Kitchen Makeover Step by Step

If you’re a home-lover or an aspiring chef, the kitchen is probably one of your favourite spots in the whole house. Yet we can’t all have our ideal kitchen, with the latest LG fridges and state-of-the-art cookery facilities. Or can we?

If you’ve decided that it’s time to give your kitchen that much-needed makeover, but you don’t have the funds to renovate it fully, here are a few step-by-step upgrades that could help with your transformation.

Designs

When it comes to making over your kitchen, it’s important that you decide what type of look you want. Are you are a shiny, silver, modern type of person? Or do you prefer something more homely and country-style? Deciding on the style and design will determine many of your makeover choices.

Built-in Appliances

A good place to start is with your built-in appliances. If you have an older-style oven or stove that’s a little unreliable, could you invest in a newer model? This will make things easier for you in a practical sense and will also greatly enhance the look of your kitchen. Don’t forget you could upgrade your dishwasher too! Or install one if you haven’t got one. If you’re keen on creating a more modern look, go for stainless steel.

Built-in Accessories

If you’re set with appliances or if you don’t quite have the money yet, how about making over some of your built-in ‘accessories’, like range hoods, lights, taps and faucets? This is an inexpensive way of giving small ‘lifts’ to your kitchen. You can easily hire an electrician or handyman to help you.

Other Appliances

If you’ve got the funds, could you transform you kitchen with a new fridge or microwave? Or how about simply a toaster and kettle? Upgrading these smaller appliances can make your kitchen feel much newer. If you don’t see the need to change these, you can also add to your kitchen collection; invest in a juicer, Breville-maker, coffee machine, blender or vegetable chopper to give some more ‘oomph’ to your appliances.

Furniture

Is your furniture detracting from your entire kitchen? If so, it might be time for a change. Could you purchase newer furniture that’s within your budget? Or, if you’re going for a rustic look, could you purchase second-hand furniture and scrub it up with a bit of paint or polish? A brand-new wooden table can make a big difference to a kitchen. If your budget is really tight, how about simple changes, like a new tablecloth and some cushions? Or if you’ve got the space and the funds, could you consider getting a kitchen island and some bar stools?

Cupboards & Shelving

There’s nothing more annoying than a lack of cupboard and shelving space in a kitchen. If installing extra cupboards or shelving is not an option, could you divide cupboards horizontally to create extra shelves? How about installing some floating shelves on your walls, where you’ve got extra space?

If your cupboards are already big – do they need a makeover? Perhaps a paint job and some new handles? This can greatly change the design of your kitchen space and gives you the chance to design a whole new look and feel.

Painting & Flooring

Painting and re-flooring your kitchen are two of the biggest jobs when making it over, but they can make the most difference. Painting is easy and can allow you to create a lighter, brighter space or add some colour to your room.

If you’re keen to re-floor, options like polished concrete, hardwood or epoxy can help create a very modern look. Alternatively, bamboo, laminate, tiles or carpet could create a more ‘homely’ or country-style look.

Techno Gadgets

If your home is particularly modern (or even if it isn’t!) techno gadgets can make all the difference to your kitchen experience. Could you install a TV on the wall for when you’re watching cooking shows? Or even mount an iPad on the wall so you can look up recipes? How about a voice-timer instead of using the microwave? Depending on how tech-savvy you are, the possibilities are endless!
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How to Beat the Aussie Sun at Home

If you’ve ever lived on the Australian coast or anywhere close, you’ll know the story- fabulous place, but the climate has its own ideas. Fierce sun, wind and sudden changes, usually when you least expect them. Australians love the coastal zone, but it’s always been a battle. The new approach is based on new technology like retractable awnings, sunscreen blinds, external blinds and other smart, tough ways of dealing with the coastal weather.

The secrets of the new screens and awnings are simple, but very effective. They’re a new type of blinds, made to deal with very tough conditions. They’ve become essentials for managing home environments, because they’re so reliable. They’ve made major inroads on the extremely fussy upmarket housing market, providing solutions to real problems very simply and very efficiently.

The truth is that the new blinds and screens are very different from their predecessors. If you remember the horrible, expensive and largely useless “blinds” of the past, you’ll also remember why people preferred the old Venetians. The old blinds were just plain old canvas. They didn’t manage light much at all. They also had very short product lives, and they didn’t last too long in the tough coastal environment. They were more like tents than anything else, and they did nothing or less to manage temperature.

