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Posts Tagged ‘remodel’

Home Remodeling Triumphs and Mistakes

Monday, February 13th, 2017

Hooker Furniture Dining Room Eastridge 54 inch Round Pedestal Dining Table w -20in Leaf

Home remodeling is not a walk in the park. You are bound to have headaches with schedules un-followed and material quality being sub-standard. Creating a home that’s fabulous takes a lot of effort, planning, and time. Here are some designer tips that you can mimic so you can add a little pizazz to your home –

Yes to Bigger Furniture

Contrary to common notion, having large furniture inside a small room is actually a step up in terms of remodeling. Huge pieces can actually make a room appear a tad bigger (e.g. a spacious bed with a lovely headboard in an average-sized room).

Just remember to scale your furniture so that you’re still able to leave ample space wherein you can move around with ease.

Yes to Wallpaper

Don’t automatically think of wallpaper as boring. These days, there are lots of designs, patterns and textures to choose from. Imagine feature walls right behind your headboard or inside the cozy dining room.

You can also wallpaper up the walls on your stairways and above the fireplace. Take interest in this exciting material and you will soon realize the overabundance of designs at your disposal.

Yes to the Floating Floor

Altering the flooring of a home is a major makeover. Use floating floors installed over tiles so that you won’t have to deal with noise. You could use a jack hammer to uninstall the old tiles.

Yes to Correct Lighting        

Consider the lighting in your home. This has the power to change the feeling, colors and the overall ambience so choose well. Find out what task, general or accent lighting you need to use in different areas.

Yes to Storage Units

Always store materials in dry and cool places. Keep your tools inside a container while make sure that your valuables are also stored inside sturdy cabinets.

No to Mess

This doesn’t mean that you will turn into a minimalist overnight. Decluttering simply means you learn to let go of stuff that you no longer use. This also means being creative enough that you free up some space where there used to be a lot of unused stuff.

Less to zero clutter means you are able to simplify your life and eventually your surroundings. You must also make an effort to create a coherent design that will aid you in de-stressing.

No to Inaccurate Measurement

Another thing that you need to say no to is erroneous measurement. Even ¼ of an inch can make a huge difference. Dimensions that are off, non-symmetrical or unequal won’t give you the design impact that you want. In essence, measurements can make or break the look of your home.

If you’re not too confident in measuring architecture and how to place decorative elements, then ask for help. Friends or family members can help you take more accurate measurements.

No to Skipping Prep Work

You just have to do this the right way. Avoiding prep work is tantamount to embracing design failure. Take your time in doing it right from the onset. This may be a tedious process but it can save you a lot of time, money and effort later.

No to Gutting Every Little Thing  

It is better to rely on a well-set plan than to begin renovating by clearing out everything. With correct planning, you should be able to work around certain areas. This can, again, save you a lot of time and effort.

No to the Wrong Tools

This is another problem that you wouldn’t want to encounter. Using the wrong tool could end up with a wrecked project, a damage on the tool itself, or worse, an accident. Again, you wouldn’t want this to happen.

 

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Minor House Repairs That Have Major Effects

Monday, August 22nd, 2016

FFDM Circa 1260

FFDM Circa 12602

In our kind of economy, you might be tempted to skip small home repairs. This is also the case with professional cleanups and inspection jobs. Minor repairs may appear, well, minor but if you keep putting off such projects, you could end up with thousands to tens of thousands. The $200 that you save today could easily turn to an expense of $3,000 the following month.

Invest a Little Dough

Consider allotting some money for small home repairs. Again, these seemingly small tasks could easily morph to huge, expensive jobs later. If you want to be ahead of many homeowners and save some money in the process, then you should be ready to take on even the smallest repair jobs. An ugly duckling house could be the next swan if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do a little maintenance work (or at least be willing to pay for the repairs).

It is a known fact that most homeowners have no idea what to look for when it comes to crucial repairs. Majority cannot see past an unpainted door, thick shrubbery and the like. In their eyes, the best homes are those that are beaming with activity, were pricey when it was offered in the market, and is pleasing to the eye (to begin with).

Necessary Cosmetic Work

When talking about cosmetic repairs or improvement, these are projects that do not require major construction tasks. For instance, installing new carpeting may be categorized as a cosmetic improvement in a home. On the other hand, the repair of a rotten bandboard is a repair project that cannot be handled by a non-professional.

