let there be light! why your home needs more natural light

Natural light from the sun is something that many of us take for granted. But it’s something we cannot do without. It allows us to see clearly, which makes our homes safer and more comfortable for our families. The health benefits of natural light include boosting your immunity and strengthening your organs. It’s also been found to increase productivity and energy too. So if your home is not currently as well lit as you would like, you and your family could be missing out. To fill your property with more natural light, here are some improvement ideas you might want to consider.

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Tidy up your yard

It will be difficult for the light from the sun to reach your property if there are multiple obstacles in its way. These are often located within your yard and can include things like trees and hedges. The only way of dealing with these obstacles is to remove them. So assess your yard and start tidying it up. Cut back any tree branches or climbing plants which are blocking the sun. You should also reposition any ornaments or plants that are obstructing the light too. This will not only improve the look of your yard but will also encourage more light to enter your home.

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Install a roof window

The most obvious way of increasing your home’s natural light is by adding more windows to your property. While there are plenty to choose from, roof windows are often considered the most effective. They can help make even the darkest of rooms feel larger and more spacious. Roof windows come in an array of shapes, styles and sizes to suit any home. Glazing can also be added to them to make your home more cozy and energy efficient. If this sounds perfect for your home, search for roof window specialists online. Another addition you might want to add to your roof is solar panels. These panels can turn natural light into energy which can power your home in an eco-friendly way. For more information, see http://www.sempersolaris.com/.

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Use lighter colors when decorating

Redecorating your home is a simple but cost-effective way of boosting your property’s natural light. Using light colored paints and wallpapers can reflect the light that enters your home. This can make a room look instantly brighter, which can benefit your entire family. Paints with a metallic finish can also bounce more light around a room, making it feel larger. When painting your home, always make sure that there is plenty of ventilation. If you have young children, you should also check that your paint is safe to use. To learn more about toxic-free paints, visit http://www.popsugar.com/.

You should also use light colors when choosing which window treatments you wish to use. Dark and heavy curtains or blinds will absorb the light and prevent it from entering your home. Whereas thin and light options can maximize the light while still giving your family some privacy.

These ideas are just a handful of effective methods that can increase how much natural light enters your property. But there are plenty more. For further ideas and inspiration, visit  http://www.houzz.com/.

** This was a contributed post.

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tlb: our tongue and groove tale

Tongue And Groove Ceiling 4Eight months ago, when we were planning the design for The Little Barn, we apparently made the decision to have a tongue and groove pine ceiling installed. For some reason, this important detail somehow slipped my mind.

Tongue And Groove CeilingThe foundation went in, the walls went up, the installation and drywall were next, and finally it was time for the ceiling. Around the same time, I was at the house with our contractors trying to pick out flooring. I mentioned that I wanted dark flooring since the walls and the ceiling colour were going to be white. Our contractor proceeded to ask me if I was planning on staining the ceiling white? I asked him if he meant paint instead of stain? He replied that he meant stain, since we’re getting a pine ceiling. I was now very confused. I asked him since when were we putting wood instead of drywall up there? He reminded that it was always the plan, and that I had said that I wanted a ceiling similar to the one in my mum’s barn. At that point I knew that he was telling the truth, since it completely sounded like something that I would say. I just didn’t understand how I wouldn’t remember such a momentous detail. Is that not weird?

Tongue And Groove Ceiling 1This was not the only time that I had forgotten our house building plans while building our home. Some days I was just so tired from working, trying to cope with Holly’s health problems, and starting up my store, that I had no energy left for making decisions about our home. I would either just blurt out the first idea that came to my mind, or tell our contractor to surprise us. When I later asked how they were able to get the ceiling stained that particular colour, they said, “you don’t want to know.”

Tongue And Groove Ceiling 2I probably went about this home construction thing a lot more relaxed than most people would, but hey, to each their own.  

Tongue And Groove Ceiling 5In the end, everything turned out beautifully. Especially our ceiling.

<3

Emory

P.S. Only one more week until the final house tour of The Little Barn!

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the not-so-reclaimed siding

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetHi friends, and happy Saturday! Are you enjoying it? I hope so! I’m spending mine working at the store, which in my eyes, doesn’t really feel like work at all. So I’m pretty happy. :-)

Before we examine the siding and the title of this post, I’m going to backtrack a little. It was only 10 days ago when I revealed our metal roof to you. While I initially liked it, a tiny part of me did question if we made the right decision in going with brown. It didn’t pop the way that I had hoped that it would, yet at the same time, that’s exactly why I did choose it. Putting my emotions aside, I told myself to just wait until the siding comes. I knew that everything would change once that was up. Boy, did it ever.

