Most people don’t start out with a big and spacious home. A small starter home is much more likely. It’s more affordable and, if you haven’t started a family, more practical. However, if you never move to a bigger home, your small home can start to feel very cramped over the years. However, did you know that proper organization can help you save a ton of space? Keystone Home Products is here to help you with saving space!

Cleaning Up

The first step to saving yourself space in your small home is going through your belongings. If it’s been a while since you last cleaned up and got rid of some things, you might find there are a few unwanted belongings stealing up free space from things that really need it.

So, the first step is going through things. Check closets for clothes that don’t fit anymore or that you don’t really like much these days. Look through old boxes to see if some of the things you were holding onto aren’t really that important. If your kitchen is struggling for space, look for cooking or baking appliances that you never use and say goodbye.

It can feel incredibly liberating to get rid of things you never use. And, once you’ve taken some boxes of donate or trash items out of the house, you’ll be shocked at how much space you’ve made.

Organizing

The next step is organizing. Inevitably, there will still be a lot left. Some of it might even be stuff you don’t use often, like seasonal clothes or that special baking dish that you only use during the holidays. With proper organization, even the stuff you don’t use much will have its place without impeding on other storage capabilities.

When it comes to organizing your closet, it can be tricky finding places for everything. The way standard closets are made, there’s usually only a high shelf with a bar beneath for hanging clothes. But is there really anyone who can hang everything they own? What do you do with your shoes or your bags?

You can find a place for everything in your closet with one of keystone’s closet organizers. These wooden organizers will allow you plenty of space for all kinds of things. From shelves to bars to drawers, you’ll be able to store anything you have lying around. And, if your closet isn’t big enough for a wooden organizer to be practical, you can always spring for wire shelving.

Ditch the Dresser

If you can opt for the wooden organizer, you may even have enough closet storage space to ditch the dresser in your room. A dresser is a big piece of furniture and if you’re short on space, removing it would allow a lot more room. You can use this as an opportunity to gain more floor space or put in some other furniture you need, like a bookshelf.

No matter what your organizing needs, you can find something to help at Keystone Home Products. We specialize in outfitting closets to make them more functional. If you have any questions about our products or our Toronto based company, feel free to give us a call!

It’s one thing to spend all that time designing a beautiful home. However, to design something that you and your guests want to spend time in, that’s something entirely different.

Designing a cozy house that is welcoming and warm feeling isn’t always easy. Where do you begin? What items work well with each other, and, do you have too much or too little going on?

When it comes to designing, it’s based on your taste and what your personality is like. That doesn’t mean the following five tips won’t help you. Use our points below as a guide to making your home feel as cozy as it can be.

Use Lighter and Softer Colours on the Wall

For the paint, you want to stay in shades that are soft, on the lighter side, and warm. Cooler colours can come across as harsh, depending on the lighting. Warmer colours, though, tend to reflect the light nicely and are cozy to relax in.

Try painting the walls in a creamy white, a soft blue, or even a rich red.

Add Texture

A cozy house is one that has lots of texture to it. Think of items that draw people in and want to touch everything. That sense of touching something adds to the coziness of the room.

To add texture, use throw pillows and blankets. You don’t want to go overboard, so stick with a couple of different textures and stick with those. Too much can make the room look too busy, which isn’t a very cozy feeling.

Lay Down a Rug

Even with beautiful hardwood flooring, bare floor doesn’t give off a cozy vibe. That is why you often find carpet in the living rooms and bedrooms of a house. Don’t fret if you don’t have carpet though. Adding a rug in the sitting areas of your home can drastically change the feel of the room. Opt for a well-made rug to add character to the space. Cheaply made rugs can bring down the warm feeling and make the room look and feel cheap.

Bring in Plants

Plants always offer a welcoming feeling no matter where they are. Indoor plants are usually very affordable and often are easy to take care of. Where you have empty spaces, shelving is an excellent space option, add small, green plants. Not only will the add that cozy feeling you’re looking for, but they can also purify the air too.

Be Smart With Furniture Arrangement

The way you layout the room can change the feel of it. If you want your house to be welcoming and have people stay, you want the furniture to be set up in a way that welcomes your guests into the room, and that everyone can sit around and chat with each other. Having your backs to the rest of the house isn’t very appealing. Think of circle settings where everyone can see everyone at the same time.

A cozy home is a comforting home and is often the place that everyone wants to hang out in. Simple changes, like the ones mentioned above, can quickly take your home to the maximum coziness level.

Boost the curb appeal of your property this year with the latest lighting trends. Turn your backyard into an oasis, party central of the neighbourhood, or the ultimate kid’s playground.

Lights serve an essential purpose of providing light, safety, and security for the house. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the style of the lights. Setting up light fixtures can help bring together any theme you want to do.

Take a look at the following six lighting trends for 2019 that you can do for your backyard.

String Lights

String lights have become popular over the years, and are the final piece you need to turn your backyard into a tropical paradise. These lights can hang from almost anything. Drape them across your backyard from fence to fence.  Build a pergola for over the deck and string them through the top. If you have lots of trees in the backyard, wrap the string lights throughout the trees for a real magical feeling.

Caged Wall Sconce

If you’re planning for more of a rustic feel in your backyard, caged wall sconces would be the perfect light. The cage adds a whole new element to the light, giving in a classic and timeliness look. These lights are ideal for framing the porch of the deck, even along the garage as well.

Wicker Basket Lighting

Have you seen some of the latest basket-style lightings? The fixture housing is woven with style in mind. These baskets fill the yard with soft lighting while fitting into any bohemian-themed backyard. You could install pendant baskets to hang from the pergola, or look for larger ones to sit on the ground or a coffee table.

Lantern Lighting

Lantern lights are one that never goes out of style. That is because they are powerful enough to illuminate a decent amount of space, plus they come in a wide range of styles. There are lanterns with flickering candles in them, ones that have a bright LED light, or others that provide a unique shadow from the casing. Lantern lights work perfectly on top of the fence or end tables around your backyard sitting area.

Pathway Lights

A type of lighting that is stylish yet serves a valuable purpose is pathway lighting. These lights go along any pathway or driveway on your property. They provide much-needed light for areas that see quite a bit of foot traffic, even in the evening. You can also install these lights to frame a deck for soft lighting underneath.

Garden Torches

Garden torches are another lighting trend to consider for your backyard this summer. You can have much fun with these lights as you strategically place them throughout your garden. They provide soft lighting for your flowers and bushes. Not only that, garden torches work well around fireplaces and small sitting areas which you do not have much space to work with.

Enjoy decorating your backyard with some of these lighting trends. Don’t let lighting be a last-minute thought. Although you want something practical that can illuminate a large space, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the different styles available.

With how our world runs today, electricity is essential for many of your items and appliances to run as intended. However, with that reliance on power comes additional hazards in the home. Many hazards are quite obvious and are simple to reduce the risk. Other dangers, though, aren’t as obvious and can easily be forgotten about.

Keep your home safe by identifying the following five common electrical hazards in your home.

Broken and Frayed Wires

At some point, we will come across broken, cut, or frayed wires. Even the highest-quality wire will eventually break down and need replacing. If ignored, broken wires increase the risk of electric shock, fire, power surges, and other severe consequences that can be harmful.

Any electrical wires you come across that seem faulty should get replaced immediately. For more complicated wires, consult with your local electrician to prevent any injuries.

Outlets Close to Water Source

You’ll find this most often in bathrooms and kitchens – outlets that are too close to a water source. We’re taught a very young age that mixed electricity and water is never a good idea. That is because when water and electricity combine, it can cause a serious shock to anyone in the area and lead to a fire.

Ensure that anything electric near a sink or another water supply is used carefully. Always ensure your hands are dry before touching the cord.

Overloaded Power Outlets or Extension Cords

Just because an outlet or extension cord has multiple connections, that doesn’t mean it is safe to use them all at the same time. Not every device uses the same amount of power. If you have multiple items plugged in at the same time that use quite a bit of juice, it could lead to a power overload.

Only plug in what you need at a time. Look for extension cords and outlets that have a circuit breaker. The breaker will trip the outlet if it becomes overloaded, reducing the risk of a shock and fire.

Pets and Small Children

Unfortunately, outlets are often installed low to the ground, which is at the perfect height for small children and pets. Young kids and our furry friends have one major similarity –they are quite often curious and love to explore. When they come across something new, they want to feel it and try to play with it, which can be harmful or even fatal.

To protect your children and pets, add outlet covers that prevent a child from sticking something into the outlet. You can also install tamper-resistant outlets which only allow you to plug an actual plugin to the outlet. Keep cords neatly put away to prevent pets from chew on them.

Wrong Wattage in a Light Bulb

When shopping for a lightbulb, you’ll notice that there are different wattages. Not every lamp can handle every wattage. Putting too high of wattage into the light fixture could overheat and overload the lamp. Pay close attention when purchasing a lightbulb, and speak with your local electrician if you’re ever unsure.

Protect yourself and your family by paying attention to the above five common electrical hazards. You can prevent serious injuries and fires from occurring by going through your home and making a note of what needs fixing and cleaning up any loose cords.

The basement – the place where it can quickly turn into storage and be forgotten about during the design process of your house. However, the basement should be near the top of your design list.

Especially if you have kids and like to entertain a lot, the basement can be the place to go to in your home. You can turn it into a lounge area, a recreational room, a whole other living space, or anything else you can come up with.

Don’t neglect your basement’s design. Use the following six tips to turn your basement into the place to be.

Make it Brighter

The challenging aspect of a basement is to keep it bright. Most basements don’t have that much window space to let in natural light, so it can make the area feel enclosed and damp. If you can’t add in any windows, you can make do with a few design options.

First, use bright and light colours. Dark colours will only make the basement feel more closed off. Install mirrors opposite of windows to reflect the little natural light you have. Also, make sure you have enough lights installed to help balance out from the natural light.

Control the Humidity

Basements tend to get very humid compared to the rest of the house. They are in the ground where moisture tends to stay. Not only that, basements are prone to flooding, which increases the humidity levels in the house.

Control the humidity to make the basement more comfortable to be in. Make sure you have proper ventilation throughout the basement. Ensure that the surface runoff goes away from the house to avoid leaks. If needed, add a dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture from the air.

Think Open-Concept Space

Keep your basement as open as possible. Adding multiple walls to a space that already feels enclosed will only make it worse. Keeping it open will help with that feeling, plus allowing people to be throughout the whole basement and still hang out with everyone at the same time.

Add Décor

It’s easy to forget about adding some art and décor to the basement. However, if you want to spend lots of time down there, you want to make it comfortable feeling. Add wall art, blankets, throw pillows, and other decorations that suit your style to the space. A bit of greenery as well will help liven up the space, and keep the air fresh downstairs.

Build in Storage

Since we know how easy it is to throw things into the basement that you won’t use very often, help control the clutter by adding storage. You can design unique storage shelves and closets that you may not have done upstairs in the living room. Add shelves into the wall rather than buying a bookshelf.

Use Natural Finishes

To help make the basement feel more welcoming, use natural finishes. Basements have lots of concrete, and if you don’t do anything to contrast that, all you’ll feel is the harshness of concrete. Using light wood tones will help give the basement that warm andwelcoming feeling.

Anyone can decorate a bathroom. Coming up with a design that will blow everyone away, all while being functional, now that is a challenge.

Each room of your house will have something, in particular, it needs when designing it, and the bathroom is no exception. Keeping the functionality of it is essential, or you’ll frustrate yourself every time you go in it.

If you’re ready to redesign your bathroom and create something amazing, we have six of the best design tips to help you out.

Plan With Efficiency in Mind

When designing the bathroom, you should plan with efficiency in mind, and then the style. You’ll have pipes to deal with that you’ll likely want to cover. Remember, hiding the pipes will probably take away storage space.

An efficient plan also means the feel of the layout. You want things to be convenient in the bathroom. If you have to squeeze by the sink to reach the toilet, you’ll feel cramped.

Focus on the Shower Shelving

Every shower needs shelving, otherwise, where do you put all of your soap and shampoo? You could go the easy route and buy a pre-made shelve that sits in the corner or hangs from the showerhead. However, if you want to really add a creative design to the room, build something into the wall. You can turn the shelf into a featured aspect of the bathroom by tiling it a different colour.

Use the Countertop Material in Other Places

Countertops don’t have to be just for countertops. The material you use can work in many other aspects of the bathroom (be cautious if you’re using wood though). You can add the countertop material to the edging of the shower, on the top of a sitting spot inside the shower, or a shelf around the bathroom. Granite and marble countertops are excellent for this.

