To-Dos: Your September Home Checklist
September 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment
As life transitions back indoors, bring elements of nature in with you and make your spaces cozy and warm
After the excitement of summer vacation, getting back into the swing of school and work in September can be a challenge, but also a welcome change. Enter the new season ready for a fresh start by focusing on the positive — getting cozy indoors, bringing nature in and boosting your home’s energy efficiency to prepare for the cooler months ahead.
How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?
September 3, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Installing an island can enhance your kitchen in many ways, and, with good planning, even smaller kitchens can benefit
Kitchen islands are a much-sought-after feature — almost nine out of 10 of our kitchen design and installation firm’s clients ask about them in their first design meeting. A well-planned island layout can allow a smooth workflow and provide a comfortable space for preparing and cooking food. Islands also frequently provide space for dining, working and storage.
But while a well-planned layout offers much enjoyment, a poorly planned island can be frustrating. This is particularly true if there is insufficient space for an island to begin with. If you’re considering a kitchen island, follow these tips to help you decide whether you have enough space to make an island work for you. And if you don’t, discover what else you can try.
The Custom Home Process
September 1, 2015 By Leave a Comment
In our over 39 years as custom home design-builders, we’ve seen it happen more often than we like, and more frequently than it needs to. The somber truth is that over 50% of custom builds never get off the ground, including those where the client has already purchased their lot, and may even had plans drawn. The number one reason for this vision deferred is that so many people do not, before anything else, prepare a realistic, comprehensive budget.
New home construction is never a smooth-sailing venture in the best of circumstances. Along the way you encounter bumps and surprises in the form of changes and unexpected costs, but careful planning with your builder from day one will greatly increase your odds of living in your dream home. To avoid future disappointments, discuss with your builder budget line items like site work costs, surveys, engineering, septic recommendations, house plans and builder permits and fees. Here is a step-by-step guide that dives deeper into the the elements to consider when budgeting for a custom home.
Early consultation with an experienced and professional design-build firm significantly reduces costs. From walking the potential lot to final fixtures, your design builder is a valuable partner in avoiding obvious pitfalls, can offer plan alternatives that keep your costs in line, and helps bring whatever you imagine to life.
It’s the relationship between a client and their design-builder, along with the support of talented tradespeople and suppliers, that makes for a successful project. Take advantage of their expert advice and you’ll find that the home of your dreams, in the area you desire, with the style, quality and features you envision, is all within reach.
This infographic will help you gain a broader perspective of where your budget is allocated throughout the process of building a custom home.
Check it out:
This is a guest post written by Kyle Foley, Managing Member of Foley Development Group, LLC. Located in Great Falls, Virginia, he operates a family-owned design build firm with real-world tested experience in building new homes, additions, and remodeling existing homes.
13 Stylish Ways to Accent a Bedroom Wall
August 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
From tried-and-true favorites to the latest textures, these creative ideas can strengthen your bedroom’s design
One of the easiest and simplest ways to give a bedroom a big wallop of design is with an accent wall. You could make the case that the best place to do this is behind the headboard, because the rest of the room should bow down to the place where we lay our heads, rather than compete with it, right?
The process can be as simple as painting the wall a different color. But with options available today like 3-D cement tiles and mica wallpaper, you might want to consider the range of choices before making a decision. Check out some of the best and most creative ideas for bedroom accent walls on Houzz below.
How to Keep Your Stainless Steel Clean
August 26, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Protect this popular kitchen material with a consistent but gentle cleaning routine
For the past few years, designers have debated whether or not stainless steel will continue to reign supreme in kitchens across America or lose its popularity to glossy black or white appliances boasting sleek, smooth finishes.
While the trendsetters debate, however, millions of us continue to choose to live with the commercially cool look and functionality of stainless steel. Whether you have a little or a lot of the shiny stuff, here’s what experts suggest we do about those fingerprints, and how to care for and clean one of the hardest-working surfaces in the house.
13 cool ways to make your small living space look & feel big
August 24, 2015 By Leave a Comment
source: www.homearena.co.uk