Asheville furniture comes in many shapes and sizes, and several levels when it comes to quality furnishings. Divine Living Furniture in south Asheville is a hidden gem when it comes to interior design and home decor, whether you are in a new home or simply redoing an existing one. When we first walked in the door not too long ago, we immediately noticed a difference, we knew right away that this was not just another furniture store. The pieces were beautiful and they seemed carefully selected. While talking to Phyllis, the owner, she explained that she represents a few key top lines when it comes to furniture, such as Norwalk, Kincaid, John Thomas and more. She told us that if we were looking for furniture just to get by, this was not the place. “These pieces will be a part of your family for many years, so we customize them to fit your home, lifestyle, and you.” That is what I wanted to hear. Glad we found this place and we are planning on using this store to supply all of the furniture for our new home. Watch the video above and learn more about Divine Living Furniture.
Asheville North Carolina: Home Safe Home
There was once a day in Asheville, not too long ago, when folks felt pretty comfortable leaving their doors unlocked, their windows open to get some fresh air, and all were welcome. Those days are quickly becoming a thing of the past. As the times progress and communities continue to grow, along comes more sticky fingers and crime. I remember years ago in Weaverville, our family was missing some lawn ornaments from the yard. Then a few weeks later we couldn’t find the weedeater. Then tools started disappearing from the shed. It was not too long after, that a neighbor who had become addicted to drugs, was busted for burglarizing half the neighborhood.
Crime affects all of our lives. We pay extra money for items in the store because they inflate prices to make up for the loss companies know will come from theft, whether by employees or by shoplifting. So when it comes to crime, we all pay as a community. With the holiday season coming up, Santa may not be the only one trying to get down your chimney, and into your home or business. Anyone can be a victim. Nobody is immune to this. But there are several ways for you to deter crime and make sure you are not the easiest target in our community.
We got a chance to talk with Justin over at American Eagle Locksmith and he hears stories of homes broken into and broken hearts all the time. People come in to buy a safe, talking about how now they have nothing left… no family heirlooms, their antique jewelry stolen, gun collection gone, and money they were stashing at home taken. New home owners tell him how they should have re-keyed their house, and if only they knew how many people actually had copies of the keys when they purchased their home. Sadness as they say… I wish I would have gotten a safe to protect my family photos and irreplaceable items before they all went up in smoke when my house burnt down to the ground. It is an invasion of your life, your family, and your world; which deserves to be secure.
Imagine going home today, even right now, and everything you have has vanished. No furniture, no clothes, and no valuables left. A huge part of your life and living would be gone forever. Home sweet home is no more.
Did You Know:
Two million home burglaries are reported each year in the USA. 30 percent of all burglaries are through an open or unlocked window or door. 66 percent are residential home crimes.
Homes without a security system are up to 300% more likely to be broken into. Only 17% of the homes in U.S. have a security system installed.
Every 13 seconds a home intrusion is committed.
One out of three residential assaults are during a burglary.
Police solve only 13% of all reported burglaries because of no witnesses or physical evidence.
Home break-ins mostly occur in the daytime when people are at school or work.
Most common method of forced entry is simply to kick in the door.
Leaving a window open that is visible from the street is a good reason to target your house.
Leaving a window open with only a locked window screen is inviting to thieves.
What can you do to prevent becoming a victim?
Home security statistics tell us that burglars will usually bypass a house if it requires too much effort or more skills or tools than they possess.
- A solid core or metal door at entrance points.
- Install a heavy-duty deadbolt with a one inch throw bolt.
- Buy a quality knob-in-lock set with dead latch mechanism.
- Install a heavy duty strike plate with 3 inch screws into the frame.
- Change your view to a wide angle peephole.
- Moving into a new house or apartment? Change all of the door locks.
American Eagle Locksmith is located in the Asheville area and offers several cautionary measures to help your home security:
- Change Locks – they have many types of locks including high security keyways.
- Safes – a wide of safes that can be secured to your home with their installation service, featuring a steel and concrete combination that is too heavy to move, multi-hour fire resistant, and water resistant.