Build Storage Above the Countertop

Most shelving in the bathroom comes in the form of drawers and cupboards under the sink. It’s nice to have additional storage more at eye-level, but without using a tacky medicine cabinet. Instead, build a cupboard above the countertop like you would with a kitchen. If you have a double sink vanity, you could use the cabinet as a separator to give a more private space.

Have a Floating Vanity

If you’re going for a modern style, try floating the vanity. It offers a unique look, all while still being practical. Plus, floating the vanity gives the illusion that the bathroom is bigger than what it truly is. It also offers more storage space for small items under the cupboard.

Keep it Bright

You want the bathroom to look and feel bright, especially if it’s a smaller room. Lighting is essential to see what you’re doing. Whether it’s in the shower or getting ready at the vanity, having too soft lighting makes things challenging, and can be dangerous. Experiment with the style of lights, from ceiling-mounted, wall-mounted, to even floor lamps. Use some as accent lights and some as ambient lighting.

The word spring brings up many different feelings for people. For some, it’s the start of sunshine and putting away the winter boots. Others stock up on Kleenex for the start of allergy season. Then, there are those who think of their long-awaited cleaning list.

Spring cleaning is one of those things that you cannot avoid. There are those parts of the home that you clean only once a year. Whether you dread it or look forward to it, it’s essential that you go through your spring cleaning to ensure the health of not just your house, but everyone living inside of it too.

We came up with a spring cleaning checklist to help cover all the necessities in your home.

Wash Walls and Ceiling

It may not be the most enjoyable task, but chances are you’ve noticed fingerprints and splashes of liquids plastered on the walls, and even the ceiling of your home. Over time, the dirt and oils from our fingers build up on the walls as we touch them. Mix that in with any spills, your walls need a good clean.

Reorganize Your Closets

Over time, our once beautifully organized closets look like a tornado ripped through them. Closets end up being the spot that we toss items in that we don’t use very often. They collect many things that you likely don’t need anymore. Plus, when you’re in a hurry and trying to find something, you often pull apart the closet and then shove everything back inside.

As you reorganize your closet, separate everything into piles. One pile should be for items you’re putting back in the closet, one for those you should sell, and another for anything that should go to the garbage. It’s also a moment to check on your shelves to see how they’re holding up and if you need more.

Shampoo Carpet and Rugs

Have you ever wondered what your rugs and carpets gather after days on end of people walking on them? The fibres in carpets can collect dirt and allergens. Vacuuming can only go sofar in cleaning them. Once in a while your carpets and rugs need a thorough shampooing and rinse.

Clean Your Furniture

Furniture pieces like chairs and couches often get neglected for cleaning. Wooden chairs can collect dust over time. Upholstered pieces have many crevices that food and dirt can fall into. You can beat the cushions outside to remove the dust. If the furniture is really dirty, you may want to think of steam cleaning them.

Polish Metal Hardware

Anything metal in your house or the hardware on the doors and cabinets in your home should get polished once a year. The polish not only adds a clean shine to them, but it can also help protect the pieces against scratches.

Check Smoke Detectors

Even if you’ve changed the batteries in the smoke detectors not that long ago, you should still check them. It’s essential that you keep tabs on your smoke detectors, as they are your first line of defence if your house caught fire.

Use our spring cleaning checklist to tackle tasks that can get forgotten about.

If you enjoy a modern style, you likely prefer to have large windows that let in endless amounts of natural light, light colours, and furniture that you wouldn’t find 20 years ago. Although it’s a style that isn’t for everyone, designing a modern home as a certain appeal that pleasing to many people.

Designing a modern home doesn’t have to be difficult. By sticking to some of the basic ideas, you can achieve a modern look quickly and easily. Try out our following six decorating tips for a modern home.

Use Glass

Glass is an excellent way to add a modern touch to your home. Using glass allows for natural light to bounce throughout the whole room, and it keeps the space quite open.

Don’t limit glass to simply the windows in your house. You can incorporate glass in many ways, including walls, separators, and doors.

Stick to Neutral Colours

The colour scheme you pick is important for designing a modern home. Quite often, a modern house has neutral colours with a few bright accent pieces.

When painting, keep the walls neutral or even white. It turns the room into a backdrop for you to decorate with different pops of colour. If you already paint the walls certain colours, you’re limited to what you can decorate with.

Unique Furniture

If you’ve ever walked into a modern home, chances are there are pieces of furniture that grab your attention. The type of furniture you pick for your house can bring together the entire room to make it very modern.

When shopping for furniture, look for solid colours that have sharp lines (limit the amount of curves). The simpler the piece is, the better.

Keep Things Bright

You typically won’t find a modern home that is dark and gloomy. That is because the darker the room is, the smaller and more enclosed it feels. A modern house is all about brightness with natural lighting, and making the space feel bigger.

The brightness of a room goes past the colour scheme you pick. It also comes from letting in sunshine, as well as strategically placing stylish lights throughout the house. Recessed lighting that is flush against the ceiling is a popular modern trend to use.

Stay Away From Prints

Since a modern home is about simplicity, you’re best to avoid incorporating patterns and prints. It usually confuses what you’re trying to achieve.

Think solid colours for the main pieces in your house. If you want to accent something with a pattern, stick with two-tone prints.

Think Green

A modern home will always have a plant or two in it. Big, green plants add a special effect to any design, including the health benefits as well. Avoid overdoing it with plants though, or your house will turn into a greenhouse.

Enjoy the design processes with your modern home. Even though there are basic guidelines to consider, your design should still be something you enjoy and reflect your personality.

Installing shelving in your home doesn’t have to be dull and plain. You canhave tons of fun coming up with unique designs that fit into thetheme of your home.

If you’ve designed your house to be edgy, bold, and modern, you needshelving to match. On the other hand, if your home is classic,timeless, and traditional looking, you wouldn’t want the same typeof shelving as the modern house.

Shelving provides valuable storage space for any home. However, don’t let itbe just storage; let your shelving make a statement. We have sixunique ways to build shelving in your home.

Hexagon Honeycomb Shelves

Design your shelving in a hexagon honeycomb shape. They have a trendy look that is quite functional. You can store items on the top and inside the shelving, adding a unique element to the house.

Depending on how many pieces you want, you can install only one hexagon shapeto the wall, or you can join multiple ones together for a largerpiece.

Hanging Rope Shelving

Add a beach feeling to your home by installing shelvesthat hang from a rope. You can use any durable rope you like, andattach it to a piece of shelving made from basically any material youwant. The result, a beautiful statement piece that hangs below.

Floating Corner Shelves

Floatingshelves are a popular way to store items without additional pieces hanging out. They provide a crisp, clean look that is perfectfor any modern home.

If you take those floating shelves and install them into the corner of aroom, they add that much more of an effect. Tip – keep the shelvingwhite and add a pop of colour with plants and ornaments.

Pallet Shelving

If you like the rustic look of old wood, then using pallets as shelving is a must for you. This unique shelving idea is very practical for any household. It offers tons of storage space, and it’s bound to get your guests talking.

Before installing the shelves, make sure you’ve given the pallet a goodclean. You wouldn’t want to bring in and dirt or germs that couldbe lurking around in the pallet.

Tetris Shelves

Looking for ideas that are perfect for a kid’s room, game room, or just forfun? Tetris shelving is what you need.

Go back to the old game of Tetris that everyone loved (and still does).Remember the blocks that could only fit certain ways? Well, why notturn those into shelving. Using wood, you can carve out the shapesof the Tetris blocks, paint the back of it, and install them inany form you want.

Ladder Shelving

Another unique shelving design that would work in any room of your home is aladdershelf. Instead of adding steps that you would walk on for aladder, you would design them in a way that you could rest items on.Either fasten the shelf to the wall or leave it as a portable shelffor wherever you need it.

Try one of these unique designs for your next shelving project. Have one of your own but need help? Let Keystone Home Products get the project going for you.

If you’re someone who wants more than simply slapping paint on the wall and hanging up a few photos in your house as a way of decorating, you’re someone who needs a theme in their house.

A theme is a great way to wrap every room together. That way, each roomflows into one another. You can choose any theme you want and findthe right colours, decorations, and accessories to bring that themeto life.

The hard part is deciding on what theme to attempt. We have a few tipsthat will help you decide on the best theme for decorating your home.

Look at What You’re Passionate About

Start with your passion. There is a difference between liking something and being passionate about it. When you start decorating with a theme, you don’t want to have a change of heart halfway through. Then what do you do?

Think of all the things in life that bring you more than temporary joy. Apassion is something that lasts for a long time, and is what yougenuinely want or love. Remember, you’ll be surrounded by thistheme every day, so make sure you really like the idea.

Think of the Accessories

You want to consider the accessories and decorations that go along withyour potential theme. If you pick a theme that will cost you too muchmoney in decorating, or you find that there is little to noaccessories around to make the theme come to life, you may want toreconsider your idea.

As you come up with theme ideas, make a note of the additionalaccessories and decorations you would want. Include items likeshelving, paintings, wall colours, furniture, and other decorations.

Ensure You Have the Space

Unfortunately, not every theme works with every house. You need to have the space toadd all the elements to bring a theme to life. If you don’t, yourroom will look crowded and feel overwhelming.

Once you have your list of accessories for a set theme, start o image whatthey would look like in the room. Make a note of how many items youwould need, and compare that to what you already have.

Work Within Your Budget

As fun and enjoyable as it is to decorate with a theme in mind, you alsohave to workwithin your budget. Chances are, you do not have an unlimitedamount of money to spend on decorating. If you don’t work within abudget, that renovation will quickly get out of hand and could throwyou deep into debt.

Make a budget before you begin. Decide on how much you want to spend onevery aspect of the decorating, including paint, accessories, anystructural renovations, and furniture. If you go over budget in onecategory, see where you can make cuts in another one.

Picking a theme for your house can add a whole new element besides paintingthe walls. Find a theme that suits your personality and that theentire family will enjoy. What you do should last for many years tocome.

When the time comes to add shelving to your house, ask KeystoneHome Products to help design shelves that fit within any theme.

Every home has certain items they absolutely need, while others can live without them. It all depends on the family and what they want with their house.

However, there are a few items that are a must for every home on the market. These essential items prove to be useful in everyday life.

If you’re moving into your first home or looking to renovate and update your house, check to see you have the following five essential items that every home needs.

A Good Set of Kitchen Knives

Have you ever tried cutting into a steak with a dull and broken knife? It’s frustrating and takes up a lot of time. Now, imagine having to prep every meal with that dull knife. What should only take you a few minutes could turn into a half hour process prepping all the ingredients.

Go through your kitchen and inspect your kitchen knives. Ensure they are reliable, sharp, and have a good handle to hold on to.

Small Kitchen Appliances

There are a few kitchen appliances that are a must for every kitchen, even if you don’t use them regularly. A coffee pot is one of those items. Even if you don’t drink coffee, when you have guests over, they may appreciate the offer.

A microwave, tea kettle, toaster, and blender are a few other small appliances worth considering. Again, you may not use them all of the time, but when you do need one, you’ll be thankful you invested in them.

Storage Solutions

Every house needs storage of some kind. Good thing there are many options available to fit every family’s style.

Wall shelving is versatile and can fit into any theme you have for your house. The living room may need additional shelving compared to other areas as it tends to have lots of decorations to showcase. The bedroom will need shelving and places to hang clothes in the closet. Your bathroom needs storage containers for all of your toiletries.

Laundry Room Essentials

At some point, you’ll have to do laundry. It’s not feasible to buy new clothes every week because you don’t have the laundry room essentials.

A washer and dryer with the proper detergent are apparent. However, there are a few smaller things that are easily forgotten about. For example, a laundry hamper. The simplest thing can save you time and stress of carrying clothes. An iron and ironing board is also another essential to have in the laundry room.

Versatile Vacuum

A vacuum seems like an obvious tool to have in the home. However, it’s easy to forget about it until you realize you need it.

You don’t want just any vacuum though. You want one that works with your lifestyle. If you live by yourself in a small apartment, you likely don’t need an elaborate and expensive vacuum. However, if you have a family with kids and a dog running around, you’ll need something that is heavy duty.

Consider these essentials that you likely use daily, weekly, or even monthly. You may not need them right at this moment, but there is a good chance you will at some point. Save yourself the time and ensure you have the essentials.

The bedroom is many different things for people. For some, it’s their oasis away from everyday life. It could simply be a place where you rest your head. Maybe it’s a gathering spot on Saturday mornings when the kids first wake up.

