The welcome mat at the front step of your home is a great chance to make a lasting first impression, unfortunately, most default to the mundane. Well, in an effort to celebrate diversity, we’ve compiled a gallery of the coolest welcome mats and give a cheers to the unique individuals that rock ‘em proud.

An “Open Door Policy” Mat

To begin the list with light-hearted hilarity, here is a pretty cool welcome mat that says what we’re all thinking. While it appears to be a warm and welcoming greeting at first, it’s pretty clear that one should never show up to this party empty handed.

The Tongue-in-Cheek Mat

Continuing the front-door sarcasm, here is another welcome mat that would make anyone who grew up in a humorous household feel right at home. Yes, even though it blatantly says, Hiding till you go away!, it manages to portray a comfortable and homey vibe … and we think that’s pretty cool.

A Mixed Medium Mat

While the rest of these mats stand on the safer side of the definition, check out this more natural approach that mixes mat mediums! Between the patches of organic ground cover plants, rocks, stones and more traditional manufactured rubber mats, this home has created a very cool collage of mats.

A Concrete Mat

Continuing with the “less than traditional” form of mats, this entry is pretty cool because it’s not even a mat. Yes, it gives the appearance of a mat and communicates a welcoming greeting, however, you can rest assured knowing that no one will ever trip over this simple concrete imprint!

A Dual-Purpose Mat

Killing two birds with one stone, here is a mat that communicates a welcome greeting and a goodbye salutation all in one, so that you can put multi-tasking to rest. Now, depending if your guest is coming or going, your mat can do all of the talking for you. Phew!

The Love Shack Mat

OK, it’s a bit cheesy and while we’ll admit that it’s a bit more playful than it is stylish, we appreciate that this novelty welcome mat makes no attempt to hide the fact that Honeymooners Live Here. In fact, it might as well say, If this house is a rockin, don’t bother knockin!

The iMat

Does this look familiar? For all of you tech geeks that don’t have enough time to look up from your hand-held device long enough to give a proper welcome, this iPhone homage mat must hit extra close to home. 

A Binary Mat

Speaking of tech geeks, this welcome mat is either way over your head or the nerd-in-you definition of cool. Although we’re not exactly sure what this binary language is coded to say, we’ll trust that it says Welcome.

The Metal Mat

Now that we’ve seen mats made of various fabrics, weaves, plants, concrete and rocks, it’s only fitting that we highlight your metallic alternatives. Although the aesthetic appeal is endless and these metal mats can look really cool, beware … you’d never want to walk out barefoot and catch your toe on one of these. Ouch!

The Home Plate Mat

Because we’ve featured a couple of mats for the tech geeks of the world, it’s about time we introduce a sports themed welcome mat, for the more athletically oriented. Whether you’re a fan of America’s favorite pastime or not, what more appropriate way to say welcome to my home than home plate itself?

***

We hope you’ve enjoyed this gallery of coolest welcome mats. Whether they’re funny, nerdy or just plain bizarre, we can all appreciate that they’re simply unique.

Related posts:

1. Wood Floors and Use of Mats
2. Interior Design For Geeks

Source: bhg.com via Erin on Pinterest

You’ve spent some time extending the potential of your property by integrating your outdoor living space with the rest of your home. So, in these warmer months, it’s time to introduce your transformed space to your friends and family. For that of course, you’ll need two essential elements: light and heat.

How do you do that stylishly, creatively, practically? 

Well, guest writer Lauren Oldland is here to touch upon some tips to get there.

***

Lighting in a home is essential not only for practical purposes but also as an aesthetic element to set the mood and create a positive atmosphere. Warmer weather has arrived, and with it brings cool nights outside with friends and family in your outdoor living space.  So with that in mind, here are some top tips to brighten up the exterior of the home this season using outdoor lighting, and outdoor patio heating.

Outdoor comfort after the sun goes down

There is no better time than now to invite the family and friends round to enjoy a barbeque outside in the backyard. Eating alfresco is ideal at this time of year; gather around the patio, bask in the sun’s rays and enjoy the great outdoors. But as the sun goes down, it doesn’t mean that the party should stop.

