There are tons of “green” bathroom cleaners on the market, but most of the time it’s cheaper and just as effective to make your own. Armed with a few simple non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients, you can keep your bathroom fresh and sparkling with natural bathroom cleaners. If you’ve got a little extra time today, grab this shopping list, head to the store, and make a few batches of healthy cleaners to keep your bathroom (or any room) healthy!
Here’s what you need to know about water heaters in your home, including how long they typically last and signs that it might be time to buy a new one.
Let’s face it: the fresh, clean aesthetic of the white kitchen isn’t going anywhere soon. This classic look can vary from all-white everything from floor to ceiling to a kitchen with white countertops to a bold, contrasting cabinet and colorful walls. Perhaps the best thing about a white kitchen is the ability to morph to fit whatever aesthetic you choose. While some people automatically assume a white kitchen must be a minimalist space, that isn’t always the case.
It doesn’t matter if you live in a tiny studio or sprawling mansion, everyone wants their house to feel cozy — especially the living room, where everyone gathers to snuggle up in front of the television or read a good book on the couch. While one of the secrets to a cozy home is creating a warm and welcoming environment for your guests, there are also several design tricks you can do to make a small apartment living room seem cozier.
If you like to plan ahead, I’ll let you in on a not-so-secret protip: Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days is a great way to save money on thousands of products. Whether you’re looking to replace well-loved cookware that’s seen better days or finally upgrade your headphones, there’s going to be a deal that speaks to your needs. The most forward-thinking savers also know that this huge Amazon sale, which runs from Oct.
Ever been to this type of party?You’re invited for 9.You walk in at 10:30.But you’re still early.A few people are sitting around the living room. Others are leaning against the wall. You find the host in the kitchen pouring a drink for someone under the bright, fluorescent light. A plate of crudites sits on top of a stereo playing a blah rock mix. Someone is already saying their goodbyes…Don’t let this happen to you!
Are you always on the hunt for a fresh new way to display art in your home? We don’t blame you. It can get a little tiring to see art hung in the same ways in the same places, home after home. We couldn’t help but spot a few subtle yet different ways in which art was displayed in this week’s top tours. Will one of the ways be an inspiration for you and your home? We’ve seen art hung from IKEA’s DIGNITET hardware before.
Blue is a favorite wall color choice, and for good reason. It’s often an unobtrusive color that blends into the background and offers a hint of calm and serenity. But blue isn’t always used as just a whisper of a color. Take a look at how some of our recent house tours showcase blue in their rooms, in ways that range from a peaceful hue to a confident statement. Top Row: 1. Cory’s Former Factory Loft in Berlin exhibits the beautiful payoff of not being shy with color. 2.
What’s a spending-free weekend, you ask? It’s two days in a row where you try not to spend any money on anything. No brunches. No coffee. No purchases whatsoever. It might sound a bit extreme, but it could be a neat tool to have in your financial tool belt when it comes to sticking to a budget, saving more money and learning to live with less. A money-free weekend doesn’t have to be a bore, though!
Do you struggle with design decisions (or really any decisions)? Always feel like there are too many choices and they all seem perfectly valid? You can narrow things down A LOT if you stick to this simple philosophy. There’s a great quote by Hardy D. Jackson that goes: “Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.
Do you have a little wall in your home? Usually two or three feet wide, they’re often the transition space between two rooms and they’re often not used for much of anything. Here are six examples of smart and stylish ways to use them in your home to add more function and more beauty. A small wall becomes a spot to store mail and papers, display cards, and hold other accessories.
How do you spend your time at home? Is it spent wisely? Is it enjoyable? No matter the way it looks — whether it’s close to your dream home or far from it — everyone can agree that actively finding pleasure in your home is vital to enjoying the rest of your life. So how can you increase your enjoyment of your home? Here are seven ideas. 1. Open your home to the outdoors more A part of feeling out of whack is not feeling connected to nature and the changing of the seasons.
A mystical theme calls to mind fortune tellers on a boardwalk, tarot readings, and the spectacle of discovery. For the party decorations, we used deep jewel tones that are colorful and rich, with yards of fabric in competing patterns. → The Kitchn threw a Halloween Party, too. Check it out: A Spooky Colorful Halloween Party Just like rooms, parties need a large focal point – a statement piece that makes a huge impact.
Maxwell and Ursula planned a series of activities for their recent Halloween party, and both kids and adults joined in on the fun. They included a visit from a real fortune teller (at least the kids thought so), a simple craft, and a twist on a classic Halloween game. → The Kitchn threw a Halloween Party, too. Check it out: A Spooky Colorful Halloween Party Maxwell enlisted a friend to the play the part of a fortune teller or palm reader.
