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Curb Appeal Ideas for Fall

Fall Trees

Whether you want to sell your home, welcome your friends and family, or if you just want to feel a sense of pride every time you drive up, updating your curb appeal throughout the year is how to accomplish your goal. Now that the season of Fall has arrived in all of its gloriousness, get your home in the seasonal spirit by bringing some fall design trends to your curb appeal!

  • The simplest way to assess your curb appeal is to take pictures of your home from the sidewalk, focusing in on the front door, front walkway, and landscaping. Try to view the pictures with the fresh, critical eye of someone who has never been to your home before. Or evaluate the pictures with a friend whose opinion you value and whose style you admire.
  • Having a well-manicured lawn is essential to curb appeal and that doesn’t change just because the weather is cooling down! Giving your grass some autumn TLC now will ensure you’ll be seeing a healthy green lawn come spring. Take care of visible weeds, aerate your lawn, reseed bare patches, and overseed the whole lawn with added fertilizer if necessary. Stay on top of frequent raking throughout autumn. Allowing leaves to accumulate and lay on your lawn for more than a few days can cause damage to grass blades. Keep clean lines around walkways and flower beds and trim bushes and trees to set the foundation for curb appeal you can be proud of!
  • The days will get shorter and the sun will set sooner during the next few months so now is the time to update your outdoor lighting. Make a statement with a combination of wall sconces, lanterns, step, and path lights that highlight your architecture and showcase the landscaping.
  • Add a fresh splash of color by planting fall flowers either in your flower beds or get creative with festive combinations in containers. Mums, pansies, black-eyed susans, sweet alyssum, dianthus, perennial sage, goldenrod, and autumn crocus are all excellent choices. These varieties will withstand the chilly nights and bring vibrant color to the shorter days of autumn.
  • Highlight your front door by hanging an autumn wreath adorned with pumpkins, fall leaves, and other icons of the harvest. If you really want to turn heads, update your front door with a bright, bold colored paint. Updating the hardware with a new knocker and doorknob in a matching finish will complete the look.
  • Create an inviting walkway to your updated door. Pavers or stone are extremely popular options for a beautiful walkway, and this will be an update that will last for years. Flank the area with colorful landscaping and incorporate path lights to finish the look.
  • The mailbox area is often a forgotten space when considering curb appeal, but it can also use some fall flair!  Dress up your mailbox by adding corn stalks, pumpkins, some floral swag, or a seasonal flag.
  • Leaving behind the sweltering days of summer may mean more time in your outdoor space for you and your family. So, add some cozy fall blankets and pillows to your outdoor seating and some lanterns for a cozy touch.

Inspired yet? If you need extra storage space to work on big fall projects, Zippy Shell has onsite and portable storage solutions perfect for the job. You can learn more by visiting www.zippyshell.com today.

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Fun Fall Decor Ideas

Fall Decor

If you have walked through a store in the past few weeks, there is no question that fall is here—Halloween and Thanksgiving décor is everywhere! We have seen some Christmas stuff too, but we are not even getting started on that right now. If you are getting your home ready for the fall season, we have some fun décor ideas to get you started.

TRANSFORM YOUR DINING TABLE

The dining table is a great place to start decorating for fall. After you put down a nice tablecloth and runner, you can get creative with a fall-themed centerpiece. A tall vase full of dried wheat bundles or a large bowl filled with pinecones, mini-pumpkins, or gourds, is a simple way to create a dramatic centerpiece in your dining room.

STOP BY YOUR LOCAL NURSERY OR GARDEN CENTER

The fall porch and patio potted arrangements have arrived. You can pick up a gorgeous arrangement of plants and foliage to display on your front porch or even lining the steps up to your front door. If they are already in containers, the only thing you must do is keep them watered for an easy, yet stunning, decoration for your porch that you will love looking at all season.

GET FESTIVE WITH A FALL WREATH

Wreaths are great for any holiday or season for a festive way to greet guests or anyone who comes to the front door. You can buy one ready-made, or you can hop on Pinterest for some fun DIY fall wreath plans and patterns.

TURN YOUR PORCH INTO A FALL FESTIVAL

Use a variety of pumpkins, garland made from colorful leaves, and stringed lights to give your front porch that fall festival feel. Another idea we love is taking mason jars and filling them with small, battery-operated lights and moss for some earthy ambiance while you sit outside enjoying the cooler weather.

BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

Bring the outside in by collecting branches to display in tall vases. If you are handy with power tools, you can even find downed thick limbs or trees to create wood slices to use around your home. Wood slices make great risers, placemats, or even coasters.

