Forecasted Paint Trends for 2012

Each year we report the trends in paint and design for your home and each year, the colors seem to parallel what we’re experiencing in our economic and social climate.  According to Benjamin Moore, in 2011, the themes for paint colors were all about balance; including back to basics, self expression and calming palettes.

In 2012, the forecasted colors are predicted to evolve from our current environment to reflect the themes of preservation and protection. Perhaps the environment is changing so fast we look to paint and design as outward expressions of reconnecting with our past and slowing the pace of life to protect our future.

At Benjamin Moore’s ColorPulse 2012 event, the forecasted color trends were;

1.    Heritage – our past 

Heritage means “valued objects and qualities such as cultural traditions.” If we equate that to paint, colors speaking to this trend include earth tones, dark/rich colors and jeweled tones. Think of the Native American colors and patterns with rich deep reds, rich neutrals, bright sunny yellows and turquoise blue.

2.    Process – our journey 

A journey is a “series of actions or steps taken to achieve an end result.” Therefore, the translation to color could be blueprint inspired hues, greens with digital and organic influences, whitespace to represent a blank canvas and modern neutrals.

3.    Protection – our vulnerability

Protection is “preservation from injury or harm.” This means metallic’s along with bronze and silver will still be seen frequently, pink and purple undertones and black.

4.    Enlightenment – our future 

To be enlightened is to gain insight on a deep or spiritual level. You can almost envision these colors…cloudy whites, silvery and mirror effects, along with shades of watery blues and purples. Keep an eye out for orbital shapes (the oval shape of an egg) as they symbolize rebirth. 

Do you see these colors as reflective our current environment? Would you ever change your home design or paint colors to reflect these trends? Let us know.

Please visit our website at http://boise.handymanconnection.com to view our current promotions.

This article was adapted from an article entitled Color Trends for 2012 from YourHomeOnlyBetter.com.

Reflecting on 2011

As we reach the end of 2011, let’s pause to reflect on the past year and what we’re grateful for in our lives. Instead of thinking about what you didn’t accomplish or your perceived failures, think about what you learned from your mistakes to make you stronger in the future, and how you can turn failure into success in 2012. Think about every positive aspect you experienced in 2010 and all you have to be grateful for—starting with the little things taken for granted each day.

At Handyman Connection, we are grateful to you for letting us fix, design, build, refinish and remodel your homes. We appreciate your business and wish you a very Happy New Year!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  - Anonymous

Christmas Tree Safety Tips & Boise Recycling Dates

Real or fake? Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to the Christmas trees that grace their homes over the holidays. Whether you trek into the wilderness to scout out your own tree, visit a Christmas tree lot down the street or unpack your tree from a box in the garage, there are tips to ensure you and your family stay safe through the holidays.

Here are a few Christmas fire statistics from the NFPA.

• Each year, fire departments respond to roughly 200 structure fires caused by Christmas trees.
• Two out of five home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems.
• A heat source too close to the Christmas tree started one of every five (20%) of these fires.
• Eighteen percent of home Christmas tree structure fires were intentionally set. Half of the intentional Christmas tree fires occurred in January and may have been related to disposal.

So, how do we make sure our home isn’t a statistic?

Picking the tree

• If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

Placing the tree

• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1–2” from the base of the trunk.
• Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
• Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.

Lighting the tree

• Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of LED strands to connect.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

After Christmas

• Get rid of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program.
• Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

* Free Christmas tree pickup in Boise City is the week of January 2^nd. Take your tree out with the trash on your normal pickup day. If you have any remaining leaves to recycle, this is also the day to leave them curbside.

Low Cost Projects, High Impact Results

In today’s economic environment, we’re looking for projects that make a big impact in our homes, without emptying our wallets in the process.  Good news. There are a few ways you can make aesthetic changes in your home without breaking the bank in the process. Earlier this month we shared five simple, inexpensive tips to prepare your home for the holidays.  Below we’ve listed six simple projects which can modernize or brighten up your home.

Decorate with fresh flowers 

Create a focal point in your kitchen or living area with a vase of fresh flowers. Pick them from your garden or buy just three flowers from the store. Even just a small, simple bouquet will brighten up a room.

Paint walls or ceilings

Painting is one of the most inexpensive changes to make in a house and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Try painting just one wall or the ceiling to create a new look and feel in your room. Painting cabinetry with fresh paint will also bring them and your room to life.

Hang a new bathroom mirror

Is your bathroom mirror outdated? When selecting a new one, be sure to choose one that has a frame around it for maximum impact. Also, be sure it is long enough for a five foot, or a six foot person, to be able to see themself.

