Whether you have a spacious and expansive wraparound porch or a cozy stoop to welcome you inside, the front porch is the perfect place to establish a mood that flows throughout the home. Today I’ve rounded up a unique collection of front porch decorating ideas that celebrate the beauty of Spring with bright colors and endless charm.

Springtime is all about freshness and a world ablaze with color. This bright DIY welcome mat filters out both the dirt and the troubles of your day.

I’m a big fan of coming up with Etsy.)

Unique ways to display a bounty of your Spring flowers abound in these fresh front porch planter ideas that are anything but predictable.

via submersible LED tape lights to your water feature.

As you welcome your friends and family into your home this year, there are many ways to welcome Spring too. Small touches and pops of color are simple ways to turn your front porch into a bright and cheerful space to invite guests into the home.

While power outages aren’t a common occurrence in and around Sydney, there are times when you have to deal with an electricity outage due to inclement or stormy weather. Our modern day living is highly dependent on electricity and without it; our lives can literally come to a standstill. This is why it becomes important to check back and ensure that we have some proper power and outage solutions in place.

While most electrical outages don’t last for over a few hours, it’s best to be prepared for the situation. We have listed a few tips that will help you prepare for a power failure or a power outage:

There is no point in running around in frenzy when there is a power outage; and it is important that you create a plan in advance for this type of a situation. It doesn’t have to be a very complex one, but should include some basic things such as being able to locate where the candles and emergency lights are kept, so you can access them easily. You should also know where the emergency kit and the additional supplies are kept. .

It is very important that you have an emergency kit that can be used in case of power failures and power outages. You have the option to purchase a ready kit from the market or put together one yourself, with all the essentials such as:

These are just the basic things your kit needs to contain. The items and quantity of the items would be dependent on the number of people in your household.

Whenever any power outage or failure occurs, it is a good idea to check the utility service provider website. The companies generally post updates on the scale, probable duration and size of the outage. If you find that the problem isn’t at the utility company’s end, you should check with your neighbours to know whether they too are facing the same problem.

This will give you a clearer picture about whether the power problem is exclusive to your home or your entire neighbourhood has been affected by it. It’s important that you keep the freezer and refrigerator doors shut till the power problem is fixed.

Getting a standby generator installed on your property is one of the best ways of dealing with a power failure or outage. You would be able to use the generator to power the basic appliances in your home and maintain the indoor temperature on your property at comfortable levels. Speak with your local electrician about getting a good capacity generator installed.

Employees that spend their time indoors for a large portion of the day, may get a little cabin fever. The walls can feel like they are closing in and it just feels stuffy. Humans that long for bright sunlight will suffer when they are cooped up all day. While it doesn’t make sense to have the workplace outside and a wall of windows isn’t always an option, you can give the appearance of a bright and cheery space with the installation of new lighting. If you are looking for an office lighting solution, give your Santa Monica electrician a call. The team at The Electric Connection can help you come up with a lighting scheme that can eliminate the employee doldrums.

The boring, yellow fluorescent tubes that are commonplace in office spaces are out. They are yesterday’s news. It is time to get with the times. There is a fine balance between being bright and airy and being overly bright to the point it causes glares on computer screens. Different areas in the office will have different lighting needs, which your electrician in Santa Monica can help you accommodate.

Not only do you need to consider the type of lighting you will use, but you also want to take a good look at the fixtures. Recessed lights are a great way to help keep halls and other small areas from appearing cramped. A fixture hanging into the space makes it look smaller. You are not limited to the standard light fixtures that have been installed in offices for decades. Change it up with the help of your electrician. Santa Monica business managers will appreciate how much change a lighting upgrade can bring to an office space. Give The Electric Connection a call today and see what they can do for you.