Here are examples of cosmetic improvements that every home needs –

  • New interior or exterior paint
  • New appliances
  • New plumbing fixture such as a faucet
  • New electrical fixture such as a vanity light
  • Landscape cleanups, shrubbery and lawn development

If you are able to do all these kinds of work by yourself, you’ll soon find out that your savings will compound annually. Obviously, you should leave some kinds of repairs to the professionals.

An example is electrical repair. Even if you think that replacing fuse is fairly easy, it is best to leave it to a licensed electrician.

House Repairs for Staged Homes

There are two kinds of pre-loved homes that are being sold in the market – one is the kind that is already painted, with grounds well-kempt, new carpets and such; while the other one is the kind of property that has deferred maintenance.

The second type is a home that is often in need of painting, carpeting, lawn repairs, etc. Examples are homes during the ‘70s with badly-damaged paint, kitchens with rotten cabinets, and rooms that are out of date. It could also be a home that still houses stove, refrigerators, and dishwasher.

The real estate market is a competitive one. If you are actively looking for a property at the moment but don’t have ample budget for a brand new home, then you have to know which repairs you need to address later on.

Caution

When buying a whole house that needs repairs, make sure that you hold an inspection. Allow a competent professional to do the assessments for you. For example, you may ask different experts such as a plumber, electrician and an engineer to look at specific areas in the house.

There are a couple of reasons why thorough inspections must be done before you begin further construction or interior design projects. First, cosmetic repairs may just be indications of more serious problems deep within the house. A wall that needs painting, for instance, could be the façade of a water-damaged inner wall.

The next time you encounter a minor house repair, you already know why you shouldn’t delay.

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Designing Home from Scratch

Monday, June 13th, 2016

This sample dining room set up by Hooker Furniture blends wood, metal and other materials beautifully.

This sample dining room set up by Hooker Furniture blends wood, metal and other materials beautifully.

Have you ever thought of renovation or the creation of a home as an exciting journey? Well, it should be an electrifying experience but in reality, most would-be homeowners dread having to take on such a huge project. Creating home from scratch – if done correctly – can help you discover who you are, what you actually want, and what environment you would like to live in. This is, essentially, your shot at defining your relationship to your family, your community and more so yourself.

So, are you ready to get down on your knees and begin this journey?

Every Journey Has a Plan

Just like any other journey, you must begin it with some planning and research. You would want to know what the end result would be and, of course, how much it is going to cost you. Don’t even begin to think that you’ll be able to finish this project alone because no has. A helping hand is not just a welcome idea but a needful aspect throughout the course of your building your home.

Planning requires goal setting. As a would-be homeowner or someone who wants a totally new look for his home, you must have goals. Effective goals are comprised of both functional and decorative elements. Each is crucial and must be recognized.

Make two plans for your project – Plans A and B. Should Plan A fail to make sense, then there’s always your backup plan.

The Cynthia Rowley 7064-011CR Windsor Tight Seat Sofa sits comfortably in a sea of like and complementary hues. The pop of color, now and then, is a fresh sight to behold.

The Cynthia Rowley 7064-011CR Windsor Tight Seat Sofa sits comfortably in a sea of like and complementary hues. The pop of color, now and then, is a fresh sight to behold.

Ask the Right Questions

Whoever thought that creating or designing home from scratch requires a series of questions? First, you need to know what you would want to achieve. This can be summed up in a theme for most people. Knowing your ultimate choice between contemporary and traditional makes a huge difference in the elements that will be bought and brought in.

It is also important to ask where you would want to be. This is that end result that you have been asked to envision. The layout should help give you a mental picture of what your home would look like when finished.

It is also vital to know the cost of the entire project. This is a good way to prevent scenes where you’d end up being cranky because the project turned out to be thousands of dollars costlier. Being realistic would help you plan a budget that works, else, you would be left to the mercy of unscrupulous individuals.

Make good use of an Excel sheet where you could have a bird’s eye view of what has been spent so far and where the cost is going.

Round Up Your Team

Remember, this is your project. Gather professionals who have proven their worth in terms of interior design. Just like a lawyer shouldn’t represent himself in court, then so should you take experts who will take on your project.

The team leader is you and your right hand should be the lead interior designer. This expert will be your guide, advocate, therapist and counselor throughout the project. It pays to find the best team from the onset. The right guide also ensures that the journey that you have embarked upon will be an enjoyable one.

You might also add some team members now and then. There are specialists among these experts (e.g. a kitchen and bath designer) that will be better able to help you. Every extra member will cost you more but it is an added guarantee on the success of the interior design project. Once you gather these experts and they are willing to help you out then, rest assured, that you will have a smooth-sailing journey ahead.

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