Some outdoor lighting and patio heating can ensure that the fun carries on and there are wide ranges to choose from so you can incorporate them into the garden décor. Your guests don’t have to be left standing around in the dark. With modern lighting and patio heating, you can light up your outdoor living space, and keep everyone warm too, without any loose wires running through the house outside. Use modern decorative lighting installed on posts on the edging of your deck, or fixed in the ground to be walked over, installed in between stone pavers. Spike lights are great too as they can just be pushed into the grass edges without any fuss.

Specialist outdoor solar powered lighting is another option. Not only will you be reducing your electrical bills but you will also be cutting your carbon footprint too!

Upcycled and stylish temporary outdoor lighting

In the age of recycling, there are plenty of examples of using household items to create eye-catching solutions that you don’t notice are solutions, just because they are so attractive. Jars, bottles, and even paper can be made into makeshift lanterns and fairy lights. Just apply your imaginations for the next time you plan your next gathering, and use what you’ve got to hand to make your outdoor living space into a dreamlike landscape for everyone to enjoy.

Outdoor lighting for safety and security

Another practical aspect of outdoor lighting is the safety issue, applying to your outdoor living spaces in the backyard, but also in the front yard.

During the season that homeowners leave windows open and doors unlocked more often as they sit outside in the backyard, motion sensing light can lend a certain level of security, and peace of mind. An outdoor sensor light that turns on when alerted to movement can prove beneficial to many families when social gatherings are over as well.

Motion sensing lights for security aside, another major concern is simply being able to actually see when it gets darker. Outdoor lighting that is installed to flank steps or along paths up the porch for instance can help you and others avoid mis-stepping after the sun has gone down. And as always, steps and paths that are lit with a warm, gentle light has all kinds benefits beside their potential to avoid slips and falls.

Outdoor lighting to light up your exteriors

You can incorporate outdoor lighting practically as well as stylishly. Lighting along the driveway is practical to illuminate the pathway to park your car but you can also light up the front door to help you find the keyhole. A light can illuminate the house number so if people find it hard to find at night time, you can display the address name or number more vividly. But there is nothing to stop you from complementing the exterior’s décor so if the front door is white PVC or a wooden brown, choose a light that will match this.

Good lighting and heating is essential

Lighting is a primary requirement in any home. As we’ve seen here, there are a lot of places to apply the use of modern lighting and outdoor heating. And luckily, along with the practical side, the addition of good lighting and innovative outdoor heating can add style, too.

***

Thanks, Lauren!

Lauren wrote this post on behalf of Electric Point; one of the largest electrical wholesalers in the UK.

Cheers,

Rob.

Related posts:

1. 5 Outdoor Lighting Tips to Light Up An Outdoor Living Space
2. Lighting: How To Light Up Your Interiors In Fall
3. Preparing An Outdoor Living Space In Winter

Source: toutletralala.ca via Louise on Pinterest

There are many upsides in downsizing to a smaller place — less to clean, lower expenses, you’re forced to simplify and be organized — but actually moving into the place is not one.

For a few days, it’s cramped, boxes end up everywhere, there’s nowhere to just store everything until you “get to it,” so moving into a small space is crazy-making. It can be less crazy-making, however, if you have a plan not only for where things are going, but for how you’re unpacking.

From before your move until after, here are a few tips to help you keep it together:

Before You Move

1. Get accurate measurements for all your new rooms. With small spaces, your options will be limited, so you might as well figure it out now. By measuring your furniture for your spaces and drawing a scale layout, you’ll have a good start, and one less hassle for moving day.

2. Color-code the move. Unless you’re paying professional movers, everybody eventually stops reading boxes and that box marked “dishes” winds up in the closet. This is what you get for paying them in pizza and beer.

With large colored stickers on the top/end of boxes, you can make it simpler for everyone. “Red sign’s on the bedroom wall? Oh, this red-stickered box goes there.” You could also have another color sticker for “urgency” on boxes, too, for things that have to be unpacked first. So, if you see the hot-pink smilie, you know that’s a priority box.

