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Now that fall is upon us and the weather is changing the house may seem to be a little more cluttered. Our sweaters and coats a spilling out of closets and dressers. Our boots and book bags seem to have taken up permanent residence on our floors in the hall and around doorways. These seemingly minute issues do have a tenancy to pile up into one nasty mess by mid December. Before the weather takes a serious turn for the colder it’s pretty smart to get things organized, stowed and put into place now.

Winter coats and jackets are much more bulky and intrusive than those lighter jackets we use in the spring and summer. So in order to preserve your sanity in searching for the correct coat for the correct person consider utilizing coat hangers. These can be installed in closets or in the open of an entryway. By installing coat hangers and shelves in an entry or hallway, a little more character can be added to a space. This also helps keep the coats aired out and easily accessible. Shelving units can be utilized with racks and hangers to help keep our book bags, gloves and hats off the floors and organized. This can also contribute to a cleaner household by not remaining in a smelly sodden heap on the floor.

Another issue that comes up during the colder months is boot and shoe storage. While it may be fine to walk on into the house with your shoes on your feet during a dry, clear spring day, but the opposite is true for a blustering winter snow storm. Shoe racks and cubbyhole shelves can help keep footwear stored, organized and can also serve as a way to keep the wet grime from sitting on your floors and destroying them. These racks can be utilized in closets, entries and mud rooms effectively all year round. It keeps things tidy, organized, cleaner and contributes to a more efficient layout of home spaces.

Winter also brings with it gusty, low temperature winds. Doors can be blown in suddenly while the family is getting ready to go out. Checking and replacing doorstops can hep to prevent damage. Old and worn out door hardware can also let in drafts and contribute to higher heating costs. Check and repair or replace any door hinges or handles that may not work properly.

Weather stripping is particularly important in preventing drafts. Be sure to check that your doors have a good seal to prevent serious drafts. Inspect all your windows to ensure they close, seal and secure properly. Some repairs or replacements may be very helpful in keeping your house warmer and cleaner during the colder months.

Remember that winter is a time when we close our doors and windows effectively sealing ourselves off from the outside. The best way to retain heat is to ensure that those seals are effective and in good condition. As a side effect of closing ourselves in, we tend to collect both moisture and clutter from extra necessities. To prevent this from turning into a serious issue by spring, organization and proper space management can go a long way.

Ever walk into a room and trip over something on the floor while tracing the wall with you fingertips looking for the switch? If your like most people today, this has happened to you more than once. Not only do we all struggle with those illusive light switches, but out of reach ceiling fans can be a pain to switch settings or turn on and off as well. There are many different solutions to these problems and a few handy household electrical gadgets that can make life so much easier.

Lighted or glowing switch plates and switches can make the locating those troublesome switches much less of a bother. Plates can glow by utilization of phosphorescent coatings that absorb light during the day and glow with a pale light in the dark that is easily seen. The switches themselves can be treated with the same phosphorescent coating. Although in many cases the switch itself is equipped with a bulb that automatically turns on when the switch is turned to the off position. This light stands out distinctly in the dark and makes finding the light switch more convenient.

For less obvious solutions to the run away light-switch problem, many people have turned to the use of remotes. These remotes can come in many forms and perform many handy functions. The simplest is a key fob remote, which can turn on your lights inside from a distance of up to 50 ft away and around corners in many cases. This gives a little added security by being able to actually turn on the lights inside the house from the outside. Other types of remotes can be set for more than one light or set of lights. These tend to take on the more traditional appearance of a remote and can vary in size. For example, a universal lighting and component remote can change the settings of your fan, turn on specific lights, and turn down the volume on your home electronics.

Before considering a particular remote for your home consider first, your particular needs. It can be frustrating to have a highly technical remote that would be able to control lighting, home entertainment components, open garage doors, and engage security systems if all that was needed as a simple remote to turn on the lights inside the house while carrying an armload of groceries to the kitchen. Likewise it can be discouraging to have a remote that performs only part of what you may need it to do.

Once you have an idea of what you may be in need of, consider your current lighting and component arrangement. While many lights will work wonderfully with a remote, many may not. Consult your electrician about any additional equipment that may be needed for the best suited remote set up. It may be necessary too, for you to invest in more than one remote. If there are multiple family members or more than one major entry point of your house, a second remote could be a very good idea.

Changing the lighting and the wall coverings are easy remodeling tips to give. What new floor coverings are green and eco friendly is easy to tell, but in any remodeling project the devil is in the small details. Everyone knows to match your carpet to your walls and moldings, but how many think to change their faceplates and wall switches? Probably the same number of people who think to change their data covers. Cabinet knobs and pulls are often overlooked, too.

A room will not come completely together if you don’t finish the small details off. What good is a wood switch plate if there is not other wood used in the décor? The same goes for your data ports. The wall sockets for your computer and fax can be changed as easily as a face plate for you light sockets. Acenti products can help you with those change overs. Acenti offers a large assortment of data port covers in several colors and designs to match any new décor. You can match your light covers and data port covers to your walls for a completely tied in look that will fully finish your remodeling project.

