Is This the Year You’ll Add a Home Gym?

Winter and early spring are typically great times for construction projects around the house. Not only do materials tend to be a bit cheaper due to reduced overall demand, but some labor costs may be reduced as well. Because of this, some homeowners tend to start looking for add-on projects or major remodels to undertake so that they can take advantage of lower prices and faster project starts.

One popular home project in recent years is adding a home gym, often converting a largely unused basement or garage space into an area for a wide range of workouts. It’s possible that you’ve considered adding a home gym yourself, either as a room conversion or in an exterior building or add-on. Let’s look at this project a little more closely to determine whether this is the year you should let those home gym dreams come true.

Home Gym Basics

When you think of a home gym, you might think of some big elaborate space with big, bulky equipment and mirrors hanging everywhere. Sounds intimidating, right? Not only is something like that probably more than you need, but having such an over-the-top gym area in your home could actually make it harder to sell since it’s such a specialized room. This is why most home gyms are generally much simpler affairs, and really only require a few things to make them truly functional.

The basic things that you’ll need for your home gym are floor space (obviously), good ventilation, some storage areas, and access to electricity. In a pinch, you can even make do with a small shed or room corner that has some storage totes and some foam padding on the floor. Even when you go for a full-room conversion, these basics will generally remain the same.

Designing the Gym

If you want to convert a room into a home gym, start with adding some impact-absorbing foam panels or something similar on the floor where you’ll be doing a lot of your workouts. Plan out where you’re going to place treadmills or any other equipment that you’ll need to plug in and see if there are outlets nearby; if not, you’ll need to bring in an electrician to add some. You’ll also need an area to store exercise equipment, either in cabinets or totes, and possibly a laundry basket for dirty towels to keep the sweat contained. For ventilation, you’ll either want the room to connect to your heat and air system or to have fans and windows that you can leverage to circulate the air around.

If you want something smaller, take these same basics and scale them down. Instead of plotting a full-room floor plan, arrange your storage solutions along the walls leading into a corner. A small TV in the corner can also help you to access exercise videos and other content to help you with your workouts. A standing fan can help with ventilation, and so long as you make use of your storage you should be largely good to go. Even with minimal changes to the house, it should still be an effective workout area.

Building Your Home Gym

A home gym project can be as big or as small as you need it to be. Even if your plans are relatively minor, though, you may still need to make a few changes to your environment or bring in a decorator to help you arrange things in a small space. 

Home EV Charging Stations: The Basics

Electric vehicles are increasingly popular, and many EV owners enjoy the fact that they don’t have to hit the gas station every week to stay on the road. These cars still need fuel, however, and that means that access to a charging station is very important. While there are adapters available that let you charge an EV using a standard outlet, the charge takes a significant amount of time because the adapters provide current at the lowest level that the cars are able to accept.

Because of this, an increasing number of EV owners are installing their own charging stations in their homes. This allows for a much faster charge, getting them back on the road sooner and making it much easier to top off a charge in between trips to town. If you own an electric vehicle or are even considering one for the future, it’s important that you understand the potential benefits of a home charging station to determine if one is right for you and your home.

Home Charging Basics

Unlike the standard outlet adapter that you would use to charge your EV from existing electrical receptacles, a home charging station contains a specialized charging cable and the technology that’s needed to perform a quick charge of your vehicle. Depending on the vehicle you have, the charging station may have a generic EV connector on the charging cable or might have a specialty connector designed for a specific make or model of vehicle. When choosing a charging unit, it’s important to consult your vehicle’s documentation to find a unit that will charge at the highest possible speed for your EV.

In most cases, home charging units are installed in the garage and connected to the home’s electrical wiring. This allows you to park your car, plug it in, and have it ready to go without worrying about weather or other issues that might affect your charging connection. For homeowners who don’t have a garage or who have other vehicles or items within their garage space, charging units connected to the side of the home are also somewhat common.

Solar-Powered Charging

An increasingly popular option for homeowners with electric vehicles is to set up a solar-powered charging station by installing solar panels and batteries that connect to the charging unit directly. This keeps the EV from running up the electric bill while still ensuring that there’s plenty of juice available to top off your car when the charge is running low. Even homeowners with no other solar equipment on the home sometimes opt for this sort of charging, installing the solar panels on the garage roof and mounting the solar battery units on an interior wall of the garage.

