Remodeling Trend: Make Room for the Parents
Think you have a crowded house? Maybe you're not alone. Surprising new data from the U. S. Census Bureau finds that many Americans are making room in their home for parents, followed by siblings and other relatives.
From 2000 to 2007, the number of parents who move in with their adult children grew 67 percent to 3.6 million. Even more interesting, the number of parents younger than age 65 in these households increased by 75 percent and those 65 and older..
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Great Kitchen Design is Possible Regardless of Age or Ability
As we age, it can become more difficult to be as comfortable in our homes as we used to be. Things become harder to reach and open, we don't hear the noises we used to and tasks just get more difficult and time consuming overall. The principle of Universal Design is used to develop products and environments that are useful to everyone, regardless of age or ability...
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It's Not Hard To Be Green
DIY. So last year. Now it's GIY. As in green-it-yourself. And just like DIY projects, there are plenty of easy GIY weekend home improvement projects that will save energy and money and add value to your home. Oh, and we should mention you can help protect the planet while you're at it.
Being green is easy and important. And fall's a great time to tackle home improvement projects that will have an impact on the environment. People everywhere are....
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Kitchen style on a Minimalist Budget
Do you look through home design magazines with envy, wishing you could create the same type of high-style, inspired looks featured on their glossy pages? Do you dream of what you would do to your home if you only had the budget?
Your resources may be limited, but your home decor doesn't have to reflect that. "Decorating on a budget isn't about being cheap, it's about being smart -- making informed decisions and getting the best value for your money," says Kristan Cunningham, interior designer and host of HGTV's Design on a Dime.
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Create a State-of-the-art Kitchen with Vintage Flavor
Vintage or period motifs have become one of the hottest trends in home kitchen design, but your Old World kitchen doesn't need to feature modern looking faucets to take advantage of the latest technology. Whether creating an original design, restoring an old kitchen, or simply redecorating, more homeowners are turning to period-style plumbing fixtures that offer traditional style with all the modern conveniences.
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Kitchen Renovations and Island Creations
Most homeowners could rhyme off a list of things they would like to change in their home design or decoration. One of the most rewarding projects I have worked on in recent times was a do-it-yourself kitchen island. By following the instructions below, you will be able to transform your simple kitchen into an island oasis…or something like...
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Add Warmth and Create a Healthier Bathroom
The last place you want to be on a chilly morning is barefoot on your cold bathroom floor waiting for the icy shower to heat up. The last thing you want to think about while you're there is all the contaminants in the air. There are many ways to warm up the bath and make it a healthy place you look forward to luxuriating in as the weather turns cool.
Baths often feel cold because of the abundance of tile and ceramic fixtures like sinks and bathtubs. But because bathrooms tend to be the smallest rooms in a home, they're the...
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Exterior House Painting Preparation
Exterior painting starts with systematic preparation of all surfaces to be painted. Here are some simple guidelines and things to look for before continuing with the painting process.
Thoroughly inspect your home completely before moving on. This will prevent, if any, further damage to your home. Look for signs of blistering, peeling or chalking on the paint of your home. Water damage shows as rot or discolored areas. These problems will need to be properly fixed before moving ahead into the project. Mildew and...
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Redecorating and Keeping it Green
The redecorating bug has bitten you hard, and you want to join the 'green' society by making your home stylish but healthy and environmentally friendly.
You can start from the floor up, and environmentally-friendly decorative flooring is just what you need. Something that allows you to choose from many colors, have simple installation and follow up with easy maintenance. Materials like sustainably harvested hardwoods and ceramic tile aren't your only eco-friendly choices. A better option might be Marmoleum Click, an all-natural flooring made from linseed oil, wood flour, rosins and limestone...
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Family and Friends Can Stretch Home Improvement Dollars
Homeowners today want big home improvement results .. but without big budgets they may not recoup. How do you achieve such lofty goals without the financial investment? Look no further than your friends and family.
Got a handy hubby or a bro that's a pro? Labor costs can often be the biggest budget line item, so enlisting the help of handy family and friends can be a cost-effective way to achieve your goals...
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Tile Offers a Way to Add Personality to Your Home
In today's world of personalization, making something 'your own' or unique is the name of the game. Consumers are personalizing their fashion, work, religion, education and travel, so it only follows that they want to make their home a reflection of their taste and style.
