Have you ever wondered what color you should paint your front door? HGTV has a quiz that can help you determine what color is best suited for you. Take the quiz and see if that is the color you have or the coloring you have been dreaming about.
https://www.hgtv.com/quizzes/what-color-should-you-paint-your-front-door
Have you ever wondered if you are in style or out of style with your home? Here is an article we found from Country Living written by Brie Dyas titled: 7 Trends That’ll Be “in” for 2017 – and 3 That’ll Be “Out”
OUT: “Strictly” Antique — The pressure is off when it comes to only pairing antiques with pieces from the same period. “No one will be interested in designing an entire space, let alone an entire home, with a strict period in mind,” says Warren Sheets. “While it’s great to have a period as your starting off point, you don’t have to adhere to it exclusively. It’s more aesthetically intriguing to create a look that cohesively mixes of elements from the past and the future.” Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times
OUT: Brushed Metal — “Industrial looking or burnished metals have had their day,” says Sheets. “Shiny, warm metals like bronze and gold are resurging as important ways to lend elegance to a space.”
IN: Matte Appliances — The new look for the kitchen is bold without being in-your-face. “An object with a matte finish seems to strip away all other distractions such as surface sheen, forcing the form of the object to speak for itself,” says designer Bobby Berk. “Matte can also be a really unexpected finish for objects that are traditionally lustrous or glossy. This surprise can serve as a wonderful layer in design, adding depth to the overall composition and a counterpoint to other finishes.”
IN: Marble – You’re not just noticing it on Pinterest – marble is becoming a huge trend. “Naturally it is showing up in the all areas of our industry,” says Laura Michaels of ‘Get a Room Design’, who recalled how the tile market was dominated by the material at the industry show Covering 2016, especially when paired with wood and metal. “Marble wall covering carpet and fabric have not missed this trend either. There is no market untouched by this dominant material!”
IN: Cerused Wood – A “cerused” finish refers to the technique that brings out the unique grain of wood. “This trend which has been around in the high end market for some time has finally trickled down and seems universally accepted,” says Laura Michaels. You’ll see it on cabinets, but also in bigger pieces like tables, chairs, and storage furniture.
IN: Jewel Tones — Say good-bye to beige. The new look for walls will be pure drama. “Deep jewel tones, like emerald green or amethyst, and pastel colors, which are found in nature are popular,” says designer Heather Higgins, who also cites the saturated neutral of Benjamin Moore’s 2017 Color of the year, Shadow.
IN: Nailhead Details – This accent is a classic for upholstered pieces, but it’s being used in whole new ways. “We are seeing this trend go beyond the usual upholstery and into storage chests, credenzas, and even base plates of lighting fixtures! Some designers even use nail heads to create a pattern on the piece of furniture,” says Jennifer Koen, senior vice president for business development at the luxury consignment site Viyet. The Greek Key ottoman by the Madeline Stuart Collection offers a modern take on the familiar pattern via nail heads.
IN: Subway Tiles – “Another trend that is certainly nothing new, but seems to be cementing itself as a style element of our generation, is subway tile. It’s such a classic and versatile tile choice, and it really works with all sorts of styles and is affordable at any price point,” says Bobby Berk. The new look is all about the unexpected element. “In my own designs we’ve used subway tile to great effect in a farmhouse kitchen, where we added a dark grout to make the backsplash graphic and allow the tile to be even more durable and less likely to show dirt. It’s a fantastic choice for any aesthetic, lifestyle, and budget and comes in a variety of materials, colors and finishes. A great way to combine trends would be to consider a matte glass subway tile, for instances.”
IN: Smart Home Features – As our lives revolve more around our devices, so will our homes. “We will be seeing more and more creative ways of incorporating charging docks and areas specifically dedicated to these devices into the design of a space,” says designer Warren Sheets. IKEA’s SELJE nightstand is just one example of the new generation of smart furniture.
If you have a style you love, we say go for it, it is your home and if it makes you happy you should absolutely do it. Now, we may say you might want to rethink that thick green shag carpet.
With the Holidays approaching and gift giving at its best, we need to find ways to help safeguard our homes. BuzzFeed posted this 21 Cheap and Effective Tricks to Keep Your Home Safe.
1. Install some dummy surveillance cameras.
2. Always remember to remove flyers from your doorstep, or if you are gone make sure a neighbor does it for you.
3. Put bumper stickers on your car. This will make your car more identifiable and is a good deterrent and to keep it messy. I personally couldn’t do either of those. But if you have to park on a street, this may be a good idea.
4. Keep your landscaping neat and trimmed. Keep large bushes and shrubs away from windows where intruders could be lurking.
5. Buy light timers for your indoor and outdoor lights.
6. Pretend like you’re saying good-bye to someone inside when you leave your home.
7. Don’t leave your electronics boxes out on the curb. Drive them to the recycling plant yourself or cut them up into smaller pieces and conceal them in trash bins.
8. Don’t leave a ladder just hanging out in your backyard. This makes it much easier for burglars to get into through bedroom windows.
9. Make sure that your mirrors don’t reflect your home alarm. Burglars may be able to see if your alarm is unarmed. So make sure you examine your mirrors from all outside angles.