GET CRAFTY

While we love natural decorations, crafted decorations work great for the fall season as well. Mixing the two themes can also be fun. You can take natural items like acorns, pinecones, or even pumpkins, and paint them in fun colors that you love. This is a great activity to get the kids involved in as well.

We hope you have fun as you start decorating your home for the fall season. Be sure to stop by our Pinterest page and check out our FALL DECORATING, FOOD, AND INSPIRATION board for even more fun ideas.

ZIPPY SHELL IS READY TO PARTNER WITH YOU

If you have a move coming up this year, or you need options for storage, give Zippy Shell a call for a free, no-obligation estimate.

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Common Decorating Mistakes to Avoid

decorating

Are you getting ready to decorate your new house? If you just moved, you are probably feeling some urgency to transform your new house into a warm home and sanctuary for you and your family—but don’t move too fast! Before you get started, take a look at some of the most common decorating mistakes.

CHOOSING YOUR PAINT COLOR TOO SOON

You may already have an idea of what color you want to paint the rooms in your home, but we suggest making your more expensive purchases first. Make sure you have all the furniture you plan to buy in the home before choosing the color of the paint. Often times, people paint first and then realize the furniture they move in doesn’t complement each other.

NOT TRYING PAINT SAMPLES

Another mistake people make with paint colors is choosing the color in the store without bringing home samples to see how it will look on their walls in the current lighting. According to what kind of lighting you have in your home, colors can look dramatically different. Paint samples are a cost-effective way to make sure you choose the color you love.

CHOOSING STYLE OVER COMFORT

This is an easy mistake to make. Some of the most comfortable things are often less aesthetically pleasing. When you are choosing furniture, keep in mind that if you choose style over comfort, people in your family will be less likely to use that space.

HANGING ART TOO HIGH

Another common decorating mistake is hanging pieces of art too high to try and give a more dramatic look. Standard sizes should be hung at eye level to give the viewer the best view of the art.

NOT MEASURING SPACES BEFORE BUYING FURNITURE AND RUGS

This is usually an unintentional mistake that happens when you are shopping for a certain thing but come across a piece of furniture, rug, or another home item that you just love. A purchase is made, it is brought home, only to find that it doesn’t fit the space. If you the vendor doesn’t accept returns, you are just out of luck. It is a good idea to go ahead and take some of the main measurements in your home and save them to your phone so making spontaneous purchases don’t have to end badly. And always check the return/exchange policy!

RELYING ON OVERHEAD LIGHTING

Decorating your home is not all about art, furniture, and accent pieces—it’s also about ambiance. The best way to achieve a nice ambiance in your home is by using other types of lighting besides your overhead lights. A nice corner lamp or chandelier with dimming feature are just two great options to consider in your home.

We hope these tips help as you get ready to decorate your home. If you aren’t quite there yet and are still working on planning a move, give Zippy Shell a call at 888-947-7974 or contact us online. We would be happy to equip you with a free, no-obligation estimate to help you make the best moving and storage decisions. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Decorating Tips on a Budget

Woman Doing DIY Projects

Redecorating rooms in your home doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, it can be easy to stay within a small budget and change the look throughout your home. If you are ready to transform the appearance and feel in your home, take a look at our 6 favorite tips to redecorate on a small budget.

SHOP THRIFTY

Shopping secondhand stores and estate sales can be a gamechanger when you are decorating a home on a small budget. As you are shopping, try to keep an open mind to the potential of each item. Sometimes a coat of paint or new hardware can completely alter a piece of furniture to be the perfect piece for your home.

PAINT

Repainting the walls, trim, or even door is a fast way to dramatically change the appearance and atmosphere in your home. If the cost for paint needed for an entire room exceeds your budget, consider painting an accent wall to create a focal point.

ACCENT IT

Use new throw pillows, small rugs, or new lampshades to create accents to your current furniture and décor. You can also find inexpensive hardware to transform your current cabinets and drawers.

CREATE YOUR OWN

You don’t have to be a professional artist to create beautiful pieces to display around your home. Youtube is filled with tutorials on creating practically any type of art you can think of. With some canvas and paints, you can create a personalized piece of art that will bring you joy in your home—and for a fraction of the price you would pay at a retail store. Plus, it’s fun!

MOVE THINGS AROUND

If you don’t have any room in your budget for redecorating right now, you can simply move items around in your home to change the look. You can take things from other rooms and switch them around. Repurposing items from your own home is an awesome way to change the atmosphere without spending any money.

