Appliance Finder
In an earlier post, we shared some of our best kitchen hacks for busy families. This time around, we are heading out of the kitchen with great ideas to help you get more enjoyment out of your home and make the most of your downtime.
Ready, set, let’s hack!
four (more) ways to hack your home
Hack Your Bed
If you like to spend time in bed reading, surfing the web on your smartphone or tablet, watching TV, or working on your laptop, you know that it can be hard to get comfortable. No matter how many pillows you use to prop yourself up, it’s difficult to find a position that works for more than just a short time. The good news is there’s a hack for that.
Adjustable bed bases—or lifestyle bases—make everyday tasks like reading and watching TV in bed so much more comfortable. With just the touch of a button, you can raise the head and foot of the bed to find just the right angle for whatever you’re doing. Then, when it’s time to sleep, you can easily create a personalized environment for all-night comfort by lowering the mattress to a flat position or leaving it slightly elevated to help with conditions like snoring or acid reflux. Plus, some models, like the Sealy Reflexion® Arc even come with a built-in massage feature for the ultimate in after-work relaxation.
Designed to bring you ultra-customized comfort, the Reflexion® Arc features some of Sealy’s most advanced technologies, like IdealArc,™ which allows you to optimize the shape of your mattress for next-level comfort and pressure relief. With virtually unlimited head and foot lift positions, you can find the perfect positions for reading, watching TV, or just relaxing at the end of a long day with the help of the two-zone massage feature.
This luxury base also includes a wireless remote to control all its functions, USB and USB-C ports to keep your electronics charged, and underbed lighting for added visibility in the dark. Just add a mattress to complete your relaxation station!
Hack Your Bedroom Storage
If storage in the bedroom is a problem, storage beds are a great hack for reclaiming unused space and turning it into something useful.
One of our favourites, the upholstered William king storage bed (above), has a large drawer in its base that can hold out-of-season clothing, bulky sweaters, or extra blankets and linens. For easy access, the drawer smoothly glides on sturdy rails from the end of the bed—no need to awkwardly lift the entire mattress like some storage beds.
The two, dresser-style drawers at the foot of the Nadell storage bed are the ideal size for stashing smaller items, like purses and scarves, or for organizing sportswear and nightwear. This bed also makes a great choice for a spare room, providing just enough drawer space for overnight guests.
With a total of six (six!) drawers in its base and headboard, the Caitbrook storage bed eliminates the need for a separate dresser, making it the perfect solution for the space-challenged. An additional two drawers in the cubby-style headboard gives you a great place to store and access electronics, reading glasses, and other important items.
Taking another approach to hidden storage, the charming, whitewashed Kanwyn storage bed has a bench-footboard that provides handy seating and helps you keep clutter out of sight. Store extra blankets, accessories, or even running shoes in the handy storage bench.
Hack Your Dining Room
Extendable dining tables are a great way to maximize the space you have and leave your options open to effortlessly accommodate dinner guests when you need to. (Bringing the old card table in from the garage does not count as “effortless.”) They’re also a good choice if you enjoy putting together large puzzles or hosting regular family game nights. We know from experience there’s nothing worse than running out of room on the tabletop or leaving your hand open to prying eyes.
You might remember your parents or grandparents extending their wood dining tables with separate leaves that were stashed away in a closet between occasions. They were on to something! Drop-in leaf tables are as popular as ever and come in a range of style to suit every taste, like the trendy Rokane table above.
Another style of extendable table is the butterfly leaf, which uses self-storing leaves and a clever mechanism to expand in size. (It looks just like a butterfly when it’s being expanded.) The Extension trestle table above has smooth-gliding butterfly leaves that quickly tuck away for a clean, clutter-free look. This table is 78-inches long in the closed position but opens up to 132-inches—long enough to seat up to 12 people!
Another extendable option, this time with a contemporary twist, the Emma table has two extensions hidden in plain sight beneath its tempered glass top. You can extend one or both to create just the right amount of extra table space for guests or games.
And, speaking of extendable dining furniture, we couldn’t leave the dining room without mentioning this handy server. With plenty of storage underneath for serving pieces, dishes, and extra glassware, the Extension server has a flip-top that, when opened, doubles the amount of serving and display area. Brilliant!
Hack Your Wardrobe
If you love having a crisp, pulled together look, but can’t keep up with the time and effort it takes to keep your clothes looking freshly pressed all the time, this next hack is for you.
The LG Styler Steam Clothing Care System is unlike any laundry appliance you own. It can refresh, sanitize, dry, and even press your garments at the touch of a button—even hard to clean items like suits, coats, and knits—using just plain water.
With the Styler, you’ll spend less time and money taking care of your wardrobe because it extends the time between washings, minimizes trips to the drycleaner, prevents damage on delicate fabrics, and virtually eliminates the need for hand pressing and ironing.
Here's how it works:
Shirts, jackets, skirts and dresses: Using deep-penetrating steam and gently-shaking hangers, the Styler coaxes creases out of woven fabrics and knitwear, leaving you with wrinkle-free, odour-free garments.
Delicates and sweaters: The Styler can be used for low temperature drying of your delicates and knits. As items safely rest on ventilated racks, warm air gently draws out moisture. Even wool and alpaca can be dried in the Styler without fear of shrinking or distorting the shape of the garment.
Pants: A built-in pants press in the door of the Styler presses out wrinkles and creates a sharp crease in your dress pants and chinos without danger of creating shiny “iron spots” or burns.
Non-clothing items: Safely and effectively refresh and sanitize blankets, pillows, accessories, and stuffed toys in the Styler. The Styler uses LG’s True Steam™ technology to maintain an optimal temperature for sanitizing and can remove up to 99.9% of bacteria, as well as dust mites, allergens, and fine dust.
The slim, self-contained Styler doesn’t require any plumbing or venting, so it can be placed in your clothes closet or dressing area for personal use, or in a hall closet or laundry area for the whole family to access. (Hint: Use it for smelly sportswear, hats, and gym equipment!)