Jul
11
Houses: Building them better than they used to
July 11, 2016 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – The phrase, “they don’t build them like they used to,” has been applied to nearly everything from cars to footwear, but most often it seems people say it about houses. In fact, this sentiment has become so common, that many believe the homes to…
Jul
11
(BPT) – Think of a door opening and closing.
Chances are you pictured it swinging on hinges, since that’s how most doors operate. But, more homeowners are choosing other door hanging hardware for a unique look with their interior and exterior doors.
If you’re looking for a way to make visitors to your home say “wow,” consider alternatives to hinged doors for an unexpected twist.
“Once you’ve chosen the door that’s perfect for you, it can be hung in a number of distinctive ways,” says Brad Loveless, marketing and product development manager for Simpson Door Company. “A pocket door, sliding barn door or a pivot door can add some personality and pizzazz to your home.”
Pocket doors
Similar to closet doors hung on a track, pocket doors slide open and closed, but disappear into the wall when closed. Popular in home offices, bathrooms and utility rooms, pocket doors save space and can make a room feel more open. Using a pocket door in place of a hinged door saves about 10 square feet of floor space, notes home improvement expert Tim Carter.
Depending on the width of the opening, you can use either a single pocket door, or double pocket doors that slide into opposite walls and meet in the middle when closed. Because they don’t seal as tightly as hinged doors, pocket doors are largely limited to use inside the home, instead of as entry doors.
Sliding barn doors
Barn doors are a bit like pocket doors in that they slide open and closed, but they’re hung on tracks that are visible. When opened, the doors are located on one side of the wall, instead of disappearing into the wall. For large openings, such as between dining rooms and living rooms, you can even hang multiple barn doors on tracks in order to divide the spaces.
A number of companies offer high-end barn door track hardware, in a range of styles and colors. “People like the unexpected look of a barn door,” says John Golesh, president of door hardware manufacturer Goldberg Brothers. “They’re a great way to add a rustic, yet elegant look to your home. And with the wide variety of door hangers and handles, a barn door can complement any interior décor.”
In addition to the chic look barn doors offer, homes for sale with “barn door” in their listing sold for 13 percent more than expected and 57 days faster, according to research by Zillow Diggs.
Pivot doors
Common in ancient buildings, pivot mounted doors are virtually unseen in North American homes. For homeowners who want an element of surprise, a pivot door is a good choice. In place of hinges or overhead sliders and tracks, pivot doors rotate open and closed around pins installed in the top and bottom of the door frame. The pins are set several inches in from the door frame, depending on the door’s size.
“For high-end homes with extra-wide doors, pivots are a great way to handle the additional weight, and will be unlike anything your visitors have seen before,” Loveless says. “We are making many different super-sized doors for this exact application.”
Some of these doors are huge – measuring up to four feet wide or more. As “large, simple rectangles,” pivot doors can be designed to look like the surrounding wall, so fit well in modern style homes, notes architect Bud Dietrich. Unlike pocket doors and barn doors, pivot doors can seal tightly to their frame when closed, so can be used as entry doors.
Jul
7
(BPT) – Kitchen renovation is a common theme of home improvement shows, and it’s typical for the host and designer to talk about removing interior walls and “bumping out” exterior ones in order to gain more space. Everyone wants a big, beautiful kitchen, but changing the footprint of yours isn’t always practical, especially if you lack the budget of a home improvement show!
You can make your snug kitchen feel bigger and fresher with a few smart improvements that don’t involve wads of cash and tearing out walls. Here are four ways to create a brighter, more expansive feeling in any kitchen, no matter how small the square footage:
Increase natural light
Everything looks bigger and better in the daylight, but if your kitchen has just one small window over the sink or no windows at all, it can look dark and feel even smaller. Adding windows isn’t always possible in a kitchen where you need to reserve wall space for cabinets and appliances. Skylights can be a cost-effective and quick way to bring more natural light into a kitchen – even if it doesn’t have direct roof access.
By adding Energy Star-qualified, solar-powered, fresh-air skylights, like those from Velux America, you can greatly increase the amount of natural light while keeping functional wall space. For times when you want less light, the addition of solar-powered blinds, available in designer colors and patterns, allow you to attractively shade your skylights. Operated with a programmable touchpad remote control, today’s skylights also feature a sensor that will automatically close them in case of rain. And there’s a 30 percent federal tax credit available to the homeowner on solar powered skylights, blinds and installation costs.
