Style Archives - House Lift

Spring Cleaning Tricks for a Modern Home

Are you looking for great spring cleaning tips? Look no further. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are getting warmer and the air is filled with fresh fragrance. This means one thing: it’s time for spring cleaning! Spring cleaning is deeply rooted in human history spanning every culture and country around the world. As winter turns to spring, we feel an energy of renewal that drives us to refresh and revive our homes. The dwellings we clean today, however, are quite different from those of our ancestors. Modern homes are larger, with more spaces and items to clean, including technology and appliances, making the task of spring cleaning a much larger undertaking. While doing a full-home spring spruce-up is a lot of work, the reward is spending those precious first warm days in a sparkling clean home. And with a few easy tricks, you can make the spring cleaning a lot more manageable. We know the value of feeling great about the home you’re in. Keep reading for our spring cleaning tips. 1. Start With a Game Plan Before you embark on your spring cleaning journey, you need to map out your path and make sure you have all of...

Steps to (Finally) Finishing Your Basement

Homeowners are attracted to finishing a basement for a number of reasons. A finished basement adds usable living space to a home for recreation, exercise facilities, home bar and entertainment areas, and comfortable, private guest accommodations. Finished basements can also help homes stand out in the housing market, attracting higher offers. Finishing the basement also provides homeowners with an opportunity to check in on structural needs and important maintenance to keep the whole house in healthy shape. If finishing the basement has been on your list of things to do for a while, the remodeling and renovation professionals at House Lift have some helpful steps you can take to finally get your project moving along. Step 1: Identify Your Goals The general idea of finishing a basement can float around for a while, but identifying the specific goals you’d like to achieve is the best way to jumpstart your project. Maybe you’re looking to add space for a growing family, have a more pleasant environment for laundry and recreation, or you’d like to create a home theatre experience. Perhaps you simply want to add resale value to your home. Whatever your needs may be, identifying your goals for your finished...

Hygge Home Ideas to Warm You Through Spring

“Hygge” is a Danish and Norwegian word that defines the feeling of a warm, cozy, welcoming environment that inspires a sense of wellness, comfort, and conviviality. Hygge is a year-round value in Denmark and Norway, but as they enter their long dark winters, hygge goes into high gear. While Minnesota winters aren’t as intense as these northern neighbors’, we could learn a thing or two from them about how to prioritize the sense of hygge in our homes during the cold seasons. The House Lift team loves inspiring a sense of comfort in homes, and we’d love to share some hygge inspiration to make this season bright. 1. Embrace Warm Lighting Lighting has a transformative effect. Candles are considered hygge because of the gentle, warm light they provide. Proven to inspire relaxation, comfort, and light-heartedness, bringing out the candles in winter can ease the stress of cold commutes, uncooperative appliances and vehicles, and winter storms. In addition to candles, utilizing your fireplace and setting up twinkle lights are great ways to create hygge lighting and add a spirit of warmth and magic to your winter home. 2. Get Snuggly The comfort provided by blankets is so profound that’s been the...

Ways to Prep Your Home for the Holidays

The holidays are upon us here in the Twin Cities and whether you are able to celebrate with family and friends this year or your holiday plans have been postponed, what better way to add some cheer to the season with some easy home upgrades and festive decor! Here are 3 ways to prep your home for the holidays: Winter Cleaning Giving your home a deep clean prior to the arrival of guests goes a long way. Of course cleaning the main rooms of the house where guests will congregate first will allow you to feel more prepared, but doing a deep clean on corners and closets and other out-of-sight locations will help relax your mind so you can focus on spending quality time with your family, rather than worrying about what the guests think of your home. A clean home promotes a sense of well-being that will carry over into your holiday. Consider it your early spring cleaning. Stock Up On Supplies To avoid the unwanted stress of holiday shopping, try stocking up on necessary items well in advance. Items ranging from food, to household supplies, to holiday gifts can be purchased before the holiday season so that when...

5 Home Projects

There’s only so much Netflix you can watch before you start getting restless. Renovating your entire home or yard isn’t likely right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make some great changes while you’re at home. Here are five home projects that the whole family can do together: Straighten, Fix, or Redo Your Wall Decorations From TVs to artwork to photos, wall decor becomes crooked after a while. Take a moment to stroll through the house and straighten them all up; it makes a big difference in the overall look of your home. If you’re feeling especially motivated, take down all of your old decor and rearrange it, or create a new gallery by moving art around the house to keep things fresh. Rearrange the Furniture One of the easiest ways to freshen up your home is by rearranging your furniture. Try moving the couch to another wall, adjust your armchair, or mix and match prints from another room. This is a great way to introduce your kids to interior design and home projects, so let them take the lead on this project. Touch Up Your Paint Most of us have at least a few cans of paint stowed...

