Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Category: DIY How-to and Inspiration

  • 6 Rustic DIY’s to Create a Charming Home Atmosphere

    Rustic home décor is often associated with a woodsy, countryside appeal. There are no fancy crystal chandeliers or genuine cheetah rugs in these spaces. Instead, it’s an aesthetic all about a comfortable and earthy atmosphere made up of nothing more than simple fashion and humble statements. Some of the best rustic home décor can be made with a bit of TLC and elbow grease.

    Go Antique Shopping and Revamp Old Pieces

    One of the easiest DIY projects to create rustic appeal is to revamp antiques. Make a day of visiting antique shops, collectors and enthusiasts to find hidden treasures to turn into your own. Oftentimes, these pieces need nothing more than a little sanding and a new stain. Even the least crafty homeowners can manage this simple, elegant and rustic DIY home décor project.

    DIY Rustic Coat Hanger

    The front foyer of your home provides your guests with their first look at your interior. As such, it can be the perfect place to showcase your home’s DIY rustic appeal. Since you need a space to hang coats, umbrellas, handbags and other miscellaneous items anyway, you might as well make one that you love. This rustic home DIY project can also be an affordable alternative with heart throughout the design. Pick up an old piece of wood, find some unique doorknobs at your local second-hand stores and make a rustic coat hanger that makes a statement right at the front door.

    Bring the Outside Wall Inside

    Another simple home DIY project that will add an abundance of rustic charm into the interior is to bring outside walls inside. The key is to choose an accent wall, preferably in a room that is in dire need of charm and personality.  Grab a roll of brick wallpaper and start rolling that rustic appeal into your home. Just be sure to opt for a high-quality variety to get a genuine brick look, instead of a terribly tacky and fake one.

    Light Up Your Interior with Fallen Logs

    If you’re looking for an excellent way to add rustic light into your interior, you’ve just found the ultimate home DIY project. All you need is some logs cut at different lengths, candles and a tool for chiseling. You could also use a circular sander to carve a little nook into each log instead of a chisel; it’ll be more time consuming but require less elbow grease. Insert the candles and place the logs around your fireplace, in your outdoor living space or even on the front porch to enjoy a flicker of rustic lighting.

    Simple Mason Jar Storage

    The trend of mason jar DIY projects has taken over homes across the globe. They’re exceptionally versatile and can quickly turn empty glass jars into chic, rustic storage containers. Some DIY projects paint the exterior of the mason jars for simple countertop storage – perfect for bathrooms and laundry rooms. However, you can also leave the mason jars clear and hang them on an old piece of wood. Both options are charming, warming and exceptionally practical.

    A Sign of Love

    Instead of forking over $50 for a mass-produced sign for your interior, consider making your own. All you need are some pieces of old wood, some twine, a glue gun and a steady hand. You can make the sign read whatever suits the personality of your home, and even add some rustic door handles to add functionality and enhance the charming appeal.

     

    With these rustic DIY projects, you can bring the charm of the outdoors into your home

  • Beautiful headboard trends to update your bedroom

    The crafty DIYers around the world never fail to amaze. The new headboard ideas are unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and they’re just as amazing for the environment as they are for your bedroom design. It’s all about recycling and reusing to create the perfect image, so prepare to finally get a good night’s sleep and a stunning bedroom design. These are headboard ideas you certainly won’t want to overlook.

    Wood Pallets

    Wood pallets have recently become the go-to material for DIY projects. They’re used to create outdoor living spaces, new couches, and even new headboards. It’s also an excellent way to reuse and recycle, and the final results are stunning. All you need is some wood pallets, a sander, some nails, a hammer and a little bit of creativity. You may also want to give it a fresh coat of paint or a new stain, depending on the look you want to achieve, but that’s the great thing about wood pallets. You can turn them into a stylish masterpiece that suits your unique personality and interior.

    Shelving Units

    A popular trend in interior design is practical furniture. People want their bed headboards to be just as effective as they are stylish. So many people are turning their shelving units into a multi-purpose masterpiece. Stack some old milk crates or bookcases behind your bed, and you’ll never have to reach too far for a good read.

    Room Dividers

    Room dividers are now being turned into the perfect bed headboards. This bedroom design trend is really neat, as it takes absolutely no effort to turn your current bed into an elegant masterpiece. You can also change the headboard whenever you want, and use any extras you have for their genuine purpose in the meantime. It’s a win-win for your entire interior.

    From the Ground Up

    Forget about headboards that start on the bed frame. All kinds of headboards are now taking on a new look that starts from the ground up. These kinds of fabric headboards typically extend well past the frame vertically and horizontally; creating a modern appeal that is quite beautiful.

    Reclaimed Wood

    All kinds of old wood pieces are being turned into bed headboards. Everything from old window frames to nature’s craft of driftwood and everything in between, is adding an abundance of character to bedrooms across the country. If the wood is old and weathered, it’s worthy of being a stunning headboard.

    A Whole Wall

    A whole wall will turn your bedroom into a whole new world. This is a unique headboard idea that is perfect for smaller bedrooms, as it doesn’t take up any extra space. Dedicate one wall as your accent wall and give it a new paint job or add on a wall sticker to turn it into a modern headboard.

