How to Choose The Perfect Lighting for Your Bathroom

How to Choose The Perfect Lighting for Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are usually overlooked when it comes to design. Details, like lighting, are probably the most neglected part. People tend to choose the least expensive option, or the one that’s the easiest to install. However, bathrooms are an important part of our daily routines. Therefore, choose your lighting solutions meticulously, and you will immediately notice a difference in the overall ambiance.

Main light source

The best light source for any room is always natural light. It isn’t an option for many, but try to have as much of it as possible. If there is no chance to introduce natural light to your bathroom, think about installing a nice chandelier which will make the room appear spacious and inviting. However, with all that water running around this can be a bit dangerous if not done properly. Therefore, make sure you place it at least 3 feet away from the tub. Also, add a dimmer to this solution as you might want to dim the light by about 20 percent during the day.

Task lights

It’s important to have proper lighting for mundane bathroom tasks (like applying makeup, flossing or shaving). Mirror and vanities are the best places to hide a couple of stronger (75 to 100 watt) light bulbs. Put one light on each side of the mirror at about face level. If you place it higher than, you might not like the results. Use LED lights because they are much easier to control and dim. Don’t forget to place a small light above your storage area as well – it might come in handy.

Bathtub and shower

Bathtubs can be a bit tricky to properly illuminate. Aside from the various technicalities you’ll need to consider, this area is very private so keep that in mind as well when choosing the best lighting option. Furthermore, putting fixtures too close to the tub can be pretty dangerous. Most people decide to usewet location downlights, but those who have big bathrooms may also install spotlights. Trim lights which are pretty bright and cast a large shadow are the best solution for open showers. Since these come in direct contact with water, you should maybe consider having an electrician 24 hours at your disposal. 

Light bulbs

When choosing the right light bulbs, your primary concern should be the way their light affects your skin tone. Also, you should consider the impact they have on the environment and the amount of electricity they consume. Halogen bulbs are definitely a smart choice, but they are a bit pricey. On the other hand, you won’t have to change them very often which means that you might even end up saving some money in the long run. Fluorescent light bulbs are a close second when it comes to tone, and they consume 10 times less energy than other bulbs. It’s also important to check if the new light bulbs fit the traditional fixtures.

A new ambiance

It’s important to note that by changing the lighting, you might feel the need to change some other things in your bathroom, as well. This change may expose a problem with your paint, or make the old paint feel inadequate. Also, by introducing a different light a room can seem more spacious, so you might want to add mirrors or a couple of other smaller decorative items.

Choosing the right lighting solution for your bathroom is much more art, than it is science. It’s good to have an overall vision of the atmosphere you wish to create, but unless you try a few ideas out, you won’t be sure which of them actually work.

Guest Contributor, Diana Smith

How To Bring Your Poolside Back To Life

How to Bring Your Poolside Back to Life

We can all agree: Having a pool is awesome! Still, there is a bigger picture. Your swimming pool can be the centerpiece of an area where you, your friends and family spend a lot of time. Just imagine spending days on end lounging about, bathing in the sun, relaxing, while in the evenings it becomes pool-party central. If you want to enjoy this lifestyle and bring your poolside back to life, here’s some advice on how to achieve it.

Create Multiple Lounge Areas

When planning the layout of your pool area look to create multiple hangouts. Think bar, lounge area, and even a couple of hidden nooks for some relaxing me-time. The more zones you create the more your poolside area will be able to accommodate different occasions. Make sure that at least one chill-out zone is beneath a roof, so you can continue enjoying your poolside area even in the rain.

Get a Daybed

Incorporating an outdoor daybed into your pool area is a great way to spend time out in the sun or beneath the stars. Contemporary outdoor daybeds come in a number of designs, which means they can easily fit the general style of your poolside area. When positioning your daybed, make sure that it is close to the pool. This allows you to enjoy the company of a good book as soon as you exit the pool.

Add Some Shade

In most cases, poolsides are open-spaced areas, which means the summer sun can be a problem. To avoid sunburn, it’s a good thing to add some shade around your pool. However, this doesn’t mean adding some tacky sun umbrellas. Get inspired by the latest pool shade designs, and you just might consider incorporating a streamlined shade sail, a modern pergola or a couple shade canopies for your poolside area.

Incorporate a Natural Design

A more natural take on your pool area can also add some much-needed shade, and create an oasis Mother Nature would be proud of. Instead of a timber deck, today’s hardscaping professionals can easily use natural rocks and stones to outline your pool. Similarly, a landscape architect can be commissioned to incorporate more greenery into your backyard that will merge with the existing plant life.

Add a Fire Pit

A fireplace isn’t reserved only for winter or your living room. An outdoor fireplace or fire pit is one of the latest trends in poolside design. The contrast of fire and water adds a dramatic effect to the poolside area, which is both visually alluring and cozy. The flickering fire also adds warmth on chilly nights when you and your guests don’t have to move the party inside just because it suddenly got colder.

