Home Remodeling Blog
January 2008
The Archives
-
01.30.08Big and Small Ways to Update Your Kitchen
Kitchen Remodeling (0)Mary Carroll Garrity Scripps-Howard News Service Q. My kitchen is painfully outdated, and I'd love to fix it up this year. Any suggestions? Yes, don't delay. For nine long years, I drank my morning coffee in a room that easily could have won the Ugliest Kitchen on Earth award. The crowning touches had to be the sparkling turquoise countertops and the plaid turquoise carpet with a big rip down the center. Every time I vacuumed, the frayed strings got sucked up and wound around the vacuum brushes. Every time I broached the subject of remodeling the kitchen, Dan cringed because he knew it would ...
-
01.29.08Harwood Flooring Options Let You Choose Quality and Price
Flooring (0)Mary Ellen Slayter Washington Post Some people knock on wood; others prefer to walk on it. Wood floors are available from more than 50 species of trees, both domestic and exotic, in a wide range of colors, hardness and prices. One way to judge the quality of unfinished hardwood flooring is through the grading system created by the Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association. Its grades are based primarily on color, grain and markings. The best -- and most expensive -- grades of wood are labeled "clear" and "select." But these days, not everyone is aiming for perfection. "People are going more toward the natural-looking characteristics of ...
-
01.28.08Kitchen Counter Costs Vary Widely
Kitchen Countertops (1)Scripps-Howard News Service Replacing your kitchen counters is a big project — and it can be an expensive one, too. Here's a rundown from Home & Garden Television on 10 fashionable materials for kitchen countertops, plus details on their care, pros and cons, and cost. 1) Concrete. Concrete counters should be waxed every six months and sealed annually. Wine, lemon juice and ketchup can stain, so clean up spills immediately. Companies such as Sonoma Cast Stone have begun manufacturing stainless versions. Cost: $75-$200 per square foot, installed. 2) Glass. To create a beautiful breakfast bar, cantilever a piece of glass out ...
-
01.25.08For Tax Advantages, Improve Rather Than Repair
Uncategorized (0)Kathy Price-Robinson Los Angeles Times 'Pardon Our Dust' Blog Why do we elect politicians who pass legislation to benefit the rich? My theory is that we all think we could be rich someday (most of us won't be!) and we want the laws set in place when we get there. I mean, isn't that one of the main advantages of living in the United States, the idea that a person of average means can become wealthy? And so perhaps that's why I picked up a copy of Real Estate Tax Secrets of the Rich, a new book by CPA Sandy Botkin. I figured I should ...
-
01.24.08Ten Top Secret Kitchen Design Tips
Kitchen Remodeling, kitchen cabinets (0)Susan Serra The Kitchen Designer.org It's all in the details! Who knows why, but I just started thinking of how small, pesky, planning details, if overlooked, can cause pain and heartbreak if not addressed. OK, "top secret" may be just a little stretch, but not by much! I came up with these planning secrets, largely unknown to the typical consumer, off the top of my head, and trust me, there are MANY more that I must be aware of as I slowly and carefully go about editing a kitchen plan for the last time before putting the order "to bed" as I call ...
-
01.23.08Four Things to Consider When Remodeling Your Basement
Basement Remodeling (1)Jon All Around the Home The American family is requiring more and more space to spread out. Basements fill this need and add value at the same time. If you’re lucky enough to have one, you are ahead of the game in terms of resale value. But, what if it’s unfinished or you want to remodel it? Following are four things to consider when taking on a basement remodeling project to get the most value for your money. Basement Remodeling: The Proper Use of the Space One of the very first things you want to consider is what kind of basement remodeling project it’s going ...
-
01.23.08Hues to Use: Natural, Neutral Will Be Hot in Homes
Uncategorized (0)Jesse Milligan Fort Worth Star-Telegram What's in store for home decor in 2008? Expect to see a lot of anything that looks "natural." Slubby undyed linen upholstery. Neutral-colored natural-fiber rugs. Tables made to look like logs. "Anything that looks like something that helps save the environment will be big," says Amy Larrabee, spokeswoman for the Color Marketing Group in Annapolis, Md. "It does not necessarily have to be better for the environment, but it will look that way." We'll see textured neutral backdrops -- sofas and tables -- punctuated with bright and bold color-saturated accessories, the nonprofit group predicts. The Color Marketing Group gathers about 400 ...
-
01.23.08Key to Design Choices: Avoid Abrupt Changes
Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling (1)Mi-Ling Stone Poole McClatchy Tribune Dear Mi-Ling: I am updating my bathroom and kitchen. I cannot get new kitchen cabinets or a bathroom vanity, so I am refinishing them myself. Do all of the metals in my home - door knobs, cabinet pulls and knobs, ceiling fans, faucets, etc, have to be the same color or can there be brass in one area, silver in another? Also, over the years, I have purchased new door knobs as I could. Now, there are about three different designs, all polished brass, but different shapes. How important is that to be matched? My plan is to sell in ...
-
01.23.08Weekend Wasters Struggle with DIY Home Repair Jobs
DIY Experiences (0)Michelle Hoffmann Los Angeles Times That HGTV show made it look so easy. But growing numbers of budget-conscious homeowners are tackling jobs beyond their skills -- often to the dismay of their mates. When her husband decided to fix a leaky pipe in the bathroom in their West Hills home, Ethel Brook, 78, watched his progress with chin in hand and furrowed brow. As one weekend rolled agonizingly into two, the retired market researcher gently suggested for the 450th time that her husband of 20 years hire a professional. Undaunted, a determined Leonard Brook, 79, "sweating and hunched over," his wife recalled, plodded ...
