At one time or another, most of us find ourselves looking around our house and deciding that it’s time to do a bit of renovating; to come up with some new ways to decorate. Yet, as it relates to thinking of novel and creative home design ideas, rarely does fire safety ever come into our minds. For most of us, we figure that so long as there are smoke detectors in the house, that’s all that we need to care about.

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Well yes. And no. The truth is that as you’re preparing to give the interior of your home an “upgrade”, there are some ways to incorporate some fire safety tips in some pretty cool (and long-term beneficial) ways:

Acquire “designer” fire extinguishers.

Did you know that there is actually more than one kind of fire extinguisher? There is one made with water, another with powder, another with foam and still another with carbon dioxide in it. It’s a good idea to have one of each kind in your house for different kinds of fires that may occur (for instance, an electrical fire is not going to respond well to a fire extinguisher made of water; it would need powder or foam instead). There are the standard red ones that you can buy, but there are also ones that have modern prints and patterns. Instructables.com even has a feature that shows you how to paint them yourself (just put “paint fire extinguisher” in the search engine).

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Modern smoke detectors.

If most of us look up at the ceiling, we’ll probably see a bland white disk located somewhere within the room. This represents our smoke detector. Pretty boring, right? You can settle for them or get some designs that are “out of the box”. Chick-a-dee is one company based in Europe that makes smoke detectors in the shape of a little chickadee bird sitting on a tree limb. They come in a variety of colors and they ship internationally. You can check them out at Chick-a-dee.com.au.

Add stickers to the windows.

In unfortunate instance that a fire does happen in your home, it’s helpful for firefighters to know the layout of your house. As it relates to your children’s bedrooms, why not put some stickers in the windows that indicate which windows lead to your son or daughter’s designated space in the house? It can be stickers of items that they collect or simply ones that give the impression that it’s a little person’s room. Either way, they’re fun to look at and can serve as a lifesaving aid as well.

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Keep doors and windows free.

No matter how much you may like the way it looks, it’s never a good idea to put furniture in front of a door or entryway. It’s also a good idea to avoid your windows as much as you can as well. This is not just for safe fire direct reasons ( to keep from blocking another potential exit), but bookshelves, tall couches and beds in front of windows also gives the room the illusion that it’s a lot smaller than it usually is (it also blocks natural lighting as well).

Watch where (and how) you store household items.

This is especially important when it comes to the kitchen. Some of the household cleaning supplies that we have tend to be flammable and that can pose a great risk when they are close to the stove or even the microwave. Therefore, make sure to always keep their lids closed tightly, keep them out of reach for children and pets and put them in a pantry or even a cabinet with a lock. A rollaway storage cabinet just for those items can be an aesthetic addition to the kitchen, and with a plant on top of it, that provides a perfect touch.

For more home safety tips on Stagetecture, click here.

So, in honor of getting your body into good summertime condition, you’ve had a “Let’s face it” discussion with yourself and admitted that joining a gym or running on a track is not really your kind of thing; that you and your body would benefit far greater by working out of your own home gym. The thing is, you’re not really sure of all that goes into fitness room design being that the last time you even thought about exercising was basically the last time you were at the gym…months ago.

Don’t sweat it. Before you get to making plans and purchases, take out a moment to check out these simple dos and donts of fitness room design.

Image via: Rachel Olsen

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DO

Use a room that has a lot of space to work with. If you’re really going to be taking the workout thing seriously, there needs to be plenty of space to put equipment and to also move around freely.

DON’T

Attempt to use the workout room for something other than exercising. For instance, a home gym/guest room or a home office/fitness room doesn’t tend to work every well. Not just because it looks pretty tacky, but also it can put some of your prized possessions into jeopardy. Just think about it, do you really want your dumbbells on a shelf around your computer or your treadmill sharing space with your crystal collection? Basically, unless it’s your basement or a massive bonus room, make sure that your home gym has a space all to itself.

DO

Make sure the flooring is right. If you want to go the carpet route, just make sure to keep in mind that if you use a lot of heavy weights, it could ruin it over time. Hardwood floors are not advisable because unless you buy the faux kind, your equipment can cause a lot of scratches and nicks. However, with whatever it is that you decide to do, make sure to purchase a few floor gym mats for the exercises that require you being low to the ground. They’re good for both protection and traction.

