Enhancing Curb Appeal through a Stone Path Walkway

What a better way to kick start your weekend and even score some extra brownie points at home than by this weeks DIY project of a stone path walkway. This is a rather simple way to enhance the look of your home at a mild cost with a high impact. Laying a stone pathway can significantly change the look of your home and give your guests a welcoming feel; all for right around $150.00.

At my home I had an older style of stepping stones which were overgrown with grass and some were mostly buried under ground, my fiancé and I decided that it was more off-putting than appealing to walk up to the front of our home. We visited our local hardware store and purchased various stones which range from grey to tan and created a 3-foot by 5-foot puzzle to fit the look we wanted for our house. The steps for the project were simple:

1. Designed the Path: We marked out with string and stakes the area for the newly designed path
2. Created a Base: Dug out the marked area going 6 inches deep into the ground
3. Filled the Base: Laid down crush gravel for the base and to eliminate erosion
4. Set Stones in Place: Placed the pattern we designed in the marked area
5. Filled in the Gaps: We filled the joints with masonry sand that we just swept into the cracks

When all was said and done we spent about $125 and it took about 6 hours to complete. In a half of days work we were able to transform our outdated and unwelcoming entryway into a warm and attractive element to our home.

If you are looking to complete this DIY project at your home, keep in mind the design elements that would correlate well with the rest of your house. If your house has slate rock accents, look into making your walkway out of similar slate. Maybe you have a red brick home, bring the element of the bricks right into your walkway that ties all of the design elements and color together. Repeating these design elements of your home will create a cohesive look that will make your house stand out from the rest.

DIY Network:

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-construct-a-stone-path/index.html

Better Homes and Garden:

http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/enhance-front-entry/#page=9

Summer Flea Markets

As summer makes its run down the home stretch and back to school sales are in full swing I thought of a topic for today regarding that great summer right of passage passed down through generations of women in my family; attending a flea market.
 
Nearly all of you are looking for items to improve the unique features of your home and provide a visual impact regardless of where we place it in our home. It could be an item that offers instant curb appeal on the exterior or completes the look of a room inside your home.
 
An often overlooked event that is happening in an area close to your home in the days of big box stores and mega malls is the humble flea market. Wikipedia describes a flea market as a type of bazaar where inexpensive or second hand goods are sold or bartered. I beg to differ; it can be so much more than that.
 
A flea market’s offering are as diverse as those who attend them. Goods can be priced from the very cheap to the very expensive depending on the uniqueness of the offering. This is why I love the flea market; every trip has that unexpected outcome that I find refreshing these days.
 
Most flea markets are held on weekends with a few exceptions depending on location and how long they have been around. This creates the perfect opportunity to get away for a morning or whole day with the girlfriends or as a last resort; your spouse or boyfriend.  Many of us will soon be under the schedule that is our kid’s school year and thus limited free time. This is the signal that summer is over in most of the country.
 
Take a chance on finding an antique, talking piece or bargain item I just had to have. Oh and one more thing….what a great place to people watch and share a laugh with friends.
 
Enjoy what is left of the summer season!
 
A great source for information on a flea market in your area can be found at www.keysfleamarket.com
 

Curb Appeal Attracts Homebuyers

The first thing homebuyers will look at when they arrive at your home is your front yard.  The color of your home, the landscaping, walkways, and if the home is attractive from the outside, will determine if they stop.  Regardless of what you have done on the inside your home, if the curb appeal is not attractive, many homeowners will never make it inside. 

1.)   Color of your exterior home: Before you start on the yard, start on your physical exterior of your home. Look at neighboring homes and their paint scheme, primary and accent style and paint colors. While your house doesn’t have to be the same color, it should be within the same historic or aesthetic color palette as neighboring homes. Consider repainting your home, or pressure washing siding or brick.

2.)  Accentuate the accents of your home: Whether you have shutters on your exterior windows, or columns that greet potential homebuyers on the front porch, ensure they are all painted and in good upkeep. Ensure that low planters, brick walls, fences, exterior lighting, and garage entryways and doors are free of debris and all damaged areas have been repaired.

3.) Replace welcoming elements: Believe it or not, elements such as the mailbox, house numbers, door hardware and a damaged garage door can make a lasting impression on homebuyers. If you’ve lived in your home for a while, consider buying new elements and replace the old ones or refurbish with unique aftermarket items available at your local hardware store. These small elements can send a welcoming impression and are relatively inexpensive to replace or refurbish.

Curb appeal of your home doesn’t have to be difficult or costly.  Visit www.freshome.com to find more simple ideas for improving the curb appeal of your home.  

Brought to you courtesy of Freshome Interior Design & Architecture

Easy and Cost Efficient DIY Project – Coffee Table

Today’s topic on a DIY project was inspired by a recent home project and the fact that it seems we all need a DIY project that moves us inside to beat the recent heat across the entire country including here in my home of St. Johns Florida.

My wife has spent a great deal of time redoing our living room and the primary focus has been to restore a unique flavor and provide as she says “talking pieces”.

We have struggled with finding a coffee table that fits that criteria and has a price point that both of us our comfortable with. We have seen some very unique pieces that approach the $700.00 to $900.00 price mark and we both say the same thing; “that is not happening!”