Let’s not forget those cabinet pulls and knobs. These don’t have to just be the ones in your kitchen or bathroom. The pulls on a computer desk or end tables can all be changed to bring them into a rooms décor, if you want to. There is no reason to neglect these small parts with the selection that Century hardware has to offer. Century hardware offers more than 270 different knobs and pulls to match any décor.

Make sure to finish any remodeling job by remembering that the devil is in the small details.

Okay, so you just spent months planning, designing and building your new addition. Or maybe you remodeled your kitchen/ living room/ bedroom or bathroom. But it still isn’t quite….you. The paint color is great, the layout is spectacular but it’s just still not there. What do you do about it? Perhaps it’s time to consider alternate wall finishes. Wall finishes refer to more than just paint color. What we’re talking about here is texture, coverings, wainscotings, venetian plasters. Etc. etc. etc.

Faux finishing a wall is one way to add some life and individuality to a room. With a faux finish, your wall could resemble quarried marble, water or sky. It’s all a matter of your taste and the direction you want to go with it. A faux finished wall can be done by the homeowner or by a skilled finishing expert.

If your tastes lean more toward an industrial look, be bold and install a wainscoting of diamond plate metal along the bottom portion of the walls in your game room. This kind of wall finish protects the walls from pool cues, swinging feet and balls. Metal wainscoting coupled with chilly colors like grays, blues and purples make quite an impression on visitors.

An opportunity for accent that is often over looked in remodeling projects is wall texture. Think all walls are smooth or splatter? Go look again. You can create your own textures with a medium bristle brush and a little imagination. Imprinting patterns in a fresh coat of drywall mud can result in a surprising burst of artistic creativity. One of a kind and seldom used texture patterns can take your room further than a simple paint color.

Wall coverings are another way of impressing a certain feel in a room, and we have come a long way from the fruit print wall paper in grandma’s kitchen. Grass cloth, for instance brings nature to your living room in a comfortable way that does not antagonize your guests allergies. Natural impression wall coverings like grass cloth are effective in making a smaller room feel larger when used properly. So they are a great resource for those who are restricted on space and must refrain from knick knack embellishments.

These are only a small representation of the possibilities of wall finishes that are available to us now. Each offering a new and unique way of expressing ourselves and of turning a room into a personal representation in space. Consider decorative painting, wood, or tile for your walls. Even fabrics when used in small amounts can have a great impact on a room. By letting go of our fear of anything but white and off white paint we will be able to make our homes expressive and comfortable, suiting to our personalities and inviting to others.

Acenti Lighting Design

Acenti creates dynamic, modern lighting controls and sensors for home or business. Simple and sleek, the designs meld into any décor or style, from contemporary to traditional. The genius of the design lies in its functionality – no screws or dividers in the switch plates or receptacles. Just clean, smooth surfaces that snap in seamlessly.

The Acenti design is an efficient tactile model that translates to each of the products. Wall plates, switches, dimmers and receptacles share the elemental style of soft lines and smooth facades with matte finishing and subtle coloring. Acenti lighting devices will subtly flatter indoor living spaces: the kitchens, baths, hallways, as well as personal rooms and offices.

Acenti dimmer switches are designed for your needs. Electronic, incandescent, and fluorescent dimmers share the ideal touch pad, with fingertip control and dim-lock for personal lighting levels. Switches and remotes return to a neutral position after activation, as do the dimmers. No more fumbling with circular controls or back and forth toggles. Quickports are customized from 2 to 6 inserts, for individual choice of voice, data, audio and video reception. Wall plates, too, are adaptable for as many as 6 inserts, keeping the flawless design with no dividers. All Acenti lighting systems compliment each other in tactile sophistication, snap-in mounting, and precision control abilities.

Leviton, parent to Acenti, has been the innovative electrical solutions manufacturer for a century. From the pioneer days of gas lamps to modern electrical wiring and personal lighting systems, Leviton has remained a leader and innovator in the marketplace. Concern for quality, efficiency and customer cost has kept Leviton ahead of all others in the electronic and digital arenas.

Electrical outlets and switches can enhance just about any room in your home.  Leviton’s Acenti line has a polished chrome wallplate that is simple to install. All you have to do is snap it on.  The polished chrome wallplate would look great in an upscale kitchen. Picture in your mind an upscale kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances with plain white plastic  outlet covers. Now picture in your mind  an upscale kitchen with  polished chrome switchplate covers.  See how simple changes can enhance your decor’?  It adds a professional level of decorating when you pay attention to the smallest of details such as switch covers and outlets.
Simply Automated has a line of products that uses powerline  technology that helps control your lighting. Their products range in casual one rocker switches to a more modern looking eight button switch. You can choose white,ivory,almond,brown, or black to match your own home style.
Switches and switch covers can change the look and feel of your home. Leviton’s Acenti line can add a touch of traditional style or contemporary style. Simply Automated has products available to give you a more high tech home.  Who would’ve thought that something so simple as plate covers, outlets, and switches could enhance  your home decor’?