There are many reasons why a person might want to upgrade to a garage door. Whatever the case, this choice will significantly increase the value of their property overall.

An automatic garage door is one of the best improvements you can make to a house today, so take advantage of it. Read on to learn more about why automatic garage doors are a great investment for any home.

Good Return

The primary reason why most people opt to get an automatic garage door is as an investment. Homeowners who make this choice know that they will get back what they paid whenever they decide to sell the home. When the market is good, you can increase the value of your home significantly without spending too much money.

Save on Electric

One massive advantage of having a garage door in place is the insulation and protection that it provides. With a vast steel door as a fortified structure in front of your home, you can easily block out a lot of winter’s wrath. The added insulation lowers electricity bills and leads to a more energy-efficient home. This is also a perk that people look for when house shopping.

Lower Maintenance

They say that you get what you pay for, and it’s mostly true. Automated garage doors aren’t cheap by any means, but that’s OK. If you go with a quality brand that has proper installation, you can count on your door to remain structurally sound for the first decade at minimum.

Better Security

Quality automatic garage doors lock snug and tight. Once your automatic garage door is grounded, there is a locking mechanism in place that automatically locks, which connects to the main housing of the engine. This feature means protection at all times.

There are even doors now that you can sync to your smartphone to tell you the status of the door, allowing you to ensure it’s locked even when you’re away.

These are many things you need to know before purchasing a garage door. One factor to consider is your overall investment. Automatic garage doors provide reliability, security, and added market value, making this option one of the best available.

With an understanding of why automatic garage doors are a great investment, you can determine if this amenity is right for your property.

Cooking in a cluttered kitchen takes the fun out of the process and makes the experience more overwhelming than it needs to be. On top of organizing your kitchen cupboards, pantry, and fridge, redesigning your kitchen into a modernized space enhances your cooking experience and creates a clutter-free room.

Modern home designs produce sleek, luxurious, and welcoming spaces. They add effortless style and radiate a clean and minimalistic appearance. Implementing modern influences into your kitchen creates an ideal cooking space that makes hosting dinners and the cooking experience more enjoyable. Here are some ways to modernize your kitchen in style.

Multi-Purpose Designs and Features

The modern movement strives toward multiple ideals, including streamlining various processes. Multi-purpose designs and features give you a one-stop shop for various functionalities, such as all-in-one kitchen islands featuring storage, counter space, dining, and seating options. Built-in features like a dishwasher, sink, and stovetops are popular modern kitchen additions due to their multifaceted functionality. Implementing the best flooring option for your kitchen further provides a multi-purpose, durable, and functional design feature fit for your modern kitchen space.

Space Saving Organization Solutions

Modern ideals aim to achieve and create a minimalistic lifestyle in line with streamlining those processes. Along with multi-purpose features, space-saving organization solutions further minimize clutter and the need for various items. Space-saving organizers come in various forms, from racks and shelving to dividers and multi-level stands. Creating additional storage on the back of doors, under shelves, and through added levels and divided sections within open-space cupboards maximizes your existing space.

Modern Aesthetic Attributes

Various statement designs comprise the modern aesthetic’s ambiance. Neutral colors formulate its color palette, creating sleek, simple, and versatile looks that nod to numerous qualities of the modern design style. Textures like marble and wood help achieve the modern ideal of integrating with nature. Metallic fixtures and accessories express the industrialized symbolism of humanity and modern futuristic influences, further complementing the philosophies of the modern aesthetic. Other modern design elements include large windows, cool-toned lighting, minimal statement pieces, and coordination and cohesiveness between furnishings and interior designs.

Open Space Floor Plans and Layout

A huge kitchen island takes center stage in all modern kitchen designs. Designers open up the kitchen, remove the walls that once separated the cooking area into an alcove, and blend the dining room and living space with the kitchen. Open space floor plans and room layouts seal the deal in transforming your kitchen into a modernized space. They coincide with the modern aesthetic’s goal of creating spacious, clean, clutter-free, and sleek room designs.

Modernizing your kitchen gives you a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing space that offers plenty of room and inspiration to cook up something good to enjoy by yourself or with others. A modern kitchen enhances your home with a luxurious room design that appeals to many.

