Natural light opens up a space and makes it feel more expansive — maybe even more cheerful. Check out these nifty ways to enhance natural light in your Flagstaff apartment. 

Ways to Enhance Natural Light in Your Apartment

1. Utilize lighter interior paint colors

Dark paint colors almost absorb light, but lighter paint colors tend to reflect it. Remember this when you are picking paint colors for the walls or even if you are picking certain paint colors for your furnishings. 

2. Make use of reflective surfaces throughout the apartment 

Reflective surfaces help encourage natural light flow throughout an apartment no matter where that surface may be. A few examples of utilizing reflective surfaces to help with natural light would include: 

• Using a glossy paint to coat a dining table. 
• Installing a shiny piece of artwork in the bedroom.
• Implementing a slick-surfaced backsplash in the bathroom.

Glossy surfaces can be found in home decor items from large to small, and the more you have, the more light distribution you will see around the apartment. 

3. Ditch the heavy window treatments 

If you are partial to heavy shades and drapes, you are dispelling any chance of natural light getting into your apartment. Get rid of these window treatments and opt for lighter weight materials that give you privacy but still allow in light. For example, white curtain panels allow light through but still conceal the view. 

4. Use mirrors to your advantage 

If you have a mirror situated adjacent to a window, the light from that window doesn't just come into the room; it also gets reflected out further by the mirror. Therefore, strategically placing mirrors in certain points of the apartment can drastically amp up the level of natural light you have in any given place. 

Natural light is good for design, makes an apartment feel more open and inviting, and can even enhance your mood. Check out our floor plans at Butterfield to find the living quarters that will give you the most natural light. 

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How to Clear Out Clutter in Your Apartment

Get Rid of Trash First

Go around your apartment, and sort and throw out any trash that’s lying around. This includes items such as receipts, empty bottles of lotions and shampoos, and anything else you don’t need to sort through and decide whether or not to keep. This gives you a simple way to get started on clearing away clutter.

Pick a Room

Don’t plan on eliminating clutter all at once. Trying to tackle your entire home in one day can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Instead, choose one room to start with. Go through everything in the room, including every drawer and pile of clutter. Decide whether you’re going to keep each item, give it away or toss it. Put items you’re giving away in one box and items you’re tossing in another box or in a large garbage bag. When you’ve finished one room, plan on doing the same in another room the next day.

Eliminate Extras

When you’re going through the items in your home, get rid of extras. For example, you only need one of certain kitchen items, such as a potato peeler. You might be surprised to find that you have more than one of these kinds of items. Plan on giving those extras away as long as they’re in good shape, and you’ll have a much more organized home before you know it.

Our apartments in Flagstaff, AZ, offer additional storage for those items that you need to keep around. Contact us for more information on our community.

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Plants Anyone Can Grow

Peace Lily

Peace lilies have dark green, glossy leaves and elegant white blooms. They require very little natural light — in fact, their leaves burn easily when the plants are placed in direct sunlight. Research by NASA has concluded that peace lilies are one of the best indoor plants for improving indoor air quality. 

Jade

You'd have to try pretty hard to kill a jade plant. They can go long periods without water, and they don't require any special attention. Because of its upright growth habit, jade is a great choice for planting in decorative pots. 

Snake Plant

Snake plants are another easy-to-grow option that features an upright growth pattern. Because they can literally go months without being watered, they're an ideal choice for very busy people. Their dramatic outline adds a stunning design element to any room. 

Ficus

Otherwise known as fig trees, ficus is a small tree that asks for little more than a bright spot in your home and soil that's kept evenly moist. Make sure you place your ficus in an area where it has plenty of room to grow — these plants grow relatively fast and can easily reach a height of five feet or more in a matter of several years. 

We offer studios as well as one or two bedroom apartments. Amenities include an onsite fitness center, a swimming pool and picnic areas with outdoor grills. Please call us at your convenience for more information. 

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Residents of Flagstaff apartments want to enjoy eating al fresco. Friends and family often bring prepared dishes to picnic in a variety of parks and spaces in Arizona. Prepare and offer meals that can keep in hot summer months to prevent illness. Consider these suggestions when picnicking outside of your Flagstaff apartment:

• Maintain the temperature of food. Cold food needs to stay cold and stored at 40° or below. Frozen gel packs or a cooler with ice can be used to safely store seafood, poultry and meat.
• Avoid cross-contamination. Products that include raw meat should be wrapped securely. It is important that juices from uncooked meats do not have a chance of contaminating other prepared or cooked foods.
• Clean produce properly. Use a vegetable brush and tap water to scrub any firm-skinned vegetable or fruit. Other produce should be rinsed under tap water prior to packing. Vegetables and fruits can be dried with a paper towel or clean cloth.
• Keep hands and surfaces clean. Proper hand cleaning is needed both outdoors and indoors. Platters and utensils should be clean in order to prepare food. To keep surfaces and hands clean in areas without running water, bring a jug of water, soap and paper towels to the picnic spot. Moist towelettes are useful for cleaning hands.

Marinating and cooking foods thoroughly is also helpful to avoid foodborne illnesses when eating outdoors.

Stay Social and Healthy Near Flagstaff Apartments

Butterfield Apartment Homes offer the best of country club living only minutes from Historic Downtown Flagstaff, Flagstaff Mall and The Marketplace. Community amenities include an onsite fitness center, luxury pool and grill area. Butterfield Apartment Homes Flagstaff apartments studio, two and three-bedroom apartments are near highly sought-after attractions. Contact an associate at (844) 864-0303 for a tour of a spacious residence in Flagstaff.

