Create Your Personal Sanctuary with an Outdoor Living Space

By: Terry Neff
UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA

We should all have a special place, a sanctuary, where we can decompress after a long day at work. An outdoor living space can serve as the ideal sanctuary. After all, connecting with nature is good for the soul! This week we have some great tips for updating or creating your outdoor living area on a budget! All you need is a little bit of creativity to get you started.

Update your outdoor living space

1. Renew your furniture – If you have wooden patio furniture, consider sanding it down and refinishing with a wood stain. If you have glass or metal furniture, give it a good washing and paint over any stains that can’t be washed away. Consider getting new cushions for patio chairs or recover the existing fabric.
2. Update pots and planters – You can take your existing terra cotta planters, clean them thoroughly and decorate them by painting, stenciling, stamping or adding your own crafty décor.
3. Plant a garden – Decide what foliage you want to add to your outdoor living space by mapping out the area. To make your garden look its best, plant flowers close together in bunches; this will keep your garden looking fuller. Also, maintain sharp edges in your garden for a well sculpted look!

Create your own sanctuary

1. Outline your new space- You will want to outline the area where you can create your personal space. This can be a deck, patio, or corner of your yard. If you think you don’t have any space to work with – get creative! If you look hard enough you will be sure to find a small space that you can work with.
2. Create your outdoor “room” – Create walls for your outdoor sanctuary with existing foliage or large potted plants. If you’d like more of an actual wall look, you can purchase inexpensive bamboo fencing which will offer more privacy.
3. Add décor – Decorate your sanctuary with items you love to create an inviting atmosphere that you will want to be in. You can use memorabilia, plants, candles, art and much more.

Creating your outdoor sanctuary will give you a place to decompress and let go of the stressors of the day. It will not take much effort to create this space, but the benefits you will reap will have a lasting effect on your mind, body and soul.

Terry Neff is the owner of UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA. He is an expert on relocation and the ins and out of this tough life change. To contact Terry, call 610-997-8648 or visit www.unitsstorage.com.

Add Some New Style to Your Home – Redecorate Your Doors and Windows!

By: Terry Neff
UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA

As we explore ways to “freshen up” your home for Spring, we need to discuss updating two areas of your home that are not always at the top of the list; doors and windows. Think about it, doors and windows are the eyes of your home. They let the light in and are often the first thing that people notice about your home. Making some simple changes to these areas can have a great impact on your home’s curb appeal. Are you ready? Here are some inexpensive ideas to get you started!

Decorating Your Door

Many people don’t think about decorating the door until the holidays, but you can decorate doors anytime of the year. Doors are usually the first thing people see as they approach your home, so give them some personality with these ideas:

1. Paint it – This is the easiest and cheapest way to change your door. Update the existing color or paint the door a different color than the rest of the house to give your home a focal point.
2. Add a wreath – Pick up a plain, inexpensive wreath and some wire at a local craft store and add your own decorations such as: twigs, small branches, flowers, ribbons or your own artwork. Make a few different wreaths so that you can change them throughout the year.
3. Hang a sign – Hang a decorative sign that you can easily make yourself. Paint, stamp, or stencil a welcome sign, a favorite quote or poem or one that simply states your name. Just like with the wreath, you can make several different signs to switch them throughout the year.
4. Add a door knocker – Door knockers can come in all varieties and can add great style to a plain door. They can also give your door a more distinguished look.

Decorating Your Windows

Windows can be very expensive to decorate due to the cost of draperies and blinds; however, with some creative thinking you can change your window decor without breaking the bank. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Sew your own curtains – Custom made curtains can be beautiful, but expensive as well. So why not sew your own? You can purchase inexpensive fabric at a craft store and create your own custom look!
2. Embellish what you have – If sewing is not an option for you, keep what you already have and add some embellishments to it. You can use a hot glue gun and attach fabric patches, buttons, beads or fringe from old bedding.
3. Make your windows look bigger – Hang the curtain rods just above the sill and hang curtains that flow to the floor to give the illusion that the window encompasses the full wall.

Doors and windows are the eyes of your home and often the first thing that people will notice about your home. Redecorating these areas doesn’t have to be an expensive task. With a little work and a lot of creativity you can make these small changes that will transform the eyes of your home!

Terry Neff is the owner of UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA. He is an expert on relocation and the ins and out of this tough life change. To contact Terry, call 610-997-8648 or visit www.unitsstorage.com.

Redecorate Your Home with Simple Painting Techniques

By: Terry Neff
UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA

Since we have been discussing easy and inexpensive ways to update or change your home for the spring in our previous posts, this week we wanted to focus our attention on the walls of your home. Walls are usually the largest surface area in your home and by changing or updating them you can change the entire tone of a room. Yes, you could just paint your walls a different color… but that may not be enough of a change. Why not take painting and kick it up a notch with some fun and easy painting techniques. The great news is that while these techniques will definitely change the personality of your room, they won’t break the bank!

