FSBO Jane

This quick tip of mine is not my way of saying get rid of your air-conditioning unit altogether, turn on your fans, open your windows, strip down to your underwear, sweat to stay cool and live with it! Oh, and eat popsicles. No, we live in a society where using a/c is totally acceptable, probable and expected. Even the greenest, energy-saving leaders use air conditioning in their homes.

So when I say turn off the a/c, I mean turn it off while you’re not home. That’s a good place to start. When no one is home in your house (this only works for people without pets), set your programmable thermostat (a smart purchase) to turn off once you leave the house and to turn back on before you get home. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, write yourself a reminder to turn it off manually before you leave. It won’t take long for your house to cool off once you return home and turn the a/c back on.

To take it one step further, this article from The Daily Green suggests you turn your thermostat off 10 minutes before you leave the house or five minutes before you get out of your car. This allows you to still enjoy a cool atmosphere that will not heat up while you remain indoors, and it’ll save more than 24 hours of a/c usage per year! Just a few minutes without a/c usage really add up to energy savings.

Why do we feel the need to live in outrageously oversized homes? Do we really need master suites with bathrooms the size of a hotel room? Do we really need a home with an office, a den, a workout room, a toy room, a media room, a living room and a family room? Do we really need 20-foot vaulted ceilings? Do we really need both dining rooms and table areas in the kitchen?

The simple answer is no. That’s why lots of people are choosing to downsize during this tough economic time. But how do you know how much of a downsize you can handle? You decide how much space you really need to survive. As it turns out, not much!

This article from the Mother Nature Network displays the 10 smallest houses in the world. Let me tell you, they are small. Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has been making houses as small as most people’s closets, but somehow they still encompass a workspace, a bedroom, a bathroom with a toilet and shower, a living space and an outdoor porch, not to mention architectural appeal! Micro Compact Homes measure out to about 266 centimeters cubed and somehow still include two double beds, a bathroom, a lobby, a dining space for up to five, a kitchen and modern entertainment technology. Rollit homes turn like a mouse on a wheel. When you walk in the center of the home, the home turns and reveals different uses, such as a bed, a chair, a table, a toilet or a kitchen sink. One guy even created a trailer home that connects to his bicycle and includes a solar oven and a heating unit. It doesn’t get more eco-friendly than that!

What does this prove? People around the world are finding ways to live comfortably in smaller spaces. No, it doesn’t mean that you need to make a change this extreme. But it does definitely give you something to think about.

Whether you’re staging your home to sell, hosting a dinner party or finding ways to spruce up your interior, one change you could make is to permanently set the table. Why store your clean dishes in a cabinet if you’ll be using them again in a few hours or the next morning? You’ll be far more apt to purchase stylish dinnerware if you get to show it off on a regular basis.

With that said, here is what’s cooking in the dinnerware industry. Though people still opt for style and elegance, they also steer toward convenience and affordability. People are eating at home more often because they have less disposable income. Therefore, the dishware market is shifting. Since 2008, quality casual dinnerware sales soared above fine china sales during bridal season, according to Home & Design magazine. This means that people no longer want two sets of dinnerware. They want one quality set that can be cleaned in the dishwasher!

If you’re looking to spruce up your table setting, instead of purchasing a whole new set of dishes, purchase a few new accessories, like a water pitcher or a patterned tray. Or, decorate the table with a patterned tablecloth, vibrant napkins in turquoise or gold, or placemats in bamboo or wicker. These inexpensive features add contemporary color and style without breaking the bank.

For culinary enthusiasts, food creations should be displayed on basic white dishes, which can look formal or casual, but show off food in the best light. Sur La Table’s Nangle, a dinnerware company, stated that white dinnerware has always been a best seller and now it’s even on the rise. Colored dishes and glasses are also in style, and plates now come in a multitude of shapes, such as squares or triangles. People like optimistic, bright colors and patterns right now, making trendy dishware full of possibilities.

To finish off the table setting, opt for a few small centerpieces instead of one large centerpiece. Large, focal centerpieces block views and have become outdated. A row of candles or small bouquets look much sleeker.

So next time you host a dinner party or stage your house for an open house, now you know that quality causal dinnerware with some vibrant colors thrown in will make your table look stylish and you look smart! Why wouldn’t you want to show off that kind of intelligence on a regular basis?

I found this quick tip while reading the Buy Owner Blog. Apparently there are kilowatt electric usage monitors that allow you to find out how much energy each of your appliances and electronics use! So my advice is to purchase one of these devices, to keep track of how much energy each of your appliances use, and to replace the ones that use the most energy! When replacing these, you should opt for appliances with Energy Star ratings. If you don’t replace them, you could unplug items when you aren’t using them, such as your hair dryer or toaster.