No matter what your bedroom is like for you, the design should reflect its purpose. When decorating your bedroom, you would do so differently than the living room, kitchen, office, or even your children’s bedroom. That is why we have five design tips ready for you when you’re renovating your bedroom.

Keep It Subtle

Because the bedroom is where you relax and sleep, you want to keep the colours subtle. Too bright and bold and it can be distracting from trying to sleep. However, you don’t want it to look dull.

Soothing shades of lavender, blue, and green are excellent calming colours. You can accent with a jewel-toned hue to add a bit more to the atmosphere. Think the opposite of bright and bold.

Think Simply

You don’t want to overthink the design of the bedroom. Adding too much can get distracting when it’s time to relax. If you have too much going on, it can take up lots of valuable space and get in the way of everything else.

When decorating, don’t overdo it. If you’re unsure about an item, maybe it’s a better fit for the living room. Ask yourself if you’ll get distracted when you’re laying down for a nap.

Have Lots of Storage

A bedroom houses many items. If you don’t have a home for each thing, it will soon end up on the floor and turn your beautiful oasis into a disaster.

Shelves are an excellent way to incorporate decorations without taking up space on the floor. You can build simple floating shelves, or have something larger and dynamic. Whatever the case may be, a bedroom should have at least one shelf on the wall.

Nightstands with shelves or drawers allow you to store items you want close by when in bed, but without having them laying all over the place. A trunk at the end of the bed adds more storage while acting as an accent piece. Of course, though, having a dresser is a must for a bedroom.

Build a Private Nook

Even if you design your bedroom with peace in mind and it being your oasis, you’ll still want an area that is specifically for you. Many like to include a reading nook off to the side and under a window. Then, as you relax on a comfortable chair, you can bask in the sunlight and enjoy your favourite book.

Have Multiple Light Options

How frustrating is it to get curled up in bed, only to realize you never turned off the overhead light? Save yourself the irritation of getting out of your comfortable blankets and into the cold to turn out the lights by having multiple light options.

You want to have an ambient light for the overall room to keep the room illuminated when you need it. Focus lights like a lamp on the nightstand allow you to read in the dark. Simple accent lights to draw attention to certain pieces in the bedroom help boost the overall design as well.

An organized home tends to be a happy home. Why? Because you know where everything is, you can easily find it, and when guests come over, there isn’t clutter laying on the floor everywhere.

Sometimes, though, getting organized in the first place, or doing some spring cleaning can be overwhelming. Where do you start, what do you use, and what are the best tips to stay organized? These are all questions that can be answered.

We have six ways to help you organize your home so that it stays clean and tidy.

Have Storage Containers

Storage containers are sometimes underrated as they can be so helpful with organizing basically everything. Don’t think that you should only keep your storage containers in a closet though. You can find many decorative ones that would be excellent on the end of a counter, on the coffee table, or in a bookcase.

Install Shelving

Shelving should be your best friend when it comes to organizing your home. There are many places that youcan put shelving, whether it be in a closet or inthe open. You can go for wooden shelves for a traditional look, or glassfloating shelves on the fall for a more modern touch.

Organize Your Kitchen

The kitchen is one area that can easily become a disaster. From tossing the Tupperware into the closet to stuffing leftovers in any spot they fit in the fridge, we can fall behind in keeping the kitchen organized.

So, use containers to keep certain foods separate in the fridge. Organize your spices in the cupboards. Keep Tupperware neatly stacked.

Have a Tray on the Coffee Table

A coffee table is a place that tends to get cluttered quickly. While in the living room, you may also be reading a book, working on a hobby, or drop items there when walking by. To help keep everything organized, have a tray on the coffee table to neatly organize items you’re still using.

Put Away What You Use

Once you get organized, you’ll want to stay that way. One of the best ways to do that is by putting items back where you go them from when you’re done. It’s easy to just leave a book on the coffee table and put it away later. However, soon that book becomes two with papers stacked on top. So, once you’re done with something, take the few seconds to put it away.

Have a Cleaning Routine

Although it doesn’t sound like fun, a regular cleaning routine will not only help you keep your house clean, but it will also help you stay organized. A clean house is one that is tidy and organized.

Have a schedule posted that the whole family can see. Prioritize items from what needs to get done daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly. Assign chores to certain family members so that everyone knows what they should be doing.

Don’t let organizing overwhelm you. By simply incorporating afew of these tips, you’ll be able to organize your home and keep it that way.

Are you looking to give your home a facelift? Is it time to take the traditional house and bring it into the modern era of the 21^st century? Well, it doesn’t have to be that difficult.

There are many little tricks you can do that are simple and affordable, yet will make your home bold and modern. This look keeps getting popular as it brings out an open-concept home with bold accent colours and unique designs.

So, if a modern home is what you’re going for, then these six tips will help you out.

Add Colour

One of the easiest ways to modernize your house is by giving it a fresh coat of paint. It’s something that you won’t break the bank having to buy, and you can do it on your own.

The trick is choosing the right colours for a modern pallet. Bright colours are usually a good guess. Lime green, teal, yellow, bright reds, and even black are all excellent colour choices.

Incorporate Glass Doors

Glass is an excellent modern trick for any house. If you want to do just a quick update at the moment, change out some of your doors for glass doors. It can be for anything like a bedroom door, closet, or even your door to the backyard.

Bright Lights

Modern houses are all about being bright and bold. One way to do this is by making sure you have enough light in your home. The first choice is to incorporate as much natural light as possible.

If there’s nothing you can do about natural light besides replacing windows, you can change out existing light bulbs for bright LED bulbs. Not only are they energy efficient, but they also produce a very white and bright light that is excellent for any modern home.

Keep Things Tidy

One thing you’ll notice with a modern house is that it is always neat and tidy. That is because clutter will quickly date a house. Clutter can be anything from leaving toys and clothes on the ground, having too many collectibles on display, or having cords and cables hanging all over.

Update One Piece of Furniture

Your furniture will play a role in modernizing your home. No one says you have to go out and replaceevery single piece of furniture you have. Instead, focus on one piece that is an affordable update. It could be the couch, a chair, coffee table, oreven an end table. You’ll be amazed how one modern piece of furniture willstart to update the room.

Tidy the Outside

A modern home isn’t simply the inside; it also includes the outside as well. You could spend all your time and money updating the inside of your house, only to have no interest if the front yard is a mess.

To update your home, merely keeping the front yard tidy will go a long way. Keeping the grass cut, trees and bushes pruned, toys put away, and any plants watered and kept will help. If you can, try adding in a pop of colour with flowers.

Glass is one of those materials that you can use for almostanything, and make anything look stylish. It adds a modern look to any spacethat you put them in, and is sure to makeyour home a desirable place to be in.

If you’re looking for different ways to spice up your home, try incorporating glass in ways you wouldn’t typically imagine. Here are some ideas to use to put glass in your home.

Glass Tables

Glass tables are more than simply being practical, but they also help make the room look bigger and brighter than what it is. In smaller, more crowded rooms, a glass table would help keep it from feeling cluttered.

Places to put a glass table would be in a small kitchen or dining room, the entrance to the home, or small hallways that need something for storage.

Kitchen Island Extension

If you want to extend the island in your kitchen to give you more working space, but don’t want to take up too much space in the area, try usingglass then. Because of the crisp look and usually being see-through, it won’tmake the area feel cluttered or smaller.

Counter Tops

The one thing with glass is that you can get different textures of it. You can get coloured glass, ones that have ripples, cracked looking glass, and so many other options. Use glass as countertops in the kitchen for a unique look.

Storage and Shelving

Instead of going for classic wooden shelves, try using glass instead. To keep up with any modern look you may have, glass would be the best option for your storage and shelving needs.

Outdoor Railings

How often do you sit outside to look around the view, but want to have still your yard closed off? A fence is great for privacy, but if you live in an area that has an incredible view, you wouldn’t want to close that off.

Glass railings are the best of both worlds. They fence off the property all while allowing you to look out still and enjoy the view.

Glass Floors

Now, for some, glass flooring would make them uncomfortable. If you’re afraid of heights, this one maybe isn’t for you. However, installing glass flooring doesn’t make for a really cool and unique addition to your home. It’s like skylights for your floor. If you have a room below that you want toshowcase all the time, this would be one way of doing it.

Walls

Similar to the railings, if you want to add dimension to your home without closing it off too much, install glass walls instead. Glass walls allow you to still see into the other room, and keep everything flowingtogether, all why closing off rooms and adding dimension as you walk around.

Have fun using glass in your design plans. These are only a handful of ideas that would take any design plan to the next level.

Theliving room is a place of relaxation,gathering, and spending time with those you love. You want that room to have a special atmosphere in which everyone feelsinvited to. Not only that, you want thespace to reflect your personality and uniqueness.

The living room is one of those areas that you can be creative, bold, and have a lot of fun designing. Because there are so many different things you can do, the possibilities are basically endlessto your imagination.

If you’re looking at renovating and redesigning your living room, take a look at some of the unique design tips to get you going.

Use Mirrors

Mirrors add a clean, modern look to any room you put them in. If you have more elegant and traditional looking mirrors, then they can give you a classic look that reflects that of different eras. Using mirrors opens up so many new possibilities, plus they are excellent for reflecting natural light into the living room.

Install mirrors along a wall to create a wall of mirrors. It creates a unique centrepiece in the room that will get people talking. Hang them across from windows to reflect natural light and brighten up the space.

Use Colour

Colour is an excellenttool to set the mood and create an atmosphere that reflects your personality. Depending on what you’re looking for, you could go with bright colours to keepthe space energized and uplifted. You could also go for calmer, warm colours to create a relaxing space.

Update the Flooring

You could put in all this time and effort updating the living room, and have it lost if you don’t do anything with the flooring. A floor is one quick way to make your house look outdated.

Install flooring that stays within the feel of the home. There are many options available to choose from, like hardwood, carpet, ceramic tile, and stone tile.

Create an Interest Point

Once you have the bigger sections done, – painting, flooring –you can move on to the smaller details that bring everything together. Adding artwork to the room is an additional step to enhance the atmosphere, and give the living room your special touch.

Try adding in larger pieces in obvious places to create a focal point. Dramatic features create things for guests to talk about, and they add a special effect to the room that is unique to you.

Arrange the Space Appropriately

Because we feel the living room is a place of gathering, you want your furniture to reflect that. If you have everything closed off, it won’t feel very invited. Instead, arrange the space so that it invites guests to come sit down and chat with you.

Keeping an open concept helps with the flow of the room. Having too many things and the living room will feel cluttered.

Dress the Windows

Sometimes, dressing the windows is the last minute decision. However, it shouldn’t be. Because there are many options for window dressings, they should be a part of your design plan.

Look for curtains and blinds that reflect the atmosphere you’re trying to develop. There are elegant options, bold and unique ones, and ones that help block out the light.

Are you looking to make your kitchen unique? Aren’t we all? With so many various aspects of the kitchen that you can easily change, it’s simple to create a kitchen that suits your personality.

When we talk about renovating a kitchen, quite often it the counter tops, cupboards, paint colour, and flooring that are the most common parts mentioned. What about the backsplash though?

You can easily and quickly change the look and feel of your kitchen by updating the backsplash. There are the traditional options with tile, or you can go with something more trendy and different like glass or shiny metal. Really, the possibilities are almost limitless with what you can do with a backsplash.

Take a look at some of the unique backsplashes that will take your kitchen to the next level.

Mirrored Backsplash

Wouldn’t it be nice to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen from every angle, without having to turn the cutting board around all of the time? Well, by having a mirrored backsplash, you can.

Mirrored backsplashes are not only a unique design that will enhance the look of your kitchen, but they are also practical as well. You’ll be able to utilize the mirror as you’re cooking away in the kitchen.

Antique Mosaic

Although the mosaic look is classic for backsplashes, there are ways you can make it look unique. Try adding an antique touch to it. Improvise with the type of material you use. You can salvage different woods that you no longer need and use that as your backsplash.

Wallpaper

When we talk about backsplashes, the most common material you think of is tile or wood. However, if you want to do something unique, why not go full out. Adding wallpaper to the backsplash opens up a whole new world of colour and design that is so easy to do.

Picture

Make your backsplash very custom and unique to the family by covering it with a paper photo. You can blow up pictures to almost any size and use them as wallpaper. Find your favourite photo, whether it be scenery, your family, or anything else that you love, and plaster it to the backsplash in your kitchen.

Tin Sheets

If you’re in need of a budget-friendly option for a unique backsplash, try going with tin sheets. They are reasonably priced and are visually interesting for those walking by.

