Creative Deck Railing Ideas For a Lively Outdoor Space

December 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Including a porch to your outside space enhances your deck safety and inserts a perfect frame for better curb appeal. Depending on the style of your house, one can choose different porch railing designs to complement your space and give it a new and fresh look. However, you should keep the different ideas in mind. Right from conventional designs to chic modern look, you have different options to consider. Here are some deck railing ideas for your home improvement.

 

  • Curved Deck Railing

 

You are not obliged to follow the linear rules when going for deck railing. Going for curvilinear balusters will wipe out the confined jail look and add to the aesthetics of your porch.

 

  • Different layer decking with modern railing

 

Multilevel decking wipes out the issue of positioning a deck on a slope. Going for wood spindles will add to your modern deck look. Wood is a great idea wo mat decked of your house. Going for a match color scheme will also help.

 

  • Lattice style deck railing

 

Perfect for families with pets and children, lattice style deck railing covers lower half while permitting light breeze to drift through. The above half of the deck is widely spaced to allow a good view of the surrounding.

 

  • Bronze deck railing

 

If you want a contemporary deck for your modern house, then going for railing of bronze with copper flashes will be a great idea. The metal adds an amazing patina to your deck.

 

  • Stainless steel rod railing

 

If you do not want to go the orthodox way, then think outside the box. Go or deck railing made of stainless steel combined by connector fittings. The galvanized steel will give it a radiant and perfect look.

 

  • Full fledged privacy

 

Usually the decks are 36 to 42 inches in height but if you are a private person, then go for bamboo fences which fits perfectly in the interior of your deck. The rolls will be the highlight of the area.

 

  • Prow style railing

 

When you stand on your deck railing, you should feel the like the captain of your ship. Well the prow decking gives you the exactly same experience. The white paint and railing stands out from the construction of your house. A small round garden adds to the charming visibility.

 

  • Metal and brick deck railing

 

If you have a modern house, then you can use large brick pillars with flat tops and narrow metal grids together for your porch. Copying the grill of your windows here would be a good idea. You can choose any color scheme for the brick and metal grids.

 

  • See through porch railing

 

If it is all about the spectacular view for you, then see through deck railing will be the best idea for you. the large seating area with safety and no sense of enclosure will serve your purpose very well.

If you are looking brilliant house improvement and deck railing ideas, then click here to get more details.

 

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Landscapes Make Any Building Look Beautiful

December 14, 2018 by Leave a Comment

It’s always great to have a gorgeous home, but the difference between a mediocre house and a beautiful home can often owe more to the landscapes than to the building itself. Not only can a high-quality landscape make any property look so much better, but it will also add significant value to any property. Landscaped yards aren’t just the concept of 18th-century European nobility. They can fit any space and even be made to adhere to a relatively limited budget, too. If you work from home and would like to spend more time outside, a landscaped yard, designed with this in mind, could be the ideal solution. Indeed, many commercial office spaces also incorporate landscapes gardens for the benefit of their employees.

Landscaped yards aren’t just for homes but work very well in an office setting. Many businesses are starting to realize the benefits of having a landscape garden for their employees. Different businesses are trying different things, and corporate landscape gardens aren’t always just places for employees to relax and spend a bit of time amongst greenery (although they are definitely good for this too). Some are taking initiatives to grow fruits and vegetables for their company cafeterias, while there are also some companies which even introduce apiaries and have employees help care for them. Any sort of corporate garden can break the monotony of office life and will help employees to feel more relaxed.

If you’re considering getting your yard landscaped, it’s probably a good idea to hire a landscape architect in order to help you design something suitable for your space and your budget, as well as the surrounding climate. A landscape architect has years of training in their trade, and this includes intimate knowledge of both landscaping and architecture. This means that landscape architects are familiar with construction techniques and materials, as well as which plants and features will work in a given landscape. A landscape architect can help you come up with a coherent design, rather than one that simply looks like a hodgepodge of various things thrown together.