10. Mow your lawn, or have someone mow when you are on vacation.
11. Don’t leave status updates broadcasting that you’re away.
12. Fake a TV glow. There is a gizmo called FakeTV which makes your home look occupied with a device that looks like your TV is on.
13. If you go out of town, have a neighbor leave tracks in the snow or have someone shovel your driveway and sidewalks too.
14. Buy some fake alarm system decals if you can’t afford a real one.
15. When loading a car with suitcases, keep it quick and hidden if possible.
16. Reinforce your door jambs if you have a weak door frame.
17. Cancel your newspaper subscriptions and ask the post office to hold your mail while out of town.
18. Use a wooden dowel or metal bar for sliding doors and windows so they can’t be pried open.
19. Invest in double glazed or toughened glass windows.
20. Get a motion-sensor home security system that lets you monitor your home with your smartphone.
21. Build a secret hiding place for your valuables.
a. Hidden bathroom tile storage
b. Secret wall outlet hiding place
c. Photo frame secret box
d. Door top Stash
e. DIY Air Vent Vault Kit
These are just some ideas; there are so many helpful ways by just googling what you are looking for. I feel the best deterrent against burglars is always a barking dog.
Enjoy your Holiday
Is it that time of year again?!
Technically it’s not spring yet BUT warmer weather has us thinking about clearing out and cleaning up our spaces. While we wait for March, 20th to arrive why not start planning your spring cleaning now?
Here are 5 ideas to declutter, clean up, and refresh your home for spring.
Get rid of clutter and open up the big and small spaces in your home. Start by taking everything off a shelf, out of a cabinet, or off a table. Clean it and then replace it with only the items you want to keep. The rest of it can either be thrown out or put in your “give-away” or “goodwill” pile.
Don’t be afraid. Depending on how active your winter scrubbing was or wasn’t, maybe you should be a little afraid but it’s time! Grab that old toothbrush and clean your grout in your shower/tub and on the bathroom/kitchen floor. Scrub. Scrub. Scrub. Spring should begin with a fresh start (and a nice reward after you finish this project)!
After all the snow and mud brought into your house by shoes and/or paws consider getting your rugs and carpet professionally cleaned! Unless your carpet is brand new, you might not notice the discoloration but the dirt is there. Do it yourself or hire a service to get your carpet and rugs looking back to new.
The kitchen. You may not see it but check for dirty chair legs, dust on top of your cabinets, and scope out the various nooks and crannies in your kitchen. For the brave at heart, pull your fridge away from the wall and really get your kitchen cleaned up!
As dreaded as spring cleaning may seem, it does bring about a fresh start. Begin your spring/summer with a clean and clear home. After every project you complete, reward yourself! No rules apply to rewarding yourself so reward yourself before you start, reward yourself during the project, and definitely reward yourself after you finish.
Spring hasn’t come quite yet so start thinking ahead about some of the projects you would like to get done! Successful outcomes usually start with a plan.
Happy Cleaning!
The gallery below is of a recent custom home on Andy Drive here in Lincoln.
Bright and happy, yellow is a fantastic color for the interior of your home. Yellow has always been a popular color, however more often than not, the yellow you see in the can turns a completely different shade when it hits the wall. This phenomenon has to do with the varying shadows and natural lighting in one’s home. A sunflower yellow has the potential to turn into a popcorn butter-yellow once it is applied to the wall. Jeannie Matteucci from HGTV says that hallways and rooms without windows can benefit greatly from rich shades of yellow. Matteucci agrees yellow is “an uplifting color but you really have to pick the right shade. You want to make sure it’s not too bright or too muted, so use those test cans of paint and look at the yellow on your walls in the different lights of the day.” She recommends a warmer shade of yellow if painting in a kitchen over a lemon yellow. In general, it is best if you know your home, where shadows hit at certain times of day and of course the old trial-and-error method. For more tips and advice on choosing the right shade of yellow for your home, go to HGTV.com!
https://www.hgtv.com/remodel/interior-remodel/behind-the-color-yellow
Summer is almost here, and with it a desire for a change in scenery! A quick way to make this happen is with decorative wall art panels. They are made of sugarcane fibers, so they are eco-friendly. Easy to install, they make a fun do-it-yourself project and an inexpensive way to spruce up your home for the summer! This video will show you how a pack of decorative wall art panels can be inexpensive and easy to install.
Video
Image
https://www.3d-wall-panels.com/
Wall Panels produced by:
WallArt
Looking for a fresh set of interior home design ideas for the summer? Here is a great page to help you get started on redecorating your home with the most savvy trends of 2015!
https://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/try-a-new-trend-in-2015-pictures
Photos:
hgtv.com
Wood grain ceramic flooring is not only a cheaper alternative to solid wood, it is the growing preference of both homeowners and designers.
Continue readingLearn about how builder’s are redefining contemporary design through an article by Susan Brady from the March 2015 issue of Professional Builder. We’d Love to hear your feedback! Comment to this post with questions or comments and we would love to give you our professional opinion backed by 30 years of experience!
Link to the Article is Below: Copy and paste OR click on the picture to be directed to the article.
https://www.probuilder.com/how-builders-are-redefining-contemporary-design