Minimalist Design for fungsionality life

If it isn't functional, why have it?
Minimalism is becoming more popular to be sure, but even so it's often misunderstood. While not owning a lot of stuff, living in a small house, or not spending money when possible are certainly part of it, underlying minimalism is the bringing together of beauty and functionality. My hub here is on beauty. This hub is on functionality.
The basic question a minimalist will ask of any item he or she owns is, "do I really need this?" Or in other words, "Does this serve a good function for me?" For example, a belt should be functional. But, as it stands that might mean owning dozens of belts. So, the second part of the question is, "does this item serve a function not fulfilled by something else?" Continuing the belt example, that means owning two or three at most -- an everyday one, and a nice one. Possibly both brown and black leather if your job requires a suit.
Let's look briefly at two things common in most homes, clutter and debt.Clutter isn't fuctional
Part of why a minimalist doesn't like clutter (or more broadly, having too much stuff), is because clutter doesn't really serve a good purpose. If I'm looking for something and I can't find it amidst all of my piles of stuff and drawers of knickknacks, then I'm going to end up stressed, frustrated, and unproductive.
On the other hand, if I can quickly find things I need and continue about my day, not only am i more productive, but I keep my spirits up. Everything has its place, and because I don't have a lot of stuff, it's easy to get to that place. Alternatively, if something isn't in its place, I probably don't need that long to find it. After all, there's not a lof of stuff, and by extension probably not many places I could reasonably look.Debt isn't functional
Financial freedom is a real treasure anymore. With all of our loans and credit card debt, not to mention car and house payments, few Americans can say that they have the finincial freedom and wherewithal to do what they really want to.
While I'm not saying that minimalists don't have debt -- many do, especially college graduates --, a minimalist sees debt for what it is. It's not functional, and things that aren't functional are inherently limiting. For example, in America at least, it's a good idea to own a credit card. Down the road, it makes applying for home or car loans easier. But functionally speaking, it's never good to spend money you don't have, or at the very least won't have by the end of the month. Credit card debt means interest, and interest means more debt. Paying it off every month means a good credit score, and not living beyond your means. Both of which, I might add, are a good thing.Minimalism works
The real essence of minimalist fuctionality is finding what works. If something just isn't cutting it for you, then why have it? The items we own should fulfill at least one of two purposes. Either they should be functional, or they should be beautiful. Ideally, everything you own should be both.
Minimalism in its various forms works for people because they have found ways to function better. They've stripped away the unnecessary, or are at least in the process of doing so. The hope is that by doing so, we can focus more on the things which really matter to us, whether that's our hobbies, or family, or travel, or whatever.
To reiterate, minimalism is not living like an ascetic, at least not for most minimalists. it's instead about having our needs met so that each of us can lead a productive and self-reliant life. Beyond that, most everything else seem extraeneous. As I said in another hub here, minimalism is a specturm, not a point. Find what works for you so that you feel the most productive and the most free.