This can also be a good starting point if you are interested in cutting down your overall dependence on the electrical grid and shifting to solar. Once you set up a solar system to power the EV charging unit, it can be expanded to provide additional power to the house as well. When doing this, it’s typically best to set up separate home batteries to ensure that your home and EV aren’t competing against each other for power.

Charging Station Installation

In order to make sure that a home charging station is properly installed so that it won’t damage your home or your vehicle, it’s important that you bring in professional help to get the unit connected to power and set up. This is especially true if you plan on using solar energy to power the charging station, since the solar system will also need to be set up and connected to the charging station. Finding an electrician who’s experienced with charging station installation can make a big difference in getting a unit installed quickly and correctly.

Getting Ready for a Bathroom Remodel?

When it comes to redoing the various rooms in your home, the bathroom is often overlooked. Some homeowners won’t even touch the bathroom unless a leak or some other problem makes it necessary. This is a really poor way to look at it, however, especially given how much time we spend in the bathroom, between bathing, getting ready to face the day, and a few other things. Your bathroom is just as deserving of attention as any other room in your home.

Of course, the why doesn’t really matter; whether you’re remodeling your bathroom because you want to change its look or you’re doing it because you’re already making repairs, the time to start is almost here. The question is, how do you get ready to remodel your bathroom? Here are some things that you should keep in mind before the remodel actually starts.

Prepping for the Remodel

The first thing that you need to do is get the bathroom ready for the remodel. This means getting all of your stuff out, and that may end up being a lot more than you expect. Set aside all the things that you use daily, then start packing up less-common items and organizing them by category. This way all your makeup, your hair care products, your bathing products, and everything else that you use in the bathroom will all be kept together so that you can put everything back up more easily when the remodel is done.

This is also the time when you should make plans for what you’re going to do while the bathroom is inaccessible. If you have another bathroom in the house then you can obviously use it, but if you don’t, then you might have to talk with a neighbor about using their bathroom, or even rent a portable toilet until the remodel is finished. Not all bathroom remodels will make the room completely inaccessible, of course, but it’s good to keep in mind just in case your plans will take the bathroom offline for a day or two.

A Clear Remodel Plan

Once you’ve packed everything up and done any contingency planning that you require, double check your remodel plan to make sure it’s all in order before the work starts. This includes choosing paint colors, showerheads and fixtures, countertops, and anything else that might be needed for the remodel. The last thing you want is to have to spend even more time halfway through because you realized that no one had decided whether to replace the bathroom wallpaper or not.

This is also when you should decide if you want any construction changes or bathroom additions so that they can be planned for accordingly. This can include anything from new cabinets or additional closet shelving to built-in shower nooks or other accents that will be built directly into the walls. These items generally aren’t that big of a deal if you plan for them in advance, but deciding that you want to make big changes to your bathroom closet halfway through the job can be a major inconvenience.

Remodeling Your Bathroom

Depending on the specific plans you have for your remodel, there’s a good chance that you’re going to need some help. Maybe you’ll require a plumber to implement your plans, or need to get a contractor involved because you want to make major changes to the interior. You might even need an electrician to help change up the lighting in your bathroom and make sure that all of the wiring is safe for a more humid environment. 

Curb Appeal That Lasts Through the Winter

When most people talk about curb appeal, at least part of what they’re talking about involves landscaping and other greenery to make your home look inviting. That’s great during the spring and summer, and even the fall to an extent. What happens when the icy winds of winter sneak in, though, and a lot of that greenery is taken out of the equation until spring rolls around again? For some reason, it seems acceptable to just abandon curb appeal and making your home look inviting once the days grow short and the temperature drops.

This doesn’t have to be the case, of course. There are ways to make your home seem warm and appealing throughout the year, making it look like a place that friends and family really want to visit. If you want to increase your home’s curb appeal throughout the winter months, here are a few things to keep in mind that should help you accomplish your goal.

Make Your Porch Stand Out

One way to increase your curb appeal during the winter is to find ways to make your porch stand out and really draw the attention of visitors. There are several ways to accomplish this, with one of the most basic being a good use of color. Add some red to your front door, either by painting the entire door or by adding red trim or decorations, as red really draws the eyes and puts a visitor’s focus on the entry to your home. Tasteful, colorful statues or other decorations on the porch will also help to draw the eyes and make your home stand out from the rest as well. Adding a colorful wreath during the holiday season, a season-appropriate decorative flag, or some similar decorative piece can make a big impact.