Install new drawer/cabinet pulls

If your kitchen or bathroom hardware is from the 1970’s, switch it up. Home Depot and Lowes sell numerous styles of drawer and cabinet pulls and there are many to be found online as well. Try My Knobs  or Anthropologie. Changing the hardware is a great way to modernize a room or give it character on a tight budget.

Dress up a wall with photos

Are you tired of staring down a blank, white wall? Consider dressing it up with photos of family and friends by grouping black and white photos together, or grouping four small same-size pictures together in a four-square to give the illusion of a larger picture.

Update faucets

Kitchen and bathroom faucets are high-use objects receiving a lot of attention. Even if your bathroom and kitchen aren’t amazing, your faucets can be. Many styles are available to update your old faucets and to showcase your personal style chic.

Visit us at boise.handymanconnection.com for our special holiday offers and promotions.

 

 

5 Tips to Get Your Home Holiday Ready

Creating a cozy, comfortable and festive space. That is the aim of hosts preparing to entertain family and friends this holiday season. Entertainers love to ensure our guests feel at home in our house and to create a merry and cheerful atmosphere. Below are five tips to enhance your holiday gathering. But keep in mind, the best gift you can give your guests is the gift of hospitality— sharing your home, friendship and spreading holiday cheer. That is what the holiday season is really all about.

Make it cozier. Just by throwing colored pillows on the sofa, you can cozy up a room. Consider fall colors—warm and spicy, or metallic. Metallic details catch light and add a glowing effect in a room which may help capture the festive mood of the holidays. Another quick fix is to add a throw rug in a high traffic area. What kind of lighting do you currently have? Candles, white lights, a fireplace and soft ambient light (versus bright fluorescent lighting) can change the mood of the room. Don’t forget about music too.

Tidy up. This one seems like a no brainer. Most hosts plan to clean before an event but don’t forget to remove clutter from your family’s high traffic spots – place bills in another location and remove clutter from your coffee tables. Sometimes these areas are hard for us to distinguish since we see them every day. It helps to have a friend tell you what they notice when in your home so you can adjust areas as necessary.

Stock your kitchen. The holidays aren’t only about spending time with loved ones; they are about celebrating traditions and also about eating.  Do your guests have any guests with special dietary needs such as; gluten free, vegetarian, dairy allergy or non-alcoholic drinkers? Keep these in mind when selecting snack foods and beverages for the event. There is nothing worse than a hungry guest who isn’t able to eat what you are serving. 

Think about seating. How many guests do you plan to have? Is there ample seating for them in the living areas before the event and at the holiday table? I remember sitting at the “kids table” at holiday events (i.e. card or camping table). This is an inexpensive way to add more seating but if you don’t have enough chairs, consider renting so that everyone has a place to sit. You may also consider arranging your furniture into “conversation groups” so your guests have a comfortable place to gather and chat before the meal begins.

Create space for kids. Think about your guests. Do they have kids? If so what age? Consider a play space for young kids and/or games for the older kids to keep them occupied and help them enjoy the event too.

There you are…five tips to help you get ready for the holiday season. Do you have a favorite tip to share with our readers about how you prep for the entertaining season?  We’d love to hear from you.

Visit our website at boise.handymanconnection.com

Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips

This article was important enough that we wanted to share it with you all before you take your kids out trick-or-treating tonight. Happy Halloween!

The Better Business Bureau issued its safety instructions recently for the upcoming Halloween season. Whether it’s the candy the little ghosts or goblins eat, the costumes they wear or road safety while they are out trick-or-treating, the BBB ask that people take heed of the following advice. 

Candy Safety

• Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.
• Trick-or-treaters should eat a snack before heading out, so they won’t be tempted to nibble on treats that haven’t been inspected.
• Tell children not to accept—or eat—anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.
• Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
• Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.  

Costume Safety:

• Make sure it fits. Do a Halloween Runway Show with your kids – or even yourself – to make sure the costume offers full mobility and trim as needed. Also, make sure junior isn’t overloaded.
• “Seeing” works both ways. While we’re on the subject of fitting the costume, consider how well the child can see inside the mask. Sometimes, a couple snips can clear out a big range of vision. Consider how well your child can be seen at night in their costume. Make sure your child can be seen by motorists, haunted house owners, and other Trick-or-Treaters after dark.
• Consider the footwear. Many kids have been forced to turn back for home with far less than the annual candy quota because of pain, or because they have tripped or fallen in their Halloween costume shoes.

