Decorative items are the keys to imparting the cozy lodge-like appearance to your home.
An interesting aspect of cabin home decor is that different individual elements combine to give your lodge that perfect look. Even more, a few simple changes can make a great cabin home decor. Rustic cabin home decor is an interesting way of designing your lodge. For that, you should include a variety of campy and rustic furniture to impart that cozy, traditional, and rustic look.
The first thing you should do is to remove modern or contemporary items, the opposite of rustics. Do not keep electronic items open, on the contrary conceal them within rustic designed. For example, you can conceal the TV in a wooden cabinet or your CDs in wooden holders. Most sofas fit into a rustic decor, however, try to get away with strangely futuristic designs. On the other hand, prefer wooden tables with sculptures embedded on the sides to make way for metals.
Windows and walls go a long way in imparting a cozy look to your lodge. You can try to cover your windows with plain cotton, canvas with tabbed tops, printed fabric curtain or even plain wood blinds…these are some great ways to lodge home decor. You can also use coordinating fabrics, but for that, you need to do with frilly curtains or valances.
Don’t forget the walls if you are planning a cabin home decor. This does not, however, means that you have to remake your wall. On the contrary, even the ugliest walls can be made to look good with decorative wall art and accessories. Consider adding hunting prints and old advertising signs to your walls to emanate feeling of your lodge design.
Cabin home decor doesn’t necessarily mean huge expenditure. In fact, some very basic and simple changes can surprisingly change the entire appearance of your lodge. If you need to buy, look out for discount deals and offers. Many websites offer unique and fashionable cabin home decor items at affordable prices. A visit to one of them may help you get some better cabin home decor ideas.
This article has been published by Mridu Sinha on behalf of CozyCabinOutfitters.Com; an online shop for cabin home decor, cabin decor products and accessories.
Designer’s Guide to Choosing the Right Bed
Choosing the right bed is vital for a good nights sleep and a productive day following. I can’t tell you which one to buy but I can provide you with some things to look for to help make your own bed buying decision.
Things to look for are:
1. Size. Think about where you are going to put your bed. Does it need to fit through narrow doors or go up narrow stairwells? Measure it to ensure you can get it into your home and then that it will fit in your bedroom. Sounds simple but it can be an expensive mistake if overlooked!
2. Support. Try out the mattress, lie on the bed in the store, take your time and try different positions. Ensure you feel supported, that the bed is not too soft or too hard. You will need to spend quite a bit of time doing this- take a book with you and leave the kids at home!
3. Comfort. Is it warm to lie on? It may have a wool topper that makes it feel soft and cosy. Get someone to lie beside you, ask then to move around and toss and turn to see if it upsets your side of the bed. You want to both be able to have an undisturbed lights sleep.
4. Design. Something that often sways out decision the wrong way is what it looks like! As a designer I know it is important, but not as important as what you lie on! Find the mattress first, then look at the bed head and matching furniture. Don’t let design get in the way.
5. Price. Beds vary greatly in price and so does the quality. Most mattresses will last for 10 years but you should start checking for wear and tear after five years. The price does often reflect the quality of the beds structure and the mattress materials. So spend as much as your budget will allow remembering that you do spend a third of your life in bed! I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like it but averaged out over your lifetime it is a great deal of lying down, so best be comfortable!
Main Types of Beds
Spring Base or Boxed Base Beds
These have large coil springs in the base and are boxed in. the spring mattress then sits on top. This style of bed has been popular but is losing its status, as it tends to sag in the middle over time and is heavy and cumbersome to move in the bedroom and clean around. It also doesn’t allow for any under bed storage- vital in small apartment bedrooms.
Flexi-slat Base
This is becoming a popular choice of bed as it allows for air movement under the mattress, leaves space for under bed storage, has adjustable slats to personalise the support of the bed and is easy to get in and out of small apartments or through narrow stairwells as the base comes apart and can be reassembled. It is easy to clean around and the bed will never sag in the middle due to the style of slat construction- a support strut through the centre of the bed. Ensure you love the design of the bed head, as this is usually part of the bed construction and will be expensive to alter at a later date.
