Are you a reader?  Then invest in a lounge/reading area with thought-provoking artwork and ample lighting. Eye experts generally agree that two reading lamps of at least 175-200 watts are best to avoid strain.  If this seems too bright for a bedroom, consider installing a series of wall sconces behind a comfortable chair and ottoman, which will give you a lot of light and style.  Get lots of pillows.  Maybe your reading area is a cozy nook—think about installing built-in bookshelves.  Does landscape art move you, or something modern and geometric?  It’s best for the eyes not to read lying down, but if you prefer reading in bed, think about installing a padded headboard.

Color is important because it will define the vibe of your master bedroom.  Passion colors include deep red, peach, pink, purple, and gold.  A good masculine accent would be royal blue.  Consider smart colors like ivory, amber, steel blue, or gray-green if you are going with a reading theme.  General sanctuary colors, and ones suited to either gender, should be soothing and earthy, like forest green, mocha, cobalt blue, or rich eggplant.  Play with schemes and consider a subtle stencil high on the walls, which will draw attention up and give your room some lift.

One way to make your bedroom stand out—while saving money—is by painting a headboard onto the wall above your bed.  It’s a great illusion and you can get very creative.  Measure the width of the head of your bed, marking it with painter’s tape from floor to ceiling.  Choose a color that will compliment the existing one on the wall.  Add details like wall decals, if you wish.  Paint stars and birds, or a chandelier.  This is a good master bedroom project for the artistically inclined.  You might even consider a mural.  It’s your room, after all.

A potted tree will be a great focal point in your master bedroom, or a leafy plant.  Do you like golf? Sewing? Classical music? Astronomy?  Decorate according to your hobbies and enjoyments and you will find the room to be much more than a place to dress and sleep.  It will be your safe, lovely retreat.

Article originally published here: http://www.homeremodelingct.org/connecticut-contractors/12-designer-decorators/79-design-in-the-master-bedroom.htm

When it comes to transforming your basement into a gameroom, the possibilities are truly endless.  After enlisting the help of a basement finishing contractor, the fun begins.  Do you want a theme room, like your favorite sport, a casino lounge, or pub decor?  To be wise, it is best to avoid a cluster of posters, street signs, and beer logos.  You don’t want your final, finished space to look like an adolescent bedroom.  Even if you do not want a single theme, a gameroom should be well put together and organized, with a professional design.

For lighting, consider touch lamps, clap machines, and hanging florescent fixtures over any game tables.  You might want to invest in pub lamps or lava lights.  For game rooms with a bar, look for lights that advertise your favorite drink or pub fare.  Vintage and antique machines are available if you are willing to pay extra.  Or if you’re thinking beach bar, buy some Tiki lamps and rattan bar stools.  You want to be strategic with the lighting in your basement gameroom.  Games like pool and ping-pong need a fairly bright light.  Arcade machines will light themselves.  Dim or colored bulbs will be great on top of the bar, or in a fixture above a poker table.

Will the gameroom be for adults, or will kids be joining in the fun?  It is wise to get mixed age-appropriate activities.  A real poker table is great for adult-night, so it is best to distract the kids with an arts and crafts table, indoor hockey net, bowling set, basketball hoop, or board game area.  Otherwise, kids will be too tempted by the adult game fun.

Wall color schemes for basement gamerooms include the use of complimentary colors.  These are two colors on opposite ends of the color wheel that create a striking affect.  Complimentary colors are often used on sports uniforms—blue and orange, purple and yellow, green and red.  It is best to use the darker color as trim, and the lighter color on the main wall.  The lighter color will make your pictures, clocks, and signs stand out more.  Or try a large diamond-shaped design across the walls.  Create a geometric mural if you are artistically inclined.  Paint your favorite arcade character, sports star, or muscle car.

You can always mask the functional components of your basement with moveable paneling if you want to hide a rattling furnace and water heater.  An unfinished ceiling will have an industrial effect, or install panels and a handsome ceiling fan for ventilation.  You can still access any pipes or ceiling ducts with drop ceiling panels.

