Whether you work from home, run your own business or simply want a place where you can sit down to sort your bills, a home office can turn into a welcome haven. While having a dedicated room for it would be ideal, even a small corner in the living room or kitchen can be turned into a home office if you’re willing to make some sacrifices in space and design. Here’s how to set up a home office in five simple steps:

1. Choose the location. Make sure it’s in a quiet area where you’ll be able to concentrate and out of the way from major family traffic. You can convert a spare bedroom into a home office if possible or have a room play both duties.
2. Buy furniture that fits the space. Don’t buy the furniture first and then choose the placement, or you might be stuck with a piece that doesn’t fit properly or wastes space. For small areas in the kitchen or living room, a small rectangular table with a drawer or a corner desk should be enough. If you can have your own room, consider an L-shaped desk, so you can maximize the surface space.
3. Make a list of the equipment you will need. If budget is tight, start with the basics and then add other pieces as money becomes available. Essential items include a computer, phone (with its own line if you’re running a business), printer (or invest in a 3-in-1 scanner, printer and fax machine) and answering machine. You will also need a hutch or a filing cabinet where you can store office supplies and paperwork.
4. Invest in a good lamp, so you can work without straining your eyes. Even if you have good overhead light, get a desk lamp.
5. Personalize the area. Make it inviting so you will want to spend time there. Add some picture frames with either personal photos or images you love. Make sure your chair is well padded, especially if you decide not to go with a standard office chair. Keep small baskets and penholders on the desk so it’s easy to organize everything at the end of the day.

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Wood pellets stoves arte one of the most efficient heating sources you can have in a room. While they can’t warm up the whole house, they will keep a single room quite nicely and without a big expense. While wood pellet stoves burn wood, they don’t burn logs. You will need to buy special wood shavings or sawdust to burn in them.  They do have the advantage of costing less and taking less space to store than logs and larger-size wood pieces.

When it comes to choosing a wood pellet stove, keep in mind:

• Do you already have a fireplace? If so, you can install a special model of wood pellet stove right into it. If not, you can buy a freestanding model (more expensive).

• How much work do you want to do? Cheaper models are more manual-oriented, while more expensive options are completely automated. This means you don’t have to feed the pellets into the stove but only fill up the hopper (a special holding compartment) and the pellets will be released into the fire as needed.

• Check what the contract and service agreement provide and for how long. Because wood pellet stoves have moving parts, chances are you will to have it serviced at some point, which can be expensive if you have to pay out of pocket.

• Finally, choose a size that is big enough to heat the whole room, or you’ll end up wasting energy. You’ll need 25 to 30 BTU per each square foot of room.

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Mirrors can do a lot more than serve as a beauty aid. Placed in the right corner or area of your house, they can become a cheap and original way to change the look and feel of a room. Here are some good ideas on how to use mirrors:

• Place a mirror on top of a side table or coffee table and place a series of candles on top. The mirror will double the light and reflect it in unusual and fun ways, depending on what other lights you have on in the room.
• Hang a large mirror on the wall of a small room to make it appear larger.
• Hang a mirror next to window so the light from outside bounces on it and multiplies, making the room appear lighter and brighter. This is an ideal solution for rooms that are naturally dark or cave-like.
• Make a collective display using small mirrors as both decoration and as a trick to increase room size. Choose several mirrors of the same format but different sizes or mix and vice versa. Making sure all mirrors have something in common (size, form, frame or frameless, etc.) will create a more uniform display. This works well on bathroom or dining room wall or on the wall next to a staircase.
• Cover a plain wood tray with a mirror. You can use super glue or craft glue to secure it in place. You can then place the table on a dresser or a window ledge and use it to store perfumes, small knick knacks or jewelry.

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You don’t need to spend a fortune to completely redo the look and feel of your yard. A few accessories here and there can make a world of difference and give you a yard the whole family can enjoy.

1. Create separate spaces tied together by a team. Whether you’re going for country, modern or romantic, you can easily create a theme by planting the same type of plants (roses for formal, fruit trees for country-like) around the yard, as well as by using accessories (anything from hammocks to fish ponds would work). Dedicate a small area to build a patio, where you can place a small table and chairs for a quick breakfast, resting or having a BBQ.

2. Bring the indoors out. Accessories that you would normally think of as “indoor only” can completely change the feel of a yard. Think cushions, candles, rugs and blankets. You can either shop for weather-resistant products or bring them back inside at night or during rainy days.

3. Start a garden. Nothing makes a yard come alive as having a garden. Whether you want to grow vegetables or try your hand at flowers and shrubs, select a section of the yard and get it ready for planting. Choose hardy plants if you’re new to gardening and want a stress-free experience.

4. Invite wildlife into your harden by hanging up birdhouses, setting up a pond or placing a fountain near the trees and flowers.

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While building a home addition or completely remodeling your home may be your ultimate dream, that may not be a practical option if you are on a tight budget or planning on selling and moving soon. Still, there are plenty of things you can do to increase the value of your home without putting too much time or money into the project. Some of the these changes will significantly increase the value of your home as well, so you’ll get more for your property once you’re ready to sell.

• Make the most of your yard. No matter how small it is, there’s always space for a great lawn and at least a single lawn chair. If you can afford the space for flower beds, go ahead and build them around the edges. Otherwise, get a few large potted plants and group them in a couple of areas around the yard.
• Repaint the rooms. Get rid of white and beige walls, which are often the staple of a rental house. Instead, choose pastel colors such as yellows, blues and pinks that give the rooms personality and warm. Avoid crazy colors and patterns, as this can play against you when trying to sell a home. Before painting, patch any holes and sandpaper the walls if necessary.
• Declutter the house. It makes rooms appear larger and cleaner and gives potential buyers the feeling that the house is big enough to fit anything.
• Clean the carpets and rugs and wash the curtains. If you can afford it, replace them. This is especially important if colors are faded or material is stained.
• Refinish kitchen cabinets if you can’t do anything else. Paint the doors a light color or replace them to change the look of the whole room without any major changes.

