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Redecorating Tips on A Budget

Redecorating Tips on A Budget

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The new normal entails us to spend more time at home. Whether we are busy studying, working from home or simply just relaxing, sometimes spending too much time at home can be quite stressful. That’s why it is important to have a relaxing environment to help us handle stress. Having a new environment can help reduce stress levels. The way to achieve this is to redecorate your house. Redecorating does not have to be expensive. There are ways to achieve a fresh, new look for a room without spending too much. Here are redecorating tips on a budget:

1. Bring Some Plants

Plants make a space more alive. They also are important for your general well-being because it reduces stress and anxiety. The presence of plants bring about calmness. They also help clean the air we breathe in.

2. Create the Perfect Lighting

Lighting design is crucial in creating the right mood for your room. Not only that, the wrong lighting can be harmful to your eyes. It is underrated but it is actually the most important aspect in interior design for it can change the mood of the room at the same time it can change one’s perception on the size of the room. Functional lighting allows you to see the room clearly and do your work properly but decorative lighting like soft, dim lights is the one responsible for creating the mood and the atmosphere of the room.

3. Paint

Painting is one of the easiest ways to completely change the look and feel of a room. For example, darker colors make the room look smaller but warmer while lighter colors make the room brighter and larger. A lighter color in the ceiling as well as vertical stripes give the perception of more height. In the same way that putting a light colored decorative panelling can lengthen a room horizontally.

If painting the whole room is too tasking and too expensive, you can opt to paint just a piece of furniture or cabinets.

4. Put a Piece of Art

Putting a piece of art in a room gives character to the room. It also tells something about the personality of the homeowner. And besides, buying art pieces is a form of investment. Not everyone can afford a Picasso or a Van Gogh, but you can invest in an up-and-coming talent. Go to a local art college or a bazaar or even in the streets. Who knows, your choice might just be the next in-demand artist.

5. Re-organize and Declutter

Sometimes, all it takes is just some re-organization. Being surrounded by mess can be harmful to your health. When things are in disarray, it is time to clean them. Decluttering can help remove stress. While cleaning, throw away things that you no longer use. By keeping your things organized, you are also increasing your productivity.

6. Shop at Thrift Stores

Thrift stores, flea markets and antique shops can be great places to find some rare finds and hidden gems for a fraction of a price. These places offer great deals and some unique finds that you can use to redecorate your living space.

7. Use Accents

An accent is anything that stands out against the rest of the space. It is a contrasting piece that is normally bold and vivid. Accent pieces add warmth and character to the room. Accent pieces can include furniture, wall art, figurines and sculptures, pillows and other accessories like boxes, candles, baskets, flowers, shells, bird cages, bar carts and knobs.


Photo by ATBO from Pexels

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Environmental, 0 comments
Ways To Make Your Room More Relaxing

Ways To Make Your Room More Relaxing

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Are you feeling stressed out? Do you experience difficulty in sleeping? The best thing to do is allocate a space or room in your house for you to relax. More often than not, this space is your bedroom. You should be able to learn to forget all your worries once you enter this room. The goods news is that there are little things that you can do to make your room a tranquil space. Here are ways to make your room more relaxing.

1.Use Cool Colors

The color of your bedroom will play a significant role in how you feel, think and act. Warm colors are stimulating. They are best to use in rooms that have a lot of activities and movements. On the other hand, cool colors are relaxing and calming. Thus, it is recommended to use cool colors in the bedroom. Cool colors include blue, green, purple and other variations of the three. Use muted shades, neutral or pastel colors.

2. Put Warm Lighting

Use warm lighting in your bedroom. Leave your white and bright lights in other parts of your house. Warm lighting is the color of a candlestick. It is not stressful in the eye and helps promote relaxation. The natural circadian rhythm of the body predicts the external environment such as sunset and sunrise. Warm lighting gives signals to the body that it is time to unwind for the day and prepares the body to sleep.

3. Use Your Bed for Bed Activities Only

Beds are created to help you sleep and relax. Doing other activities such as working or watching television on the bed will make it more difficult for you to sleep and relax. Your brain associates your activity with your surroundings. If you work on the bed, your mind will associate the bed with work rather than sleep. Thus, it is best to allocate a space for work or studying. In the same way that the light emitted from the television set tricks the body into thinking that it is still daytime. It hinders the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. So it is highly recommended not a television set in your bedroom.