Final Thoughts:

• Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
• Only walk on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
• Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats unless you know the cook well.
• Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, stay outside.

Article Source:  http://tucker.patch.com

 

How To’s – Easy Fixes to Common Problems

Whether it’s removing an oil stain from your driveway or cleaning your microwave, a homeowner’s work is never done. To simplify your life, we have compiled a few of our favorite “how-to” tips for things from cooking to household and car maintenance.

Around the house tips

Remove oil stain from driveway – If the stain is larger than two feet, hire in a professional. If it’s under two feet mix equal parts WD-40 and kitty litter (yep, kitty litter!). Let the solution soak a few minutes then scrub it on with a stiff bristled broom. Rinse with water. Repeat the process if the stain is still there.

Remove windshield water stains – To remove hard water stains from your car windshield, spread car wax on it. Use a steel wool brush without soap to rub the wax off along with the water stains. Then wipe the wax off with a towel.

Avoid frozen pipes – Once the weather starts getting into the freezing temps every night, be sure to unscrew your hose from the wall. Pipes can freeze and be a costly expense if the hose remains attached all winter.

 

Laundry Tips

Remove tomato based or body odor stains – Soak your clothes (any color clothes) in Oxi Clean overnight. Then wash as normal. Check to see if stains are removed before drying and if not, resoak in Oxi Clean.

Remove blood stain – Pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Then wash the cloth as normal but add in a scoop of Oxi Clean.

Remove ink from clothes – Spray ink stain with hairspray. Allow to sit for a few hours and watch as the ink bleeds out of the clothing. Wash as normal.

 

Cooking Tips

Remove onion smell from hands – After cutting onions, rub your hands on stainless steel. Yes, seriously, it works!

Saving wine – Don’t throw out left over wine. Pour it into ice cube trays and use it in soups, sauces and casseroles.

Put out stove top fires – Baking soda makes the best fire extinguisher for stove top grease fires if you do not have a fire extinguisher.

Cleaning a microwave – Microwave a wet paper towel for one minute. The steam loosens up all the crud on the inside and then makes wiping it off a cinch.

 

Household Tips

Add fragrance to a room – Spray a bit of perfume on a light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent. You won’t smell it unless the light is turned on.

Organize appliance cords – Use an empty toilet paper roll to contain all the cords to keep them tidy.

Redo grout – To remove old grungy grout, use mixture of equal parts baking soda, ammonia, white vinegar and water. Rub vigorously on grout with a bristled brush. Then add fresh grout.

Clean a disposal – If your garbage disposal seems to not chop up scraps, put some ice cubes down in and turn the disposal on. It cleans and sharpens the blades at the same time.

 

Do you have a quick and easy “how-to” to share with us? Please let us know on our Handyman Connection Boise Facebook page.

Fall Home and Yard Maintenance

September 23^rd was the first official day of fall but it’s a little hard to believe winter is just around the corner when we are still experiencing 80 and 90 degree temperatures in the Treasure Valley. With each change of season come recommended maintenance tips we should perform on our home and yard. We have collected a few of them to share with you below…even if we’re lucky enough with our warm weather to not have to do them for a few more weeks!

Windows and Doors: Seal drafty doors and windows. During the cooler months, cold air leaks in and your money leaks out in heating costs. Replace seals as needed. If necessary, remove screens and install storm windows and doors.

Heating System: Have the heating system serviced and change the filters for better furnace efficiency.

Safety Equipment: Ensure that all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are in good working order. Replace batteries as needed. October is fire safety month so it’s a good time to review your family’s fire safety plan too.

Exterior Walls: If paint is peeling on the exterior home walls, it is a sign that your paint is failing to protect the building. According to Carl Minchew, Director of Benjamin Moore Paints, “Peeling paint is a sign that the existing paint film is failing and can no longer protect the siding of the building. Left uncorrected, the siding itself will deteriorate, leading to expensive repairs in the future.”

Gutters: Leaves are beginning to fall and now is a good time to clean your gutters out. Doing it before all the leaves fall helps prevent clogs from causing damage.

Roof: Before the rain and snow come, inspect your roof for missing or loose shingles. “Ice, rain, snow and wind combined with rapidly changing temperatures and humidity wreak havoc on roofs,” says Jay Butch, Director, Contractor programs for CertainTeed Roofing. “Your roof is your first defense in protecting your home. Without it functioning properly, water damage can occur.”

Sprinklers: Blowing out all the water from your sprinkler system before the freezing temperatures arrive prevents water freezing in the irrigation system which will break pipes, fittings, valves, sprinklers, and pumps. This is an inexpensive maintenance tip but a very costly expense to fix the damage if it’s not done before the extensive cold weather.