You have many options about what you can do with your basement. Usually, it is a large open space that provides room for different activities. Take advantage of this and design a room where you will want to spend time. Here are five elegant ways you can upgrade your basement without having to hire contractors, movers, or planners.

1. A Home Movie Theater

Because basements are underground, light does not enter them like in the rooms. This makes a basement perfect for a movie theater. There are different ways you can achieve this. The first is to purchase a rotating pull-down screen, attach it to the ceiling close to a wall, and use it only when needed. Another option is painting one of your walls white so that it can double as a screen for your projector. Both options work well. Get a couple of long couches to fit everyone and enjoy.

2. A Home Gym

This is an excellent way for you to use the space. Set up a place where you can get some cardio and weight lifting accomplished. Get a screen TV down there as well. Make sure the Wi-Fi connection is strong and stream all the best workout videos. A gym at home will make your basement elegant and functional instantaneously.

3. A Game Room

A room where everyone can have fun is a great idea. Game rooms are easy to achieve, depending on the games you want. A pool table will transform the space. Other games like board games, darts, Nintendo, and table chess will provide hours of endless fun. For features that might not get as much attention, such as window wells, consider installing a decorative window well liner to complete your game room with some graphics and visuals.

4. A Basement Guest Room

A basement may feel cold and isolated, but not with the right accessories and equipment. A comfortable basement is perfect for guest bedrooms. Elements to make an underground guest bedroom comfortable include:

• Colorful rugs
• Touches of wood
• Warm light fixtures
• Many pillows

5. A Wine Cellar

The most elegant way you can upgrade your basement is by turning it into a wine cellar. A round table for eight people fits perfectly and provides seating for everyone on a wine tasting evening. Building a wall shelf for all the wines would be ideal, but anywhere you can place and keep them will do.

There’s a variety of sustainable siding options for home-builders and everyday homeowners. If you’re exploring eco-friendly siding options for your home, it’s important to assess which types of exterior will provide the best return on your investment while doing their part to protect the environment. Using sustainable siding on your home doesn’t have to mean exceeding your budget or forgoing your aesthetic preferences. Go green with your siding by exploring these three eco-friendly siding options for your home.

1. Brick

Brick is a long-standing option for siding and other home elements. The longevity of brick makes it a sustainable option that exceeds the risk of flammability, rot, and fading. Using brick for your siding requires professional installation, but the investment will pay itself off for years to come.

2. Stucco

Stucco is made from all-natural elements such as water, sand, lime, and cement. Its natural composition ranks this option highly for eco-friendliness. You even have the option to remove the cement element to further improve its sustainability.

3. Fiber Cement

Fiber cement also has a natural composition of sand, cement, and wood pulp. Using these natural resources means the siding of your home won’t release toxic emissions into the atmosphere. Fiber cement is also fire resistant, ranking highly as a durable building material similar to brick or stone. It’s also one of the most versatile sustainable options for siding. It offers a broad range of styles, and it can even have an aesthetic similar to that of wood if you’re searching for a longer-lasting alternative.

When you’re evaluating siding options for your home, finding one that’s both sustainable and suitable for your design preferences can feel challenging. While weighing your eco-friendly siding options, be mindful of what the installation process entails and if the additional costs will be sustainable for both the planet and your budget.

Marla Stone, MSW REALTOR® License ID: 01823712 Nora Gallogly Group Beverly & Co. DRE#02078273 i-deal-lifestyle.com | Direct (949) 709-7000 | Connect with Marla on Instagram & Facebook! Marla is the Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff

No matter what project you’re working on, from constructing furniture to replacing a door, knowing what fasteners you need will save you a lot of frustration. Bolts are some of the most versatile fasteners on the market; we will look at the most common types of bolts and their uses so you can discover what you need for your next big project.

Hex Bolts

Hex bolts get their name from the hexagonal-shaped head adorning their tip, and are fundamental in DIY and home renovation projects. Hex bolts are traditionally for securing heavy materials such as wood, metal, and plastic. The hexagonal shape makes loosening and tightening these bolts with a spanner or wrench easy. Still, when performing intensive at-home projects like door installation, many prefer to attach a hexagonal drill bit to a power drill for convenience.