Sponging- This is a simple technique where you actually “sponge” your wall. You don’t have to go out and buy the expensive sponges at the craft stores to do this. Just take a regular kitchen sponge and tear or cut it to make it irregular. Dip it into the paint color of your choice and dab off so it’s almost dry, then pat it on your wall and vary the direction to give it a more natural look.

Stenciling- Stencils are very inexpensive, are available at most craft stores and are fairly easy to do. Just make sure you tape the stencil in place before you add paint to your walls to prevent the stencil sheet from moving while you’re painting.

Striping- This is a very inexpensive way to liven up your walls. Take painters tape and tape off stripes on the wall. You can overlap the tape to make broader stripes or create your own design with the tape. Paint around the tape and once the paint is dry you can remove the tape to show off your stripes or designs.

Color washing- Not only is this inexpensive, it’s also fun to do! Just add water to the paint base you’re using and rub it over the walls with a rag. You can mix paint colors before adding the water to make different, unique colors.

Framing- This technique required you to paint a “frame” of color on one section of your walls. You can paint a section of the wall where you hang pictures to add depth and dimension or create a border around different objects on your walls.

Accenting – Give your room a punch of color by painting one wall a couple shades lighter or darker than the rest. Once you choose what color to paint the entire room, decide what wall will be the accent wall. (Usually the wall without windows is easiest to do and looks best.) Then paint that wall a different shade then the rest of the room. This will add dimension to your room without making any architectural changes.

Changing your walls is a great start to freshening up your home for spring. Painting is a relatively inexpensive way to change or update your home, but if you want more than just a new color on your walls, try choosing one (or more) of these painting techniques to help you very easily and inexpensively bring new life to your home just in time to let the sunshine in!

Terry Neff is the owner of UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA. He is an expert on relocation and the ins and out of this tough life change. To contact Terry, call 610-997-8648 or visit www.unitsstorage.com.

Reinvent Your Home With Simple Decorating Ideas

By: Terry Neff
UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA

Spring is in full bloom! The winter season is well behind us and most of us are ready for the change! To coincide with the changing of seasons, many of us look for ways to brighten up and update our homes but don’t want the expense that can go along with home re-decorating. This month we are going to give you some quick and inexpensive tips to help freshen up your home. You don’t have to make a grand transformation to your home; by making these small, inexpensive changes you can update and freshen the look of your home, just in time for spring!

1. Pack away any sign of winter! Start by putting away all the heavy throw blankets and replace them with lightweight sheets or blankets-preferably in soft, spring colors.
2. Store away any clutter- Use clear storage containers to store away the signs of winter and free the room of clutter. You can also use hooks inside cabinets or behind doors for extra storage.
3. Let the sunshine through!- The sun is shining and you want to let that light in, so take down any heavy draperies you have on the windows and replace them with more lightweight curtains.
4. Change to spring colors- Consider replacing any pillows or furniture coverings with pastel or lighter colors to reflect the new season. Changing the color of your décor and furniture can completely change the tone of a room.
5. Plant some flowers! – Purchase inexpensive annuals and plant them outside in a garden. You can also plant flowers in small pots and put them on your windowsill to brighten up your room.
6. Gather glass jars- Save or gather glass jars and add flowers, colorful rocks or sand inside for a very easy, inexpensive way to decorate your room.
7. Create your own art! – Dry out some flowers for 1-2 weeks and then display them in a vase. You can also put a flower in a book for 1-2 weeks to dry and flatten it, then put it in an inexpensive picture frame to hang on your wall as wall art.
8. Display your family- Take existing pictures of family and friends and display in interesting frames on walls or shelves. You can also make a collage of your pictures by taking a piece of cardboard and covering it with a piece of fabric, then gluing or pinning your pictures on top. This makes a great focal point for your walls.
9. Make a spring wreath- A wreath is a great front door decoration. Create your own wreath with items from nature such as twigs, leaves, flowers, seashells, etc. You can also add ribbons, buttons and bows as well—whatever your preference. You can find a lot of great items around your home, outside in nature or at thrift stores.

These easy and inexpensive ideas are a great start to freshening up your home during this spring season. Remember it’s not about how much you can spend to reinvent your home, but how much thought and creativity you can put into re-inventing the items that you have in the place you already call home.

Terry Neff is the owner of UNITS Mobile Storage of Eastern PA. He is an expert on relocation and the ins and out of this tough life change. To contact Terry, call 610-997-8648 or visit www.unitsstorage.com.