home improvements Archives - Serendipity Mommy

What’s the best flooring for your living room?

February 28, 2020 by Mandy

Alongside our kitchens, the living room is most likely the most used room in your home, with it being both somewhere to relax after a long day and an area to entertain guests on a Saturday night – it really is the heart of the home! With flooring often being the main feature of the room, we need to do our research before we set our heart of a particular type of flooring. Whether you come from a busy family household with lots of foot traffic or you live on your own, there’s an appropriate choice for everyone. Let’s have a look at what the best choices are and hopefully we can make your decision a little easier…

As much as we’d wish it wasn’t a factor, durability and practicality is something that we all need to take into consideration and put as a priority when deciding on a new floor. Especially in the living room where heavy usage is common and is exposed to dangers such as scratches and stains.

As a first rule, we’d stay away from carpet. Although still used widely in modern homes and new builds, we’d keep the carpet in the bedroom and guest rooms. The reason being is that carpet tends to look worn and trodden in after a while and can discolour if exposed to too much sunlight. So, since your living room will see lots of foot traffic and depending on your window, lots of sunlight!, we’d recommend a different approach to flooring your living room. Stains are another issue when it comes to carpet, as soon as anything that can stain lands on it it’s game over, the only way you’re likely to get them out is by getting your carpet professionally cleaned.

Now that leaves us with more practical options: wood, vinyl and laminate. Although all of them are more manageable and practical than carpet, they all come with their own advantages and disadvantages. So, let’s play them off against each other.

If you’re wanting to go down the completely practical route, then we’d recommend laminate or Luxury Vinyl Tiles as the safest options. LVT is water, scratch and stain proof – you’ll have no worries with LVT and is probably the most practical and easy-going option. Laminate is largely similar; however, it is only resistant to these so be aware of this when deciding. Laminate is generally cheaper, perfect for those of you on a stricter budget. You’re not even sacrificing aesthetics with these options either – both of which coming in very convincing imitations of natural products such as wood and tile.

That leaves us with solid and engineered wood – we’d say the perfect choice for the living room. Wood flooring is famous for its incredible durability and luxurious appearance. Wood has been used on floors for centuries, offering us a real timeless and beautiful appeal; what better place to show it off than the living room? Although requiring a little more maintenance than the aforementioned LVT and laminate, particularly if anything is spilled on it, wood does hide scratches well and can be sanded down multiple times. Having said that, this should not normally need to be done for at least 15-20 years, so your beautiful floors are likely to last a lifetime!

You might find yourself asking the question: what’s the difference between solid and engineered wood and how do I decide on which is best for me? The main distinction between the two is that due to the nature of the plank construction, engineered wood is able to cope with fluctuating temperatures which means you can install under-floor heating. This is something that is growing significantly in popularity and certainly a feature that you’ll want in your living room of all rooms, so bear this in mind!

Plants That Improve the Air Quality Inside Your Home

February 2, 2020 by Mandy

Plants help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by replacing it with the healthy oxygen that we all need. Having plants in your home can help improve the overall air quality, but some plants do this better than others. To get you started, here’s a list of some of our favorite plants to improve the air quality inside your home. Which will you be adding to your indoor garden?

Aloe Vera

Having aloe vera around is always a good idea to treat burns and sunburns. Living aloe vera plants can improve air quality by reducing the amount of formaldehyde in your home. A preservative and component found in many types of furniture and plastics, formaldehyde is best kept outside your home.

Areca Palm

There aren’t very many indoor plants that provide a sense of height to your greenery. Most are in pots that need to rest on the floor or grouped on shelves, but the areca palm can grow to 6-8 feet and bring tropical flair into your home while improving air quality.

Lady Palm

Not only does the lady palm remove everyday toxins from the air inside your home but it also specifically targets odors and many cancer-causing organisms. To improve your family’s health and decrease your risk of cancer, bring a lady palm indoors.

Bamboo

Bamboo is already found in many homes because it is easy-to-grow, requires little maintenance, and has a unique appearance. Not only does bamboo help improve air quality by reducing the levels of formaldehyde in the air in your home, but it can also reduce levels of harmful benzene and trichloroethylene.

English Ivy

English ivy is famous for the classic look that it commonly provides to the outside of buildings as it climbs up brick or trellises. You can also grow it indoors to improve air quality throughout your home. A hearty plant, it will grow without the use of potting soil that attracts gnats and other insects. Instead, watch the roots grow in a glass vase.

Chrysanthemum

Image via Flickr by AndrewRRose

Next time you are stopping by the florist to pick up something for someone special, grab a bouquet of chrysanthemums, also known as mums, for yourself. These beautiful flowers reduce the levels of ammonia in the air and brighten up any room with vibrant colors. Chrysanthemums are commonly known as “the get-well flower” because of their ability to purify the air.