-
01.23.08A Green Home Can Still Be Traditional
Green Remodeling (0)Wade Rawlins McClatchy Newspapers RALEIGH, N.C. — The brick house in Raleigh's Meredith Woods subdivision looks like thousands of other big new homes in the area. But this 4,300-square-foot house that Jonathan Philips and his family moved into a few months ago might be one of the greenest mainstream houses in the state, if not the country. It is a showcase for hundreds of environmentally friendly designs that could inspire homebuilders to try similar features. At the same time, its resemblance to other nongreen houses on the cul-de-sac is precisely the point. Cherokee Investment Partners, of Raleigh, the nation's largest redeveloper of polluted lands, built ...
-
01.18.08Smart Ways to Spend $5,000
Budgets & Remodeling (0)Christina Bolling Charlotte Observer Lots of home buyers these days are feeling a little strapped after they move in, with tighter lending restrictions requiring bigger down payments. Buyers, whether they choose new or existing homes, have less cash to fix up new places just the way they want. The days of putting no money down on your house so you'll have $30,000 or $40,000 for that dream kitchen remodel? They're over. "I don't think you can any longer get a 100 percent mortgage," said Dot Munson, president of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and a real estate broker with RE/MAX Executive Realty. Don't despair, though. You ...
-
01.18.08Kitchen Design Goes Far Beyond Cabinets and Countertops
Kitchen Countertops, Kitchen Remodeling, kitchen cabinets (0)Tim Carter Washington Post Q: DEAR TIM: I need some help with kitchen design. I'm pretty sure I know what I want, but kitchen designs are as varied as faces in a crowd. How will I know what is the best? What is the best way to approach a fresh project? -- Sheila B. A: DEAR SHEILA: Kitchen design is important, but it is sometimes confused with kitchen planning. Both are critical, and ignoring either one can lead to a disaster. Kitchen design speaks to the overall look of the kitchen once it is completed. A designer can use different materials, cabinets, finishes, lighting ...
-
01.11.08Get Your Garage Organized with a Makeover
Garage Remodeling (0)Jennifer J. Bush Orange County Register If you rush to shut the garage door before your neighbors can see inside, then have to suck in your gut to slink out of a 6-inch opening between your car door and a stack of boxes along the wall, maybe it's time for a garage makeover. Once reserved for excess junk and rarely used sports equipment, garages are not only becoming organized, they're the new frontier for home remodeling, a $2.5 billion a year industry that's growing, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Neighbors say Debbie and Geoff Sampson's newly remodeled $12,000 garage looks like ...
-
01.11.08More Couples Opting for Separate Bedrooms
Bedroom Remodeling (0)Mary G. Pepitone Kansas City Star For some couples, settling down for that long winter’s nap may require separate bedrooms. Career demands, a new baby or family illness may be the life-changing events that require separate slumberlands. A second master suite is part of the sweet life for some area families. Nancy and Bill DiRocco have been married for 35 years, and a renovation of their Overland Park home a year ago helped accommodate their lifestyles. “I’m a night owl and like to read in bed,” Nancy DiRocco said. “Bill’s job is demanding and he can be an early bird.” The DiRoccos aren’t alone in ...
-
01.11.08Be A Rebel! Break All The Kitchen Design Rules
Kitchen Remodeling (1)Christine Brun Copeley News Service Kitchen designers are leaving the familiar behind and positioning typical appliances in unusual places. By doing this, designers are creating much more flexible kitchens that fit much better into a compact space. In the photo (http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20071228_Be_a_rebel__Break_all_the_kitchen-design_rules.html), for example, the microwave/convection oven is not in an upper cabinet unit nor is it part of the overhead equipment above the range. Instead, it is included below the butcher-block prep area and opposite the refrigerator. Thanks to the growing awareness of appliance manufacturers who are beginning to address space challenges, there are lots of things you might stash under the ...
-
01.11.08Seven Deadly Bathroom Sins
Bathroom Remodeling (2)Cincinnati Enquirer Have you committed a sin in your bathroom? A design sin, that is . . . Bathrooms are botched more than any other room in the house. Whether it is from an unwillingness to spend the time and money to do it right, or having inept or inexperienced people doing the work, many folks unknowingly commit deadly bathroom design sins. Follow the tips of Fine Homebuilding's annual Kitchens & Baths issue and avoid the following seven bathroom design sins: Inadequate waterproofing. Bathrooms are wet rooms first, design showcases second. Every aspect of the planning and construction of bathrooms should take water exposure ...
-
01.11.08U.S. Countertop Demand to Reach 540 Million Square Feet in 2011
Kitchen Countertops (0)Cleveland, OH (Market Wire) Demand for residential kitchen and bathroom countertops is forecast to increase 1.3 percent annually to 540 million square feet in 2011. Demand growth will decelerate from the pace of the 2001 to 2006 period, primarily due to weakness in the new single unit home market. In the renovation market, kitchen and bathroom remodeling expenditures will increase, but at a decelerated pace from the 2001 to 2006 period. Continued consumer preferences for larger kitchens and more bathrooms will promote growth. These and other trends, including market share and company profiles, are presented in "Residential Kitchen & Bathroom Countertops," ...
recent posts
Copyright © 2007 Home Remodeling Blog. All rights reserved.