Embossed Concrete

If the budget isn’t a concern and you can afford to put in the additional work, an embossed concrete backsplash is beautifully unique. Make your kitchen look very formal and like it came from a different era with this backsplash.

Textured Tile

Who says the backsplash has to be a smooth finish? Adding texture to the walls has always been something many homeowners have loved doing. The texture on the backsplash adds a whole new dimension to the kitchen.

If you’re looking to renovate your kitchen and give it a facelift, consider the backsplash to be one of the feature points. Don’t let it be a second thought. With all the different options out there, you’ll be able to create a backsplash like no other.

There is a reason you installed a wooden shelf in your home. Wood offers any room a warm and contemporary feel. The timeless beauty of wood works in almost any area of your home, along with being strong and durable.

Whether your wooden shelves are tucked away or out in the open, you want them to stay clean and looking new for as long as possible. Simple dusting and shining will only do so much. Eventually, the wood will begin to look discoloured as overtime, the polish and dust combine together and leave a film behind on the wood.

Every so often, you’ll want to do a deep clean on your wooden shelves to keep them looking like new. Below are a few cleaning tips that will reveal the shine your wood used to have, and keep the wood looking its best.

Deep Clean

Always start by dusting off the shelf first. Begin with a gentle cleaner, and only use stronger ones if needed. You can even begin by simply mixing dish soap and water together.

Make sure you use a damp, soft cloth for cleaning wood. You don’t want to oversaturate the wood and cause damage. Also, harsh fibres on some cloths can actually scratch the wood. Wipe down the shelf with the damp cloth, rinsing the cloth between wipes. Finish with a clean, dry cloth to thoroughly dry the shelf.

If you find difficult stains or other issues with your shelf, try some of the following tips.

Water Stains

There is a reason why you should put a coaster underneath a glass that sits on a wooden shelf. The heat from the glass or water droplets from a cold drink can damage the wood underneath. You’re then left with water stains all over your shelf. Depending on the type of wood used to make your shelf, that will determine how vulnerable it is to water stains.

To remove those pesky water stains, non-gel toothpaste will do the trick. Apply the toothpaste right to the water stain and rub it around with a soft cloth until the stain lifts. If the toothpaste alone doesn’t work, mix it with baking soda for an extra cleaning boost.

Remove Old Polish

Buildup of old polish on wood is one way to age the shelf and make it look dirty. Every now and then you want to remove the old polish before applying a new coat. The new polish will help restore the wood and bring it back to life.

To do so, you’ll want to boil some tea bags. Tea has tannic acid which works great to maintain wood. Steep a couple of tea bags in boiling water before letting it cool to room temperature. Soak a soft cloth in your tea and ring it out until the cloth is damp. Simply wash away the old polish to reveal a shiny wooden shelf.

Clean Other Stains

If you notice there are stains other than water stains on your wooden shelf, try mixing equal parts of baking soda and water to create a paste. Use a soft cloth to apply the solution directly to the stain, and rub it in until you remove the stain. Wipe off the paste with a clean, damp cloth.

Glass shower doors offer a modern look to any bathroom. They provide a special touch that a shower curtain cannot give. A glass door can help make the bathroom feel larger than what it is, and keep the space open.

As beautiful as glass shower doors are though, they can be a pain to keep clean. Dirty and grimy shower doors will quickly lose the appeal they offer. However, trying to keep it as clean as the first day you installed it, it’s easy to lose track and have a weeks worth of buildup.

To help you keep your glass shower door looking like brand-new, we have four tips that will help you maintain the modern look you love.

Squeegee After Showering

One of the best ways to keep your glass shower door clean is by squeegeeing after showering. Now, it may sound like a lot of work and be time-consuming, but it won’t take you very long. The hard part, though, is getting yourself and the family into a routine of using the squeegee.

Keep a small squeegee inside the shower, so everyone has easy access to it. Plus, if the squeegee is always there, it will be hard to forget. Simply wipe away the excess water on the glass after showering, and that’s it.

Clean With a Dryer Sheet

You read that right – you can clean your glass shower door with a dryer sheet. The ingredients in the dryer sheet which soften your fabrics also work to soften up soap scum on the glass door, so it easily wipes off. It’s a genius cleaning hack that will save you a lot of money on cleaners, and time spent scrubbing down the door.

All you need to do is lightly dampen the dryer sheet with water. Scrub the door wherever you see buildup. A new sheet or used one, it won’t matter. So, instead of throwing away your dryer sheets after each load of laundry, save them for your shower door.

Use Water and Vinegar

One of the most common life-hacks for cleaning almost anything is vinegar. The liquid we use for cooking is also known to disinfect surfaces, soften grease, and even break through tough soap scum buildups.

By mixing white vinegar and water into a spray bottle, all you need to do is spray down the glass door and let it sit. Depending on how much buildup you have, it will determine how long you should let it sit for. Then, wipe down the door for a shiny and clean look.

If you need an extra boost to your cleaner, mix in dish soap with your vinegar and water mixture.

Spray Rain-X

Now, the tips above are great for cleaning a glass shower door. However, what about preventing the soap scum buildup in the first place? That way, you won’t have to clean the door as often and can enjoy the beauty it offers all the time.

Try spraying the door with Rain-X. The cleaner you use on your vehicle windows to repel water will also help repel soap scum buildup. Soap scum is the residue water leaves behind after evaporating. So, by repelling the water off the door, it will slow down soaps scum buildup.

If you’re struggling with keeping your glass shower door clean, try using these hacks. You’ll be able to easily clean the door and prevent soap scum buildup from quickly occurring. All that is left is a clean and modern glass door for your bathroom.

Shelving is a necessity in houses. They are there to provide storage for items you may not use very often. Adding a shelf to a wall in a bedroom or living room opens up space to place books, knickknacks, and decorations.

When it comes to installing shelves, there are two commonly used materials: wood or wire. Each has their benefits and downfalls, depending on where you are putting them.

So, which do you use? Let’s take a look at the differences between wooden and wire shelving to help you decide.

Wooden Shelving

When it comes to wooden shelving, one thing they are known for is being durable. Different types of woods do withstand the test of time and the pressure of the additional weight better than others. However, for the most part, you’re likely to have a shelf that can hold a reasonable amount of weight and be usable for quite some time.

Wood shelving is a timeless addition to any house. Wood has always been, and likely will always be in style. It can be elegant and classic, or bold and modern. It all depends on how you build with it and if you paint or stain it. The options for designing a wooden shelf are almost endless.

One thing unique to wooden shelving is that you can refurbish it to look however you want. Because of how long wood will last for, you can take a shelf that is decades old, give it a quick facelift, and it will look like brand-new.

With all of this said, however, there still are a few downfalls to a wooden shelf. First of all, wood does not withstand the elements of the outdoors very well or absorbing too much moisture. You can add a coating to help protect against this, but that means an additional cost to you. Too much moisture and the wood will bow, crack, and even rot.

Wire Shelving

The other type of shelving commonly used is wire shelving. Wire shelves are relatively easy to come by, and typically quite affordable. You can go to your local department store, and chances are they will have some wire shelving available. How readily available they are, make them a popular choice.

Wire shelves can be put together in multiple different ways. Unlike with wood shelving in which you would have to tear it apart to adjust it, you can reconfigure wire shelving quite easily. This makes them a versatile option to smoothly go into any space you need it.

A wire shelf is also fairly easy to maintain. They will get dusty over time that requires a quick wipe down. However, you usually do not have to worry about scuffs, dents, and having to add a fresh coat of stain to it.

The downfall to wire shelving, however, is they typically are not as durable as wood shelves. They can be quite flimsy and buckle under the weight of the items it’s supporting. Also, the wires will leave gaps which means small items would fall right through.

When it comes down to which do you choose – wire or wood – it is a personal preference. If you are looking for something quick and easy that will get moved around a lot, a wire shelf will work best. However, if you want a timeless and classic look that can withstand a lot of weight, wood shelves would be the option for you.

Finding creative ways to boost the design of a room can be a challenge. Unless your profession is an interior decorator, not everyone can come up with unique ideas.

Good thing for you is that you do not need to make significant changes to give the interior of your home a boost. Sometimes, the smallest addition, or simply moving furniture around can completely change the atmosphere of the room. One small change you can easily make is by using mirrored doors.

Whether it be a door to separate a room or to close the closet, there will be doors all over a house. Likely you will find wooden doors that are painted, stained, or have some features moulded into it to give it an extra appeal. However, switching them out for mirrored doors can drastically affect the interior design of your home.

Make a Small Space Feel Bigger

One thing mirrored doors can do is give the illusion that the room is larger than what it actually is. Even though you are not changing the structure of the house, the mirrors reflect everything in the room. It creates that illusion of the walls extending out further to give the area a roomier feel.

Brighten Up the Space

Since mirrors reflect everything around it, they also will reflect any sunlight coming through the windows. If you do not want to use up space on the walls, install mirrored doors instead.

Depending on how much light you want to reflect, strategically placing them will either let more or less light in. If you’re going to let in a maximum amount of daylight, a mirrored door across from a window will work best.

Practical Use

Of course, mirrors serve a practical use to us. They allow you to quickly take a look at your appearance or see behind you if need be. That is why installing mirrored doors in the bedroom closet or a bathroom closet would be an excellent choice for them.

Think of the areas around the house that you would get the most use of a mirror. If there is a closet in the area, chances are a mirrored door would work just fine there.

Feature Piece

A mirrored door can turn into a feature piece in your house. Sometimes a uniquely placed object, no matter how simple it is, can be more of a statement than a large painting or ornament. Same can go with a mirrored door.

Try installing a mirrored door for the pantry in the kitchen. It’s not necessarily a common area to find a mirror, but it would definitely be a feature piece in the kitchen. It may help you keep an eye on kids in the area while you’re cooking.

Try experimenting with mirrored doors throughout your whole house. Install them on bedroom doors to brighten up the hallway, or have a place to check your appearance before you leave your room. Use them in the kitchen or small spaces to bring in more sunlight to brighten up the area. Something as simple as installing mirrored doors will give the interior of your house a modern upgrade.

Is your home starting to feel cramped? Do you feel like your home no longer seems to have the space it once had? After living in a home for a few years, you may want to add on space, but this can be difficult, or impossible if you live in a condo. Room dividers can help you add space, without actually adding square feet to your home. You can section off rooms, or even create new ones, with the use of room dividers.

While many room dividers are made with steel, we at Keystone Home Products utilize aluminum. Aluminum is much more desirable to other framing options, like steel, for many reasons. It is lightweight, rust resistant, and extremely durable. While all of the frames for our room dividers are made of aluminum, you can choose from numerous options for your door inserts. Whether you’re looking for a divider that will separate a room but also add light, or an option that makes two rooms completely secluded, there is an option for you. Our room dividers do so much more than divide rooms. Check out all of the ways room dividers can solve your space problems!

They Can Make a Whole New Room

While aluminum dividers are typically used to section off parts of a room, they can also be used to create a whole new room. A common issue for condo owners is a lack of space, or so they think. With room dividers, you can create more space! It is the perfect resource for someone with limited rooms. It can make the perfect home office, or a quaint yoga studio.

They Can Section Off Part of a Room

Obviously, the main feature of room dividers is right in their name: they divide a room. This can mean many things. A common reason to divide a room is to share the space. This is especially important if you have children sharing a room. If your home doesn’t have the appropriate number of rooms to accommodate your family, it can be very frustrating. Aluminum dividers allow you to get creative with the space you do have! You may find that your home is larger than you originally thought.

They Can Be Used as Closet Doors

Ordinary doors can be pesky. Without even realizing it, your ordinary, swinging door may be taking up some serious space in your bedroom. Think about it. When you’re getting ready, do you feel cramped in your bedroom? Are you having to constantly open, close, and reopen your closet door as you’re getting dressed? Room dividers are a perfect alternative to regular closet doors, and they can save you so much room.

It doesn’t matter what style tastes you have, there is an aluminum divider combo for you! You can choose from laminated glass to create a home office, or mirrored to create effective closet doors. The installation process is a breeze with help from the pros at Keystone Home Products.

Out with the pushing and pulling, and in with the sliding! Sliding panel doors are a great way to add space and practicality to any room. Their ability to glide open and basically disappear makes it feel like you are joining together two previously separated rooms into a single giant room. The panel doors at Keystone Home Products are all custom made. Whether you’re considering a classic wood install, or you’re looking to complete your closet with sliding mirror panel doors, Keystone Home Products has the perfect, custom made option for you! If you’re not sure sliding doors are what you’re looking for, consider these three benefits.