3. Snapshots. Do you like how your bookshelves look now? Do you want to lay things out the same way? Take snapshots of everything before you start dismantling, so you remember how to put them together. Likewise, make sure you’re packing objects together if they go in the same area, so unpacking and organizing are quicker.

Moving Day

4. Keep your layout plan close at hand. Have furniture placed in the correct spots. Pile boxes out of the way, in corners and closets. Get “urgent” boxes left in more accessible spots. Unpack the kitchen first. Take deep breaths often.

After the Move

5. Be flexible. Storage likely won’t work out how you thought, and you might need to rethink the way things go. Maybe the linens have to go in the hall pantry. Maybe the ironing board needs to be in the bedroom closet. Be prepared to Google for ideas when you’re hitting the creative-layout wall, and don’t count on everything making sense the “first” time you organize a spot.

6. Be patient. Don’t rush out to buy storage solutions right away. You may not be seeing all the possibilities, and waiting another couple weeks might mean you find a better way to solve the problem, whether by relocating some items, or by buying something for the spot. You could also underestimate what solutions you need, and it would be harder (and uglier) to incorporate extra solutions in than it would be to buy something more appropriate in the first place. Patience indeed, grasshopper.

7. Pick your spots. Get past the overwhelming nature of moving in by focusing on a smaller area. It might help to think of things you love having together and starting there. Like, you know that painting looks great over that chair, and you need that table beside the chair, so obviously that lamp could go there for reading. Well, there you go. That’s a finished space. Go for it and hang that painting first.

We always have some item groupings we won’t want to mess with, but the rest of the room can be a little more flexible. Build the area you’re sure of, and make the rest fit around it. You can always re-imagine spaces later, but you need to have a place to start.

8. The place will grow on you. What works today will likely be something you can improve later. We “learn” to live in our homes. From how the natural light places to discovering a draft makes your reading spot unpleasant, a lot can change as we inhabit our spaces over the course of a year. If you take the attitude of not trying to “finish” your home, but instead making it the best space you can for today, it’ll take some of the pressure off the unpacking phase, and save some of the customizing fun for later.

9. Contain the chaos. Unless you can take a couple weeks off work and have lots of people helping, the odds are pretty good it’ll take a few weeks to really finish your move-in. As you undo things, unpack boxes, and make progress, keep moving what’s left into compacted areas so the clutter doesn’t cover the areas and make your “vision” of the space harder to hang onto.

10. Enjoy yourself. This is your new abode, and you deserve to love where you live. Take the time to get it right, and know that the end result will be worth it.

Finally, please, recycle your cardboard boxes. Alternatively, listing them on the “free” section of Craigslist might help someone else’s move.

Related posts:

1. Wall Decorating Tips To Make Your Space Unique
2. Moving laminate flooring when you move
3. Small Bathrooms and How to Maximize Space

Stainless steel kitchen backsplash (Source: hgtv.com via Diane on Pinterest)

Spring time is a time of warmer weather, sure. But, it’s also a time for longer days, and more natural light for you to enjoy both indoors and out. 

So how does re-thinking, or at least mixing up your home decor surfaces come into play where natural light at this time of year is concerned? Well, guest writer Joanna Renbourne is here to explain how the simplest additions can shed light on the potential of your interior in a bright, new season.

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Spring is in full swing, and there is no better way to spruce up your home décor than to update the variety of home decor surfaces that bring new life, and more light, in a new season.

Flat surfaces can make the house appear dull.  But you can inject some life back into the atmosphere on a tight budget, especially when the elements of sunny weather and warmer temperatures come into play during the spring and coming summer seasons. Simple additions of varied surfaces in home decor can help you to spread the light of the spring season into each and every room. It doesn’t have to cost the earth with these top tips.

Reflective surfaces – mirrors

A brilliant fixture which you can use to brighten up the living room, bedroom, hallway, is a beautiful mirror. A mirror in a living room can make the space look bigger and they make wonderful features above a fireplace. Mirrors can vary in size as well as color so you can coordinate them with the rest of the décor. There are a wide range of mirrors to choose from including round and square mirrors, mirrors with lights, and illuminated mirrors.

