In areas with high moisture like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms, mold and mildew are common issues. If left unaddressed, these small patches can rapidly spread out of control, damaging both your home and your own health. Pay attention to the following warning signs and act quickly to keep these problems under control:

• Musty smells: Your nose knows best, and a musty odor is often the first sign of a mold or mildew problem. You may notice this scent in your basement, attic, or crawl space, as well as any rooms where moisture is common.
• Water leaks: Damp spots on walls or ceilings can be signs of water leaks that, if left unaddressed, can become breeding grounds for mold and mildew.
• Discoloration: Any unplanned changes in color to your walls or ceiling paint jobs should be cause for concern, as it is often a sign of mold and mildew taking hold in that spot.
• Dark stains: An early sign of mold and mildew, keep your eyes peeled for dark spots in your bathroom, especially on tiling.
• Mold-related health issues: Sudden wheezing, coughing, itching or watery eyes, and unexplained rashes can be signs of mold nearby. Pay attention to your own health and take action as necessary.
• Dampness: A damp basement can predispose your home to mold and mildew, which is a particular concern for homes that have experienced flooding in the past. Take steps to check for contamination before things spread out of control.
• Standing water: Like general dampness in the home, the presence of standing water can predispose the property to mold and mildew. Research ways to improve drainage and check for puddles after heavy rain.

Like many issues, the sooner mold and mildew is addressed, the easier it will be to fix. If you suspect things are already beyond your control, call a mold remediation expert to find out what your next steps should be.

In many ways, kitchens are the center of the home. If your Seattle home could use some updates, consider these upgrades that will make it more efficient as a workspace while also giving it a beautiful new look.

• Faucet: When it comes to one of the most-used pieces of the kitchen, it’s important to not settle for basic. Try a faucet with added conveniences like a pullout sprayer, or hands-free on/off functionality. As far as finishes, you’ll have a variety of options like bronze, chrome, or stainless steel to suit your personal aesthetic.
• Pot filler: If you’re keen on cooking for groups, nothing beats having a pot-filler faucet right over your range. Consider a finish that matches your sink faucet, or mix-and-match for a bold statement (this is especially trendy right now!).
• Handles and knobs: Swapping the hardware on your cabinetry will instantly give your kitchen a new look with little effort. This is another place where you can consider matching finish or go for that variety look.
• Pendant lighting: Depending on the size of your kitchen, just a couple of these will give your space a chic, modern look. Consider slender pendants for small kitchens or substantial focal points for larger spaces.
• Under-cabinet lighting: Highlight your countertops and give yourself some more visibility with under-cabinet lights. The soft glow these provide will make your kitchen feel warmer while making reading labels and recipes a bit easier on the eyes.
• Utensil rack: Having your most-used tools within reach will make cooking substantially faster, so install a utensil rack under a cabinet or above your range to cut down on drawer-sifting.
• Pot rack: Not only will hanging your pots free up precious cabinet space, it’s also pleasing on the eyes. Like utensil racks, having all your pots and pans visible will cut down on the time it would normally take to hunt down the right container.

The Danish hygge tradition celebrates a break from life’s manny stresses and instead focuses on all things calm and cozy. Borrow a few of these hygge-approved tips and incorporate them into your own interior decorating:

• Neutral colors: Hygge-style decorating begins with simplicity, so stick to subdued colors for your walls, flooring, and furniture to help your mind relax
• Storage baskets: The natural look of a woven basket is ideal for bringing a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere to your home. Small baskets can be used to keep remotes and coasters wrangled in, while large ones can hold blankets, board games, and more.
• Blanket piles: The more blankets you have on hand (neutral, of course), the more snuggly your room will feel. Consider copious throws at the end of the sofa or draped over chair backs.
• Natural materials: Wood, stone, and rustic metals are common choices for accenting a space and keeping it free from the stresses of modern life.
• String lights: The soft white glow of string lighting will help create a peaceful, relaxing environment, especially as the sun goes down.
• Candles: Even when they aren’t lit, candles bring a sense of warmth to a room. Lighting a few scented candles can also set the desired relaxing mood.
• Focus on texture: Hygge isn’t just about things looking cozy, but feeling that way as well. Fabrics like velvet, herringbone, and wool can add complexity to your decor while still promoting a relaxing atmosphere.
• Fire: If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, make it the focus of your living area. The warmth and gentle light it provides will create an immensely cozy space. If you don’t have a fireplace, consider an alternative like a wood stove or electric faux version

