Storage Pieces
Storage space is a challenge for everyone, not just for apartment dwellers. Let the ideal storage compartments work their magic for you. You can store all kinds of things in every room imaginable.
One innovative storage piece to consider is the sideboard. It's rather a cabinet "add on". Often on castors, which gives them versatility, sideboards offer a convenient and stylish way to store your trash bin, cutting board, cooking supplies, and linens.
Make the most of limited space with a corner cabinet, corner curio, or corner hutch. Why not give those corners a purpose?
Wall-hung cabinets and plate racks store and display things up high, giving the feeling of more floor space, hence more living space.
You can pack a whole lot more into your closets with shelving units and shoe cabinets. Hey! Why not go for the complete closet system! Then you'll have room to store bedding, blankets, and even the family photo albums behind closet doors. This will free up space in hallway closets.
Design or look for a room divider that serves as a storage piece. Think cubic shelving.
Consider a media/file cabinet in the family room or den.
There are beds which have been cleverly designed to double as storage pieces too! Beds complete with drawers and cubby holes minimize clutter and maximize the floor space in your bedrooms.
Don't overlook the value of a chest as a storage piece; a real treasure for sure! How about a "coffee table chest" full of stored books and collector CDs; or a chest at the end of the bed storing family heirlooms and easy to sit on when getting dressed. A toy chest inside a closet means you can toss everything inside quickly and close the closet door for a tidy look. An old dresser can be concealed but useful in a closet as well.
There are storage pieces for every item under the sun...
- mitten cupboards
- cigar humidors
and lets make a toast to the cocktail cabinet!
Earth Friendly Ideas for your Home
If you're worried about where to start, why not take it one month at a time and make one transition each month in your household. You can permanently change one of your family's habits for the greener every month
Start by making a list of old habits to replace with new habits! Then, on the first of each month, choose one to concentrate on and work it till it becomes routine!
Just as an example:
April 1st: Use cloth shopping bags. Stop using plastic bags.(One person goes through 100 plastic bags /year!)
May 1st: No chemicals in the garden this year. Replace a grassy area with a vegetables garden.
June 1st: No more fruits and veggies that have to be flown in. (Eat blueberries when they're in season; freeze lots for the winter.)
July 1st: Compost as much kitchen waste as possible. Have the refrigerator coils cleaned. (That saves 50% of the energy.)
August 1st: No more running taps. Turn the taps off when brushing your teeth, shaving, you know the drill! Install a low-flow shower head.
September 1st: Turn off the computer, unplug the cellphone charger, keep going with all electronic devices. You can do it! (Your energy bill is going down too.)
October 1st: No more buying anything in plastic packaging. Go for glass! No plastic food wrap or wax paper.
November 1st: No lights on in the house except in rooms that are being used. Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs.
December 1st: Turn the heat down by 2 degrees and wear a sweater. Put a timer on the water heater. Clean the furnace filter.
Next year? Be creative. Be proud for doing your part. Spread the word!
Outdoor Furniture
Your patio is really an extension of your home, an added room for relaxation and entertainment during the summer months. How we savour the summer for outdoor meals and lounging. Think of your patio as a family room open to the sky!
The latest trends in patio furniture prove that we're taking this area to a new level of enjoyment. Where we once typically had the barbeque, a table with shade-umbrella, and lounge chairs, we're now seeing outdoor sofas and ottomans, loveseats and swings for two!
You can orchestrate a personal resort with outdoor bar furniture, swivel chairs, side tables, and a serving cart. String some colorful fiesta lights and pipe in your favorite hot weather music!
Suitable materials for outdoor furniture are wrought iron, cast aluminum, wicker, resin, and teak, all proven weather resistant and easy to clean. Accessorize with rain proof cushions and party on! Add heaters and you can keep it going till the late fall!
If you're worried about the budget not matching the image you're perceiving, try direct-buy companies which feature brand name products at wholesale prices. Or, go sale-ing, hitting all the yard sales in the spring, and put together some great outdoor furniture pieces for your patio, deck, balcony, yard, and garden. You might find an old rocker for the porch, a nice bench for the garden, or a hammock for a catnap on a dog-day afternoon!
Hot Water Dispenser
No more wasteful faucet running! Add instant hot water to your life!
Although the graceful lines of a hot water dispenser will flow with the architecture of any kitchen, its true beauty lies inside. Basically, the way the system works begins with water entering a filtration system under the sink, then flowing into a stainless steel tank where it's heated up to the standard 200 degrees. You can adjust the water temperature right on the tank. As the water is used up it's replaced by more filtered water. Most systems are capable of producing 60 cups of hot water per hour!
Cold water can be dispensed as well, going through filtration but by-passing the heat tank.
Consider the convenience of hot water on the spot! It's ideal for washing hands, shaving, quick clean-ups, loosening lids, or how 'bout a nice cup of tea on tap!