I searched the web for one of these devices and found this one, called a Kill A Watt. It has a handy LCD display, and it keeps track of how much energy your appliances use by day, week, month or year, and it keeps track of how much each appliance costs you! I was impressed. The cost for one of these monitors ranges from $20 to $80, and you can find them at most electronic stores, such as Home Depot or RadioShack.

If you have children, this blog is for you. No matter what age your children are now, eventually, they will grow into teens and will want to eliminate anything that reminds them of childhood. Why do most children go through this transitional phase of suddenly hating all their cuddly stuffed animals and Disney princess décor after years of idolizing them? Maybe they’re afraid of their friends making fun of them if they don’t destroy childhood idols fast enough, or maybe they want to prove to themselves (and their parents!) that they aren’t kids anymore and they deserve a grownup bedroom. Whatever the reason, you might as well prepare yourself for this day that brings a hardcore remodeling job to your duties as a parent.

What should a teenage bedroom look like? The Better Homes and Gardens website explores different color schemes and decorating ideas to help you down the right path. Here are some major areas of the room to consider:

Colors

You and your teenager should decide what colors he or she enjoys now and will continue to enjoy for years to come. A female teen might opt for a bright room full of orange hues that coincide beautifully with maroon and plum shades, or she might opt for a softer, more neutral room with lavender or pastel pink walls, chiffon curtains and a white bedspread to counteract the colors. A male teen might want to stick with white walls and deep blue or black furniture (black is not a bad thing!), or he might want to paint his walls the color of his favorite sports team, along with some framed player photos or hanging jerseys.

Accessories

The room should still be fun, just not childish. Some accessories that could add to the fun factor might include a canopy over a girl’s bed, a sports logo stenciled onto a boy’s wall, a modern shelving unit to help organize and show off framed photos of homecoming and prom dances, a cozy corner with chairs and bean bags for friends, movie posters, vases of flowers, a desk with computer space, a full-length mirror, a miniature TV and more. You don’t want to include so much in the room that the teen never feels the need to leave (is a mini fridge really necessary?) but you want to include enough so that the teen feels comfortable in his or her private space.

Furniture

You don’t have to toss all the old furniture. Chances are you can spruce up what’s already in the room with some fresh paint and accessories! Paint a wooden dresser white and paint the drawers or knobs an accent color found on the walls or bedspread. Have fun with it. This is a job you and your can do together! Also, to add colorful oomph, add pillows and throw rugs to the room’s ensemble instead of replacing furniture. Allow for one drastic change, like replacing the twin bed with a double bed, switching carpeting for hardwood, or adding a computer desk or TV.

The most important thing to remember is that each teenager is an individual. Just because your son or daughter no longer finds cartoon wallpaper appealing, it doesn’t mean that he or she doesn’t appreciate all the time you spent creating that themed bedroom. Changes are necessary as children age, so make the most of this time with your teen as you together come up with a renovation plan!

Already been through the process of altering your child’s room to a teen-appropriate room? Share your stories or advice below!

Though real estate can be a frustrating topic, especially during a difficult economic time, sometimes we just need to clear our heads and remind ourselves what is so valuable about having your own place to live in.

Real estate isn’t just buying, selling, investing and making money. It’s choosing a place to call home; it’s modeling a room made of four walls into a personal retreat; it’s standing out from all the other homes around you.

To remind you how inspiring a home can be, check out this home in Portugal. It features a home built in 1974, constructed between four massive boulders. Now, it’s considered one of the top “green” homes, made solely of natural products (stone) and is considered a tourist hotspot. I find this inspiring!

Are there homes that you’ve seen or heard about that you find inspiring? Share them!

I thought it might be fun to start a new feature here, where I showcase a few design or home-decorating styles that I particularly enjoy. Sometimes that’s all it takes to be inspired towards renovations at home!

Today, let’s start with bedrooms!

• I always love hotel bedding, but check out this bedroom from the inside of a yacht!

  Image source: yachtfan

I like how tranquil and inviting it seems, with the fairly monochromatic color scheme of neutrals and with a huge bed covered with luxurious bedding. The combination of white bedding and loads of pillows with warm wall sconces and recessed lighting in the ceiling creates incredible ambiance.

I’d never want to leave the room! Would you?

• The name of the game with this bedroom is sleek and modern.

Image source: jinkazamah
What makes this room stand out to me are its really clean lines, again neutral color scheme, plus enormous windows with floor-to-ceiling treatments. Not crazy about the rug, but mostly because it needs to be flattened down.

Also, notice the bench at the foot of the bed - great way to add some seating and visual interest!