"For centuries, the Spanish have long understood the need to express one's self. Spanish tile designers have drawn on the past and looked to the future to create pieces that will appeal to any and every style. Personalization is very much in vogue -- self-expression in the design world has created many eclectic and exciting interpretations of the classics," says Patti Fasan, International Ceramic Tile Consultant...
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Natural Stone Flooring
If you're laying tile flooring and want to make the room look bigger, use larger sized tiles (18 x 18 or larger) and lay them on a 45 degree angle (diamond pattern). What this does is draw your eye to the two widest points of each tile, giving your flooring the illusion of a larger space. And the larger sized tiles have less grout lines to look at so your flooring doesn't look as 'busy' across...
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Cutting Energy Bills with Roof Replacement
It's that time of year again - the weather is getting a bit cooler as the fall and winter seasons begin. The dropping temperatures will inevitably affect energy costs, and as you look at ways to keep your energy bill down by winterizing your home, remember to consider the roof.
Taking steps to keep your energy bill under control, such as finding drafts and sealing them, replacing old insulation, and checking your vinyl siding and windows for wear and tear are all futile efforts with an old, battered roof...
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Add Value to Your Home with a Bathroom Remodel
If you are struggling to sell your home there are ways to make your property more appealing to buyers. The current unpredictable housing market is making home owners nervous and only those who are 100% sure about the purchase will buy. As a seller you need to make sure your property is immaculate and as appealing as possible to prospective buyers. A lick of paint will make a positive difference. However, by revamping an entire room you can increase your chances of a sale. With a small initial outlay you can reap that larger reward you’re looking for...
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2009 Color Trends - Authentic and Traditional Paint Hues
Color style for 2009 draws inspiration from both nature and nurture. With increasing numbers of homeowners remaining in place, many are searching for options to refresh and reinvigorate their living spaces. By simply changing the paint color in a room, all spaces in the home become reinvention candidates.
Key drivers for 2009 color choices include aspirations that create a comfortable and tranquil home environment coupled with a return to authentic and sustainable materials...
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Re-energizing For Winter
As cold weather advances, homeowners throughout the country can expect to see a substantial increase in energy prices. According to the Energy Information Administration, the price for heating oil, natural gas and electricity is projected to jump by nearly 20 percent.
With such high increases this year, homeowners everywhere are giving inefficient windows and doors the cold shoulder. According to a recent study commissioned by JELD-WEN, a manufacturer of windows and doors, nearly 26 percent of homeowners say what they dislike most about their existing windows and doors is that they are drafty...
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Glam, Gorgeous and Green Entertaining
So you've made the environmentally conscious choice to be green this year... but with the holidays just around the corner, how will this decision impact your entertaining?
Maintaining discipline can be difficult during the "season of indulgence." Just as many diets might go out the window; so may your environmental self-discipline. However, maintaining a green focus during the holidays doesn't have to mean bland food and brown, recycled napkins....
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Hardwood Floors Species: the Luxury of Choice in Flooring
Hardwood Flooring is an option for floors that present a range of choice for the consumer to consider. One such choice is that of species. Some species are very hard, and stand to be a notably durable choice. Others are less hard, but more forgiving when sawed or nailed to a subfloor. Some species of hardwood have colors which remain more or less constant. Others exhibit “photosensitivity”, which means that the color of the hardwood flooring species changes as it is exposed to light. Here is a selected list of species common for use as hardwood flooring...
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Protect Your Home from Rising Energy Costs
Home heating costs are expected to make double-digit leaps this winter, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Residential oil prices during the upcoming home heating season are expected to increase 31 percent over last year and consumers this year will likely pay an average of $2,644. Natural gas customers also are expected to see significant price increases -- about 22 percent over last year with an average cost of $1,059...
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Beautiful Kitchen Updates on a Budget
Today's kitchen is the new living room. During the past few decades, it's evolved from a room where we simply prepared and ate our meals, to one where we now hold family discussions, socialize and entertain guests, study or work and even play with the kids.
As the kitchen's role has grown, so has the price tag that comes along with renovating it. Creating a stylish kitchen has turned into a costly American obsession, with the average remodel costing tens of thousands of dollars. For the majority of us dealing with a slowing economy, a credit crunch and rising gas prices, the idea of a pricey kitchen remodel might not be top-of-mind these days.
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