The coldest months of winter are now amongst us.  Everyone is dreading the electric bill.  Don’t fret over the electric bill, instead be pro-active and get your home ready for the coldest days that winter has to offer.  One way to keep warm and reduce the electric bill is by safely using small space heaters in the rooms you use the most in the home, and turn down the thermostat.  Rooms that are not being used should be kept closed and the vents in the rooms closed as well.  The heat will then be redirected to the rooms you use the most.  If you have south-facing windows, open the blinds and let the light in.  At night close them for extra insulation.  The biggest money saver would be to replace your old thermostat with a programmable thermostat.  Set it to automatically lower the temperature inside your home by 5 to 10 degrees at night and during the day when no one is going to be home.  This will reduce your heating bills by up to 20% a year. 

If you are looking to remodel or replace your flooring, choose wood flooring.  Hardwood floors are better insulated than other types of flooring.  Wood has thousands of tiny air chambers per cubic inch, which work naturally to hold in heat.  Not only can you reduce your heating bill, but you can also add a “Wow” factor by choosing hardwood flooring from Mullican’s Nature or Castillian collections.  Both collections offer flooring that is manufactured in the U.S.A., and offers the great quality you have come to expect from products made in America. 

It’s that time of year again. The weather is getting nice, the kids are out of school, vacation is just around the corner…and our homes are still stuck in the clutter and mess of winter. Not to worry.  Here are a few tips that will help you get your spring cleaning done in no time.

The first thing you will want to do is recruit your team of helpers.  Make the spring cleaning a fun, family project.  This will give you some quality time to chat with your children or spouse while cleaning a room together and will give kids a sense of responsibility and accomplishment when the job is finished.

As you get started, it’s important to tackle only one room at a time (or maybe two rooms depending on the number of people you have helping).  Working on more than one room at a time can make your house appear much more cluttered and messy if you don’t have time to finish the job in one day.  Also, make sure to include commonly skipped areas such as closets, junk drawers, medicine cabinets, garage/basement/attic storage areas, and outside.

As you begin each room, divide items into one of four categories: trash, give away/sell, storage, or put away.  The trash can be immediately disposed of to get it out of the way.  Items from each room that can be donated or sold need to be kept together, so that when the cleaning is done they can be easily found and sorted.  You will find some items that you do not use on a daily or weekly basis, but you can’t bear to part with just yet. These things can be put into boxes or large plastic containers, labeled and stored neatly in a garage or other storage area.  All other items that don’t belong in the room or are out of place can quickly be put away.  This should assure that the room is de-cluttered and that the actual “cleaning” such as vacuuming, dusting and cleaning windows and curtains can be done quickly and easily.

As you finish each room, it’s important to consider why the room became messy to begin with. This can help you find ways to keep your home neat and organized so that all your hard work is not wasted.  Adding small items to areas that typically become cluttered can help your family to stay more organized on a daily basis.  These can include mail sorters in the kitchen or foyer area, plastic crates in the bathroom or medicine cabinet, organizers in the junk drawer, or stacking shelves in a closet.  Making a family chore chart can also help to keep your house tidy all year long.  If each family member does one chore per day, there will not be as much work to do when spring cleaning time rolls around again.

The green movement is catching on everywhere, in all aspects of people’s lives.  While we all may be familiar with small lifestyle changes that can be made to make our homes more sustainable and energy efficient, there are many ways we can be more sustainable in decorating our homes as well. So, here are a few ideas that can jazz up the look of your home while still keeping it eco-friendly.

Opt for exterior sun shades instead of mini-blinds.  Exterior sun shades can reduce your homes cooling costs by up to 50% in the hotter months and make your windows treatments look more elegant. Most of these exterior shades block up to 90% of UV rays, while still allowing lots of airflow and just the right amount of light. They can be installed directly on the exterior of a window or can be used to enclose a porch or veranda.

Remodel sustainably.  If you are doing larger renovations to your home there are a few things you should keep in mind.  Using low or zero-VOC paint is better for the environment and for your family’s health. VOCs are volatile organic compounds that release solvents into the atmosphere as the paint dries.  These solvents create indoor air pollution as well as smog in the atmosphere. 

Installing energy efficient faucets and showerheads can reduce water consumption by half. Also, adding a pre-cut insulating jacket or blanket to your hot water heater can reduce heat loss by 25-45%, saving you about 5-9% in water heating costs. 

