DIY Remodel: How to Choose Your LVP Flooring

photo via HGTV

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring aka LVP

We are remodeling our offices and have decided on a mix of LVP, Luxury Vinyl Plank, and low berber carpet, for the spaces we need quieter. Going into this remodel I had no idea how to choose LVP and didn’t even know that Pergo/faux wood floor is called LVP!

Here are a few things I learned and some tips to help you with if you are shooing LVP for your renovation.

When choosing the best luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring, there are several factors to consider. Here are some tips to help you choose the best LVP flooring for your needs:

1. Quality: Look for LVP flooring with a high-quality wear layer ( ask about this! It makes a difference especially if you’re putting it in high-traffic areas!) that is scratch-resistant and durable. A thicker wear layer will generally provide better protection and last longer. Consider the thickness of the plank, wear layer, and construction type.

2. Appearance: Consider the color, texture, and design of the LVP flooring. Choose a style that matches your decor and personal taste. You can even find LVP that looks pretty close to wood@

3. Thickness: Look for thicker LVP flooring, as it will generally be more durable and provide better sound insulation. We learned this the hard way in the past. You don’t want to hear everyone upstairs!

4. Installation: Consider the installation method, as some LVP flooring is designed for floating installation some types of LVP flooring require glue, while others have a click-and-lock system. Choose the method that is best suited for your skill level and needs. If you are new and doing this on your own I would suggest the click-and-lock. My 12 year old niece was able to do thsi herself in her bedroom!

5. Brand Reputation: Check reviews from past buyers or ask for references to ensure that the brand you're considering has a reputation for quality and customer service. Always look for reviews. Best lesson I learned from Amazon!

6. Warranty: Look for LVP flooring with a good warranty that covers manufacturing defects, and wear-and-tear.

7. Maintenance: Choose LVP flooring that is easy to clean and maintain. Some types of LVP flooring are scratch-resistant, waterproof, and stain-resistant, making them ideal for high-traffic areas and for those with fur babies!

8. Cost: Consider the cost of the LVP flooring, including the price of installation. Choose a flooring option that fits your budget.

Overall, when choosing the best LVP flooring, it's important to balance your personal preferences, budget, and practical considerations such as quality, installation, and maintenance. By taking these factors into consideration, you should be able to choose the best LVP flooring for your home or business. Good luck! I will keep you updated on our office remodel! Before and after photos coming soon!

Bedroom Makeover - Choosing the Perfect Bedframe & Headboard

I'm in search for a bed frame or a nice headboard. It's been a while since I've had one. You know, it's just one of those things on your list that gets pushed back with other more pressing things making their way ahead on your budget. I finally decided I need to just get one. Choosing one I will like for a while is the trick though. I like the idea of a sofa upholstered headboard like the one pictured above. It's from Wayfair and at a great price too only $169 for a queen.

I also like this bed frame from Joss and Main. It costs more but it has the full frame with a low foot board that I really like so I can sit on the end of the bed. I like the combination of the darker wood with the linen colored upholstered headboard. It's still a great price at $285.95 for the queen size.

There is just something about a spindle bed that is enchanting and classic and almost fairytale like. Do you like the gray color shown above or the navy here on at One Kings Lane?

I'm off to find the perfect one. Wish me luck!

Spring | Lemon Love | A Few Lemon Favs

New on Simply the Sweet Life are Seasonal Themes of my favorite things! For spring I chose lemons, lemon love!

I’ve had a life long love of lemons. When I was very young around 4 or 5 when I went with my grandma and mother shoppping I would always ask for the plastic lemons with lemon juice in them for my treat. I love lemon yellow and and butter cream yellow colors. I love to scent of lemons and lemon essential oil.

To start off the Lemon Love Spring here are some of my favorite lemon things!

affiliate links included

Yellow Microplane Lemon Zester

I got this lemon zester a few years ago and it has been my go to zester for all things citrus. I use it for my Lemon Keylime Bars!

GET IT HERE

Lemon Vanilla Bean Soy Candle

This candle has creamy lemon vanilla scent, a 100% cotton wick and free from paraffin!

GET IT HERE

Lemon Pure Essential Oil

I diffuse the now lemon essential oil in my kitchen daily

GET IT HERE

Lemon Botanical Dish Towels

I love these dish towels and this set comes with a bonus lemon juice press!

GET IT HERE

EO Coconut + Lemon Body Lotion

This is my go to daily lotion. It’s a pure basic lotion free from petrochemicals.

GET IT HERE

So many more lemony good things coming throughout spring!

Choosing a Neutral Paint Color -Taupe or Greige

I’m sure if you have been looking at paint colors recently you have heard the made-up color name Greige. It sounds a bit confusing because really it’s just taupe. Taupe is a cool natural that is a mix of beige and gray. For some reason, the trend for the more cool color of taupe is to call it greige.

Photo Credit - Jenn Verrier Photography @jennverrier

The gray and white look is on its way out while adding some walnut wood and painted navy or deep peacock color cabinets is showing up in new homes with the greige/cool taupe wall paint colors.

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I love the dusty pale blue painted cabinets above with the brass/soft gold color hardware. The reason they look so great together is that yellow and blue are complementary colors and the tints and tones in this palette are perfectly balanced. Such a welcoming classic look.

As a trained designer and color expert I’ve been helping my bestie choose colors for her new home. Even though her home is semi-custom her contractor is working with Sherwin-Williams but she loves many of the Benjamin Moore colors so I am helping find a greige aka taupe palette that will be more timeless and traditional than trendy.

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Easy to Grow Indoor Plants * Adding Some Fresh Green to Your Home

Adding Some Fresh Green Plants to Your Home

I have been into house plants lately and want to add more to my home. I’ve been researching easy-to-grow indoor plants and wanted to share will you some of the interesting and helpful info I’ve found. There’s nothing like a bit of fresh green to add to the coziness of home.

