Eco-Friendly Closet Organizers: Sustainable Storage Solutions

Great Kitchen Renovation on a Tight Budget

The very first component that most homeowners think about when planning for a kitchen renovation is the kitchen countertop. This is the heart of the kitchen. Without a great looking countertop, no kitchen is complete. I would suggest you take a look at concrete countertops. This is a new and emerging style of countertop. It is made of designer colored concrete and only second to granite in terms of toughness. It will give your kitchen a very unique and stylish theme.
The next most important thing is the kitchen cabinets. Make sure that the color and theme of your kitchen cabinets and your concrete counter top has a single theme. I would suggest buying prefabricated kitchen cabinets then hire a carpenter to alter it to match your kitchen theme because building a kitchen cabinet set from scratch is very costly and time consuming. This will only require us to spend for paint, cabinet handles and miscellaneous materials to match the cabinet with our theme.
Lastly, we need to select matching tiles to complete our great looking kitchen. For this purpose, it is better to use large sixty by sixty ceramic tiles for the floor and smaller ceramic tiles around the kitchen sink and countertop. This way, it would be easier to clean the larger tiles for any spills and stains in the future. Use small tiles sparingly and only in tight spaces around the countertop corners because they will be harder to clean than large tiles.
For the walls, I would suggest using a wallpaper instead of paint because oil evaporating from our cooking will stick to the walls and it will be next to impossible to remove them without damaging the wall surface. With a wall paper, you can just rip it off your wall and replace it anytime it becomes dirty.…

Modern Trends in Home Remodel and Renovation

It’s no secret that the current housing market will remain largely lethargic for an extended period of time. People will continue to refrain from making big ticket purchases, which especially holds true for real properties. This could spell unpleasant news for developers, but surprisingly, or may be not so surprisingly if you really think about it, it will also create ample opportunities for general contractors and renovators as homeowners will opt to expand or enhance the properties that they already own.

While property values stagnate along with the rest of the economy, people will move less often and will own their house for longer periods. They will also increasingly spend more time at home. So the big question is, why not make it a happier time then?!

As a general contractor in Orange County, CA, we’ve been noticing that many home owners now prefer to upgrade their homes and stay where they are. We are also noticing that the level of sophistication of today’s homeowner’s tastes began to show a dramatic change. Consumers started asking us for materials with more cosmetic appeal and extended longevity. They want to enjoy their homes now and also make sure that they put themselves ahead of the crowd when it is finally time to sell.

Here are some of the specifics of what we’ve observed so far:

Increased length of ownership due to stagnating property values

Homeowners opt for happier time now and also put themselves ahead of the crowd when it is time to sell

Small contractor bankruptcy is on the rise

Contractor landscape is changing to reflect the new market reality – a direct result of flight to quality by the homeowners

Fly-by-night contractors are still out there, so the homeowner needs to exercise extra caution before inviting a contractor into their home

Natural high quality materials and high-end “green” technology are gradually entering homes

High-end remodels and renovations when done right create instant and lasting equity…

Kithen Cabinet Refacing – Cutting Costs But Not Quality

A couple things need to be considered when dealing with cabinet refacing. First of all, what conditions are your cabinets in? If the shelves on the inside are perfectly fine then you might not want to replace the whole cabinet because that can be a very expensive process. You will most likely want to hire a professional to do that job. If they’re in pretty good condition you could possibly do some resurfacing yourself through a paint job.
If you’re cabinets are already painted then you get the proper materials to strip the paint so that you may apply a new color. If your cabinets are currently a light color than you may be able to just paint over the existing paint. This can help eliminate any stains that may be on the cabinet and be able to change your kitchen just enough to make the difference. If you do decide to paint your cabinet a different color you might consider doing the walls around the kitchen as well. If you have wooden cabinets then you might consider refinishing the wood to give it a newer and cleaner look.
Cabinet refacing doesn’t have to be a major, expensive project. If you repaint or refinish your cabinets go to your local hardware store and look to replacing the handles on your cabinet. A nice brass handle can really be an upgrade from a simple cabinet that many homes have.
As you start your cabinet refacing project don’t feel that you have to do it on your own. Talk to some experts at the hardware stores or don’t be afraid to hire a professional to do the work for you. It’s more of a hassle to try a job yourself and do a poor job and have to hire a professional to come fix your cabinet resfacing attempt. From the beginning you might want to find the best professionals around and get the job right the first time.…

