Category: Guest Author

6 Tech Gadgets to Liven Up Your Bathroom

Posted on by Jenny Zamora
high tech bathroom

When all’s said and done, the bathroom isn’t the most exciting room of the house to be in. Once you’ve performed your daily ablutions there’s little reason to make return visits – or is there?

This is the 21st century, the age of technology, gadgets and gizmos, after all. Nothing and nobody is safe from a techy makeover, and that includes the bathroom.

So while you’ve got the latest apps on your phone and the largest plasma TV screen mounted on your living room wall, now you can marvel and delight in the cornucopia of practical gadgets, and items those boffins have wracked their brains to come up with to make your visit to the bathroom a more up-to-date and fun one.

Here are six innovative extras that would sit quite nicely alongside your bath mats and wall lighting…

TV Mirror

From Eastenders to X Factor there’s no denying  we’re a nation of tele addicts, so for those who find it difficult to drag themselves away from the gogglebox, the Eclipse TV Monitor could be answer to all your terrestrial dreams.

It embeds an LCD TV behind a two-way bathroom mirror so you can relax in the tub with your favourite show. When the TV is off you can’t see it at all, leaving you go about your merry way shaving or brushing your teeth without the mortifying early morning horror of Daybreak’s Aled Jones gurning at you.

high tech shower

Techie Taps

Turning the tap on isn’t the most arduous of tasks, but for the more indolent bathroom users there’s the ‘intelligent tap’, which uses facial recognition to adjust the flow and heat of the water as necessary.  It also has a touchscreen so you can access your emails.

Top Teeth

When it comes to your daily bathroom ablutions, oral hygiene is top of the list, so next time you want to add some sparkle and shine to those molars you might want to reach for the Oral B Professional Care Smart Series 5000. It has a smart guide that contains an itinerary for brushing times and pressure, as well as a few gnasher-based top tips.

Apps The Way To Do It

For those techies who truly are inseparable from their iPod and the glories of its multifaceted applications, how about the Stocco Matre touchscreen mirror? It has a specially designed, integrated touch panel that lets you access your music and any other features you want.

Handily for a bathroom accessory, it also has a built-in barometer, lighting controls, and, if things are getting a little too steamy in there, a mirror de-fogger.

TV in bathroom

Down The Pan

Whether it’s a number one or number two, some of us are still embarrassed by Mother Nature’s inevitable sounds from a bladder release or bowel transit. Step forward the iPhone Eco-Oto app which plays the inimitable gurgles of a flushing toilet from 30 to 120 seconds!

Head Lights

Create your own multi-coloured illuminations with a shower head fitted with colour-changing LED lights that tell you the water temperature – green for cold, blue for warm, and red for hot. And once the water’s to a temperature of your liking you can adjust the colour to suit your mood (if there’s such a thing as a green, blue or red mood, that is). An ingenious use of bathroom lighting if ever there was one.

I’m sure if you had any of these accessories in your bathroom you’d have to be dragged kicking and screaming from your early morning preparations!

Have you got any ingenious techie gadgets in your bathroom?

Estelle Page is an interior designer who is always looking for ways to combine inventiveness and practicality!

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Nocturnal Sky in Your Bedroom: Solutions from $2 to $300

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

night sky

Falling asleep under a star-filled sky is no longer an exclusivity reserved for those warm midsummer nights, when so many of us like to stay awake deep into the night to lie at the back of our garden and stargaze.

With technologies (and this interior design trend) advancing, you can easily replicate whole galaxies in your bedroom at a price that suits your wallet, ranging from just a couple of bucks to several hundreds for a more deluxe effect. Here are the five most common choices:

 

1) Glow-in-the-Dark Stars (from $2)

If you’re looking for the cheapest and least painful of solutions (especially if you aren’t sure if you want to commit to staring into the Galaxy for the rest of your days), phosphorescent wall decals of stars, planets, saucers and crescent moons are probably your best bet.

Easily applicable and removable, they come as stickers or plastic glow-in-the-dark shapes with sticky pads. They vary in style and colour and will have zero effect on your energy bill. You won’t have to worry about switching the lights off either – kids love them, especially those who can’t sleep without a nightlight!

 

2) Glow-in-the-Dark Ceiling Paint (from $3)

If you find glow-in-the-dark stickers too childish for your age but you’re quite confident about your artistic abilities, you may as well make a custom pattern for your bedroom’s nocturnal sky with glow-in-the-dark ceiling paint.

