Martin Cooper

Quiet appliances can make your home a more restful, relaxing place. Hero Images /Getty Images The noise generated by the appliances in your home can add up quickly and make quite a racket. With washers, dryers, dishwashers, heating and cooling units, vacuums and more in modern homes, the sound can easily overwhelm you. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to decibels (dB) when choosing quiet appliances for your home. Some brands offer appliances designed to run silently or, at least, much quieter than older models. The last thing you want is for a load of laundry or your home’s heating system to drown out a conversation or your favorite TV show. Okay, so you know you want quieter appliances. What should you look for when shopping? Here are important tips for finding quiet appliances for your home. How to find quiet appliances The important number to remember is 60 dB, the level of an average conversation between two people. You don’t want to buy any appliances that run lou

We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.  Our homes are getting smarter . Not only is this saving us from menial tasks and little issues, like struggling to remember if we have enough milk, but it’s also saving us money. The smart thermostat is the shining example of smart home technology. The best smart thermostats help us live more comfortably in our homes, conserve energy and keep more money in our own pockets. It’s a win-win-win. But there are a lot of thermostats on the market today and all of them seem pretty smart. How do you choose the right one for your home? Which bells and whistles do you need? Is it worth paying more for the top-of-the-line option? We had these same questions, too, and now can help you narrow the field. We’ve listed six of the best smart thermostats worth checking out plus the features that really wowed us about them. Ready to get smart about this smart home techn

Every year, new trends hit the interior design landscape and 2019 is no different. In particular, this year there is an emphasis on  living room trends. We’ve decided to take a closer look at them today. Read on to learn about these new living room trends and tips on how to make these looks work in your home. Believe us when we say that you’ll fall in love with these popular design statements. The bolder, the better when it comes to furniture colors this year. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock Colorful seating If there’s one trend this year that’s totally eye-catching, it’s the colorful seating trend. These days, sofas, accent chairs and barstools all come in an array of bold shades that we haven’t seen in a while. In particular, jewel tones – such as ruby red, emerald green and sapphire blue – are the hues that are turning heads. If you’re going to embrace the colorful seating trend, there is one thing that you need to keep in mind. Whichever item of furniture you choose to ma

A year after IKEA and Tom Dixon launched the IKEA DELAKTIG sofa , they are back again to build on the winning concept. The first DELAKTIG was conceived as a platform from which you add other components such as backrests, coffee tables, lamps to turn it into a sofa, sectional,  daybed or whatever catches your fancy. It was designed to suit smaller homes and a modular way of living. “We spend more time in contact with our beds than with any other piece of furniture. So why not make it do more?” ~ Tom Dixon Now, they’ve taken the same idea into the bedroom and it looks set to be a success too. “I’m fascinated by the bed as a kind of primary unit that everybody needs. It’s essential; we spend more time in contact with our beds than with any other piece of furniture. So why not make it do more?” said Dixon in a press release. IKEA DELAKTIG bed – modular and lightweight The hackable double bed is made out of the same ultra lightweight 50% recycled aluminium frame as its predecess

There are only two variables to window condensation: indoor humidity and window temperature. To prevent condensation, these need to be controlled.

Lots of people have tried to use wallpaper in a bedroom, but only a few know how to utilize this material to its fullest potential. Wallpaper shouldn’t just be thrown up as a way to do away with blank walls. Rather, it should be a major player in the design of the room as a whole. To that end, we’ve brought you four fresh and simple ways to use wallpaper in a bedroom. Look them over to see which suggestions will work best in your bedroom’s design. With any luck, the wallpaper may just become your favorite feature of the whole room. Let your wallpaper dictate your color palette. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock Set the color palette One way to use wallpaper in your bedroom is to have it set the color palette for the entire project. For example, you can see that the picture above features a chic monochromatic palette . In it, everything from the wallpaper to the blankets, bedding and throw pillows come together to form a cohesive look. If you decide to go this route, the key is

