We’re halfway through 2019, but it’s never too late to start working toward sustainable living. One easy way to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle is to purchase from brands whose goal is to create ethically and sustainably made products. If you’re in the market for some new home decor, here are our top picks for the best sustainable home decor brands to check out this year.
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There’s a big difference between living in a house and living in a home.
A house is a physical shelter that protects you from the elements. Sure, you come back to it when you need to, but it’s a place that you don’t have any lingering attachments to other than as a place to sleep in.
A home, on the other hand, has a warmer connotation to it. It’s a feeling associated with a place. It’s a whole bunch of memories weaved into the walls of a house.
If you want your house to feel more like a home, then you need to make more of an effort in its upkeep. With that said, below are some simple changes you can make that is sure to make your house feel like an actual home for you.
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Having a pool in your home’s backyard is a dream that so many homeowners share, but only a few end up actually achieving it. While it can seem like a luxury, a pool can actually be a lot of work and ends up costing a lot upfront and over time. There are many pros and cons to adding a pool, and ultimately it’s a big financial decision. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding whether adding a pool to your home is worth the investment.
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We’re always trying to find ways to make our home more environmentally friendly. Adding eco-friendly products to your home is one easy and efficient way to do your part to help our environment little by little. We recently came across some of the best eco-friendly products for the bedroom.
Eco mattress
Believe it or not, one of the simplest eco-friendly changes you can make in your home is purchasing a mattress that is good for the environment. If it’s time to replace your mattress, consider purchasing one that is eco-conscious and made from a material like renewable natural latex or plant-based memory foam. Mattresses like these are much more sustainable (and they can even be more comfortable than your traditional bed!).
We’re well into 2019, but the architecture world is evolving now more than ever. From eco-friendly living to accessibility and even minimalism, the architects of today are changing the game. Here’s a closer look at the top architecture design trends right now.
Local and sustainable materials
The need for sustainability is increasing more and more, even to the point of influencing home design. Now more than ever, architects are sourcing recycled, sustainable, and even local materials when designing new homes and spaces. But just because architects are using more environmentally-friendly materials doesn’t mean they are sacrificing quality craftsmanship and beauty. Even homes made from locally sourced and sustainable materials can be aesthetically
pleasing to the eye. And, arguably, a locally and a sustainable designed home is even more appealing than anything else.
Summer is here and your backyard is calling your name after the long winter months. From pool parties to a neighborhood BBQ, it is always fun to get together with family and friends to enjoy good food, games and sunshine. Hosting an event, although fun, can get stressful fast so next time you are planning your next summer bash take a look at these tips!
Finding inspiration to update and renovate your home is easier than ever. From tutorials available online to shows centered around the process of home remodeling, more and more homeowners are taking on the task of completing projects themselves. Although conquering these projects on your own may help your renovation budget, it’s important to be conscious of the unexpected dangers that may arise throughout the process. . If you’re thinking about taking on a project like this, here are a few tips to help protect you as well as give your home the upgrade it needs.
Home renovations offer the perfect opportunity to upgrade the functionality of your home, in addition to modernizing the design and feel of your space.
Here are five clever features you should consider including in your next renovation to elevate your home’s functionality.
1. Smart Systems
Today’s homes are smart. They incorporate technology to make our lives safer, easier, more energy efficient, and more enjoyable.
If you’re renovating, you’d be wise to include a smart system that can handle these tasks for you:
Moving in the winter can be tough, but coming home to an empty or show-ready house can make short, cold days and nights even harder. Enter hygge, a Danish principle that brings comfort and contentment as the essentials to create enjoyment during winter. Pronounced “hoo-ga,” it began as a lifestyle to help make Northern European winters more enjoyable, but has evolved into a style trend in recent years. There are some simple and easy ways it can add touches of it to your space without adding more stress to the sale and moving process.
Hygge is all about creating a feeling, atmosphere and ambiance of relaxation by surrounding yourself with cozy things and doing activities you love. Beyond being a winter mindset, it is quickly becoming a trend for both self-care and interior design for good reason, since it can lift your spirits while also incorporating gorgeous seasonal decor.
Even during the stressful process of selling a house or working to settle into a new one, hygge can still help make the winter days pass a little smoother!
By Patrick van den Bossche, President of Realty Executives International. Originally published in inman.com.
We are in an era where sustainability, energy savings, solar options, innovations, engineering and smart home tech knowledge are all extremely important to consumers, business leaders and employees trying to make a difference in the world. In 2018 alone, the U.S. spent $19.8 billion on smart home technology. I predict a new material called graphene will revolutionize the smart home industry and become a key factor in smart home technology advancements and innovations.