In addition to this, a landscape architect can help come up with a budget, which is important because many people have no clue how much landscaping work can cost. Just because you set a budget and have contractors working with you doesn’t mean that something won’t come up. A landscape architect will have the knowledge and experience to deal with these sorts of situations as well. They can serve as a liaison between you and those actually constructing your project, which definitely will prove useful for all involved.

It’s entirely possible to speak over the phone with a client about previous work as a landscape architect, but it would be great to create a portfolio to point potential clients to previous work so that they can actually see it for themselves. After all, landscape architecture is very much a visual thing, and thus an image is so much better for demonstrating how projects actually turn out. It might be a cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the fact remains that words alone won’t give clients a clear idea about how a particular example of landscaping architecture actually appears. When you have a number of previous examples to your credit, it becomes imperative to come up with a proper portfolio or prepare yourself to do a lot of descriptive writing. It’s always great to create a portfolio of your previous work that can be posted on your website or sent electronically to clients upon request. Fortunately, there are plenty of online tools to do just that.

Whether you’re a landscape architect who wants to reach clients or a client looking for a landscape architect for a project that you have in mind, portfolios are a vital part of understanding one’s landscaping work. For potential clients, they offer a better chance of seeing if you really want to work with a given landscape architect, rather than simply talking about previous work.

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The Most Important Fundamentals For Your Home

December 14, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Running a beautiful home isn’t an accident. It’s something that happens with effort, aimed towards the result you most hope to enjoy. A family home is also a dynamic process, something you have to maintain, but also something you can repeatedly enjoy. As a family lives there over the years, the character of the place changes with it. Perhaps one of the saddest things a prospective buyer can see is a home that’s been neglected over the years, filled with potential but simply no one with the financial backing or willingness to make a real change there.

 

Of course, you’re likely in no danger of having this happen to your familial home. It’s also unlikely that you need a guide to tell you how to love your home, because you do that passively all by yourself. However, sometimes when moving into a new place for the first time and adapting to the homemaker’s mindset, a little forethought and understanding of fundamental services to use can help you in a large manner.

 

The most important fundamentals of your home are essential to take care of, and luckily they are listed as below:

 

Plumbing

 

Plumbing is among one of the most important resources any person needs to get right. This is because a shoddy job can sometimes cost expensive or irreparable damage, and that’s likely something you are absolutely hoping to avoid. Good plumbing also gives you a greater degree of freedom in how rooms are designed, and where you place certain implements. A good plumbing job can reduce the long-term designs of new difficulties by a large margin, and that can truly make all the difference in the long-term. Be sure to vet your plumbing hires well, or use a tried and tested offering such as ABC Plumbing Services for a reliable job each and every time. This often makes the biggest difference in the quality and nature of the work conducted.

 

Hygiene Maintenance

 

All homes have their own hygiene pitfalls. It might be that your home has a tendency for rot due to the setup of a wet room, the moisture of ventilation, and perhaps how hard certain weather conditions hit it. It might be you have smaller crawlspaces that often foster an outside accessway for pests, and must be thoroughly maintained and controlled. It could be that the beams in your roof are starting to rot and desperately need replacement, or that your shingles are covered in moss and might need a deep clean. Hygiene maintenance is not only important to keep on top of, but identify in the first place. With a diligent outlook, you can achieve this.

 

Repairs

Home repairs are important to ensure completion of immediately. It could be that one of your steps on the staircase is slightly weak, and could perhaps harm someone who forgets to avoid that step in the meantime. Your garden path might be uneven and promote a difficult sense of traversal, heightening the chance of falls. Repairs are important to take care of, so always keep an operational budget to fix them no matter what.

 

With these tips, you’re sure to apply the most important fundamentals for your home first and foremost.

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Tips To Consider When Visiting China

December 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Are you considering visiting China? Well, you should and it’s a great thing to do and an experience to have. Here are some top tips to do so.