- Digital Viewer – burglars usually ring your doorbell either days before or on the same day of the burglary. This device takes a photo of them and saves it.
- Complimentary Full Home Evaluation: Justin and his team of experts are ready to take a big bite out of crime with you. They can come by your home, evaluate the premises, and give you a list of recommendations on everything you may need to keep your home safe & secure. This includes a home security plan, window inspection, door and entry point inspection including garages, skylights, and breezeways.
We definitely want to give a big thanks to all of the law enforcement who deter and fight crime, plus solve cases daily. But lets keep our eyes open and work together even more to help make our homes secure, and our communities safer; especially here in the mountains of Asheville and Western North Carolina.
10 Cold Weather Tips For Your Asheville Home
As the Fall season moves into Asheville and Western North Carolina, there several things you should pay attention to when it comes to staying warm and safe. Mountain Air Mechanical put this list together for us:
- Check Smoke Detectors – make sure you change the batteries, and that they are in workable condition.
- Disconnect hose from bibs, and if possible, wrap it with insulation and insulated tape.
- Get your HVAC (heating & air) system maintained and tuned-up. There are several areas to cover with this:
- check gas pressure
- check for co2 leaks
- check refrigerant levels
- change filters
- Eliminate Air Flow Into Your Home – sealing windows, doors, and basements.
- Adding humidity to your home so you can protect it from hardwood floor shrinking, health risks, allergies, and static electricity.
- Have salt and other protective items to keep you steps and driveways from freezing over.
- If you have ceiling fans, they are great to push heat back down away from the ceiling and to living level.
- Make sure the outdoor HVAC is clean, free of leaves, branches and dirt; so it functions properly and does not get damaged.
- Make sure you actually have Oil or Propane in your heating system before making a service call. Many times people call when all they needed was a refill.
- Get your heating system is great working order before the Winter rush hits. Preventive maintenance is always better than emergency maintenance. Do not wait until everyone is calling for help.
Why Your Asheville Mattress Is So Important
When people think about a mattress, sometimes only sleep comes to mind. In actuality, a mattress is a huge part of your life. Think about it. You spend about one-third of your life on your mattress; or one-quarter if you get as little sleep as I do. Nonetheless, it is very important.
I never thought much about a mattress. It was simply a place to sleep and I did not have an ultra comfortable experience to compare it to. Until one day. I decided to take a leap of faith and purchase a mattress that cost me over a thousand dollars. It was not but a few days and I realized what I had been missing. When it came to where I lay my head, and my tired body… “you get what you pay for” had a whole new meaning to me. Did you know that the right mattress could help you physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and even… sexually? How many of you have woke up hurting, with a bad attitude, feeling like you were missing something, and unbalanced after you planned on a good night’s sleep? A bad mattress can do that to you. If you do not believe me, try it for yourself. Get a high quality mattress for a month and then try going back to your springboard or foam pad. Impossible! You will never be completely satisfied with the lesser again.
Now there are plenty of things you can use a mattress for. Sleep is first. All of us have been there where we just want to hit that mattress and get some rest. It could also be a place to escape a noisy or active home. Then there have been plenty of times my mattress has come in handy to get some work done. A nice comfortable spot where I can pull out my laptop or tablet and finish off a project, or catch up on emails. I have woke up, reached over grabbed my laptop, and worked for hours upon hours on many occasions. The right mattress is also a great place to meditate. Unless you have a “quiet room” in your home, the bedroom and a good mattress on your bed is the best choice for peace and solitude. A mattress could also be a great place to play. Although I have caught myself singing “no more monkeys jumpin on the bed” many times to my little ones; this is the original indoor trampoline to us old timers. As long as you have high ceilings, jumping on the bed as an adult can be an really effective form of self therapy. Go ahead and try it!
And last but not least… have you ever made love on a mattress that sucks? It is a terrible experience. I find myself thinking… “what might have been” if I had a real mattress. Yes, there is a time to use the floor, the couch, the shower, and maybe even the dining room table; but having a wonderful “home sweet home” mattress in your bedroom can definitely contribute to making the magic happen.
