Natural light flowing into your living room makes the room feel spacious and inviting. Therefore, it is beneficial to your overall decor to allow the maximum amount of natural light into the room. When natural light is limited, you can do make some creative design and decor choices to brighten up the room.
Window treatments
Using the minimum amount of window coverings will allow the natural light to flow more freely into the room. Light weight window covering fabric is a good design choice. You could choose window treatments such as blinds that can be raised to leave the majority of the window uncovered during the day and lowered for privacy at night.
Mirrors
Hanging a mirror across from a window is a smart design trick that helps brighten a room. Choosing a mirror with a gold or silver frame gives you an additional reflective element in the room. Mirrored tables are an ideal accent piece in any room that you wish to brighten up.
Decorative accessories
The accessories you incorporate into your decor can help brighten up the room. Clear vases such as those found at different online shops are an ideal choice. Shiny gold and silver vases add elegance to a room while providing a surface for light to bounce off of. Clear vases can be used in a variety of ways in a living room decor. If you want to include a unique accessory in your living room that will both reflect light and allow light to flow through it, you should check out the metallic vase as well. Metallic items add casual elegance to a decor. That is often an ideal combination for a living room.
Color
One of the simplest ways to brighten up your living room is through the use of vibrant, energizing colors. You may want to paint an accent wall a brilliant orange, bright yellow, energizing red or shocking green to brighten up the room. A bold colored fabric on an accent chair, pillows made with bright floral print fabric, magnificently colorful wall art, vibrant colored rugs or painted accent furniture are all great ways to use color to enliven your living room.
Furniture placement
When you place your furniture in the living room, be sure that none of it blocks a window. A room that is overcrowded with furniture is not visually appealing. Using a minimal amount of furniture allows any type of lighting to flow more freely throughout the room.
Lighting
The lighting you choose play a large role in determining how bright your living room is. You get a bonus when you select lighting such as a chandelier, mini chandelier or lamps with clear shades. The light they emit shines through and sunlight reflects off of them.
Flowers and plants
Placing a vase of fresh flowers in your living room is a wonderful way to brighten up the room. At various online shops you can find some very attractive vases that would be the perfect container for a bouquet of fresh flowers. As an alternative to fresh flowers, you can include some lush green plants in your decor. A large single leaf, showcased in an attractive glass bowl or vase, looks lovely sitting on an accent table in the living room.
Brighten your room with black accessories
When you are searching for ways to brighten up your living area, you are likely focusing on bright colors. However, you should not overlook the powerful way black can enliven a room. You might consider black slip covers for your furniture. Accent pillows in almost any color would pop against the black fabric. Silver or gold decorative items command attention when placed on a table with a black top. A clear glass bowl with a colorful candle or festive candy in it is a cheerful accessory for a room. Place a small colorful accent rug over a black area rug and the room will immediately brighten up.
By implementing some of the previously mentioned ideas, you can easily brighten up your living room. Work with the flow of natural light as much as possible. Beyond that, let your creative decorating skills have unlimited freedom and enjoy the results.
Tag Archives: DIY
Master Bath Renovation Update in our Curb Appeal Series!!! #CurbAppeal
Well, it is time for another curb appeal update. The master bath is slowly coming along. Our tile contractor still has about a week to finish but things are finally shaping up. Tomorrow they are grouting the shower and finishing more walls. After all the walls are done they will tile the floor, then put the new toilet in, install the tub and we can get the shower panel and frameless doors on, the vanity installed, countertop and sinks, all the trim and the paint.
Here is a look at some of the progress since last time:
Filed under Curb Appeal, DIY, Home Improvement, Mommy Ramblings, Uncategorized
Build a Garden Tunnel with Extranet Shade Netting
An easy do it yourself project that you can do at home to enhance the yield of your garden and grow fresh fruits and vegetables all year round is to build a garden tunnel using 1.5m x10m extranet shade netting. This is a simple project that you can do in a weekend. There are several different sizes and styles that you can choose from. A garden tunnel is the perfect start for the amateur or professional gardener who is interested in starting a garden of their own, but may be a little unsure of how to get it started.