They Save Space

Traditional swinging doors take up room when they are open. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of panel doors is how much space they open up in a room. Panel doors are perfect for areas in your house that might feel a little cramped, like a bedroom or a closet, because they will add all of the functionality of a regular door, without the wasted space.

Panel doors also allow for more space on your walls. You will have extra room to hang family photos, or works of arts, and they will never be hidden behind an open door.

Sliding closet doors not only save space, but they can add it, too. All you have to do is gently slide open your panel doors, and it will feel like two rooms became one. Your bedroom and closet will flow together seamlessly!

They’re Super Functional

Like we said, custom panel doors save more than just space! Since you don’t have to worry about a traditional swinging door taking up space, or blocking items in your closet, you are free to leave your closet panel door open as you get ready, and it won’t slow you down a bit. You won’t ever have to worry about reaching behind a door to get to your clothes.

If you are really into streamlining your room for functionality, the pros at Keystone Home Products offer mirror panel doors that open easily on custom fit tracks. Mirror panel doors can help you save even more time by skipping a trip to the bathroom mirror to check your outfit.

They’re Stylish

There are so many different style options to choose from when picking out sliding panel doors. Keystone Home Products offer nine different frame options, from an elegant ivory, to a bold chrome, and you have a choice of three different insert colors. With so many options for solid panel doors, you can choose a style that is timeless and classy, like white on ivory, or you can go for a more modern look with an ivory insert, and a black frame.

You also have the option to make your custom sliding closet doors mirrors, adding a practical, yet stylish, feel to your bedroom.

The Bottom Line

No matter your style, if you are in search of panel doors in Brampton, you will find exactly what you’re looking for. Adding sliding panel doors to your closet will open up extra room in any area, allow you to add more accessories to your wall, and will streamline your morning routine!

Shopping for the right shower door can be confusing. Especially if you conduct your research on the Internet where you’ll often encounter statements like this: “The hinged, or pivoting shower door is the most common type of shower door.” The implication is that hinged and pivoting doors are the same thing. They’re not. While both hinged shower doors and pivoting shower doors have hinges the two doors are actually quite different and it has to do with how they open. Let’s take a closer look at both doors.

Choosing the Right Shower Doors for Mississauga Homes

The side mounted hinged door and pivoting shower door are different animals. But which one is right for your home?

The Hinged Shower Door

You see a lot of hinged shower doors in Mississauga homes. The door is mounted on hinges at the edge of the panel that connect either directly to the wall or to an adjoining glass panel in the shower enclosure, or to a frame. The glass panel hinged shower door typically opens outward and as such requires a fairly considerable amount of space in order for it to be practical.

Hinged Pros

• Hinged doors lend themselves to frameless shower enclosure setups as there’s no need for an overhead support bar to hold a pivot device.
• It’s possible to seal side mount hinges and thereby improve the water tight nature of the enclosure.

Hinged Cons

• If you are attaching the hinged door to another glass panel it will require some precision cuts on that panel and this can drive up the cost.
• All that space that’s required to accommodate the door swinging outwards.

Pivoting Shower Door

A pivoting shower door uses a two part hinge – one part on top of the door, one on the bottom – that allows the door to pivot rather than swing. As such the centre of motion for the door is moved closer to the vertical centre of the door itself. A door mounted in this fashion requires far less space because the entirety of the door is not opening out into the bathroom. In addition, some pivoting shower doors can open either in or out.

Pivot Pros

• The primary benefit of the pivoting door is its space-saving characteristics.
• They’re an ideal choice for smaller bathrooms where there’s no room for sliding doors or for a door to open out into the general bathroom area.
• Because weight is carried mostly by the pivot device at the bottom of the door the entire door mechanism is very strong and stable.

Pivot Cons

• You can’t really seal a pivoting door to make it as water tight as a hinged door.
• A header will be required on most pivoting doors in order to mount to top portion of the pivot mechanism.

Choosing the right shower doors in Mississauga doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Talk to the pros at Keystone. They’ll be happy to answer your shower door questions and recommend the right door for your particular needs.

Glass shower doors are a beautiful addition to the bathroom, lending it an air of sophistication and openness. But that openness and beauty can be pretty effectively undermined when hard water residue, soap scum and dirt build up on the glass drawing attention to themselves and away from your lovely, airy design. What homeowners need is an easy and effective way to keep the glass around their shower clean so we’ve done a bit of research and come up with a way that can’t miss.

Cleaning Your Shower Doors in Brampton

You could go and buy an expensive, heavy-duty glass cleaner containing bleach, ammonia and a slew of other chemicals to remove the dirt and grime from your glass shower doors in Brampton. Or you could try the method we’re about to lay out. It’s a lot safer, a lot cheaper and just as effective.

• Pick up some baking soda from the store (somehow you knew baking soda was involved).
• Mix it in a bowl with water until the baking soda has become a paste.
• Take the paste and rub it right into the glass on the shower door. You can use your hand or a sponge but make sure not to rub too hard.
• Repeat on all the other glass panels that make up the enclosure.
• Pour vinegar into another bowl and dampen a sponge with it.
• Then use the vinegar laden sponge to wipe down the glass. Dip the sponge back into the vinegar as needed until you’ve wiped away all the baking soda paste.
• When you’ve finished removing the baking soda with the vinegar laden sponge rinse the sponge out thoroughly and wipe down the glass one more time to remove the vinegar residue.
• What you’ll see when you’re done is spotless glass free of water stains and other nasty build-up.

If you have sliding doors on your shower enclosure don’t forget to clean the guide tracks that the doors slide in. These tracks have tiny holes that allow water that gets into them to drain away. Find these holes and plug them with pieces of toilet tissue or paper towel. Then fill the door track with vinegar and leave it overnight. Just make sure to tell others in the house what you’re doing so they don’t try and use the shower and get an unpleasant surprise.

Preventing Dirty Glass on Your Shower Enclosure

Once you get the shower enclosure looking like new the best way to keep it that way is to invest in a high quality shower squeegee. These can be had from innumerable retail websites, cost less than a pizza and will help ensure that hard water stains, soap scum and other types of dirt and grime never get a chance to accumulate on your bathroom glass.

Cleaning your shower doors in Brampton doesn’t require the use of harsh chemicals. Just remember to pick up a shower squeegee when you’re done and use it regularly to stave off the need for future baking soda and vinegar cleaning sessions.

During the renaissance interior designers had to find ways to make spaces brighter and more compelling without the use of electric light. One of their favourite ways to do this was by creating large windows and employing mirrors generously throughout the house to reflect light that came in through those windows. Today, with the cost of energy so high and future supplies uncertain saving energy is at the forefront of everyone’s thinking. As such designers and homeowners are once again looking for ways to make their space brighter and livelier that don’t involve using electricity. And just like their forebears they’ve turned to the mirror.

Employing Mirror Walls in Toronto Homes to Maximize Light

Many homes are not designed to make maximum use of natural light. As such it’s up to those who inhabit the house to try and turn gloomy, underlit spaces into bright, cheerful rooms everyone can enjoy. One of the easiest and most compelling ways to do so is to install mirror walls at strategic points throughout the house. Before you go ahead and just slap up a few ceiling to floor mirrors however there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.

• Size – When it comes to maximizing the reflective quality of mirrored walls the larger the mirrored surface the better. Not only will your previously moribund room be brought into the light but it will seem larger and airier than it ever has before.
• Placement – The placement of mirror walls in Toronto homes needs to be carefully considered. You don’t want mirrors to shine bright reflected sunlight directly in people’s faces as they’re trying to watch TV nor do you want to locate a mirrored wall in such a way that it presents a clear view into the bathroom. Instead locate them in ways that will indirectly reflect the natural or artificial light and don’t overdo their use.
• Style – For many homeowners simple, large, frameless mirrors may be exactly what the style doctor ordered. For others however, a more lavish style of mirroring may be called for. Perhaps you’ll want a wall composed of multiple small mirrors (either framed or unframed) that dovetails with the busier design of the overall space. Perhaps you’ll want those mirrored sections to have bevelled edges or the surface itself to be rippled out of concern for both style and safety.
• Who is in the house – While mirrored walls produce compelling effects that are endlessly fascinating and open up a slew of related design possibilities regarding the creation of focal points and counterpoints they are nonetheless large slabs of glass. If you have young children you should be careful where you install mirrored panels as kids aren’t always thoughtful when it comes to where they’re going.

Installing mirror walls in Toronto homes is a great way to bring light into otherwise dark and dull spaces, especially during the long winter months. Talk to the pros and Keystone about the possibilities of mirror walls for your home.

If you are remodeling or renovating the bathroom you’ll need to select new shower doors. Of primary concern will be making sure the style of the doors meshes with the design of the bathroom as a whole. However, something people don’t think about when they’re upgrading their shower doors is their thickness. The thickness will determine the weight and safety of the doors and will also play a subtle but important role in how the doors mesh with the other components in the bathroom. Let’s look at some of the considerations that go into determining the best thickness for shower doors in Mississauga homes.

Shower Doors for Mississauga Homes: How Thick Should They Be?

Nearly as important as style will be selecting the proper thickness for your shower doors. Too thin and they may look out of place next to heavy materials like natural stone, too thick and they may put too much of a load on the walls which could lead to the shower enclosure collapsing. So what exactly are the different thickness options when it comes to shower doors?

• 3/8 inch – This is considered by many to be the minimal thickness a shower door should be in order to provide the necessary stability and ensure structural integrity of the shower enclosure. 3/8 inch is perhaps the most popular thickness choice both because it meets the minimal safety standards and because it’s more affordable than thicker glass.
• 1/2 inch – With a 1/2 inch thick shower door you’ll be buying a much more substantial look and feel for you shower enclosure. You’ll easily perceive the difference in weight when you slide or swing the door open and that heftier feel will subconsciously provide you with a sense of both greater opulence and greater safety. As mentioned above however, you need to be sure your walls will be able to support the increased weight.

Is There Really a Difference?

There very definitely is a difference in the way the thicknesses of doors are perceived. While you may not always be able to put into words every perception you have your brain will nonetheless pick up on and appreciate the difference in thicknesses. At the same time however structural concerns cannot be dismissed so you’ll need to determine if the walls in your bathroom can handle the additional weight that comes with thicker doors. Of course if you had 1/2 inch thick doors on the shower before then there should be no reason for concern about installing new ones that are just as thick.

Keep in mind too that there are those who champion the idea of 1/4 inch thick shower doors for Mississauga homes but we believe that to be too insubstantial. Safety is, after all, a major concern in the shower and 1/4 inch thick glass around the shower enclosure is uncomfortably fragile. Give Keystone a call to discuss your renovation project. We’ll make sure you get the perfect shower doors for your bathroom.

For many homeowners the biggest decision when it comes to their bathroom is not lighting or the size of the vanity, it’s whether to have a shower curtain or a glass shower door. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and both seem equally popular. But is one actually “better” than the other? Or does it all comes down to a matter of taste? We’re going to spill a little digital ink trying to get on top of this issue and hopefully provide some insight you can use when it’s time for you to decide between the two.

Are Glass Shower Doors a Toronto Must-Have?

For a lot of folks the matter is an open and shut case: glass shower doors in Toronto homes are “it”. But that doesn’t explain why so many people still choose shower curtains. Let’s look at both sides of the coin to see if we can figure this out.

The Argument for Glass Doors

• They increase the overall value of your home.
• They help make the bathroom appear larger than it is.
• Glass shower doors are far more aesthetically pleasing.
• They’re available in a wide variety of styles ranging from the simple to the hi-so.

These are all good reasons to have glass shower doors in Toronto homes and there are plenty of people who believe they make a compelling enough argument. So why would anyone choose shower curtains over glass doors?

The Argument for Shower Curtains

• They’re easy for anyone to open and close.
• They’re far more affordable than glass shower doors.
• They provide a higher level of privacy for people in the shower.
• They allow you to keep that antique bathtub that you love so much.

As you can see the people that choose shower curtains are not doing so just out of a lack of understanding. They have good reasons for taking a pass on glass shower doors. Toronto homeowners are after all a smart, level-headed group who rarely do things without thinking them through.

So Which One is Right for You?

It tends to come down to a few simple considerations.

• Your budget – Shower curtains are without a doubt the more affordable option and this will be enough for many. Others, however will take the view that money spent improving the home is always money well spent and opt for glass doors.
• Your personality – Some people are just more comfortable being able to draw a curtain around them when they shower while others enjoy the sense of the shower being an open space. Why is it so? Who knows?
• Your bathroom design/setup – A rustic interior design will likely call for a tub/curtain setup. While glass enclosures are extremely versatile and can be adapted to just about every other type of interior design scheme.

