Everything Home - Real Estate & Home Services Guide November 2024
How to get the cottagecore look at home
If you love wildflowers, crafting, embroidery, plants and a fairy tale-like esthetic, the cottagecore look may be right for you. This trendy style evokes the at mosphere, lifestyle and roman ticism of English country hou ses. Fortunately, you don’t have to live in a literal cottage to get the look. Here’s how to bring this design style into your home.
THE WALLS
To create a dreamy and poetic atmosphere, paint the walls in pastel tones. Alternatively, apply a flowery wallpaper. Just make sure the print isn’t too busy, as this can overwhelm the space.
THE FLOOR
Whether it’s wood or ceramic, light flooring is a good fit for the cottagecore look. If you add a rug, consider choosing a white or beige macramé model.
THE FURNITURE
Wood, wicker, rattan and other natural materials con tribute to a country esthetic. Look for chairs, tables, beds and other furniture made of these materials. Vin tage and antique pieces are also on theme.
help you determine how much of your bud get to put toward each item. For instance, if you have trouble sleeping, you may decide to splurge on your mattress rather than on a dres ser or vanity. Or, if you work from home, you may want to spend a little extra on an ergono mic office chair.
2. LOOK FOR DEALS
Once you’ve planned your purchases, it’s time Make
4000 Furnace Road, Lewisburg — $299,900
Country setting yet close to everything. Lewisburg Schools. Move Right in to this 4 bedroom home. Enjoy the views from the freshly painted deck overlooking 1 acre of land. Bathrooms have been newly renovated. Ceramic tile throughout first floor is new as well. Enjoy the propane fireplace on the cold winter evenings. 20-86383
Finally, consider making an
to buy locally. You don’t have to go far to find talented furniture makers and well-curated furniture stores.
Does your closet feel more like a cave? If you’re tired of fumbling around in the dark for clothes, here are three ways you can shed some light on the situation without doing any electrical work.
1. Replace the rods in your closet with illuminated LED models. If there isn’t an outlet nearby, opt for ones that are battery-operated.
2. Place small, battery-operated puck lights in strategic locations such as beneath the upper shelf. Most models include adhesive strips to facilitate installation.
3. Line the inside of the door frame with LED strip lights to provide an even distribution of light. Both wireless and plug-in models usually come with a switch.
Finally, consider freshening up the inside of your closet with a coat of pure white paint to further brighten up the space.
3 tips for hiring an interior designer
If you want to redecorate one or more rooms in your home, an interior designer can help you create a beautiful and functional space. Here’s how to choose the right person for the job.
1. DO
YOUR RESEARCH
3. SCHEDULE A MEETING
Referrals from friends and relatives can kickstart your search, but make sure you look for someone who specializes in your preferred design style and has the right credentials. Online directories offered by professional associations can be a great resource.
2.
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of candidates to two or three people, ask to set up a meeting so you can get to know their personality. Among other things, you should look for someone who listens to your needs and asks about your lifestyle.
ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS
In addition to consulting the person’s portfolio, discuss the specifics of your project with each candidate to find out if it aligns with their expertise. Over the phone or by email, inquire about their pricing, how they work and what services they offer.
Lewisburg -‘’Custom built’’frameand bricktwo-story homeon wo lotborderingthe Susquehanna Countr yClubwith frontporchviewsof the valley. CallScott 570-412-6121
MLS#20-98297
DEFYMEDIOCRITY
MiddleburgDiscoverthecharm ofthiscaptivating
Whether you need help choosing new furniture or adding the final touches after a major renovation, taking the time to find an interior designer who understands your style is a must.
Lewisburg -‘’Gardener’s paradise’’Enjoy
Paxinos -Welcome tothishistoric
SelinsgroveAutomotivesales, garages,andoffice
If you own a heritage home, you might be interested in restoring it. Here are three resources that can help you with your renovation project and ensure you respect the building’s history.
1. CRAFTSPEOPLE
When it comes to old houses, there are a number of repair and maintenance tasks that require specific tools and training. Look for individuals and companies that specialize in traditional trades, as they’ll have the know-how to assist you with your restoration. Reach out to local guilds to find talented craftspeople in your area.
2. TECHNICAL GUIDES
Restoring a historic building is a major undertaking. Fortunately, there are guidebooks available that outline the steps involved and provide recommendations based on the style of your home. They might also give you a better idea about which types of professionals can help with your project.
3. BUILDING INSPECTORS
To ensure your restoration project is up to code and respects local regulations, you’ll need to hire an inspector. The Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI) is a great resource to help you find building inspectors that specialize in historic houses.
Finally, be sure to contact your municipality before you get started to find out if you need special permits to restore your heritage home.
If you want to redecorate one or more rooms in your home, an interior designer can help you create a beautiful and functional space. Here’s how to choose the right person for the job.
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Referrals from friends and relatives can kickstart your search, but make sure you look for someone who specializes in your preferred design style and has the right credentials. Online directories offered by professional associations can be a great resource.
2. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS
In addition to consulting the person’s portfolio, discuss the specifics of your project with each candidate to find out if it aligns with their expertise. Over the phone or by email, inquire about their pricing, how they work and what services they offer.
