Archives for 2019

Home Improvement Projects That Make Homeowners Happier

December 5, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Certain home remodeling projects are making homeowners happier and proving to be well worth the cost and time when they sell their properties, according to a new survey from the National Association of REALTORS®, which includes insights from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

After completing a home remodeling project, 74% of more than 2,100 consumers surveyed reported having a greater desire to be in their home, 65% say they experienced increased enjoyment, and 77% felt a major source of accomplishment, the 2019 Remodeling Impact Report shows. Researchers examined 20 projects and surveyed REALTORS® and consumers on home renovation projects.

“REALTORS® and homeowners alike recognize the value of taking on a major home remodeling project,” says NAR President John Smaby. “While these tasks can be time-consuming and costly, the projects are well worth the temporary inconveniences, as this report shows, and the final products ultimately reward us with feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction, and higher home values.”

NAR calculated a “joy score” for each home remodeling project studied. The score, a scale from one to 10, is based on homeowners’ overall perceived happiness with their renovations. The higher the joy score for the project, the more homeowners felt satisfaction from it.

Some of the highest joy scores for interior projects centered on complete kitchen renovations, closet renovations, full interior and interior room paint jobs, kitchen upgrades, and basement conversions to living areas.

The exterior jobs with the highest joy scores were new fiberglass or steel front doors, new vinyl and wood windows, and new roofing.

Filed Under: Blog, Decor, Home Remodel, Real Estate

35 Bizzare Christmas Traditions

December 2, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Although it’s a universal symbol for Christmas throughout the world, Santa bringing gifts under the Christmas tree isn’t the only tradition during the holiday. Countries from around the world have very different ways of feeling festive. Some of them are downright weird!

Filed Under: Blog, Random Thoughts

15 Essentials for the Baker’s Kitchen

November 29, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

You can turn out delicious treats with ease when you own these utensils, tools and pans

Whether you’re a beginning baker setting up your kitchen for the first time or an avid baker attempting to downsize — or you just hope to tame those overstuffed cupboards and drawers — this guide is a good place to start. If you own only the 15 items on this list (we’ll assume you’re starting with oven mitts and a wooden spoon), you’ll be in good shape to tackle most baking recipes with ease. What you won’t find here: piping bags, doughnut pans, individual-size ramekins or any other highly specialized items. If and when you want to bake with those, you’ll know.

15 Essentials for the Baker’s Kitchen

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

A Professional Organizer on What to Consider Before You Remodel

November 26, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Changing your home isn’t just about how it looks. Ask these 4 questions to make sure your home functions well too

Remodeling is an opportunity to create a space that reflects your personal style — but just as important, it’s an opportunity to incorporate better functionality for your everyday living. As a professional organizer, I’ve seen homes that were aesthetically gorgeous but just didn’t flow well for my clients’ needs. This can happen when family needs change or when a home’s layout simply isn’t maximized for productivity and efficiency.

For the most successful remodel, you’ll want to consider how you live now and how you’d like to live ideally. After all, remodeling is a chance to set new, more organized habits. Why not create a home that will make implementing your new habits easier? Here are four questions I recommend that you consider before you remodel.

A Professional Organizer on What to Consider Before You Remodel

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

How To Think Visually Using Visual Analogies

November 23, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

People often present ‘visual thinking’ as an inherent skill- either you have it, or you don’t. (And those who ‘have’ it are often portrayed as more creative and artistic than those who ‘don’t’.) But in reality, visual thinking can be learned and improved in a myriad of ways, such as coming up with new ways to conceptualize information.

Filed Under: Art, Blog, Random Thoughts, Technology

15 Smart Ideas From Beautifully Organized Pantries

November 20, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

See shelf, bin, drawer and lighting setups that can help keep your food and supplies in good order

The pantry is the workhorse of the kitchen. It helps you when you need to get dinner (or breakfast or lunch) on the table and keeps ingredients fresh and cool. But like all hardworking spaces, it can get a little (or a lot) disorganized. Gather inspiration from these beautifully organized spaces, and pick and choose from 15 takeaway tips to get your own pantry in shape.

15 Smart Ideas From Beautifully Organized Pantries

Filed Under: Blog, Decor, Home Care

PocketDrum: Virtual Drumset

November 17, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

PocketDrum is a virtual drumkit that you can take anywhere to learn and play. The portable drumkit provides you with the most realistic drumming experience without the burden of a huge drum set. The Bluetooth enabled sticks connect wirelessly to the AeroBand App so you can jam freely, play along, or learn the basics of drumming. The PocketDrum uses spatial awareness and haptics to make it feel like you’re playing the real thing, you can even play without any noise if you connect your headphones. And to make things even more realistic, each stick vibrates with each hit, with different vibrations based on the bounce of drum and force of the hit. The drums also deliver different sounds based on the force of the hit, allowing you to better control your dynamics.

Filed Under: Blog, Music, Technology

Elegant High-Tech Master Bath Designed for a Wheelchair User

November 14, 2019 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Wide-open spaces, durable porcelain tile and integrated gadgetry help a disabled woman feel independent again

After an accident left Mary Kay Michelis in a wheelchair full time and forced her to retire from her work as an ophthalmologist surgeon, her master bathroom became entirely unusable — for 10 years. Her electric wheelchair wouldn’t fit through the door frame. An awkward built-in corner tub was a no-go. And the small, curbed shower wasn’t even up for discussion.

So Michelis and her wife, Sharon Dame, mostly ignored the space, opting for a guest bathroom elsewhere in the home that was easier for Michelis and her licensed caregiver to use. For a while, though, Michelis was staying mostly in an assisted long-term care facility. Recently, as her health improved and she was transitioning back to living at home, she and Dame decided it was finally time to overhaul the master bathroom and make it functional.

They enlisted the help of designer Heather Poulliot to take the bathroom down to the studs, create an open floor plan with a large, curbless shower, lots of grab bars and automated features that allow Michelis to do everything she needs to with minimum, independent effort.

Elegant High-Tech Master Bath Designed for a Wheelchair User

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel, Technology