Home Kitchen

modern bathroom design ideas

Today it seems that more and more people consider their bathroom one of the best places in their home where they can retreat from the stress of the day. A place for a TV, separate toilets, 4 and 5 shower heads in a single shower stall, soap dispensers and towel formers are part of a newly designed bathroom. A modern bathroom will not only bring comfort to anyone, but at the same time manages to highlight straight lines, neutral, black and white tones, but also materials such as stainless steel, chrome and mirrors. Therefore, a modern bathroom is not just a place where people can take a refreshing shower, but also a place of total serenity and relaxation.

Simplicity

For anyone who wants to make sure they redesign their bathroom and bring it up to modern standards, know that simplicity is the way to go when designing bathrooms. The look of the modern bathroom is simple, spacious and elegant and only a few colors will be used to create it. If people would like to paint the walls, most of the time the colors will be soothing and soft. The common tones that are used are white and black, because they provide mental balance and relaxation. If in the past the lines in a bathroom were complex and the surfaces full of art on the walls, today they are smooth and the lines are simple. Basically, there are no intricate designs, no knick-knacks, and no clutter.

Accessories

Through the bathroom elements, a modern bathroom will emphasize straight lines, which means that the sinks are mounted on the wall, while the faucets have a smooth geometric design. Modern bathroom design also means that vanities can be wall mounted as well and people will generally go for ceramic, glass or stainless steel options. Taking a closer look at modern cabinet doors, they’re solid to prevent clutter, the toilets are streamlined and one-piece, while the hardware is also minimal. Depending on the type of cabinets people choose, some of them may have touch latches that help enhance their appearance.

Floors

For added comfort, it is better to consider heated floors. However, sometimes this may not be an option and that is why people should opt for large tiles that create a spacious look. Engineered hardwood and travertine marble are excellent options in this regard. Bathroom rugs are an important aspect of the modern bathroom, and instead of going for the regular ones, it is recommended to go for wool or plush rugs.

Turning on

To create a softening effect, dimmers and “Can” lighting work very well together in a modern bathroom design. Using skylights and placing incandescent lights next to the vanity is a great idea that will enhance the look of the bathroom. As far as window treatments go, they should be minimized.

Mod cons

Last but not least, luxurious organic towels are certainly a part of modern bathroom decor. A soap dispenser, an anti-fog mirror and a heated towel rail should never be missing in this important room in the house. The bathtub is also important and that is why people should opt for a soaking tub or whirlpool.

Home Kitchen

home renovation 101

With the plethora of home and garden television shows currently on the air, many of us have contracted the “renovation worm,” that inexplicable urge to tear down and rebuild our homes and create the home of our dreams. Whether you are contemplating renovating, restoring or redecorating your home, at its core what you truly strive to do is create the right setting for your lives and the lives of our families and friends.

Changing your home can be an incredibly pleasurable process that unleashes your inner creativity while expanding our understanding of ourselves, our families, and our aspirations. The key to a successful renovation can be divided into your planning, adaptability, and research.

Of course, the big question everyone asks before a renovation is “Will my renovation wreak havoc on my life and my family?” The honest answer to this is “Yes”, but often in a cool and unexpected way! Renovating or redesigning our homes allows us to grow, learn more about ourselves, and create the right environment for our lives that we envision living in.

HOW TO APPROACH YOUR RENEWAL

o Be realistic: if you live in a bungalow and are remodeling your basement family room and love urban loft living, 14-foot ceilings, and downtown views, you’re not going to get it. However, if you want it to have a contemporary style with warmth, sensuality and cutting edge, then that is completely doable.

o Have a detailed budget for your project. – Calculate EVERYTHING from nuts and bolts to silks and light plates. Make sure your designer and/or contractor knows what the budget ceiling is for each project and item and if you go over one of them, that means you’ll have to cut elsewhere or accept the budget increase.

o Research the best contractor for you. – Find the best contractor that fits your project, your personality and shares your design vision. Be sure to meet with at least 3 designers or contractors before making a decision.