USE NATURE

Bringing in real plants, flowers, or small trees will give your home a natural feel that can be achieved with a small budget. You can even bring in items from your own yard that will cost you no money. Ask your friends and family if you can have cuttings from their plants to use in or around your home. There are also community plant exchange groups where you often can find people offering plants or cuttings at little to no charge.

Do you have any small budget decorating tips that we missed? Stop by our Facebook page and share with us and our Zippy Shell community. If you are getting ready to move or you need a secure way to store your stuff while you are remodeling or redecorating, we’d love to assist you with a free estimate to help you get started on your next adventure.

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Four Ways to Make Your Small Space Feel Larger

living room

Small spaces come with both charm and challenges. Small spaces are easier to decorate, easier to keep clean, and easier to organize, but at the same time, they can feel cramped and claustrophobic. Everyone wants their home to feel open and welcoming, no matter what the size. So we’ve compiled some creative ways to give your home some space, or at least the illusion of space!

Make use of multi-purpose furniture. This will not only save space, but it will also save money as there’s no need to purchase multiple furniture pieces if you can have one item that can do more than one function. For instance, swap out your lounge chair or sofa for a sleeper couch. Replace your coffee table with an ottoman to double up as extra seating for guests. Try a room divider that includes built-in shelving. Buy tables with drawers whenever you can so you’ll have more storage space.

Clear the clutter. Don’t take up valuable space and mental energy with items you no longer use. Ask these questions as you are purging and really think about the emotional reasons you may be hanging on each item.

  • Does this add value to my life?
  • Have I used this in a year?
  • Do I have more than one of these?
  • Would I buy it again?
  • How many times have I used it?
  • Does it fit?
  • Do I have space for this?

Monochromatic decorating gives the illusion of space. Contrasting colors tend to break up a space, making it appear even smaller than it is. Drapes and furniture that match the wall color blend with the space, giving the illusion of a bigger room. Also, decorate with light colors to keep your rooms feeling airy and open. An abundance of dark colors in a small space can feel overwhelming and like the room is closing in on you. Of course, any room will look larger if it’s well-lit, preferably by natural light. Make sure light coming in from your windows is not being blocked by furniture or other stacked objects.

Add reflective surfaces. Try swapping some of the art on your walls for mirrors and see what it does to your home. The reflection will open up the room, making it look bigger. Mirrors not only reflect light, they also reflect the view, thereby tricking the eye into the perception of more space. Just remember that you don’t want the mirror to reflect a cluttered or cornered space – this will defeat the purpose!

If you own items that you don’t have room for, but you want to keep – a mobile storage unit may be the answer you seek. Pack your extra items in a Zippy Shell and send them off to a secure, climate-controlled storage center. Then sit back and breathe a sigh of relief in your small sanctuary of a home!

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Budget-Friendly Seasonal Decor Ideas for Fall

Fall Trees

Fall is in the air! Pumpkin Spice Lattes, cozy sweaters, colorful foliage, bonfires, and college football are sure signs that fall is here. Another favorite of the season is decorating our homes with festive, seasonal décor. Here are a few ideas to display your love of fall décor without breaking the bank.

  • Pumpkins: The holy grail of the fall season! This time of year you can find pumpkins of all shapes in sizes at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, road-side pumpkin stands and even in your own garden! Display pumpkins in your home and on your porch. Carve or paint them to make your Halloween more spooky! Create great family memories by visiting a local pumpkin patch and baking pumpkin pies!
  • Colorful gourds, squash & corn: Again, easy to find at your local grocery store or farmers’ markets. Arrange them in a wide round straw basket for a great centerpiece for your table. Add a few miniature pumpkins for the full fall effect!
  • Fall flowers: For a quick and easy fall decoration, add flowers to your décor. Visit your local nursery or home décor store for ideas to include potted flowers such as mums, pansies and other fall offerings. Give your green thumb a try and plant an autumn garden.
  • Door wreaths: Pick up a fall wreath at your local décor store or get crafty and make your own. Make it a fun fall project by having your kids collect natural items to use such as wheat, leaves, branches, pinecones, acorns and berries.
  • Collect & display fall leaves: For a simple and fun, kid-friendly project, gather leaves of different colors and sizes. Laminate leaves and hang with clear fishing line around your home or doorframes. For a different touch, add a framing mat around the laminated leaves and make a display collection on the wall in your foyer or living room.

For more information regarding storage or moving solutions, please give us a call or visit our website www.ZippyShell.com.