News & Articles

 

Look around and ask yourself how your home looks and feels- Right now.

Is your environment supporting a harmonious state of mind? Do your surroundings uplift or inspire?

It's easy to breathe new life into a tired space. Here are 5 basic and inexpensive ways to refresh and revive your home today!

Restore Your Door. If your front door is old, worn out or has peeling paint, you have several options. Buy a replacement door from a building centre for as little as $165. Paint your door a signature colour, or install a decorative window and let light in. A door with character will enhance curb appeal and bring a smile to your face every time you come home. 

Rejuvenate with Colour. Refreshing home areas that are used most (the foyer, living room or kitchen for example) will create impact and energy. Deliver design punch to rooms with interesting accent cushions, bright curtain panels or a bold accent wall.  

Refresh the Trim. Think about replacing or painting any scuffed or non-existent baseboards and/or trim. New trim starts at less than a dollar per linear foot for pre-painted “easy to install” plastic. Crown molding adds drama and architecture to a foyer, living room or dining room.

Update Switches, Plugs and Plates. An often overlooked but effective home update is replacing all old and painted over light switches with new plates, and to buy new dimmers, controls and plugs. It’s possible to refresh an entire house for less than $100. If you are handy, plug receptacles can be replaced with a newer, square style.  

Make-Over Dull Interior Doors. Take all ugly brown slab doors, add some inexpensive molding and paint them white. While this final project suggestion is a bit more intensive overall, the payoff is basic hollow-core doors transformed to appear expensive, clean and unified. Find an attractive new doorknob or handle in a complementary style or finish from about $10.

It’s easy to renew the spark in your home relationship. These refreshing and easy changes will increase the value of your home and can have you “loving it again”. 

Louise Green is a Renovation Consultant in Toronto.

647-746-4085 or email louise@renoconsultants.com 

Louise assists homeowners in planning and managing successful renovations.

Learn more about Louise Green and Renovation Consulting HERE.

 

Have you ever wondered how chemical compounds from everyday cleaners and surfactants may be effecting your home environment and our ecosystem at large? There is proof that the harsh chemicals found in common household cleaning products are toxic to plant and animal life and pollute the air we breathe.
You can enjoy a naturally fresh and clean home without compromising personal and environmental health. It’s easy to create your own effective non-toxic cleansers using these 5 inexpensive everyday ingredients in recycled spray bottles and containers.

1. CASTILLE SOAP

A natural multi-purpose liquid soap made from vegetable oils

Floor Cleaner: Mop almost any type of floor with a solution of 1/4 cup liquid Castile soap and 2 gallons warm water. If the floors are greasy, add 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar to the bucket.

Wood Cleaner: 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar 1/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap 5 drops jojoba or olive oil. Then add 5-10 drops of pure essential oils i.e: lemon, pine, spruce.

2. VINEGAR

Distilled white vinegar cuts soap scum, creates an environment that inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and some bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella.

Windows: Mix 2 ounces water, 1 ounce white vinegar and 10 drops lavender, lemon or lemongrass oil to wipe grime off windows. Bonus: These oils may repel insects!

Mould: Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly. Add drops of tea tree or thyme essential oil for powerful anti-microbial /anti-fungal effect.

3. BORAX

When added to a laundry wash, borax makes detergents even more effective. It's also quite alkaline, so it kills mould and fungus while softening water.

Baseboards, Countertops, and Walls: Dissolve 1 part borax in 2 parts hot water and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Spray generously on surfaces, wipe down with a damp cloth, and let air-dry.

Toilet Bowl: Pour a cup of white vinegar into the toilet with a handful of baking soda and soak about 10 minutes. Swish with toilet brush and flush. Option: Pour borax in the bowl and let sit overnight. Scrub and flush the next day. Borax will help to remove rust stains.

4. BAKING SODA

Baking soda’s fine, gritty texture makes it an excellent gentle abrasive cleaner. Its neutralizing action on scent molecules makes baking soda an effective deodorizer also.

Homemade Soft Scrubber: Slowly pour liquid castile soap into ½ cup baking soda-stirring constantly, until the consistency resembles frosting. Add drops of essential oil or oils if desired. Scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, scrub the surface, and then rinse.

Garden and Garden Utensils: Dip a moist stiff-bristled brush in washing soda to scrub trimmers, clippers,grills and barbecue utensils. Place in a sunny area to dry. (Don't use washing soda on aluminum tools.)

Upholstery and Carpets: Sprinkle on soda, wait a bit then vacuum.

Deodorize / Clear Drains: Pour 1 cup baking soda and one cup hot distilled white vinegar down the drain. Rinse after 5 minutes.