Learn How to Transform Your Bathroom Into a Personal Spa

At the end of a tough day at work wouldn’t it be great to sit down in a Jacuzzi or inside of a sauna. It is so decompressing and it assists to relieve the tension that is contained within our muscles. Regrettably numerous of us don’t have these conveniences in our home. Why not remodel your master bath into your own private spa.
Unless you live in a mansion the measure of space that you have accessible will be very limited. You should settle for yourself what is most essential to utilize and what you can live without. Begin by selecting what style you wish to utilize. You will be able to have contemporary, go for the modern, or find something that is in between both.
Pick out sinks, toilets, faucet fixtures, and tubs that assist to make it more relaxing and attractive to the eye. For example; numerous individuals prefer to utilize either the claw foot bathing tub or something bigger that has jaccuzi jets inside of it. Just be sure that everything you pick out works well together.
You must have plenty of lighting to see what you are doing and to get your face in the morning. However, you don’t want them to be blinding you. Try to have at least three kinds of lighting; ceiling, ambient, and task. The task is situated around the mirror and is what will assist you to put your make up on.
One of the greatest transformations to your master bathroom remodel is the type of shower you would like to utilize. You can’t have a personal spa without a showerhead that is designed with a lot of pressure. You might have to spend $100 or more for a unit that will help to massage you. These can be altered to your height, and are usually hand held.…

How To Create The ‘Oasis Factor’ With Innovative Duravit Bathroom Fixtures

If we’ve learned anything in the past few years, it’s that figuring home values, and calculating the value of home improvements is a tricky proposition. Location, market conditions, and the products used in remodeling any room are all factors in how much money one might recoup from a project. Upgrading a bathroom is no exception.
But there is an intangible involved in the remodeling of a bathroom. I like to think of it as “the oasis factor.” If the home is our castle, then the bathroom should be our oasis. That’s where Duravit products come in. Durability and practicality are an issue of course-but what is function without form? Duravit combines both.
Is it just possible that baby boomers and gen-Xers are staying put in their homes, and abandoning the concept of changing residences more often than they change their cars? If this is the case, then why upgrade a bathroom just for function? That’s only taking care of half the job. Why not upgrade not only the fixtures but the ambiance? Duravit products stand up to both challenges.
While they may not yet be a household name in the U.S., worldwide their bathroom furnishings are a standard of excellence in remodeling and new construction. Hotels, public buildings, and new homes throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East are using Duravit products. In cost, their fixtures can compete with the better-known American brands, yet there’s a step up in design and innovation in products from this German company that has been around nearly 200 years. Steam showers, tubs for two, over-size sinks, even out-door tubs and “pools” allow the homeowner or builder to create a spa or bathroom project that is out-of-the-ordinary. Why settle for a bathroom that is just the same but different?
As our needs change, so do our tastes. In college, or our first apartment, a box on the floor served not only as a bookcase, but an end table, dining table, and lamp stand. Anyone who has travelled to foreign lands has probably seen what passes for a bathroom in some older hotels. Are these rooms functional? , sometimes, they’re barely so. Are they beautiful? Rarely. And are these rooms an oasis of relaxation? Never. Why does the bathroom have to be a space that is, despite a few upgrades, simply a room for a toilet, sink, and bathing area? Duravit thinks outside the box-not only the box that confines your room, but the box that confines design and function.
Design is a big part of the appeal of their products, but Duravit just doesn’t design bathroom furnishings on the outside and slap a famous designer logo on the product. Their designers are creating products for the bathroom inside and out. In other words, it’s that design/function/innovation dynamic that is being created. Okay, maybe they’re not reinventing the wheel, but they are reinventing the idea of a bathroom. Next time you’re searching for the “oasis” in your home, check out Duravit bathroom furnishings. You may be in for a surprise.…

What to Look for in a Home Remodeling Company

A Seattle home remodeling company should not be chosen merely because it’s the first one that appeared in the phone book or because it’s the one with the cheapest rates. Most people these days care so much about convenience and economy that they end up sacrificing quality because they don’t want to exert a bit of effort in finding a company that can do the work for them. As a result, they end up with homes that look nothing like what they envisioned.
Make sure that the renovation company that you’re getting actually specializes in remodeling. Consider for a second construction companies that have shifted towards remodeling. Because they came from a different field, their mindset about the work is radically different. For them, as long as they finish the job, then that’s it. Contrast that with remodeling companies, who know full well that there’s more to renovations than simply building things and reorganizing. They see to it that everything is considered, from beginning to end, including the cleanup.
With regards to price, certainly budget is always a factor that you will need to consider. However, it shouldn’t be the only criterion in your mind when you’re looking for a company to do the remodeling for you. If the offer sounds too good to be true, chances are, it is. You might end up either scammed or left with substandard work, since you’re getting what you actually paid for. Even if it’s slightly more expensive, a renovation company that actually gives a quote with a detailed breakdown of the costs is more reliable than one that gives a lump sum without telling you where the expenses are going.
Before you choose a company that will do the house renovations for you, make sure you consider these factors. Remember, it’s your home they’re going to be working on, so making that extra effort will be worth it in the end.…