WA Country Builders  completed the coastal design and development of The Geographe Bay, a residence in Dunsborough, Australia. From afar, the facade of the residence appears strikingly modern. It features elements like weatherboard, stone and brickwork, in order to ensure a laid-back visual appeal. Step inside and you also discover a vibrant beach-inspired residence with eye-catching details. “The entry of the house is complete with high ceilings which provide a sense of openness that continues throughout the home,” the architects said. “Directly off the entry is the private master suite, that features a dressing room and en-suite.” “The large free form living area is located at the center of the home, creating easy accessibility from all sides,” they add. “It features an expansive kitchen, scullery and dining space. The media room and laundry are located alongside the free form living zone.” A generously-sized terrace also offers opportunities for outdoor family entertainment. The

Hello, Just about to order 100cm wide PAX wardrobes. The PAX back panels seem a bit flimsy and I am guessing that they will bulge if anything is pushed against them from the inside of the wardrobe. PAX | IKEA.com Does anyone have a suggestion for backing them up? I was thinking of fixing some ply battens across the back. Say 10cm wide 9mm thick, spaced 50cm vertically. Any views from anyone? ~ by Malcolm *** Hi Malcolm Yes, you are right. The PAX back panels are a bit flimsy and will bulge if you lean something against it, from inside. I’ve not had a need to reinforce the back panels of my PAX wardrobe, so I’ve not given this a go. But, I think your idea of ply battens should work. Anyone else with a brilliant idea? Jules Other Hackers Help questions on the IKEA PAX #1 Can I turn regular PAX units into a corner wardrobe? I am thinking of purchasing a PAX wardrobe to fit on a little corner on my entry room. I really like the new design of PAX for the corner wardrobe,

We’re calling it now: 2019 will be the year of the plant. What started as a semi-hipster trend in interior design has become a full-on movement, Bringing the outside in has tons of benefits, of course, from mood boosting to cleaner air. But let’s face it: not everyone is famous for their green thumb. If you love the idea of a more natural way of decorating but can’t keep a plant alive to, well, save your life, don’t worry. Plants aren’t the only way to bring the outside in and we predict a movement to more natural decor throughout the year. If you’re positive you’ll kill your snake plant and you’ve assassinated your last batch of succulents, try these ideas instead. Opt for natural materials Wicker furniture isn’t just for patios. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock Hey, leaves aren’t the only way to bring in natural decor. There are plenty of non-living natural materials that can warm up your home and reap the benefits without the whole watering and sunlight side of things. Natu

Decorating a rental can feel like a tedious task. On the one hand, you want to be able to create a space that feels like your own, no matter how long you intend to live there. On the other, you don’t want to get so into personalizing the space that you put your security deposit at risk. With that in mind, we’ve laid out some temporary decorating ideas to help you along the way. Use these to achieve a homey look that can be taken down as soon as your lease is up. Use area rugs to bring visual interest to the space. Image: Breadmaker/ Shutterstock Invest in area rugs Area rugs are great for livening up any living space, but they’re especially useful when it comes to rental situations. Put simply, they pack a big punch of visual interest but are just as easy to roll up and put away the moment your lease is done. As far as how to pick out a good rug, in this case, aesthetics come first. If your rental is fairly basic when it comes to decor – we’re talking white walls and neutral flo

We love the spa retreat experience, especially when we can recreate it at home. Creating a relaxing vibe in your bathroom is about more than just candles and a fluffy robe. You can also embrace the soothing energy of feng shui with your favorite decorating style and color palette. Using these simple principals is an easy and beautiful way to create a soothing feng shui bathroom retreat. 1. Choose the right feng shui bathroom color scheme The white Birch Lane Heritage Aurelia Bathroom Vanity Set within a neutral color scheme, warms up the cool feng shui water energy in this relaxing bathroom. Courtesy of   Birch Lane It may surprise you to know that the best feng shui colors for your bathroom are not just blues and greens. While these cool colors can have a place in your color palette, in feng shui they represent water which is already abundant in your bathroom.   The glass, metal, and water, of your bathroom represent water, too. The simplest way to decorate your bathroom with