Category: front door

3 Tips For Making Your Home Look Festive For All Holidays

Photo by Matteus Silva on Unsplash

If you’re someone who loves decorating for the holidays but doesn’t want to have to spend a lot of time or money making over your home every few weeks or months, it can be helpful to find a few meaningful ways to make your home look festive without having to go over the top.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for making your home look festive for all holidays.

Start With Your Front Door

One of the best places to start when decorating your home for the holidays is your front door. Not only will this help everyone who enters your house to get into the spirit of the season as soon as they enter your home, but being able to see these things before you even get inside can also help you to enjoy your festive decorations as well.

Depending on the holiday that you’re decorating for, you can use all kinds of things around your door and on any kind of porch space that you have. You can even decorate along the stairs or your walkway if there’s room. And if you choose a few bigger items that you can just swap out some of the accents for as the seasons change, you won’t even have to spend a lot of time on your decor each few weeks either.

Photo by Shanika Reed on Unsplash

Swap Out Your Pillows And Blankets

Another easy way to make your home feel like you’re getting ready for an upcoming holiday is to swap out the pillows and blankets that you use throughout your space.

If you have pillows or blankets that you use for decoration or just for comfort, consider getting a few more options that will lend themselves toward some very specific holidays that you like to decorate for. Then, when the time comes to decorate for those holidays, swap out those pillows and blankets for ones that are more festive.

Photo by Uby Yanes on Unsplash

Use Seasonal Natural Elements

If you live in an area where you have a lot of natural elements around your home, rather than simply clearing those trees or other elements, consider how you can use these things in your seasonal decor.

In the springtime, bringing in seasonal flowers from around your property can be a great way to bring some of the exterior decor into your interior space. And in the fall and winter, taking advantage of any of the pinecones or evergreens that might be around you can help make your holiday decor even more meaningful.

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

If you’re wanting your home and property to look more festive as your favorite holidays get closer, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you see how you can decorate for each one. Thanks to Coastal Spray for consulting.

August 10, 2022
Gorgeous porch inspiration for summer!

It’s finally summer! The bees are buzzing the sun is shining, and in DC the humidity is steaming and mosquitos biting. Frizzy hair and blood-suckers aside, this year, I am determined to have some sort of little container garden on my front porch, so I’ve been collecting some inspiration.

We don’t have space or a roof for a swinging sofa, but how awesome would that be?
via Pinterest via HGTV

via Babble

via BHG

via Pinterest via Gilded Mint

I love more “wild” looking containers.
via Pinterest via Flickr

…but I also like the symmetrical look.

via Dirt Samples

I really like pots cascading down the stairs…just not the green orbs.
via Pinterest via BHG

What do you do for your porch in the summer?

June 28, 2018
Three Easy-to-Bypass Door Locks in Your Home

How secure is your home? What kind of locks do you use on your doors? Do you think they’re sufficient? Your safety and that of your family may depend on the sturdiness and security of your doors. Thus, it’s essential to choose locks that can’t easily be bypassed.

You may not know it, but many common locks can easily be bypassed or broken into, and even those high-tech smart locks have weaknesses. By breaking into your own house, you can learn how secure your doors really are. If you can pick your own locks, then others can too.

Lockpicking is an easy skill to learn. There are many guides that teach beginners how to pick a lock. Learning how to pick locks can help you know what your house’s vulnerabilities are. You can then patch a security gap with a supplemental lock or measure in conjunction with the existing one.

That said, here are a few easy steps to bypass door locks that you may have at home.

Deadbolt Locks

Deadbolts are typically secondary locks installed on exterior doors, the ones that allow entry to a house or building. Their purpose is to make a door more resistant to forced entries and credit card bypasses.

However, where brute force doesn’t work, cunning usually succeeds. Deadbolts may seem sturdy, but they’re one of the easiest to break into with a tension wrench and a lockpick.

via Home Bunch

Pin Tumbler Locks

Pin tumbler locks (a.k.a. pin cylinders) may be the most common type of lock. Many doors, closets, cabinets, etc. use them. As such, most novice locksmiths and lockpickers practice their craft on pin tumbler locks because of the device’s familiarity and its entry-level difficulty.