o Understand wait times – custom sofas can take 12-14 weeks. Custom cabinetry typically takes 10-16 weeks; some fabrics may take up to 3 months. DO RESEARCH your selections so there are no misunderstandings.

o Put a positive spin on the process: the reality is that there will be ugly and inconvenient days without water or without cooking or both. If you have kids make it a fun experience, pitch a tent and camp in an area of ​​the house to make it fun for them and budget for a hotel suite for the worst period and do all the ugly stuff while you’re away. Be sure to think creatively about how to best “spin” yourself and your family through difficult times.

o Don’t worry about the small stuff: if for some reason something is delayed beyond anyone’s expectations, it won’t do you any good to explode and send your blood pressure through the roof. In the case of the “no show” item, please reselect the item or accept that it is late. Those are literally the only options, so make life easier for yourself (and your family) and learn to tailor your design plan (I always recommend having a backup selection just in case to avoid wasting time and money).

Of course, before you can start ANY renovation, you need to figure out “who are you” and “what’s your style”. Are you passionate about Traditional, Contemporary, Transitional, Modern, Urban, Zen, Ethnic or Eclectic styles? You cannot successfully begin this process without being able to firmly establish what your style is and what is the goal of your renewal and how you live your life. You will also need the help of a good designer to perfect what you are trying to create. Be sure to head out and see what’s available; go to as many showrooms and vendors as possible. You will find these trips to be inspiring and also a great learning experience.

As we all know, the biggest, most expensive, and most detailed project in your home renovation is your kitchen. When planning the design of your new kitchen, determine what suits your lifestyle; You are growing needs and your aesthetic. Always keep in mind that your kitchen is critical to your home resale, so plan wisely. Plan not only for the important elements, like appliances, flooring, cabinets, and countertops, but also for the little details that really make a design great, like hardware, lighting, hidden and built-in storage, and items that reflect your personality and style. Think about whether you LOVE to cook (then add a faucet above your stove), entertain often (then put a sink on the island), if you have a large family (then open up some walls and really make it the heart of your home). The answers to these questions will guide the fixtures and appliances you choose for your kitchen.

When laying out your kitchen layout, don’t just trust the kitchen planner or the designers’ words that the space is right for you and your family. Take a careful look at your plan and think about how to best maximize the space in your kitchen and make your life easier. No one knows your needs and the needs of your family as well as you. How about adding a multi-use island with sinks, storage, prep, and seating? What about the impressive new professional sinks with integrated pasta cookers?

When we talk about kitchen design, we are really talking about options, hundreds and hundreds of options for every aspect of your kitchen. For example, when selecting your countertops, you can have tile, granite (a designer favorite), marble (stunning but not kid-friendly), solid surface, stainless steel (sleek and modern), wood, concrete (perfect for an ultra-modern condo or home), glass, laminate (the most affordable and readily available), and many more, not to mention hundreds of options within each material. Don’t be overwhelmed by the options, always keep in mind what works best for your style, your lifestyle and your BUDGET

A small kitchen can be as much a work of art as a large family kitchen. It just means you need to plan and research twice as hard, but they can often be the most dramatic because you can put in more money per square foot and make higher quality selections than you would with a large barn-sized kitchen. Details are what will make a small kitchen sizzle. Add our pull-out drawers with stainless steel glides and pull-outs and a double-door pantry with full interior access.

An often forgotten but critical component to a great design, in your kitchen, bathroom, or anywhere in your home is your lighting plan. Good lighting is what differentiates a beautiful room from a spectacular room. Incorporate under-counter lighting pucks, overhead lighting in a cove, glass-front cabinet lighting, a beautiful fixture above the island or table, rope lighting hidden in a recessed-ceiling tray detail, the options are endless. Remember, when you’re talking about lighting, you need to consider the 3 components of a great lighting plan: task, accent, and ambient lighting.