The Bottom Line

It turns out there are good reasons to choose both shower curtains and glass shower doors for Toronto homes. It really boils down to design, taste and budget. Talk to the pros at Keystone Home Products to learn more.

If you’re building a new house or remodelling your bathroom you have a decision to make about the type of shower door you install. That choice is doubly important if your bathroom is small. Pick the wrong door and it will impede on what little space you have and could also be the source of accidents. Pick the right door and your small bathroom may feel much larger than it actually is. But just what type of shower door will provide that safe, airy feel for your tiny toilette? Below we’re going to find out.

Finding the Right Small Shower Doors in Mississauga

When the time comes to choose shower doors in Mississauga for your small bathroom you actually have more choices than you might imagine. Below we’re going to look at the best choices and what makes each one a solid option for smaller bathrooms.

• The Sliding Door – When it comes to space saving shower doors in Mississauga nothing really compares to the sliding shower door. Sliding shower doors are typically composed of either 2 or 3 glass panels that slide past each other and “stack” at one side or the other. If there’s a downside to sliding doors it’s that they require a fairly wide shower opening. So if you don’t have that, you’ll need to explore other options.

• The Pivoting Door – The pivoting shower door is one of the most popular space shaving shower doors in Mississauga. The have a sophisticated, refined air about them that’s both graceful and practical. This type of shower door opens on a hinge that pivots from a point close to the vertical centre of the door. As such, part of the door opens into the general bathroom space while the rest opens into the shower enclosure, thereby saving space.

• The Round Door – The round shower door is typically used on smaller shower enclosures in the corner of the room. These enclosures are usually shaped like a baseball field with one pointed end and one rounded end. The rounded door slides to one side or another of the rounded enclosure without ever gobbling up space in the rest of your bathroom. Some rounded showers have one door while others have 2 that meet in the centre and slide to either side.

• The Bi-Fold Door – Speaking of hybrids, the bi-fold shower door combines sliding motion with an accordion-style folding action that allows it to tuck neatly away to one side of the shower enclosure. Typically a bi-fold door is composed of 2 panels (hence “bi”-fold) hinged in the centre. They don’t infringe on the bathroom space and many have magnets at the top and bottom that keep the door firmly closed while the shower is in use.

To determine the right shower doors Mississauga homeowners will need to determine the size of the shower enclosure, its location and whether or not the area adjoining the shower opening will be clear or occupied by some other component of the bathroom decor. Talk to one of the shower enclosure pros at Keystone to learn more.

It’s true that we live in the age of Google, where you can find DIY solutions for nearly everything, but sometimes cutting corners isn’t wise. Some things are best left to the professionals.

That’s certainly true when it comes to frameless shower door installation. While it’s possible to install one yourself, nobody wants to deal with the headache of unwanted and unforeseen problems that arise from shoddy installation.

So be smart and trust professionals who have years of experience and expertise when it comes to installing shower doors.

Why Trying to Install Frameless Shower Doors by Yourself is a Bad Idea

Here are four reasons why homeowners in Toronto should avoid the DIY option and seek a professional to install their frameless shower doors:

• Frameless Shower Door Installation is Challenging: Homeowners looking to save money and install a frameless shower door by themselves might not realize what they are getting themselves into. Sure you can buy the door and hinges at a store, but installation takes a level of skill and expertise than the average person doesn’t have and can’t learn overnight. Alignments, drillings, and measurements need to be perfect and high-quality materials are a must to avoid any problems. These are things a professional can guarantee.

• Professional Installers Can Customize the Door to Meet Your Shower’s Needs: Not all showers have the same dimensions and characteristics and a professional can adapt and install your door no matter the situation. Experienced professionals will make sure your door fits snugly.

• Shower Leaks are a Huge Problem in DIY Installations: Unless your glass is cut perfectly, something a professional will guarantee upon installation, shower leakage can be a massive issue. Shabby DIY frameless shower door installations risk leaving gaps in the door where water can escape and splash onto the floor. Over time, this can damage your bathroom floor. Not to mention, it can be a big annoyance to always have standing water on your bathroom floor after taking a shower.

• Improper Installation Can Lead To Shattering: Even scarier than leakage, is the fact that a faulty installation can lead to your frameless shower door shattering. Although this only happens rarely, the chances are significantly higher for those who self-install. Mishandling during transport or installation can cause damage and small breaks in the glass which only get worse as time goes on and pressure applies to the rest of the door. Ultimately, your door may eventually shatter.

Avoid the risk and pay to have an experienced professional install your frameless shower door with guaranteed results.

The cost of installation could easily be surpassed by problems posed by a faulty installation, not to mention the peace of mind you will get knowing that your door has been installed to the highest standards.

As Toronto’s premier homebuilders, Keystone Home Products’ experts can guarantee a high-quality frameless shower door installation that will save you the trouble of any future problems.

Call us today at 905-790-0997.

Shower door glass is an often overlooked aspect when designing, renovating, or installing a shower. In reality, homeowners have many varieties of glass to choose from when installing shower doors.

From glass that provides privacy to glass that gives your bathroom a sleek, modern look, the options and characteristics are vast.

The Different Types of Glass and How to Choose the Right One for Your Shower Doors

Not all shower door glass is the same, here’s a how-to-guide for Mississauga and Toronto residents to choose the right glass to suit their bathroom’s style and needs:

• Clear Glass: Clear glass is the most versatile and widely used glass in shower doors because it allows for the passage of light into your shower and also lends to a more open feeling bathroom. Clear glass is the perfect choice if you want your bathroom to feel less cramped and give it a bright, contemporary look. Another perk of clear glass is that it is very easy to clean and maintain.

• Frosted Glass: Homeowners seeking privacy should look at installing frosted glass shower doors. Not only does it provide privacy, there are also many design options to choose from like different colours and patterns. Frosted glass doors have a satin-like look and hide most fingerprints and watermarks. On the downside, frosted glass doors can sometimes feel dark and segregated from the rest of your bathroom.

• Rain Glass: Like frosted glass shower doors, rain glass doors offer privacy and are perfect for hiding fingerprints and stains. Rain glass stands out from frosted glass due to its decorative, eye-catching rain patterns on one side.

• Tinted Glass: Tinted glass comes in many different tones and colours like bronze, grey, or black. This choice of glass is great for homeowners looking to create a fresh, one-of-a-kind bathroom. The dark, tinted glass provides privacy and is the perfect complement to your bathroom’s colour palette.

• Hammered Glass: Hammered glass doors are known for their distinctive texture that resembles hammered metal. These type of shower doors give your bathroom a bold appearance. The hammered glass also creates cool visual effects as light enters the shower.

What to Consider When Choosing Your Shower Door Glass

• Budget: The most obvious thing to consider when choosing a type of shower door glass is which type you can afford. Hammered, tinted, and rain glass tend to be the most expensive while frosted and clear are cheaper options.

• Privacy: Privacy is also another important thing to factor in. If you are live in a studio apartment or with a significant other then you might be fine with clear glass for your shower. But those living with kids or relatives might want to think about the other glass types which offer privacy to avoid any awkward situations.

• Style: Homeowners should also look at shower door glass that meshes with the style and feel of their bathroom. For modern bathrooms, clear glass might look best while tinted glass looks great in a bathroom with dark colours.

As Toronto and Mississauga’s leading homebuilders, Keystone Home Products’ can help you choose the right shower door glass to fit your needs.

To learn more, call us at 905-790-0997.

It’s a new year and that means taking a fresh look at those home improvement projects you’ve been putting off for months. No more excuses about how the work will interfere with holiday festivities or how uncle Tony will be unhappy if you replace those, uh, beautiful tiles he installed in the bathroom a couple of years ago. Just time to dust off the to-do list and get cracking. In this post we’ll give you 5 reasons why changing your shower doors in Mississauga should be at the top of your 2017 to-do list.

New Shower Doors in Mississauga from Keystone

A set of beautiful new frameless shower doors will transform your mundane bathroom into a sophisticated oasis family members will be lining up to spend time in. Frameless doors have that “wow” factor your moldy old doors just can’t touch. Here are 5 good reasons you should change your old shower doors in 2017.

1. Lighten up: If you have framed shower doors that are more than a few years old chances are they’re getting a little worn about the edges. It’s also possible that they’ve accumulated a significant amount of soap scum and atmospheric dirt and are nowhere near as clear as they were when you had them installed. Time to let them go and install dazzling new frameless shower doors in Mississauga from Keystone.

2. Break it down: Even fairly discreet frames around glass panel doors can create the sense of a divide between one part of the bathroom and the other. Break down the sense of separate areas and open your bathroom up visually with frameless glass doors. Your WC will seem larger, cleaner and more comfortable as a result.

3. Add value: It doesn’t take much to elevate the look and feel of your bathroom. All you need is to target the right items for renovation. When you change your shower doors to reflect a cleaner, more contemporary look you’re saying you care about your home, its appearance, its comfort level and its overall value.

4. Make a design stand: A lot of bathrooms have a kind of ad hoc feeling to them. Since the shower doors are the biggest item in the bathroom you can use them as a bold starting point for a bathroom redesign. The sense that the bathroom has been remodeled will be much stronger than if you, say, only replaced the faucet heads.

5. Get a jump on the Joneses: What good is upgrading parts of your home if you can’t brag about it to family and friends? Installing new shower doors in Mississauga will give you something to gloat about when the neighbours come over. And isn’t that the point of spending on home improvements? (At least part of the point).

Changing your shower doors in Mississauga now is a great way to jump start home improvements for 2017. Call Keystone Home Products to find out more about which style of shower door will be right for you and how they can elevate how you experience your entire house.

The cost of installing glass shower doors can vary significantly. It can be as low as $100 or as high as several thousand dollars and at Keystone Home Products we’ve seen it all. There are a number of factors that weigh on the overall cost of shower door installations. Some of them are easy to identify and others are more subtle but just as important. In this post we’re going to take a look at 4 of them.

Determining the Cost of Glass Shower Doors in Toronto

Because the cost of installing glass shower doors in Toronto varies so significantly from case to case we need to take a look at the reasons why. Here are 4 of the factors that will have a substantial impact on the final cost of your shower door installation.

1. Door Size: We’re going to start with the obvious and that is the size of your doors. The larger the door the higher the cost. It only makes sense. Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do about the size of the doors you’ll need unless you want to redesign the entire bathroom. So the size of your shower enclosure is the first factor in determining how much you’ll pay for your glass shower doors in Toronto.

2. Door Type: Unlike the size of your door which you have very little control over the type of shower door you install will be entirely up to you and will play an important part in how much you pay. You can choose hinged doors that swing open or sliding doors that will save space but cost more, or you can choose to have a customized door installed that will ramp up the luxury but ramp up the cost as well.

3. Bathroom Layout: A big bathroom is a joy for the contractor to work with. There’s lots of room to move and to keep tools and materials handy. A tiny bathroom however can be a logistical nightmare since the contractor will likely have to get up and leave the room every time they need a different tool or material. Every move adds time and therefore cost to the job.

4. Labour: It’s never a good idea to try and install glass shower doors yourself. If you drop the glass door while trying to hang it you run the risk of serious injury plus the cost of having to purchase a replacement door. So leaving it to the pros is the right call, but the pros don’t work for free. How much you pay for labour will depend on the factors already laid out above.

The installation of glass shower doors in Toronto is one whose final costs are not fixed. How much you wind up paying will depend on the factors outlined here plus others such as the time of year, whether the bathroom is on the first, second, third floor or higher and the overall condition of your bathroom. Call Keystone Home Products to find out more about installing glass shower doors in Toronto.

There are several examples in the world of home decor where one material represents a clear “step up” in sophistication, elegance and timelessness over other materials: granite countertops, for example. Glass shower doors are another example. They exist on a home decor plateau a clear step above shower curtains. Shower doors exude permanence, design wherewithal and sense of affluence not unlike granite countertops.

Finding the Right Shower Doors in Mississauga

Understanding their function can be helpful in choosing the right shower doors in Mississauga. In essence shower doors are:

• Designed to minimize maintenance.
• Intended to contain water within the shower stall.
• Designed to provide the most enjoyable shower experience possible.
• An integral component of the entire bathroom design scheme.

