Archives for January 2015

When I was a kid I used to make my own room by using a blanket to cover the lower part of the double deck bed. But unfortunately my mother always takes them down specially when I’m not around. That’s why I’m so jealous after seeing these kids bedroom. I never realize that while I’m pretending to have my own room, there are very lucky children out there who not just have their own rooms but they have the Awesome, Jaw-dropping and the COOLEST bedrooms in the world!

How I wish I had one of those when I was a kid but that’s life, maybe I can make that bedroom for my son. But if some of you wish to have these customize bedroom you can try a DIY bedrooms. If you have a fat wallet it would be easier but if you don’t have that kind of wallet a DIY is better. But I’m warning you it takes a lot of dedication and patience to make them the BEST bedroom you ever dreamed of!

See an ad hoc kitchen become full of character, hipness and — above all — function

If Emily and Ian Allison’s kitchen looked like it was thrown together on a whim, that’s because it kind of was. When previous owners converted their 1888-built home into a duplex, they put together an ad hoc kitchen on the second floor because the original kitchen resided on the ground floor. So when the Allisons bought both units and rented out the bottom floor, they were stuck with a kitchen that seriously lacked function. “There wasn’t even a single drawer,” says Ian. “It was a bummer.”

The Hardworking Home: Get rid of those toppling piles with these ideas for organizing bedding, towels and more

If you’ve been living with a linen closet crammed too full or jumbled and messy, bring order to the chaos by rethinking this hardworking space. From dividing and conquering (towels in the bath, sheets in the bedroom) to installing smart closet organizers, these solutions can help.

Hardworking space: The linen closet.
The challenge: Keeping an entire household’s sheets, blankets, towels, extra pillows, duvets and tablecloths in one little closet is asking for trouble. Too-high piles teeter and fall, and pretty soon the whole closet is a mess. Get things under control by thinking through exactly what kind of storage you need and where to put it.
Good to know: Check your linen stash before settling on any new storage system. Count the total number of towels, sheets and duvets to get a full picture of the storage space you’ll need.

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Dated kitchens are getting a makeover in many homes this year. About a quarter of about 3,500 home owners recently surveyed say they are remodeling kitchens that are more than 30 years old and another 41 percent are updating kitchens that are 16 to 30 years old. Wow, have styles changed in three decades too – when red oak cabinets, laminate countertops, and brass fixtures were “in.”

Here’s an interesting stat: Home owners seem to be more committed to their kitchen than their spouse. Most kitchens last two to four times longer than the typical U.S. marriage – which is 8 years, according to Houzz’s Kitchen Remodeling Survey. That means when home owners remodel a kitchen, they devote a lot of time to making sure it’s just right since they’ll likely stick with it for many years to come.

“We already know that kitchens are the biggest driver of discretionary spending in the remodeling market,” says Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz. “As the economy has improved, many home owners who delayed spending on kitchen updates feel like they now have the means to remodel. We should continue to see an uptick in discretionary spending on home improvements into 2015.”

So, what are home owners’ kitchen renovation plans?

Classic finishes: Home owners mostly are sticking to the classics, with finishes like white cabinets (49 percent) in shaker (37 percent) or raised-panel (22 percent) styles. They’re also staying loyal to granite countertops (45 percent) and stainless steel appliances (83 percent).

Added storage: Ease of storage (65 percent) is a top priority driving remodeling trends. Organization features like a built-in pantry (44 percent), pull-out shelves (62 percent), deep cabinet organizers (38 percent), and built-in pet bowls (6 percent) are popular.

Entertainment spaces: An open-concept layout (52 percent), bar with seating (27 percent), and built-in wine storage (21 percent) are making kitchens a gathering place for family and friends.

Big makeovers with big dollars: When home owners choose to undergo a kitchen remodel, the majority are going big with projects requiring substantial construction (68 percent). As such, home owners are spending big too, with 36 percent planning to spend between $25,000 and $75,000 on updating their kitchens. More than half of home owners budget $25,000 or less for their upcoming remodels.

Complimenting the rest of the house: Home owners want their kitchens stylish and beautiful (59 percent), but they also want to make sure that the remodel integrates with the rest of the home too (55 percent). Other characteristics they say are important is that it is filled with natural light, adds to the resale value of their home, energy-efficient appliances, and pro-style cooking set-up.