• A very IKEA feel and our first pop of color are the highlights in this third room

Image source: Channel4.com

Bright, clean and organized: those are the feelings I come away with here. A few small pops of color add interest to the room, most noticeably with the red blanket on the bed but also with the yellow vase on the dresser and the striped pillow in the neighboring room. So you can see here some options you have for accessorizing.

Whether you’ve decided to make a houseboat your permanent residence or you wanted a recreational vacation property, you’re still probably going to personalize the space to make it your own. However, in all reality, you should first think about the practicalities before the fun.

Decorate with sturdy items. While most houseboats are solidly built to resist the motion of the ocean, sp to speaks, there may be a slight chance of a little movement at any given time. Avoid placing breakables on open shelving units, where they may easily slide off and crack into thousands of tiny little pieces. This is also a safety precaution, as you don’t want to be surprised one day by coming home to find broken glass…after you’ve already stepped in it.

Plan for water. In the case of flooring, you may want to avoid installing carpet, as water can damage the carpet and you’ll end up paying a lot of money to fix it. Even if the houseboat is sealed so water may not enter directly from the ocean or lake, water may be tracked into the house from swimmers or water toys. Opt for waterproofed wood, vinyl or laminate.

Let there be light! Boats tend to be very dark on the inside, and the few windows you do have will likely be very small. During the day, open any blinds or curtains covering the windows. Make sure to purchase additional lamps. Older houseboats may not showcase the trendy recessed lighting more modern residences sport today.

Play it safe. Although it looks like a house and feels like a house when you’re inside, keep in mind you’re still on a boat. As a safety precaution, make sure to store plenty of life vests on board. Rather than throwing them in an unattractive heap in the corner of the room, store them in a cabinet or a portable chest!

Showcase the view! Don’t spend all of your time indoors. Depending on how much room you have on the deck, make sure to purchase an outdoor patio set so you and your guests can enjoy the view of the open waters and the gorgeous sunsets. Make sure to measure the space before you buy anything. Look for a small table, big enough for a few plates of food and some drinks and as many chairs that will fit comfortably. Seating is important above all else.

Tips From An Expert

Looking for specific decorating advice? Elizabeth Beers, and Interior Designer at Sandler Architects, provided HGTV with some fantastic tips on how she fashioned a sophisticated living space on a two-story houseboat in Seattle.

Beers started by revamping the entryway with dark-stained oak for the stair railings. A niche underneath the stairs is the perfect place for a built-in bench that doubles as a bed when it folds out…how convenient! A cozy window seat has been given a little facelift with a bright yellow seat cushion.

In the living room, more dark wood attributes adorn the window and door moldings. Beers painted a light cream hue on the walls to add a nice contrast to the dark tone of the wood, and the light-colored ceiling makes this small space seem larger.

She decorated the fireplace using slate and copper tile, both water resistant materials. Placing a mirror above the fireplace adds depth to the room. Stained glass on the windows shields the view of neighboring houseboats while still letting natural sunlight shine through into the space.

Beers abandoned the whole nautical theme altogether in favor of a more tribal, ethnic design. Furnishings include a taupe sofa, a butter leather chair and a wooden chair with a burgundy seat cushion. Other accents features include dark, exotic fabrics and throw pillows, a tribal carpet and artifacts the homeowners collected along their travels.

This doesn’t necessarily have to do with buying or selling a home, but it’s an interesting, informative, tip-packed article I liked: “101 Uses for Everyday Things”, from Real Simple.

I think most homeowners would appreciate the practical nature of the article. Here are the first few tips:

1. Sanitize a chopping block. Run a slice of lemon over the surface to disinfect.
2. Eliminate the browning that occurs when food sits out too long. Sprinkle apple or pear slices with lemon juice before serving, or squeeze a bit into guacamole and give it a stir.
3. Remove tough food stains from plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards. Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.
4. Fade tea stains on cloth. Dilute lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Use an eyedropper or a Q-tip to make sure the juice targets the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.

I love how all these ideas utilize a lemon, something that you probably already have on hand. The other items are just as basic: newspaper, olive oil, dryer sheets, coffee filters, Velcro, vinegar, baking soda, Ziploc bags and salt!

Check out the full article from Real Simple here.

Don’t waste energy by lighting up your bathroom or a small bedroom with a nightlight. The light remains on all night, wasting energy while you sleep. Even if it’s a motion-activated nightlight, energy is still used through the plug. Instead, try to make one of these eco-friendly, energy-efficient “sun jar” nightlights. It’s basically a mason jar with a solar garden light, a rechargeable battery and an energy-efficient LED lamp. By placing the jar in sun during the day, these materials work together to collect sunlight that will keep the jar glowing throughout the night. It makes a perfect nightlight without having to be plugged in and without using energy!

To read more about the perks of these jars, visit green living ideas.

To read the components and the easy-to-follow directions to make your own sun jar, visit Instructables.