It’s used just like normal acrylic, although spray paint is also available for those who prefer stencilling to replicate the whole universe right above your bed.

 

3) Hire an Artist (variable)

Believe it or not, because nocturnal sky replicas are so much in demand these days there are a bunch of artists making their living painting galaxy murals on people’s bedrooms ceilings! They use glow in the dark paint too, but if you art skills aren’t all that it might be worth paying out for someone else to do the work for you.

 

4) Night Sky Projectors ($10 to over $100)

Night sky projectors are also quite varied in price, depending on how realistic you want the whole stargazing experience to be. While the cheapest options come in the tackiest pinks and neon greens, if you’re happy to invest a little more you may as well find a projector that matches your chrome wall lights, too.

Besides being prettier to look at, the more advanced ones offer a number of exciting features, such as several speed settings, shooting star functions, changeable slides and even Northern and Southern hemisphere perspectives. Some of them can even be programmed to switch themselves off, making sure no energy is wasted after you’ve finally drifted off to sleep.

 

5) Fibre Optics Star Ceiling Kits (From $300)

The most expensive yet probably the most aesthetically pleasing, optical fibre is a great way to bring the night sky into your bedroom. Slightly thicker than a human hair, the fibres concentrate the light into tiny spots at the end of each strand, giving the “stars” more of a natural twinkle and glow.

Using fibre with bare ends will make the stars appear sharper and brighter; however, the light they emit can also be diffused through lenses, giving a larger star effect.

As they’re becoming increasingly popular, sets of these are widely available online, however they do also require a lot of DIY and you have to have access to space above the ceiling. A popular complement to these is National Geographic’s “Moon in My Room” – a 3D model of the Moon, designed to be mounted on a bedroom wall. It can be switched between the twelve phases for a truly realistic night sky!

Would you ever install any of these in your bedroom?

Estelle Page is a blogger and an interior designer who decided not all presents should go under a tree, and surprised her younger offspring this Christmas with a newly refurbished bedroom – complete with indoor night sky! 

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Looking For A New Home To Rent? 4 Things You Must Do Before Breaking Your Current Lease

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Your apartment lease is a binding legal contract between you and your landlord. If you want to change your house before your current lease is over, you will have to break it. However, breaking it is not easy and there may be some penalties involved. Here are some things you must do before you break your lease. It’s a good idea to consult with a real estate professional.

Read Your Contract Carefully
Since it is a binding legal contract, your lease may require careful reading. It is important to read through it carefully so that you know of any stipulations about notifying your landlord in case you want to break the lease. If there is a stipulation, it may also mention the notice period your landlord would require and the penalties for not meeting these requirements.

Know your Local State and City Laws
Find out about your local state and city laws about tenant rights and leases. This is especially important if your lease does not have a release clause. In such cases, the local city and state laws usually apply universally. In some states, the laws require you to give advance notice of at least 30 days while in others, it could be 60 days or even less. Laws are different from one state to another, so it is best if you consult your local laws and find out what you are supposed to do. You could visit the local civic body’s office to get this information or speak to a property agent who can guide you.

Speak to your Landlord
Whether your lease has a release clause or not, you should speak to your landlord and seek advice on your situation. If you are planning to break the lease, it is important to notify your landlord immediately. It is possible that the landlord understands your particular situation and releases you from the lease without levying any penalties. You could also reach a mutual conciliation or agreement regarding your lease. Sometimes, if you can help the landlord sublet the apartment immediately, they will be willing to release you from your lease without levying any penalties.

Check if you can Sublet
Though most landlords do not agree to this, you could check with your landlord if you could sublet the apartment on their behalf till your lease is over. This is a tedious and complicated process, but it allows you to be released from your obligation to your landlord without having to pay any penalties. Sometimes, there is a clause in the lease which allows you to sublet. In such cases, all you have to do is to inform your landlord about your decision to sublet as a courtesy. If, however, there is no mention of such a clause or if the lease prohibits you from subletting, then you will have to take your landlord into confidence and take their written permission before attempting to sublet the apartment.