5. ESSENTIAL OILS

These are powerful, pure botanical distillations. Some essential oils traditionally used in cleaning recipes include lavender, tea tree, orange, lemon, pine and rosemary.

Floor Wash: Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water. Add 10 - 20 drops of your favourite essential oil(s). Peppermint oil repels mice and ants, try lavender and orange oils to refresh and uplift.

Pest Control: Create a safe bug spray for people and pets. Create a base of half distilled water and half witch hazel. Add 10 drops of essential oil(s) for every 1 oz of base. Great oils for repelling bugs include lemongrass, lavender, tea tree, geranium and eucalyptus.

Support the environmental harmony inside and outside your home. Use these ‘Green Clean Basics’ to tackle any household grime, safely and organically.

SEE MORE CLEAN CLEANING RECIPES HERE!

Ace of Cups in an Aromatherapy Collective based in Toronto.
http://aceofcupsaromatherapy.blogspot.com/

Just when you may have given up hope- another winter gives way to new life.
It is an energizing and exciting time filled with potential.
A lot of us get that irrepressible urge this time of year to open the windows, air out the place and do some spring cleaning. This year, consider the outside of your home as well as the inside. You can drastically improve your home’s appearance with some elbow grease- no remodeling required!

Remembering these easy 3 steps are guaranteed to enhance your home’s appearance this Spring.
So get down and a bit dirty! The results are worth it.

1. Bust the Dirt

Blast away winter grime. Pressure wash dirty siding, dingy decks, driveways, walkways and outdoor furniture.

Clean windows and screens, and remove debris from gutters. Try using old newspapers and vinegar on window glass. If you have any essential oils, a few drops of lemon, grapefruit or lavender oil are nice additions to natural cleaning concoctions.

Give your front door a good wash or, even better- paint it! Consider your front door the focal point- choose a colour that works with your home’s neighbourhood and history, façade and shutters or landscaping. Or work with a colour expert an choose a dynamic contrasting colour. (See an arresting example of using a contrasting colour HERE, where a potentially awkward entrance becomes a stylish signature with the right colour.)

Our first HPS Curb Appeal article focused on ‘The Front Door’. Read it HERE.

2. Spruce It Up

Repair any loose or broken porch spindles or boards. Hows your trim looking? Does it need minor repairs or touching up?

Replace worn or frayed door mats or runners.

Reduce clutter. Less is more, always! Really, always.

Store or dispose of excess stuff- sports and gardening equipment, recycling bins or bikes.

ANY seasonally innappropriate decoration must go. So toss that decomposing pumpkin already, and take down the Christmas lights!

3. Flaunt Your Green Thumb

Trim any tree limbs that are near or touching your home’s roof.

Are your shrubs trimmed? Shrubs should not be allowed to grow in front of windows. If they are overgrown, they will age your home and reduce its perceived size.

Consider covering up a flaw by planting vines. Use a trellis, string or wire to protect wood and mortar.

Create visual excitement simply with colourful annuals at the base of your porch, in hanging baskets or a container.

Our article on creating an easy Spring Planter is HERE.

Give a bit of time and love to your home this season. Have fun with it! Get outside, roll up your sleeves and start with one project. The results will brighten and encourage you, like the spring sunshine.

This Spring, why not celebrate with a transformative home painting project? These gorgeous colours we discovered by YOLO can help you create a new space you’ll love, within budget- while being a friend to the Earth.

YOLO Colorhouse has created an exciting and rich palette of eco-friendly* paint colours for your home. The select colours featured in YOLO’s ’Earth’s Color Collection’ are distinct, evocative and fresh.

Visit the YOLO Colorhouse website here.

“Earth’s Colour Collection” is an interior and exterior palette of colours inspired by nature. Created by a designer and an artist to help make choosing colours simpler, the hues have been grouped by element (air, water, petal, stone etc.) for beautiful colour co-ordinating that is easy and fun.

Want to update your front door with fresh new colour?
We like the deep,green grey OCEAN Series paired with grey brick or stucco.
The earthy, firey CANYON red browns will create a focal point and complement siding.
The CLOUD grey whites would be striking in contrast with dark brick or wood.

The Outside Palette here.

After you pack those winter coats away how about a brightened foyer or entranceway?
The AIR group features powdery spring pastels to expand and refresh.
Soft and soothing pastels for a baby or guest room.

Does a clean coat of beautiful and non toxic colour in a hallway or bedroom sound inspiring?
Create a calming retro effect with the LEAF group of yellow browns.
Add a sexy feature wall in one of the PETAL brights.

See the Inside Palette here.

These special and affordable paints are 100% acrylic and offer excellent hide and coverage along with superior adhesion and durability.