Jade Plant

Crassula ovata, or the jade plant, is also known as the lucky money tree. If you’re looking for a great durable plant that is easy to care for the Jade plant is for you! This succulent is snow growing but can grow up to 6 feet tall.

Jade plants are easy to propagate which means you can grow more plants from your main plant and fill out all sections of your home or give some as gifts too.

Care: light with

ZZ Plant

Zamioculcas Zamiifolia or the ZZ plant or the Zanzibar Gem is an easy low light plant. I love the shiny oval deep green leaves of the ZZ.

Care: Can tolerate everything from bright indirect sun to low light with well-drained soil.

Snake Plant

Sansevieria or Mother-in-Laws Tongue has a long pointed leaf that is almost waxy. I love the look of this plant but I’m not in love with the name. Snakes and mother-in-law’s tongues?? I hope my daughter’s-in-law think of me as kind and loving! As for snakes, I can leave them but this plant I will take! I love the upward movement of the leaves.

NASA researched the Snake Plant and found that they help clean the air by removing toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene.
Care: Snake plants are great in low light, require very little watering, and will endure if you forget to water them.

English Ivy

Hedera helix or English Ivy is such a lovely plant. I love growing Ivy indoors. I love the shape of the leaves, I love that they trail along so nicely and make a great handing plant or can be trained around a frame for a topiary.

Care: Ivy does like bright in-direct sunlight so this is a plant to house near a window. Keep the soil moist but not too wet and don’t let it dry out.

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PRODUCT SUMMARY 

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Ceramic Planter with Wood Stand

Copper Colored 40oz Watering Can

Plant Stand Mid Century Wood

Gray Slope Arm Sofas - Restoration Hardware Inspired Home

One day last fall I walked into the SLC Restoration Hardware store and was struck with inspiration. This is the feel I want for my home redesign. I wanted it to feel light airy and full of well-designed pieces of furniture, tall palm trees, and plants, with a touch of a cozy relaxing home. A place my mind could rest and a place where my family could come and hang out. In addition to buying my beautiful Majestic Palm, I started to add one piece at a time. Although I LOVE the Restoration Hardware sofas they didn’t have a couple of things I wanted for my gathering space.

A few things on my checklist included both form and function. Anyone who knows me knows that if there is something in my home it must be deigned well as well as have a use. It’s not form verses function with my it’s form AND function.

• It must be aesthetically pleasing.

• it must be comfortable, the kind of comfortable where you can curl up and take a nap comfortably.

• It must be durable to withstand long hours of use and my cat Henri and my Taco Terrier Harrison (aka a chihuahua mini fox terrier mix)

• It must have a place to put my feet up, I debated back and forth over the chaise lounge end sofa and the reclining sofa.

The reclining sofa won out only because I finally after A LOT of searching found one that was in the perfect gray color and had a similar reverse slope arm as the restoration hardware sofa. I’m totally happy that I did choose these two because they come with USB portals and the loveseat has an outlet in the center storage area and 2 drink holders AND the headrest is adjustable too!

I’m not crazy about the pillow cover design of the pillows that came with it so I’m ordering these woven Baileywick Linen Pillow Covers in shell pink for some texture and these Maddie Textured Pillow Covers in mauve. I like that the colors are muted and soft pale colors that translate more as a neutral in the room. For the holidays and seasons, I will be adding a throw and lumbar pillows with a print.

Easy to Care For House Plants: #1 Majesty Palm

Let’s talk about house plants! I mean the easy to care for hard to kill variety that pretty much anyone can grown. From pathos to palms there are some lovely plant you can grown in your home.

Majesty Palm

Right now I’m loving my new Majesty Palm. It grows pretty fast and I bought a smaller one and planted it in a taller straight pot so it would stand taller without having to spend more on a bigger plant upfront.

It’s best to keep the soil moist but they are forgiving if you forget to water them. They thrive in a low light indoor setting just fine.

When I got my last majesty palm my cat decided the pot was his new litter box and ruined it so now I cover the soil with a little bit of stone mulch since cats don’t like its rough texture.

This photo is of Rhianna Meyman’s beautiful Majesty Palm. I will post photos of mine as soon as I’m finished with my unpacking here in my new home.

Easy Hummingbird Food Recipe

It’s spring time which means the hummingbirds are coming back. Every year my grandma would hand a hummingbird feeder so we could watch the hummingbirds from her kitchen window. I carried on that tradition with my kids. Now that they are grown and off to college I look forward to the days I feed the hummingbirds with my future gandkids just likemy grandma.

Hummingbird food is really a simple recipe. It consists of sugar and water. You boil the water to make sure it is clean and pure for your hummingbird friends.

This is a basic plain sugar syrup. Do not use food coloring. The hummingbirds will love their freshly made nectar.

Info for feeding hummingbirds:

Hummingbirds eat the most during the early morning and about a half an hour before dark so it's best to check on your hummingbird feeder just after dinnertime.

Humming birds are drawn to the colors red and orange. To attract them to your yard plant bright hues of red and orange flowers. It's also good to make sure your hummingbird feed has red on it too.

A few good hummingbird friendly flowers are petunias, lupine, lilies, and bee balm in shades of reds and oranges.

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Hummingbird Food Recipe

By Simply the Sweet Life

This is a simple recipe for your favorite hummingbird friends..

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups water

Instructions

• In a pot bring water to simmer. Add in sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cool then place in your hummingbird feeder.

Yield: 5 cups

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Total time: 15 mins.

Nutrition

• Calories: 773
• Fat: 0

Tags: recipes, hummingbird food

SAVE IT FOR LATER - PINTEREST

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