Replacing your old worn house number (or adding a house number if you previously didn’t have one on your home itself) can also make a big impact. Use large, easy-to-read numbers to make the biggest impact. Opt for numbers that are 6 inches tall or larger, and ideally use plastic or metal numbers instead of stickers or decals to give them some depth. Be sure to place the number near enough to a light source to make it easy to read.

Good Use of Decorations

There are multiple holidays that come during the winter months, so you should have plenty of opportunities to decorate around your home. Keep your decorations tasteful and avoid clutter, but be sure to always have something that will create a visually appealing look for your home. Avoid overly large decorations that will block the view of your porch, and choose lighting and decoration options that complement the colors that you use on your porch. Add some garland around your door or other matching decorations on the porch itself to really tie everything together.

If you don’t feel like decorating for various holidays, there are still options available to you. Add large, mirrored orbs or other reflective ornaments in spaces where your greenery might have previously stood out, creating some visual appeal even without the lush greens that you were used to using. Other decorations such as decorative lamp posts and lighting, tasteful statues, or even a revamped modern-styled mailbox can all help to carry the weight of curb appeal until the greenery comes back in the spring.

Do More With Your Corner Cabinets

A good set of cabinets is all but essential in the kitchen. Not only do they keep your plates, bowls, and assorted other implements organized, but they can also provide easy access to dry goods and other items that you need to use frequently while cooking. The more cabinet space you have, the less clutter you’ll have in the kitchen itself, because you can store your various kitchen gadgets until they’re needed while still having them close at hand.

Corner cabinets can be a bit of a problem, however. While these cabinets tend to provide the most interior space, a lot of this space isn’t easy to access because of the narrow opening that the corner cabinet provides. Fortunately, this isn’t an issue that you just have to accept. There are a few different ways to address this problem so you can make better use of all that space without having to contort yourself in the process.

Install a Lazy Susan System

One of the most popular ways to make better use of corner cabinets is to install a multi-tiered Lazy Susan system inside the cabinet. You’ve likely seen one of these before as they’ve enjoyed significant popularity over the years. The assembly is made up of two or three large round platforms connected by a central spindle around which the platforms can easily rotate. You place items on the platform, turn it, then fill it up all the way around; when you need something, you simply turn the platform until it becomes available.

A lot of these systems use two platforms, one at the bottom of the cabinet and one near the center of the cabinet’s height. You may occasionally see Lazy Susan systems that have three platforms, however, or possibly different configurations as well. Keep in mind that there’s a trade-off as you add more platforms; while you have more storage space with each platform that’s added, the amount of vertical space you have available for your items decreases with each addition.

Add Pull-Out Shelving

Another option that’s increasingly popular is pull-out shelving. These shelves either pull out straight or rotate out from within the cabinet on tracks, letting you gain full access to the shelf’s contents and then slide it back into your cabinet space while done. Some may even feature complex sets of hinges and tracks to maximize the amount of shelf space that you can have in the cabinet; these setups typically have one shelf attached directly to the door and others being pulled along after it for easy access.

Regardless of the specific configuration of the shelves, the idea is to bring the shelves to you instead of making you reach into the cabinet to try and access items at the backs of the shelves. This makes using the entire space within your corner cabinet much more convenient, since the shelves can fill up that space when not in use, then be easily pulled out when you need them.

Revitalizing Your Cabinets

There are other ways that you can make use of corner cabinet space, including replacing your existing cabinets with new cabinets that have corner cabinets with an angled interior for easier access or a set of L-shaped drawers that make better use of the available space than a standard cabinet might. You might even consider eliminating the corner cabinets altogether and adding a floor-to-ceiling corner pantry instead. Depending on the layout of your kitchen, there may be other corner options available to you as well.

The Color of the Year Has Been Announced!

You may not be aware of it, but many paint and pigment companies choose colors that they think will be hot in the coming year. Shades of green seem to be an overwhelming favorite for 2022, with almost every company choosing some green hue as either their top pick, or part of their overall range of choices. In fact, green is so well-represented this year that there’s really only one company that seems to be bucking the green trend entirely, but it’s a big one.

Pantone Color Institute, the company that actually manages color standards, broke from the pack with a significantly different choice for color of the year. Before we get to what that choice actually is, though, let’s take a moment to consider the rest of the color of the year choices from other companies. This will help you to appreciate just how big of a break with industry trends the Pantone choice really is.