This last point is important because the shower door is expected to carry a substantial portion of the bathroom decor load. This is fundamentally different from the job of the shower curtain, which is to simply keep water in the shower. This means that if the shower door fails in its function as a design component, the entire bathroom decor fails by extension.

By looking at a shower door from the angle of design component instead of simply as a means to block water it will be easier to find the glass shower door that’s right for your bathroom. Things to consider include.

• Type of Glass – Is there cut or etched glass on the bathroom mirror? Is there frosted glass on the window? If there is you may want to carry one of these design motifs over into the glass on your new shower door. Keep in mind though that cut, frosted or etched glass is more expensive than plain, clear glass.
• Color of Glass – Be aware of the fact that clear glass typically has a greenish tint to it. This is due to the presence of iron in the glass. You need to determine if this greenish tint is going to undermine other aspects of your bathroom color scheme. If it is, you may want to consider adjusting other colors in the room or using iron-free glass in your shower door.
• Frames – If the bathroom mirror is frameless you’ll want to consider a frameless shower door to unify the overall look. Although you need to be mindful of the fact that frameless shower doors are more expensive than framed ones.
• Method of Access – Look for precedents. Do you have a medicine cabinet with sliding doors? If so you can carry this sliding theme over to the shower doors. Just remember you’ll need significant horizontal space to do so; except in a corner shower stall where narrow twin sliding doors open in opposite directions.

Keystone Home Products has been fulfilling the interior design needs of homeowners across the GTA for more than 20 years. In that time we’ve established ourselves as the area’s premier supplier of shower doors, dividers, shelving, mirrors and more. Call us today to talk to one of our interior decor experts about finding the right shower doors in Mississauga to complete the look of your bathroom.

Everyone enjoys the benefits of the glass shower doors, even if they’re not consciously aware of it. Shower doors let in the light, make a bathroom seem bigger and more comfortable and inject an air of sophistication into even the most previously banal WC. In this post we’ll look at the choices available to you when shopping for new glass shower doors in Toronto.

Selecting Glass Shower Doors in Toronto

First off, remember that the shower doors you buy will need to conform to a few project fundamentals including:

• Your Budget – While etched glass and polished brass fittings are nice they may be beyond your budget. It’s important to stay realistic.
• Size of the Opening – Make sure you know exactly the size door you’ll need. Take careful measurements and keep them with you when you shop.
• Look and Feel of the Bathroom – Make sure you take a photo of the bathroom so you can compare it to any doors you’re considering.

Also remember that your glass shower doors do not exist in a vacuum. The type of glass, finish of hardware and style of frame you choose must all work with the other elements in the bathroom to create a cohesive look. That said, let’s take a quick look at the types of glass shower doors Toronto residents have to choose from.

• Framed or Unframed – A framed door will allow for a thinner glass pane, which will be lighter and easier to hang. An unframed door will be thicker but can provide the room an unmatched sense of openness. It will also be easier to clean.
• Swing or Pivot – A swinging door will open the same way a standard door does, by swinging on hinges attached to the frame. A pivoting door will also swing open but the forward pivot point will allow some of the swing to be absorbed by the shower stall, thereby saving room.
• Sliding – Sliding doors have been popular for many years because they don’t intrude at all on the open space of the bathroom. However, they require horizontal space equal to at least twice the width of the door.
• Rounded – A rounded shower door may be either sliding or swinging and may be either a single or double door setup. Rounded shower doors appear on corner shower stalls and are all about the overall effort to save space.

Glass

The basic types of glass available to you are clear, frosted, opaque, etched, patterned or textured. Typically clear glass will display a greenish tint. Choosing low-iron glass instead will do away with the tint but will cost nearly twice as much. Many homeowners concerned about safety will choose acrylic; although acrylic panels will scratch fairly easily and may discolor over time.

At Keystone Home Products our philosophy begins and ends with getting the job done right and our first-rate customer service is there to ensure that’s exactly what happens on each project regardless of size. Call us today at (905) 790-0997 to learn more about glass shower doors and which type is right for your home.

The wide selection of glass shower doors on the market today makes choosing the right ones for your bathroom a trickier task than you might have expected. There are so many styles and sizes available and you really need to think carefully about the position of your shower before considering particular types. Corner units, for example, usually feature different types of doors to those that are in the middle of the bathroom.

The Best Glass Shower Doors for Your Bathroom

The key points to bear in mind when shopping for new shower enclosures and doors are your proposed budget, how much space you have in your bathroom and the position of your shower unit. Assuming that you do not choose something that is too expensive, too big, or with doors you cannot open, other factors to consider are mainly concerned with the aesthetics of the glass shower doors and enclosures on your shortlist.

1. Pivot Doors – Often featured in frameless enclosures owing to the very small hinges that are barely noticeable among all that lovely thick glass, pivot doors are designed to open outward in one smooth swinging action and are a great choice for areas with an opening that is too small to accommodate a sliding door but have enough space in front of them to open a door outwards.
2. Hinged Doors – These are glass shower doors that swing both inwards and outwards, and are also a good choice for very small spaces. The fact that they are normally to be found on neo-angled corner shower enclosures reinforces their suitability for compact bathrooms and has made them very popular with owners of smaller properties.
3. Sliding Doors – Although they are very compact in one way, sliding door enclosures do require a little more room for the actual entrance. If you have room for a curved corner unit with a sliding door, they are a very nice choice both aesthetically and functionally.
4. Bi-fold Doors – These open into the shower area, like an accordion, and are another option worth considering when the position of your shower leaves little or no space to open a door outwards. They are also a good choice for contemporary bathrooms, with their, modern, sleek design. In common with other doors that open inwards, bi-fold doors help to minimise the amount of water that will drip onto the rest of your bathroom floor every time you take a shower.

Framed or Frameless Enclosures

As mentioned above, many frameless shower enclosures feature pivot doors, which might influence your opinion as to whether they are suitable for your bathroom. Other factors that may have some bearing on your choice include the fact that frameless enclosures are easier to keep clean and generally look good for longer than framed ones. There is no metal or uPCV trim to get dirty or fade over time; all you need to do is use a mild detergent to keep the glass shower doors and panels of the enclosure sparkling clean.

Contact KeyStone Home Products for glass shower doors in Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga. Visit us on Google+ 

In the average household you will come across a numerous amount of mirrors, ranging from minute pocket sized things that are used on the go to check whether make-up is properly done, right the way up to large framed mirrors that hang above the mantel piece in the living room. They are both functional — being used for personal grooming and to check your own appearance — and aesthetic items that can be used to enhance the interior of any room in a property. Are you aware however that it’s possible to have mirror walls installed at your property that span the length of a complete wall? During this article we are going to talk about some of the benefits that mirror walls offer and a number of factors to consider when purchasing them.

What Advantages Do Mirror Walls Offer?
Many homeowners choose to have mirror walls installed in either the bathroom or the bedroom area of their property. Why? This is simple. These are the rooms where you get dressed and ensure your appearance is to your liking each and every day, which requires the use of a reflective surface. Some of the main advantages of mirror walls include:

• Larger Size – While this may seem a little obvious it is actually a huge advantage with regards to being able to assess your appearance. It’s often impossible to see yourself from head to toe in a wall hung mirror without standing several metres away, and even then you can’t see yourself in enough detail. Mirror walls solve this problem and allow you to look at anything in an instant; you can easily check whether your collar is twisted or whether your shoes go well with the trousers you are wearing.
• Makes the Room Appear Larger – A room that once seemed small and pokey to anyone that set foot inside it can be transformed with the installation of mirror walls. While the dimensions of room itself may not actually change, the room suddenly feels twice as big as it did before.
• Brightens Up the Room – Mirrors are reflective surfaces and when light hits mirror walls this light is redirected all around the room, creating a warm, open environment. A small mirror placed on the wall cannot create this effect.

Things to Think About Before Buying Mirror Walls

Having mirror walls installed at your home is not the same as going out and buying a hanging mirror for your bedroom. There are a number of considerations that are unique to mirror walls that you need to take into account. Failure to do so could result in you purchasing a product that is not suitable or safe to install in your home.

• Supporting Wall – The glass used to manufacture mirrors is extremely heavy and fragile and mirror walls can easily weigh several hundred pounds. It’s important to ensure that the supporting wall is able to take this kind of weight. In almost all cases the supporting wall must be a solid rather than a studded wall.
• Type of Installation – There are generally two different types of installation for mirror walls; wall to wall installation and short of wall installation. As the name suggests a wall to wall installation spans the entire surface of the supporting wall meaning the measurements that are taken must be extremely precise. It’s also usually necessary to complete this type of installation using a J-bar. With short of wall installations there is border (usually an inch or two) right the way around the mirror, providing a little margin for error. This type of installation is less labour intensive and as a result often works out cheaper.
• Safety Backing – We would always advise that you seriously consider having safety backing installed along with the mirror walls as this will ensure the glass fragments remain in place if the mirror is accidentally broken. The safety backing also increases the strength of the mirror, making it more resistant to damage, and prevents moisture from getting trapped behind the mirror.
• Finish of Edges – There are two main choices here; flat polished edges and seamed edges. The most appropriate option will depend on whether the edges will be visible once the mirror is installed. A flat polished finish is essential if the edges will be visible after installation, whereas a seamed edge is sufficient if you plan on framing the mirror.

Keystone Home Products Ltd has been producing and expertly installing mirror walls for two decades and we are renowned for both our precision and the speed at which we work. If you live in Toronto, Mississauga or Brampton and are interested in a quote, call us today to arrange a free consultation.

Contact Keystone today for your mirror wall questions

Whether you are planning to completely renovate your bathroom, updating all of the current fixtures and fittings, and maybe even changing the layout of the room, or you simply need to replace the shower door as it has seen better days, selecting a shower door is something that needs to be carefully considered. Not only does it play a big part in helping to achieve the desired look and feel of the room, but it performs a practical role too, ensuring water from the shower is not allowed to spill out of the enclosure into other parts of the room. Before looking at specific models of shower door, you first need to decide between framed shower doors and frameless shower doors. During this article we are going to point out some of the main differences between the two before going on to explain why frameless shower doors have experienced such a sharp rise in popularity in recent years.

What’s the Difference Between Frameless Shower Doors and Framed Shower Doors?

If you are older than 25 the chances are high that the shower in the home where you grew up had a framed door. That’s because frameless shower doors weren’t really produced on a large scale prior to the early 1990’s and even then the cost was so high initially that it prevented many people from purchasing them. Framed shower doors contain a frame right around their edges and are usually finished in either chrome or gold. On frameless shower doors, the framework around the edges of the door is absent or very minimal at the most and they often feature heavy duty hinges.

Benefits that Have Seen Frameless Shower Doors Grow in Popularity

• They Enhance the Appearance of Your Bathroom – The bathroom is one of the busiest areas of a standard home and you might be surprised to learn that the average person spends a total of approximately one and a half years of their lifetime in their bathroom. While it obviously needs to be highly functional, it also has to be aesthetically appealing too and that’s how frameless shower doors can help; they offer a striking modern look that simply oozes class.
• Minimal Maintenance – This is one area in which frameless shower doors really excel when compared to their framed counterparts. With framed doors, corrosion often builds up on the framing that spans the bottom of the door due to it being in constant contact with wet floor tiles. This isn’t an issue with frameless shower doors thought, since it is glass that comes into contact with the tiles, and glass is much more resistant to corrosion.
• Soft Edges Make Them Safe – Health and safety is an absolute must in the bathroom since damp patches on the floor could potentially lead to you accidentally slipping and hurting yourself. While glass is often associated with being sharp and dangerous, the edges on frameless shower doors are always filed down and soft, considerably reducing the chance of you sustaining an injury.
• Show off Your Tiles – Often great care is taken to ensure the tiles on the walls inside your shower are visually appealing but when a framed shower door is installed it’s almost impossible to see them when the door is closed, which is 95% of the time. Frameless shower doors put these tiles on full display and allow them to work with your other bathroom design features and contribute to the aesthetics of the room.
• Increase the Market Value of Your Home – While this might not interest you if you don’t ever see you selling your home, it is a nice added bonus, and you never know whether your circumstances will change. Studies have shown that for a large majority of the people that are scouring the housing market for a new home, a frameless shower door is a desirable feature, which helps to give your home’s market value a little boost.
• Longevity – Frameless shower doors have to be made of much thicker, tempered glass due to the lack of a frame, but this is hugely beneficial to their longevity. They may cost more to purchase upfront but in many cases they last years longer (although this will depend on the level of usage).
• Make Your Bathroom Feel Bigger – While bathrooms might see more use than practically any other room in the average property, they are often one of the smallest spaces in the whole house. Framed doors tend to seal off the shower area from the rest of the room, but frameless shower doors open that area up and make the bathroom look and feel bigger as a consequence.

