Skip to main content

7 New Year's Resolutions to Make This Year

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

1. Set goals for your home 

Write a list, develop a dream board, make a Pinterist board, or create a Houzz ideabook to capture your home goals for the year ahead. Would you like to downsize, go more minimal, be more daring with color, add some art or decor to make your house feel like a home, move to a bigger or smaller city, declutter your home, or finally determine a decorating style that feels just like you? It's all up to you but set those goals so you are focused for the year ahead.

2. Be clean & clear

Get a jump on spring cleaning and go through the home room-by-room to clear them of anything that you don't use, wear, or love and donate those items to charity. And resolve to do this periodically too, not just once or twice a year. Cleaning and decluttering (plus organizing) are one of the best and least expensive ways to feel better about, and breathe a little easier in, your home. 

3. Add some green

Plants have been proven to improve air quality and increase productivity and creativity, by NASA no less! And it's another easy update that will make your house feel more finished and like home. They are a great way to make a statement, fill an empty corner, add some liveliness, and bring the outdoors inside. Just be sure to get some low maintenance and hard-to-kill varieties so that they will always look good, even if you have a brown thumb.


Photo by Mark Solarski on Unsplash

4: Go Green

In order to be energy efficient, do you need to have an electric car and solar panels? While those are nice, there are still plenty of other smaller ways to be energy efficient: 
  • Cut your energy usage by remembering your mom's advice to switch off the lights when you leave a room and turn off the taps when you’re brushing your teeth. 
  • Install LED light bulbs and low-flow showerheads. 
  • Try drying some of your clothes on the line (or a clothes drying rack) and wait for the dishwasher or washing machine to be full before you run them.
  • Water your yard less, fill some pots with succulents, and put in drought-tolerant landscaping if necessary.

5. DIY as a Family

How about trying some cool DIY or home improvement projects this year with your family? Just be sure to pick ones that will lead to bonding time rather than devisiveness and arguments (you'll know best). Not only will you get to spend some quality time together as a family, but you'll also be able to improve your living spaces or have something elegant to decorate your house with. These DIY projects are available in multiple skill levels and budgets. One idea is to make a planter box or raised bed, plant some veggies, and then spend some time in the garden together with your family. Preparing home emergency preparedness kit or making your entrance more inviting is also a great idea.

6. Be Prepared

California is always at risk of natural disasters such as fires or earthquakes. Are you prepared for an extended electricity outage or water shortage? You do have an emergency kit, right? If not, here’s a simple list to help you put one together or refresh your existing kit: https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit. You could also purchase some kits too. But please don’t forget to update those kits too by exchanging old water, food, and prescriptions for new ones.

7. Take a look at your digits

House numbers tend to be an often-neglected detail on the front of your house. But, they are crucial to get right. They add to the first impression guests and visitors get of your home, they help emergency responders or Uber drivers find your address, and they show off the style of your home. House numbers should be distinctive, well-suited to the architectural style of your house, and be well lit at night. So head outside to the street and take a look at your house numbers, especially at night. Perhaps you need better lighting, larger numbers, or something more stylish. Remember that you can put almost anything up there to get the job done, but you'll be missing a great opportunity to do something way more beautiful and interesting for your home's curb appeal and first impressions, while simultaneously making your home easier to find.
Photo by Sanfranman59 on Wikimedia


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Modern Remodeled Bathroom

The only full bathroom in a Sunnyvale, CA condo was brought from the 70's with it's linoleum floors to the present with modern touches, a high end marble look with low budget porcelain tile, and some glam. Inspiration The homeowner wanted her remodeled bathroom to look modern and luxurious as well as feel more open than the current bathroom. She liked clean lines and soothing earth tones. The remodel would also have to fit within her small budget. Existing Bathroom Conditions The bathroom was original to the condo built in the 1970's. It had linoleum floors, standard cabinets, off-white walls, a fluorescent bar vanity light, and a solid surface counter and sink combo. A large, frameless mirror above the sink also had two sliding mirrored doors which the homeowner did not like. Looking in at the old bathroom from the hallway. The solid surface counter and sink combo was made to look like marble  but didn't actually look like marble in
Post a Comment
Read more

PayPal Support Our City

OVOLO is honored to be nominated and selected for the PayPal Support Our City program! PayPal and the San Jose Earthquakes share a deep-rooted commitment to helping small business owners achieve their dreams. As a cornerstone of their long-term partnership, the “Support Our City” program was designed to highlight local businesses based within the Bay Area.  Together, PayPal and the Quakes support these local leaders by providing high-visibility exposure at the stadium and beyond, as well as an unforgettable experience at a match. For each home game throughout the season, a different small business is selected to receive this special honor.  OVOLO was honored at the July 30, 2022 San Jose Earthquakes home game match against Real Salt Lake. In addition to being added to the “Support Our City” mural inside PayPal Park, a short video was played at halftime. See the photos above and below about the mural and halftime video; we also posted the halftime video embedded below on our YouTub
Read more

The New Normal

Our clients are trusted partners in the design process, and without this partnership, it would be impossible to create such a personalized and custom design for each Client.   Photo by Josh Nezon on Unsplash Over two years ago, Santa Clara County entered its first Shelter in Place Order. Since then, there have been many ups an downs with differing requirements as vaccination rates have gone up, new variants emerged, boosters have become available, etc. In this light, here’s how it affects our company, our clients, our future clients, our professional affiliates, and our community. We promise to follow all national, state, and local guidelines and orders as they have already been and may continue to be issued, including any masking and vaccination/booster requirements or recommendations. Our staff is fully vaccinated and boosted.  We will no longer require masks and strict physical distancing during meetings between our company and our clients (and anyone living in the same home) who h
Post a Comment
Read more