Something in a Shade of Green

Usually, different paint companies offer up a pretty wide range of shades when it comes to choosing color of the year options. For 2022, however, there’s a pretty rare consensus among most of the big players in the industry that neutral shades of green are where it’s at. This isn’t just a couple of companies, either; take a look at some of these selections:

• Benjamin Moore: October Mist, a light green with touches of grey and yellow
• Sherwin-Williams: Evergreen Fog, a soft green close to olive
• PPG: Olive Sprig, another soft green with a hint of yellow
• Behr: Breezeway, a soft, light green
• Dutch Boy: Cypress Garden, a somewhat stronger green
• Glidden: Guacamole, another strong green with a hint of yellow undertone

Other popular companies such as Valspar and Dunn-Edwards offered up multiple color of the year choices, and green shades were included in the offerings of both.

Pantone’s Color of the Year

With green being so well represented by other companies, you might expect Pantone to have chosen something similar. That’s not the case, however, as Pantone’s selection for 2022 is a periwinkle blue offering known as Very Peri. It’s a pretty well-rounded periwinkle shade, falling in between blue and purple without being overwhelmingly either. Looking at it, it’s pretty easy to see why Pantone believes the color is really going to take off in the coming months.

According to Pantone, the color was chosen because of how well it reflects the changes that the world is currently going through. Pantone Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman stated that the classic blue color with violet-red undertones “displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.” It’s a cool, calming color and could see use in just about any room in the home as well as the exterior.

Using These Choices in Your Home

Whether you’re going with one of the green options offered up by the paint companies or Pantone’s choice of Very Peri, there are a number of ways that you can use these colors in your home. They can be used as accents in bedrooms, living rooms, or kitchens, as door and shutter colors to accent your home, or even coatings for islands or other large wooden furniture pieces to really make them pop. They may need other colors or some strong woodgrains to add some warmth or contrast, but if you put in the work to find the right shades, then you’ll have color combos that will leave people talking.

Give Your Fireplace a Facelift!

If you have a fireplace in your house, it’s going to draw the attention of anyone who walks into the room where it’s located. This is fine if you want your fireplace to be a focal point, but if it’s less than impressive, you might want your guests looking pretty much anywhere else. Even if there aren’t any significant issues with your fireplace, you may not like the way that it fits in with the rest of your furnishings. Is there anything that you can do?

Yes, actually, there are several ways that you can spruce up your fireplace and get it in the sort of shape that will have you wanting to show it off. While some options may depend on the type of fireplace you have and how you decorate the surrounding room, you should be able to find some way to improve the look of your fireplace that fits your specific situation.

Updating Your Surround

One way that you can really change the look of your fireplace is to make changes to the surrounding materials to update the overall look of the fireplace area. Many fireplaces have a brick surround immediately around the opening, and this brickwork can be covered with tile to significantly change the appearance of your fireplace. Textured and patterned tiles are especially useful when trying to change the look of your fireplace surround. Updates can be made to the tile inside the fireplace as well, so long as appropriately heat-safe and fire-safe materials are used.

Wood molding and other decorative accents can be placed around the surround as well to further change the look of the fireplace exterior. These can help contain the look of the surround and better blend it with the overall look of your room. These accents can also be used to give the fireplace a mantle or other decorative flourishes that it was missing before.

Revitalizing the Room

Making changes to the area immediately around your fireplace isn’t the only way to bring the fireplace front and center in the room. Changes can be made to the rest of the room, which helps to blend the fireplace with the overall decorative design, bringing out colors and textures that might otherwise have seemed out of place. Furniture and decorative items can also be shifted to make them focus more on the fireplace as a central point in the room, allowing guests to face the fireplace and bask in its glow instead of it being hidden in the apparent back of the room.

Other changes can also make a big difference in how well your fireplace fits into the room. Placing a large painting or other decorative item in the wall space above the fireplace helps to make the fireplace seem like a decorative choice. Upgrading your fireplace screen to be more appealing (or adding a decorative screen if you don’t have one) can have a similar effect, while also providing an important measure of safety during periods when your fireplace is in use.

Total Fireplace Makeovers

The suggestions thus far largely assume that your fireplace is in good condition and simply needs some touching up to better fit in. If your fireplace has damaged bricks or tiles, faulty hardware, or is otherwise in need of maintenance, a bit more work is required to revitalize it. Many of the same considerations apply, though, and while you’re getting it repaired, you can make choices that will improve its overall aesthetic while also making it safe.