Carriage Bolts

When looking at common bolt types and their uses, do you ever see bolts with perfectly rounded heads holding metal and wood together? The mushroom-like shape of the head makes it more difficult for these bolts to come loose, which is why carriage bolts are traditionally for construction. At-home projects utilizing carriage bolts could be a swing set in the backyard.

Anchor Bolts

While you won’t generally see them, anchor bolts stand out for their unique L-shaped appearance. As the name suggests, an anchor bolt’s job is to form an anchor, keeping things firmly secured to heavy materials like concrete. Once most of the bolt is secure, you only see the threaded tip coming out. Whether you need to secure something against a concrete wall or hold it down on your patio, anchor bolts are great for dealing with heavy-duty projects.

Different projects work best with different bolt types. Fortunately, it’s easy to get access to bolts in bulk to find what you need for your next big DIY fixer-upper. Just remember to consider the materials involved and the accessibility of your bolts if you need to make any adjustments.

Posted by Logical Position for Marla Stone, MSW REALTOR® License ID: 01823712 Nora Gallogly Group Beverly & Co. DRE#02078273 i-deal-lifestyle.com | Direct (949) 709-7000 | Connect with Marla on Instagram & Facebook! Marla is the Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff

Kitchens are one of the most used spaces in your home. Naturally, you want your kitchen to look as fantastic as it functions. Fortunately, all kinds of vintage trends are making a major comeback this year. Read on to discover a few kitchen design trends that are coming back in style.

Mid-Century Modern Design

One of the kitchen trends coming back in style is mid-century modern design. This design style was popular in the ‘50s and ‘60s and is making its comeback in kitchens all over the country today. You can recognize the mid-century modern style by its clean lines, functionality, wood and plastic elements, and the blending of traditional and contemporary features. Utilizing this trend in your kitchen creates a stunning minimalistic space that feels both retro and modern at the same time.

Farmhouse Sinks

Farmhouse sinks are another trend that we’re seeing come back in style. These sinks have roots dating all the way back to 17^th century England, so it’s safe to say that they’ve been around for a long time. Now that the rustic style is popular in kitchen design, these sinks are making a major comeback. These sinks are large, efficient, and a symbol of luxury in today’s kitchens. Anyone who loves to cook will want to invest in a farmhouse sink.

Colorful Cabinetry

The final kitchen design trend that is making a comeback is colorful cabinetry. For years, white cabinetry was the most popular style to see in kitchens. However, color is demanding its time in the spotlight. As a result, cabinets of all colors are making their way into homes and kitchens worldwide. All sorts of colors are becoming trendy, from bright blues to soft seafoam greens to burnt oranges. Even gray kitchen cabinets are back in style. So choose cabinetry in whatever color speaks to you, and you will be sure to have a showstopping kitchen.

Now that you know a few kitchen design trends that are coming back in style, you can start utilizing these trends in your home today. Don’t be afraid to get creative and make some bold design choices!

Posted by Logical Position for Marla Stone, MSW REALTOR® License ID: 01823712 Nora Gallogly Group Beverly & Co. DRE#02078273 www.i-deal-lifestyle.com | Direct (949) 709-7000 | Connect with Marla on Instagram & Facebook! Marla is the Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff

Art is a beautiful addition to any home, regardless of its medium: paintings, sculptures, multimedia, etc. However, despite these many forms, they all have something in common; they are fragile, get dirty, and can break. Here’s how to keep your artwork clean and protected so that it lasts.

Keep It Protected From Sun and Humidity

Extended exposure to sunlight is not suitable for anything. It will quickly bleach art, and the works can diminish in value and luster. Avoid this by keeping pieces out of the direct sunlight and framing them with acrylic plexiglass rather than glass. This will filter UV light out so that it does not affect the art. Similarly, humidity, as well as dryness, can have negative impacts on your art. It’s important to monitor humidity levels in the home, as long periods of dryness and humidity can negatively affect the quality of the pieces.