It is a simple exercise to start your garden. You just follow the simple instructions to construct your garden tunnel. Add dirt and fertiliser and plant your seeds or seedlings. In no time you will be reaping the benefits of gardening with the protection of a garden tunnel. The garden will need significantly less water than an unprotected garden. Your garden will be much less susceptible to weeds. This makes a difference in the time needed to maintain and care for your garden. Less time spent watering and weeding means more time to enjoy the outdoors relaxing.
A garden tunnel provides total protection for your garden from a variety of threats all year round. The plants in your garden, especially the new ones, sometimes need a little extra protection until they are strong enough to withstand the full onslaught of nature’s elements on their own. Shade netting is the obvious solution.
The best part is that unlike tunnels constructed from PVC or plastic sheeting, it allows air and some sunlight to pass through. Shade netting gives your plants the exact amount of sunlight needed for them to be healthy and for processes such as photosynthesis and bearing fruits.
Another benefit of having a covered tunnel is the moderate temperatures that can be maintained under the tunnel. It can provide shade from the blazing heat of the sun, the driving force of the rain, windy days, and cold nights. Usually in some climate zones, there is a lot of variation between temperatures in the daytime and night time. The shade netting can help to minimise the difference so that it is not so drastic. These are essential elements for the success of your garden and to produce fresh green fruits and vegetables all year round.
The elements are not the only external threat to your garden. As a gardener, you know that a lot of things in nature, such as birds and insects will find your fruits and vegetables delicious as well. It is important to protect your gardens from hungry pests, or your efforts to grow your own produce will go in vain. There is also the risk of falling debris such as limbs that can fall and break the delicate stems of your seedlings or crush small plants. Extranet Shade Netting will provide the perfect barrier between the weather, pests, debris, and your garden.
To purchase 1.5m x10m extranet shade netting visit the Mega Trade Store.
Learn how to protect your garden from the harsh summer sun.
Lee Elwell works for Mega Garden Store. He is known for his knowledge in the field of gardening equipment. You can add him on Google Plus. Please add him to your circles.
Filed under Gardening
Curb Appeal Updates: Master Bath Remodel, Let’s Talk About Tile, Tubs, Showers and Niches with a Side of Koi Pond!!!
Well, the master bath/master bedroom renovation project has officially commenced. We already had the tile floor demoed and removed back in the fall. This week the tile contractor removed the old whirlpool tub, had to tear down the old platform and steps because there was a height and size difference with the new whirlpool. He then ripped out the rest of the 5 foot high tiled walls in that section. He is leaving us the shower, sinks and toilet still useable until the whirlpool section of the bathroom is finished. This week that area should be completed and he can start the rest of the demo and reconstruction/remodel.
Now, I thought about recycling the old whirlpool, since it worked and was in good condition but the color a bit dated. I know the components like the pump etc could be offered for a small fee or free via Craigslist or Freecycle, but what about the tub? What could I do with that? That is when I got a great idea. I wondered if I could use it as a Koi pond. I went downstairs and did some reasearch and indeed I could. It can be covered with a heavy-duty pond liner and set into the ground. So that will be saved and we’re going to take you through that project as soon as the ground thaws. Please tell me that as we brace for yet another snowfall that we will experience spring soon! Now lets talk about the tile, this is some of the tile we choose for the bathroom. It was shipped straight from Italy and was delayed in customs, but finally arrived. The pictures don’t do it justice.
The colors are a gold/ivory color and the wall tile is a subway style, the floor has the same tile but in 12″ by 12″ squares and then the gorgeous mosaics will be installed near the top in a 2 row width and finished with a row of the bullnose subway tile.
Niches, niches, who has the niches? We do, and we have lots of them thanks to Schluter Systems and their prefabricated shower niches. We will be using these in more than just the shower! The largest niche is going in one of the walls surrounding the whirlpool. It is a full tiled to the ceiling wall and will have the 12″ by 28″ niche installed with the subway bullnose tile and the mosaics in the back that will make it pop off the wall. It also has a floating shelf that will be set midway and tiled.
I thought it would be a great accent as well as useful storage that was handy for bath products. A shower niche is an ideal spot to keep shampoos and soaps in a tiled shower. Building a fully waterproof, properly sealed tiled shower niche can be a detailed and time-consuming task. Schluter-Systems has developed four prefabricated and completely waterproof shower niches that are ready to tile. Made of Schluter®-KERDI-BOARD, the shower niches are completely compatible with surface applied waterproofing systems, such as the Schluter®-KERDI and KERDI-BOARD shower assemblies. All four shower niches feature a 1/2″ (12.5 mm)-thick by 2″ (50 mm)-wide integrated bonding flange that sits perfectly flush with the surrounding wall area. The larger sizes include an optional prefabricated shelf that can be installed at any height to create separate compartments within the shower niche.
