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Stripes are in--all sizes, all colors, horizontal, vertical and zig-zag. Stripes are in furniture, floors, wallpaper, curtains, accent pillows and wall art. Bold, vibrant, statement stripes like the ones shown here are especially popular.
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Do-it-yourself projects are popular this year, but in a slightly different way. A few years ago DIY projects were the way to go because money was so tight, but now the projects represent getting in touch with your creativity, controlling the outcome of the project, and repurposing old pieces in a useful way.
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The hominess and textures of embroidery and knitting are also popular right now. The good news is that if you're lacking either the time or the manual dexterity required to whip up a set of pillows or a sofa throw, you can buy them online. They may be a little pricey, but they're already made and available in both modern and vintage designs.
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Men are now at home more than in the past and they want to participate in interior design choices. That means rooms that are rustic, imperfect, textured, and functional with colors that are dark and dusky, bold prints, and textured metals.
| | | | Green or living walls originally were designed to counteract the loss of green space within the city as buildings sprang up everywhere. They've now become popular because of the ambience they offer, plus they reduce the temperature and filter the air, while providing acoustic and thermal insulation. A living wall is a structural frame covered in vegetation and a growing medium and connected to some kind of irrigation system. |
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Kitchen faucets have a lot more available options than bathroom faucets. They have touch-free technology, separate beverage faucet for chilled water, pull-down faucet, articulated faucet, vase, soap dispenser and side sprayer. They're available in many different finishes & colors, and several styles like modern or rustic.
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When choosing a sink, you can match it to the style of your faucets--rustic, Old World, modern, for example. You can also select a sink by the function you need it serve--food prep, entertaining, bar prep, washing dishes. Or you can just pick a particular design or material and go with that.
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| | Bedrooms should be a reflection of your personal style and be uniquely you. To capture your essence you need to start with a wall color--either your favorite color, a neutral color, or a neutral color with an accent wall. Next you need to choose a furniture style: Contemporary, Traditional Classic, Old World, or Vintage Casual. Contemporary is distinctive with its simple, clean lines. Traditional Classic is timeless, comfortable and predictable. Old World is from an earlier time and could be French, Italian, Victorian, or Colonial, for example. Vintage Casual is typically 30 to 100 years old with a more relaxed point of view than Traditional Classic. | |
The final 2 categories for your room are the window treatments and accessories. You can use the window treatments and accessories either to tie into the other elements of your room or to stand alone as the focal point of the room. You also have the option of tying all the colors together--walls, window treatments and accessories.
| | | | If it's true that our bedrooms are a reflection of who we are, you should know whose rooms these are. I'll tell you the answers tomorrow. 1) A. Jerry Seinfeld B. Ashton Kutcher C. John Travolta 2) A. NIcole Kidman B. Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne C. Christina Aguilera 3) A. Christina Aguilera B. Martha Stewart C. Mariah Carey 4) A. Cher B. Elton John C. Prince 5) A. John Travolta B. Jennifer Anniston C. Jay Leno 6) A. Jerry Seinfeld B. Meg Ryan C. Tom Hanks 7) A. Madonna B. Sarah Jessica Parker C. Kate Hudson 8) A. Mariah Carey B. Jennifer Lopez C. Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne 9) A. Lindsay Lohan B. Sarah Jessica Parker C. Jennifer Anniston | And finally, here are some beautiful bedrooms that don't belong to anyone in particular and use a combination of all of the elements to create a unique bedroom.
| | About 15 years ago, Dan Nelson tried to repair a patch of wallpaper at his home, and found it wasn't possible. That lead him to create a unique line of hand-painted wallpaper that doesn't require lining up the pattern, and it's installed in smaller sections so that repairs are easy. Here are a few of the patterns the company offers. According to their website, if you can't find your specific color in the 700 they offer, they will create a custom color for you. |
| | If you could create a space in your yard, what would it be for? Relaxing, entertaining, or just admiring its beauty from inside your home? You'll need to put a design together. Relaxing means comfortable chairs, entertaining means a grill and tables, a beautiful space is a water feature and/or flowers. Next you'll need a base--either concrete, stone, wood or pavers. Pavers are an easy weekend project and there's even permeable clay pavers that allow water to go directly into the soil if water run-off is a problem in your yard. | Of course if your do-it-yourself skills aren't up to par with your designing skills or imagination, you can always get professional help to create a courtyard or backyard like the ones below.