Security Door Chains

Door chains give the impression of security. However, they can easily be bypassed even without the help of lockpicking tools. A simple rubber band can unlatch them.

Actually, any strong string or wire can defeat this type of lock. By tying a rubber band, string, or wire on the far end of the chain, one can unfasten it in no time at all.

Friendly Advice

Realistically, every lock can be picked. It’s just a matter of how long it takes and how complex the mechanism is. If you want to see more examples of easy-to-pick locks, you can help yourself with this resource page.

via Southern Living

An easy lock on its own doesn’t mean much in terms of security but installing two different locks (with one lock more complex than the other) on one door can exponentially increase the time it takes to break into it. Thus, it isn’t necessary to search for the perfect, 100 percent sure secure lock, because it probably doesn’t exist. But technology might be changing it such as smart locks, which could be the future of home security.

Thanks to our partners on this post, Lock Pick World

May 17, 2018
Top Four Tips for Upgrading the Exterior of Your Home

via landscapegenius.com

When you own a home it seems to be a never-ending cycle of improvements, renovations, and changes. The majority of these home improvements tend to take place inside the home, which can end up leaving your exterior a bit sad and dismal looking. Without the proper attention outside, your house can lack curb appeal and even inspiration. It also means you may be losing out on functional and useable outdoor space simply because it hasn’t been designed correctly.

If you’re ready to tackle the exterior of your home, but you’re not really sure where to start, then here’s a look at the top four tips that will help you upgrade the exterior.

via Ronique & Co

Install Stylish Non-Traditional Fencing

When you think of fencing, it’s normal to think about the traditional tall plank-style fencing that is a bit of an eyesore. There is no need to stick to this style though. Instead, you can use fencing as decor as well as serving a function. One option is to install a picket fence, which can be used at the front and back of your yard. Picket fencing is a wonderful addition to landscaped areas and gardens. It serves the purpose of creating a boundary, but at the same time, they aren’t an over-powering fence.

You can find a wide range of picket fence options including heights, shapes, and colours. Many will allow you to stain them at home so you can pick the best color for your home. If you have any doubts about how to upgrade your exterior, you can always contact USA Exterior for support.

via All About the Garden Shop

UPDATE YOUR ROOFING FIXTURES

Your roof catches rainwater that hits your home. If you don’t have gutters, rainwater will pour over the roof’s edge and the sides of the home, which can erode the soil overtime and lead to a flooded basement and foundation problems. Eavestroughs prevent this problem from happening and protect the home from possible water damage. If your gutters are clogged and old, water can accumulate and pour over the edge as well. So, it’s best to update your roofing fixture before problems start.

If your old eavestroughs are getting old, consider replacing them immediately because you don’t want to risk damaging your home’s foundation. If you need a professional evaluation of your eavestrough system or require eavestrough repair Waterloo, seek out the reliable providers in your area.

Clear Out the Garden

When you think of upgrading the exterior of your home, many people assume that means adding to their garden and planting more. This may be the case if you have a young garden, or no garden at all, but if your home has a mature garden the opposite is true. Clearing out the garden, cutting back trees and shrubs, and even removing some items will do wonders for the curb appeal. It makes the garden appear healthier and gives a sense the whole yard is being cared for.

via Rodika Tchi

Give the Front Door a Splash of Colour

Your front door is often the first thing that people notice as they pass by, and it’s something you use probably on a daily basis. Why not make it a door that is cheerful and welcoming by giving it a splash of colour. You can pick something that compliments the exterior of your home rather than blends in with it. Popular front door colours include red, orange, blue, and yellow.

via pamela lykins

Invest in Exterior Lighting

Your home’s ambiance will be greatly improved with the use of several lighting options. Although they’re only noticeable at night, they can completely change your home’s look. Exterior lighting is actually a fabulous way to add design and interest to your exterior. You can go with large fixtures that really make a mark, install lighting in pathways and gardens, and even use spotlights to feature certain architectural aspects of the home or key areas of your garden.