Illuminate Your Pool

Light up your poolside area with captivating swimming pool lights to create a magical evening atmosphere. The lighting designs come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from traditional to colorful flatball LEDs and floating lighted pool fountains. Whatever you choose for your swimming pool, you can be sure that the lights will illuminate your entire backyard.

Choose Wooden Furniture

When thinking about deck or patio furniture, think comfort and natural materials. In recent years, wooden furniture is featuring more and more in poolside and backyard design. Choose wooden deck chairs, or set of yard chairs made from natural materials. You can also shouldn’t forget a decent coffee table, when friends come over or just to have a place for your drink next to your deck chair.

Get Some New Cushions and Pillows

The little time you won’t spend swimming you’ll probably want to spend it in comfort. This is why it is so important to update your cushions, regardless of the chairs you have. Outdoor cushions can give your patio furniture a fresh look at a low price. In case you don’t like cushions for some reason, you can opt for pillows instead. Create an Oriental-styled nook near your pool by getting some floor pillows.

All these ideas are just here to inspire you and breathe in some new life into your poolside area. The possibilities are endless, but remember, it is up to you to choose the final solution.

If you're planing to build a pool in your backyard, it is very important to choose high quality materials. Here's a great guide that will help you choose the best swimming pool paint - https://www.globosurfer.com/best-pool-paints/

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors

Tips On Repairing And Installing Colorbond Guttering

Tips On Repairing And Installing Colorbond Guttering

The colorbond guttering system deteriorates much faster than expected. So it is essential to have the proper materials as well as workmanship to create an efficient gutter. The gutters that are made of aluminium are of top quality and are steady. It is also resistant to rusts and leaks. The modern guttering system and downpipes is a perfect complement of the roof. It also guarantees a premium finish to your home that is considered to be ideal. The experts use high quality materials for gutters to match the roof of the house. You can find a variety of colors to create modern gutters.

What Is Colorbond Guttering? 

The steel gutters are found to be resistant, durable as well as stylish, and these are their basic characteristics. You can choose from the various options available, if you want to create a stylish gutter. You can find them in a wide range of colors and they can be installed very fast and have a strong exterior coating. This protects the gutter from damage that is derived from flaking and peeling. If you compare steel gutters with that of aluminium, the former is much more affordable. The colorbond gutters as they are called are very durable and resistant to leaks and rust over a period of time.

The colorbond guttering system primarily takes away the waterfalls from the front door. The top-quality gutters are installed to get the best results you need. The manufacturers of gutters have products that will have a weather-resistant finish. The gutters that are painted are available in different ranges of gloss. You can choose either attractive colors or just plain steel gutters. The selection can be done as follows:

·       The Ace Nu-line is one kind of gutter that is a combination of gutter and fascia. This can be installed directly on the roof rafters without the use of timber fascia.

·       Ace Mini-line is a small version of gutter that is attached to the fascia through brackets. It has a certain amount of water capacity containing overflows at the front. This is ideal for areas that have heavy downpour.

·       The square line is the third type of gutters ideal for car ports and garages. This is folded at the corners so that the need for brackets is eliminated. The external angles are also not in use. It has special features like the overflow, so works wonders in areas with heavy rains.

·       The gutters that are semicircular in shape are common type of gutters. This shape is highly advantageous with respect to water capacity and travel speed. It is much better than the conventional gutters that can be self-cleaned.

·       The round line gutters have the features of a cylindrical shape but as a flat back that does not need brackets. This also can be self-cleaned.

How Are Gutters Repaired?

·       The gutters will definitely deteriorate after a period of time. They rust from inside out particularly around corners. The rust is also seen where the water accumulates due to lack of fall in the gutter system. The water is eventually directed towards the downpipes.

·       The gutters therefore should be repaired which is a straight forward process. You can then either cut out or replace the sections that are affected. You can even treat and address the issue from within the gutter.

·       The last option is to apply an anti-oxide paint which may be a temporary solution.

·       The last solution is the replacement of colorbond guttering but not repair. This is cost effective to the homeowners and can be installed by a license plumber.

The most chosen of them is the aluminum gutters by homeowners. This is because it will not rust and are long lasting. This is the best and ideal solution for replacement of gutters.

Guest Contributor, Amelie Lawrence

Top Ten Worst Things That Could Happen During a Super Bowl Party

Top Ten Worst Things That Could Happen During a Super Bowl Party!!!

1. Running out of food
2. Running out of beer
3. Allergic reaction to food
4. Someone taking the game to serious and ruining everyone else's fun
5. Double dipping
6. Not enough appetizers
7. TV not working
8. Toilet backing up
9. Your team losing the game
10. Your child is not letting you watch the game

Top Ten Foods For Super Bowl Parties

1. Chili
2. Pizza
3. Chicken Wings
4. Tacos
5. Nachos
6. Italian Beef
7. Meatball Subs
8. Hamburgers
9. Hot Dogs
10. Loaded Fries

To get into Super Bowl spirit we made our own home made chili. Watch it and enjoy.