer the material the cosier the room. So if you are a leather sofa kind of person, you can add soft material covered cushions to help cosy up to your seating area. Soft rugs, curtains and cushions also go a long way in the cosy stakes.

Finishing

Empty space in a room tends to look cold and drains any warmth or comfort from the given room. To solve this try adding finishing touches to these spaces such as photos, paintings, vases and lamps. Placing these items around the room will increase the cosy factor and make the room feel very welcoming and warm. If your colour theme is dark, then lighter colour finishing touches will create a contrast that will build a cosy feeling. But be careful not to clash colours, balance of colours and light are the most important factors when creating a cosy room.

Source: Equipment hire company in the UK

How To Lift Your Home To Always Lift Your Mood

The phrase “home comforts” was invented for a reason. After a tough day at work there is nothing we enjoy more than getting to the familiar, welcoming surroundings of our home and switching off from everything the day has thrown at us. Many home accessories have the ability to make us smile, laugh, relax, and forget anything bad ever happened at all.

Quirky Ideas

Many individuals like their home accessories to have a quirky twist, and be a little bit different from the norm and a source of fun. After all, coming home to a bland, uninteresting space is not appealing to anyone. If all of our homes were like that, then many more of us would forsake going home for the hope of finding the answers to our daily woes in the bottom of a gin and tonic at the nearest bar to the office.

Excellent home accessories ideas that make us smile include paper vases and paper lights. An awful lot of paper there, but not an awful lot of logic it appears. It is this fact alone that makes us smile.

Paper vases work as an outer case to a traditional vase, or can simply be used as display items by themselves. Unfortunately that means you cannot put any flowers in them, bit of a downer if you enjoy coming home to something bright, but a fun idea all the same. Paper lights embrace the spirit of origami to give you an abstract, interesting alternative to a lampshade.

Relaxation Time

For many of us our ultimate place of solace after a long day is the bath. Make your bathroom much more appealing by purchasing some luxury soaps and other bath time treats, so you can light some candles, jump in with a glass of wine, and remove yourself from everything that has happened during the day.


Meal Time Additions

While a bad day is when we are most likely to pick up the dreaded takeaway or ready meal on the way home, having homemade and locally sourced produce to look forward to cooking can be a definite mood lifter. Whether it is spaghetti, or an indulgent spread such as jam or marmalade, there are many foods and ingredients you can buy to make you feel much better, without taking the financial and negative health hit from calling into Burger King on the way home, or going anywhere near your microwave.

Life your spirits and the overall mood of home with these great accessories, and experience the true meaning of “home comforts” every day.

How a Rug Can Improve the Appearance of a Room

An elegant, well selected rug can totally change the look of any room. You can introduce a completely new aspect to any space or hallway with a new rug, whether it is a deep, soft flokati or exotic, splendidly collared Persian rug. Rugs are beautiful as well as functional, and they are a simple method of introducing something exceptional to your decorating fashion.

 

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In actual fact, you can give any room within your house a face lift, by simply adding a new rug. You do not have to spend a great deal of money doing total redecorating. Once you check out the large assortment of runners and rugs available in the market, you will find that by cautiously choosing a nice looking rug, you can give your room a new look at a tiny proportion of the cost of carrying out complete redecorating.

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In regards to choosing rugs for the rooms in your house, you will discover that you have a lot of options. Rugs are made from several different materials and they are available in a broad range of different designs, shapes and sizes. The secret to finding the ideal rug for your space is to think carefully about what appearance you intend to accomplish as well as the degree of were the rug will get moved to.

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If for instance you are searching for a rug that will be put in the playroom, then you should check out the several satin-resistant rugs that are available in the market which are specifically made to sustain high intensity of usage and possible soiling. Similarly, if you intend to place your rug in an area that gets high traffic (for example a hallway), you should select a tough, hard-wearing rug in multi-colours or patterns to conceal stains and wear.

Do not allow the many options confuse you. All you have to do is consider the general decorating style of your home. Is your home's decorating style colourful and flamboyant, or is it minimalistic with a plain colour palette. Try to get a rug that will harmonize with the overall interior décor of your house. You should also take into account your life style. Are there pets or kids in your home? Do you receive a lot of visitors? Where will you place the rug? You should take all these factors into account when searching for the ideal rug for your space.

Selecting the appropriate rug and placing it at the appropriate place will give your room a great appearance. If used aesthetically, rugs can turn a room that is very boring into a bubbly part of the home. However, if they are not used properly, they can give your room a disastrous look. The fabric and design of the rug are also very important.

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If you have intentions of smartening up any room within your house, you should consider using any of the nice looking rugs available today. It is an economical way to make your home a lot livelier. You will be amazed how much a good rug could alter the entire look of any room within your house.

Transform Your Home Into A Dream Home

Your home is your paradise. It is where you wake up in the morning, it is where you come after a long day or work or school. It is where you create special memories on birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. If your home is not what you wish it was, read on for some tips on transforming your house into your dream home.