KITCHEN DESIGN TIPS

o Use quality materials whenever possible

o Determine your cabinet heights: floor to ceiling whenever possible

o Paint or stain

o Select the best countertop you can afford

o Install a kitchen island

o Do not overdo the ornaments or details

o Add interest – Add your personality

ECONOMY KITCHEN “QUICK FIXES”

o Paint your kitchen: walls, ceiling, trim, cabinets

o Change your backsplash

o Change all the hardware in your kitchen

o Change the kitchen faucet

o Add crown molding and reinforce millwork

o Update your accessories and small appliances

or EDIT – EDIT – EDIT clutter and garbage

The next most important area in a home renovation and almost as complicated as a kitchen with its endless options, selections, and style is your bathroom.

WHEN PLANNING YOUR BATHROOM, REMEMBER

o Doors should never prevent the use of any accessory.

o All receptacles must be GFCI

o Allow a min. 6″ between fixtures

o Select anti-slip floor

o Provide ambient, task and accent lighting

o Designate areas for storage

o Consider how to foster a sense of privacy

Our bathrooms are our personal refuge to rejuvenate our spirit and our energy; They are homemade Spa’s that act as a refuge after a tiring day. Central to this is the design of your shower, now the most coveted aspect in a great bathroom design and an important detail in resale. Do not forget that “SPA” is the key word. Go to a variety of showrooms, the options are endless, from steam, waterfall, multi-jet and massage options. Remember to pamper yourself and treat yourself as well as a guest. Always select the best accessories that your budget allows and really do your research for the best deal. I have seen products in showrooms for $2500 for a product and then bought online and got the exact same product for less than half! Look around, do your research and shop smart and don’t forget to always sit in your bathtub or jacuzzi before you buy it. What is comfortable for one is not always for another.

When renovating your kitchen, bathroom or any other room in your home, always keep in mind that the goal is to create the right setting for our lives, our family and friends that best exemplifies your spirit and expresses who you want to be and how you want to live. Get inspired, challenge yourself and ENJOY yourself and your loved ones and never be afraid of change.

Home Kitchen

Clamps, handles and knobs abound in the gym

There are many small but significant elements in our world that help us in the course of our daily lives. These handy little gadgets fly almost unnoticed and are mostly an afterthought until they break or wear out and need to be replaced. Only then do we suddenly realize its importance.

Take, for example, the fitness enthusiast. For these “frequent travelers” to the gym or fitness center, grip knobs, handle knobs, shifters, and a variety of other equipment knobs and handles are continually used during their workout routines. Knob and handle manufacturers are vital in providing exercise equipment OEMs with handles and knobs to meet the demands of the exercise equipment industry.

Those who spend time in a gym interact with adjustable machines the entire time they are there. Whether it’s sweating it out on a treadmill or stationary bike, performing resistance training on a weight machine, or lifting free weights, there’s almost always a situation where handles and knobs are used to adjust some aspect of an exercise machine.

a variety of machines

Loading machines are designed to offer the user a controlled environment in which to lift weights. There are many athletes who do not want to work with free weights for various reasons. They may have an injury where they want more control of their lifting mechanics. Or they may just want to keep things simple and not have to move free weights to and from racks. Whatever the situation, many of these machines use clamping knobs to hold the plates in place once a weight is selected.

Clamp handles and clamp knobs can also be found on machines that require “slide” adjustments, such as some of the leg machines. In cases like these, a clamp or knob is loosened so that a pad or brace can be slid into place and adjusted to the size or comfort level of the wearer.

When it comes to cardio equipment, many of the treadmills and elliptical machines found on the gym floor have a series of adjustable knobs. On older stationary bikes, clamping knobs are used to adjust the resistance. But with the advent of new digital technologies, there are more buttons to push than there are knobs to adjust when it comes to actual cardio machine settings these days. Regardless, knobs and handles will always play a prominent role for height and angle adjustments on cardio machines.