The preformed shower niche provides installers with increased speed during installation, combined with complete waterproofing dependability. The corners of a traditional shower niche are the most challenging area to waterproof and can be very susceptible to standing water and mold growth. With pre-sealed niche corners this challenge is completely eliminated. The niche complements an already wide array of preformed shower components available from Schluter-Systems, including shower trays, curbs, ramps, and benches. All of these components help installers build waterproof and vapor tight tiled showers more quickly and effectively than with traditional construction materials.
The shower niche is available in four different sizes and we have all of them so we will show you how they not only function so well in the shower but we will install them in areas you might not think for some great design option. For instance the install in the tile wall by the whirlpool and we also plan to install two in the tiled wall above the new vanity to hold soap and other frequently used products neatly off the countertop. We will of course be also using one of the larger sizes in the shower as well as one or two of the smaller sizes. We will take you through the progress of the installation of these great products. To see more about the niches or anf the other great products from Schluter, just visit their website and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Filed under Curb Appeal, DIY, Main Page Post
Operation Curb Appeal Starts Tomorrow!!!
It gets very real tomorrow with Operation Curb Appeal! The rest of the demo of the master bath and then the reconstruction begins early in the morning. I can’t wait to take you through it all and ask you to bear with a little absence in some of my posts the last few days. I will catch up and bring you lots of great content, DIY and of course giveaways. Tonight though, it’s off to prep for tomorrow’s start of all the work. I am having a bit of anxiety and even though I know it will be worth all of it in the end, I am teetering on a tightrope right now. So I promise to catch up and draw winners for the ended giveaways and much more if you all just hang in there with me. Hope you had a great Monday and it’s the beginning of a super week for you.
Filed under Curb Appeal
Duck Tape Craft–Super Easy To Make Hair Bows!!! #JollyVoxBox
As an Influenster blogger, I was sent a Jolly Vox Box Full of great products. One of the included goodies was a Ducklings mini roll of patterned Duck Tape. I have quite a variety of Duck Tape in large rolls and sheets but did not have any of the smaller rolls. Now besides being adorable, this size is great to use so you do not have to cut the larger rolls into strips when you need more narrow pieces.
I saw some bows online and it gave me some inspiration. Without following a tutorial I just grabbed some Duck Tape and improvised and I can tell you the results look great. If I did it on the fly and they turned out so well, anyone can do it! I was getting ready to groom my puppies and my Maltese came to mind when I thought to make these. With the rain and snow any bow in her hair gets dirty and yucky fast. Bows made of Duck Tape would be super easy to wipe clean!
To make the bows, I started with a piece of tape about 12 inches long from the big roll and then folded it in half on itself.
The first one got a little wrinkle so I trimmed then end, this took care of the wrinkle and made a sweet petite bow for my petite puppy.
When I had the folded piece, I then took each side and folded inward making them meet in the middle.
Now was the time to add some contrast and finish all the ends. I used the Little Ducklings tape and cut pieces as large as the sides and thenttaped them onto the folded large piece.
After this I did an accordion or fan fold until it was all folded and took a piece of the tape from the Little Duckling roll and wrapped the middle.
Then I grabbed a small hair elastic and taped it on with another piece. You could use a clip too if you like but for dogs the elastic is what holds the top knot. After it was attached you fluff the sides and it looked so cute that I immediately made another.
How darling these are to also attach to collars for doggies that don’t have a lot of hair, you can make them bigger for bigger dogs of course. The tape is very heavy duty and I pulled and pulled on the elastic to check if it would come off but it did not loosen at all. So I hope you enjoyed this little craft. It’s so super quick and easy, I hope you give it a try. If you do please share how it turned out.
Filed under DIY
Curb Appeal Reveals Coming Very Soon!!!