Peace Lily

While those with cats should avoid placing peace lilies in their home, these lovely plants can help reduce levels of benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and acetone in your indoor air. By creating cleaner air for you and your family, it may be rightly named by creating a sense of well-being and peace.

If you care about the air quality in your home and want the best for your family, discuss your needs with a certified HVAC service provider who can advise you on many different methods for creating a healthy air environment for you and your family. Not only can you improve the air quality inside your home with plants but also by replacing or upgrading your HVAC system with different filters, purifiers, or components. Help your family to breathe easily and increase their comfort at home both naturally and with the help of an expert.

3 Ways You Can Create a Healthier Home

September 10, 2019 by Mandy

Source: Unsplash | Thanos Pal

Your home could be having more of an impact on yours and your family’s health than you realize. If you don’t resolve to make your humble abode a far healthier place to live in, you could be breathing in or drinking a host of harmful contaminants every single day.

Creating a healthier home is important, especially if you have kids. Read on to find out how you can set about this all-important task:

Invest in a high-efficiency furnace

The more efficient your home’s furnace is, the more health benefits you and your family stand to reap. With such equipment fitted into your home, the air that you breathe in will be a lot cleaner — the furnace will filter out harmful air impurities such as mold and dust, meaning you will no longer find yourself at the mercy of certain allergies and irritations.

How does a furnace work? As stated on www.actionfurnace.ca, this kind of HVAC setup uses variable speed motors to ensure that heat levels are kept even and uniform throughout the whole home. As they are, for the most part, powered by either natural gas or electricity, this kind of equipment is also incredibly eco-friendly. Invest in one, then, and you won’t just be protecting yourself… you’ll be protecting the environment as well.

Filter your tap water

There are a plethora of health-related reasons why you should be filtering your tap water. Here are six of them:

Filtered water is devoid of chlorine, chemicals, contaminants, and metals
Point-of-use filters provide water that doesn’t have any lead in it
It cuts out the need to purchase bottled water (the plastic can leach into the bottle and create a harmful chemical known as Bisphenol A
Byproducts, such as Trihalomethanes, that are reported to cause certain cancers are not found in filtered water
The pH level of filtered water is far more balanced than other kinds of water
Cryptosporidiumand e-coli aren’t found in filtered water, meaning it doesn’t cause as many gastrointestinal problems

Fill your home with indoor plants

Indoor plants bring with them a host of health benefits, mainly due to the way they filter and clean the air; they absorb CO2 and release oxygen, they increase humidity, they reduce pollutant and airborne dust levels, and they help to keep the temperatures down. You should, then, look to fill every corner of your home with plants and foliage that thrive when placed in indoor settings.

Worried that you wouldn’t be able to keep your indoor plants alive? Fear not, as don’t necessarily have to be green-fingered to succeed at this task. All you have to do is:

Keep the soil moist (using water that is room temperature)
Place them in well-lit rooms
Resist the urge to move your plants around a lot
Fill the pot with a balanced fertilizer
Prune the plants regularly

Never listen to the old wives’ tale that coffee is good for indoor plants — it’s not! Besides, tipping what remains of your morning brew will only attract flies and other insects into your home.

The best bedroom design trends that can completely change your bedroom look

May 14, 2019 by Mandy

Let’s get serious. How often do you think about the importance of your bedroom décor and the beds in your home? Our bedroom is a special place where we can switch off and recharge from our busy lives and cuddle with the ones we love. However, it’s sad that often it’s where we spend the least money on because kitchens, bathrooms and sitting rooms take all our attention. However, with you being here means you want to spruce up your bedroom – or at least change something therein.

Let’s take a look at some of the best bedroom design trends that can completely change your bedroom look.

Bedroom personalisation

The desire for the bedroom to be designed with more individuality is getting stronger. The bedroom should become your most personable space. To achieve this, you can start by mixing and matching bedroom finishes. Experiment with a variation of textures to create a bespoke look that incorporates the latest fashions.

Pictured above: Abode Bedroom Collection

A floating base and wide build create this island-like retreat, perfect for those Sunday sleep-ins. The mixed Australian hardwood bedhead features a patchwork of panels that highlights the timber’s natural grain, which is further enhanced by a choice of stain options. You can custom-size the height for a minimalist look.Key Features

Fitted furniture and storage

Fitted furniture creates significantly more storage space thanks to the tailor-made design, which creates up to three times more space based on application, fitted furniture has started to get huge in 2018. Beds of this type provide an undefined level of creativity when deciding on the design and interior arrangement.

Pictured above: Halo bed frame with storage

The Halo Drawer Bed Frame fuses soft fabric upholstery, button stud detailing plus built-in discrete storage options to offer a relaxed and contemporary bed setting designed for modern lifestyles. The Halo range of bedroom furniture includes single and twin drawer bed frames in single, king single, double, queen and king with charcoal, beige or grey fabric upholstery. The Halo is exclusive to Domayne.

