Home Improvement Ideas

Home Shutters

When potential buyers are looking at a home, many upgrades get their attention. Floor tile, fireplace, and tile backsplash are some popular additions to a home. One upgrade, however, really makes homebuyers take notice. That upgrade is plantation shutters.

Plantation shutters are interior shutters installed inside a window. Though the name is often used to describe any interior window shutters, true plantation shutters feature that are 2 ½ to 4 ½ inches wide, set into panels that are 12 to 19 ½ inches. The panels can be adjusted as needed to let in light or to keep it out. This adds shade to a home and can even help reduce the energy bills. Shutters also add privacy in areas that require it. For this reason, many people install plantation shutters in large windows over the bathtub or in the bedroom. Many people also use plantation shutters in windows facing the street. Plantation shutters can be used in every window in the home, but the cost for this would be great.

Plantation shutters are available in most every type of wood or in vinyl. Customers looking for a stained look should buy wooden shutters as vinyl offers a painted look. Some new vinyl shutters are made to replicate the look of wood. These are a cheaper alternative for those desiring wood.

Plantation shutter installation is a relatively easy do-it-yourself project. Installation is quick and requires few tools. If you prefer, some companies do offer installation at an additional price. Contractors or “handymen for hire” can also be hired to install the shutters.

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Fireplace Mantel

Perhaps you already own a fireplace but would like to add a fireplace mantel to it? Or maybe this is a complete project you had in mind including the fireplace and its mantel. Regardless a fireplace mantel is an excellent addition to your living area. And, there are many choices to choose from as well. Wood or stone? A shelf or an entire surrounding wall?

Putting in a fireplace mantel into your home will add a nice touch to your fireplace. It will also give you considerable room to display your treasures. A mantel can be a great place for pictures, a sculpture, or even just knick knacks. Or, for another effect, it can be left empty.

Then there are the choices in fireplace mantels that you have. The first one is a wood fireplace mantel. A wood fireplace mantel would look great in a room that already had some wood items. Perhaps a knotted pine wall or the molding in the room will be a tool to find a matching fireplace mantel. The surrounding area in the room that you will place your fireplace should give you some idea of what you would like it to look like. Another option is stone. A stone fireplace mantel is very nice if the surrounding area will match it in some way. Adding touches of the element, whether stone or wood, throughout the room will help to make it mesh.

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cozy home fireplace

Installing a fireplace in a home is a big decision. Installing a fireplace is as difficult as it is necessary to find the right location, ventilation, and safety aspects. Therefore, it will more than likely be installed by a professional. All this can add up to a large expense. There are also many things to consider when choosing which fireplace is the right model and design for the home it will go into.

Fireplaces are great for cold winter nights. They add a dimension to the home and a sense of style. Maybe the thought of warm hot chocolate on a snowy winter day is a motivating factor in purchasing a fireplace? Adding a fireplace mantel above to store precious items to show off is also a consideration? To find the right fireplace, consider several options.

The first option to choose when looking into purchasing a fireplace is which type it will be. Gas fireplaces allow for one choice. Another choice is an electric fireplace. Each offers mostly the same features, except the obvious difference. Which of these is best for the home is a choice the homeowner will need to make. Consider the safety aspects as well as the functionality of each.

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Those who aspire to recreate the feeling when a Spin Art creation was complete can return to the euphoria of their childhood today through living art. This form of art expression gives adults the chance to create visual masterpieces to express their individual sense of style and flair.

During the past few years, interior designers have discovered the color and vibrancy that living art can add to any room. As a result, they have begun to work aquariums, the more traditional name for living art, into their clients’ homes.

Though designers often custom-order pricey aquariums, tanks are actually available in all price ranges. The fun is in designing and arranging multi-colored coral, which can be changed depending on the season or even a mood!

Coral comes in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. For example, there is green-colored octopus coral, pink bird’s nest coral and purple stag horn coral. More contemporary artists may be more inclined to work with brain coral, shaped like a half-moon with intricate grooves and indentations, or club-foot coral, which features long, flat pieces spiking out from a narrow base.

When designing a reef, many approach the task like an artist. They incorporate a variety of shapes and colors, making the coral design truly a piece of living art with their own personal signature.

This is the approach Noreen Zamora, Palm Beach, Fla., took in building her living art piece. “I wanted my aquarium to be a focal point of my family room, one that would provide me a soothing diversion to help me forget the stress of the day. So, I’ve opted for colors that remind me of summer — pinks, oranges, yellows and greens.”

These colors are predominant in Caribbean reefs, seen off the coasts of Barbados, Jamaica and St. Lucia.

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