Metal ceiling tiles are designed to replicate the kind of handcrafted metal ceilings we've seen in pictures of ancient palaces, but they're a fraction of the cost and much easier to install. A couple of the companies offering these tiles are Crossville and the American Tin Company. American Tin has 33 patterns in 90 different colors, so you can design an old world dining room or a sleek and stylish kitchen. If you would like a metal ceiling, but bronze or copper seems too dark, you can always get it painted in white or a rainbow of colors. | |
The good thing about metal ceiling tiles is that they can be used in other areas. There are so many possibilities: kitchen backsplash, bathroom wall, fireplace surround, borders, exterior wall, shower wall, wainscoting, and bedroom wall, to name a few.
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Lutron's new Sivoia QS Wireless shade controlling system is a great way to eliminate the hassle of shades and drapes that are hard to adjust.
The Sevoia system works with a wide range of Lutron window shade control features and will work in multiple rooms of your home.
The following video showcases how this might work for you.
 This is one of the ways you can go to get your home super 'green'. A solar-hot-water heater is a great way to start contributing to our country's energy use crisis.
FAFCO solar hot water systems are designed to operate automatically, gathering the sun's energy when available. When solar energy is unavailable, the system turns itself off and the hot water is stored in your water tank until it is needed.
The hot-water system includes a custom-designed digital solar controller, heat exchanger and pumps incorporated into a single, compact unit that installs easily on the water heater tank or wall.
If you are looking to go solar there are many options and this is a great solution. Let us help you start designing your next 'green' home remodeling project.
 Replacing windows can give your home the 'facelift' it's needed! These Kolbe Windquest Energy Performance windows can do this but more importantly they provide a service that is twice that of Energy Star criteria and solar heat-gain coefficients above the standard. Available in casement, awning, or studio versions, the windows feature a 1-1/4" triple-glazing system and allow a maximum air infiltration.
Design options include grills in the airspace or performance-divided lites in several bar widths in either white or beige (the exterior may also be color coated with a polyurethane color finish). With many options in windows it's important to know what you're looking at and have an experienced home remodeling contractor to answer any questions you have. Let Homework Remodels help you pick out the right windows for your home.
Now that the new year has arrived, I thought it would be a good time to share my views on the top remodeling trends for 2011. This year has been challenging for homeowners and remodelers alike. The good news is that although progress is slow, remodelers across the valley say that things are looking up.
Homeowners are looking to the New Year with a renewed sense of optimism about remodeling their homes. Home prices have stabilized and the economy is moving in a more positive direction. Astute remodeling contractors have found ways to lower their overhead and pricing to be competitive during the recession. Many people think that 2011 will the best time we have seen in years to remodel a home.
The number one trend in 2011 remodeling will be expanded use of creativity by homeowners and remodelers as a team. The use of design build remodelers will continue to expand due to their holistic approach to balancing both design and budget  The focus will be on creative use of existing space and moderate sized additions. The use of color as a way to define space and bring out architectural features will continue to gain popularity. Kitchens will be made over to be brighter, open and less formal. Granite and quartz continue to be the countertops of choice, but soapstone is emerging as a unique alternative for an earthier feel in a solid surface countertop. Many kitchen and bathroom remodels will include cost effective techniques to recycle or renovate features rather than replacing everything.
Formal spaces in the home will be repurposed by opening up existing walls and creating more usable family centered space. Many people will find that their home can take on a whole new feel and function by reorganizing the seldom used formal open floor plan, living and dining rooms.
Master suites and bathrooms will also be designed around how we live our lives, with less focus on over the top extravagance. By focusing more on function and reasonable scale over flash, home remodels will have the feel and features we want without unsustainable budgets.
Integrating home energy performance improvements with various types of remodeling projects will continue to grow in popularity due to their positive return on investment. Homeowners are discovering that advances in building science have illustrated that there are numerous cost effective adjustments that can be made to their homes during a remodel. These adjustments and repairs will improve their energy bills and make their homes more comfortable at the same time.
An excellent resource for perspective on remodeling in 2011 can be found in Sarah Susanka's book "Not So Big Remodeling. Sara is an Architect and bestselling author. She has been a proponent of designing and building living space that is more in line with how we live our lives. Her earlier book on home building "The Not So Big House" has led the trend away from building homes that are built for show instead of function.
Her longstanding focus on remodeling better instead of bigger will be the perfect homeowner perspective for 2011 for homeowners in Phoenix AZ and the surrounding communities of Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Sun City, Glendale and Peoria Arizona.
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