Martin Cooper

Cozy bedroom ideas for a more restful 2020 . The bedroom. Probably the most intimate of spaces and the place where you are most at home. Photo: Christopher Jolly (If you missed the previous instalments of the 2020 Fresh Start series, check out my posts for the  entryway ,  living room  and kitchen .) What can you do to give your bedroom a new calm? I’ve rounded up 8 IKEA hacks which can help turn your bedroom into a restful oasis. #1 Refresh your curtain Is your plain IKEA curtains looking dull? Revive them by stencilling an eye-catching pattern on them. Or you can hand paint a sweet motif like how Jenny Komenda did on the IKEA RITVA curtains . Credit: Juniper Home Related: Curtains and more curtain hacks #2 Display your fashion You’ve got great taste and it should be on display. Use the IKEA LERBERG bracket (discontinued, available on Amazon ) to hang your favourite outfits or your #OOTD. An alternative bracket is the PERSHULT . Credit: LivetHemma...

Although we love our 11 inch deep BILLY , often that’s not deep enough. Sometime between 5-10 years ago, IKEA US stores offered a 15 inch deep BILLY bookcase for a short time.  It was offered in white in the taller (~79″) and wider (~30″) BILLY, the only difference being the depth.  Anyone remember these? BILLY bookshelf 80 x 40 x 202 cm (31 1/2 x 15 x 79 1/2 inch) | IKEA.com Unfortunately, we didn’t realize it would be so short-lived and it quietly disappeared before we bought extra shelves for them. Now, we really need a couple more shelves to make them work for our current needs.  Has anyone found an easy way to add shelves to these?  I can’t think of another IKEA product that’s the right dimensions.  Thanks for your help! Elizabeth *** Hi Elizabeth The 15 inch deep BILLY unit is still available in some countries . It’s unfortunate that it’s discontinued in the US. To solve your need for more shelves, you may need to make your own. Here’s a ...

IKEA FREKVENS to hit stores February 1st. The collaboration between IKEA and Teenage Engineering, announced in 2018, is ready to launch this February. The name, FREKVENS, meaning ‘frequency’ in Swedish, is perfect to describe the heart of the collection. The goal of the FREKVENS range encourages spontinuity, creativity and mobility when it comes to sound around the home. With FREKVENS you can throw the ultimate home party, as quickly as the thought occurs. Insights of how important music is in young people’s life was the starting point in the FREKVENS collection, where IKEA has engineered new solutions for having fun, together with Teenage Engineering. IKEA FREKVENS for spontaneity “We know that for younger people spontinuity is key. The idea of gathering some friends could become a reality in minutes. What is needed to have a good party at home? That’s what we wanted to investigate with FREKVENS. Together with Teenage Engineering, we have explored the possibilities of taking ...

Walking a wet asphalt shingle roof isn't any more dangerous than walking a dry roof, provided it's clean. Yep, you read that right. I said it.

About RCN Internet Launching in 1993 , RCN Internet has grown to become a top provider of internet plans, digital TV and phone services. The company is currently serving Boston, Chicago, Lehigh Valley, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Their internet services are ideal for internet home networking, streaming, watching TV online and Wi-Fi. Their internet speeds are up to 155 Mbps . RCN Internet offers customers equipment, including modems and Wi-Fi gateway and a Wi-Fi router. Customers also find access to annual subscriptions to security services, including McAfee Internet Security and RCN’s Service Protection Plan. Image: pikselstock/Shuttershock RCN Internet: What you need to know Selecting RCN Internet services means you’re working with certified technicians who receive their certifications through the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers . RCN Internet products Internet, digital TV, and phone services RCN Internet speeds Up to 940 Mbps RCN I...

Everything You Need to Know About Vivint Home Security System Home security has become an essential part of designing and equipping your home. From simple security cameras to fully-integrated smart home security systems, your options are seemingly endless. One of the major players in the home security space is Vivint. Here’s a look at what you need to know about Vivint home security, including reviews and pricing information. What is Vivint? Founded in 1999 as APX Alarm , Vivint changed its name in 2011 when the company expanded beyond basic home security solutions into the smart home arena. Vivint was acquired by Blackstone Group in 2012 and has continued to expand both its customer base and its technological offerings since then. Today, Vivint home security has more than 1.4 million active customers in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. U.S. News & World Report named Vivint Smart Home the Best Full-Service Home Security and Automation Solution for 2020. The...

Did you update your bathroom? Revamp your kitchen? Install new flooring?  We would love to share your project, big or small! Send us what you did and our editorial team will consider it for our “My Fresh Home” series, which will be published every Thursday. Check out our submission instructions at the bottom of the page. Today we want to share a story from Freshome reader  Paige , who installed SimpliSafe in her apartment after a break in: A few months ago, I got a great job opportunity that required me to move several states away from my family and friends. It certainly wasn’t easy, but it was an opportunity to move to a great city, and I’m not afraid of being alone. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Thanks to my amazing luck, and a splash of irony, I soon found out an answer to that question. Someone broke into my apartment.  Don’t worry. I called the police and got everything squared away, and my dad jumped on the next flight out to help me out....

Heat Pump vs Furnace If you’re in the market for home heating, you have two main choices: a heat pump or a furnace. At one time, this was a fairly simple decision based on climate. If you lived in a region with mild weather, a heat pump was a better choice, while those living in colder areas needed a furnace. Today, though, many heat pumps are designed to work in temperatures well below freezing. Here’s what you should know about heat pumps and furnaces, and how to choose between them. GSPhotography / Shuttershock Heat pumps Heat pumps work by moving heat around , much like an air conditioner with a reverse cycle. During the hot summer, the heat pump removes warm air from your home, cooling it down. In the winter, the heat pump sends warm air into your home to heat it. All heat pumps have two energy efficiency ratings : the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) and the HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor). These numbers are found by dividing the cooling or heating output...

The kitchen is one of the busiest room in the house and, in many cases, in need of organization hacks. Getting your kitchen space organized may not be as tough as it seems. So, let’s continue our 2020 Fresh Start series with the kitchen. Do check out our posts for the  entryway and living room too. Here are a few quick tips and kitchen organization hacks for your kitchen and pantry. #1 Fit in a movable kitchen island A movable island is useful in so many ways — as an extra counter top, to store pots and pans and to serve from. This one from Jen ticks all the boxes. She topped the KALLAX 2×2 unit with LAMPLIG chopping boards . Credit: Jen Lou Meredith No space for an island? Here’s a mini version using LACK side tables which you can easily push to the side when you want it out of the way. See more hacks for kitchen islands and carts . #2 Organize your pantry Some IKEA storage solutions work excellently as pantry units. Like the STUVA , fitted with a few GRUNDLI...