 

  1. Eat Well

Outside of China’s borders, impressions of their food are often defined by the balanced, sweet flavors of Cantonese food. While dim sum and most Cantonese dishes are delightful, there are so many regional cuisines to be discovered like the sour funkiness and freshness of food from Yunnan and Guizhou and the fiery spice of Hunan and Sichuan cuisine.

 

And don’t forget the light, refined seafood, and dumplings from Shanghai and Hangzhou, and Xinjiang’s hand-pulled noodles and hearty quasi Turkish kebabs. While you could travel around to try some of these dishes, the great thing is that major Chinese cities host restaurants that offer cuisine from different parts of the country.

 

  1. Go online

 

Google Maps, Youtube, Facebook and a majority of Western email providers won’t be easy to access in China, so you might want to down a VPN or Virtual Private Network to help you get past China’s “Great Firewall.”

 

However, in China, you can still find some handy apps like WeChat, which can be considered to a Chinese WhatsApp but is, in reality, a combination of the app, Paypal, Facebook, a food delivery platform and so much more. Some of its features are hard to navigate even with limited Chinese; however, you will still need the app to make new friends and follow restaurants, museums, magazines and other establishments on the app to stay updated about exclusive deals and events. So, experience China by booking flights and getting your passport and visa ready to go – you can order here.

 

  1. Learn Some Chinese

 

While Chinese languages can be intimidating, attempting to learn some Mandarin, which is the most widely spoken language in China, will be useful. If you are in China for a short stay, consider signing up for a short language course to learn the basics of the language.

 

The most basic Mandarin will prove handy when it comes to moving around, and locals will be happy to see that you are making an effort. Printing out or writing down addresses in Chinese or using Chinese characters will certainly ease things for you.

 

  1. Take the Train

In most countries, this option would imply enjoying the romance of seeing the countryside roll by as you head to your destination. However, that is not the case in China. Their high speed rail network is renowned for its convenience. With railway stations much closer to cities than airports, a journey between two major cities is faster, more comfortable and much cheaper than domestic flights.

 

The five hours it takes to travel between Shanghai and Beijing compare quite favorably to flight times, but with lesser stress. Furthermore, the bustle in China’s modern stations will allow you to see the direction the nation is taking.

 

  1. Avoid the Coast

 

As tempting as it is, consider traveling away from major cities that sit near coastlines. Provinces and cities further inland have more distinct cuisines and cultures, and often have stronger ties with tradition.

 

In Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar and Laos, China takes a Southeast Asian flavor. On the other hand, Chengdu, which is in Sichuan province, has a relaxed pace and is a gateway to the wilderness that sits along the edge of the Himalayas. Chongqing, which is not that far off, is a surreal mega city with skyscrapers that hug hills on Yangtze River’s banks.

 

  1. Shop A Bit

 

Well, China is home to some of the best fake goods in the world. However, there is so much the country has to offer. So, when visiting, why not buy yourself some quality pu’er tea or oolong? In the alleys, known as hutongs, around Beijing’s Guloudongdajie, boutiques stock nostalgic socialist chic homeware and attire from local designers. Stores like Shanghai-based Closing Ceremony offer a variety of Chinese art magazines and photo books.

 

  1. Catch a Show

 

China’s contemporary art has firmly established itself internationally, so consider checking out some art exhibits right at the source. Some of the most prominent galleries in China include Shanghai’s Power Station of Art, Beijing’s Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, and Shenzhen’s OCT Contemporary Art Terminal.

 

If you love music, then Beijing bars like School carry on the city’s decades-long tradition of gritty rock. Furthermore, the electronic music scene in Shanghai is one of the best in Asia.

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Digital Nomad Lifestyle: What to have in your Survival Kit?

December 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

When we hear the term digital nomad, the first thing that comes to mind is freedom, fun, and quick money! We believe it’s an easygoing lifestyle, working from the beaches of Bali today and traveling to Bangkok tomorrow. But to successfully live the digital nomad lifestyle, it takes a great amount of commitment, discipline, and most importantly, a resourceful set of tools to keep work flowing regularly.

