Home Remodel — Page 62

Millions of homeowners opting to remodel over buying a new home

October 20, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Remodeling at an all time high

According to BuildFax’s August Remodeling Index, remodeling activity hit an all time high (since recording began in 2004) and based on permit data, rising nearly ten percent in the last year. Over 3.3 million residential remodeling projects are on track to be permitted in 2011, up from 3.1 million in 2010. Remodeling activity has risen every month for nearly the last two years straight.

“As mortgage rates hit record lows, it is apparent that millions of Americans are refinancing their homes and using some of their new monthly savings to reinvest in their homes with remodeling projects,” said Joe Emison, Vice President of Research and Development at BuildFax. “With remodeling activity growing at an estimated 9.5 percent in 2011 compared to 2010, this is one segment of the economy that is showing continued strength, even as other sectors struggle.”

Regional trends

According to National Mortgage Professional, BuildFax’s Index “is the only source directly reporting residential remodeling activity across the nation with monthly information derived through related building permit activity filed with local building departments across the country. This monthly report provides month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons on trends in remodeling activity for the entire United States, as well as for the four major regions of the country: Northeast, south, midwest and west.”

The Index reveals that in August, the west region rose 33.6 percent, the midwest jumped 11 percent and the south rose 8.2 percent. Declines were seen in the northeast of 0.8 percent and in the northeast, dropping 3.9 percent and although the report doesn’t seem to track why regions are performing so differently, but with Hurricane Irene hitting the east coast and droughts in the south, the environment hasn’t been friendly in all areas to remodeling, as homeowners are performing repairs. The scene appears to be remodel-friendly, however, and with two years of increases, homeowners are making the choice to stay put for longer.

Filed Under: Home Remodel

Eco-friendly home upgrades that pay you back

October 17, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

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5 Custom Sliding Door Solutions for Oddly-Shaped Spaces

October 17, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Good space costs too much money to waste – but bad space can be made better, too. Byproducts of home remodeling or artifacts of upper-level condo construction, unusable corners and awkward ceiling angles may be more workable than they first appear.

Bartels Doors sells all kinds of doors, but some of their most interesting offerings are in the forms of partitions, pockets and other sliding space dividers that hang on walls or slot into hiding places.

Many of these address common-but-uncomfortable conditions, like a vent hood that would otherwise block kitchen cabinets or the interior angle between open areas. If they are a bit expensive to purchase for most homes, they at least suggest good do-it-yourself strategies for those so inclined.

Others are just clever ways to make a door more than just a door – a window panel, for instance, lets you look in on one selected shelf of books for easy reference and a touch of decor, while mirrored panels (with optional flat-screen TVs) may make a bedroom feel more spacious and open.

Filed Under: Architecture, Home Remodel

Concrete Wallpapers: Dull Walls or Decorative Finishes?

October 17, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

There is a new option for resurfacing your interiors, a growing range of … fake concrete? Whether ‘concrete wallpaper’ becomes cool or kitsch, only time (and perhaps copious graffiti) will tell.

To be fair, it looks fairly neat in pictures – weathered walls with telltale spaced-and-capped steel rod holes aligned at regular intervals, or faux-block sets that look to be covered in color by subversive street artists.

In fact, if the Concrete Wall-paper company were wise they might try to market these more as blank slates rather than finished products – surfaces you can put up and then draw on, since just about anything might make the bare concrete look less boring.

It would be overly simple to say that these come in a ‘variety of colors’ – more accurate might be: they are available in a series of shades, ranging from light to dark gray, and with different kinds of seams and rain-stained patterns.

Some look more like patio floors while other resemble non-decorative industrial countertops. As a stage prop these would make a great overlay, but whether you want them bubbling and pealing at home is another question, depending on both the design and durability of each individual wallpaper product. (Other designs via Burkedecor &Betontapete)

Filed Under: Architecture, Home Remodel, Real Estate

Gorgeous Grain: Wooden Bathtubs

October 3, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Combining German hand-crafting expertise and curved ship hull construction methods, this patterned wooden tub shoots both to satisfy the eye and to soothe any aching back.

Alegna specializes in exotic woods like wenge and mahogany that show off grain patterns with stark contrasts or work for lightweight-requiring (e.g. nautical) applications.

Some of their tubs form monolithic built-in masses while others are free-standing and come with stone-filled surrounds. All are made to be equipped with jacuzzi features on demand. Nothing too avante garde, to be sure, but attractive all around.

Beyond baths, their custom bathroom fixtures and furnishings include sinks and cabinets featuring the same attention to wood grain patterns and craft details, inward-flowing blocks of attractive woods.

Filed Under: Furniture, Home Remodel

Restored House: Before and After the Renovation

October 1, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

The house was built in 19th century, its walls have a long history, that is why it was not demolished. The new owner spent one year and $500 000 to give this house a new life. He made it and result is amazing.

Look what was before the renovation and how the house looks after it.

Filed Under: Home Remodel

Is it Worth It? Honeycomb Shades

September 28, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Heat Trappers

Introduced in the 1980s, honeycombs are built on a simple concept: Trapped air is an insulator that can conserve your hard-earned heat. Since then, makers have scrambled to make honeycombs work even better. Consider these two blackout versions. The budget one has double cells and side tracks to nip drafts, while the high-end one has an extra air pocket to hold in heat. Because there’s no universal energy-efficiency test for shades—at least not yet—they can’t be ranked, but both high performers qualify for a 2011 federal energy tax credit when installed inside a double-glazed window. Lowering either will raise your comfort level, so look for differences in style, function, and price.

Read the rest at thisoldhouse.com

Filed Under: Home Care, Home Remodel

Bloch design – glass fireplace

September 23, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

This stunning Glass Fireplace by Bloch-Design lets the natural, vivid beauty of fire take center stage. Safely contained within a glass fireplace enclosure, the bewitching flames will invite you, your family and your guests to linger. It is an ancient spell rekindled – we have always relied on fire to warm us, provide us with light and cook our food.

Now, we can allow this life-giving elemental power into our homes, but in a totally stylish, contemporary and family-friendly way. There is a real simplicity to the design, whether you prefer a pyramid or rectangular shape, with clear or tinted glass. Ignite your senses with this Glass Fireplace by Bloch-Design.

Filed Under: Architecture, Home Remodel Tagged With: fireplace

Overhead + Under Bed = Space-Saving Storage

September 23, 2011 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Saving space is not something we do for its own sake – in this case, a cutting-edge media room was the goal, and cleverly lofting and concealing of books, CDs and DVDs provided the floor space to make this dream den a reality.

Johan wanted to use ever spare bit of wall surface for a larger television and smaller wall-mounted computer screen – no dressers and few shelves getting in the way, nor objects behind the couch to cramp the distance between seating and screens.

Wrap-around shelving features thicker top and bottom borders, creating a dynamic series of stripes that animate and decorate the space – being pushed out from the wall, these in turn allow for under-shelf indirect lighting in addition to a central overhead light fixture.

Audiophiles and film fanatics may find this cozy corner nook to be of secondary concern, but its existence enables the rest of the open-plan redesign … and for those of us who like little lofts and interior hideaways, it looks like a lovely space to read. To be fair, though, the entertainment center is quite exciting as well.

Filed Under: Home Remodel, Random Thoughts Tagged With: storage