Modern Living

Why Shabby Chic Furniture Makes A Great Addition To Your Home

Furnishing your home has always been a matter of taste. There is no right or wrong way to go about it and what appeals to one person won’t appeal to another. However, there is one particular style that’s sure to be popular with most people and that’s shabby chic.

Since the introduction of the name “Shabby Chic” many years ago the interpretation has slightly altered with time, and whereas it once meant old or vintage pieces that had a very used or worn appearance, it can now include new items that have a more classic feel to them such as ornate French style furniture. Of course you can achieve a very pleasing look by combining the two together. French style furniture, due to its often intricate detail can happily sit alongside items that have been passed down from your Granny and can create a unique look for your home.

You may have inherited some vintage accessories from older members of your family; well why not choose some French style furniture on which to display them? How about a wooden console table with elegantly curved legs and some intricately carved details on the drawer front to place in the hall as an ideal place for your collection? Or what about an ornate headboard to transform your bed?

The look is open to many different types of interpretation and the possibilities are almost endless so it’s best to just go with whatever you like the look of. If you want to go for the romantic look, then this style of furniture will help you achieve your goal combining well with other items you may already own.

One thing is for certain, and that’s the unique look you will get when you go for this type of furniture and its classic lines mean it won’t be out of fashion in the next few months.

Why I Chose The Home Builder I Did

My wife and I finally made the decision that we were ready to build a custom house. We were doing well and felt that it was time to get our dream home. We had been looking at plans for months, hitting up all the building stores, buying home building magazines, spending hours doing research online all in order to make sure we knew exactly what we wanted.

The one thing we had never really thought about nor put much time into was deciding who was going to build our home. We asked around and got lots of names or builders in Medford but there was one name that was repeated several times. And that name was VanWey Homes.

We called all of the contractors we were referred to and narrowed our list down. Some of them were not professional. Some of them we felt did not have enough experience. Some of them were booked for quite a while.

My wife and I spend a considerable amount of time paring down the list to decide who we wanted to use. We finally decided to go with Wayne Vanwey at VanWey Homes. The reason for this was pretty simple. He was one of the best builders in the Rogue Valley.

Not only was he one of the best builders in the valley he has been building houses here for 40 years. He has the knowledge and experience we were looking for. He saw problems immediately with what we wanted to do and gave us solutions right away. He’s like a home builder savant. Not to mention we really liked him.

We toured some of the spec homes he had built recently and were really blown away by the little details that he had thought of. Super simple things that would make all the difference and a better living space. The attention to detail in the home was amazing.

The construction of our new home is underway and Wayne has been nothing short of awesome. I hope to add another post here after it is completed and show photos of it after its done.

Welcome To Puerto Banus – Social Capital Of The Costa Del Sol!

Without doubt the most famous part of the Costa del Sol, Puerto Banus is the place to see and be seen in Marbella. Perfectly situated just over an hour’s drive from the international airport at Malaga, Puerto Banus is characterised by the stunning private yachts, luxury hotels and boutique shops which can be found throughout this incredibly popular resort town. There are also many hotels in the area, so for those staying in one of such hotels, a Hotels.com coupon might be useful.

The Marina at Puerto Banus is without the focus of the town, spread over a large area, there are facilities to berth over 900 boats and yachts, and during the busy summer months it is normally full. Today, Puerto Banus is a truly international destination, and Spaniards, Russians and Arabs come here to show off their wealth and enjoy their holidays in exclusive surroundings.

You can walk aound Puerto Banus for hours just looking at the boats and the very expensive cars, from Rolls Royce to Ferrarri, Mercedes to Lamborghini, all the luxury models can be seen here. Restaurants, clubs and bars are expensive because the whole area is focused on providing top quality products and services for the very wealthy.

The architecture around the Marina is very attractive and well maintained. There are no high rise buildings to spoil the spectacular views over the port and out to sea.

Shopping is a grand and designer affair, with brands like Armani, Versace and Jimmy Choo all having shops around the Puerto Banus marina. The Spanish luxury department store, El Corte Inglés, has its largest branch in Puerto Banus.

The property in Puerto Banus ranges from luxury modern apartments within the Marina complex, to older apartments, which were built during the 1970’s. Penthouse apartments, with sea views are some of the most expensive properties, but there are affordable property for sale in Puerto Banus in attractive complexes with community pools and gardens, close to the sea.

The high demand for short term rental accommodation in Puerto Banus has seen a large number of investors purchase property in the town in recent years, and this has had a knock on effect on overall property prices throughout the region. Despite the higher prices however, occupancy rates throughout Puerto Banus are consistently high throughout the year, and indeed many hotels and apartments are completely full throughout the entire summer season, increasing demand for Marbella properties for sale from investors who are looking for that perfect holiday rental property.

Puerto Banus is a beautiful part of the Costa del Sol, and today it has a well deserved reputation as one of Europes leading luxury destinations. The area is well maintained, the beaches are clean and the facilities are excellent. If you want to live on the Spanish coast, and you have the available budget, Puerto Banus is a very attractive choice.

Effective Door Repair

I will never forget the day when I lost my home key. I was in such a big hurry on that day that I completely forgot where I put my key. After the incident already occurred, I decided to slow down a bit and make sure that I always know where I take my key with me and where I store it.