American Peoplae in minimalist lifestyle

Brutal recession and lingering economic stagnation have massively expanded the ranks of Americans who espouse a minimalist lifestyle. Reduced income and assets forced reductions in spending. Voluntarily making further cuts in spending offers a way to regain control.
It’s fun to read blog posts written by someone who sold or gave away all of his possessions and now lives out of a backpack. But who wants to live with a maximum of 25 material possessions? Or even 100?Different Approaches to Minimalist Lifestyles
Minimalism refers primarily to a philosophy of living rather than a one-size-fits-all set of rules. Eliminating unnecessary possessions that waste resources and don’t add meaningful joy to life forms the core of a minimalist philosophy. People implement that philosophy in a way that best suits their individual preferences.
Members of the Small House Society practice minimalism by living in ultra-compact homes as small as 140 square feet. And some minimalists have no permanent home; they live essentially as nomads. Both approaches are too extreme for most people. A minimalist can also live in a “normal” sized house by making other changes - mostly getting rid of a lot of excess property.
Going minimalist all at once could be too much of a shock and lead to failure. Instead, minimize in phases to gradually adjust your minimalist comfort zone. In each phase, sort soon-to-be eliminated items based on whether you will trash, donate or sell them.Step 1 - Basic De-Clutter
In Step one, inspect all areas of your home and car. Spend no more than ten seconds making a decision on any item. If you can’t get comfortable with eliminating something within ten seconds, keep it for now. The goal in Step one is to build some momentum.
Much of what you eliminate in Step 1 will fall into the trash category. It is harder to part with something that still has value (even if it is worthless to you).Step 2 - Scale Down Your Possessions
Schedule a garage sale. Inspect your remaining belongings again. Focus on identifying items to sell. Assembling a good inventory for the garage sale provides a financial incentive for vigorously discarding excess possessions.
Commit to unloading any possession you have not used for a certain period of time. Choose a time period no longer than one year that matches your comfort zone.
As soon as you conclude the garage sale, donate everything that did not sell (and anything you previously set aside in the donation category). I usually donate my stuff to Goodwill. They open their donation receiving area every day, which makes it convenient.Step 3 - Refine and Simplify Your Life
Steps 1 and 2 generally don’t require much time, maybe just a single weekend. Step 3 is an ongoing advancement in your minimalist lifestyle. Regularly scrutinize your remaining possessions. Pare them down until you only keep what you really want.
Eliminating excess possessions frees up space in your home. Living with less clutter can have psychological benefits too because seeing the clutter can create stress. Clean surfaces and more open space have a calming effect.
As I write this hub, I have only just barely completed Step 2. Getting rid of lots of stuff I don’t miss at all was fun and inspired me to move on to Step 3.
To learn more about the minimalist philosophy, check out Leo Babauta’s zenhabits.net. Babauta’s blog even sports a calming minimalist design to complement the content. It includes a series of educational posts organized under “Start Here.”

Minimalist Home Design Interior

A room full of furniture does not make it a home. One cannot be the master of all trades, professional help has to be taken when it comes to decorating your home or you may end up living in a shoebox. The right stuff in the right place is the magic mantra, the day you learn this mantra you can say you have the knowledge of interior designing.

The lack of knowledge about interiors forced people to stay in houses congested with huge furniture, as they were in vogue in the past. With a little help from interior designers or few tips from the net or magazines one can make remarkable changes and create more place with the same space.

The common man’s ignorance about interior designing has made professional interior designers the most sort after professionals. A common man would never think that factors like light, furniture style, paint and other accessories play such an important role in giving your house the desired effect.

When it comes to interior decorating, Often people are under the impression that designing their homes means stuffing it with the most expensive furniture and fixtures, but if placed well even ordinary items can give stunning results. Secondly no matter how big and well furnished your house is, if it is not neat and tidy it can never look beautiful, this is one golden rule all interior designer follow and advice the same. An interior decorator can only decorate your home but it’s up to you to maintain that beauty and class.

Laziness can never be an excuse for untidiness. Everything has a particular place in a house, a slight alteration or misplacement disturbs the entire getup. You can follow simple tips and maintain the beauty of your home, say for e.g. you can always use a table with drawers rather than a counter-top, this will help you to maintain tidiness as well as carelessly stuff everything in those drawers.

If you are an intellectual person your home décor cannot be complete without a bookrack, but books can be can cause a real mess if not managed properly. Interior decorators will always advice you to discard what is old and not required. It is observed that some people tend to collect things that don’t match their interiors and thus end up occupying space and the worst is that they can never decide what is required and what is not when it comes to discarding things.

Before choosing the furniture for your room the usable space is to be kept in mind, if your room is small you should always prefer furniture that occupies less space and arrange it in a conversational placement i.e. facing each other and not just keep where it fits right. Secondly proper lighting plays a significant role while decorating your home, a properly lit room can enhancing the beauty of the room as well as make it and appear less claustrophobic. So keep in mind that using dark shades and low wattage lights, especially in a room that does not get adequate natural light is very bad idea.

Minimalist home Design: Simple is Better

These days, most people believe that 'simple is better'. You may notice that most houses built today have minimalist style. As a result, we often find that one house is not so different from the other. If you are the type of person with quite an eccentric taste, you might not like the idea of minimalism. You will likely to expect something different, especially when you are designing your house. Instead of following the trend of using modern, minimalistic home design ideas, you probably would like to give Victorian style a try. Because of its complexity, people tend to avoid designing their house in this manner. Therefore, you can be confident that your house will be unique and one of a kind.