A basement gameroom has fun meeting functionality, and who can argue with that?  A finished basement will also significantly raise the price of your home.

Article originally published here: http://www.totalbasementfinishing.com/basement-finishing/basement-finishing-ideas/articles/turning-a-basement-into-a-gameroom

When you want to use plants to incorporate different looks in various parts of your home, realize that some rooms are more suitable for one type of plant than another.  When plant shopping, take note of whether a plant is low-light or high-light, and think of which areas of your home get more sun, or less.  It is often the case that higher-light plants require more water.  If there are pets or children in your home and you want a low-maintenance floor plant, a snake plant is a much safer choice than a cactus.  Always ask when shopping whether a growth is poisonous, and avoid them if you have animals or toddlers that might unwittingly try a bite.  In that case, it’s best to decorate with high hanging plants, or perhaps an indoor tree like a ficus bejamina, with leaves out-of-reach.

It’s wise to select plants with a look that compliments the interior design of your home.  A more modern interior would do well with a funky marginata or colorful bromeliad.  A country kitchen would be lovely with a hanging ivy or pothos, and an Asian-themed living room would be suitable for a collection of bonsai.  Always take into consideration that plants grow.  Choose a pot that will give the roots plenty of space to spread.  Large plants like tropical trees and exotic palms must be in big potters, or else they are liable to topple onto the floor—or worse, perish.

Designing with plants gives you the option to cover up areas of the home like stained carpet and damaged walls.  You can brighten a splintered windowsill or unsightly radiator with a small orchid.  You can liven up an unused fireplace with a collection of warm ferns.  All plants usually do best when stationed in one area, as they become used to the same temperature and sunlight factors, day in and day out.  It’s best not to move them or shuffle them around unless absolutely necessary.  Flowering plants tend to wilt around heating vents or close to a stove.  Try to keep your houseplants in an area with the most consistent surroundings, and even one slightly humid.

Be careful of overwhelming your space with plants.  One single tree is usually sufficient as a warm focal point in a living room or large entry.  The bigger the foliage, the more oxygen it gives off, so a considerably leafy plant may be good in the bedroom to help you sleep better.

Have fun decorating with plants.  Be cautious and creative—your new plants just might last for decades.

Article originally published here: http://www.homeremodelingct.org/connecticut-contractors/12-designer-decorators/76-decorating-with-plants-bringing-the-outside-in.htm

Paint
Paint is a simple and inexpensive product that can go a long way.  Are the bathroom or kitchen cabinets too expensive to replace?  Sand and paint them.  Is the floor etched and dull?  Most flooring material can be painted.  With all the colors on the market, you can get creative, even on a tight budget.  Consider stencil patterns.  Maybe you want a ski or fir tree pattern in a lodge-like living room, or a comforting foliage design in a country kitchen.  The possibilities are endless in a child’s room—rainbows, baseballs, clouds, dolls and animals.  If you are artistically inclined, paint a mural on the wall.  Before painting anything, however, make sure the paint you have purchased is compatible with the intended surface.

Fabric
Instead of buying new furniture, invest in a slipcover for that aging sofa.  Cover-ups are similar to paint in that they’re an inexpensive and quick way to an entirely new look.  Are the wood kitchen chairs nicked and stained?  Cover them with handsome, durable fabric.  Does your bed need an extra something?  Go with new throw pillows with a fun pattern.  Curtains add charm, and there are all kinds available that are very inexpensive.  It’s amazing what a difference some new fabric can make in a room.

Mirrors
Budget-friendly wall mirrors can be purchased to really open up a space.  Think about a pattern of small mirrors for a geometric affect.  Or frame a single mirror for a “mock window.”  Place a mirror behind a collection of stones or a houseplant.  Mirrors add light and seem to give a room greater size and dimension.

Light
It’s stunning what replacing a lampshade or lighting fixture can do for a room.  Fabulously original fixtures are often available at discount stores.  Funky, simple, or chic, lighting matters perhaps more than anything else, yet often its importance is often overlooked.  After all, the lighting is what will illuminate your vision.

