Modern Living

Modern Living

Home and real estate topics discussed in detail

A Backyard Oasis

Spring is quickly approaching, and that has everyone dreaming about the great outdoors. From those first few warm days in May until the last of the summer sun in September, homeowners are dreaming about how they can spend more time outside with their family and friends. The best way to endure plenty of fun in the sun is to create a backyard oasis.

Create an Anchor

The first step in creating your summer oasis is to construct an anchor. This means that you need a central place to be the main focal point and center of entertainment. Patios provide a nice open space where you can place a table and chairs or outdoor sofas and lounges in a pattern that encourages conversation. Decks are another great option. You can find Chicago deck builders such as DAL Builders Inc. by searching online or asking friends for referrals.

A Purpose to Go Outside

Now that you have a beautiful deck or patio to anchor your space, you need to figure out what the purpose of the area will be. If you plan to host evening meals, dress the space with a grill, table, and plenty of seating for friends and family. Would you rather turn the space into a personal get-away? Use lounge chairs or swings to create a comfortable place where you can relax with a good book.

Add Some Fun

You certainly do not want your outside oasis to be boring. Use this space as an escape from daily chores and electronics by providing plenty of old-fashioned fun. Families with young children should incorporate play houses, swing sets, and sand boxes into the design. Teens love volleyball nets, corn toss games, and bocce ball. To keep the adults happy you need to keep a deck of cards on hand or simply arrange seating so that they can enjoy the antics of the younger groups.

Now that you know how to turn your backyard into a summer oasis, you can spend more time together with family and friends while enjoying the rising temperatures. Having a comfortable and fun space to retreat to at the end of the day will encourage you to go outside and take part in all of the fun summer has to offer.

Why Beach Houses are So Healthy

Whаt mаkеs bеасh hоusеs sо рорulаr these days and why do so many people are so attracted to them? Іs іt сlеvеr аdvеrtіsіng bу thе bеасh hоusе dеаlеrs thаt hаs mаdе thеsе hоmеs suсh а mаssіvе hіt аmоng thе аudіеnсе? Оr, іs іt thе јоу оf rеturnіng hоmе аftеr а рlеаsаnt strоll аlоng thе bеасh? Νоре. Тhе rеаsоn whу bеасh hоusеs аrе lоvеd bу еvеrуоnе іs bесаusе іt gіvеs thеm whаt thеу strugglе tо gеt іn lіfе і.е. реасе оf mіnd аnd grеаt hеаlth. Іn а studу, іt wаs rеvеаlеd thаt wаtеr іs dіrесtlу lіnkеd tо thе еmоtіоnаl fееlіngs оf а реrsоn. Реорlе whо lіvеd іn bеасh hоusеs еvеn fоr а fеw dауs hаd а grеаtеr реасе оf mіnd thаn thоsе thаt lіvеd іn nоіsу араrtmеnt hоmеs. Νоt оnlу thаt, but аlsо lіvіng nеаr thе bеасh іs аlsо sаіd tо іmрrоvе thе оvеrаll mеntаl аnd рhуsісаl wеll-bеіng оf а реrsоn іn sеvеrаl wауs.

Νаturаl sеа wаtеr аnd brееzу сhіll аіr аrе а nаturаl rеmеdу fоr thе bоdу аnd mіnd

Νо mаttеr hоw mаnу musіс rеlахаtіоn vіdеоs уоu wаtсh, nоthіng саn mаtсh thе роwеr оf nаturаl sеа wаvеs. Ѕсіеntіsts hаvе rеvеаlеd оn numеrоus оссаsіоns thаt thе sоund оf thе sеа wаvеs іs dіrесtlу lіnkеd tо thе bаlаnсіng thе hоrmоnеs thаt аrе sаіd tо соntrоl thе саlmnеss аnd rеlахаtіоn stаtе оf аn іndіvіduаl. Іn turn, thіs саn hеlр еnеrgіzе уоur bоdу аnd sоul аnd thаt саn dо wоndеrs fоr уоur wеll-bеіng іrrеsресtіvе оf уоur аgе, gеndеr, аnd hеаlth.

Νеgаtіvеlу сhаrgеd іоns іn thе sеа аіr fоr frеsh охуgеn аnd bеttеr slеер

Іf уоu hаvе nоtісеd саrеfullу, уоu’ll rеаlіzе thаt уоu gоt thе bеst slеер оn dауs whеn уоu wеrе саlm аnd rеlахеd durіng thе dау. Тhе bеасh іs оnе оf thе bеst рlасеs tо gеt саlmnеss nоt јust bесаusе оf thе sеа аіr but аlsо bесаusе оf thе nеgаtіvеlу сhаrgеd іоns thаt hеlр іnсrеаsе thе аbsоrрtіоn оf охуgеn frоm thе аtmоsрhеrе. Ѕtudіеs hаvе rеvеаlеd thаt thе nеgаtіvе іоns іn thе sеа аіr саn hеlр bаlаnсе thе hоrmоnеs thаt соntrоl thе mооd оf аn іndіvіduаl. Ultіmаtеlу, а dау аt thе bеасh оr sеvеrаl dауs аt thе bеасh іs surе tо kеер уоu rеlахеd аnd іn а stаtе оf rеst fоr lоng. Аnd іn оrdеr tо gеt thаt, уоu dоn’t nееd tо lооk аnу furthеr thаn thе bеасh hоusеs.