‘Environmentally Friendly Paint Company’ YOLO Colourhouse retailers include:

Riva’s Eco Store in Calgary
The Zero Point in Toronto
and Greenworks Building Supply in Vancouver

* YOLO Colourhouse is based in Portland OR. Their environmental mission: to make a cleaner paint. YOLO paint is a zero VOC base (no volatile organic compounds) and contains no phthalates or carcinogens. Also contains no ammonia, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, or crystalline silica.

House Proud Signs is proud to have one of our house signs featured on the Canadian House and Home web site.
Catherine Mac Intosh is a writer who is documenting her home renovation odyssey in her ’Renovator’s Notebook’ blog.
Catherine found us in her search for the right house numbers and mailbox.

See this article, and visit the H & H Renovator’s Notebook here.

The Tom sign is available in both an oval and square shape. Visit the product page here.

Thanks for the mention Catherine and Canadian House and Home!

After a long gray winter, there’s nothing quite like getting your hands into some soil and planting bright, fresh blooms. A front door urn or container filled with colourful spring plants is a great way to easily recharge your home’s appearance, and is guaranteed to brighten everyone’s day.
Chase away old man winter with these beautiful and easy spring container tips.

1. Containers come in a variety of materials including concrete, cast iron, metal or lightweight fibreglass. If buying new, look for something not too heavy with a drainage hole and ideally a water reservoir to keep your plants hydrated.
2. Fill your container halfway with pearlite (these lightweight granules are available at your local garden store or nursery.)
3. Choose your central feature plant such as a small tree, bush, taller plant or flowers. Set in the middle in its original pot.
4. Pour potting soil around the central plant, then tuck your smaller plants in (keep them in pots also.)
5. Leave a bit of space below the top of your planter for water and a mulch of bark chips, pretty and textural pea gravel or a soft carpet of scotch moss for a nice finish.

Here are some suggestions for great spring combinations!

Spring bulbs are hearty and are very tolerant to early weather fluctuations. Try white tulips, amethyst hyacinths and crocus. Pussy willow branches add height and texture.

For a classical urn, try a soft base of spring flowering heather, pansies and lily of the valley with white daffodils or tulips. Trail some ivy over the side.

A topiary of English daisies will create shape and height, or try a steel obelisk and ivy for architectural effect. Surround with violas.

Vibrant forsythia can be paired with delicate and charming grape hyacinths.

Please share your planter ideas or inspring pictures with us!
Happy planting!

There are now many easy ways to make great home improvements and create stylish surroundings that are less toxic. Beautiful sustainable and fair trade design solutions are becoming increasingly available to consumers, and it is exciting!

At the National Home Show in February, we discovered a great resource for homeowners called The Zero Point.

The Zero Point is located at 1590 Queen Street East in Toronto and offers eco-friendly home style and renovation materials that include:

Non-toxic paints and stains
Healthy cleaning products
Reclaimed flooring
Countertops
Kitchen and Bathroom cabinets and fixtures
Organic bedding

The Zero Point can help their clients in all aspects of home improvement with workshops and seminars, materials sourcing and sustainable design consulting.

The Zero Point is ‘More than an Eco Home Store. Beautiful, Functional Solutions for your home.’

Visit The Zero Point website here.

http://www.thezeropoint.ca

At House Proud Signs we help professionals promote their companies and strengthen business relationships.

Until February 14th we are offering a 10% discount on all orders for our Professional Partners!

How can House Proud Signs help your business today?
Why become an HPS Professional Partner? What is it?

-Simply refer people to us or buy our quality products and we reward you. There is no cost or obligation to work with us.

-Our products make thoughtful and unique gifts. A personalized address sign, house numbers or welcome sign will leave a lasting impression with clients. They will remember you, every day!

- Home stagers, contractors, designers and real estate professionals help their clients enhance home appeal quickly and effectively with a quality custom sign from House Proud. HPS products are a great part of a home improvement project or staging package.

- We offer personalized business gift cards for a dollar value or specific item(s) you want to give.

-Our online ordering is simple and easy. Our beautiful handcrafted products are delivered to you or your contacts without any trips to stores. All prices include shipping.

-Use our News and Articles page to share interesting or exciting news with our online visitors. The HPS Blog provides space for professionals to promote their businesses and services by sharing stories and successes. We would love to see your before and after pictures!

Don’t delay, and become an HPS partner today.

If you would like to refer your clients to House Proud Signs, or use our service to order great products for your business, contact us right now! Because until Valentine’s Day we are offering a 10% Professional Partners discount on any items in our exclusive online catalogue,including Gift Cards!

Simply email us at inquiry@houseproudsigns.com to receive your unique discount code.
Become a professional partner now and take advantage of all the (free!) ways House Proud Signs can help you, your business and your clients.

Remember our Valentine to our Professional Partners ends February 14th.
Contact us now and save!