Understand Your Mediums

Another thing that dramatically affects art quality is that the owners do not give them the proper, medium-specific care they require. Canvas art will need to be protected from hand oils and sun-bleaching, while bronze statues must be regularly dusted and polished. Understanding these medium-specific characteristics is essential to preserving their value and whatever they depict. Art will degrade over time without proper precautions meant to take care of them. Much of what sits in museums has been devastated by time, and only fragments remain of what were once beautiful murals, sculptures, and fabrics.

Give It a Safe Location

People can do plenty of things to preserve the quality of art over time, but if the owners do not place them in a safe and secure place, they can easily be damaged or disturbed. For example, sculptures in busy areas can fall over, paintings can fall, and fabrics can tear or get spilled on. Art is precious, and its owners need to treat it as such. If art is placed somewhere secure, it will be better preserved through time.

It is simple to understand how to keep your artwork clean and protected, but executing it is especially difficult. Each work needs specific care and attention, and when done correctly, it will stand the test of time.

Posted by Logical Position for Marla Stone, MSW REALTOR® License ID: 01823712 Nora Gallogly Group Beverly & Co. DRE#02078273 www.i-deal-lifestyle.com | Direct (949) 709-7000 | Connect with Marla on Instagram & Facebook! Marla is the Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff

We use picture frames to display our favorite photos and pieces of art. To complement the piece, you need to consider different aspects of the frame’s construction, including its material. Different materials will highlight the item’s unique qualities and add to the room's theme.

Metal

Metal frames are a common sight when browsing picture frames, and they carry a modern appeal that complements any room. This material is thick and durable, so the art will remain secure and undamaged if the frame ever falls.

Most metal frames are made from aluminum due to its abundance and lower cost, so metal frames won’t weigh much as they hang on the wall. The corners have adjustable screws for alignment if the frame becomes uneven on one side.

Wood

People have used wood in picture frames for centuries, and it is a great frame to use when starting an art collection. There are many different types of wood to use for frames, each one having unique colors and textures to create various appeals.

Wood is a more accessible framing choice than other materials and comes in different shapes and carvings. A wooden frame is easier to paint than other materials, so customization is easier, which is just one of the benefits of this material for picture frames.

Acrylic Glass

The majority of glass frames consist of acrylic glass, which has a harder density than regular glass. The benefits of this material for picture frames is that it is resistant to light and scratches. Glass stains less than other materials, allowing for easy cleaning and creating a shining effect around the framed item.

Plastic

Given its various benefits, plastic is often used to create various products, including picture frames. Plastic frames are light, cost-efficient, and more readily available than wood.

Plastic frames are easy to assemble and come in various sizes. Even when the frame is damaged or broken, the pieces are easy to glue together.

All framing materials have unique aspects that will benefit the room, art, and picture. Use various frames to make the most of the materials you have.

Posted by Logical Position for Marla Stone, MSW REALTOR® License ID: 01823712 Nora Gallogly Group Beverly & Co. DRE#02078273 www.i-deal-lifestyle.com | Direct (949) 709-7000 | Connect with Marla on Instagram & Facebook! Marla is the Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff

Starting your own business is never easy, and it’s even harder to keep it running smoothly after that. It doesn’t matter who you are or what type of experience you have; running a startup will bring its fair share of challenges. If you’re not aware of some of the most common small business traps you’ll want to avoid early on, then this article is just for you. We’ll cover the big ones while also giving some advice on how to work around them.

Lacking a Concrete Plan

One of the most widespread mistakes entrepreneurs make when opening a business is not setting a concrete plan. Simply having a “good idea” of what you want to do won’t cut it. Instead, you’ll want to sit down and write out a plan of how you want to operate your company and where you want it to go in the coming years. Including topics such as finances, marketing, and long-term goals are just a few of the things you’ll want to cover in it.

If you don’t know how to make a business plan, either look for tips online or seek professional advice from a friend or colleague. Whatever you do, don’t skip this step.

The Fear of Change

Despite all that, after you make a plan, you’ll want to be ready to change it if and when the time comes for a pivot. A major downfall for many young companies is failing to make changes when the market demands it.