The new blinds are designed to stop light and block heat. That’s very important, because the heat transfer from the old blinds was their greatest weakness. Heat would still build up inside, and the blinds actually blocked the trapped heat getting out, like insulation. If you’re getting direct heat from an Australian summer sun at full blast, that’s not a great result.

If the heat doesn’t get in the first place, you don’t have that problem. The new blinds block the light as well, preventing bleaching by the sun, which can save you a lot in fabric covers and carpets over time. In the coastal zone, the weather impact can be severe.

Environmental management with screens, blinds and awnings

The salt air is another factor, and the old blinds really weren’t designed to manage that. They were basically “eaten” by the salt. The new blinds are all-terrain things, and they do the job simply, with no fuss. They’re also fully customizable, so whether you’ve got a beachfront mansion or a bungalow, you can get the right mix of blinds tailor-made.

That’s turned out to be a win-win for consumers. They can get the sort of specialist treatment they need for their homes and get full protection from the beautiful but unpredictable environment. For new homes, the external blinds have become an essential. They can cover the big window spaces effortlessly, and there’s a range of adjustable options for managing lighting and getting the optimal benefits of big windows while managing the climate issues.

If you’re looking for the right mix of environmental management, design and a simple way of managing your coastal home’s many moods, these blinds, screens and awnings are the quick way. Check out what you can do, and you’ll love them.

Deer at a Palace

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A few of white-spotted deer that live at the huge front yard of Bogor Presidential Palace (Bogor, West Java, Indonesia). In fact, the total amount of those deer are more than two hundreds.
The Weekend in Black and White

Help Protect Your Home and Save Money

Your home is almost certainly your most valuable asset, so it is very important that you look after it properly. Allowing it to get damaged, fall into disrepair, or get burgled will only hinder the standard of your lifestyle, so it is important that you take steps to against these possibilities. It is, of course, important to get home insurance to protect your investment, but your aim should be never to need to claim against this policy.

Maintenance
Maintaining a home is an intensive job. It is one which will take up a large proportion of your time and it is absolutely necessary. Australia has a very harsh set of weather conditions. The intense heat is also joined by heavy rains in large quantities, so your home needs to be able to withstand the worst. It is important to regularly check the quality and condition of your building. The roof is perhaps the most important because any leaks could cause severe damage to your home. Check the tiles regularly and be sure to promptly replace any which are loose or damaged. Maintaining the paint on the outside of your home is also a great way to ensure that it is weather-protected. A good coat of paint should be applied every 2–3 years.

Storm Precautions
With unpredictable flooding in much of Australia, it seems wise to prepare your home against storm waters. This is not an easy task, but there are landscaping precautions you can make to help keep the water at bay. Walls will help to keep water out better than wooden fences, and integrating ditches into your landscaping could divert the path of any storm waters. Installing shutters on your windows and doors will also help you to keep the weather at bay.

Flood Preparation
If a storm does become a flood, you will need sand bags. Having a large stock in a cool, dry part of your garage will help you to deal with the worst if it does occur. It is also sensible to establish a safe room with supplies in it, so that you can survive for a period without suffering if you are left stranded. Remember that flood cover is often not included in your home and contents insurance. If you live in a high-risk area, like a flood plain, it is worth looking at the possibilities for this type of cover.

Emergency Preparation
It is important to have a plan in place for every type of emergency. This is as much about protecting your family as it is about protecting your home. Consider what you will do if there is a fire, flood or other disaster and make sure that your family is well drilled in the processes.

Security
It is prudent to take every precaution you can against intrusion into your home by burglars. This can be prevented through locks, Crimsafe screens and alarms. Also, remember that making your home appear occupied is one of the best ways to deter burglars, so be sure to manage your garden, your mail and your home’s outward appearance, even when you are away.

image:canstockphoto.com

Your First Home – What Do You Really Want?

This year, I purchased my first new house. Ok, house may be a bit of an exaggeration. It’s a 2 bedroom apartment – but on the bright side, it is in a great spot, feels like home and offers every convenience I need. As a new home buyer, I tackled a lot of hurdles. First and foremost, agents, solicitors, banks – everyone can smell how green you are from a mile away. You look new, you look scared and nine times out of ten, you look like you have no idea what you’re doing. Buying is nerve-wracking. This is a ridiculous amount of money (especially where I’m from in Sydney), it is a very long commitment – and what if you decide next year that you don’t really like it, or your neighbours are horrible, or you get a job in another city?