Wow, it has been busy here. You will soon be seeing the first of many Curb Appeal Reveals and that means lots of painting, staining, cleaning, clearing, spiffing, polishing, washing and rushing. Almost ready to show you the shutter and exterior lighting reveals. Getting close to the deck reveal, which if I have not mentioned has been days of powerwashing, replacing of some boards and then staining. The porch project is a little further away but steadily getting there and today we had delivery for 2 interior projects we are soon starting. You can see below that we definitely have a lot to keep us busy. I have also been collecting lots of river rocks for a bunch of great projects and pine cones that are going to be used for some great crafts I want to share with you. So get ready for some big reveals!!!
Filed under Curb Appeal
Curb Appeal Previews!!! Updating Exterior Lights & Painting Vinyl Shutters!!!
We have been very busy power washing, painting, staining, cleaning, and updating. We are going to give you a sneak peek of a couple of the first Curb Appeal feature posts. First we are going to show you how easy it is to give your outdoor lighting fixtures a whole new look. I have 10 brass lights on my house so believe me I get to really explore this to bring you great tips that will get you stunning results. This update cost us a little under $3 a light so for $30 it really packs the bang for your buck! I cannot wait to bring you all the details and of course the great reveal of all the new hammered bronze lights.
Next we really wanted to give our poor tired blue vinyl shutters a big lift. I will tell you all about how we picked the paint and the color and lots of painting tips to make sure you get excellent results. I have so many shutters on my house I am just about halfway through or at least that is what I am telling myself.
So stay tuned for the full posts and reveal of the lights and the shutters and we have so much more we are going to be bringing you. Hope you are in the mood for a bit of spiffing up around the house. For reference all the Curb Appeal posts can be found on the Curb Appeal page of our blog.
Filed under Curb Appeal
Painting, Staining, Updating, Renovating and Tons of Projects To Be Featured In Mommy Ramblings’ New Series!!!
I am so excited to announce that Mommy Ramblings will be debuting a brand new series of posts. Our first one will be Curb Appeal. Curb Appeal is going to highlight great DIY projects big and small the homeowner can do to give their home a face-lift and increase its value.
Some projects we will be featuring in the series will be:
- Painting tired, faded vinyl shutters
- Painting and changing the look of brass exterior lighting
- Painting and Staining projects
- Landscaping
We will then have other series featuring interior fixes, decorating, painting, interior lighting upgrades and more. The posts will run with the main posts but will have their own page so they can be referenced easily. We hope you will enjoy this new addition to our blog and we will do our best to give you step by step instructions, full product information and more to help you recreate what you see.
So stay tuned it is going to start very soon!!!
Filed under Curb Appeal
Mighty Leaf Tea DIY Iced Tea Brewing Kit Review and Giveaway!!! 15% Off Discount Code!!!
August is here and if you are looking for healthy, refreshing ways to quench your thirst then Mighty Leaf Ice Tea is the answer. Mighty Leaf Tea is a family owned company created by husband and wife partners Gary Shinner and Jill Portman. This power couple turned their dream of infusing new life into the ancient indulgence of team into reality. Their all natural tea is an artistic blend of hand-picked whole leaf tea, blossoms, herbs, fruits and spices. Their vibrant leaves and blossoms are much too big for ordinary team bags, so they their own beautiful silken, artisan Tea Pouches. The pouches are hand-stiched with unbleached cotton thread so there is no use of glue or staples.
I was sent a Mighty Leaf Tea DIY Iced Tea Brewing Kit that consisted of 4 boxes of Mighty Leaf Tea, a Takeya, 2 quart pitcher and a Takeya glass water bottle. It is so simple to brew the tea. First just pick your flavor, then pour 32 ounces of boiling water over the tea bag in the Takeya pitcher. Let the tea bag steep for 3 minutes then remove the tea bag and fill the remainder of the pitcher with ice. Now you can just sit back and pour the refreshing tea over ice in a large glass and enjoy. Ahhhhh!
Mighty Leaf Tea is offering Mommy Ramblings’ Readers a 15% Discount Code that will get you 15% off all tea pouches, loose tea, and ice teas! Use the discount code BCDIYIT when checking out.
Mighty Leaf Tea is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One luck blog reader will win their own Mighty Leaf DIY Iced Tea Brewing Kit! Thank you to Mighty Leaf Tea for the review kit and for sponsoring this refreshing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Mighty Leaf Tea DIY Iced Tea Brewing Kit Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
Filed under Uncategorized