Solid Base
Not recommended as an everyday base as there is no movement, it doesn’t breathe and is very hard to lie on it generally used as a spare bed in a guest room as it is usually an economical price for a bed. Solid slats are available and a better option.
Main Types of Mattresses
Spring Mattress
Most mattresses use coil springs. They vary by the spring size and their configuration and packing: the springs are wrapped in cotton and then covered with wool or latex. The amount of padding varies and defines the comfort level.
The topping of the mattress varies and is either wool or latex. You can purchase additional toppings to enhance the comfort level of the mattress. The mattress is covered in a breathable fabric and often has airholes for ventilation.
Latex Mattress
Latex is a natural product but is also produced synthetically. The latex is manufactured with a series of small holes. It feels unusual to lie on if you have come from a spring mattress as it is firmer and has less movement. It is a cost effective mattress as latex is very strong and durable and lasts for a long time.
Memory Foam
I just tried this out last week- it feels really bizarre. It was supportive and had no “sound”, no movement and was very solid to touch. The foam was invented by the space programme and is relatively new on the market. It has a high price point but like latex is very durable and has a long life expectancy.
Foam Mattress
A simple, synthetic foam mattress is ideal for a trundler bed, spare bunk bed or as a throw down on the floor mattress for visiting kids. However, it isn’t very supportive and doesn’t breathe so is not recommended for everyday sleeping.
So now you are armed with basic bed knowledge you can go and quiz the sales people at the bed store to find yourself the perfect bed.
How to Create an Energy Efficient Home
Homes should create an environment that makes you feel good all year round- cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and doesn’t cause a heart attack when the power bill arrives!
Creating a comfortable and energy efficient home is easy if you follow these simple steps:
1. Stop draughts. This is an extremely cost effective way of saving energy, especially in old homes that can be prone to gaps.
Examine ceilings, wall junctions and other semi open spaces. Seal those sneaky spaces with expanding filler foam or silicon sealer to keep the draughts out and the warm air in.
Unused chimneys are a huge creator of draughts. Block up with crumpled newspaper or seal off completely and make it into a design feature in itself.
Draught stoppers are old fashioned but you’d be surprised at how much heat sneaks through the gap under the door. Be creative and find aesthetically pleasing versions of this old classic and enjoy the difference they make!
2. Line your curtains, ideally with thermal backing in very cold areas. This keeps the cold air from the windows out and the warm air from you paid-for heating in. they can also help block out light for a better nights sleep.
Ensure curtains hang to the floor and have generous stackbacks to retain a good seal.
3. Unless your hot water cylinder is top of the line, insulate the cylinder and at least 1 metre of pipe closest to it. This can be as cheap as an old wool blanket and some duct tape or, especially made insulation wrap can be purchased.
Keep the thermostat at a reasonable temperature. 42 degrees Celsius for washing yourself and 50 degrees Celsius for washing dishes is as hot as you need it. Any higher then that is wasting energy and your money, and creating a burning hazard for young children.
4. If your hot water cylinder needs replacing, why not consider solar heating? Solar water can cut up to 35% off your power bill, and not to mention is good for our water-starved environment.
Before buying, be sure to do your research, as they will vary in performance standard; and be sure to get a solid warranty.
5. Install water efficient showerheads if your shower puts out more than 12 litres of water per minute. This is an easy way of reducing your energy and water consumption without even noticing.
6. Try using energy efficient light bulbs, or if the lighting quality is a problem, try half and half (one out of two lightbulbs are energy-saving, the other is normal). Some companies run good deals for buying at a certain time so keep your eye out and upgrade your home for less.
7. If building a new home, do your research and make sensible design decisions. Double-glazed windows reduce heat loss by almost 50% and retain heat better as well. They also reduce noise and condensation, which can be a constant battle in some houses. Good insulation between walls can have the same effect (noise reduction) as well as insulation. Investigate the large variety of plasterboard on the market to find one that’s right for you.
Consider the houses orientation to the sun, the climate you live in, any existing trees or houses, etc. talk to your architect- its their job to know about these kinds of things.
While these may seem like expensive decisions at the time, remember the money you will save in the long run on power and energy costs.
So as you can see, some simple changes can be made to a new or existing home to create a cosy and environmentally friendly haven for all.