While you probably already have lights outside, they may not exactly be statement pieces. Consider using soffit lights, which will highlight your home’s architecture. Think of using ground lights to help accent the bushes and trees or porch lights to help add a welcome glow near your front door. Consider installing light near your home’s number sign, which will be helpful to your visitors and guests.

via 88HomeDecor

Your Home is Transformed

If you have a free weekend and you’re up for the challenge of doing a DIY project, you can start with smaller ones. You’ll be amazed at how a fresh coat of paint or a clean garden can upgrade your home. While each of these design tips may not seem big on their own, once you start to do a couple you’ll see a pretty large transformation take place.

This post in partnership with The Garden Trellis Co.

January 24, 2018
A modern minimalist home that is also cozy!

A minimal interior that’s also cozy seems like a bit of an oxymoron, but it is possible. And a space that manages to pull it off is ultimately much healthier. It’s been proven – less clutter, less stress.

A key element in a minimal style home is clean lines. There is no rules that clean lines need to be straight lines with hard corners. The curved lines of the sofa and the arm chair create a sort of symmetry that lets the eye relax.

Carefully edited knick knacks and books create less opportunities for dust to settle, and makes cleaning easier. If you have a lot of sentimental objects you like to keep displayed, then rotate them so you get to enjoy them but keep your space minimal.

Angular planes of the pendant are more restful to the eye than an ornate chandelier. The panoramic window creates a tranquil landscape effect.

The entry is very important too to your homes health. A stoop that is easy to keep clean means less dirt being brought into the home.

More proof that minimal can be cozy! Tailored throw pillows make the living room warm and inviting without extra “fluff”

I’ve been working on moving more and more items off of my counter tops. It makes food prep much easier, counter top cleaning much easier, and cleaner visually. Obviously, I can’t stress the importance of keeping your home clean. Most of our exposures come from dust, and even knowing this I am not vigilant about dusting. If you have the means I highly recommend a service like Snapclean.

See more of this home and read more about it at Not A Paper House

April 5, 2016
Gorgeous porch inspiration for spring

First day of spring, and it’s been snowing here in Maryland for 6 hours. Hopefully this is the last hurrah for winter. This year, I am determined to have some sort of little container garden on my front porch, so I’ve been collecting some inspiration.

We don’t have space or a roof for a swinging sofa, but how awesome would that be?
via Pinterest via HGTV

via Babble

via BHG

via Pinterest via Gilded Mint

I love more “wild” looking containers.
via Pinterest via Flickr

…but I also like the symmetrical look.

via Dirt Samples

I really like pots cascading down the stairs…just not the green orbs.
via Pinterest via BHG

March 20, 2015
A Welcoming Front Door

Adding an extra touch to your front door can set the tone for the rest of your home. It can also make a guest feel at home the minute they pull up! Here are some tips to help you bring your front door to life:

via bhg

Make sure your house number is legible. There’s nothing worse than having that uncertain feeling on whether you are walking up to the right house or not! Also be sure that it’s visible throughout the entire day and going into the night. Outdoor lighting can be a great problem solver in this case.

via pinterest

Keep it simple! Leave enough room for your guests to be at the front door and not feel overwhelmed or cramped while they are waiting for you to answer. The extra breathing space is comforting and relaxing.

via architectureartdesigns

Add a friendly sign. Nothing says you’re welcome more than a welcome sign! Adding a little touch to remind them you are happy they are coming puts a smile on everyone’s face.

via flickr

Get creative! Adding an extra touch like window decor is stunning. It gives everyone a little eye candy which is great for small doorways where you might not have enough room for planters or decorations.

via indulgy

Show some personality! Don’t be afraid to bring out things you love to to decorate your front door. It’ll help your door stand out from others and can also be great conversation starters!

March 10, 2014