Fall: The Ideal Season to Give Your Guest Bath a Makeover

The shorter days and cooler nights that fall brings mean that the entertaining you had been doing on porches, patios and decks is slowly beginning to wane. Soon, family and friends will gather inside the home for holiday festivities, putting the spotlight back on some of the most-used rooms, one of which is the guest bath.

For most people, overnight house guests go hand-in-hand with the holidays. Rather than waiting until the last minute, when stress levels are already high, fall is the ideal time to begin preparing for company and refresh the guest bath. You can do a few simple things long before anyone arrives to ensure their stay is a comfortable one. In fact, updating a tired bathroom can be an easy goal to achieve on any budget. You don't need tens of thousands of dollars. Instead, a little paint, the proper tools, a few decorating elements and some creativity will do the trick. Handyman Matters can help with all of your interior projects in order to get your home ready for the busy family season.

Color: light and inviting

Changing the color of a room with interior paint is the easiest, most cost-effective and most dramatic transformation that can be made. Since a guest bathroom can be one of the smaller rooms in a home, use colors that are light and airy. This will open up the space, making it appear larger than it really is. And, even if the guest bath is used by other family members during the rest of the year, remember that it should feel welcoming, so avoid stark whites or overly bright and trendy colors.

Fine-tune fixtures

If you're considering replacing an old scratched sink, many acrylic options can be purchased at home centers for less than $100. While you're at it, don't forget to update the faucet as well. Today, faucets come in a variety of finishes like brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze, allowing you to easily freshen up the appearance of your bathroom. Many fixtures are available with matching accessories like towel rings, bars and even robe hooks. Using a consistent fixture finish throughout the room will give the space a streamlined, uncluttered feeling and will help create a serene place for your guests to relax during their stay. The professional craftsmen at Handyman Matters can make sure these projects are done for you making your bathroom ready to use while looking fabulous.

Hardware

Dated cabinet hardware can easily be brought back to life with a coat of primer and paint. If you're willing to use a little elbow grease and purchase an inexpensive can of spray paint, you can transform any dingy handle or knob. You don't have to stick to traditional paint color choices, either. There are a variety of metallic spray paints available such as chrome, copper, brass and satin nickel that mimic the look of these expensive finishes that you can coordinate with your other accessories and fixtures.

Details

With any room refresh, the difference is in the details, especially in a small space like the guest bath. Pick up some new linens before your visitors come to town - new bath and hand towels that are plush and soft, not faded or worn, can really make the room feel inviting. For an added touch, hang a new shower curtain and liner to coordinate with your new color scheme. Keep it a lighter color to allow natural or overhead light to filter through; you don't want your guests showering in the dark. Stock up on all of the essentials. From toiletries to a comfy robe, it's always a great idea to keep supplies on hand in case your guests need something.

By taking the necessary steps to prep your guest bath before the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you'll be able to relax and enjoy it right along with your visitors. Call Handyman Matters today to turn your bathroom from drab to fab – click here to find a location near you or call our local office at (281)358-6666.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Fast, Frugal Fall Fix-Ups

The ebbing sun and dropping mercury in the garden thermometer signals the end of summer. The shorter, cooler days also mean you might be coming back inside from the great outdoors to discover your home could use a little pizazz. After all, you spent the past few months soaking up the rays while you worked and played in your yard rather than inside the house.

It takes only a few quick fixes, combined with some creativity and elbow grease, to transform the rooms where you spend most of your time. In a weekend or less, you can make your home go from stale to striking for the fall season ahead.

As you look around the house, ask yourself this: "If I could fix only one thing in each room, what would that be?" These answers are your quick fixes. Not all home decorating ideas require a great deal of time or money but can transform a tired-looking room into something truly eye-catching.

Sometimes all it takes is a couple small changes to transform a space.  Even tiny updates can make a big difference in a room’s appearance. Here are some tips from the pros at Handyman Matters:

• Study your foyer, for starters. It's the first thing guests see when they enter your home. What can you do to make it more inviting? Maybe it needs a little more color. Add a colorful rug to the entry way and maybe a floral arrangement to the console by the front door. Or maybe less clutter? A small storage bench can reduce clutter - shoes, school bags and sports equipment to a minimum and add a clean, inviting look to this first-impression space.

• Next look at the kitchen. If your house is like any other, the kitchen likely is the other main gathering place for both family and visiting friends. These high-traffic areas usually need fresh paint more frequently than other rooms. While high-quality paints might cost more upfront, you'll get a solid return on your investment because it extends the time between repaints and keeps your room looking its best as long as possible.

• Next, what about your living room? Is it too austere? Does it sit unused? While it might be out of your budget to change the furniture, you can warm it up and make it a space where people want to sit and visit, simply by getting rid of those formal, outdated window treatments. Dress windows with light blinds or sheer curtains that provide privacy but allow light to filter through. You might also want to rearrange the furniture into a grouping that's less formal and more inviting.

Chances are, you and your family think your family room is pretty great, but even your favorite lounging space always can use a little upgrading to keep it modern, fun and welcoming. One easy change for this often-used space is new throw pillows. Add a splash of fresh color to the familiar simply by swapping out pillows on couches and chairs or adding a nook of colorful floor pillows for family members who prefer to sprawl on the floor to watch TV and play video games. Or, if you feel your sofa looks tired and worn out, maybe you'd rather invest in a new slipcover to bring a fresh look to the room and transform your old sofa into something new and special. New lamps also can update a room almost instantaneously.