When I walked into ReBed of Asheville, I could not believe my eyes; or the mattress prices. I saw mattresses that would put my expensive mattress to shame, and at a fraction of the cost. I asked Josh what they specialized in and he said that Factory Seconds were his main seller. Being a second may mean that it was a floor model in the store, or that it has a mark on it, or maybe it was simply an overstock item that they decided to move on and out. You can sort of think of this place as the TJ Maxx for mattresses.
I also found out that they offer Sanitary Resold mattresses which means they have taken a used mattress and re-sanitized it for resale. As a matter of fact, they are the only place that is State Licensed by the Department of Agriculture this side of Charlotte. With ReBed’s recycling efforts, they have kept over 5000 mattresses out of the landfill last year, and even more this year. That is an amazing work for the environment. Either way, if you are in the market for a mattress, or just realized that you should be; you need to start your search at ReBed and see the great selection they have!
12 Helpful Tips To Clean Your Asheville Home
Cleaning house is a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. Asheville maid services are available by the droves. Some are better than others. Just because you have nothing better to do, and you think you know how to clean; that does not make you a professional home cleaning company. Cleaning a house correctly takes education, management, discipline, and a strong desire to do it right. We put this list together so you can clean your Asheville home all by yourself, that is… if you really want to.
1. Try to find a “Green” Cleaning solution to use. Many supplies are toxic and harmful. When you think about it, you have “poison” all around your house. Today we have plenty of options, especially in Asheville, that will not put your children, pets or yourself in danger.
2. Allow some open air in your home if possible while cleaning. Whether it is a window or door, it could naturally filtrate lots of dust and dirt.
3. Remove clutter. Before your start to clean, make sure things like magazines, groceries, clothes, and other miscellaneous items are put away. You want to be as comprehensive as possible to attain a better clean.
4. Cover any exposed dishes or utensils to prevent dirt and dust from settling on. You could be literally “eating dirt” if not.
5. Remove curtains at least once every 3 months and wash them. Lots of dirt, germs and bacteria can live in fabrics.
6. Think of that room of yours as 3 levels… ceiling, living and floor. Start at the top and work your way down. Dust settles. Clean the light fixtures, ceiling fans, curtain rods, window trim & the tops of high furniture, including higher cabinetry first. Also dust upper corners such as where your walls and ceilings meet.
7. Move furniture. This is like playing “hide and go seek” sometimes. Behind that couch, entertainment center and bookshelf is a wealth of dirt and grime. Clean it up!
8. Dust and clean any paintings or picture framing, tables, chairs furniture, counters and cabinets next. Even with chairs, make sure you clean the most susceptible part of them which is the legs.
9. Your floor is most likely the dirtiest part of your home or business. Carpet is a dirt trap and needs deep cleaning regularly. Wood, tile, composite and linoleum flooring should be thoroughly mopped with a clean mop, and also replacing the water and cleaning solution approximately every 500 square feet cleaned, or as dirt overtakes the clean water you are mopping with.
10. Taking your shoes off before you enter your home, or as soon as you do, will keep your house and floor much cleaner. Make a practice out of it if you must, especially in these Asheville mountains with all of the dirt and gravel roads. Take a moment to think about all of the dirt, germs and bacteria your shoes attract. It is simply disgusting, especially on carpet, when it comes down to it. The same dirt that you trample over on the streets, you are bringing into your home every time you wear your shoes inside.
11. Never over-saturate your carpet, especially in a basement. Water can get stuck in areas, rot woodwork, create mold and mildew and smother dirt down even deeper. If you use any type of water or liquid, make sure you vacuum it up as quickly as possible.
12. Cleaning the exterior of your home brings it full circle. The outside should reflect what’s on the inside. Pressure washing, deck and porch maintenance, and window cleaning at least once every 3 months. Also keep an eye of your roof. Keep it clean and free from leaves, branches and other items that may jeopardize it’s longevity.
And if all else fails, or I don’t have time to clean, or I just don’t want to clean; I call my friends over at Pristine Clean of Asheville and they have me covered!
