If you’re planning a few parties, you might also want to spruce up your kitchen decor. Why not put your time and money into small kitchen updates you can enjoy all year and decorate with food? Once you decide to design your party around the kitchen, you can pick foods that are colorful like cupcakes with red frosting, a red fruit punch, etc. With red plates, napkins and a few red bows tied around your lights or cabinet hardware, your kitchen is ready to entertain. 

Kitchen Decorating Tips to Enjoy All Year

Take a few minutes to think about how you use your kitchen, i.e. how much wear and tear does it get as that will influence your decisions. You also don’t want to spend too much money if you’re considering a larger kitchen remodel in the future.

These projects are small enough that you can finish many of them in a weekend, although you’ll want to allow some contingency in case you don’t get everything done on schedule. If you haven’t done this type of work before or don’t have all the required tools, maybe you have a friend with experience who can help you out.

Another approach some homeowners take is to schedule their local handyman business to finish the project once you head back to work on Monday. Of course sometimes my handyman business has started a project by undoing homeowner work and noone is happy when that happens. As with any project, it’s always better to plan in contingency – extra time, extra materials and a little flexibility on the final product.

• Light is especially important during the winter. You can add more light with stronger light bulbs (make sure the fixture can handle this), increase the number of fixtures in the room or adding/enlarging windows to let more natural light in.
• Color plays an important role in setting the mood of any room. A new coat of paint is any easy way to give any room a fresh look but plan wisely as kitchens and bathrooms take more time because of the extra work to cut around all the fixtures. One idea to keep a painting project manageable is to give one wall an accent color!

There are tools on the web to help you audition colors to try them out before you paint.  Benjamin Moore offers a color visualizer that lets you upload a photo of your room, although I haven’t had time to try it out (let me know how you like it).

• Texture using counter tops is another way to dress up your kitchen. Choices range from inexpensive laminates to Corian or granite, depending on your family’s budget and lifestyle. Today’s trend is to mix different cabinets and counter tops, so you’ve got lots of choices.

One of our handyman customers ordered new laminate counters at Lowe’s and asked us to pick them up and install them. She didn’t explain that her kitchen was going to be full of baking supplies and the party was the next day. Juggling to fit the L-shaped counter top into our van filled with tools was a challenge, and we worked into the evening to insure that the party would be a success.

• Cabinets can be dressed up with new hardware (we’ve installed hardware for several customers as guess what, there are a lot more pieces that you realize and one customer had almost 100 handles for us to install).
• You can replace kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts. This makes good sense when you have solid wood cabinets that are in good condition, and it’s also possible to trim the cabinet boxes with matching veneer if you want to change the color or wood.
• Storage can be functional and creative. Ideas include an extra shelf over the sink or a window seat. If you’ve got too much loose paperwork, a magnetic bulletin board can help clear the clutter off your counter tops.
• Adding a tile backsplash introduces color and texture. Tin paneling which comes in an incredible selection of designs and colors (see AmericanTinCeilings.com) is also being used for backsplashes and ceilings, much like it existed a hundred years ago.

Please remember to always put safety, your personal safety as well as your family and guests, first as any type of calamity will put a damper on your holiday spirit. We’re offering you a list of simple reminders about the things or situations that can cause problems. A quick review is all you need, nothing else to add to your already busy schedule.

Fires Really Do Happen

Noone expects a fire at their house but they do happen. Maybe there’s no smoking but lots of other things in your house are prone to catching fire when someone forgets for just a moment.

• Candles are great decorating tools and harmless until you light them. The candles here might be fine when the green trimming is fresh but after a few days, it will dry out and a small ember might be enough to start a fire.
• Fireplaces are wonderful if you respect them. Make sure to get your chimney cleaned and learn how to operate the damper. Use glass doors or a screen to keep embers from getting into the room and store firewood at a safe distance. Don’t light a fire while stockings are hanging from the mantel and insure someone remains in the room to monitor any fire.
• Strings of holiday lights and anything on extension cords should be handled with care, especially when you’ve got visitors who are less familiar with navigating through your home.
• Today’s stoves are really safe until you leave something cooking on the stove top unattended. The water can boil over, boil away or worse, something nearby can burst into flame.

Falls Aren’t Fun for Anyone

You’re the host/hostess and one of your guests falls while visiting. You’ll spend time dealing with injuries and have to fix the problem that caused the fall. Why not walk around the house and make repairs/changes changes to prevent possible falls? You won’t have to deal with feeling guilty or worse, an uncomfortable lawsuit and the loss of a friend.

