Expanding Your Family? Start Preparing Your Home Now & Save Time

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So, your family is expanding. Perhaps you are having a baby or have adult children who are moving back home or even elderly parents that need to move in. Things are about to change and it’s a good idea to prepare your home for the new arrival/s ahead of time. While you might need more space to house an expanded family, very often it’s not practical or economical to consider moving house but there are some steps that will help create more space and save time and stress later.

Where to Put Them?

The first decision you will need to make is where you will put your new arrival/s. If you have a spare room then obviously you can turn this into a nursery or a bedroom. This is the easiest option, but if you do not have a spare room you will need to think a little more laterally. While a baby can be put in your room or even in a small corner of another room, adult family will be harder to manage. You may need to consider converting your garage into a bedroom or splitting a larger room with the help of screens or curtains to create a private space.

Furniture

Your family will need, at the bare minimum, a bed and somewhere to keep their clothing. Your choice of design will depend on the amount of room you have. For ideas and also measurements and other specifications, check online at http://www.superamart.com.au/. A bit of research now will a save you lots of stress later.

It is helpful to provide somewhere for your new arrival/s to place their smaller bits and pieces. A dresser top, some shelving or a small table will suffice. The reason this is so important is that it will help keep some order in your home and make your new house member feel like they belong. Try and utilise something you already have to save money.

Linen

Providing the person with their own bed linen and towels will make them feel welcome and cared for. Supply a few nice fresh towels, a face washer, hand towel and for a nice touch, add some pretty soaps and personal care products. If you don’t have adequate linen you will need to purchase it. Again, it is better to do this ahead of time than be rushing around at the last minute. Your new arrival/s will also feel more welcomed if you are prepared for them.

Let them Personalise their Space

It is really important to allow your family member to personalise their space. Be a bit flexible here. Take down any existing paintings on the walls in their space so they are free to put up pictures to their own taste. Clear off your ornaments from surfaces in their space so they will have room to place their own precious bits and pieces. Giving someone space to put a little bit of themselves will make them feel very much at home and welcomed.

Wren Living - A Guide To Wardrobes

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A good wardrobe is crucial to the aesthetic appeal, and functionality of our bedrooms. We've all experienced trying to cram an ever expanding collection of clothes into a tiny wardrobe that is fit to burst. Not only is this impractical, it can also leave our bedrooms looking messy and unkempt, destroying any style that the room may have had.

There are a variety of wardrobes available on the market at the minute, so this handy guide will help you choose the one that’s right for you.

Free standing

Available in a variety of styles, from rustic antique to sleek modern, there is a free standing wardrobe to suit every interior design plan. While style is clearly important, your bedroom wardrobes should be practical too. Select a wardrobe like this one from Wren Living that will have enough room to house all of your stuff.

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Sliding door

With so much furniture to cram into a bedroom, space can often be an issue. Why not go for a space saving sliding door wardrobe in your bedroom? You won’t have to worry about not having room to open the doors, plus you can get mirrored doors which will really brighten up even the darkest of rooms.

Built in

Built in wardrobes are often thought of as a 1980’s interior design crime, but they can be incredibly stylish and great for awkwardly shaped spaces. Go for a timeless style that won’t date easily for usability that will last an age.

Spring Cleaning Goal

I thought my spring cleaning was done already. I was wrong. I still found some stuff that needs to be either thrown or given away. The old clothes are still brimming in the closet. My old bags need new homes and owners and my husband's big trophy on bowling sits at the corner of our living room closet, gathering dust.

I am seriously getting tired of the cycle of getting or buying stuff and keeping them only to be put in oblivion or stand as dust collector. My house is not big and yet we have so much stuff. I'm not sure if I can keep up cleaning the house because it's getting very tiring.

We need to follow a strict rule of refraining from buying unnecessary stuff. I feel like throwing out everything and starting a fresh beginning where we will only have the valuables and the necessary.

Organizing the Linens

We don't have a very huge flat which can accommodate a spare area for a linen closet. The closest I can get to ever having a linen closet of my own is to use the spare cabinet we have to store our knick and knacks.

I have done my end-of-the-year cleaning already so I made room for my linens to store there. Here's a simple tip I can share to organize your linens if you are tight for space like I do.

1. Have your comforters vacuum sealed. It will stay flat until the next winter. I have so many comforters at home so you can imagine how bulky they can become when all piled up.

2. Stack your pillow cases in a small drawer you have. At least you have a use for that drawer in the cabinet.

3. Put loose and unused blankets in a vacuum pack as well. It will give more spare to other linens you have like curtains.

4. Keep few towels only. We have 6 towels at home, 2 for each of us and that is about it. We don't buy extra because we won't be using all of them at the same time. Keeping few towels will spare you the misery of washing and storing them when not in use.

Those are my tips. They are practical and will depend on one's situation. If you live in a condominium or high-rise building with very little area to spare then you can use these tricks to store those linens.