Tips for Flexible Spaces for Kids

Whether you’re looking to design a bedroom, a nursery, or a playroom, creating a unique space for your children is usually a bigger job than you expect. This is especially true if you want to come up with something that will stand the test of time. The wants and needs of your children will change as they get bigger, and if you don’t account for this, then sooner or later that “perfect” room you designed for your little one will be outdated and possibly even unwanted. Is there anything that you can do other than completely redesign your kids’ rooms every few years?

Fortunately, the answer is yes. By taking the way that children’s needs change over time into account, you can come up with more flexible designs that are easier to adapt even as your child’s interests shift. There will still be periodic changes that have to be made, of course, but this will keep you from having to start from the ground up each time. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help you create some of these more flexible spaces for your kids.

Start Simple

When coming up with the initial design for your child’s bedroom or playroom, it’s a good idea to take something of a minimalist approach to your design. Try to figure out what the absolute essentials are, then see if there is an age-agnostic way to approach them. Add color to the room, but skew a bit more toward light or neutral shades instead of going with brighter or more extreme colors that your child may grow to dislike.

Invest in a few key furniture items that can be repurposed over time instead of buying specialty pieces that will only be used for a short while. Use colored rugs and other removable accents instead of going for changing the carpeting. Your goal is to create a simple space that has a lot of potential, so that as your child’s interests change, you’ll have a base to move back toward and adapt the room from.

Customize the Little Things

Once you have a base design for your child’s room, it’s time to start customizing it to make it appear much more in line with their interests. This is where you can get creative and really try to match the room to your child. Lamps, posters, decorative items, and more can go a long way toward customizing the space while still being relatively easy to remove and replace if your child loses interest over time.

This is also a good time to consider painting furniture items such as desks and dressers. While this may not always be an option, most of the time it’s not that big of a deal to add a coat of paint to simple furniture items to help them better match the look of a room. By painting these accent pieces to match the overall layout of the room, you can make a notable change to the space that can be redone or updated in the future as needed.

Designing with Kids

As your children grow, be sure to get their input periodically so that you can make additional changes that actually align with their interests. This doesn’t mean that you have to rush out and buy everything that your child wants, of course; use these periodic chats to gauge how happy they are with their room, what sort of changes they might be interested in, and if there are any pieces of furniture or decorations that they seem to be outgrowing. The nature of their room is going to change over time, so make sure that they are a part of the conversation on how it needs to change.

Is It Time for New Cabinets?

Cabinets play an important part in the functionality of your kitchen. Unfortunately, over time you might find that your cabinets no longer really meet your needs. This could be because they’re falling into disrepair, or it may be a result of you gradually needing more storage than your cabinets can provide. You might even realize that the decoration of your kitchen and surrounding rooms just don’t match your cabinets anymore. Regardless of the reason, it could be time to consider some new cabinets.

Have you actually reached the point where you need to get new cabinets, though? If you aren’t sure, spend a little time considering how well your cabinets truly meet your needs and what it is that you ideally want. Here are a few things to think about to help you make this decision.

Cabinet Condition and Function

One of the biggest considerations when it comes to deciding if it’s time for new cabinets is how well your current cabinets really fit your current life. Your biggest things to think about here are whether the condition of the cabinets is causing you problems, and how well the cabinets actually work for what you need them for. Start with the condition, looking for any damaged areas, doors that won’t close, warped shelves, and other physical problems that you encounter when using the cabinets. If these leave you unable to use some of your space or otherwise cause problems, it may be time to do something about it.

Likewise, if you have certain items that you can’t put in your cabinets because they won’t fit, or if there are parts of the cabinets that you can’t really use due to layout reasons, then you may have an issue with the functionality of your cabinets. Sometimes this isn’t a significant enough problem to replace your cabinets, of course. If using the cabinets is inconvenient or if you have a lot of wasted space, though, something clearly needs to be done.

Cabinet Aesthetics

Even though it’s not as pressing of an issue as damaged cabinets or cabinets that you can’t use fully, having cabinets that don’t match your other furnishings can also be an issue if you’re trying to tie your design choices together. Stop and think about how well your existing cabinets go with everything else, and even whether they are visually appealing in and of themselves. Your home is an investment, and if your cabinets are taking away from your enjoyment of that investment, then it might be time to replace them.