The global pandemic is a perfect example of one of the many things you’ll want to make drastic changes to adapt to. These shifts could cause you to deviate wildly from your original plan, but that’s okay. You’ll just want to make sure you rewrite your original plan to compensate for these changes.

Getting Stuck in Services

A quick lesson that you’ll learn with your new business is that you can’t do it all on your own. You’ll want to utilize employees or services to cover the aspects of your business that you simply can’t. While services are insanely valuable, they are quite easy to get stuck in for various reasons. Whether it’s because you can’t operate your business without them or you signed a contract that forbids you from canceling, there are times when it’s tricky to back out of a service you can no longer afford.

A perfect example is cloud services. Vendor lock-in is a very real thing, and if you want to cancel or move somewhere else, certain issues will keep you from being able to do so. Fortunately, there are plenty of strategies to avoid vendor lock-in, but they’ll require careful planning before you commit.

Disregarding Smaller Issues

Finally, our last piece of advice on small business traps you’ll want to avoid early on is never to brush off minor problems that you run into while running your company. Even if they aren’t detrimental at the moment, ignoring them could make them worse down the road. It’s better to address the issue and find out that it’s not a big deal rather than disregard it and let it be the thing that takes you down in the future.

Posted by Logical Position for Marla Stone, MSW REALTOR® License ID: 01823712 Nora Gallogly Group Beverly & Co. DRE#02078273 www.i-deal-lifestyle.com | Direct (949) 709-7000 | Connect with Marla on Instagram & Facebook! Marla is the Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff

Do you have boxes in your basement or storage unit filled to the brim with vintage photos that you aren’t sure what to do with? Turn them into gorgeous art pieces for your home or as gifts! Get creative with these DIY art projects you can make with vintage photos.

Collage Photo Board

A simple but fun art project that uses tons of photos is a collage board! A collage board can be as big or small as you want, from the size of a piece of paper to a prominent wall feature.

It doesn’t take much to make one—you only need a board, some glue, and a lot of photos! What grand art piece can you create with a hundred photos?

Photography Scrapbook

As we’ve moved on to digital collections and photos, scrapbooks aren’t as familiar as they used to be, but they still make for fun art projects. If you’ve got a bunch of old family photos, a family scrapbook is a great way to finally organize them and put them in one place—it also makes for an excellent sentimental gift for your family!

Or you can make a fashion or arts scrapbook, collecting your favorite vintage photos and organizing them by your favorite fashion, architecture, art designs, or anything else that artistically inspires you!

Hanging Photo Wall Display

Do you have an empty wall in your living area, kitchen, or bedroom that’s just blank and boring? Make it an accent wall by hanging all your vintage photos from it!

All this project takes is some string, hung horizontally up and down the wall, crisscrossing from one side to the other. Attach some clothespins and hang your photos from the line, and you’ve got a memorable and exciting accent wall of all your favorite old photos!

Handmade Greeting Card

If you want to craft a sentimental gift for a close friend or family member, a homemade greeting card featuring a vintage photo of them or the two of you makes for a great gift! A handmade card is another simple project, as all you need is a blank card, a precious photo, and some art supplies.

A homemade card is a great way to share your favorite old photos with family and friends while crafting something with your own hands that they can enjoy and share with others.

Homemade Photo Coasters

Coasters aren’t just for keeping your coffee table ring-free; they can also be beautiful décor pieces. You can make coasters complete with your favorite vintage photos with just some blank tiles, some prints, acrylic finish, and adhesives.

If you don’t want to use the original vintage photos, you can digitally scan or take pictures of them to make digital copies that you can print out and then use for the coasters.

Now that you’ve got some ideas for DIY art projects you can make with vintage photos, which will you create first? Will you put together a family scrapbook or hang up a dozen of your favorite photos as a wall display? The possibilities are endless!

Posted by Logical Position for Marla Stone, MSW REALTOR® License ID: 01823712 Nora Gallogly Group Beverly & Co. DRE#02078273 www.i-deal-lifestyle.com | Direct (949) 709-7000 | Connect with Marla on Instagram & Facebook! Marla is the Author of The Clutter Remedy: A Guide To Getting Organized For Those Who Love Their Stuff