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Maximize Space in a Small Bathroom

One of the smallest areas in most homes is the bathroom. This creates a challenge for home owners and renters alike when it comes to storage, aesthetic and functionality of a bathroom. However, there are a variety of ways to make your bathroom appear larger without the high renovation costs or lengthy construction time of an expansion.
Pay attention to colors. It is commonly known that white and lighter colors can make a room appear larger and cleaner. Choose white cabinets, proper lighting fixtures and a calming color palette. You also want your bathroom to be a place of peace and relaxation, and lighter colors tend to create these feeling more than bold or darker ones. Mirrors are great for making a room feel bigger, and the bathroom couldn’t be a better place for a large mirror. Put plenty of lighting above the mirror so it can be as wide, or wider, than the vanity. This will open the space up significantly.
Choose the proper fixtures. The majority of bathrooms feature a shower or a tub and sometimes they are combined in one. Think about which one you really need and if possible remove the other. For example, if you prefer showers and rarely take baths, it makes sense to remove the bathtub to create extra space.
Re-organize everything. If you’re lucky enough to have a built-in closet in your bathroom, re-organize it to get maximum space. If you don’t have a closet, bring in items such as shelves, towel racks and storage units to store all your necessities like towels and bath products. If it’s at all possible, store only what you need in your bathroom- sometimes people end up making their bathroom a medicine cabinet or laundry room as well. Stick to keeping just what you need to shower and get ready for the day in your bathroom. Cleaning out your under the sink cabinets that you haven’t touched in months can also free up some unused space.
Ready to assemble cabinets will maximize the useful space in a bathroom and provide a built in look. These cabinets can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes and will help get you the most bang for your buck.
Keep it simple. Avoid heavily patterned wallpapers or trendy lighting- it will only distract the eye and make your space appear chaotic. Opt for simple colors and decor, remember with a bathroom, less is more.…

Tips For Planning a Home Renovation Project

When one is deciding to embark on a home renovation project, it is always wise to consult a professional, or at least the local hardware store employee on what materials one would need for certain projects. The first step, with anything that will take place in a home, is to consult a contractor, even if they will not be hired, and see their advice on how to go about conducting the renovation.
If they offer a good bid, one which is affordable in the budget that one has for the renovations, then hiring them is the smart choice. If their bid is too high, one can always choose to do the project themselves.
If one is like thousands of home owners, who want to get renovations started on their homes, have the funding to do it, but do not know where to start, here are some tips for beginning a project. First, how well do you like the layout of your living room space? If your home is like many, there is probably a wall between the living room and dining room, which divides the space, but also makes the house look smaller than it is.
Consider either taking out the wall completely, if the support beams and walls of the house will allow such action, or cutting an archway in the wall, if the support beams still are necessary in the house’s design. Should the wall still be needed and an archway be the option that you choose, fill the remaining wall with shelves that can display favorite family pictures, collectable items like classic cars or figurines, or the children’s artwork from school. Either way, you have opened up the space between the rooms and given a fresh look to the house.
Second, do you live in an area of the country that sees very little cold weather, like the desert southwest or southeast? Do you have a feature in your home, like a fireplace, that you use perhaps twice to three times a year and is completely not functional in your home? If so, consider having it removed and replace it with an entertainment center.
How nice would it be to have all the stereo equipment, the big television, the gaming systems for the children, and the family computer in one place where they can all be closely monitored by you and you would not need to worry about what the kids are watching on the internet or what they are listening to in their IPODs. Shelving can be utilized here as well for DVD and CD storage, which can be customized to however many you own at that time, or think you will own. There is also a shelving option for knickknacks that you like to collect, like Precious Moments or classic cars.
Because this shelving is being built for your equipment, you can customize it to fit exactly, or you can give your television space some room to grow. It is all up to you and depending upon your end goal, it can be tailored to your exact needs.…