Just in time for Earth Day (and before another summer of expensive AC bills), Amazon is offering up the Nest programmable thermostat for a (rare!) discount. Nest Thermostat on Amazon, $249 now $219 While there’s quite a few other learning thermostats on the market that are aiming to close the gap, Nest was the first, and is still considered the best amongst its competition (see: Wirecutter and CNET). And now it’s on Amazon for a $30 discount.
Do you dream of adding daring design details big and small to your home; the kind of ideas that will transform your space into a place you truly love? But does it seem like you never get any design actually done? Well, then consider this idea. It’s a simple, smart philosophy for design and life, and comes from the advice shared in a recent house tour. Robin writes: “Sometimes you just have to start a project!
Our homes are the biggest settings in the stories of our lives. The walls hold so much more than the things we’ve curated or the edited details of what we choose to live with or without; they hold the memories of all the small moments that make up our days and the nostalgia of times — bringing home babies, blowing out birthday candles, the most intimate conversations, the tears, the laughter — that live in our memories for our lifetimes.
Learning your own taste can be a lifelong journey. Wherever you are on your path, take our quiz as a way to clarify your current perfect style profile. Here’s what to do: turn off your brain, scroll through these slides and pick the very first room that catches your eye. Don’t try to figure anything out, just go with your gut and record your answers.
Since Europeans have mastered the art of living small and Parisians are some of the most stylish people in the world, it stands to reason that Paris would be a bountiful source for small space inspiration. And it is. Hardly a week goes by where I don’t find another impossibly beautiful tiny space, chock full of clever and elegant solutions for living well with less. Here are four of my favorites. Want to see more of these spaces? Click the links in the descriptions!
Having a place for everything, every single thing, is not a new idea. But implementing this concept, which is the cornerstone of the hugely popular KonMari method and the fundamental step in having a house that will stay in order, is a major undertaking. Labeling helps me designate a place for each thing — and make sure everything gets back to its place.
A backyard is like a blank slate: a little tiny plot of land all your own, to deal with however you please (with perhaps a little input from your homeowners’ association). What will you do with your own little estate? Here are 10 ways to make the very most of your backyard — innovative (and maybe even a little crazy) features you never knew you needed. 1. A swimming pool that looks like a pond. → Learn more about natural pools here. 2.
Homes are made up of so many pieces from furniture basics to personal touches so how do you make a place feel like home when you’re starting from scratch and with little scratch to spend? Here are five strategies to help furnish your home when you’re just starting out… You’ll be surprised what people will offer you. It may not be just your style, but it can be a placeholder until you can afford something better.
This will be one of our broadest Weekend Projects yet (and therefore will require a little brainstorming on your part before you can start) but it’s an important idea to tackle. Not only is this type of project fun (and the perfect thing to do on a particularly hot or rainy summer day), you can (perhaps most importantly) save money — for summer plans or things you want to add to home.
How do you decide how much to spend on gifts for friends and family during the holidays? Online retailer Jet launched a “careculator” to determine what each relationship is worth. The Careculator suggests how much you should spend on your coworker, your cousin, or your bestie based on how much they interact with your posts on Facebook.
Never feel like you have enough time? You can reclaim lost minutes throughout the day that could add up to a lot more “me” time in your evenings by cutting out these time wasters that could be lurking in your home. How many hours of your life have you spent searching for your keys? Your wallet? Your purse? Your homework? Your ______?
We love to write about clever, multitasking furniture designs for small spaces, but the downside to a lot of these pieces is that they come with hefty price tags. If, like a lot of people, you’re living in a small space and have a similarly small budget, the good news is that there are a lot of DIYs out there for hardworking, flexible furniture that you can make yourself. Here are 11 of our favorites. Above, a custom table created for this tiny beach house seen at VT Wonen.
Growing up in a city, everyone I knew locked their door. Granted, we all hid keys in easy to find places like the doormat right in front of the locked door, but we locked them nevertheless. Turns out, not every region of the country locks their doors equally. A new survey from Safehome.org looks at the door locking habits of folks across the country. While they have a reputation for being easy-going and welcoming, turns out Southerners draw the line at letting you just waltz on into their homes.
Congrats, you’ve made it to the second half of the Cure, which means that you’ve got one week and lots of sorting down! Your closet and drawers should be less crowded and hopefully you have a stronger sense of what clothing has and hasn’t been working for you, which is half the battle. Today, we’ll focus on a little assessment and introspection, so we can take a bit of a breather before we dive into rebuilding.