Budget

First decide how much money you are willing to spend on home decorations or renovations. If you only have a small amount of money to spend or no money at all, consider saving for some time to generate enough money to spend on your home. Alternatively, you can make small changes or perform the labor yourself, if you know how.

Ask for Help

If you want to change the appearance of your home but do not have a clue has to where to start, consider hiring a professional interior decorator. He or she can help you decide what changes would be the most cost efficient and would add the most value to your home. Also, consider asking family and friends if they have any suggestions, especially if they have recently made changes to their homes.

Shop Around
Look around for the best deals on furniture, supplies, appliances and other home decor items. Do not be fooled into thinking you can only buy quality items at large and expensive department stores. You can also look in Wal-Mart, online, Ebay.com, estate sales, used furniture stores and arts and crafts sales. Save time and money by browsing online for items, instead of driving to the store, to get an idea of the available products at www.walmart.com and www.ebay.com.

Make Small Changes, One At A Time

Avoid biting off more than you can chew when it comes to home improvement. This can lead to frustration, loss of money, aggravation and a totally destroyed home. Before you start, make sure you will be able to complete the task within a reasonable amount of time and can finance its completion. Also, make sure it is appropriate for the rest of the occupants of the house. For example, in a home with a mother, father and four children, it is not a good idea to completely remodel an entire kitchen during the school year. This can make daily activities, like eating breakfast and dinner, very difficult. Instead start small, for example replacing one appliance at a time or repainting the walls.

Start With One Room

Choose one room in the house to remodel. It might be a good idea to choose the most frequently-used room of the house, the messiest or the biggest. Usually, updating a kitchen is the most efficient and cost-worthy project. Turn your kitchen into your dream kitchen by updating appliances, repainting dirty walls or adding a hardwood floor.

Remodel Your Bathroom

The bathroom is a place of relaxation, rejuvenation and freshness. For most people, it is where you begin the day with a hot shower. Changes to a bathroom can be as simple as replacing a fixed shower head with a handheld one with built-in massage features. If you have more time and resources, you can add a new bathtub over your existing one, replace fixtures and tile the floor for a finished look. This investment is always worth it because the bathroom is used every day.

Visit this site for more information loftcentre.co.uk

Creating an Inspiring Mood Matching Scented Candles and Color

Summer is the time of to redesign and renovate your home, so what mood do you want to create? There are lots of possibilities for the type mood you are looking for and what elements of decor you can use to achieve it.  Inspiration comes from an uplifting feeling that can be produced in your home by matching color with scented candles that highlight the feelings that color inspires.

Whether we realize it or not, color is big sensory stimulant.  Without getting into color theory there are few basic examples of how colors work to create the mood of your environment.  The color blue is often associated with cold and calm, as well.  Many people describe a cooling sensation when being in a blue room for a period of time, or can also experience a feeling of relaxation.  Usually the information on a scented candles label will give a description of the therapeutic or mood elements of the scent.

 

Depending on the season, blue can have a slightly different affect.  In the winter, you are more likely to have a cold sensation in a blue room, and during the summer when it’s hot, it may have a pleasing cooling affect.  So if you live in the North East, you may want to explore some warmer colors to balance with the weather, but in Florida it may be just the thing to combat the heat.

OK, we get the idea of how color can affect the mood of the room and what effect it may have on the occupants.  For now let’s focus on warm/cozy and cool/refreshing as the moods we want to achieve.  With the picture of the bright and refreshing blue children’s room above, there is a very summer quality happening.  Yellow is categorized as a warm color as opposed to blue, and it goes well with the opposing color, because it can be associated with the sun and further compliment the summer atmosphere.  The yellow and blue used here creates a nice balance of mood.

Scents can stimulate your mood almost instantaneously.  For a refreshing an invigorating scent, orange and lemon scents can illicit an extremely positive mood.  Orange stimulates a sense of well-being and clarity.  Similar citrus scents, like lemon and lime also are favorable for creating a refreshing room. One of favorite refreshing scents is peach, and peach cobbler is great for the warmer/cozier moods.

 

Speaking of warm and cozy, let’s say you live in a colder climate, and you want to warm up the room with some deeper colors and a bit of warm spiced scents to increase the comfort level. Apple cinnamon is a reminder of fall and the holidays.  I think of Thanks Giving in particular, a time of gathering in the family home and the beginning of the warm spiced aromas of the cooling season.  Deep mahogany, maroon, brown suede, copper, and bronze hues are great ways to create a warm and cozy mood; they each work individually, or different hues can also work nicely together.

 

There are some delicious scented candle combinations that would accent a room like the one above quite nicely.  Candy corn, which has a sweet vanilla aroma, would be nice. Check out blueberry muffin, banana nut bread, or even butter rum; these may induce you to eat a candle, though.  These tastes and colors together make me want to be in front of a fireplace with a coffee and good book, and that’s the point.

No matter what your tastes or needs are, use your instincts to make your mood match the decor.  Find what combinations inspire the feeling you are looking for by starting with the scented candles.  Chances are your sense of smell will guide you in your search for a matching color.  Smells are very stimulating, and you can always test out a hundred different candles, but you can’t paint your room a hundred times, or at least you wouldn’t want to.