3. SCHEDULE
Once you’ve to set up things, you your lifestyle.
Whether after a major understands
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BrettBarrick
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There’s nothing hippy about eco-friendly flooring. Cork is the latest trend, terracotta is modern and leather is the ultimate in luxury.
Cork
Cork is a surprising product. First of all, it’s 100% ecological because it is harvested without felling a single tree. In fact, cork is extracted from the cork oak tree. After each harvest, the bark grows back with an even softer texture. Soft on the feet, cork has other interesting properties: it is a sound as well as a heat insulator and it absorbs shocks and pressure. Cork also keeps its elasticity and retains its original shape, no matter how much traffic there is and how ever long furniture remains in the same place.
Don’t forget to think “green” when choosing a new floor covering.
all know about leather furniture and even leather curtains, but until now most of us didn’t know that leather could be a floor covering as well, just like in Dubai. Because of the efforts of an entrepreneurial inventor from Rennes, France, the charm of a leather floor covering is within everyone’s reach. Thanks to a wide range of styles, all kinds of designs and shades are available.
Terracotta
This type of tiling is still manufactured in the traditional way: clay, water, pigment and fire. Nature at everyone’s doorstep.
Linoleum
The old-fashioned image of linoleum is a thing of the past. These days it has been reinvented and is now ultramodern. Not surprising considering its ecofriendly composition: flax oil, natural resins, wood flour, cork, limestone and natural pigments all on a jute canvas backing. What’s more, the difficulties of laying linoleum no longer exist as this type of flooring is now available in tiles which can be fitted together or glued.
Turn your bathroom into a spa
Do you love soaking in the bath? If you do and you’re thinking about renovating your bathroom, why not treat yourself by creating the atmosphere of a spa and bring harmony to body and soul in the comfort of your own home.
When we think “spa” combined with “decor”, the words “purity” and “refreshment” spring to mind. So the starting point should always be the colour… or white, of course. White invites relaxation. If it is combined with a palette of pale blues and greens, peace is absolute. In the bathroom, the use of small touches of turquoise, blue or pale grey allows us to create a place of complete relaxation. Continue the theme of white on the floor by choosing flooring in natural colours. For example, Jerusalem stone with its traces of fossils can embellish the floor and the walls of the shower.
A blending of different materials can augment that feeling of wellbeing; a bathroom vanity in immaculate porcelain combined with Italian-designed taps in brushed chrome, glass blocks surrounding the shower and piles of soft, fluffy white towels, rolled and placed here and there.
Accessories are in fact the best way of enhancing the harmony of a bathroom spa. Cupboard handles inspired by pebbles, perfumed candles, marble bowls f illed with bath salts… You could even install a wireless audio system to maximize the benef its of bath time.
People need to spoil themselves these days,so the bathroom is becoming more than just utilitarian,it’s a spa.
A “smart” house thanks to home automation
These days it’s rare to find any kind of activity which is not directly affected by electronics and computer technology: entertainment, information, communication... Digital and electronic technology has just about taken over our daily lives. Even our homes cannot escape this tidal wave of change. All types of devices have been designed to make them more efficient and smarter, while rendering our lives easier: welcome to the world of home automation, also known as domotics.
A term which, not so long ago, seemed to come straight from a science fiction movie, domotics, or at least some of its applications, is more and more present in our homes and, because of this, in our daily lives. Think for example of things as common as programmable thermostats, lights which come on and switch off thanks to movement detectors or luminosity, alarm systems, not forgetting all those devices which work with remote controls.
But domotics goes a lot further than that, as it could eventually include all these different technologies integrated into one central system which can be programmed, automated and remote controlled. The possibilities are endless: a heating or air conditioning system which can be activated and controlled by a simple telephone call; a watering system which starts automatically when the lawn is too dry and stops when it is wet enough; windows which close when it starts raining; video cameras which allow us to observe the home from a distance via Internet... So many functions which can be controlled from the tips of our fingers with a keyboard, or by voice in the case of systems equipped with voice recognition.
And it doesn’t stop there. What would you say to a refrigerator capable of reading the bar codes of the products it contains and, via a screen, alert homeowners when they run out of milk or butter? The appliance can even connect to the Internet to order missing products from the supermarket!
All these applications can not only contribute to making life easier, but can also increase security and reduce energy consumption. As well as being “smart”, the automated house can therefore be more eco-friendly. It can also be very beneficial for the disabled.
If you’re wondering if all homes are suitable for automation you’ll be glad to know that the experts all reply in the affirmative, in theory at least. Of course, a house built with this technology in mind, with places designed for the installation of different devices and components, the passage of wires, etc., will be easier to equip. But it seems that the majority of homes, no matter how old they are, can benefit from these innovations.
And what is the cost of all these systems? It can vary a great deal depending on individual needs, the complexity of the system and the amount of installation work required. Just as it can cost very little to decorate a home, the budget involved in making a home “smart” can be relatively modest – a few thousand dollars. On the other hand it could end up costing a fortune.
How would you like to own a refrigerator that lets its owners know that they’re about to run out of milk or butter?
With home automation, the possibilities are endless.
