Thursday, July 15, 2021

Home Style || Room By Room Home Upgrade


Home Style - Collaborative post


Making your home better, smarter and more functional was a challenge in the past. Families had limited options. But today, thanks to the sheer abundance of incredible companies out there, there are ways to transform practically every room in your home.

What’s more, many of these upgrades are more than aesthetic, they’re functional too, meaning that they can transform how it feels to live in your home. In this post, we run through the upgrades that you should be making room by room. Enjoy!




Hardwood Flooring


Estimates suggest that the average person spends about 90 percent of their day indoors. That’s a lot of time! But, unfortunately, the indoor environment can get a little polluted. Soft furnishings, like carpets, collect all sorts of nasties that eventually out-gas into your rooms.

So what’s the solution? Well, one of the best is to use hardwood flooring coated in a special substance called photocatalytic titanium dioxide. It sounds like a mouthful, but this material contains special molecules that help to actively break down bacteria, viruses and molds. The overall effect is a cleaner, fresher home that doesn’t smell like an old pair of trainers.

Anti-Thief Glass


Another cool upgrade you can try in any room is anti-theft glass. Instead of just installing regular UPVC windows with conventional glass panes, you can now get similar products that use reinforced glass. They tend to cost around 60 percent more than traditional windows. But unlike their conventional counterparts, they are much more difficult to smash. What’s more, even if they do smash, robust materials hold the glass in place, making a breach into your home less likely. They’re also pretty useful in gale force winds.

Green Mattresses


If you’re wondering how you can improve your bedroom, why not try a green mattress?
Conventional mattresses are actually something of a health concern. Many contain dangerous flame retardants which seep out and surround your body as you sleep. These chemicals may be a cause of chronic diseases - not what you want.




Green mattresses, however, are different. These products resolve many of the environmental issues associated with conventional mattresses and are far more natural.

Mould-Free Bathroom Tiles


Imagine if you could leave your bathroom steamy all day long and it would never attract any mould? Seems impossible, right?

Well, not so fast. It turns out that there are companies out there that create tiles that actively resist and destroy organic pollutants. Again, they use titanium dioxide - a chemical that can break down moulds and other germs in the environment before they get a chance to become established. This way, your bathroom remains fresh and clean long-term, without the need for constant scrubbing or grout replacement. Helpful.

Low-Flush Toilet


The average toilet uses about 3.6 gallons of water per flush - which is quite a lot when you think about it. But now there are a bunch of manufacturers looking for clever ways to resolve this problem. One strategy is to create cistern systems that require substantially less water with each flush, but still get the job done. These rely on vacuum technology to suck waste from the toilet bowl, meaning that they need less water to flush everything away.




Shower Water Heater


Showers can take an annoyingly long time to heat up. That’s because it takes time for the metal elements inside the shower unit to come up to the temperature required to heat the water to your desired level.

Now, though, some brands have come up with a solution. The idea is to install a kind of valve behind the showerhead that pauses water flow until it reaches a certain temperature, usually 95 degrees F. If the water isn’t hot enough, the valve stops it from flowing until the shower heats it up sufficiently. Then it releases it so that you don’t get sprayed with a load of cold water.

Soundproofing


Many of us would like to live in tranquil environments where the noise level only rises when we choose to make sound. But that’s not always how it works. Many of us live in crowded neighbourhoods surrounded by noisy people. Construction, partying, local businesses, car alarms and seagulls can all disturb the peace.

Fortunately, soundproofing offers a solution. The idea is to simply insert materials into your walls that prevent the propagation of sound waves, protecting your home. These can make a massive difference and are great for anyone with anxiety, PTSD or symptoms triggered by loud noises.

Stonework In The Kitchen


The kitchen is one of the most used and abused rooms in your home. But with granite transformations, you can make your interior furnishings last longer. Granite is one of the hardest known rocks and makes a great material for kitchen counters, tabletops and islands. It’s also natural, which means that it is now extremely popular among homeowners with an eco-conscious streak. When installed correctly, it looks beautiful and is something that can utterly transform your home.




Interior Gardens


If you haven’t experienced the joys of an interior garden yet, you’re missing out. These incredible spaces allow you to bring mother nature indoors, gaining some of the benefits of being outside in the fresh air.

Interior gardens are beneficial for a couple of critical reasons. Firstly, they boost air quality in your interiors. Plants are able to capture gases given off by materials in your home and incorporate them into their structures. Secondly, plants are a great way to boost your mental health. Having greenery in your environment can be soothing and actually change how you feel. Many people report feeling more relaxed when they spend time with plants.

Couches That Won’t Stain


Imagine if you could buy a couch that would never stain, no matter how much abuse it got? Sounds impossible, right?

Well, not so fast. It turns out that there are companies making stain-proof couches right now.

But how does it work? It’s actually quite technical. Brands in this area apply a stain-repellent nanoparticles to all the fibres that comprise their seating. This means that when it comes into contact with stains (or anything wet for that matter) it just drips off like water off a duck’s back. The net result is a sofa that won’t stain and spills can’t get deeper into the fabric and lurk there, creating smells.

Install Hydrophobic Carpets


The same principle applies to carpets. You can now get products coated with a special layer of hydrophobic material that will cause water to bead on the surface, instead of sinking deeper down. Again, it negates the need for expensive (and annoying) cleaning operations.



Low-Maintenance Deck


Okay, granted, deck isn’t something that you have inside your rooms. But if you have an outdoor space, it can feel like an essential part of your home.

Deck, however, can sometimes be high maintenance. Some products require a lot of your time and energy to keep looking good. However, you can now get special types of deck made from a combination of virgin wood pulp and recycled plastic. The wood pulp gives the deck a traditional appearance, while the recycled plastic stops it from degrading. The plastic coating prevents long-term UV and makes the whole product far more durable than regular old wood.

Garage Door Silencer


Garage doors are annoyingly loud - both mechanical and electric versions. But it turns out that you can now get kits that help to keep the noise down. These feature a rubber mat that you put between the opening mount and the ceiling, preventing the door from disturbing anyone trying to relax above.