• New York

    Renovating Your Home: A Guide  

    Yellow Concrete House

    Your home is your most valuable asset, and it is something to be proud of – it’s where you can create the rules and maintain each room with a sense of pride. When we move, there is often so much to worry about that any structural or decorative problems with our home will be overlooked in our haste to unpack the boxes and get the chance to sit down and relax in our new property. Once you have settled in, or if you have been living in the same décor for over a decade, it is time to start thinking about how to renovate your home. This article gives some pointer about how and where to start.

    Kitchen

    The kitchen is the heart of your home – a room where you can create a beautiful space for family and visitors alike. A charming kitchen will have you brimming with pride to invite people over – or just to spend your Saturday afternoons baking treats with the radio on. There are many ways that you can renovate your kitchen, but before anything else, you should start by figuring out how you can make the space as social as possible.

    Traditional kitchens were made to be very small, with only one family member cooking and the family eating in a separate room. It is possible your kitchen still maintains this design, without much room for social interaction and relaxation. If this is the case, it is worth knocking down walls to make your kitchen and living area open-plan so that everyone can relax and cook together.

    In order to make a friendly and social kitchen, it is worth considering installing a kitchen island to remove a sense of formality – this will give you extra space for when you are cooking a big meal, too. The focus on the room, however, should be a large kitchen table where the children can do their homework, and you can enjoy a morning cup of coffee appreciating the quiet hum of family life together.

    Disused Spaces

    Is there a room that is just used to store junk and sports equipment? That room could be repurposed as a spare bedroom, office space, or a place to enjoy hobbies. Turning unused space into a spare room can be extremely lucrative in the rise of rental properties across the globe.

    If you don’t mind sharing your home with others, you could boost your income every month by letting someone stay at your house. If you don’t like the idea of sharing a bathroom or kitchen with someone you don’t know, it could be worth converting your basement into a self-contained apartment, or you could transform a stable or shed into a modern space for guests to stay.

    It is worth investing in all the modern technology that twenty-first-century life demands if you are creating a space to rent out. This is a basic requirement for many home rentals – in addition to contemporary design and a functioning kitchenette, ensure WiFi is provided – and you can even consider smart-home controls, too.

    Windows

    There is nothing more irritating than loud noise coming in from the street. When you first moved in, perhaps you were able to ignore this,but now that gradual irritation may have started to affect your night’s sleep.

    You can search for window companies ‘near me’ online to find a company that will replace your windows and help instill an ambiance of calm into your home. It is imperative that you install good quality windows because old windows can be very wasteful when expensive heating (or cool air from your air conditioning) is lost through them, in addition to the problems you may experience with sounds from the street.

    Bathroom

    Trends for bathrooms are constantly evolving, and it’s worth refurbishing your bathroom with a simple and classic décor style in mind. Do not be distracted by bathroom tech fads or gadgets that will look outdated in a few years and cost a lot more than a simple bathroom would. When you are refurbishing your bathroom it is important to be realistic about the future. It is essential to ask yourself the question: is your bathroom suitable for an older person?

    If you are looking to sell your property in the next few years, it is important to think about what other people would like in their bathroom. Most people find a bathtub is rarely used and consumes a lot of water, therefore making bills extremely expensive. It is also not worth it to buy the most expensive shower and sink if you are going to sell the house soon.

    There are a few simple things that can be done to renovate a home from being tired and dreary to contemporary and comfortable. Look around your house and see what you think can be improved and renovated to help make your home feel brand new again.

     

  • Beauty,  Health,  San Diego,  WorldWide

    Codex Beauty Launches Flagship Product Line “Bia”

    Codex Beauty, a global clean beauty skincare company, announced the launch of Bia, its first product line. In August 2018, Codex Beauty acquired Bia from Ireland-based herbal scientist Tracey Ryan, who partners with expert formulators and scientists to create effective, pure skin care solutions for customers seeking products with natural ingredients. With its traditional roots, Bia pays tribute to Ireland’s local herbalists and their expert knowledge of therapeutic plants. “Bia products are made from the purest, most time-tested ingredients on the planet, providing tangible results with clean product profiles,” commented Tracey Ryan, Europe Director & Master Formulator at Codex Beauty.