This unique home design idea emphasizes on the use of beautiful and sophisticated decorative pieces as well as furniture pieces. Just as the name suggests, this style is inspired by the architectural style commonly utilized during the era of Queen Victoria of England. The houses and buildings built during that period were elegant and luxurious, due to the choice of furniture and colors. The one thing that you have to keep in mind is that building a Victorian-style house might cost you a large sum of money. Even so, the result will not disappoint you. If, however, you are running on a limited budget, you can just take some important aspects of this style to decorate your house. Nowadays, there are also lots of second-hand Victorian-inspired furniture pieces that you can find with relatively cheap price and good quality.
The walls of a Victorian-style house need to be painted in bold colors. Try using dark yet lively colors such as ruby or sapphire. You can also use wallpapers with floral motifs. Choose wallpapers with smaller patterns if your house is small, so that it won't appear smaller than it really is. Opt for wood flooring and cover with luxurious carpet. For the curtains, use materials such as velvet or brocade for that Victorian look. And to decorate, you can put antique figurines, candles, flowers, or oriental dolls in a display cupboard or on a table.
Remember that Victorian style is all about uniqueness and being different. This home design idea is not just for anyone. You need to be artistic and creative when it comes to decorating your house and the house that you have always dreamed of is yours.

Cost of Converting Your Crawl Space to a Basement

All have veriable costs depending on depth and the structural needs. Some contractors can complete a 1' digout for as little as $50 per square foot.

Converting your crawl space to a basement is easier than ever. Professional contractors have specialized equipment and full work crews that can get the job done quickly, and, fairly economically. When you consider how labor intensive a conversion is and how much they used to cost versus the return on your investment, the whole project is actually quite a bargain.
When a contractor converts your crawl space, they are literally digging it out, replacing it with the space for a full basement.
The greastest and most cost efficient use of the space under your home is a basement. You are improving space inside your existing footprint which saves tons of money on the front end of the project. No Zoning issues, land development issues or architectural needs. Lack of all these professionals really lowers cost of this kind of project.
Waterproofing the new structure, including installing sump pumps, window wells, bilco doors, bathroom, sewage pumps, new laundry tubs all can be added without huge professional costs.
The biggest problem is knowing what you want to use the space for. In most cases, the crawl space is unusable for even dry storage.
The area of the new basement is generally 1/2 of the square footage of the house and really provides great new space. With the crawlspace dig out only minor structural issues have to be addressed.
The work is very tedious and hard labor must be done to ensure the stability of your existing home. The old footers need to be undermined carefully and in small sections on opposite sides of the property at a time. This process is completed over rotating sections which eventually complete the new wall structure.
It's a big job, but most home owners get a 125% return on investment, especially if they are planning to sell the home at some point or use a home equity loan.
The 5 major areas of work involved in a conversion are:
1. Dirt removal
2. Structural support & engineering
3. New Footers
4. New Walls
5. New Floor
In most cases, the ultimate cost of a 2' to 3' digout to be $50-$100 per square foot. This covers the digging, dirt removal, fixing of structural issues (if any), adding new footers and new concrete walls and a new cement floor (which form the new basement).
If you want a rough estimate, take the square footage of your home, divide it by.5, then multiply that number by 50 and 100 dollars. This is just a guide, your home may cost more or less depending on your individual situation.

Home Improvement: Maximise the space

Double up
If you need a lot of storage space and rely on the room in your attic, one option worth considering is dividing your loft into two rooms. The main room can be the extra bedroom or study as planned while the second room would become a practical and accessible storage space. As well as gaining an extra room by converting the attic, you would gain a storage area which you could access via a door rather than via a ladder and hatch.