When it comes to exercise equipment, there’s no escaping knobs and clamps, even when engaging in the relatively primitive effort of lifting free weights. The benches still need to be adjusted for chest exercises; Not to mention some of the height and angle adjustments required for barbell placement that are accomplished in many cases with the use of clamping knobs or screw knobs.

Even non-weight-bearing activities, such as sitting benches, use equipment that can be adjusted with a knob or clamp. And of course, those multi-exercise cable machines are packed with knobs, clamps, and handles that control just about every weight adjustment and piece of equipment imaginable.

DimcoGray is a manufacturer of knobs serving OEMs that build exercise equipment and machinery for other specialty markets. Of course, the average gym member won’t consider the handles and knobs supply chain until they go to make an adjustment to one of their favorite machines, only to discover that the means to do so is unavailable.

Home Kitchen

Home staging on a budget

Staging is an essential and profitable part of the home selling process. Staging your home to show off its qualities can only increase your final sale price. On average, people receive a $2 increase in sales price for every $1 they invest in fixing up a home.

When staging your home for sale, there are five rules of thumb to keep in mind as you go through each room in your home.

Five golden rules:

depersonalized

The buyer must envision himself in the house, not you. That wedding photo may mean a lot to you, but the buyer is a distraction from seeing a home for their family.

Maximize

Order and maximize the space in your home. Closets packed with all your clothes make a place starved for closet space. Consider temporarily storing the overflow offsite.

disinfect

This rule of thumb is the easiest and cheapest way to organize your home: clean it up. A sink full of dirty dishes is just as unappealing to you as it would be to the buyer. Cleaning floors, walls, baseboards, ceiling fans, and windows is worth the effort.

modernize

Unless your home has exceptional period built-ins, every home could benefit from an update. If someone feels that the house is outdated, they will reflect that feeling in a lower offer. Consider some simple changes, like swapping out expensive fixtures for nickel or chrome.

neutralizes

Color can make or break a buyer’s interest in your home. You might love that striking red wall, but all the potential buyer sees is a lot of paint in their future because red clashes with their style. Painting is one of the cheapest ways to change the appearance of a house.

Bonus Tips

Wardrobes

Clear closets of unnecessary clutter and organize them to maximize the amount of open storage space you’re showing potential buyers. Use boxes stacked close together to keep up and hide clutter.

Use Matching Hangers For Clothes – Hooks are cheap so spending on higher quality hangers is cheap, so celebrating on higher quality hangers to replace free wire hangers from the dry cleaner will update your closets with visual impact and a more luxurious feel.

Bedrooms

A quick and inexpensive way to enhance your bedroom’s appeal is to use gender-neutral colors when touching up paint jobs and re-accessorizing for as much appeal as possible. Color coordinate where possible bedspreads, walls, curtains, etc. You should have a clear theme for your colors if possible.

Bathrooms

If the walls are dirty, spray them with a standard spray bottle filled with a mixture of one part bleach and one part water, then apply a fresh coat of paint.

Clear countertops of all but the essentials to make the space look more open and expansive.

Kitchen

Modernize your outdated cabinets; they can be touched up for less than $200 with a coat of new wood stain or even a good coat of paint with sanding. Replacing brass or wood cabinet hardware with brushed silver or stainless steel is also an effective way to update dated cabinets.

Home Kitchen

Benefits of a high-quality faucet adapter

A good quality faucet adapter will allow you to connect garden hoses to indoor faucets around the house. This is essential for those who own a hot tub, spa, or pool. In this way, you will be able to complete the elements you need with water from an internal source. In fact, you can fit the standard size faucet with any adapter.

However, it is also compatible with the most common thread pattern faucet designs. Interestingly, it serves two purposes if you get the reversible model. You can also easily drain the pool or hot tub. This allows you to conveniently close pools during winters or for maintenance.

Generally, this particular product is classified as a spa accessory. The connection would be a simple garden hose. Good quality materials are built from strong plastic so they are long lasting and durable yet lightweight.

Attach it to fill the water.

To use the faucet adapter, you simply need to remove any accessories from the faucet you currently use. The unit must be screwed into the faucet. Since you have different types of adapters, you can connect them depending on the size of your faucet.