A mirror can also ornament a bathroom space and can be fitted to the walls with a mirror cabinet, providing a great feature point as well as storage facilities. They are an ideal way to liven up the bathroom as well as store all your essentials, while also helping spread around the extra daylight we’re all seeing now that winter is well behind us!

Designer radiator towel rack (Source: laurens-heizkoerper.de via Evangelia on Pinterest)

High-gloss surfaces – designer radiators

Designer radiators are also a great method to add some style and visual spark where natural light into the home is concerned. High gloss surfaces like designer radiators can transform a décor from drab to chic and they are really diverse so you can fit them into any room size by installing them horizontally or vertically on the walls.

Whereas before a radiator merely had the purpose to heat a room, now designer radiators are becoming much more popular to add visual interest the space. A top tip is to make the color stand out so for example a high-gloss black radiator looks brilliant against a purple or blue background, all the while letting springtime light glint off of its surface when you open up your curtains, or your bi-folding doors into an outdoor living space.

Porcelain, glass, and metal surfaces – fixtures that play against natural light

But the home décor furnishing doesn’t have to stop there! You can fit designer radiators into other living spaces too like the bathroom. A heated towel rail can look really quirky and not only will they warm up, and help to naturally light up the bathroom with metal, reflective surfaces, but they will also keep the towels toasty.

Other fixtures and home decor surfaces which can be bought at a low cost include new bath and sink taps , glass tile backsplashes, and kitchen taps. If the room hasn’t been redecorated in some time a tip to make it more modern is with chrome taps and accessories; or if you prefer the antique finish, opt for brass instead.

Colorful outdoor home decor surfaces

And don’t forget about the home’s exterior. Brighten up the outside of the house with new colourful flowers, dining sets, parasols and garden furniture. A hammock in the backyard will definitely make a style statement when neighbours visit and they are perfect to lie on in the sunshine to soak in the spring daylight, and the upcoming summer rays.

***

Thanks, Joanna!

Joanna Renbourne wrote this post on behalf of Trueshopping; the expert suppliers of garden furniture and radiators for the home and bathroom.

Cheers!

Rob.

Related posts:

1. 10 Interior Design Tips To Add Natural Light In Your Home
2. Letting Spring In With Your Home Decor
3. Celebrate Spring With Natural Flooring: Wood, Stone, Leather

Source: google.com via Lindy on Pinterest

When it comes to decorating your home, the beauty of nature can be used as a great source of inspiration. After all, it’s hard to argue with the fact that nature is the source of some of the most beautiful sights known to humanity.

There are many different ways that nature can be used when decorating your home. Here are just of a few of my favorite nature-inspired decorating methods

Natural objects

If you’re decorating your home on a tight budget, natural objects can be a great way to go. After all, why spend money unnecessarily on home décor when you can gather it freely in your own backyard? It’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of adding the beauty of fresh flowers to your home.

But, floral arrangements aren’t the only way to add authentic natural touches to your decorating plan. If gardening isn’t your strong point, try creating interesting arrangements made from tree or shrubbery branches. Wildflowers, pinecones, seed pods and even weeds can also be used to create eye-catching arrangements and displays.

If you love the beauty of the ocean, use the seashells you gathered during your last beach vacation to decorate your home. If you’re feeling especially crafty, use the seashells to create a beautiful wreath or perhaps a wall hanging. You could also just scatter a few shells on shelves, countertops or tables. Or, use them to fill a beautiful glass vase or basket.

Source: shelterness.com via Charlene on Pinterest

Nature prints

In addition to using authentic natural objects to decorate your home, you can also use decorative items that feature nature prints and patterns. For example, floral print throw pillow can be used to add a pretty, natural look to your living room or family room sofa. Bedding, wall art, wallpaper, area rugs and other home decorating items can also provide great opportunities to give your home a more natural look.

In fact, I like to add at least one touch of nature to every room of my home. Even the smallest floral pattern or photograph of nature can add a sense of life to a room. Landscape paintings, art prints, fabrics and other decorative items that draw their inspiration from the beauty of nature are a great way to bring a bit of the outdoors inside your home.