4 Ways to Smarten Up Your Home

Your home just got smarter, and more efficient. With smart home technology, you can control cooling, heating, doorbells, locks, and lighting from the comfort of your smartphone. Smart technology isn’t just a way to make your life easier, but also a way to save energy, strengthen security, and differentiate your home on the market when you decide to sell. The convenience, luxury, and security smart technology creates can change your life forever, for the best. To help get you started, we’ve highlighted some essential smart upgrades for your home below. Thermostat A thermostat may seem like the most basic feature of the home, but it has a large impact on your energy bills and overall comfort. Half of your monthly energy costs are controlled by your thermostat, and a smart thermostat can reduce your energy expenditure greatly. What if you could use your phone to tell your thermostat you were on your way home? Or what if your thermostat could sense your proximity and calculate the exact time to make your home warm and cozy when you arrive? A smart thermostat can learn these household’s patterns and adjust heating and cooling according to when the home is occupied or not....

Your Attic Space | A Transformable Room

Attics are no longer the place of dust-ridden antiques and mice. This home space is an easily transformable room that offers a prime opportunity for remodeling and creativity. Check out the ideas below for how to turn your attic into an aesthetic feature of your house. A Bright Dining Room If your attic is like most people’s, it has a few windows and room for improvement. You can create a unique dining experience by transforming your attic into a place where your family enjoys sun-filled meals together. Carve out space for more windows and let the light in! Workspace Whether it’s an in-home office or an art studio, use your attic as a productive and creative space. Dedicate the top level of your home for your passion or your obligations, and make it your own. Entertainment Center Who said your primary television area has to be in the living room? Turn your attic into a hangout space and fill it with board games, comfy bean bag chairs, and a stereo system. Designate this area for your kids when they invite friends over so they have their own space and you can relax downstairs. A Guest Suite Your family likes to...

Living Room Trends | Must-Haves In 2019

The people have spoken, and the hottest trends for 2019 living room design are in. We picked some of our favorites, so read below to learn about how you can bring your A-game to the interior decorating department. Compact Side Tables These are ideal for freeing up space in your living room while also offering a functional furniture piece in the space. Structures made of metal with gold, silver, and bronze colors are very trendy right now, and these give your living room a clean-cut and chic look. Ditch the Couch No longer are couches a necessary staple for living rooms. Break the rules and invest in furniture that speaks to your style and personality instead; perhaps buy a intricately-designed yet comfortable bench or a group of fuzzy and frilly chairs for lounging. Depending on your space availability and the amount of activity that usually goes on in your living room, you can opt for fewer, smaller, bolder seats or you can offer one long, functional piece to provide comfort to your frequent guests. The More, The Merrier While minimalism had its day in the sun, maximalism is here – and homeowners are loving it. Instead of naked surfaces, muted...

Building Up or Building Out

Renovating and making additions to your home may seem like a costly, time-consuming venture. With the right strategy and mindset, however, your vision can transform your home into the place you’ve always wanted. Read below to find out the advantages of building up or building out, both of which can add significant value to your home. More Space Oftentimes, homeowners are motivated by the need for more room in their homes. Whether it’s a growing family or a long overdue renovation to a cramped kitchen, your desire for a larger home is valid. Your opportunities are endless — a guest bedroom, another bathroom, a larger garage, etc. Simply adding three or four feet to your kitchen or living room can be the difference between claustrophobia and comfort. In addition, if you’re an empty-nester with college kids or you’re trying to find a home for your elderly parents, adding more rooms to your home can offer space for other loved ones to permanently stay with you. Rent it Out Not only can additions make your home more valuable if you decide to sell it, but you can earn money for your extra space by renting it out. In this manner, you...

Building a Deck – What To Plan For

Whether you’re looking for another DIY home project or you simply want to add a deck to your house for functional purposes, the process is completely doable and enjoyable no matter your handyman abilities. Depending on the type and design of deck you want, there are variations in the procedure. In addition, you should consider your needs and your lifestyle before beginning the design process. Planning Your Deck Before diving right into the construction process, it’s important to consider the type of deck you want, what function you want it to serve, the size you can afford, and your budget. It’s a smart idea to start small, and then if down the road you decide you want to upgrade the size and quality of building materials, you can. Will the deck be a simple aesthetic piece, or will it be a frequent place of gathering for your large extended family? You should also consider the current layout of your yard — trees, bushes, patio space, etc. — before creating a game plan. Size and Shape A common homeowners’ rule of thumb is that the deck size should be no more than 20% of the size of the house. If you...

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