• When you're doing your fall upgrades, don't forget the bathroom. For a small investment, you can transform the space with some fresh paint and a new faucet. If you're looking for an even bigger change, you can accessorize it further with a mirror in a finish that matches the faucet, as well as coordinating robe hooks and towel bars.

Putting a fresh spin on your home's decor doesn't mean you have to think big.  The small changes can easily transform a space from boring to beautiful, even on the tightest of budgets. Handyman Matters can handle any job around your home – no job is too small! Contact us today to talk about all of your handyman matters. Click here to find a location near you or call our local office at (281) 358-6666.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tips for Planting and Protecting Your Fall Landscape

As the crisp fall air ushers in a new season, many gardeners may be left wondering: what now? Handyman Matters expert craftsmen offer these tips on the best things you can do this fall for a fabulous garden next year. Plant now, bloom later First off, plan ahead for next spring – fall is the time to take stock of your garden and plan for next year. You can see what worked and what didn't, where you have holes and what needs to be replaced or moved. Once you know what you want to add, plant new perennials and shrubs in the fall, and you will have larger, stronger plants with better blossoms next spring. Give your containers a fall facelift By summer's end, container plantings have often seen their day. Give your tired containers a fresh look by adding bright fall annuals and colorful foliage in bold fall colors of red, orange, deep purple and gold. There are still plenty of plants available at your local garden center that will see your containers through the cooler months of fall. There are plenty of pansies, mums and asters available, but don't stop there.  You can create wonderful unique fall flower pots using foliage and flowering plants in the colors of autumn. Some favorites are yellow, red and rust colored snapdragons that will keep blooming through a bit of frost, and orange and rust coleus. Everything's coming up roses Establishing roses in the fall is easy, the weather and soil conditions are better in the fall, as opposed to spring when it tends to be cold, muddy and wet. For fall color, we recommend planting the new Drift groundcover roses. Continuously blooming from spring to early frost, they are naturally dwarf, with very attractive foliage. Just remember to give them plenty of water and lots of sun. Frost protector No matter what you're growing, a sudden frost or freeze is deadly, spelling doom to your garden and landscape. Protect your lush flowering baskets, vegetables, herbs and favorite plants from frost with non-toxic sprays that increase tolerance to cold and protect the plants.  This means you can get a couple more weeks of growing and harvesting - at least two weeks earlier in spring and two weeks later in the fall. Just imagine tomatoes in October and mums still blooming after Thanksgiving. Deer-proof your garden Winter months are some of the deadliest times for deer destruction in the garden. Deer are creatures of habit and stay near a good food source, like your backyard.  They like a lush garden and lawn for munching on, especially in the winter. To keep deer out, look for all-natural products that use taste and scent aversion to turn animals off your plants and make them unappetizing to common garden-munchers. Winterize your accessories Mother Nature "naturalizes" cast stone and terra cotta garden accessories, but the harsh forces of winter can cause fine planters, birdbaths and statuary to crack and crumble. According to the "garden accessory connoisseurs" at Campania International, a little care will help your garden "art" last for generations. Cast stone planters and statuary should be raised off any surface which freezes and thaws. Terra cotta planters, which can absorb moisture and are subject to winter freeze-thaw cycles, should be stored indoors for winter. If your planters are left planted outside over the winter, raise them off the ground so they will drain and not freeze to the surface. To winterize both cast stone and terra cotta accessories, simply place them on two pressure-treated wood strips, making sure not to block the drainage hole. For birdbaths and fountains, bring tops in for the winter. All bases, bench legs and statuary should be raised up off the ground, so as not to freeze to the ground's surface. Remember, fall is for more than watching football games and raking leaves. It's the best time to protect your investment, so you can have a glorious spring garden. Handyman Matters craftsmen can help get your garden winterized along with the rest of your home. Click here to find a location near you or call our local Office at 281-358-6666 today to take care of your biggest investment, your home! Courtesy of ARAcontent

Outdoor Lighting Tops the List of Easy Weekend Projects

Summer is a great time for outdoor home improvement projects, but it's also supposed to be a time to relax and have fun with family and friends. That makes quick-to-do projects that add to the "family fun factor" appealing to homeowners, who also need to spend their limited home improvement dollars wisely.

If you are looking for an easy project that will make an immediate difference in your summertime quality of life, add outdoor lights to your deck or patio. Lighting can turn your outdoor space into an entertaining place and a favorite new spot for hanging out on warm summer evenings.

Deck lighting offers immediate pay-back in terms of style, comfort and safety. The professional craftsmen at Handyman Matters can come to your home and help install outdoor lighting on your deck or patio, in your yard, on your house or wherever you would like.

Recessed lighting along a deck, porch or stairs not only adds a festive and cheery appearance, but provides an increased safety factor, as well.  This year, there are many new lighting products available, offering a wide variety of solutions for illuminating your deck and yard to its best effect, and most types are easy to install.  Handyman Matter professionals can provide helpful tips, or if this type of do-it-yourself seems too intimidating, call your local Handyman Matters office and they can yield quick results for you.  

No matter what type of deck, patio, or back yard arrangement you have, there are lighting opportunities that will best accent your specific set-up. Our craftsmen are experts at outdoor lighting installation, giving decks and porches a quick and impressive facelift while providing a welcoming place for entertaining guests or simply enjoying your back yard on balmy summer evenings.

Check out www.HandymanMatters.com for more information on both lighting and deck and patio remodeling tips. And click here to find a location near you or call our local office at (281) 358-6666.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Five Home Repairs Not To Ignore!

Today’s blog post is from our friends at ConsumerReports.org detailing the five home repairs not to ignore, check it out!

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/418/5-home-repairs-not-to-ignore/