Questions and doubts like these are all thoughts that plague your mind when you are buying your first home. You want to know you’re making the right decision and that you aren’t going to regret the decision later –take it from me! Given I now have a beautiful apartment which is lovely in theory, but also equates to monthly repayments, crazy strata levies, council tax…and restriction to holidays and travel – take it from me, you want to know you won’t regret it! So how can you be sure? Before you book your removalists, you need to work out what you really want – and stick to it!

1. Location
First of all, when you think you’ve found the place you’re going to buy, make sure the location is perfect. It needs to be convenient to your work and that of anyone buying with you. It also needs to be convenient to a variety of transport, as this is a twenty-to-thirty year commitment, so likely your jobs will change at least a few times during that period. Make sure you will remain happy with how far it is to shops, the city centre and other facilities, and know for certain you will always be happy with putting up with that distance.

2. Costs
A lot of us, when we find our ‘dream home’ don’t take a great deal to budge when it comes to extending our maximum spend threshold. We think, ‘ah, it’s only a little more’, and in our heads it seems easy to stretch the weekly wage that far. But it’s not, and your wage is not always predictable. Make sure the repayments are comfortable, not difficult at all. Also make sure you have enough savings that should you be terminated at work or leave, you can make repayments for at least a few months.

3. SizeYou need to decide what size home you want – and how much debt you want to go into! Are you after a flat or is a kit home more in your price range?

4. Additional costsIt is truly heart breaking when you move into your new place, thinking ‘I’m not wasting dead money on rent now’, and end up paying huge amounts in strata levies or other costs. Make sure you know that other costs are involved and if you’re happy with them especially if you are moving a long distance and need interstate removalists.

5. Adventure
Short and simple – if you don’t earn a lot of money, make sure travelling and holidays are out of your system for at least five years.

6. Home loans
Seems like a no-brainer, but read the small print. Make sure you understand how interest rates work, negotiate yours, and know you can make repayments comfortably still if the rate goes up by 2%.

Best Recipe Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining

All winter long, you dream about eating lots of tasty food, enjoying a cold beverage and hanging out on shaded patios enjoying the summer sun. By the time summer actually comes, make sure you throw a backyard party that everyone remembers by cooking up some delicious food. The following recipe ideas will have you covered for entrees, main courses, salads and desert, and will have your guests wanting more!

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
To get things started, the most important party supplies you will need are pre-dinner snacks that will get your guests’ appetites ramped up, and feta and spinach stuffed mushrooms will do just the trick. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and set aside a lightly greased cooking tray. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add 2 small cloves of chopped garlic, stirring for 15 seconds. Add a 10-ounce pack of spinach and some salt and pepper, and continue frying until the spinach is cooked. After the spinach has cooled slightly, add it to 4 ounces of crumbled feta, mix it all together and stuff mushrooms with the mix. Put the mushrooms on the baking sheet and into the oven for about 20-25 minutes, and enjoy!

Mango and Roasted Cashew Salad
Every hot summer barbeque needs a refreshing salad, and the mango with roasted cashew salad is sure to be a party pleaser. Start by combining a half-cup of sweet white wine to a quarter cup of light brown sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then add cubes from one large mango and a half-teaspoon of grated ginger to the wine mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours to let the flavours mingle. After, drain the liquid and mix and add a cup of roasted cashews, and garnish with mint.

Rotisserie Chicken
If you have a rotisserie, then this recipe will serve as a delicious classic that will have your guests’ mouths watering. First, get one 3-pound chicken and season the inside with a pinch of salt before placing onto the rotisserie, cooking for 10 minutes with the grill set on high. Meanwhile, mix together a quarter-cup of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of paprika and a quarter-teaspoon of black pepper. Turn the grill down to medium and baste the chicken with the butter mixture before closing the lid and cooking for 1 to 1 and a half hours. Baste the chicken continuously until its internal temperature reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit, and then remove from the rotisserie. Let the chicken stand for 15 minutes before cutting and serving with either rice or potatoes.

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
This easy to make desert will make a nice complement to the dinner and the summer heat. All you have to do is sandwich a third of a cup of honey-vanilla ice cream between two thin butter wafer cookies, and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. When it is time for desert, serve them with a bowl of fresh cherries.

There is nothing like a backyard barbeque with mates to celebrate the coming of summer Aussie-style, so try out some of these recipes and relax!image:shutterstock.com