Bedroom meets luxury

Indulgent yet practical features such as pull-out storage that disappears when not in use, slim line link drawer solutions, felt-lining and leather interior inserts are a prerequisite in the bedroom today. Creating an added sense of luxury via form and function is where we’ve effectively seen the most development in 2018 moving forward. Integral lighting systems and simple touch control operation, along with custom-made accessory space for accessories and integrated media device power are all now key considerations for the bedroom.

Pic

The fresh white finish of the Felix Package is contrasted against the black legs providing a stylish monochromatic look.
The Felix offers plenty of storage options with two bedside tables and a 5-drawer tallboy giving you plenty of room for your essentials.
The queen bed, tallboy and bedside tables all stand poised on their thin angular wire legs creating a visual motif across the package.
Enjoy the rounded edges mitred edges of the headboard, bedside tables and tallboy as they combine to give your space an effortlessly clean look.
This package includes 1 queen bed, 2 bedside tables and 1 tallboy.

Pictured: Kara Fabric Bed Frame

The Kara Fabric Bed Frame is a sophisticated and dramatic bed frame that demands attention. The decadent bed setting perfect for posh individuals boasts a tall and exaggerated winged bedhead with quilted detailing and fabric upholstery. The bed’s statement design easily becomes the centrepiece of any bedroom.

End Note

The bedroom is has become an even more important part of any home these days – we’re spending more time in our beds and we’re doing more activities in it since we treat it as our personal haven; as a place of relaxation. Looking to spruce up your bedroom or upgrade your bed? Check out the beds collection at Domayne and find that special bed frame, mattress or accessories to create your own haven.

Designing a Living Room? Here’s Our Suggestion For an Evergreen, Organic Design

May 8, 2019 by Mandy

Are you looking for brand-name, mid century modern furniture? Designing a living room is the most joyful part of furnishing a home for most people. This article will present you with a simple, easy-to-assemble sitting area that will please most tastes and styles. These furnishings will never go out of style because they’ve captivated homeowners worldwide for nearly a century. If your knowledge about furniture doesn’t exceed matching colors and styles, allow us to introduce ‘organic’ style furniture that fascinates with both contour and functionality. If you’re looking for the right pieces to furnish your living room, here’s our suggestion:

The Noguchi Freeform Sofa and Ottoman

The Noguchi Freeform Sofa and Ottoman is a classic example of evergreen mid-century modern furniture. While design originates in 1948, it appears as more modern than ever. The organic shape of the sofa blurs the line between functional design and an art piece, all packed in a compact form that will fit into any home. Whether your aesthetic is simplistic and modern, or traditional and rustic, this sofa won’t fail to impress. Regardless of the color, you choose to fit into the theme of your home, it will gently stand out and call to relax and socialize. Furthermore, the soft, cushiony design of the sofa is made to relax your back and body, providing nothing shorter than a premium comfort experience.

The Egg Chair

Paired with the Noguchi sofa, the Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen is another mid-century modern furniture piece that will enrich your interior. Its rounded, organic appeal will perfectly flatter the soft contours of the sofa while providing superior comfortable sitting and resting experience. The Egg chair will become a valuable asset in your home, as resting in it while sipping a drink and reading a magazine will feel like a cozy spa experience. Design-wise, we chose the dark grey upholstery shad that gently contrasts the sofa, but still fits the majority of popular color schemes. Whether you prefer light pastel walls or vibrant neon wall paints, a setting like this will be effortless to fit into your living room.

The Warren Platner Side Table

The Warren Platner Side Table will be a good addition to your living room setting. You can choose to place it by the sofa, or by your Egg chair. Either way, you’ll have a functional mid-century modern furniture art piece that will intrigue with its intricate, structural appearance. At the same time, the fragile-looking, yet sturdy rods of the table base will gently reflect light in your room while the sturdy table top confidently holds any items you choose to store. From lamps and books to flower vases, you won’t have to worry about distressing the glass table top. The quality manufacturing ensures carefree use and resistance to daily spills and scrapes.

Molded Plywood Coffee Table

To round up your organic living room setting, place a compact Molded Plywood coffee table at the center of your sitting area. Contrasting the light, futuristic design of the furniture, the rustic, plywood esthetic of the coffee table will introduce the necessary warmth, softness, and comfort. After all, even the top modern designs need a touch of a warm ambiance. The molded Plywood coffee table will bring in just that, with an added benefit of sturdy design for carefree use and easy maintenance.

Having your living room set up, as exciting as it is, can be overwhelming due to a vast amount of choices when it comes to size, contour, and esthetic of the furnishings. Choosing versatile, organic styles and mid century modern furniture ensures you’ll easily include your favorite art pieces, rugs, and everyday knick-knacks that make a space yours only. Further, investing in these high-quality pieces ensures effortless and ease of daily maintenance.