When redecorating on a budget, stick to your priorities but always leave room for spontaneous buys.  Little purchases can become large style accents in your space.  Interior design is an art in itself—one that doesn’t have to cost you a ton of money to make a bold, new statement.

Article originally published here: http://www.homeremodelingct.org/connecticut-contractors/12-designer-decorators/89-interior-design-on-a-budget.htm

Before you start on any painting project, remember: don’t skimp on preparation. Sand off flaking paint and fill holes with spackle. Cover all surfaces you want to protect with a good drop cloth, wipe down your walls and remove any grease, handprints or dirt and tape all trim edges, switch plates, outlets and knobs before you open that first can of paint. And if you have any doubts in how to complete the job, contact a professional painter to help you.

Rag rolling
The rag rolling technique uses a special fabric cover for your roller to either apply color (ragging on) or to remove paint that has already been applied to the wall surface (ragging off). Some painters prefer to use damp rags loosely balled up and held in the hand to apply or remove paint, instead of using a roller cover.

Sponging
Like the handheld rag technique, sponging uses the ragged texture of a dampened natural sea sponge to achieve a mottled effect on walls and ceilings by adding or removing layers of paint. Both sponging and ragging techniques require practice to make sure you are able to achieve consistency over a large surface.

“Leather” look
This technique can be a little more difficult to master than ragging or sponging, but with a little practice, the results can be spectacular. The key is to work in small areas – no larger than 3′ by 3′ for best results. In this method, while glaze or paint is still wet in the treatment area, sheets of plastic wrap are applied to the surface and then removed to achieve the lines and wrinkles common in aged leather. This effect can also be achieved using strips of chamois cloth, stacked up and tied in the middle. Holding the strips up by the center, the appearance is that of a loose mop head. Dampen the chamois mop head and scrunch it gently in your hand, applying the ends of the chamois to the wall to remove some of the paint or glaze.

Color glazing
One of the simplest techniques to complete, color glazing involves the use of a base coat of one color of paint, with one or more layers of different colors of paint, thinned with glaze, on top. By thinning the upper coats with glaze, the base coat can show through, creating the illusion of depth. Color glazing is often combined with ragging or sponging on the uppermost layer of color.

A fresh, interior paint job can change the look of a room and create a completely different feel for your home. And one of the best things about paint is its relative low cost: even if you don’t achieve the look you want with one technique, it’s a simple matter to cover it up and start all over again.

Article originally published here: http://www.homeremodelingct.org/connecticut-contractors/28-painting-staining/91-interior-painting.htm

Energy Efficient Homes

Can you imagine a house that is able to warm itself without the need of a furnace or any separated heat contraption?  Paying less for your monthly electricity than you pay for a pizza?

The creators of German Passive Houses Project go beyond imagining it. They actually made it a reality and proved it is indeed  possible to have a home that is so energy efficient that you need no separate heating system to keep the house warm and there is no loss of comfort.

The Passive House is the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction: Energy saved on heating is 80% compared to conventional standards of new buildings. The energy requirement for heating is lower than 10 to 20 kWh/(m²a) (depending on climate), adding up to a low cost of 10 to 25 € ($15 to $36 USD) per month.

For you to have an idea on how energy efficient those houses are, keep in mind that the average home in ths U.S. spends 40 kWh a day. Almost twice of what a passive house spends in a month!

According to the website, such efficiency is achieved through a combination of the following:

• Proper insulation methods
• Design without thermal bridges
• Air tightness
• Ventilation with heat recovery
• Proper comfort windows
• Innovative Heating Technology

This technology can be easily applied in new construction as well as existing buildings.

The next step? The Self-Sufficient Solar House, conceived by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy in Freiburg, Germany.

The wrong contractor, a bad weather spell, an unclear contract clause or last minute changes can all can contribute to turn a dream project into a  homeowner’s worst nightmare.