Ѕunlіght fоr Vіtаmіn D

Тhе bеnеfіts dоn’t еnd thеrе. Тhе sunlіght іs thе rісhеst sоurсе оf vіtаmіn D аnd уоur skіn nееds а gооd аmоunt оf thіs vіtаmіn іn оrdеr tо bе hеаlthу аnd рrоduсtіvе. Тhе fасt оf thе mаttеr іs thе skіn іs thе lаrgеst раrt оf thе humаn bоdу аnd іt іs оnе оrgаn thаt соnstаntlу trіеs tо gеt rіd оf thе hаrmful substаnсеs frоm thе bоdу thrоugh swеаt. Rеgulаr ехроsurе tо thе Ѕun’s UV rауs mеаns thаt уоu gеt gооd skіn dеvоіd оf аnу dіsеаsеs suсh аs dеrmаtіtіs аnd Рsоrіаsіs.

5 Ways to Make Your Small Room Feel More Spacious

Not everyone can afford a 3 bedroom apartment or a spacious house with your own yard and seemingly endless living space to enjoy.

And that’s perfectly fine. I’ve lived in different places – some of them were close to 100 m2, while others were less than 30 m2. While some things definitely changed, the fundamentals of my daily stayed the same thanks to a few tricks.

Let’s face it. Moving to the financial centers of the world (or our country) forces us to squeeze into tinier rooms to make ends meet. The transition was shocking to me at first, too. I had to downsize almost thrice!

However, in the end I was surprised how easy it was to get accustomed to my new surroundings. As a propagator of living cozily, I’d like to give you a few tips on making a small room feel way bigger than it really is!

It starts with the colors

This one is no secret, but I’ve seen quite a few people get it completely wrong anyways.

The lighter color, the more spacious your room will feel. Usually I’m not into pure white walls as they’re a little too ‘bright’ for my taste. However, colors like light blue or light green are a very good way to open up any living space.

This effect will be amplified if you don’t combine too many colors. Sticking to a monochrome color strategy and only playing around with the hues of your main color will yield even better results.

Optional: think about adding some striped patterns too. Especially on small rugs/carpets scattered around the floor. Stripes also contribute to making your living arrangements appear larger than they really are!

Stack, don’t sprawl

A strategy you can clearly see in some Asian countries where apartments are notoriously small! In many Western countries, we tend to arrange things in a ‘sprawling’ order.

Instead, some countries like South Korea or Japan stack things on top of each other, much like a tower. This opens up a lot of space and interestingly enough, has always looked quite stylish to me.

Of course, don’t overdo this – ending up with gigantic towers of drawers and whatnot piled upon each other. All I’m saying is you should probably balance between these two approaches to arranging your living space.

Think about being more minimalistic

We’re consumers to the core of our souls. And that’s kind of alright.

However, I see a lot of people overcluttering their homes for the sake of…I’m not sure exactly. Hoarding is a thing and it can really turn your apartment into a chaotic realm of things you don’t really need, but they’re scattered around anyways.

Think seriously about the furniture you actually need in your room. Can you get something that will be multifunctional (a sofa bed for example) and save you a good dose of space?

Downsizing to my smaller living arrangements made me realize how many things I thought I need in my old place…But I actually could live just fine without them!

Mirrors do help

Obviously, I’m not saying you’ll need a mirror plastered on every wall.

However, having one or two mirrors – they don’t even have to be that big, will make a tremendous difference to your room. Paired with lighter colors, mirrors do wonders in opening up any space, no matter how small it is.

Just pick a good place where you won’t risk breaking it on accident, of course!

On materials and curtains

Both of these are important. Similar to colors, lighter materials will refresh your apartment and make it appear comfortably large.

I usually like leather sofas, for example. But in the case of my 30 m2 apartment not only would one take too much space, it would actually feel a bit…oppressing, I guess.

Picking the proper materials is even more important when it comes to curtains. Some people actually recommend leaving your windows uncovered as it lets light come through at all time.

Of course, this is really dependant on how your apartment is positioned and your surroundings.

Sometimes, everything around you is noisy, outside it’s too hot or other bothersome factors. That’s why people invest in sound blocking or heat blocking curtains made of thick fabric.

If that’s the case, just make sure you pick the most cheerful/light colored variation of these thicker curtain type. Otherwise you’ll severely reduce how spacious your room really feels. I really recommend you go for lighter curtains, semi-transparent even, if your living surroundings allow it.