On that day, things went well after all. I couldn’t really get in touch with a locksmith since the hour was already late, so I made up my mind to bust my door open and hope that my neighbors didn’t hear a thing. It seems that I wasn’t particularly successful at that, as the next day my neighbor Kate asked me boldly what this ruckus was all about. I blushed a little, but I told her the story immediately. We laughed for a while while standing on my doorstep, after which I called somebody specializing in door repair like door repair in brampton. It turned out to be a very good decision indeed

When you damaged your door, it is best for you to contact somebody specializing in door repair in toronto. Just make sure that you explain to him what needs repairing.

How to Use Self Storage to Free Up Garage Space

Sometimes, it’s easy to put off a job because it just seems so big. Reclaiming space in the garage is always on your to-do list, but the clutter keeps growing, and the boxes are piling up. Even if you rearrange everything, it’s still in the way. Throwing it out isn’t an option, but there’s a smart, simple solution right down the road. Self-storage is your golden ticket to garage space redemption.

Take Stock of the Season

When the mercury starts to climb, blankets, boots and heavy clothes get boxed up with the rest of your winter gear, and everything winds up in the garage. This means wrestling with the barbecue grill and those lawn chairs that you stored when the weather turned cold. A convenient self-storage unit puts an end to the seasonal game of revolving stuff. It frees up floor space, and you can park the car without dodging towers of boxes. This is a great opportunity to get organized so you don’t have to shift through seasonal stacks twice a year. With a little shelving in your storage facility, it’s easy to put everything in order any time of year.

Treat Your Things With Care

Maybe you’re saving that extra furniture for a future yard sale, or you haven’t found room in the house for those beautiful antiques you couldn’t resist buying. The garage turns into a convenient catchall for things you aren’t using right now, but it’s not the best environment for sofas, tables and chairs. You wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping out there during the summer or winter, and your stuff doesn’t like temperature extremes either. Climate-controlled storage shelters your belongings from sizzling summers and freezing winters. It also provides a dry environment that keeps mold and mildew from invading the furniture.

Secure the Valuable Stuff

The garage door is up and down during the week and often stays open on the weekend while the family comes and goes. It’s not hard for someone to take advantage of that easy access to your valuables. Jet skis, motorcycles and ATVs are expensive toys, and they deserve the safe keeping of a secure self-storage facility. You deserve more space in the garage, so park those prized possessions in a unit that’s under the watchful eye of high-tech cameras. Key-pad access, padlocked entries and fire sprinkler systems add layers of protection that you don’t have in the garage, and you don’t have to worry about favorite things disappearing if you forget to put the door down at night.

Show Off Your Reclaimed Space

Imagine throwing that door open and showing off your clean, organized garage. If you’re thinking about selling the house, your real estate agent will explain that home staging is an important part of making your property more marketable. Parking your extra things in an affordable self-storage unit lets you showcase that parking area in the garage. Even home renovations are a great excuse to get organized because freeing up space gives you more room to work. Whether you’re selling your home or just want to set up a hobby shop, reclaim significant real estate by cleaning out the garage and relocating things in a nearby self-storage facility.

The next time you trip over the snow shovel or dodge falling boxes, imagine your garage filled with little more than clean, empty space. Picture parking the car and not worrying about hitting that spare coffee table. Conquering clutter feels great, so take back that space in the garage, and enjoy the convenience of modern self-storage solutions.

In this guest blog, Brent Nau provide some great reasons why you should use self storage to free up space in your garage this Spring. He is a freelance content editor with Assured Self Storage, a Dallas storage company, and often writes about organizational tips to help individuals live a clutter-free life.

Three Ways to Get Cheaper Home Insurance

The best piece of home insurance advice anyone could ever give you is to at least get some form of it. It’s completely unappreciated until a disaster strikes, and then even cheap homeowners insurance becomes a godsend.

Of course, most people would like to pay as little as possible in the meantime. To help you get the lowest home owner insurance estimates, here’s a few pointers.

1. Shop Around. 

Obviously one of the best strategies to get cheaper insurance is to shop around. Most companies offer free home insurance quotes online, which means that you can quickly compare costs while comfortable at home. Although it seems easy to plug in your information and opt for the lowest price, this might not be in your best interest. When comparing, you need to make sure that the levels of coverage being offered are at least the same as your current policy, if not greater. You’ll naturally pay less if you’re getting less, so don’t get fooled.

2. Raise Your Deductible. 

If you’re willing to raise your deductible, you’ll see the cost of those free home insurance quotes start to fall. Most companies nowadays suggest a deductible of about $500. If you can afford it, raising your deductible to $1,000 can save you as much as 25%.

3. Improve Your Home. 

As you fill out the information to get those free home insurance quotes, you’ll notice questions about renovations, home security, and possibly even the age of your appliances. This is because the companies are calculating your risk factor. The lower your risk, the lower those quotes will be. If you improve your home against threats such as fires, floods, or robberies, or an explosion caused by an old, faulty clothes dryer, you’ll be able to get cheaper insurance.

If you compare free home insurance quotes, raise your deductible, and make home improvements, you’ll eventually find a much more affordable policy. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.