DON’T

Pick a place that doesn’t get good ventilation, where you can’t easily adjust the temperature or that is soundproof. That last one may seem odd, but if you live with other people, someone needs to be able to hear you should you inadvertently injure yourself. Some people like soundproofing a fitness room for the sake of listening to loud music, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Besides, there are always headphones if you want your music to be on full blast.

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DO

Decorate in a way that will inspire you. After all, there’s no point in going into a room that you hate to do something that might not necessarily be your favorite activity to do to begin with or you’re not always in the mood for. If you’re going to be devoting an hour (give or take a few minutes) per day to exercise, you should be happy about the surroundings. Paint the room in your favorite color. Put up a few mirrors to check your progress and to make the space appear even larger (it doesn’t hurt to do a bit of research on some smooth fitness sales and deals too). Bring in a television if that will help you to pass the time and make sure to have a good music system packed with a big collection of some of your favorite artists.

DON’T

purchase equipment that either you’re not going to use or isn’t versatile. Sometimes, we’ll be up late at night watching infomercials and we’ll find ourselves tempted to get something that we know we’re not going to use just because it looks cool. That’s a waste of time, money and space. If you like to spin, get a stationary bike. If you are actually going to use a treadmill, then yes, make the purchase. But if you’re more of a “video-watching and following” kind of person, then get some free weights, an exercise ball and a Zumba DVD, instead. Remember, creating a fitness room is not so much about how it looks as catering it to your personal preference in relationship to the purpose that it serves.

For more recreation ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When considering an elderly parent who wishes to remain in their home for as long as possible, or any person with mobility issues, it’s important to understand two key concepts –

• Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

• Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Activities of daily living are skills that an individual must be able to perform if they are to live independently, and safely.

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Instrumental activities of daily living are skills which are important, but not necessarily essential for an individual to live independently, as there are often services such as home care which can provide the additional required support.

The process of home modification involves making changes and adapting a home so that a person with limitations can perform their ADLs as safely as possible while maintaining a level of comfort which they are accustomed to, and an acceptable degree of independence. The modifications can range from quite simple – such as removing area rugs to prevent falls – to more complex – such as researching options like stairlifts and stairlifts prices, or elevators and elevators prices, or having a specialized consultant come into the home to map out an individual plan of action to make the environment as safe, and functional as possible. The type of modifications will depend, of course, on the person and their specific issues, along with the current physical layout/setup of the home. Investing in the necessary modifications can be very worthwhile, as in many cases the need for institutional care can be significantly delayed, or sometimes even eliminated.

Considerations

Home modifications can help people with disabilities maintain their independence and remain in their home for as long as possible. Modifications are suitable for those who have some degree of mobility and who do not require extensive medical care. Modifications can range from inexpensive to a considerable investment, but, even at the more expensive end of the spectrum, they are almost always a great savings over longterm care.

Specialists who evaluate individuals and their home environments tend to use two lists, based on the key concepts covered above. When consulting against the ADLS list, if there are problems with any of the following, the need for outside assistance and support is considered to be critical:

• Ability to get in and out of bed
• Preparing meals and/or eating independently
• Maintaining Continence
• Bathing and Dressing

When consulting the IADLs list, it can be quite a bit more difficult to determine if an individual has issues unless they are observed on a daily basis. Problems with the following indicate the need for support:

• Doing the shopping
• Performing housekeeping duties
• Using the telephone
• Accessing transportation
• Taking medications properly
• Managing finances

It’s also important to take note of the following areas of the home which are considered problematic, and almost always require changes of some sort:

• Stairways and steps
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Exits, walkways, driveways
• Basements and cellars

After reviewing the specific needs of the individual with disabilities, and the considerations which are present inside their home, you may wish to make the necessary home modifications in order to allow them to remain in their home environment and maintain their independence for as long as possible. Best of luck to you!

This guest post was written by Spencer McKinney for Stairliftadvisor.co.uk, who invite you to visit their website for curved stair lift prices as well as other useful information.”

For more seniors and aging adult topics on Stagetecture, click here.