Replacing your cabinets for aesthetic reasons can be a standalone job, or it could be something that you do as part of a larger remodeling project. If you’re only replacing the cabinets, take the time to find a new cabinet option that fits in well with your kitchen layout and the dominant design elements within the kitchen. If you’re doing a larger kitchen remodel and have decided to get rid of your ugly cabinets as a part of it, stop and think about what you want in cabinets and then use that to inform some of your other remodeling decisions.

Do You Need New Cabinets?

Whether or not you need new cabinets is a big decision, but once you’ve weighed your options you should have something of an idea of whether your current cabinets will last you a bit longer. If you do find that you need new cabinets, then finding the right cabinet maker and installer is the next step in your cabinet journey. 

What Is a Vessel Sink?

When it comes to making changes to add a sense of fashion to your home, the bathroom is one of the most commonly overlooked rooms. There is a lot that can be done with the bathroom, though, including painting, adding accent decorations, and changing the various fixtures in the room to completely revamp its look. One option that’s increasingly popular with homeowners is replacing your old boring sink with a vessel sink.

While these sinks aren’t right for every bathroom and everyone’s sense of style, when they do work, they can really make a splash. If you’re not sure exactly what a vessel sink is or how one would fit into your bathroom’s decoration, read on. We’ll cover the basics of these sinks, how they differ from more traditional sinks, and how to tell if one is right for your home.

The Ins and Outs of Vessel Sinks

Most bathrooms are pretty basic when it comes to the layout of the sink: A basin is inserted into a countertop (and in many cases is an actual part of the countertop material), giving you a recessed area to wash your hands and do everything else that you need a sink for. They’re functional and usually more aesthetically pleasing than the metal sinks that are often seen in kitchens and utility areas. With that said, bathroom sinks don’t do much to stand out.

Vessel sinks serve the same purpose as a traditional basin sink, but do so with a much more stylish flair. Instead of being a recessed sink built into the countertop, vessel sinks are made of a standing vessel or sculpted bowl that typically sits on top of the counter or only partially recessed into it. This creates a unique look for the sink that calls to mind a sense of nostalgia for more Victorian-era hardware. The faucet typically stands separate from the vessel and is either mounted to the counter or to the wall, adding to the overall look and highlighting the difference between vessel sinks and traditional basins.

Vessel Sink Installation

Compared to some other plumbing jobs, vessel sink installation can be a bit easier, but may also be easier to mess up if you aren’t careful. Provided that you aren’t installing a semi-recessed vessel sink, the main concerns for installing the sink are the installation of the faucet hardware and making sure that the drain hole in the countertop is the right size to line up with the vessel drain. Theoretically, one of these sinks can be installed by a single person who has a good idea of what they are doing.

With that said, there are still a few things that need to be kept in mind during installation. The counter will need to be sufficiently large to accommodate the vessel and faucet, and made of a material that’s sufficiently protected against water, as vessel sinks are more prone to splashing than more traditional sinks. You will also need enough vertical height to accommodate the sink; even a modest vessel sink can add 6 inches or more to the height of the sink area, so you’ll need the necessary clearance for both that and the faucet hardware. Mounting and sealing the sink are also more important than with traditional sinks, as the last thing you want is for your vessel to leak around its drain and potentially weaken the countertop below it.

Are Vessel Sinks Right for You?

Vessel sinks can be very striking, giving a unique look to your bathroom that really catches the eye. They come in a range of different shapes and materials, letting you customize your sink to meet your personal design preferences. They also don’t necessarily require as large of a counter or support structure as more traditional sinks, so they can work well in some smaller bathrooms provided they’re properly mounted. Vertical space and splash considerations may create issues, however.

Can I Reseed My Lawn in Winter?

Though a lot of people reseed their lawns in the spring, there are periods during the fall that are actually better for most grasses than spring seeding. Exactly when this seeding window is depends on both where you live and the type of grass that you’re putting seed down for. This may lead some people to believe that any time late in the year is ideal for reseeding a lawn prior to spring; unfortunately, that isn’t actually the case.

If you reseed your lawn at the wrong time of the year, there’s a good chance that you won’t get the results that you expect. If your grass is thinning or has otherwise been damaged, this can result in bald patches come spring that require a lot of work to correct. To avoid this, let’s look at when you should (and shouldn’t) reseed your lawn and why.