    Tufted

    The tufted look is certainly a huge trend in bedroom designs. It has a vintage appeal that adds equal amounts class and comfort. Better yet, it takes something old and turns it into an upholstered headboard that is exceptionally chic. This DIY project is actually quite easy to do as well.

    The perfect headboard has the ability to add an abundance of character to your entire bedroom design. Your bed is the statement of the room, and the headboard can make or break your bedroom interior. Fortunately, with these unique headboard ideas, you can enjoy furniture that is just as frugal as it is fashionable. So, channel your inner creativity and try your hand at one of these unique DIY projects, or see what kind of hidden gems you can find at your local second-hand store.

  • 5 Ways to Make your Small Laundry Room Efficient and Stylish

    If you have a small laundry room, there’s no denying you need a stackable washing machine. Having a washer and dryer side-by-side is simply taking up valuable space that can be used otherwise. However, if this major investment isn’t in your future plans, you’re in luck! With some unique laundry room décor and storage ideas, you can still make use of your small laundry room, while also turning it into an efficient and stylish powerhouse.

    1. Turn the Tops into Shelves
    The tops of major appliances are often unused. However, they’re almost always flat and can be the perfect shelf for storing all your laundry necessities. If you can slide your washer and dryer under a countertop, then the work has already been done for you. If not, grab some planks of wood and even out the top for a flat surface that is perfect for laundry baskets, detergents, and laundry room decorations – you name it.

    2. Hide the Mess with Clever Curtains
    Clutter is often inevitable in a small space. After all, you have very little room to store the ins and outs of the space. This is especially true for small laundry rooms because “laundry” almost always comes with a mess. You have dirty socks, massive machines, detergents, softeners, baskets and other cleaning materials stored in this little area.

    Since it’s hard to be efficient in a messy, unorganized space, perfect the talent of hiding the mess with clever curtains. Hang a curtain rod above your washer and dryer, and disguise the mess with style as you battle the pile of dirty clothes. You’ll never have to worry about guests popping in on laundry day again!

    3. Take Advantage of Vertical Space
    With one quick glance around your home, you’ll quickly notice plenty of wall space left untouched. When decorating a small room, it’s important to take advantage of vertical space, as it will free up valuable yet limited floor space. Hang baskets, shelves, and even the garbage bin. The more you can put on the wall, the more you’ll get out of the entire space.

    4. Disguise Detergents in Stylish Containers
    Laundry detergent bottles are big and bulky. They take up an abundance of space, and certainly don’t do much for the interior design of your laundry room. However, you need them in your laundry room to make the washing and drying process easier. What you may not know is that you can disguise detergents in stylish containers that will revitalize the space, while also decreasing clutter. Head to the dollar store and grab different shape and sizes of glass containers, and fill them with the ins and outs of the laundry room necessities. Label them as needed (because using bleach instead of detergent is a mistake no one wants to make), and never cringe at the idea of soap-dripping, big and bulky plastic containers ever again.

    5. Hide Large Laundry Baskets in Cupboards
    One of the most clever storage ideas for laundry rooms is to hide laundry baskets in cupboards. They’re big, bulky and take up an abundance of valuable floor space. So, put in a bit of elbow grease to achieve this stylish storage option, and you will instantly free up floor space while also hiding the undesirable and inevitable mess on laundry day.  Another alternative is to hang cloth laundry bags, or utilize vertical storage bins to minimize the amount of room these laundry must-haves take up.

    Although you never thought it was possible, you’ll start to look forward to doing laundry in your new laundry room with these efficient and stylish options.

  • Five Ways to Decorate a Coffee Table

    The coffee table often serves as the hub of your living area. It doubles as a functional hot-spot and a decor focal point! We all love to decorate a coffee table for maximum appeal, and convenience, with items we already have at home. From books, to trays, to flowers, see below for our 5 easy tips to style your coffee table:

    5 Ways to Decorate a Coffee Table

    1. A stack of pretty books is one easy way to showcase your coffee table’s elegance with simplicity.
    2. Add a simple tray with some accessories to improve your coffee table’s style.
    3. Group similar items together on your coffee table to create a streamlined and organized look.
    4. Layer in decorative pieces to create a perfectly designed look for your coffee table.
    5. Arrange your items in a truly chic way by grouping items together of a similar color palette together.

  • Foolproof DIYs You Will Want to Do this Year

    Do-it-Yourself projects (DIYs) are a huge trend right now for many reasons. These are the projects you don’t need a natural talent for craftiness, or professional skills, to perfect. With a quick online search, you’ll be amazed what you can make out of the old belongings laying around your home. Here are some of the top foolproof DIYs for 2016 that can thoroughly enhance the interior of your home while putting something old to good use.

    Foolproof DIYs You Will Want to Do this Year - bhgrelife.com

    1. Use a Paint Pen in Your Kitchen

    Paint pens are one of the coolest things out there for foolproof DIYs. They’re also incredibly inexpensive and super simple to use. You can use one to write elegant cursive or add unique designs on your mugs, keeping paint away from any part of the surface your mouth might touch; once you design the mug, you just need to bake it for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. You can do the same on your dining set or teapot and even wine glasses. Before you know it, you’ll have a dose of individuality added to your kitchen with little effort.