Different Types Of Wood Used To Install Hardwood Floors

Installing hardwood floors is an important part of the entire idea of home remodeling. Such wooden floors come in different types, shades, colors, and wood variety and look extremely stunning. Known basically for their uniqueness and beauty, hardwood floors also add charm to any room, thus helping in home remodeling to a great extent. Mainly due to this feature, numerous homeowners in a number of US cities like Beaverton (Oregon) and Tigard (Oregon) prefer to change the floors of their homes as a part of their plan of home improvement.
There are different types of woods that can be used for hardwood flooring. However, you have to keep a few things in mind before you decide what type of wood to use. For example, wooden floors can easily get scraped, scratched, and beaten down from regular wear and tear. Here are a few types of woods that can be used for hardwood flooring:
1. Engineered wood: These types are constructed with 3 to 5 layers of different types of woods and each layer is glued together under pressure and heat. Since engineered wood floorings are least affected by humidity, these can be installed either on or above or below ground level.
2. Laminate wood: These are versatile in nature since they look almost like real wood. Laminate woods are actually plywood with layers of veneer that look like real wood. These are durable and strong and the superficial layer cannot be scratched and is resistant to moisture. It is often seen in US cities, like Portland (Oregon) and Beaverton (Oregon) that residents use this type of wood to install hardwood floor for their homes.
3. Plastic laminates: These types of flooring are made of a fiber wood center which in turn is sandwiched between twin layers of laminates. These wooden floors cannot be sanded and refinished, so when they wear out after regular use the only option is to get them replaced. Plastic laminates are easy to install and are suitable for those parts of the home where people move around regularly like the kitchen or the passage-way.…

Lighting Tips for Your Bathroom Remodel

No bathroom remodeling design is complete without a plan for improved lighting. Lighting serves many functions in the bathroom, from highlighting the decor to helping you accomplish your daily grooming and hygiene routine to complementing your reflection in the vanity mirror. By installing the appropriate lighting in your bathroom, you can both make the space feel larger and create place for personal retreat.
Here’s a look at the types of lighting you should include in your bathroom remodeling plans:
Task Lighting
Task lighting in a bathroom is one of the most important types of light to include in your bathroom remodel, as it gives you the necessary illumination for applying makeup, shaving, showering and performing other essential tasks.
When designing your task lighting, pay extra attention to the illumination around your bathroom vanity, which is essential for grooming and applying makeup properly. A common mistake homeowners make is placing a single light directly over the mirror, which casts misleading shadows on your face. If possible, surround the mirror with vanity lights or add sconces on either side of the mirror to create more even lighting on your face.
For additional task lighting, place a waterproof, recessed light above the shower or tub.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is a stand-in for natural light, enhancing the mood or atmosphere of a bathroom. If you’re fortunate enough to have a window or skylight in your bathroom, take advantage of the natural light as much as possible by removing blinds or curtains and using a thin shade or frosted glass instead. If your bathroom lacks natural light, you can simulate it with a lamp or chandelier on the ceiling. You can also create a soft glow by concealing, rope lights around the perimeter of the room behind molding that sits up to six inches below the ceiling.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is typically used to illuminate an aspect of your bathroom you want to highlight, such as artwork, a unique tile arrangement, a beautiful tub or an interesting sink. To create accent lighting, add a recessed spotlight with a beam aimed at the element you want to highlight.
Other Bathroom Remodel Ideas
Once you’ve designed your bathroom lighting scheme, make it work in harmony with the rest of your decor by using color and decorative elements to enhance the lights. A large mirror above the sink will reflect your bathroom’s light and make the space appear larger. For a small bathroom remodeling project, artistically arrange a collection of smaller mirrors. Adding a soft, light color to the walls and floors will also help reflect your bathroom’s light. You can also include a light-colored rug.
Finally, attach your different lighting elements to various dimmer switches to give you total control over your bathroom’s ambience. This will not only help you create whatever mood you desire, but it can help you save energy and lower your utility bill.
Although bathroom lighting is often neglected, good lighting is essential to any functional bathroom. As you begin plans for your bathroom remodeling project, make sure you include the one element that will help make the space look its best — and make you look fabulous.
~Flora Richards-Gustafson, 2010…

