LetsChatNJ.com

Turn Wasted Space into a Home Office or Hobby Area

By Amanda Knoles

Does your family have a dining room that is rarely used, or do you have a small room that seems to end up the catchall spot for things that won’t fit into the closet? Reclaim that wasted space and turn it into a multipurpose room that can be used as a home office, hobby area and guest room when needed.

Tips for Buying New Carpeting

By Amy Kennedy

With so many styles, colors and textures to choose from, buying new carpeting can be confusing. Before you shop for carpet there are several important things you should take into consideration.
First of all, think about how each room is used. It may be better to choose carpet with high soil and stain resistance for heavier traffic areas like hallways and family rooms, and install a more expensive, plusher style in the master bedroom and living room. While you may save money initially buying one carpet type for the whole house, it won’t be such a bargain if you select a style that shows wear quicker than you would like.

Talk to the salesperson about your family’s needs and lifestyle. If you entertain frequently...

Preparing Your Windows for Winter

By Joe Talent

Windows can be your best friend or worst enemy during the cold dark months of winter. On the one hand, they allow light and warmth from the sun into your home and are your portals to the outside world. On the other hand, they can allow heat to escape, driving up energy costs, and costing hundreds of dollars per year. It is estimated that as a whole, homeowners in the United States waste $25 billion in heating air that eventually leaks through improperly insulated windows.
Proper preparation can save you a significant amount of money in heating costs and keep you warmer this winter.

Helpful Hints for Maximizing Space in Small Rooms

By Amy Kennedy

Many older homes have a couple of rooms that are so small they present design and furniture placement challenges. Instead of throwing up your hands in despair, use designer tricks to make spaces seem larger than they really are. For example, pushing a bed against a wall and using a grouping of pillows instead of a headboard takes up less space and gives a small bedroom a more spacious look.

In a room that has no windows, placing a photo of an outdoor scene on the wall and framing it with shutters gives the illusion of more space and provides a “view”.

Design Your Children’s Rooms for Future Adaptability

By Amanda Knoles

Many parents have a tendency to go way overboard when decorating children’s rooms. To please little Tommy they give him a red and yellow room with a racecar theme including a car-shaped bed and a huge mural painted on the wall. The problem is as Tommy gets older he may find the car bed increasingly uncomfortable to sleep in and wish that he could change the room’s theme to reflect his new interest in surfing.

Rather than painting a difficult-to-remove mural

The single mother of invention ... cubed

Maggie Reed

"What am I going to do with 50 little cubes of pesto?" Lisa Brock asked herself six years ago.
The single mother of two and former financial services executive was reading a magazine article stating that ice cube trays could be used to freeze more than chicken broth.
She thought it was a great idea, but didn't know quite what to do with all those little cubes. She looked to find suitable containers to hold more manageable sizes.
"Then I realized the things didn't exist," she said.