Being productive with exotic beaches or historical landmarks nearby isn’t easy but technology has made remote work possible and so with some restraint from your side, you would be able to lead this lifestyle the best way possible.

What to have in your Survival Kit?   

This lifestyle isn’t all fun and games, in order to keep it in effect, you need to get work done and be productive so I put together a survival kit with all the essential tools you’ll need to happily live as a digital nomad and get work done.

Your Basic Tools:  

  • Your laptop/ tablet: This is the number one item you should never travel without. Whichever device you choose, all your work and tasks will get done through it so having a good operating laptop with you is key to this lifestyle.

 

  • Laptop Accessories:  These are the small items but necessities that come with your laptop like your portable mouse, touchpad, USB, or anything else that you might need while working in a café or workspace.

 

  • Chargers: The worst thing that could happen is having your phone battery or laptop battery die and forgetting your charger at home or losing it altogether. This will not only slow your progress but can possibly ruin your whole day. Keeping your charges nearby is very important, in fact, look into buying a portable charger for your phone so it’ll always be fully charged.

 

  • Internet Connection: It’s no surprise that having internet is the main core behind all your tools and apps working and since you are, after all, a “digital nomad” all your work is online so no internet can definitely be a problem.

 

  • Headphones: This may seem unimportant to you now but when you’re stuck in a noisy airport or jammed café, you’re going to wish you had your headphones! Listening to music, a radio station, or your favorite podcast will eliminate any distracting noises around you while working and will help you stay focused.

 

Essential Work Tools:  

 

  • Communication: When you start traveling internationally, staying connected isn’t easy, whether it’s with your team, clients, or friends and family. But thank God for the internet! You can use a popular app like Skype to do phone or video calls or something like Telegram for more secure messaging or sharing files with your team. And lastly, we have Google Hangouts, one of Google’s many cool apps to do phone and video calls or chat.

 

 

 

  • Project Management: Getting sidetracked when surrounded by the new culture and fun things to do is likely to happen. With a project management tool, you can easily keep track of your tasks, follow-up on pending tasks, delegate tasks to your team, and create separate projects. The most well-known app, Trello gets the job done. You can also check out a simpler app like Buckets where you can track tasks in color-coded boxes or Asana.

 

 

 

  • Scheduling: If you have an important meeting or an event to attend, you’re most likely need a reminder. Every nomad should have an organized calendar of upcoming tasks and events so nothing will slip through your busy days. This is where Google Calendar comes in handy; however, Google Calendar isn’t the nicest scheduling app out there. Calendly took things a step further and checks your availability and sets your meetings for you!

 

 

 

  • Virtual Mailbox: Being a digital nomad means you’re away from home for long periods but that doesn’t mean your postal mail will just disappear. You need to be sure all your postal mail is addressed and taken care of and that’s where PostScan Mail comes in! Offering an online mailbox, you’ll be able to view and control all your postal mail online. With just a few clicks you can scan, shred, forward, or archive any mail piece. It’ll be just like handling your email.

 

 

 

  • Data Sharing: For better collaboration with your team, you need to be able to share documents and sheets with them and nothing does this better and safer than Google Drive. However, for more storage space, 18 GB, you can look into Dropbox with a starter package at $12.50.

 

Conclusion:

The road to freedom isn’t too far away! By using the right tools and having a strong internet connection, achieving location independence and working according to your schedule is doable. Check out WorkHardAnywhere to find the best workspaces and cafes near you, in whichever country you’re in with great Wi-Fi speed, availability, and parking.

 

Photo by samer daboul from Pexels

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5 Stain Removal Tips

December 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

We’ve all had that sinking feeling when something splashes onto your favorite item of clothing – you can’t walk into a room with the same level of confidence once your outfit for the day is stained.

Fortunately it doesn’t mean the end of your garment. You can get rid of virtually any stain; all you need is the right approach.

Tip 1 – Assess The Stain

The first thing you need to do when dealing with a stain is figure out what it is. You may know if it has just happened or it is your clothing. But, you may not be aware of when it happened or, it might not be your clothing.