With the biggest decisions of any home design coming in the form of furnishings, flooring, and color schemes, wall decorations are often an afterthought. This is unfortunate, because there are plenty of smart and cheap ways to create wall decor that completely transforms the feel of a room. Here are just a few D.I.Y.  ideas to get you started:

• Install your own art gallery by printing your favorite photos from your smartphone and grouping them together. Use inexpensive, varied frames to give your new showroom a creative burst of character
• Give life to old maps by framing and arranging them. This will not only speak to your inner cartographer but may serve as inspiration for your next getaway
• Hang hats, baskets, and more for three-dimensional accents that look great behind headboards, in stairwells, or at the foyer
• Antique dishes or those with seasonal colors can serve as fun decor in kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms
• Create a large print of your favorite photo and divide it into independently-framed sections. Suddenly, what was once a massive empty wall is now a striking attention-getter

Don’t worry if you aren’t confident with your own artistic abilities. Another simple way to fill unwanted blank space is to hang existing works of art that speak to you personally. The goal here isn’t to impress guests with the size of your wallet, but to hang something that warms your heart and fits with the style of your rooms. Paintings can be hung individually, or grouped into a custom art gallery just like photos. Remember: paintings should always be hung at the eye level of someone around 5 feet 7 inches, so the average guest won’t have to crane their neck to appreciate your choices.

If you’re too preoccupied with how to wring some extra storage space from your home to worry about wall decorations, remember that shelving can be decorative as well as practical. The right shelving will give a space meaning, and they can be tastefully adorned with books, framed photos, and souvenirs from your travels. Just be sure to not overstuff them, or your clever storage/decor combo will turn into a cluttered, uninviting mess.

And, if none of these choices seem right to you, feel free to think outside the box. Creative free-thinkers may want to spruce up a blank wall with an eye-catching floor lamp, hanging tapestry, or a wooden ladder that suggests an intentional work in progress. No matter what your taste is, empty walls should be seen not as an intimidating challenge, but as an invitation for expression.

Whether you’re starting a significant kitchen remodel in your Seattle home or just giving your current kitchen an update, LED downlights can pack a serious punch to take your kitchen to the next level. Here are some ideas to help illuminate your kitchen that can work for a variety of kitchen upgrades.

• Under-Cabinet Lighting: Seattle residents are foodies and it’s much more enjoyable to prepare food in a well-lit work area than enduring poor lighting. Fitting LEDs to the underside of cabinets is a great way to illuminate work surfaces and provide a more localized light than just using the overhead lighting. LEDs compliment ceiling lights, providing interesting areas of light and shadow throughout the room.
• Interior Cupboard Lighting: Enhance glass cabinets with better lighting. Placing LED lights inside glass-fronted cupboards highlights the cupboard’s contents and is great for showing off crystal, glasses, or decorations. It also softens the ambience of the light as it’s reflected off the cupboard contents, adding a warm, atmospheric glow to the area.
• Mixing and Matching: Not every light in the kitchen suddenly needs to be LED downlights. Creatively mixing traditional lighting with LED downlights allows for a lot of flexibility. Take, for example, a dining kitchen. Use the main ceiling and spotlights for bright lighting, then use softly-lit alcove lighting and the light directly above the table to create a more relaxed, intimate atmosphere for dining.
• Pendant Lights: Although LED downlights are mostly fitted flush with the surfaces they’re mounted to, there are other mountings available. Pendant light fixtures provide an unusual but impactful change to specific areas of your kitchen. Try hanging an LED pendant fixture over the kitchen table to improve lighting and add some perceived height to your decor.