As more homeowners prepare to tackle home improvement projects this year, Consumer Reports, which recently conducted a poll on Home Remodeling, points to the 5 most common mistakes homeowners make when dealing with contractors and conducting the project:

1. Don’t rush in. Make sure you carefully plan the whole project, and are 100% sure that you will be satisfied with the final result. Making changes to the project “on-the-fly” is the costliest mistake homeowners make. It can add in average of $1,500 to kitchen projects and $650 to bath remodels.
2. Prepare for the unexpected. As the work begins some new problems might be uncovered. When walls are stripped, things like water damage, mold or pest infestation may surface.  Good contractors are able to anticipate some of the problems and allow the homeowner to adjust the budget. Consumer Reports reveals that water damage was an issue with 17 percent of bathroom remodels, and structural problems delayed 10 percent of kitchen projects.
3. Don’t chase the lowballs. What seems to be cheap initially may end up costing more. To compete in a tight market contractors lower their profit margin, but will make up their costs in labor or other areas. According to the Consumer Report poll, readers who went for the lowball spent in average $1,500 extra on their kitchens and $1,000 extra on their bathrooms. Make sure the contract specifies amounts for products and materials before you sign. Avoid signing contracts with too many  “allowances”.
4. Get the paperwork in order. Have the contractor attach copies of his up-to-date license, insurance and workers’ compensation policies to the written contract. He also should get permits and provide a lien waiver when the job is done; this will keep suppliers from contacting the homeowner for unpaid bills.
5. Focus on the boring bits. The tedious details no one wants to think about are the ones that will usually make a difference between a successful remodeling experience and a tragic one. Things like the proper placement of outlets for appliances and electronics,  task lighting, the proper fan for a bathroom, or even determining a place for the garbage can are usually overlooked in projects but will prove to be fundamental later on. Changes made after the remodeling job is concluded are usually a costly hassle.

Sources:

• Shop Smart: Top five remodeling headaches.
• http://www.consumerreports.org/

Painting is a quick and budget-friendly home improvement

Painting is a good way to spruce up a room without breaking your budget or taking up too much time. When it comes to painting, there’s nearly an endless array of types, colors, styles and techniques to use. There are paint types that work best for certain rooms in your home, and a professional painting contractor can help you figure out what options will work best for you.

Specialists will be able to tell you exactly which types of paint and painting techniques are right for your bathroom, bedroom, living room, kitchen or any other room in the house. Professionals know that rooms like bathrooms or kitchens typically get moisture buildup, so a mildew-resistant satin or semigloss paint is the best choice and makes walls easy to clean.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Painters can take care of the steps needed to prepare walls for painting. They can take on large or small, interior and exterior paint jobs, as well as helping you with color selection and using environmentally friendly coatings.

They also know certain painting techniques to add some style and sophistication to your walls. Whether you’d like to have a brightly colored accent wall in your living room or a checkerboard print in your kitchen, there’s a paint color or technique you help you do it.  Get creative!

Expert siding contractors have the knowledge and skills to make your home look like new!  Let them increase the value of your house with the curb appeal and easy maintenance of siding.

Common types of siding include vinyl, wood, various composites and stucco.  Each of these requires specific preparation of the area between the siding and your house’s exterior sheathing, which is best left to the experts. Good siding contractors are highly trained professionals with knowledge of the proper installation techniques.

It’s been reported that over two billion square feet of vinyl siding is produced each year in the United States. Siding can give a home a natural woodgrain look, but you won’t have to paint it. It will continue to look bright and beautiful for many years to come. You can purchase siding in neutral white and beige colors, but more colors beginning to be manufactured now.

Wind can cause siding to rattle, and the sun and heat can cause vinyl siding to grow or expand so the siding must be secured properly by a professional. Contractors can also use vinyl siding to replace aluminum siding or cover up old wood siding already on your house.

A good way to make outdoor spaces feel more comfortable and enjoyable is to think of these spaces in the same way you would think about the indoors. There are a number of non-traditional options for outdoor areas, including comfortable sofas, lounge chairs, pillows and soft fabrics. These are especially good for homeowners living in areas that don’t see a lot of rain. No one wants to have to rush outside to grab a sofa if it starts raining!

Read the full article.