You’ll need to look at the stain to decide if it is food based or something else. This will help you to decide how to treat it.

Tip 2 – Brush

It’s a good idea to lightly brush your stain. This should remove any excess of the contaminant. Of course you need to do this gently to ensure you are not going to damage the fabric.

Scraping of the excess will also help you to deal with the actual stain and not waste detergent and effort on excess contaminants that can be easily removed.

It’s also important to note the material of the garment.  For example, you can be much tougher with cotton or denim garments than you can with something made of wool or polyester.

Tip 3 – Soak

The next thing to do is to soak the item in a bowl or tub of water with some specially formulated stain solution or laundry detergent. The container will have instructions regarding whether to agitate the stain or not.

Tip 4 – Choose The Right Method

If the soak approach does not work, then you may need to try something different. Your approach will depend on what substance created the stain.

For example, adhesive tape can be removed easily by applying ice to the stain for a few minutes and then scraping it with a knife. This also works for chewing gum or rubber cement.

There’s a whole range of options you’ll need to familiarize yourself with depending on the type of stain.

Tip 5 – Repeat

It’s easy to become disappointed or downhearted when you’ve tried to remove a stain and it hasn’t worked. However, this doesn’t mean you should give up.

You may have got the stain type wrong or may have more success with a different type of product or approach. It’s important to try again but to always read the label of your item. This will tell you what approaches you should try.

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What are the cheapest international holiday destinations from NZ

December 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Beijing, China

Hall of Prayer by Fong Chen

Flights: From $720 each

Accommodation: $837 for seven nights for two people

Average meal cost for two: NZ$34

 

China is not the easiest country to travel in. There is a language barrier, the lack of Facebook and Google maps and a big cultural difference. Even the traffic alone can give the average Kiwi nightmares! But it’s an incredible place to visit. Visit the Great Wall, The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, The Summer Palace and explore the Hutongs in the city.

 

Eat classic Peking Duck, pancakes stuffed with crispy skin duck, spring onion and sweet tangy sauce. Or try a breakfast pancake ‘jianbing’, a wheat pancake filled with pickles, crispy fried crackers, herbs, spring onions and topped with hoisin or chilli sauce. Grab cheap noodles or dumplings street-side for a few dollars- eating cheaply is easy here.

Manila, Philippines

Manilla Bay

Flights: From $800 each

Accommodation: $397 for seven nights for two people

Average meal cost for two: NZ$24

 

Fly to Manila and then take a cheap internal flight to Palawan. From there, you can tour the Underground River, swim under Estrella Falls, scuba dive in El Nido or just spend time snorkelling and exploring the spectacular beaches. The food here is amazing and the hospitality and friendliness of the Filipino people second to none.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi at night by Greg Hayter

Flights: From $853 each

Accommodation: $411 for seven nights for two people

Average meal cost for two: NZ$28

Hanoi is an incredible city that would take easily a week to explore. It’s got history thousands of years old – the old quarter is a warren of wire-draped lanes lined with shops selling everything from sequins to welding.

The food in Vietnam is amazing, starting the day with a bowl of steaming Bo Pho, fragrant with herbs. Then fresh spring rolls or hand cut noodles for lunch, and then try a bunch of snacks for dinner. The local street-corner ‘bia hoi’ (pub) offer delicious draught beer for next to nothing, and platefuls of snacks. Point at what others are eating- fresh tofu stuffed with herbs and served with nuoc cham dipping sauce. Crispy sticky pork ribs. Make-your-own spring rolls. It’s all very, very good. The Vietnamese are incredibly friendly and love children- take your family and the kids will be spoiled and treated with much love.

Delhi, India

Akshardham Temple in Delhi, India

Flights: From $1052 each

Accommodation: $148 for seven nights for two people

Average meal cost for two: NZ$25

India has got a reputation that some would say it deserves. But it can be safe and the vibrancy and colourful chaos of Delhi makes it a truly memorable place. It’s a short drive/ train ride to Agra, where you can see the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. In Delhi itself, there’s the impressive red fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Qtub Minar and Lodi Gardens.