So…that led us to have a DIY discussion based on some recent visits to shop for ideas on the outside of our home. We wanted unique features for the screened porch as well and came across some very unique items.

We settled on an idea that involved the use of a cement planter 16 inches tall and 24 inches in diameter. Our home has a modern feel so we chose a planter with a grey color that was very design neutral. We added a false floor inside the planter about 6 inches from the top; that allowed for placement of other items we had gathered on our various unique item gathering experiences. We topped off the planter with a 36 inch round table top we purchased from a local glass shop and have the unique coffee table Dana wanted at a price we both loved.

Cement Planter $70.00

Glass Table Top $ 125.00

Misc supplies $20.00

Unique talking piece in our home; priceless

Take the time to step back and look what you might have used on an outside DIY project and see how it can provide a unique look inside your home and give you a conversation piece with those who visit your home.

Must Have Power Tools for Women New to DIY Projects

Must-Have Power Tools for Women

What self-respecting new blog for DIY projects with a complete segment dedicated towards women DIYers would begin with anything other than tools?  I can state emphatically that the answer is NONE.  That being the case, we’ll start here with what are the essential tools that a women just getting into home repair projects should have on-hand.

As reported by the DIY Network:  More single women are buying homes and more women are deciding not to wait for their significant other to get around to a project and doing fix-it work around the house themselves. These power tools are must-haves for females who are beginner DIYers.

The first tool a woman should buy is a cordless screwdriver or cordless drill. Drill Bit kits are a good accompanying accessory to have because they keep all your drill bits organized. When shopping for a drill, make sure to handle them while the battery is attached to accurately assess their weight. Drills can be used to drill, drive screws and power accessories like paint stirrers.

Next look into detail and orbital sanders which are lightweight sanding tools for finishing. The detail sander allows access to corners that the orbital sander can't reach. Hook and loop sanding pads make it easy to change sandpaper when the job requires a more course or finer grit. Sanders are good to use for furniture refinishing or other types of projects that would concern wood finishing.

An 18-volt circular saw is a light power saw for odd jobs around the house. It has a laser guide to help make the cut in the right place. This tool is a good choice for making bookshelves or almost any job where basic straight cuts are involved.

Use a jigsaw to make curved cuts. Jigsaws come in either corded or cordless versions.

Most major power tool suppliers sell Combo Kits that typically but not always include:

·         Cordless drill

·         Cordless circular saw

·         Cordless jig saw or reciprocating saw

·         Work light

·         2 batteries

A quick stop at your local hardware or home improvement store is the place to start.

Remember to keep us informed of what you’re working on and how you’re project is coming along.

Enhancing Your Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is an essential part of owning or selling your house. A poorly maintained exterior can hurt the initial appeal of your home while spending a little time and effort on improving curb appeal can go a long way to increase the attractiveness and the value of your home. The outside of your house is the first and sometimes only thing that people will see. Therefore, paying attention to the first impression of your home is important and worthwhile.  

There are a wide range of improvements that can be used to increase the curb appeal of your home - from simple cleaning and routine maintenance to projects involving replacing and remodeling parts of your home’s exterior. However, whether it’s cleaning, landscaping or installing a new front door, adding curb appeal to your home doesn’t have to be a difficult or expensive task.

This article from Houselogic (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/adding-curb-appeal-value-to-home/) provides a good starting point for improving your home’s curb appeal. It highlights the important areas to focus on and the best and least expensive ways to enhance these areas. Check out the tips listed in the article to begin thinking about your next weekend home improvement project.

Social Media Scheduling

Good Afternoon,

My name is Scott and I am in charge of the social media here at Lacks Home Products. We are extremely excited about our growing online community and look forward to communicating with all of you through our various social media pages.

As we move forward in learning about the different aspects of what turns an ordinary house into an extraordinary home, we want to make sure we cover important topics that our community cares about. We have established a schedule of topics that we plan to discuss on a regular basis through our various websites; we don’t want to leave you out if you prefer tweeting rather than posting.

Facebook:           www.facebook.com/coachhouseaccents

Twitter:                www.twitter.com/chaccents

YouTube:             www.youtube.com/coachhouseaccents

Blogger:               www.chaccents.blogspot.com  (I didn’t think you would need this one!)

We have also teamed up with a newly developed forum board which is designed for home improvement enthusiasts; www.simplecurbappeal.yuku.com. We are one of the official sponsors of the forum and we will be posting on there from time to time when someone has a question relating to our area of work.  We will repost important topics and some of the neat projects that are being talked about on the forum through our different media sites.

Across all of our sites we have created a “topic schedule” where we will post information, articles, DIY projects, and hold open discussions about the theme of that day. This is open to anyone and everyone for discussions and to hear any success stories you have… or maybe some not so successful stories... so we can all gain better knowledge about issues dealing with being a homeowner. The schedule is below and please don’t hesitate if you want us to discuss a new topic, we want to hear your suggestions!

 

Beginning August 8, 2011:

Mondays:             Curb Appeal

Wednesdays:      All Things Women

Fridays:                 DIY Projects