Source: bhg.com via Aimee on Pinterest

 

Enjoy the view

When decorating your home, never forget that your home’s windows naturally frame a view of the great outdoors. Of course, not every view from every window is an attractive one. However, if your home is surrounded by beautiful outdoor scenery, why not use your windows to make the most of the view? Blinds and shades can be combined with curtains and draperies to provide plenty of window treatment versatility.

During the daytime hours, you can open the drapes and raise the blinds so that you can enjoy the beautiful outdoor scenery. During the nighttime hours, the drapes can then be drawn or the blinds can be lowered in order to provide a bit more privacy. Utilizing a beautiful view of the outside landscape can be one of these easiest and least expensive ways to add a touch of nature to your decorating scheme.

Alyssa Davis is a staff writer and decorating specialist with Metal-Wall-Art.com and she offers stylish suggestions for decorating with abstract wall art and metal wall art sale.

Related posts:

1. Bringing Nature Inside: Easy Interior Design Ideas
2. DIY Fabric Home Decor: Fom Boring to “Fab”
3. DIY Home Decor On a Shoestring Decorating Budget

Primary colors, bold colors.

In some ways, we tend to shy away from them because we like to think they’re just too basic, or maybe just too dominant. Maybe we’re afraid to commit to a single color.

But, I don’t know – there’s a certain whimsy about primary colors that appeals to our childhood fancies, particularly outside when there’s so much potential for contrast in a world of earthier colors.

In any case, this is a big lead-up to a new line of Adirondack outdoor furniture chairs we’ve recently launched on the BuildDirect main site. You can read all about the practicalities and cost advantages on the Kontiki outdoor furniture Adirondack chairs line page, including the fact that BuildDirect is going to pay for the shipping after you’ve bought them.

But besides this whole product launch business, here’s the question to all of you design-minded folks out there; what’s your take on the whole bold color thing? It’s easy enough to think of the above outdoor furniture pieces as accents to a more chromatically neutral space, like a cedar deck that’s naturally weathered to a nice sylvan gray as pictured above.

But, are bold colors in an outdoor space to be thought of as separate to their use indoors? If so, why is there a difference?

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, everyone!

Cheers,

Rob.

Related posts:

1. Choosing Patio Furniture
2. Patio Furniture And How To Make It Last
3. Outdoor Living & Bi-Folding Doors: Indoor/Outdoor Continuity

Source: imgfave.com via adriisme on Pinterest

Any remodel can turn into a tricky business. The National Kitchen and Bath Association estimates that most remodels go over budget by 14 percent, but even if you plan that extra cash into your budget, there is no guarantee that you won’t discover serious problems lurking underneath that countertop or behind those kitchen cabinets.

But there are some things you can be sure about, like the materials you choose and the initial scope of your project. Here’s how to make sure you are getting the right remodel for your house, your neighborhood and your bottom line.

Bigger is not necessarily better

The annual Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling Magazine looks at the average cost of the most popular home improvement projects, the amount of return on investment, and how that amount goes up and down over the years. The 2011-2012 report found that a minor kitchen remodel, including a new countertop , kitchen cabinet refacing, new faucet and sink, resilient flooring, painting and replacing some appliances cost an average of $19,588. The minor kitchen remodel offered a nice return on investment of 72.1 percent when it came time to resell.

So going bigger could be even better, right? Not exactly. A major kitchen remodel, including all new semi-custom kitchen cabinets, a double-tub stainless steel sink, garbage disposal, custom lighting, all new appliances and new paint can run an average of $57,494. The return on investment was 65.7 percent, a significant drop from the cost-effectiveness of the minor remodel.

The return on investment gets even worse if you go upscale. The high-end kitchen remodel, including custom cherry kitchen cabinets, built-in shelving, stone countertops, ceramic or glass backsplash, built-in appliances, sinks with a water filtration system, custom lighting, cork flooring and cherry trim can cost $110,938. The return on investment might only be 57.4 percent.

Focus on the house and the neighborhood

One of the most common mistakes homeowners make with their kitchen remodel is simply going overboard. In order to make your remodel count when it’s time to sell the house, make sure that the changes match the rest of the home. For example, an ultra-modern luxury kitchen in a 1950′s ranch house might not be the best design idea.