If you want to add a new, eco-friendly wood floor to your home, choose one from Mullican flooring's Green Haven collection.  The Green Haven line has the 100% PURE certification from the Forest Stewardship Council.

http://mullicanflooring.com/PRODUCTS/GreenHavenSld.html

 

It’s important to be careful when choosing color schemes for your home.  Color selection can have an impact on your mood and also represents your life. There are several popular colors this spring that can add character to your home and brighten your mood.

 

So far this year, the two most popular colors in both interior design and fashion are a bright, reddish pink and a deeper brownish-plum (pictured below).  Both of these colors are great because they can be used as base or accent colors and both evoke the type of pleasant emotions that you want in your home.  If you want to use both of these colors in the same room, it’s best to go with the plum as a base and accessorize in the pink. The deep brownish-plum is a great color choice for leathers, wood finishes and paint colors.  Vases, lamp shades, wall art, curtains etc. in the brighter pink will accent this well.

 

In addition to these colors are some popular shades for spring that will help bring the warm, sunny feeling from outside, into your home.  Bright reds, rusts, oranges, yellows and soft greens are all very popular this season and can work wonders on your mood.  Citrus yellows as well as softer golden mustard shades symbolize positive energy and a free spirit and reduce stress and anxiety.  Mixing these yellows with subtle, avocado tones will give your home a relaxed and stress free atmosphere, or you can add orange and peach tones for a warm, cozy feeling.  Since all of these colors work well with a neutral, khaki base, refreshing a room is easy by adding accessories in these colors.

 

 

Vintage style home décor is hot in 2011.  It can give your home a comfortable, nostalgic look that is both unique and easy on the wallet.  Some of the greatest vintage pieces can be found at flea markets or garage/estate sales, especially of old homes, or packed away in your own garage or basement.  With spring right around the corner, now is a great time to start hitting garage sales and searching for the perfect pieces to add to your home.  Want to go with the vintage look but not sure how? Follow these helpful hints to get you started!

First off, you may be wondering what exactly “vintage” is.  Many consider anything old to be vintage, but that isn’t necessarily the case.  Vintage mainly refers to the 1940’s and 1950’s style of décor, although many pieces from the 60’s and even some from the 70’s could be included, depending on your personal taste. 

The first rule of thumb in vintage style decorating: don’t be afraid to mix and match.  If you find a couple of great chairs that you’d like to use at a dining table, but you need more than two, continue searching.


Image from www.annesage.com


Mix and match furniture can be painted all the same color, and the variety of shape will the give the room flavor.  In order to paint pieces but keep the aged look, follow these painting tips:

1. Rub wax over corners and edges before you start.
2. Apply paint in thin coats.
3. When dry, rub with sandpaper or wire wool to give a “distressed” look.

Also, be on the lookout for pieces that can be “repurposed.”  Old factory carts or sewing machines can make great side tables.

(If you like the distressed look, check out our Frontier, Mountain View, and Castillian collections of distressed/wire brushed hardwood flooring.) http://www.mullicanflooring.com/PRODUCTS/Castillian.html

Second rule of vintage style decorating: accessories are key.  Brass and pewter finishes, especially on lamps and lighting fixtures are typical of the vintage era. Antique china plates and platters (mix and match works great here too) make great conversation starters when entertaining.  Old pottery, water pitchers, glass jars, apothecary jars, milk bottles, etc. can have a variety of uses.  You can fill them with flowers or use them to hold kitchen utensils.  Old trunks or stacked pieces of luggage can be used as tables or to fill empty space in a room and can also be used for extra storage.  Stacks of three or four vintage books on an end table or mantel can give a room personality, and framed pages of vintage magazines look great on the wall.

Whether you are looking to add a few new accessories to your modern décor, or decorate an entire room or home in a vintage style, shopping vintage can be easy, fun and most importantly, affordable.

Mullican Flooring is proud to introduce the first lifetime-warranty finish in the company's history, CLARITAGE® Extra finish by PPG Industries. This revolutionary finish offers durability and gloss longevity that exceed those for other hardwood flooring products.

Mullican’s first lifetime warranty for a finish, Claritage Extra finish is available on several of the company’s solid collections such as Meridian Pointe, St. Andrews, Muirfield and Green Haven (excluding hand sculpted selections).

The Urban Oasis Winner has been Chosen! 

This holiday season you will most likely accumulate new things, be sure you’re also regularly donating the things you no longer need. Also, make sure everything you own has a proper place, so you can put things away quickly and find things easily.

Mullican Flooring is a proud sponsor of HGTV's Urban Oasis airing this fall.  We hope all of you will tune in and love the apartment floor!
http://www.hgtv.com/urban-oasis/index.html

Urban Oasis Promotion Video

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