• Good outdoor lighting welcomes guests from the street or driveway to the entry door(s). While you might not use your front door, most guests will enter through the front door so be prepared at all exterior doors.
• Clear walkways are essential so if you’ve got a wobbly paver or missing bricks, now is the time to fix them before they cause a fall in the dark.
• Handrails are important for older guests so even though you never use them, check them and tighten if they’re loose (indoors and outside).
• Slippery sidewalks are never fun so if there’s a chance of rain, sleet or snow, make sure you’ve got your favorite ice melt product handy.

A good way to prepare for guests is to act like one and visit your home. Park on the street and walk up your driveway in the dark. Enter your home through the front door and remove your shoes if guests commonly do this — is there a convenient place to sit? Check bathrooms and any public spaces guests will visit, i.e. the pool table in the basement?

Falling Objects Can Hurt

When we’ve got lots of company, we hide things in closets or dig out extra chairs for guests. It’s safer to rearrange things when you have time to do it without interruption or people underfoot.

• Take down extra serving dishes you’ll use throughout the holiday season. Do the same with extra dishes, glasses, place mats, etc. If you’re able to store these treasures in an easy to reach cabinet or closet, that’s even better.
• Decide in advance where guest coats will go and if that means putting your own items away, do that before the first guest arrives.

Wishing everyone the best holiday ever!

Here we’ll share relative fence costs from chain link fencing to ornamental wrought iron and walls constructed of stone or brick. Living walls are an option depending on how you plan to use your fence and in some areas, adobe fencing is used.

Chain Link Fencing

Chain link fences are one of the cheapest fences to install providing medium to high security with the rugged fence fabric. Beyond digging the post holes common to most fences, the chain link fabric is secured to the posts with an assortment of chain link hardware. Chain link is available in green, brown, black, the traditional silver color or you can paint it. Decisions you’ll need to make include where to put the gates, fence height (4 or 6 ft), weight and diameter of vertical line posts and top rails, and the weight of the mesh fabric.

Wood Fencing  For Any Budget

Wood fencing comes in a wide range of colors, sizes, styles (read Picking Your Fence Style) and quality (wood comes in grades from A which is clear, B has tight knots and C has larger, open knots) . Take time learning what is available locally, will work well with your home and fit within your budget. Consider ongoing maintenance and replacement costs when comparing different types of wood.

At the low end is pressure treated pine which is treated to resist insects and wood rot. Most wood fences are made from softwoods including pine (white, yellow or red with slight differences in hardness), cedar (white or red and doesn’t have chemicals added due to it’s natural resistance to insects), cypress (mildew prevention chemicals which are not dangerous to kids or pets) or redwood. Hardwoods last longer and are therefore more expensive. They include locust, oak, hemlock, ipe and more depending on local availability.

Vinyl and Composite Fences

Vinyl fencing simplifies ongoing maintenance. You’ll simply want to wash the fence occasionally and scrub any stains or mold from nearby shrubs. There are plenty of vinyl fence manufacturers so your big decisions are:

• Will you install the fencing yourself or hire a fence company, which generally means they provide the materials?
• Do you want to buy the materials locally or order them online but if you do, check on warranties and be sure to check all parts immediately after delivery as over-sized products get damaged easily during shipping?

If you’re not happy with the shiny look of vinyl, there are wood composite fence materials that look like wood and don’t have to be painted. There are even new, sustainable composites like Terra Fence that offer a nice selection of fencing products made from wheat straw.

Aluminum and Steel Fencing

There are many aluminum and steel fencing products on the market that are maintenance free. They don’t rust, peel or flake and never need painting. You’ll want to get panels that are “rackable” so they can be adjusted when placing them on a hill. Steel fencing is a different metal that is heavier than aluminum, and while it will last longer, steel fencing will also cost more than aluminum.

All of your quality aluminum and steel fencing products offer coordinating gates. Many also have coordinating driveway gates and arbors, giving you the same low-maintenance solution for all your landscape features.

Wrought Iron Fences

While much of the demand for wrought iron has been displaced by aluminum and steel fencing products, wrought iron offers ornamental styles with intricate designs and even custom fences. Wrought iron fence products are available in 2 finishes – a standard painted finish or a powder coat finish, and come in a variety of colors beyond your basic black.

Stone and Brick Walls

Stone and brick walls are timeless and if your budget permits, you’ll want to explore these fence options. Stone walls can be as informal as the collection of rocks gleaned from your yard to ones with intricate handwork by skilled masons. Brick is worth considering when the color and texture works well with your home and other landscape features like brick walkways. If you can’t afford an entire fence from stone, it’s common to combine stone/brick posts with a another fencing material.

We haven’t discussed living fences using evergreens and other shrubs but that is better left to another article.

Take time to research the best solution for your house, your family and your lifestyle … and enjoy your new fence!