4.Use Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the use of oils that are extracted from plants to promote relaxation and relieve stress. It is also used as a healing treatment. The oils are either applied directly to the skin, sprayed in the air, inhaled or you can put it on bath water. Essential oils are supposed to stimulate the nerves in the nose that is directly connected to the brain creating a calming effect.

5.Use Blackout Curtains

Blackout curtains are made of thicker fabrics or materials resulting in pitch dark blackness in the room when drawn shut. They minimize the amount of light going inside the room making it feel like it is nighttime even though it is daytime outside. They also reduce the amount of heat going inside the room making the room cooler. This effect will improve your overall sleep quality.

6.Put plants

Bring nature in your room by Instilling bedroom plants. Real plants can help improve the quality of your sleep by giving you fresh and oxygen to breathe in.

7.Play Soft Sounds

A sound can either be soft or loud, depending on the volume. Soft sounds have a low volume and can be very gentle. That’s why soft sounds can help you relax. Examples of soft sounds include audiobooks, classical and soft pop music, clock ticking, guided meditation, nature sounds like birds or cricket chirping and a voice of a loved one.

8. Declutter

Numerous studies suggest that clutter has a negative effect on a person’s overall well being. It increases levels of cortisol, the stress hormone in the body. Thus, it is always important to declutter and keep your surroundings clean and orderly.


Feature Image by DarthZuzanka from Pixabay

Posted by A.L. Jonas in Environmental, 0 comments
5 Herbs You Can Grow Indoors

5 Herbs You Can Grow Indoors

Reading Time: 3 minutes

You might not have a green thumb but there are 5 herbs that you can easily grow indoors. If you love gardening but live in an apartment, then growing these herbs indoors is a good way to indulge in your hobby. These herbs are easy to care for and you can use them in your cooking too. This is also one way to add more organic produce to your diet.

1. Lemongrass

This herb doesn’t even require soil. Buy a stalk at your local market with a large stem part and with the base of the plant still intact. Trim the top of the stalk and place the plant in a tall container with 2-3 inches of water. The stalk will produce roots and dozens of new shoots. It’s one of the easiest herbs to grow indoors. This herb is very fragrant when added to your dishes.

2. Chives

This herb does not require much light to grow just start with an already grown plant. Place the plant with the roots in a small pot filled halfway with potting soil. Cover the roots up to the crowns with more potting soil. Cut about one-third off of the top of the plant to encourage new growth. Chives are popularly used as garnish but also to add flavor to dishes.

3. Mint

Spearmint and peppermint grow like weeds so they can choke out other herbs if kept in the same container so get these herbs their own pots. For indoors, peppermint is a better option. This herb should be planted as seeds in a small pot full of potting soil. Place it in a spot where it gets at least a little bit of light each day. Mint is one of the herbs you can grow indoors to add a refreshing kick to your beverages or desserts.

4. Parsley

Parsley is grown from seeds which need to germinate and may take up to 2 weeks to grow. This herb is a slow grower so your initial clippings will not be much. It doesn’t require much light and maintenance once you get started. Be sure to ask instructions from the seller when you buy the seeds so you can plant it properly. This is a popular herb that adds a hearty aroma to any dish.

5. Basil

This herb is the most difficult to grow among the five but it is a very popular herb for cooking. There are different kinds of basil so ask your seller which one to get and how to grow it properly. As with parsley, you will enjoy caring for it and cooking with it after your initial planting efforts.

Some Tips for Caring for These Herbs

As with any hobby, some patience is needed to grow some of these herbs indoors. You will find that they are worth the time and effort. Be sure to keep in mind some tips to ensure your efforts don’t go to waste.

  • Plant herbs in separate containers so that they have room to grow and they don’t choke out each other.
  • Water them minimally. Wet the base where the stem and soil meet and not the leaves. Let the base dry before watering again.
  • Clip them regularly to promote more growth so use them in your cooking often.
  • Always use high quality organic potting soil. Ask your seller for recommendations.

We hope you get your gardening groove on with these herbs and maybe boost your cooking skills in the process. You might also want to check out these tips on maximizing your food budget.


Updated. First published on Pinoy Smart Living on 2019.04.01.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.

Posted by H.J. Rangas in Environmental, 0 comments