    Unique to Bia is the patent pending BiaComplex™, a deeply nourishing and hydrating blend of macerated oil infusions used as a base for products in place of water. The Bia collection is an essential, unisex collection designed to cleanse, hydrate and protect the skin, in order to achieve an overall healthy and radiant appearance. Products include:

    • Bia Exfoliating WashA multi-purpose cleanser to exfoliate, tone and polish skin
    • Bia Day CreamA facial staple to restore and hydrate skin
    • Bia Skin SuperfoodAn intensely reparative treatment cream to nourish, firm and intensely hydrate skin
    • Bia Eye Gel CreamAn instantly cooling treatment to tighten, brighten and revitalize the eyes
    • Bia Facial OilA daily vitamin to help repair, rejuvenate and strengthen skin

    “The Bia product line is a shining example of the types of products Codex plans to develop and commercialize in the near future,” added Dianne Vavra, Chief Communications Officer, Codex Beauty. “We’re proud to feature Bia as our first product line offering.”

    Bia products utilize the latest advancements in biotechnology and green chemistry to produce formulas with quantifiable, scientific results, as well as Codex Beauty‘s patent pending, plant-based preservative system, which is completely free of chemicals and supports skin health. Bia products also feature airless containers wherever possible as a secondary barrier to further maximize product safety and shelf life.

    Exfoliating Wash
    $45.00
    Toning & Polishing

    A gentle everyday cleanser with exfoliating and polishing natural Jojoba grains, it is infused with Elderflower water, Grapefruit, Safflower and Milk Thistle Oils for both toning and cleansing benefits.

    Fragrance: Uplifting Grapefruit and Elderflower.

    Skin types: All skin types.

    Key Ingredients:

    • Elderflower Hydrosol
    • Milk Thistle Oil
    • Castor and Safflower Oil

    Day Cream
    $70.00

    Restoring & Hydrating

    This light but nourishing daily facial moisturiser combines the regenerating effects of Calendula and the hydrating properties of Hyaluronic acid.

    Fragrance: Light citrus.
    Skin types: All skin types.

    Key Ingredients:

    • Calendula
    • Serrated Wrack
    • Hyaluronic Acid (2%)
    • Sweet Almond Oil
    • Green Mandarin Oil

    Facial Oil
    $90.00

    Smoothing & Firming

    A light, dry oil that helps to hydrate, seal in moisture, firm, and smooth the skin.

    Fragrance: Delicately woody and herbaceous from Rosemary and Bog Myrtle.

    Skin types: All skin types.

    Key Ingredients:

    • Rosehip
    • Bog Myrtle
    • Sea Buckthorn
    • Prickly Pear
    • Serrated Wrack
    • Rosemary
    • Kiwi Seed
    • Baobab Oil

    Eye Gel Cream
    $65.00

    Cooling & Brightening

    A light weight, cooling and brightening eye gel that helps reduce undereye puffiness and dark circles, whilst providing instant hydration and soothing.

    Fragrance: Rose with hints of Immortelle.

    Skin types: All skin types.

    Key Ingredients:

    • Arnica Oil
    • Bladder Wrack
    • Cucumber
    • Aloe Vera
    • Immortelle

    Skin Superfood
    $50.00

    Nourishing & Rejuvenating

    A hydrating and nourishing treatment cream for face, hands and body. Made with our unique BiaComplex™ herbal formula, this cream helps treat dry, flaky or irritated skin and leaves it silky smooth.

    Fragrance: Delicately herbaceous with hints of Immortelle.

    Skin types: All skin types.

    BiaComplex™: provides hydration, soothing and anti-irritant benefits

    Key Ingredients:

    • Calendula officinalis
    • Helichrysum italicum
    • Symphytum officinale
    • Viola tricolor
    • Althea officinalis

    About Codex Beauty
    Codex Beauty is a global collective of clean beauty skincare brands that is responsibly revolutionizing how the world views and maintains optimal skin health using ancient herbal traditions, innovative, vegan formulations, unprecedented quality standards and pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing, science, and transparency. By developing products using carefully selected ingredients, formulation innovation, and information transparency, Codex Beauty is empowering skin care customers with the products and peace-of-mind they deserve.