Lawn: A little bit of lawn maintenance goes a long way to ensuring your grass is green come spring time. Rake the leaves to avoid killing the grass under the leaves, mow your lawn one last time after growth has stopped and apply a fall fertilizer.

After these few simple steps, you can sit back with some spiced apple cider, carve pumpkins and enjoy the crisp fall days.

Fall Decorating Ideas & Trends

Fall presents us with a stunning array of colors to enjoy. Tones of brown, rust, red, gold, bright yellow and orange speckle our landscape.  While spectacular, nature’s display only lasts a few months. According to HGTV.com, after years of soft, neutral interior palettes, bold colors are making a comeback this fall. Bold color pairings such as pink and brown or blue and green are the top two color combinations this season.

If you want to bring the rich, cozy feeling of Fall into your home, we have some decorating ideas for you.  The fall decorating trends for 2011 below can be used to transform a space or an entire room within your home.

Metallics- Using paint to incorporate small patches of bronze or gold into a decorating scheme changes the feeling and tone of an entire room. Think of adding metallic bronze curtains, painting a fireplace mantle with a gold shimmer or painting a single wall for added warmth and depth. Even gold vases as accessories warm up a room nicely.

Exotic Accents– With orange and red paint hues, or a colorful piece of furniture, you can brighten a room while creating an exotic theme. Cost Plus has some of the best home accent imports if you want to create a new exotic theme in your home.

Splashes of Color– If your room is mostly neutral, consider incorporating fall colored throw pillows on the sofa to add a splash of color.  You can also make a design impact in a room just by adding colorful accessories like vases or lamps on tables and shelves.

Retro Accents – Mad Men has inspired clothing lines and furniture designs over the past few years. A hot trend is incorporating retro into a room, but with a modern twist. Think of mixing and matching retro along with sleek, modern pieces for a unique effect.

Nature Inspired Pieces – From the food we eat to the way we decorate, our society is trying to get back to nature. Rustic and wood-grain pieces are trending this fall. Think of a rustic wood bedside table or wall coverings with natural motifs.  Mixing rustic with modern is also a hot design trend.

The trends above are merely suggestions of what is hot this fall. Have fun and be creative when transforming a room. The most important consideration is a creating a comfortable space which reflects your unique personality. 

Planning the Perfect Football Party

It’s that time of year when the nights are getting cooler, the days are growing shorter, kids are back in school and FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE! With football games come football parties and we’re going to help you host the perfect shin-dig this fall.

Alright, let’s assume your party is going to be all planned out ahead of time, not just a spontaneous gathering. Main considerations to take into account when hosting a football party are; invitations, food, TV’s, seating, decorations and beverages.

Invitations

Since football parties are rather informal affairs, the best invitation options are to create and send a private Facebook event request or to use email invitations using free invites options such as www.evite.com.

Sustenance

When you think of football, the second thing that comes to mind is food. You cannot even consider hosting a football party without the proper sustenance for  guests. The best foods for football parties are snacky finger-foods like; wings, pizza, snack mix, nuts, veggie trays, fruit trays and chips and salsa.  One of my favorites from a football party last year was cheese fondue with cut up bread to dip in it. Surprising and delicious. Brownies, cookies, ice cream and chocolate are excellent dessert choices. No one wants to barbecue, because unless there is a TV outside, they’re gonna miss the game. That brings us to the next topic. Watching the game.

TV’s

There need to be enough TV’s so with each room you walk in, you can see the game. Advice from an avid football watcher was that for a good football party, there needs to be a TV in the living room, the kitchen and if there’s one outside, that is cool too.  Most families don’t have this many portable big-screen TV’s so you can always rent one if necessary. It goes without saying, but the bigger the screen, the better.

Seating

Be sure there is ample seating in the main viewing room so all your guests are comfortable. If there isn’t ample seating, consider folded chairs— or create a second viewing area in another room or outside.

Decorations

Decorations aren’t necessary but they do add an element of fun and excitement to your party. Consider colored chips (in your favorite team colors of course), streamers, balloons and team branded hats or beads. Visit your local sports store for additional ideas.

Beverages

Last but not least, remember your guests will be thirsty. This may be the only time they cut loose all week. Be sure to have beverage options for various drinking preferences; beer, wine, water and soda. Don’t forget the ice. If you serve alcohol beverages, advocate that each guest has a designated driver to make sure everyone gets home safely.

Cheers to you for throwing a successful party— and hopefully, your team will win!