Wicked Sundays

Archive for July, 2010

Though our bathrooms consume a small space in comparison to other areas, there are many considerations when building or renovating this space. Before sketching out your plan you should try looking for bathrooms online to give an idea what are the key elements and what needs to be installed in the bathroom. The toilet should be away from the door. The electrical wiring should also be checked especially the bathroom is a wet area. As much as possible keep the toilet, sink, shower near each other to save money and to make the work of your plumber easier. Have enough space for the cabinets, towel holders and tissue holders. Heating system may be required especially for the winter season. Though this is an old method it is effective to use cast iron radiators then just find the perfect radiator accessories to improve it aesthetically. By carefully structuring your layout you can avoid serious bathroom problems.

When I was younger my dream house is having a home full of mirrors. Instead of having a brick wall, a glass will be used instead. They say that this signifies transparency, having nothing to hide from others. Then for the different parts of the house every room should have a full length mirror where you can see your every angle and watch even your slightest movements. Also huge size mirrors can make an area appear larger and also it adds light to a room. Maybe my being vain is one of the reasons why I wanted to have this type of house. But as I grow older I learned that it is more practical to just have different types like having an ornate mirror, venetian mirror or a glit mirror placed strategically in a particular area.  It is utilized as a decorative piece hanged on the wall, and its border gives a different twist and texture. I can say that it is more practical to use compared to having framed pictures. Mostly women are big fan of mirrors since they greatly benefit from it. If you have quite a number of mirrors scattered all over your place you can easily check your reflection, put on make up and style your hair. I for one find it very ideal to place a full length mirror in the walk in closet. I can examine my wardrobe from head to foot.

If you want your mirrors to stand the test of time you should know how to take care of it. Caution should be always practice from handling, installing, cleaning and storing since it can easily shatter into pieces and so that the surface will remain smooth and free from scratches and damage. When hanging it, be sure that it is placed stable enough by using strong handles and anchors so that you can be assured that it won’t fall since it can cause injury. When cleaning it, you can spray a glass cleaner solution but do not let it be soaked in water. It is advisable to use a newspaper instead of cloth when wiping it. If you noticed a crack or break in the glass, immediately replace it and keep it away most specially from children’s reach. Use gloves when clearing the area to avoid cuts. The uneven edges are very sharp that it can cause a break on the bearer’s skin.

If you’re considering Nu heat mats, you may already know that heated floors can mean electric floor warming systems or hydronic heat systems. Nuheat mats are a type of electric in floor heating system and this has some advantages over a hyronic system:

1) Electric radiant floor heating mats can mean less maintenance. Hydronic floor heat systems require mechanical heaters or boilers to heat the water and also require pumps to move the water underneath your floors. It is possible that the pumps and mechanical heaters will both need maintenance after some time. As well, the pipes of a hydronic system may eventually leak. This would require maintenance – possibly expensive maintenance. Leaking pipes not only require maintenance, but may also cause water damage to your floors and property. In contrast, electric floor warming systems do not have these problems. Once they’re correctly installed, they require virtually no maintenance. Quality electric floor heating systems such as suntouch also come with very generous warranties that ensure full support and help in the very rare case that something should happen to your system. Hydronic systems tend to have shorter warranties, simply because the systems can be more problematic.

2) Electric flooring means more even heat. In a hydronic floor heat system, the hot water closer to the beginning of the pipe is generally warmer than the water near the end of a pipe, which means slight variances in your floor heat. Electric floor warming systems, on the other hand, tend to distribute far more even heat.

Energy efficiency. With a hydronic floor heat system, the water must first be heated, and then must be slowly pumped through the pipes underneath your floor. This all requires every – before heat is even available to warm you! With an electric floor warning system, however, electricity simply warms the radiant mats underneath your floor. All the power and energy is being used to produce heat and is not being used to heat water.

4) Simpler installation. With hydronic systems, floors often need to be raised in order to make room for the water system and pipes. As well, pumps, valves, pipes, and water heaters must all be installed for this type of system. In contrast, an in floor heating system from radiant Nuheat is so simple that even a homeowner can do it themselves. There’s no need to make dramatic changes in your home – as long as you can access floor joists you can generally install electric floor heat mats. As well, there are only mats to install with electric floor heat, not a complex system of mechanical parts.

At the end of the day, I just feel the need to sit and relax outdoors. After a stressing day at work, feel the heat of the sun and experience the breeze of the wind. Like me, not most of us have the luxury of time to still go out and find this retreat so instead I thought of creating my own. To get some ideas, I looked up books, strolled around the neighborhood to look for garden designs and also I tried to see key pieces like the patio furniture to give me an inspiration on my project. Having modern patio furniture is at the top my list: patio chairs, tables and an umbrella. If I have extra money, I can probably purchase additional modern outdoor furniture for more sitting area. My friends and relatives usually hang out in our house so the patio can be an alternative to entertain guests. After finishing all the construction all my tension and stress were taken away as I saw the fruits of my labor.

Decorating a small area is no longer a problem since there are countless ways of maximizing the spaces in your condos and apartments. Everyone can have a choice of design in the house no matter how small the budget is. You just have to make best use of the area, furniture and accessories. For example you can outfit the space by making it a dining space and sitting area as one. Just add a modern table and chairs to punch up the style. For the room, you can invest in beds. Find a modern platform bed and comfortable cushion.  Choose the right proportion that will go with the whole room like having a slim and sleek modern sofa then just layer it to add texture. There are now lots of pieces that cater the small space areas. Now designing does not serve as a challenge anymore because of the variety of choices that are now available.

Moving in an apartment is not that bad. You can do some tricks so that it will be a step closer to your dream house. Adding modern furniture is one way to give a different vibe in the house. To lessen the expenditure you can just purchase bedroom furniture, dining room furniture and living room furniture that are necessary like bed, chairs and tables. To add color without having to spend much you can just have colourful beddings, rugs, curtains, pillows and towels which are cheap compared to buying expensive decorations. You can also use mirrors to give you an illusion of a more spacious home.

People may have several reasons for relocating. It may be due to financial reasons, neighbourhood environment, family issues or work related. No matter what it is we can just improve our place instead to make it a homier place for you and your family to live in.