Why Reseeding in Fall Works

Depending on the seed that you’re using, the window for reseeding late in the year typically comes in the late summer to early fall. Most of the time, your existing grass is slowing down its growth in preparation for the winter. The soil is still warm, however, and winter frosts are still several weeks away. There’s also a decent chance that you’re still getting frequent enough rains to keep the soil moist and the leaves on your trees haven’t yet started falling in earnest.

So what is it about this time period that’s so perfect for reseeding a lawn? Because the soil is still warm and reasonably damp, your seeds will start germinating quickly. The surrounding grass isn’t growing as aggressively, though, so the germinating seeds will experience less competition for moisture and nutrients as they establish their roots. By the time the leaves fall, your new grass will already be getting established and will then receive extra protection throughout the winter and a burst of nutrients as those leaves decompose. It’s just about the best start that young grass could ask for.

Reseeding in the Winter

Unfortunately, the same situation doesn’t exist if you reseed in the winter. Even if you’ve had a fairly mild winter early on, colder winter nights will result in soil that is much cooler overall. Rain may also be less common depending on where you live, meaning you’ll have to supply more of your own moisture to the growing grass. Moist soil cools quicker, however, so the issue with the cold nights will become even more significant; it also creates an increased likelihood of frost, which can damage or kill fragile young grass.

Of course, these problems assume that your grass can germinate and start establishing itself at all. Average temperatures and the cycling through colder nights may cause the grass seed to not germinate, and the increased scarcity of food will make the seeds you spread much more appealing to birds and insects if you don’t keep the grass seed covered. The fallen leaves that provide protection to your seeds during a fall planting can actually create a barrier that keeps them out of the soil come winter as well. If winter has come and you need to reseed your lawn, you’re much better off waiting until early to mid-spring and reseeding then.

Options for Your Lawn

If your lawn has significant issues, there are still options available to you. You may be able to replace patches with sod, or look at alternative ground coverings that thrive in colder weather. A landscaping pro in your area should be able to discuss your various options with you and help you develop a plan for how to get the lawn you desire. 

How to Hire an Interior Designer

When you think about the pros that are needed in and around your home, you likely think of contractors, roofers, plumbers, electricians, and a few other professionals. One option that might not cross your mind is an interior designer. This is a shame, really, because a good interior designer can take the look of your home to a completely new level.

Don’t confuse an interior designer with a simple decorator. Designers help arrange the decorations, yes, but they do so in such a way that it completely redesigns the look of your home’s interior. Interior designers typically have refined artistic sensibilities and put them to work for you in order to create a home that will leave visitors breathless when they first take it all in.

Do You Need an Interior Designer?

Some people think that interior design is easy enough that they don’t actually need to hire someone to get the job done. This usually results in homeowners who aren’t that happy with the way that their homes look, because even though they assumed it would be easy, they find that the end result doesn’t quite match what they initially had in mind. To make matters worse, that lackluster result usually costs a lot more than the homeowner expected. An interior designer can help avoid this outcome.

A good interior designer already has experience in helping rooms come together, and has a much better idea of costs going in. This can result in a much better overall result while keeping the project budget in an acceptable range. As an added bonus, a good interior designer may have ideas and suggestions that you might not have even considered on your own. This could leave you with an interior that you’re even happier with than if you’d just realized your original dream.

Questions to Ask

When talking to an interior designer, there are a number of questions you should ask to make sure that they are a good fit for your needs. Some of these questions will relate directly to the job at hand; if your home has unique features, unusual colors, or materials that are difficult to work with, you’ll obviously want to know if your chosen designer has the necessary experience to deal with these issues that are specific to your home. Beyond these situation-specific questions, though, there are other things you’ll want to ask about as well.

To get a feel for how the interior designer works and what is important to their creative process, ask questions about their style and any specific elements that they try to incorporate more than others. You might also ask what they find most challenging about their work, and ask for examples of problems they’ve run into along with what they did to fix things. Try to get a feel for what they look for in their dream projects. Questions like these will help you gain a better understanding of how they work and how likely it is that they’ll match with your own goals and desires for your home.

Finding Your Interior Designer

As you search for an interior designer, asking questions will definitely help you when sorting through your options and trying to find the designer that’s the best fit for your home and your budget. Don’t assume that you have to go with the first interior designer that fits within your budget; finding a designer with an understanding of your personal style and an approach that’s close to what you’d like for your home will make a big difference in how close the end result is to what you’ve envisioned.