If your living room feels more like an afterthought than an inviting, well-designed space, it may be time to give it a fresh start.

Start by browsing interior design websites or magazines for inspiration. Select a cohesive colour palette and clearly define your design style. Think also about your lifestyle when making choices. For example, a white sofa may not be ideal if you have pets or kids. Collect images of all the pieces you’d like to use and ensure they complement one another in both style and scale. Remember to measure before you buy. Consider the layout of your furniture to support both functionality and flow. Arrange pieces to encourage easy movement and conversation. Space permitting, place furniture away from walls to create the illusion of a more expansive room.

Choose a sofa that fits the room without dominating it, and for the area rug, pick one large enough so furniture sits at least partially on it, but avoid anything that stretches wall-to-wall.

Layer lighting for both practicality and ambiance, combining overhead lighting with floor or table lamps, sconces, and pendants to add depth and dimension.

Finish your makeover with accessories that enhance your colour scheme and style, incorporating textures, such as faux fur throws or pillows, woven baskets, wood accents, and houseplants. For walls, consider a mirror to brighten and expand your space, a large-scale artwork, a curated gallery wall, or a small grouping of art. 

If you have any doubts about hanging art or curtains, consider hiring an interior designer; misplacement can distract from even the best-designed interiors.

The stresses of modern life can creep up quickly, and people are increasingly looking to spa-like bathrooms to seek refuge, as a recent Bath Trends report by the National Kitchen and Bath Association noted. In fact, 90 percent of the designers they surveyed believe that the primary bath will increasingly be viewed as a “personal sanctuary.”

Incorporating nature-inspired and therapeutic elements is the essence of spa-like bathrooms, such as a rain showerhead, which can recreate that calming, natural rainfall experience. To take it up another level, hang eucalyptus from your showerhead for an infusion of aromatherapy. As for tubs, Soaking tubs are becoming increasingly popular as they allow for longer, more comfortable relaxation, especially if you add aromatherapy oils.

Other spa-like bathroom features might include houseplants, natural wood, such as a wood ladder to hang plush towels on, or pebble flooring to enhance the connection to nature. Also, maximizing natural light, such as with a skylight, and using reflective surfaces, such as glass doors, mirrors, and glossy or polished tiles, can make your bathroom feel bigger. Layer lights with vanity task lighting for functionality, and a heat lamp to keep you warm after a shower.

To promote feelings of calm, a neutral or soft colour palette is best, as well as sufficient storage, such as medicine cabinets, and decorative bathroom decanters for soap to minimize clutter.

Simplified maintenance with products like self-cleaning toilets and large tiles with a pencil-thin grout means you can spend less time cleaning and more time relaxing!

Fire Safety Awareness Month is a reminder to us all of everything we need to do around our homes to help prevent a tragedy from happening. Here are some reminders:

• Test your smoke detectors monthly, replace if they are expired, swap out batteries every spring and fall, ensure you have one on every floor and in every bedroom.
• Don’t leave cooking or burning candles unattended.
• Keep flammables away from heat, such as cooking oil.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and ensure that members of your household know how to use it.
• Empty your dryer lint trap after every use and clean your dryer vent annually.
• Avoid plugging more than one appliance into each outlet (and make sure it's grounded).
• Don’t plug extension cords or power bars together; instead, plug them directly into a grounded outlet.
• Have heating systems, including chimneys, serviced and cleaned annually.
• Keep lighters and matches away from children.
• Keep potting soil moist, which can be highly flammable, especially when dry. Store it in a cool, dry place away from heat sources.
• Replace damaged electrical cords.

Even with all the preventative measures in place, tragedies can still happen, so it’s also important to have a fire escape plan in place and review it with members of your household twice a year. Keeping an escape ladder handy can also be a lifesaver if other exits are blocked by smoke or fire.

If you are yearning for a space that is more vibrant and emotionally uplifting and want to embrace a completely different look, dopamine décor may be for you. It essentially defies “what goes together” in favour of whatever makes you “feel good,” just as the neurotransmitter dopamine does. So, how can you get dopamine décor vibes in your home?

• While often associated with bright colours, you could also use a softer shade with funky patterned wallpaper, for example. Or if you are super in love with one colour, drench the whole room in it. Alternatively, have pops of colour with a neutral backdrop.
• Embrace textures, for example, by adding attractive accent pillows with the softness of faux fur to the rustic charm of burlap.
• Include eclectic shapes, particularly round ones. Research has shown that when we look at angular objects, the amygdala, the part of our brain associated with anxiety, lights up. But with round shapes, the amygdala stays silent.
• Choose furniture and lighting from a mix of different eras.
• Gallery walls with curated, meaningful art that makes you feel good.
• Have one or two focal points per room and keep the other elements simple. Think thoughtful curation over excessive stimulation.
• Include functionality. Pretty looking, but annoying, won’t provide a dopamine hit.
• Consider bold coloured or patterned tiles in your kitchen or bathroom.

If you think you might like dopamine décor, but are afraid of “messing up,” just start small by purchasing some nifty artwork, some funky accent pillows, or create a wallpapered accent wall and see if it makes you feel good — after all, that’s what dopamine décor is all about.

If you are like many people, you may have acquired tons of reusable shopping bags over time. Here are some tips on how to care for them to prevent illnesses.

Washing reusable grocery bags is another one of those things that may not be top of mind unless you have a habit of it. The importance of regularly washing them cannot be underestimated, however, as they can carry harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, listeria, and salmonella, which can linger on the bag and cross-contaminate unprotected foods. Also, thoroughly dry your bags before storing them to prevent mould and bacteria growth.

Besides washing your bags, separating groceries (e.g., meats, poultry, seafood, and produce) into different bags (for example, by colour or label) can help prevent bacteria from spreading. Also, wrap meats, seafood, and produce in a separate produce bag to help prevent juices from spreading and avoid contamination.

As for storage, it may seem most convenient to store reusable bags in your trunk, however, trunks can be breeding grounds for bacteria because they are often warm environments, and there may be other items in your trunk that can transfer harmful bacteria to your bags. Designating a spot for them by your front door might be a safer option.

So, throw those bags in with your weekly laundry to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Summer brings many familiar sights and experiences. One of them, unfortunately, can be the increased prevalence of pesky wasps. So, what is it that attracts wasps?

• Dead or untrimmed vegetation 
• Unharvested fruit and vegetables
• Sugary, fruity drinks or food, and grilled meat. Put food away promptly after consumption.
• Garbage that is not tightly sealed
• Compost — when flipping the pile, be careful about disturbing a wasp nest that may be hidden.
• Pine sap
• Bird feeders containing sugary concoctions

And if wasps are already a nuisance for you, here are some ways to wage war on them:

• Make a trap with an empty 2-litre bottle filled with banana peel, apple cider vinegar, and sugar, or spray wasps with 2 tablespoons of dish soap and water. 
• Hang wasp traps
• If a nest isn’t bothering you, leave it be. But if it’s necessary to remove it, do so when it’s late at night or in the early morning when wasps are least active by spraying a hose 15 to 20 feet away at the nest or using a commercial wasp spray. Wear protective clothing to minimize the chance of being stung. After it’s removed, check for signs of the nest being rebuilt in the same spot, which is not uncommon. 

If you don’t want to risk being stung when removing a wasp nest yourself, are allergic, or if wasps are inside your home, hire a professional to remove it.