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Making Your Bathroom Safer For The Elderly

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

It is easy to understand all of the dangerous things that can happen in a bathroom. Water and electricity do not mix, and the possibility of slipping getting in and out of the tub is always present. These things are even more difficult for elderly individuals. The typical bathroom set-up does not give elderly people the easiest route to get clean and beautified each day, but there are some things that can be done to make this room safer and easier for elderly people to use. If you’re looking to buy a home that is handicaped friendly, you should consult with ORC

The shower and bath situation is definitely the biggest concern. If you have the ability to install a walk-in shower with a shower seat, than that would be your best option. These showers have a door that can open, or they could simply walk into it without having to raise their legs up to get over the tub. For ideas on the most suitable type of bath or shower ideas for your bathroom you should do a Google search.

A shower seat can be added to practically any shower without too much difficulty. This gives the elderly person a place to sit, and it makes it easier for someone to bathe the individual if needed. The seats can be anchored several different ways, so research the best way to fit your situation.

A hand rail can also be added into your existing shower and tub. Some of these can simply be suctioned onto the wall of the shower. There are other types that can be screwed into the existing tub surround to increase the safety of the apparatus. These rails make it easier for the person to get in and out of the tub. They are especially useful when someone is attempting to get up from a bath. You simply need to remember to put it at the right location to maximize the efficiency of the rail.

You can also install some ramps to help make things easier. The ramps will require a little more room, but they can be very helpful to increase a person’s independence. The ramps are great for a variety of different reasons, but you need to make sure that you have enough room before going this route. If you are going to do a complete overhaul of the bathroom, a ramp would definitely be a good investment.

You can also get some higher toilet bowls. These higher bowls make it easier for the elderly person to get on and off of the toilet. It may seem like an oddity, but sometimes getting up and down on a toilet can be a real safety hazard. You could also put a rail near the toilet to help the person be safer.

It is also possible to automate much of the room. You could install automatic sinks that work with motion, and you could do the same with the toilet. You basically need to make things as simple as possible for the elderly individual. The automated features can really help anyone that has trouble turning knobs and handles.

The elderly person in your life needs to be given the best possible care. More than likely, that person helped you become who you are today. Talk to your local hardware improvement store to help you get some more ideas about keeping your loved ones safe in the bathroom. Remember to allow them to be as independent as possible. Take the time to think things through before you begin your project to ensure that your loved one is as safe as possible in the bathroom.

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8 Awesome Ways To Pep Up Your Sunroom

Posted on by John Conde

The main purpose of the sunroom is not just to bring outdoors into your house, but also to allow the natural sunlight to enter and gleam the entire room. So it is imperative to furnish or deck up your sunroom just as you would do to your outdoor patio.

Here are some awesome ways to deck up the sunroom for making it highly inviting and attractive:

1.    Select furniture pieces that are able to resist the constant rays and heat of the sun. Here, you may consider your outdoor patio furniture pieces, as the materials used to make these pieces are sustainable to all the weather conditions. Furniture pieces made from aluminum, wicker, or wrought iron are a few excellent choices when it comes to sunroom furniture.

2.    Add some cozy pillows and cushions to your sunroom furniture for a more comfortable and cozy experience.

3.    Arrange your seating area in such a way that you can easily interact with the visitors or guests in your sunroom. Position a couch against your wall with a table placed in front of the sofa. Place a couple of chairs around the sides of the table for an organized and purposeful look.

4.    Talking about the floor, it is always a superb idea to have a nice and cozy area rug to provide uber coziness when walking in your sunroom. You may opt for an outdoor rug to get a hang of the outdoors in your sunroom. However, make sure to clean your rug on a regular basis.

5.    Paint up your walls with a light shade for keeping the feel of your sunroom cheerful and vibrant

6.    Add some window sheers of white color to render some privacy when needed as well as to allow the sunlight to enter as well as filter the sunroom.

7.    Place a number of potted plants for keeping the outdoor feel alive in your sunroom.

8.    You may place a small-sized bistro table and a couple of chairs to enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the evening.

Just imagine how it would be drinking your favorite coffee in your wonderful furnished sunroom. It never gets better than this. However, when deciding to refurnish your sunroom, it is advisable to take into consideration the amount of natural sunlight that you wish should exude the room.

These are eight amazing and awesome ways to pep up your sunroom. Consider these suggestions to furnish your sunroom this spring.

If you’re looking to buy a house with a sunroom, contact the professionals at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/

 

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