THE BEAUTY OF A PORCH Written by Arleen M. Kaptur
What is one feature that you can add to your home that will definitely increase its value not only monetarily? There is ingredient of a “special place” to relax, to dream about tomorrow, and to slowly sip a cool, smooth drink on a hot, sticky day. Also, this is a great place to chat with neighbors or visiting relatives, to admire seasons, nature and its abundance of color and change, and to take a catnap when need calls for one. All of above relate to something as simple as a porch. Whether it is on back of house, across front of home, or even to side - there is so much value in having a porch. It can even do duty as a breakfast room where you start your day and anticipate what day will bring over a cup of coffee. It can be an elaborate structure with pillars and graceful archways or it can be as simple as a screen enclosure where you step out from kitchen to delight of sunshine, sweet smell of morning, and sounds of birds. Taking into consideration type of home you have, you can then plan with size, material, and style. Whatever final outcome is, real statement will be comfort and enjoyment a porch can bring. And if you add a porch swing - then you do have makings of a wonderful place just outside of your home. If a porch swing is not in plans, then a padded rocking chair, a few tables, assorted chairs, and plants will do trick. Porches are fun to decorate but they should never become just another convenient storage shed. They should be uncluttered, colorful and comfortable. There should be easy access to home so that food and drink can be easily brought it and out. Porches can be three-season or year-round with a few extras added.
| | Frugal Kitchen Spruce UpsWritten by Kathleen Wilson
Frugal Kitchen Spruce Ups By Kathleen WilsonMost of us spend a good deal of time in our kitchens these days, and it’s not just for cooking. More homes are being built with kitchen as hub of home, and even if you’re on a tight budget, that shouldn’t stop you from making it a pleasant and personal place to be! If your cabinets are in need of a total overhaul, consider painting them. Nothing changes look of a kitchen faster! Visit library for info on faux finishing, or go to www.paintedhouse.com or www.fauxlikeapro.com, and turn a simple paint job into a one of a kind kitchen. If you don’t want hard work that goes into total repainting, consider removing a cupboard door to make a display cabinet. Paint entire interior of cabinet a light or bright accent color, and put your prettiest on display. Or have someone good with power tools cut out center panels of doors, then shirr fabric over inside to hide contents of cupboard…secure with a staple gun or Velcro tape. Pick up inexpensive plate hangers from hardware store and hang saucers from your good china around backsplash, or as a border. Don’t have any china? Visit garage sales and thrift stores this weekend to pick up a bunch of sweet little plates for a song. (No, they don’t have to match, or be fancy!) Hang tea towels on diagonal over your curtain rod for a fresh summer valance, and save some extra to stitch up into potholders and placemats. Make a floor cloth to perk up your tired floors from a piece of remnant vinyl flooring you get at a home improvement center for just a few dollars. Turn piece over to backside, and give it a coat or two of good primer, then a coat of any basecoat color. Then use masking tape, stencils, stamps, sponges or freehand painting to impart a design that fits your room. Be sure to seal it with a couple of coats of water based polyurethane, and it will wipe clean for years! This is a great way to customize your kitchen for little money…lets face it, rugs are expensive, impossible to keep clean in a kitchen, and are usually same old boring thing. This is also a great way to cover an aging or damaged floor, as you can make floorcloth to whatever size you need.
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