At the middle outlet, I would connect the conventional garden hose. To fill it, simply lift the bottom and turn it to adjust it clockwise. You will continue turning it until it is completely closed. Now you can turn on the water.

Create a siphon effect to drain the water.

To drain it, you will twist the bottom counter-clockwise. There is a fill and drain adjustment on different faucets. You would have to move it counter-clockwise and pull down when it is fully open. Now when you turn it on, water will start to come out of its base. This will create a siphon pressure and pull the water out of any source that needs to drain. This will happen simply by using the faucet adapter.

You can get a variety of accessories in one kit. This retails for between $5 and $20. This will allow you to use it on different types of faucets throughout the house. Whether you want to wash the porch or fill a tank, the faucet adapter is very useful for different purposes. Some of the users connect dishwashers to a water source. Similarly, you can connect your clothes or other electronics that require water to the water source.

Home Kitchen

How to choose the best door handles?

Are you wondering how to choose the best door handles? It’s quite understandable if you feel a little overwhelmed with the number of handles on sale these days. The good news is that there are several things to think about when looking for cheap door handles that will allow you to shop for the perfect hardware. So sit back, relax, and read on because here are some tips you better know when you’re shopping for door hardware for your home.

The first thing to consider is the type of material these cabinet door handles are made of. Since there are so many materials to choose from, including nickel, brass, chrome, stainless steel, wrought iron, glass, and even plastic, you need to think about the overall effect you’re trying to achieve. To help you narrow down your search, you need to consider where you will be installing these handles. Will it be your bedroom, bathroom or kitchen? Knowing which cabinets or doors you’re refinishing will help get you one step closer to buying the right door handles.

The next thing to consider is the style of interior door hardware that you want to use. Would you like a knob, handle or lever? This is an important consideration because you will be using these handles to open and close cabinet doors. Get one that fits snugly in your hands so it doesn’t cause strain. Another thing you might want to consider is if you’re getting ones with back plates. Door handles with back plates can add more charm to your cabinets, so pay special attention to their design, size, and shape. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to find the best cabinet handles.

Apart from these things, price is another factor that you might think about. Although there are many handles, not all of them are made of quality materials. What you should do is select stores that are highly recommended in the market and see if they have any products that work best for the budget you have in mind. This will help you narrow down your list of possible cheap door handles so that you can get the best door handles out there.

The next time you’re looking for cheap door handles, be sure to keep these things in mind so you can be in the best position to find the right door handles to buy. You are sure to love how your cabinets will look once you consider these tips when shopping for hardware for your cabinets or doors.

Home Kitchen

Constant ringing in the ears: why does it happen and how to avoid it?

Ringing in the ear or ringing in the ears currently affects around 60 million people in the US today. That high-pitched ringing in your ears isn’t a disease, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem.

The sound or pitch may be different from person to person, but it all adds up to the same thing… and it’s called “tinnitus.”

So if you suffer from noise in your ears, you can be sure that you are not alone. In reality, most people experience ringing in the ear at some point in their lives for various reasons, but it is usually temporary and does not bother them.

You may be familiar with that chime you hear right after a loud bang or other noise. But the noise or ringing in the ear sooner or later disappears. Or at least for most people it does. Sometimes constant exposure to loud noise can leave you with a permanent case of tinnitus.

So when you attend those loud concerts or the music in your car, or work with a jackhammer all day, your ears end up ringing and then after a few hours or days the ear noise goes away…for some people.

I hate to ruin your day, but you must understand that hearing damage can be cumulative. In other words, constant exposure to loud noise can make it worse with each session.

Because? Because every time you expose your ears to these noises, a little damage is done that continues to build up to a chronic case of tinnitus (ringing in the ears). This repeated assault on your ears can also end up causing high-frequency hearing loss and other hearing deficits.