In many homes, the attic is a wasted, unused and somewhat undervalued space which is why a loft conversion can be extremely beneficial. Instead of housing Christmas decorations, old clothes and disused toys, the space could become an additional bedroom, home office or hobby room. As appealing a prospect as this is however, it does raise one concern; where can you store your attic treasures?
Maximise the space
A room created in the loft space will always be unconventional in shape and slanted ceilings mean that there will be some areas of the room that are less accessible. This low space under the eaves is the perfect place to build in some storage such as shelving, cupboards or cabinets as the area would not otherwise be used. Apart from giving you extra space to put things in, a cabinet built in this space would not encroach on the room as a free standing unit would. Using this space effectively minimises the need for other furniture pieces in the room making the room feel larger and less cluttered.
Under the stairs
There are many different options when it comes to building a staircase up into a loft conversion and some styles will offer you more storage space. A boxed in staircase can incorporate a cupboard into the space under the stairs which is accessible via a door. The triangular space under a straight staircase can similarly be used for storage even if the area is not boxed in because a cabinet, shelving, shoe rack or other unit can be comfortably accommodated. Unfortunately, this is not an option for those with limited space who might have to opt for a narrow staircase such as a spiral staircase.
Above the conversion
Depending on your house, there may well still be space directly under the roof once the loft conversion is complete. As with the previous attic, there will be a hatch into this area where things can be stored. Admittedly, this space will be less accessible than a conventional cupboard but it is perfect for items that you use less frequently such as seasonal decorations.
Landing storage
Lastly, in many houses, it is possible to create a fairly roomy landing space around the top of the stairs. A popular design is to have a long corridor with a gallery overlooking the floor below and if there is space along this corridor, it can be a good place to house a chest of drawers or bookcase.
Overall, a loft conversion offers many more benefits than disadvantages. It is much cheaper than an extension, offers additional living space and increases the value of your property. Although losing storage space can be an inconvenience, there are many ways to get around it, some of which can be incorporated into the conversion design. If the above solutions are not practical for your home or you need more alternatives, more storage can always be incorporated around your home with a little creativity. Under bed storage, built in wardrobes and shelving are a just a few simple ideas that can help you to make use of empty spaces.

Home Remodeling for sale

Remodeling your home can be a smart way to improve its appearance and functionality while also increasing its value. As a homeowner, you've probably read a little bit about which home improvement projects are the smartest investments. There are some really great home improvement projects that can yield a nice return on investment, such as adding a wooden deck or converting an attic into a bedroom to add living space.

But what are the home remodeling projects you should avoid?
See, not every renovation is a good value. There are some home remodeling projects that are a gigantic waste of money, so it's important that you know this before you make an investment in them.
What are the worst home remodeling projects for your buck? They include:
• Remodeling your home office - Get this: homeowners who remodel a home office only recoup less than half of the project's cost when they sell the home. Why is this? After all, aren't more people working from home than ever before? Yes, they are, but that doesn't mean they want to take up valuable square footage in the home with a space that's set aside just for work. When you dump money into building a real home office, you're taking that precious square footage and preventing it from being used for any other purpose.
• Sun room additions - Adding a sun room addition to your home will only get you about a 49 percent return on your investment. That's not a good value if you're interested in making a smart investment in your home. The reason these renovations generate such a low return on investment is because they represent an inefficient use of interior space. People don't need a sunroom; they need more living space. And when you consider that the average cost of a sunroom addition is $73,000, it's pretty clear that there are smarter things you can invest your money in.
• Backup power generators - A backup power generator seems like a smart investment, right? Maybe it is from a practicality standpoint, but from a financial standpoint, it's not. With the average cost of backup generators at nearly $15,000 for homeowners, you might be surprised to learn that you'll only recover about $7,000 of that when you sell your home. That's less than 50 percent return on investment.
• Garage addition - An upscale garage addition will run you over $86,000 on average. That's a lot of money! And guess how much of that you'll recover when you sell your home? Only about $45,000. That's just over a 50 percent recovery rate. The problem is that garages are labor-intensive to build, and they are an inflexible space with very limited use.
Now, it's worth noting that just because these home remodeling projects might not be smart investments if you're interested in selling your home, they can still be worthwhile if you plan on staying in your home for a long time and you just want to improve its function for your own life. Remember, you want to be comfortable in your home, so if you're going to be there for a while, do what you want with your space.