How to Choose Flowers for Your Floral Arangement

Just about everyone loves the appearance of fresh flowers, or the smell of sweetly fragrant ones. Most people love to bring flowers into their homes to brighten them up, particularly if they don't have a garden to enjoy. If you're one of them, you're probably buying flowers from the supermarket or road side stall and putting them all together in an nice arrangement. But if it's your first time to pick fresh flowers, what are exactly are you going to do?  Here are some tips you might find helpful.

Pick a color sequence of no more than three colors. It's easy to get carried away while browsing a flower shop—but making something beautiful is easier when your flowers match each other. In the winter, we're fans of purple and orange; white, green and blue; or, in honor of a holiday like Valentine's Day, red, white, and pink.

Source: UNSPLASH

Get inspired. If you fall in love with one color or type of flower, carry it around the shop with you. Then, match up the potential accompaniments, seeing if their colors and shapes work well together.

If you're making multiple bouquets, pick a base flower. Look out for an inexpensive, filler flower in a neutral color—and then stretch it throughout all of your arrangements. This allows you to buy in bulk—and to have fun picking special items for each separate bouquet. You can use white limonium as a base flower; they're small, elegant, and allow the bigger, more colorful flowers to pop.

Be wary of the flowers on sale. They're on sale for a reason; the store is trying to move them quickly. If you're looking for your flowers to last up to a week, it's best to buy them full-price.

Big flowers stretch the farthest. If you're on a budget—or if you're nervous about making your own arrangement—go for a larger type of flower. They take up more space in a bouquet, so you can buy less of them—and they're easier to work with while building a bouquet.

Think about timing. Some flowers, like roses and tulips, benefit from a night in water. If you're building a bouquet for the same day, it's important to keep this in mind.

Prune. Just because you buy the flowers a certain way doesn't mean they're finished. Trim away all extra leaves, thorns, branches, and other distractions; you want the flowers themselves to shine.

Tweet

Four Reasons Why Some People DIY

Do-it-yourself or DIY projects can range from room painting to room construction. And, there are as many psychological reasons for starting these projects as there are tasks to be accomplished. In fact, many people are starting with their DIY home projects which they’ve daydreamed about when they were still young kids. Keen to know why people DIY? Just continue reading. :D

Completed projects can provide the DIY-ers with a feeling of satisfaction. Being splattered with paint or damp with sweat from a hard day’s work on the roof or in the garden can be very satisfying to some people. Those who renovate or create their houses from scratch are satisfied to know that they have the ability to create places to live that are different from all the other homes in their neighborhood.

Source: UNSPLASH

DIY-ing  boosts brain power. It is a wonderful way to gain new skills or knowledge. For example, your problem-solving abilities are improved when reading up on techniques online or discovering how a broken appliance ticks. Each project you tackle will teach you something new.

DIY-ing  boosts confidence. To some people  DIY-ing allows them to have more over their world or their surroundings since they are closely involved with the design and construction process. Moreover, they rely less on the products, services and expertise of others. Through their new skills and confidence, they have the freedom to create quality that spreads to all areas of life.

DIY-ing cultivates 'best self' and 'self discovery'. People keep their minds and bodies active when doing DIY activities. Working with their hands become easier and a natural way to get their heart rate up. Moreover, DIY-ing reveals what matters most to the DIY-ers and offer a great way to express their personality.

Tweet

Home Improvement Trends You Should Know This 2018

Source: UNSPLASH

With the turn of the year comes a slew of new ideas and concepts. Home improvement trends seem to change dramatically each year and it can be difficult to keep up with the new ideas.One key thing to keep in mind when reviewing the new trends that are anticipated for this new year is to be realistic regarding your abilities so that you do not become overwhelmed.

Bold and Birght Colors - One home improvement trend that has been emerging over the past few years is adding color to your interior walls and furniture. However, the colors this year are a sharp departure from the neutral tones that have been the palate of choice in the past, with deep, rich hues taking their place (McDonough, 2017). Colors are also not just relegated to the walls and furniture, as kitchen cabinets and appliances have also experienced an increase in the demand for splashes of welcoming color. This can be seen in the 2018 selection for Color of the Year, which is a deep teal called Oceanside by Sherwin Williams, that was inspired by adventure and creative thinking (Winterfeldt, 2017). If painting is not your forte, you might opt to hire a professional painter to bring your idea to life.

Outdoor Theme - Although trees and plants can be seen dotting the landscape throughout Colorado, it can be a bit chilly during the winter months. One way to combat the chill, but still enjoy nature is to bring plants inside so that you can enjoy them year-round. While houseplants have never really gone out of style, this year will experience a growth in the number of plants that are purchased for interior decorating. However, bringing nature inside is not just relegated to plants, as evidenced by last year’s Pantone’s Color of the Year, Greenery, which is reminiscent of moss-covered stones (The Family Handyman, 2017). Interior decorators can help to incorporate greenery, whether it is through introducing houseplants to your home or selecting green hues that work with your existing interior.

Don't Forget Comfort - One recent trend, known as hygge, was introduced to the design world a few years ago, but the Scandinavian practice of comfort, coziness, and celebrating the little pleasures of life has been in place as a design aspect to address the boredom and darkness that often occurs during the winter months (Hygge House, 2017). Building off the Danish trend, in 2018 additional foreign influence will be seen in the interior decor practices. For example, the Swedish trend of lagom and the Japanese trend of wabi-sabi will take the interior design field by storm (Tardiff, 2017). While lagom and wabi-sabi can be used on their own, they are also complementary, as each focus on embracing the imperfections and simplicity in design (Tardiff, 2017). Well-worn accent pieces can help to bring about your own version of hygge and comfort.

Go Green - While the presence of houseplants and green hues have been touched on as being influential trends of 2018, going green will also be a highlight of the year regarding decorating and home renovations. With the trend of homeowners tending to stay in their homes longer than previous generations, investing in sustainable technology and building materials are also expected to make a splash in 2018 (Amaya, 2017). This would include the sourcing of sustainable materials, such as bamboo, as well as investing in solar panels, energy-efficient windows and appliances, as well as reflective paint and shingles for the roof (Nichols, 2017).

Tweet