And so every time you work a job where there is constant loud noise without wearing hearing protection, the damage adds up. And every time you listen to that loud music, the damage adds up… and the tinnitus gets worse… and that ringing in your ears can become permanent.

**What happens if the ringing in the ears becomes permanent?**

And so what happens if that ringing in your ears decides to make a permanent home in your head? Misery and frustration that, if severe enough, can even deprive you of sleep. Tinnitus can really affect your life in a negative way. For many people, that constant ringing in the ears can become debilitating. Don’t let this happen to you.

If you have chronic tinnitus, it’s time to find some relief. The most successful ear noise treatments available are natural and affective. So do your research and find out what’s available for tinnitus relief.

Home Kitchen

Advantages of Double Sink Bathroom Vanity

Double sink vanities are often seen in interior design magazines. They are extremely stylish and provide a fantastic combination of form and function. If you’re considering a dual-sink vanity, read on to learn about the advantages of dual sinks and some tips on how to apply this type of vanity to your bathroom design.

Double sinks look great when they fit well with the dimensions of the room; they also provide personal space in the bathroom for people who live together in the same house. Large vanities come in every decor style imaginable and are great for blending the aesthetics and function of a room’s design.

A bathroom vanity with two sinks is very practical. Two people can save a considerable amount of time just by having two sinks in a bathroom. And with the increased availability on today’s market, even the smallest bathrooms can have a double sink vanity. They are available as narrow as 47 inches wide.

The basic components of a double sink vanity include the countertop, cabinet, sinks, fixtures, and accessories such as knobs and drawer pulls. You have two options, you can search for each item individually or you can look at complete vanity style furniture. With furniture-style vanities, you’ll be able to shop by style, size, whatever your primary need is, and you’ll probably save some money that way, too.

Selecting Your Double Sink Bathroom Vanity Now is the time to shop for your new vanity. As the double sink vanity gains popularity, there are many more options. The challenge here is finding one that suits you and your spouse’s taste and fits the decorating style you’re trying to achieve. The first step is to determine your budget, then move on to style and size requirements.

Things to consider:

o The Cabinets: Think about your storage needs, do you need a lot of cabinet space or is design your focus?

o Vanity top: Here you have many options, natural stone, marble, granite, composite materials, and more.

o The Sink: Double sinks are available with drop-in sinks, undermount sinks, and even vessel sink vanity options.

o The hardware: Choose from finishes like chrome, bronze, brushed metals, and even hidden carved pulls.

As with any home project, safety is the number one priority. Work with a friend, and if you’re new to plumbing, don’t be afraid to find a professional plumber for that part of the project.

Home Kitchen

Small modern kitchen designs

Modern small kitchen designs are clean and very simple. With a modern design for your small kitchen, you can create a flowing workspace. Islands make up for the lack of work space in some modern designs. In modern designs, the dishwasher and refrigerator are hidden under panels that match the rest of the cabinets. There isn’t much room in a small modern kitchen for too many appliances. To help enhance the design of a modern small kitchen, you can add color. Color is a great tool used by many interior designers.

Interior designers create an illusion of space with under-cabinet and under-counter lighting. The right lighting can make your kitchen bigger and more attractive. The lighter colored cabinet with glass doors creates the appearance of more space. Floor tiles can be laid diagonally. In a kitchen, engineered kitchen hardware flooring can be used and still give the room a large appearance. If you want to do a modern small kitchen design and you want an island, it is better to double it as a work space as well. Island designs are already available and can be tailored to your needs and preferences. The islands provide a solution to the space problems of your small kitchen.

When you’re trying to save space, it means you need to avoid clutter and make what little space you have more efficient. Saving space also means you have fewer items in your kitchen. You can install deeper cabinets to further increase your work space. Modern small kitchen designs focus more on function. They reduce clutter. Modern materials will include those that are man-made or natural. Any cabinet that can have a maple wood veneer frosted glass would fit into a modern design theme.

Horizontal cabinets that have doors that open from the top are modern. There are accessories that you can use when designing a small kitchen. These will need to be kept to a minimum as the goal is to eliminate clutter. Appliances such as mixers can be stored in the cabinets.