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If you're like most people, you probably already know that baking soda has a wide variety of household uses. For instance, you may already place an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator to absorb odors. However, baking soda has abundant uses in the home that many people have never even heard of—and it's got the added benefits of being inexpensive, easily available, and environmentally friendly. Following are just a few of the many ways that residents of apartments in Flagstaff can use baking soda to clean almost anything. 

Clean Produce With Baking Soda

You can clean any residual dirt and waxy buildup from produce you purchase in the grocery store simply by mixing baking soda with water and using it to wash down the produce in the sink. The baking soda won't leave an off-taste on your fruits and vegetables, and as an added bonus, it'll help sweeten the drain in your kitchen sink. 

Cut Grease on Dishes and Pans With Baking Soda

Although many people aren't aware of it, baking soda is great grease cutter, making it an ideal choice for cleaning up dishes and pans after a feast. Mix a little in with your usual dish soap to provide it with an extra punch, and soak the dishes and pans in hot water before scrubbing them clean with a scrub sponge. 

Freshen Furniture Upholstery With Baking Soda

Although many products are available for the purpose of freshening furniture upholstery, these often leave an artificial odor. Baking soda, on the other hand, simply freshens by absorbing existing odors and doesn't leave an overpowering scent behind. Sprinkle it onto your couch or chairs, leave for 15 minutes, and vacuum using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. For stubborn odors, leave the baking soda on overnight. 

Please feel free to contact our office for more helpful advice on getting the most from apartment life in Flagstaff. 

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Most of us aren’t getting the amount of sleep that we need every night. What can you do to make sure you’re better rested in the new year? Residents of Butterfield Apartments in Flagstaff should take the time to go over these handy tips. Use them as a starting point for putting together some new and improved sleep habits.

Stop Eating Before Bedtime

Many of us fall into the habit of snacking before going to bed. Having too much heavy food on your stomach might cause indigestion and restlessness. Try to eat dinner at least three hours before going to bed. Any snacks you consume after that should be light and healthy.

Shut Down Your Devices

Browsing on your laptop or texting right before bedtime lengthen the time it takes your body to descend into a sleep state. Send out any important texts about an hour before you go to bed. Resist the urge to pick up your tablet and finish that e-book you previously started.

Establish A Consistent Bedtime

There’s a reason your parents were so strict about sending you to bed at a specific time. Sticking to a regular schedule helps train your body to fall asleep and gives you a better quality of sleep.

Be Sure To:

• Limit bright light exposure.
• Keep a sleep diary to track how it’s working.
• Set your sleep area at a comfortable temperature.

Cut Off Your Caffeine Intake Earlier in the Day

Drinking caffeine before bedtime keeps your brain active and stops you from falling asleep. Cut off your caffeine consumption around 2:00 p.m. if you plan on being in bed by 10 p.m. Consuming caffeine later in the day can leave you restless and prone to waking up frequently.

Currently checking out Flagstaff apartments? Contact Butterfield Apartments today for a quick tour of our complex.

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Area rugs are a great way to add distinction and variety to the decor in your Butterfield apartment in Flagstaff, AZ.  You can bring the country club style of living into your home by using area rugs to add texture, pattern and color. Additionally, when choosing area rugs for different locations in your apartment, the right rug size, shape and material are factors to consider and will depend upon the location of the rug. No matter which shape or texture of rugs you prefer, consider these five ways to decorate with rugs:

5 Ways to Decorate With Rugs

1. Define Areas: The living room seating, the dining room table and the entrance to your apartment are three areas that can be easily defined with an area rug. And for studio apartment living, area rugs are a great way to define the open space.
2. Establish Quiet: Using fabrics throughout your home is one way to absorb sounds from neighbors or outside activity. Yet, area rugs can also be used to quiet the interior decor—softening hard surfaces, blending upholstery colors, and adding subtle contrast to neutral walls. 
3. Create Variety: There is no decorating rule stating only one area rug is allowed per room. Using two rugs of the same size can create the illusion of separate spaces. When you use two different-sized area rugs, it adds a sense of diversity to the room.
4. Focal Point: Since an area rug makes an impact by creating visual diversity, they are famous for creating a focal point in the room. Use a contrasting color or an intricate pattern to subtly create a point of focus in your decor.
5. Add Harmony: The color, style and shape of an area rug can effectively blend a room's decor and create a pleasant harmony to the entire space. Muted tones, without patterns which are complementary to your home furnishings, are a great way to establish harmony.

Area rugs can be used to brighten, soften, or coordinate your home decor. If you are searching for great community living in Flagstaff apartments, contact us to discover the country club amenities at Butterfield apartment homes.

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• Use Multiple Sources:

Instead of depending on one single, powerful lighting source for one room, use multiple light sources of a lower rating so that light can be evenly distributed around your apartment. Also, you can focus the light on certain focal areas, making it even more dispersed.

• Use Mirrors:

Not all apartments are blessed with plenty of natural light. In this case, you can use a couple of mirrors to bounce light around the apartment and brighten up your space. You will need to find the appropriate spots to install the mirrors and maximize this effect.

• Arrange your Furniture Strategically:

Shadows created by furniture are amplified when there is only one light source in a room. If you are not able to add more lighting equipment, you can arrange your furniture to allow the light to spread throughout the area.

• Cover your Walls

Decorations help liven up your apartment by adding a personal touch to your space. You may choose a variety of clever and cost effective designs to make something that suits your home well.

• Use Bright Colors

Brightly colored walls, decoration and furniture can help maintain an upbeat mood around the apartment and brighten up your home in more ways than one!

Every once in a while, you can make the effort to change the décor so that you are always experimenting with the ambiance of the apartment according to your mood. 

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