Kitchen Remodeling and Renovations

Remodeling and renovating your kitchen is very exciting. Creating your dream kitchen to cherish and share with your friends is one of the great pleasures in life. Your home is your sanctuary and reflects who you are and what is important to you. Walking into your home to a remodeled kitchen is a delight.
The first step in kitchen renovation is to have a general idea of what you want to do and what you want out of your kitchen. When you have lived in your kitchen you will know what you do and do not like about your kitchen. Does the location of your refrigerator bother you? Do you like your stove? Do you have enough cabinet space? All of these questions need to be pondered. What do you want in your dream kitchen? How do you want your kitchen to function? Do you need to open it up to your living area to have more of a flow for entertaining and everyday living? Do you need to create more space for cabinets? Is it set up in a functional way for cooking? Do you love wine and want to incorporate a wine cooler? Do you need a double oven for cooking for holidays and entertaining?
You want to have a clear idea of what you want so when you go to your kitchen designer you wont waste time drawing up models of the kitchen. You may ask how to find a good designer? Ask your circle of contacts if they have hired or know of a good designer. Realize that what will make a good designer for you will be that you adore their work. Your friends and family may recommend a good designer but if you love traditional and the designer is hot on contemporary he or she is not the designer for you.
Your designer can do as little as draw a design of your kitchen with kitchen cabinets or can go all the way with you to covering all the minute details necessary for a kitchen remodel. When you are looking for a designer what are the signs you want to watch out for is if the designer will limit you to purchasing any cabinets or accessories from their suppliers. Do not limit yourself, even if you end up buying from your designers recommended source you want to have the option of going to a variety of cabinet suppliers.
When you meet with a designer have your list of what you want in your kitchen along with pictures from magazines or websites. Give the designer as much detail as possible about your likes and dislikes. It goes without saying to look at past projects the designer has done, if the style of the designer is not to your liking it is time to move on and find one whose designs you do like. Don’t expect the designer to be different on your job than they are on other projects.
Another key to a good designer is whether or not they will adhere to your budget. Ideally if you have no monetary concerns the sky is the limit. However if you are like many individuals, even if you have unlimited cash flow, you normally have a budget in mind that you want to spend on your kitchen remodel. If your designer keeps pushing you to spend money you would rather not spend this is not a good sign.
Renovating your kitchen can be rewarding and exciting. A good kitchen design is timeless and will bring you years of fulfillment and happy memories. Look for plenty of photos on kitchen remodeling and renovation projects to inspire you and give you the ideas you can use when you design your dream kitchen.…

5 Things to Consider When Renovating a Bathroom

New furniture and a fresh coat of paint is all it takes to give many rooms in the house a totally new look. Yet, bathrooms are usually a completely different story. If you have plans to renovate a bathroom at home, read through this article to learn about some of the important factors of a bathroom remodel.
1. How Far do You Want to Go?: When you decide to renovate a bathroom, you will be faced with an array of choices. One of the first and most important things to consider when deciding to renovate a bathroom is how big of a change you want to make. Do you wish to scrap the entire space and start from the beginning? Possibly you love the look of the bathroom, but just want a new bath or shower system. Or you could simply want to freshen things up with a new colour of paint and updated fixtures. Whichever route you choose to take, until you know how far you want to take this renovation, you cannot move ahead with your plans.
2. Contracting the Job to a Professional: Once you know how big the renovation project is going to be, you will have to decide whether you will be taking on this project yourself or hiring a professional bathroom remodelling company. For simple things like changing hardware and re-painting, you can most likely do that yourself. However, if you are starting from scratch and install all new flooring and a new bath and shower system, you will want to hire a professional. Professionals will be able to deal with any plumbing or electrical issues that could arise in a renovation.
3. Function of the Space: Now that you know how big of a renovation you want and whether or not you are hiring a team of professionals, it is time to think about the overall function of your soon-to-be new bathroom. Now there are obvious uses that don’t need to be mentioned, but aside from those, what else do you want this space to offer? Will this be a smaller powder room for guests? Is this a larger, common bathroom that the whole family uses, therefore it needs to be more durable? Or perhaps it is your private ensuite that you wish to turn into your own personal spa-like space. Knowing what you want from your new bathroom will help you know which direction to go in terms of budget, layout and design.
4. Budgeting for Your Project: With the technical aspects out of the way, you can start to organize your budget for the renovation. If you are hiring a professional contractor and doing a full renovation, your budget will obviously be much higher. You should also be setting aside an emergency fund in the case that something should happen during the process if this is what you are planning to do. You are dealing with much more in a bathroom renovation as opposed to a bedroom or living room because plumbing gets thrown into the mix.
5. Budget Your Time: One more important thing to do when planning a bathroom renovation is to set a timeframe for the actual process. Whether it will be a long or short process, be sure to allow for some flexibility. By allowing for flexibility, you will be prepared in case there is unexpected structural or plumbing problems, delivery or manufacturing delays or other outside issues.…