The food in Delhi is famous throughout India and the world. Head to he old city, Chandni Chowk. The food stalls seemingly stretch on forever, with everything from cheese stuffed kulcha breads and aromatic curries to snack foods. Indian food isn’t just about chilli, try the chaat. Pani puri is a mixture popped into a crisp shell, topped with a watery sauce- eat it in one go and feel the crunch of the shell followed by the taste explosion from the sauce. Vegetarians rejoice- India is heaven for those who don’t eat meat.

Bali, Indonesia

Besakih, Bali by Uwe Aranas

Flights: From $714 each

Accommodation: $358 for seven nights for two people

Average meal cost for two: NZ$22

Only a ten-ish hour flight from Auckland, Ubud in Bali has become one of the most loved destinations for Kiwis and Aussies. It has beautiful beaches with great surf, amazing inland volcanic peaks, a vibrant nightlife scene and loads to explore. It’s also relatively safe and cheap- it has been developed a destination for tourists with a huge range of food options and cheap beer!

As well as natural beauty, there are also plenty of historic attractions- Tanah Lot water temple, beautiful rice terraces and the Pura Ulun Danu Batur Temple are all highly recommended. Kids will love a tour of the monkey forest!

Get your skates on!

No matter what you want- relaxation on the beach, a buzzing city to get lost in or to explore history in ancient surroundings- there is a budget location for you. Get travel insurance from a company like State, then check if you need a visa, and escape the drudgery of real life.

* All prices calculated on Kayak.com for May 2019 ex Auckland

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Standing The Test Of Time: Pieces To Invest In For Your Family Home

December 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Adding personality and decorating our home can be a fun way to refresh and update it. However, there are key pieces that are worth investing time and thought over, so that you don’t end up making constant (and often costly) changes to your interior space. The following are some ideas for those with a busy family home, who want to invest wisely.

A Place To Dine

 

The table where the family gets together to eat, play games, and discuss their lives, is often the heart of the home. If you’re always making memories while sitting at that large piece of furniture, it should be an item that will last and adapt to your life and interior space as they evolve and develop. Therefore, it’s wise to think about buying a sturdy table, in a classic design, that will last through any trend or room you might put it in. When the design of a table is fairly straightforward, it also allows for the introduction of different styles of chairs, ensuring it will withstand any drastic changes in interior movement. As with most items in this list, these investments can be expensive for most families, therefore, it might be worth looking into home equity loan vs line of credit in regards to funding any large items or perhaps renovation cost so that you can make wise financial decisions.

 

Somewhere To Sleep

 

On average a human spends a third of their lifetime asleep in their beds, making it an integral part of any home. Nowadays, people also tend to watch T.V, read, and spend time on social media when snuggled up under the duvet; therefore investing in a quality bed will ensure you’re comfortable and well-rested for years to come. Bedsheets, cushions, and even the bed frame can be affordable things to change when interior themes and style move on, but the mattress is the most important part of bed and should be chosen wisely.

 

A Chill-Out Zone

 

Again, interior styles will continue to evolve and change; so you want to buy furniture that will stand the test of time. Cushions and throws can be updated to suit colour schemes in a living room and to introduce pattern; however, a sofa is a risky way to directly update the overall look of a room, as interior trends can change quickly. It’s a smart move to pick a sofa style that will have longevity, like an old school classic design, or a simple and clean silhouette, for those who prefer a modern feel to a space.

 

Something Special

 

There are few items in your home that will actually appreciate in value; however, art can be one of them. Aside from bringing back special memories from where and why you bought it, art can inject your true style and personality in a room, and make it truly unique. When spending more money on art, it’s a wise choice not to pick it simply because it fits in with an interior scheme. Instead, choose art that you love and reflects who you are, that way you’ll continue to admire it wherever it sits in the house. Invest carefully, and you’ll have homewares that will last you for a long time ahead.

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