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Bamboo flooring has become popular over the last two decades and with good reason. Bamboo is more efficient than any other wood, providing more wood by the meter than any other plant. It is also a great alternative to hardwoods because of its durability and look. Here are a few good reasons to choose bamboo:

• It’s as strong as oak and lasts at least as long. However, it doesn’t contract and expand as much as other woods, so it’s better for hot humid conditions where hardwood floors would normally not do well.
• It has a unique look. Because of its stripped appearance and even grain, bamboo catches the eye more than any other type of wood floor.
• Bamboo doesn’t dent, scratch, warp or bend as easily as other woods.
• It’s easier to install bamboo flooring than most other materials, as the wood can be glued, stapled, nailed or floated on the floor.
• Bamboo doesn’t stain and it’s resistant to water, making it a great choice for bathrooms and kitchens. To clean it, it can simply be mopped with water once a week. It requires no special products or treatments.

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Keeping things organized during the holiday season may prove to be a big challenge. With presents to wrap, cards to send and packing to be done before visiting friends and family, you may find yourself under a pile of papers even before Christmas gets even close.

· Make a list of everybody who’s getting either a card or a present. Write down the name, address and type of present to be given. Those that need to be sent should be bought and prepared first. If you are planning on buying cardboard boxes for the presents, do so well in advance, so you have a chance to get the packages to the post office before the holiday rush starts.

· Label cardboard boxes that contain holiday decorations. Do this before you start taking anything out. This way you’ll know where everything goes when it’s time to put it back.

· Create a wrapping center. Designate a corner of your desk, a drawer or a box to put all the wrapping paper, tape and gift tags.

· Dig on your old boxes before buying anything new to decorate the house, the tree or the porch. Chances are you don’t remember what’s in there.

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While there are many articles everywhere on how to deal with clutter, few address a more important issue: How to prevent clutter from happening in the first place. By taking care of your possessions and making sure you don’t buy more than you need, you can deal with excess and prevent chaos from taking over your home.

Here are five ways to get you started:

1. Ask yourself a series of questions before you buy something. Do you really need it? Is there something you already own that can serve the same purpose? Do you have the space for it? Can you get rid of something to make space for the new item? How long are you going to use it? If this is something you will only use once or twice, can you rent it or borrow it instead of buying it?

2. Determine where the item is going to be placed. Not the general room or area of the house, but the specific location, such as “second shelf of the living room bookcase.” If you can’t find a specific location for it, it should be considered clutter.

3. Have a place to store it. If you’re buying Christmas decorations, cleaning supplies and products or a new set of china, make sure you have enough cabinet space or drawers to put these items away when not in use. Moving boxes make great for storing stuff you don’t use often.

4. Have a designated place for things you deal with regularly. Have a tray near the main door where you can dump mail as soon as it comes in. Or place a container near the entrance where you can put umbrellas, or a small wood rack where you can store shoes.

5. Get into the habit of donating things you no longer use or need. Don’t wait until they pile up so high that it will take you days to get through them. Go through your closet, your bookshelf and your garage once a week and make a bag of things you can give away. Drive the bags to the nearest thrift store at least once a month.

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Some small changes or additions can turn a plain house into the stuff of dreams. Whether you’re going for romantic cottage or charming country styles, sometimes it’s the little touches that can make all the difference.

Picket fences scream cottage, even if you live in the middle of the city. Stick to white if you want something obvious or mix pastels and bold colors for a major impact.

Turn your porch into an outdoor room. Use vintage furniture (from benches and chairs to a hatch) as much as possible to add character. Choose weather-resistant materials and don’t be afraid to buy things at garage sales or discount centers –After all, these items will stay outside and probably end up damaged after a while. Add touches of color and charm by using pillows, eye-catching accessories and lots of potted plants.

Hang stuff from the walls. Old pots and pans, dried flowers and vintage collectibles (such as mirrors, watering cans or other small items) all scream cottage charm.

Take the doors off the shelves. This works particularly well in the kitchen. Get rid of a few cabinet doors and use the open space to display cookbooks, vintage cooking utensils or well stacked china.

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Ultimately, what your kid’s room will look like depends on personal taste (yours and eventually your child’s), although there are some basics to keep in mind when designing and decorating one:

Choose colors, furniture and décor that will grow with the child. If you go overboard with the cutesy designs, things will have to be changed as the kid becomes a toddler or a pre-teen. A way around this is to paint the room itself a neutral tone and then use bedding, curtains and rugs to provide personality and details.

Pick materials that are durable. Washable fabrics are a must, as are darker colors (whites and beiges will get dirty too quickly). Low-maintenance that are machine washable and will withstand wear and tear will make your life a lot easier.

Get plenty of storage at kids’ eye level. Trunks, large drawers and bins are great to help kids get organized. At the end of the day, if you don’t feel like picking up things, they can just be thrown into containers to be sorted out later. If you want the kids to do the organizing themselves, don’t choose furniture with high drawers or pegs they can’t reach or open.

Provide plenty of insulation. If you have hardwood floors, cover them with thick rugs or rubber mats, to prevent injuries when kids fall or play on the floor.

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