Also keep the neighborhood in mind. If your house is worth about $100,000, it doesn’t make sense to add another $100,000 in upgrades, especially if all the homes nearby are on a par with yours. It’s tough to sell a $200,000 home in a neighborhood where all the other houses are going for half that.

What if you want to indulge in that amazing kitchen remodel anyway? If you are planning to live in the house for many years to come, then by all means, go for it. Ultimately though, a kitchen remodel might add to the bottom line of your eventual selling price, you will be living in the house and using that kitchen until then. It should definitely be a space you can not only live with, but enjoy.

Related posts:

1. 7 Really Bad Ideas for Your Kitchen Remodel
2. 4 Home Improvement Projects That Make Good Financial Sense
3. Kitchen Storage Style Tips For Practical Transformations

If you’d like to give your home a beautiful designer look but need to stick to a meager decorating budget, you might feel as though your options are severely limited. Although it’s true that you probably wouldn’t want to buy expensive home décor if your funds are limited, a small decorating budget doesn’t mean you can’t end up with beautiful results.

In fact, with a little bit of creativity and effort, you can transform your home into a showplace while spending hardly any money. Here are just a few of the many money-saving home decor tips I’ve discovered that can help you save money on your home decorating projects.

Think creatively with your home decor

Creativity is one of the main ingredients when it comes to decorating your home on a shoestring budget. Since creativity is one of my strong points, I always have a lot of fun thinking up new decorating ideas. However, even if you don’t consider yourself to be an especially creative person, don’t give up hope.

There are plenty of interesting home decorating projects that don’t require much creativity – just some time and patience. Magazines, craft books and online sites are great resources if you need a bit of inspiration.

Waste not, want not

When decorating your home on a limited budget, “waste not, want not” should be your mantra. Look for ways to use items you already own in creative new ways. Many times you can even clear up clutter and get rid of unwanted items when using this method. For example, if you love candles, there’s probably a good chance that you have a number of half-burned candles cluttering your home. Why not melt down your candle stubs and half-used jar candles so that you can make new candles out of the wax?

As an added bonus, you can use the glass jars as decorative storage containers once they are empty. As with any craft project, be sure you follow the proper safety precautions when melting wax and making candles.

Explore your sewing skills

Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve dusted off your sewing machine. If you’re decorating your home on a budget, your sewing machine can definitely be your best friend. It’s easy and extremely economical to make your own throw pillows, curtains and other fabric decorating accessories. You can even make small decorative quilt wall hangings out of the leftover fabric scraps.

I sometimes forget how much fun it is to work on sewing projects. If it’s been a while since you and your sewing machine have spent some “quality time” together, why not get reacquainted today and make some great home decorating accessories?

Re-purposed furniture

When decorating a room, furniture pieces are often one of the most costly items that need to be dealt with. If you’re on a tight decorating budget, re-purposing existing furniture pieces can be far more affordable as compared to buying new pieces.

Perhaps you already have some unused pieces around your home that can be used. For example, that old magazine rack that nobody ever uses could be used in the bathroom as a trendy towel holder once it’s been given a fresh coat of paint.

A couple of two-drawer filing cabinets can be combined with a piece of wood or a discarded wooden door to create a useful desk. If you don’t have any unused furniture pieces of your own, check out garage sales, flea markets and second-hand stores for affordable, interesting options.

Learn more about decorating with abstract metal hangings and horse wall hangings from our exclusive designer and staff writer, Alyssa Davis, of Metal-Wall-Art.com.

Related posts:

1. DIY Fabric Home Decor: Fom Boring to “Fab”
2. Holiday Decorating On A Budget
3. Home Decor With the Beauty of Nature

Creating a home is about giving everyone who lives there a sense of ownership, while also balancing that with being able to share space while minimizing conflict, too.

There are many factors to help achieve that balance. But, one big area is that of sound. When you’re reading a book in the living room or the study, you don’t necessarily want to hear loud music emanating from another part of the house. A common source of loud sounds, from music or video games, is from your kid’s rooms.