Keystone Home Products Ltd supplies a wide range of high quality products for both residential and commercial properties, including frameless shower doors, shower enclosures, mirror walls and mirror sliding doors, among many other things. We have been operating since 1994, serving Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton.

Contact Keystone today for your frameless shower door questions

You don’t have to go all the way and remodel your entire bathroom to change its appearance; this can be achieved by doing something as simple as replacing your shower door. Bathrooms are often relatively small compared to other rooms in the house and the shower typically occupies a significant amount of floor space. In addition to performing several more practical roles, such as keeping water inside the shower enclosure and off your bathroom floor, and providing a certain level of privacy to anyone that uses the shower, shower doors play a key role in how visually appealing your bathroom is deemed. There are a wide range of factors to consider before coming to a final decision though, as shower doors come in a range of different sizes, configurations, styles and price ranges. During this article we are going to provide you with some useful advice should you decide that a change of shower door is just what your bathroom needs.

Key Factors to Consider When Shopping for New Shower Doors

Failing to prepare adequately before selecting your new shower door and committing to a purchase could result in leaks, a shower door that isn’t suitable for the shape or layout of your bathroom, a shower door that doesn’t last as long as you expect or a shower door that doesn’t fit in with the design of the rest of the room. To avoid finding yourself in any of these situations, take note of the following advice when looking for shower doors.

Always Measure Carefully

This might sound like the most obvious thing in the world, but you’d be squareness surprised at just how many people go to a store without accurate measurements and make a purchases based on a total guess simply because they want to avoid having to make another journey. However, if you choose a new door that it too big it won’t fit into the shower opening and you’ll have to take it back anyway, and if you have a shower door that is too small installed it will be prone to leaks. So before you do anything, take a tape measure and measure both the width and the height of the shower opening. When looking at shower doors be sure to take these measurements along.

Type of Door

The type of door you select will largely be dictated by the amount of space you have in your bathroom and it’s layout. When conducting your initial research most of the shower doors you come across will fall into one of the following categories: Pivot shower doors, Sliding shower doors, Round shower doors and Neo-Angle shower doors.

• Pivot – Pivot doors swing open and can be installed with one or two panels, depending on how big the opening to your shower is. They are a good option when the opening isn’t big enough to accommodate a sliding door and you have enough available floor space in your bathroom so that it can swing open unobstructed.
• Sliding – While this option requires the opening to your shower to be of a sufficient size, it does help to save space in cramped bathrooms, since it doesn’t swing outwards into the room; it slides parallel to the shower’s opening.
• Round – If you have a corner shower this is often the most obvious choice, opening inwards to maximise the space you have available, and it’s often possible to reverse the door and make your shower accessible from either the right or left.
• Neo-Angle – Often installed in the corners of the room, the door on a neo-angle enclosure swings outwards and is more commonly used in conjunction with stand alone showers.

Framed Vs Frameless

After selecting a type, you need to think about whether you would like the door to be framed or frameless. A framed door, as the name rather suggests, will have a frame made from either aluminum or a composite material that runs around the outside edges of the glass panel. The frame allows the glass to be thinner, which brings down the overall cost. Frameless shower doors were introduced in the early 90’s and have rapidly grown in popularity, as the absence of the frame often makes for a much more attractive shower area. On the downside, they do cost considerably more initially since the glass used in their construction has to be much thicker.

Select a Finish

Now you have decided on how your new shower door will function, it’s time to make a decision with regards to how it will look. If you have opted to go with a more traditional framed shower door, you need to select the material that will be used to construct the frame. It’s usually a choice between either a composite material or aluminum, but there are usually numerous finishes available, including bronze, nickel, chrome or brass. This is something that needs to be carefully selected as the wrong choice could make your shower door stand out for all the wrong reasons. You will also have to decide on a finish for the glass. Clear, frosted, opaque and patterned are among the most popular options.

Whether you’re looking for shower doors, shower enclosures or mirror sliding doors, if you want to work with a company that has almost two decades of experience in delivering high quality products and services to clients throughout Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton, Keystone Home Products Ltd is the company to call.

Contact Keystone to arrange a free consultation today on your shower doors.

If you are currently in the process of either selecting a new closet for one of the rooms in your home or simply want to change the appearance of the room by replacing the closet door, there are several different styles of door that you could opt for. As with anything, each option comes with its own unique set of pros and cons and the best option will largely depend on the layout of the room where the closet will be installed and how much space you have available. Popular types of closet doors include swinging doors, bi-fold doors and sliding doors, and in smaller properties it has become increasingly popular to accessorize the closet door in order to save even more space, with sliding mirror doors being one such example of this. Keystone Home Products Ltd has been supplying a variety of high quality home products in Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton since 1994 and strives to improve the aesthetics of your home while adding functionality. During this article we are going to outline some of the reasons why sliding mirror doors have become extremely popular over the course of the last few years.

The Benefits Offered by Sliding Mirror Doors

Whether you live in a small studio apartment in the centre of Toronto or a large detached home in Brampton, sliding mirror doors can be a useful addition to your home, offering a range of practical benefits in addition to making a stylistic statement. Specific benefits of sliding mirror doors include:

• Save Space – As already mentioned this type of door can help you to maximise the amount of space you have in your home. How does it do this? Rather than swinging out into the room like a traditional swinging (or pivot door as they are otherwise known) door or a bi-fold door, sliding mirror doors slide parallel to the front side of the closet in order to open. This is ideal for areas that are particularly cramped as it can be difficult to leave enough free space in the room to ensure a swinging door can open unobstructed.
• 2-in-1 – There is a growing trend in the design of closet doors that involves adding accessories in order to increase functionality and save additional space in the room, and this is certainly true in this particular instance as the door is combined with a mirror. This helps to save wall space as an additional mirror somewhere else in the room is no longer required and often the reflective surface on sliding mirror doors is much bigger than a standalone mirror. In addition to this practical benefit, sliding mirror doors can help to give the impression that a small room is bigger than it really is.
• Aesthetic Appeal – Sliding mirror doors can be constructed from a range of different materials to help achieve a variety of aesthetically appealing styles. If you are interested in creating a modern look and feel in your room then the use of aluminum in combination with the mirror results in a striking end product that features clean, simple lines, which is the hallmark of the modern style. However, if you are looking to style your room in a more traditional manner but are attracted by the space saving characteristics of sliding mirror doors, you could have one constructed from any one of a number of woods.

Considerations When Buying Sliding Mirror Doors

While there are several benefits to purchasing this type of door for your closet, that doesn’t mean to say you should rush in and make a purchase without planning properly first. A few of the main considerations include:

• Full System? – Sliding doors are typically mounted on some sort of track system and if your current door is of the sliding variety it may be possible to simply swap the door and retain the existing track system. This obviously won’t be an option if you currently have a swing or bi-fold door and you will need a full system (including track), which will cost more.
• Size? – Before contacting suppliers of sliding mirror doors be sure to take exact measurements of the opening; the last thing you would want to do is buy a door that is too big or too small and have to return it. The doors come with an inch or two of horizontal overlap in the middle. Keystone Home Products Ltd offers sliding mirror doors of all sizes, custom building the door to your exact specifications.
• Material? – As we mentioned earlier, the material you choose will play a key role in determining the overall style of the closet and some of the most popular options include wood, aluminum and steel.

If you have decided that the benefits offered by sliding mirror doors match up well to the conditions in your home and would like to speak to a reputable supplier about your specific requirements, contact Keystone Home Products Ltd.

Contact keystone for your Sliding Mirror Doors questions

Whether you are a private homeowner looking for a creative way to hide clutter, or a business owner with limited space trying to enhance a sense of privacy, one of the best ways to achieve either objective is with Raumplus doors installed by the professionals at Keystone Home Products Ltd. At Keystone Home Products, we design and install a wide range of aluminum and mirror sliding doors for residential and business customers throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Famous for their designs and high quality manufacturing techniques, it was only logical that Raumplus decided to partner with the top aluminum and mirrored sliding door company in Ontario. With more than a decade of design and installation experience, Keystone Home Products Ltd. is the most trusted name when it comes to a wide range of residential and commercial door and mirror products.

Besides marketing and installing Raumplus doors, our lineup of products and services includes various glass and mirror works, mirror doors & walls, panel doors, aluminum dividers, glass shower doors & enclosures, wood shelving, and custom closet organizers.

Glass & Mirror Applications

Our designers can customize glass and mirror products for different applications in home or business environments, including:

• Vanity mirrors
• Backsplash mirrors
• Glass shelves

Mirror Doors & Walls

If you want to make a room look bigger and utilize existing light, one of the best ways to do that is with Raumplus doors with mirrors or mirrored walls. In either case, an effective room layout will appear larger with cleverly designed doors and wall coverings.

Panel Doors

As an alternative to traditional swing-open or bi-fold doors, many homeowners are turning to sliding panel doors. Simple to install, panel doors are designed to sit on and slide along tracks on the floor and at the top of the door, freeing up space and adding a touch of style to any room.

The Keystone Difference

One of the reasons that Keystone Home Products Ltd. was chosen as a retailer for Raumplus doors is because of our dedication to quality work, value, and outstanding customer service. Anyone can sell a door or mirror product, but we elevate that experience to the next level through our desire to truly understand a client’s needs, and help them achieve their objectives on time and within budget. It is only through a collaborative relationship with our customers that we have been able to grow our business.

Our Services

Keystone follows a multi-step approach with every customer that includes:

• An initial onsite consultation at your home or place of business.
• Evaluating your current situation.
• Helping customers assess their goals.
• Discussing a range of products like Raumplus doors and how they can help achieve those goals.
• Expert design services.
• Supervisors on site as installation takes place.
• Follow-up visit after the installation to evaluate customer satisfaction.
• Ongoing support and maintenance as necessary.

For more information about Raumlus Doors call us today at 905-790-0997

Enclosed in the moisture and warmth of your bathroom, glass shower doors are the perfect spawning ground for mildew, mold, and disgusting soap scum that could make anyone’s stomach turn. They can be very difficult to clean, but without them your bathroom and most of what’s in it would be a soaked mess every time you showered. At Keystone Home Products, we design and install a wide range of shower doors for residential and commercial customers throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

There are several different kinds of glass shower doors that consumers can choose from, the most common and widely available being pivot, bi-fold, frameless, sliding, and curved. Each one is suitable for different layouts.

• Pivot style glass shower doors are made to swing out into the bathroom and are ideal for recessed showers because they provide a wide opening. The biggest drawback, however, is the amount of room needed to ensure they can swing open freely. Any objects that block the opening increase the risk of the glass breaking on contact.
• Some glass shower doors have two panels that are hinged in the middle and are known as bi-fold. This is a common design for small closet spaces, too. Whereas pivot style doors fold out of the shower, these fold in and are the door of choice for bathrooms where space is limited. The biggest problem with this kind of door is it rides on a track along the bottom, and the constant swinging motion sometimes causes the door to bind and stick.
• If you have a modern bathroom with contemporary décor and fixtures, a popular option in glass shower doors are frameless doors. They, too, swing out from the shower and are often made from a single pane of glass. And remember, there needs to be enough space for the door to open freely without being blocked.
• The most common type of glass shower doors are sliding doors, which glide along a track situated on the top of the bathtub or shower step. They are also normally attached to a frame bolted into the bathroom wall at the front and rear of the tub or shower.  The main attraction with these kinds of doors is they don’t require swing space inside or outside the shower. On the downside: They often let water out, and the panels are difficult to clean.
• The final type of glass shower doors are curved shower doors, which are typically included if a shower has been installed in a corner. These doors are reversible and can open from the right or left. They are noted for a curved door attached to a frame at the top and bottom, and create more space in the shower than other corner enclosures.

When it comes to cleaning glass shower doors, you can whip up your own cleaner using: white vinegar, water, sponges or soft cloths, and a bucket. To clean the doors follow these steps:

1. Make sure the bathroom is well ventilated, either with an open window or by using a fan of some sort to draw out the fumes.
2. Wear protective goggles and gloves before mixing the cleaning ingredients together.
3. Mix one part water with one part vinegar in a bucket.
4. Moisten the sponge or cloth in the mixture, and rub it over the surface of the door to remove hard water stains or soap scum. For tough spots, use more vinegar.

Finally, clean the doors with fresh, clean water, then use a squeegee to remove excess water. If necessary, repeat the steps outlined above.