Home Improvement

Creating A Home Improvement Plan
By Hunter Pyle

You’ve got your eye on the out-dated kitchen or you think you might want to just tear up your carpeting and install hardwood floors, but before you start to rip out the cabinets or the carpet make sure to establish some guidelines for your home improvement plan. A good home improvement plan should take into account: budget, financing, scope of work, functionality and aesthetics, resale value.

Budget Considerations

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April 12th, 2008 | Tags: budget, financing, home decor, home improvement tips, kitchen design, kitchen dining | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

For those of you who are looking to start updating the look of your home, consider starting with the outside first. After all, the exterior of your home is the first thing that visitors see as they approach your house. What better way to greet visitors and let them know that you’re available than with outdoor lighting? Whether it’s a post mounted lantern, porch lights, or ceiling mounted lights, outdoor lighting is an ideal way to give your home a fresh look.

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March 17th, 2008 | Tags: bathroom lighting, chandelier, floor lamp, home decor, interior decorating, lighti, outdoor lighting | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

You know your work on your house is far from done even after settling on those difficult mortgage clauses and paying off the lump sum. You have checked on every aspect of your current house, made sure there are no broken pipes or ill maintained closets and now you have to think about your own additions- the furniture. With lovely sets bought from your favorite furniture stores, you have to make sure that they are arranged in the best possible way to garner the most attention.

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March 7th, 2008 | Tags: buy, furniture, furniture arrangement, furniture store, home, home decor, house, moving, shopping | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

Decorating mistakes can be very expensive and reflect heavily in the final result of your project and your overall happiness. When decorating on a budget it is important to remember some important design concepts to save you time and money by doing it right the first time.

Choosing style, space planning, color schemes, the use of focal point and visual weight objects, and lighting are all key elements in all good design. Familiarity with materials and furnishings is also important to ensure your chosen look will not be outdated tomorrow and that it will flow with other areas of your home.

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February 29th, 2008 | Tags: budget, decorate, decorating, diy, home decor, interior design | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

Deciding on the style of furniture that will ultimately furnish your room can be quite an undertaking. With so many styles, colors, and fabrics available, it makes your decision that much harder. Once you have an idea as to what style you are interested in, decide on how many pieces will work within the space.

Sometimes, adding too much furniture will make the room look cluttered and uncomfortable. Less is more. Measure the space and draw out the room, along with the furniture that you are considering to give you a visual idea. Also, try to make allowances for other things, such as floor lamps, statues, a magazine rack, plants, a water feature, and an area rug.

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February 24th, 2008 | Tags: Feng Shui, furniture, furniture arrangement, home decor, interior design | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

When redoing my kitchen I wanted to add a chair rail border midway on one wall. I wanted something different, not your usual wood rail. So I looked at the different raised stencils thinking that they might make a nice rail and thought about using flat painted borders but decided that they were not the effect I wanted.

It then came to mind to do something very different.
I created a faux solid stone rough rail 2” wide by a little less than ¼” thick.

I used a water based patching plaster compound (Spackling) to create this effect.

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February 24th, 2008 | Tags: border, chair rail, home decor, how to, wall | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

Most of us have that one room that just seems to be missing something in the decorating department, and we can’t quite seem to put our finger on it. Usually, it’s a simple matter of recognizing three basic things each room needs in order to feel “right”. Luckily, they can all be achieved without a lot of cash, and in a short amount of time!

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February 22nd, 2008 | Tags: home decor, home decorating | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

Red is traditionally used in dining rooms - the Victorians believed it aided the digestion. It makes a wonderful backdrop for sparkling silver and glass, sets off the rich tones of dark wood furniture, and casts a romantic glow in candlelight. This is a room used generally in the evenings and for short periods so it avoids the danger of becoming oppressive, and you can afford to be lavish with color.

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February 6th, 2008 | Tags: advice, decor, decorating, home, home decor, home decorating, ideas, style, tips | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment

Adding window treatments to bare windows can add drama to a room, change the mood, look, and feel of your home, provide functionality, and help control the amount of natural light that enters. Do you prefer cellular shades, roman shades, mini blinds, vertical blinds, bamboo blinds, wood plantation shutters, vinyl shutters, draperies, or curtains? There are endless choices.

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January 30th, 2008 | Tags: blinds, furniture, home decor, interior design, shutters, window treatments | Category: Home Improvement | Leave a comment