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetNow to discuss the siding. The plan for the siding on The Little Barn was always to be reclaimed wood. So my husband and my brother-in-law began to spend their weekends tearing down old barns and outbuildings across the province. They were not hard pressed for these types of structures given that we live in Saskatchewan. Yet, it was backbreaking work and extremely time-consuming to do so. It didn’t take long before we began to rethink our decision. Upon assessing the quality of boards, mulling the idea over amongst ourselves, and finally discussing it with our contractor, we chose not to put that particular wood on our house. We were just too afraid of leaks and dry rot.

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetIt was our contractor that came up with the perfect solution. He was able to get wood siding that had been sitting on a distributor’s lot for a few years. No one had wanted it because it was beginning to look reclaimed. It had already turned grey, and best of all, they were selling it to us at an extremely low cost. In the case of miracles, this was a big one. I still cannot believe how lucky we were to get this amazing material.

Processed with VSCOcam with lv01 preset Processed with VSCOcam with a6 presetIn the end, our not-so-reclaimed siding is one of my favourite things about The Little Barn. Well, one of many.

<3

Emory

up on the roof

Screen Shot 2014-10-14 at 9.58.13 AMHey guys! The day is finally here for me to reveal our metal roof to you!

2.jpgIf you can remember this post, I had enlisted your help in choosing a colour for a new roof. Most of you thought that red would vibrant and beautiful, which I agreed with. However, given that our previous metal roof stood out, this time, I wanted one that would blend in with its surroundings.

4.jpgMaybe I was playing the devil’s advocate, or maybe I was just stubborn in my vision for a weathered-looking house. Whatever the case, I am so thankful that we chose the colour that we did! 

1.jpgI think that the brown looks great here, but honestly, you should see it with the reclaimed siding that is now up. Honestly, it is absolutely gorgeous. 

3.jpgDon’t worry, the siding post will come soon. :-)))

<3

Emory

the little barn dance

1.jpgAn important matter has recently come to my attention. I have never showed any of my amazing readers photos of The Little Barn’s construction site! Not once! How did this happen? I have been freely discussing moving since January, and blogging my room ideas for our new home on a weekly basis, yet I have not been including photographic updates on our property.

The last time that any of you saw pictures of our lot was on June 4. That was nearly 4 months ago! Actually, that is a bit of a lie. I have been giving my Instagram followers little peeks of TLB. So maybe you should all join the @hello_scarlett_blog bandwagon already. It’s time to get back on the wagon!

Ok, enough chit chat. I’m really excited to present to you the progress so far. So dust off your computer and smartphone screens, get settled in your seats, and most of all, get ready to do The Little Barn Dance with me!

01.jpgWe officially received our lot on June 30. After spending Canada Day there with Holly and Truman, we had to wait nearly a month to have our mortgage and building permits approved. After that, we went out there one day with Ellie, and saw that not only had all of the trees been cleared away, but the screw piles and septic tank were put in, and we had a foundation! That was the day that we felt as if we really were building a home.

2.jpg 3.jpgThe contractors worked away at the foundation for the next week, and put up some pony walls. The flooring came next, and drawing out each wall on the main floor. Passerbys kept asking them if they were building a garage.

4.jpgAfter the walls were drawn out, it took only a few days to erect them. At this point, the bathroom, mudroom, spare bedroom, and pantry are all framed. The kitchen and living room walls are still laying down. Progress!

5.jpg 6.jpg7.jpg8.jpg9.jpgAfter the framing of the main floor was complete, the second floor went up merely days later. Now our neighbours were asking if it was a church that was being built. I have to agree with them. It’s divine.

10.jpg 11.jpg13.jpgThe addition of the roof occurred over a few days, and the windows and doors were installed in only one. The photos of our house, as you see it here, were taken just this past weekend. The metal roof, soffit, and fascia, should be installed by the end of next week, as will our electrical and plumbing. By then, our home will be approximately 50% completed!

02.jpgI love our Sunday drives out to the lake to check on The Little Barn. I’ll never forget turning the corner and seeing for the first time our house with a second storey. It was such an imposing structure standing so tall against the trees. It was so shocking and gratifying at the same time. I was so proud of our new home, and so grateful for all of the positive reinforcement that we had gotten from my side of the family, friends, coworkers, and even our contractors so far. What started off as a somewhat rocky affair has now turned into such a natural and smooth housebuilding experience. We have honestly been blessed. Maybe it is like a church after all.

<3

Emory

  • Hello! My name is Emory. I am a wife, mother of four (three on earth in heaven). This is our life on the Canadian prairies.
    email: helloscarlettblog@outlook.com

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