Although a modern small kitchen design doesn’t allow you to have too much in the kitchen, that doesn’t mean your kitchen has to be boring. Kitchen design can be financially challenging due to budget concerns. If your kitchen window is big enough, you can use natural lights and no curtains are needed. Small spaces can use bold colors like red accented with chrome or silver to bring out the flavor. You never want a small modern kitchen to look too busy or junky.

Modern can be simple and functional, but still beautiful with a touch of boldness. If the color of your kitchen is limited to a few spaces, you can easily change it. Ambient lighting designs in modern small kitchens will enhance the overall beauty of the kitchen.

Home Kitchen

Vacancy vs. Occupancy Sensors

The most convenient feature of occupancy sensors is their ability to automatically turn on the lights in a room or space when they detect movement within their range. Occupancy sensors are invaluable in outdoor lighting for added security and have many other beneficial uses around the home. Another beneficial attribute of occupancy sensors is their energy efficiency. These low voltage modules can be mounted in the ceiling or in the junction box of your existing wall switch and, in particular, can save significant amounts of energy by turning lights off when no occupancy is detected for a designated period of time.

With so many advantages, it may seem reasonable to replace all the light switches in your home or office with occupancy sensors. However, this may not be the best idea to rush because you will soon realize that in some cases this may be more of an inconvenience than a convenience. You might be wondering how, so a few examples will help clear things up perfectly.

Rooms that are great for occupancy sensors are garages, docks, bathrooms, rec rooms, and sometimes kitchens. In these spaces, it is common for an occupant to enter the space with their hands full, making it difficult to turn on the lights and if they leave the room with their hands full, the same conditions apply. These rooms are also active spaces. The importance of this is that the lights will not go out if you remain relatively still in the space.

One may notice that there are several common rooms that fall off this list. These rooms are bedrooms, TV rooms, and if you have pets, other common areas. It may be more practical to install vacancy sensors instead of occupancy sensors in these spaces. The difference between a vacancy sensor and an occupancy sensor is the way they light up. Each light switch will detect lack of occupancy and turn the lights off, however only the occupancy sensor will automatically turn the lights on.

The benefit of a vacancy sensor is that if you don’t want the lights to come on when you enter an area, they won’t unless you manually turn the switch on. This is handy in bedrooms, so you might not wake anyone sleeping in a bedroom when you walk in, or if you roll over in bed, the lights won’t come on. The vacancy sensor is especially beneficial from an energy efficiency point of view in children’s bedrooms if they tend to leave the lights on constantly. In TV rooms, occupancy sensors may not be the best option for similar reasons. If your light switch controls overhead lighting that might not be what you want when you’re watching TV in a room, the lights won’t turn on when someone walks in or gets up to buy a snack. A special case in common areas where occupancy sensors can be a nuisance is if you have pets. Animals are large enough to turn on occupancy detection switches. If they roam the common areas at night, this can cause unnecessary energy consumption.

As mentioned above, the use of occupancy sensors in kitchens can sometimes be a good idea. This all depends on the location of the kitchen in the floor plan of the house and how other rooms can match the kitchen space. In an open-plan home where the kitchen is considered a common area, a vacancy sensor may be a better idea, especially if you have pets. If the kitchen is in its own room separate from the rest of the house, an occupancy sensor is an excellent idea, especially if natural light is not present in abundance. Occupancy detection lights will help you see where you’re going as soon as you walk in with your hands full of groceries. A combination of an occupancy sensor switch controlling LED under cabinet lights will serve a convenient function as well as bring modern luxury to your space.

Taking everything into account, consumers can make smart decisions when deciding which rooms to install occupancy sensors in and which unoccupied rooms may be most appropriate. Some manufacturers offer occupancy sensing wall switches with an optional feature to turn it into a vacancy sensor. One cannot go wrong with these products, as he or she can decide after installing the switch, which function best suits his or her needs.