So, beyond constructive dialogue between family members about how to best share space respectfully, are there ways and means of managing sound transfer in your home without conflict? Well, luckily there are some practical strategies for sound management that involve choosing the right materials for a kid’s room, with sound management and sound transfer in mind.

Take a look at some options below in this special feature about sound management for a more peaceful home.

And because I think it’s also worth mentioning, the inclusion of cork flooring is a good way to go as well. This is particularly true if you’re not a fan of carpeting. Cork naturally dampens sound, which is why it is also often used as underlay for wood floors – to minimize the echo of footfals. But, cork floors provide a ‘softer’ option for wood flooring materials to minimize echo all around.

Besides that, have any of you out there got your own stories about noise and sound transfer in your home? How did you overcome any problems that arose? Let me know in the comments section.

Cheers!
Rob.

Related posts:

1. Cork floors for baby’s room
2. Install An Outdoor Sound System
3. 15mm Laminate Flooring Gives the Feel and Sound of Hardwood Flooring

As we mentioned last week, it is possible to create a zen-like bathroom simply by design, and through smart storage too. So, to follow up one some of those thoughts, guest writer Sara Fletcher is here to focus on some of the prime culprits of bathroom clutter – bathroom accessories.

How do you corral all of those containers, bottles, brushes, and other assorted denizens of the bathroom? Sara explains …

***

For most homeowners, the bathroom is often the smallest space in the home. But with the amount of accessories and products that are typical for bathrooms, it can also be one of the most cluttered spaces as well. A disorganized bathroom prevents individuals from finding necessary items and may leave a bad impression on guests. In addition, it can diminish the overall atmosphere of your home, contributing to stress and wasted time while trying to locate a single piece of soap.

Homeowners do not have to put up with the disadvantages of a messy bathroom. If your bathroom is suffering from too much clutter and lack of space, use the following organizational tips to help you make the most of your cramped bathroom.

Sort your items

Before anything, homeowners should tackle their clutter by taking an initial stock of their items. One tactic is to sort through different products and place similar items together. Ranging from cleaning supplies, hair products to moisturizers, sorting through various items can give you a good idea of how to organize your bathroom.

Source: practicalenrichment.files.wordpress.com via Janine on Pinterest

Practice efficiency

Oftentimes, one of the reasons why clutter is piling up in your bathroom results from the sheer amount of items. Many individuals are loath to throw away a single item, whether it’s a half-used bottle or a free sample. However, minimizing the number of items in your bathroom can go a long way in reducing the clutter in your space.

Source: goo.gl via Alfreda on Pinterest

 

If you have any items that are too old or no longer being used, then put it in the trash. For any items that you simply cannot throw away, consider placing them in storage elsewhere.

Make room for space

If you’re lacking in space, then there are a variety of ways to make space throughout the bathroom. Baskets and boxes can keep magazines neat and organized, and medicine cabinets are a useful place to store small items.  Shower caddies are a great way to store items in your shower, keeping shampoo and soap off the floor. In addition, if your bathroom has drawers, then installing dividers can help you categorize different types of items.

Install storage

If you have a larger budget to work with, then installing cabinet space may be a viable option. However, consider your bathroom space carefully before placing additional units in your already small space. Instead, find storage that can add to the space, as well as provide additional functions. For example, double bathroom vanities can store a wide variety of items within their drawers, as well as enhance the overall atmosphere of the space.

Source: bhg.com via Meaghan on Pinterest

 

Leave countertops for essentials

Placing items indiscriminately on countertops are an inevitable precursor to a messy bathroom. Instead, keep all unnecessary or little-used items tucked away in various storage spaces and containers. By using countertop space for the most essential items, homeowners can ensure that their bathrooms are free from clutter as much as possible.

***

Thanks, Sara!

Sara Fletcher enjoys learning about all aspects of the home, ranging from walk in bathtubs to green furniture. She one day hopes to build her own dream home, complete with its own custom bathroom.

Cheers,

Rob.

 

Related posts:

1. Bathroom Space Zen: Finding More Storage For Bathrooms
2. Organization and Storage For Transformed Spaces In Spring
3. 5 Ways To Make Your Bathroom Feel Like a Spa