As a cost-effective and easily installed alternative to traditional skylights, Sun Tunnel tubular skylights deliver natural light to spaces that don’t have direct roof access. Optional light kits make them functional both day and night. To learn more, visit www.whyskylights.com.
Take control of cabinets
Who doesn’t want more cabinet space? Storage is essential in a kitchen, but too many cabinets or too dark cabinetry can make an already small kitchen feel downright miniscule.
Take a long, hard look at your kitchen cabinets. Do you really need all of them? If you decide you can make more efficient use of fewer cabinets, consider removing some to make the kitchen feel larger.
If you just can’t give up any cabinet space, you can still make your kitchen feel brighter by painting or staining them a lighter hue and using bright, reflective hardware in modern styles. Glass cabinet doors can also visually open up a kitchen – and inspire you to greater organization so that the inside of your cabinets always look guest-ready.
Right-size appliances
You may fantasize about a six-burner professional range or a massive built-in refrigerator, but appliances that are too big for a room fail on multiple levels. They not only make the room look smaller by virtue of their dominating size, they can hinder usability by obstructing other work areas like cabinets, counters and other appliances when the doors are open.
Fortunately, appliance makers offer products in multiple sizes and finishes to fit any space and design preference. Before you appliance shop, be sure to measure the spaces where the new pieces will reside in your kitchen. Further, keep in mind the overall scale of the room, too. If your kitchen is small, a massive refrigerator will overwhelm the space, even if designated cutout for the fridge is big enough to accommodate a large one.
Brighten up
Choosing lighter colors and finishes is the easiest, most cost-effective way to make any space look bigger. If you’ve already addressed the cabinets, you can further expand the visual feel of the kitchen by painting walls a light color. Replace dark floors and counters with brighter colors and upgrade faucets, cabinet hardware and light fixtures to be brighter and more reflective.
Finally, try adding under-cabinet lighting above work spaces. Not only will task lighting put more illumination where you need it most when working in the kitchen, but when combined with abundant natural light from skylights it will enhance the overall effect of a lighter, brighter and bigger space.
Jul
6
3 simple, fast changes to make your kitchen more usable and beautiful
July 6, 2016 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – Why do you want to remodel your kitchen? Sure, the cabinets date back to the disco era, but the doors and hardware all still work. Your stove may be older than your college senior, but you can still bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies in it….
Jul
6
New Study Reveals America’s Laundry Habits
July 6, 2016 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – Whether you learned it from your mom or through trial and error during your first year in college, everyone has developed laundry habits that they’d be hard-pressed to break.
But how are Americans doing laundry, and are the habits aligned with what cleaning experts recommends. To find out, Maytag partnered with Omnibus Research to survey Americans to uncover some interesting stats around how we approach laundry day.
All Stained created equal? More than one-third (35 percent) of Americans say they treat all stains the same, and 42 percent of millennials are guilty of this. In reality, makeup stains, for example, should be treated very differently than grass or mustard stains, so check out this Stain Assist tool for specific instructions.
On Switching Loads: Two-thirds of Americans wait to switch to their load to the dryer after the washing cycle finishes. This is why Maytag’s new front load washer features the Fresh Hold® option, which keeps clean clothes smelling fresh in the washer with an internal fan and intermittent tumbling that circulate air through clothes for up to 12 hours after the wash cycle ends.
Americans are going overboard with the suds: One-in-four Americans believe that more suds makes for cleaner clothes, but the opposite is actually true – experts say excess suds actually hold onto soils and redeposit them on your laundry. However, those with Maytag’s new front load washer can rely on the Optimal Dose Dispenser, which adds the right amount of detergent when it’s needed.
Everyone has their own idea of how to tackle laundry day, but clearly there are a few improvements we can all make.
Jun
30
6 deck dos for creating your own deck escape
June 30, 2016 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – No longer simply a rectangle attached to the back of your home, today’s decks are built in creative designs to make them an ideal place to relax and de-stress. These six simple ideas will allow you to use the workability of modern decking to ac…