The Five Most Popular Remodeling Projects for Home Owners

The 5 Most Popular Remodeling Projects for Home Owners

Have you been thinking about remodeling your home? Are you curious about the best remodeling projects to increase your home value? Your home is probably the most valuable asset you own - it's more than just a roof over your head or a place to go after work.

If you maintain, nurture and enhance its appeal, you will also maintain and even increase its value. And you don’t need a bulldozer to increase value; you’ll find that quality wins over quantity in most cases. A touch here and a tweak there often can add more value to your living space than the most extravagant additions or renovations.

Here are the five most popular remodeling projects for home owners that will increase your home value without breatking the bank:

1. Minor Kitchen Renovations - reface your cabinets, paint the walls, and replace outdated appliances for a major impact without tearing out walls, plumbing, etc.
2. Remodel the Bathroom - once think about the changes that will make the most impact such as new plumbing fixtures, fresh paint, new linens and shower curtain, or a really nice shower/tub door, mirrors and the like can make a big change
3. Add a Deck - It doesn't have to be huge, but a nice deck can make maximum impact on your backyard space. Add some landscaping around the deck, plant some flowers or shrubs appropriate to your area of the country
4. Replace Your Siding - this will make your house look like new, and goes a long way towards protecting your house against the elements over time.
5. Replace Windows - again this is something that will update the look of your house, and add both protection and energy efficiency.

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These five remodeling projects will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of adding to the market value of your home. Whether you plan to stay in your home for a long time, or if you are thinking about selling in the near future, it pays to keep your home up-to-date and well maintained.

Tags: most popular remodeling projects for home owners

Looking for a new way to color your world? - Home & Garden - MSNBC.com

Looking for a new way to color your world? - Home & Garden - MSNBC.com
Looking for a new way to color your world?
House & Garden offers help with a look at the latest hues for your home

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Tim Lee / Courtesy Of Sherill Canet

Looking for a new way to color your world? Need some advice on the latest hues in paint for your home? Well, you’re in luck. There are more choices than colors in the rainbow, but there are tricks to help you choose the right one for your room? House & Garden magazine's latest issue is all about color trends. Susanna Salk is the special projects editor and she was invited to appear on TODAY to share some hints from the magazine. Here's more on what she discussed on the show:
Colors immediately impact our emotions and the mood of the room. Choosing the right color is like meeting many people at a big party: It's stimulating but overwhelming. My advice: Spend time on the ones that instinctively make you feel good or to which you are drawn, instead of trying to get to know a little bit about all of them. It’s less overwhelming that way. Here are some tips about choosing the best hues for your room...
There is no such thing as a "bad color". Forget all those color "rules" about “this can't go with that,” etc. Instead, consider:
The function of a room can sometimes help you determine the kind of color: Bedroom= serene; kitchen= cheerful; dining room= whimsical or sophisticated.
The light or lack of it: Sometimes the brighter the room the deeper the color it can handle.
Its view or orientation: Is it reflecting what is going on outside (nature/sunsets) or is the color in charge of creating its own setting?
What colors do you love? What rooms make you happy? Let these answers inform you and go with your gut.
Let's experiment a little and show you how color can impact even the simplest settings:
• Color trends for your homeFeb. 15: TODAY's Al Roker talks with Susanna Salk of House & Garden magazine about tips on how you can color your rooms with the latest hues in house paint.
Today Show HomeWall 1 Color: Decorator’s WhiteThere's nothing chicer than white on white. It makes your room look large and serene. There are so many whites out there, so decide what kind you want: There are creamy/whites, grey/whites and white/whites. Finish in flat: Flat is best for surfaces with imperfections and flaws because there's minimal shine. It's good for ceilings; not so great for walls in high traffic areas because it won't stand up to stains or washing.Wall 2 Color: Sheer Romance 837 Blue gives instant sophistication to any room and warms up when paired with a warm white.
Finish in eggshell: Eggshell has a light, satiny sheen making it more resistant to stains and more washable. It's a popular finish for walls in high-moisture areas such as baths and kitchens. Wall 3 Color: Yellow (Little Angel 318, Amarillo 32O -- split by a chair rail)Don't forget to explore the possibilities of putting 2 ranges of one color on a wall: It gives diversity and depth without having to be too overt. I love how yellow can work in any season and in any room: Kitchen or living room.
Finish for both in matte: Matte is a great alternative to flat, has minimal sheen, and was developed to be washable.
Creating exciting, but workable color combinations: Color is all about context and what its next to. Professional color forecasters predict the use of bolder colors for shutters, doors, window frames and other trim will be big in 2007. Now, a more self assured public is asserting itself by using color to make dramatic statements. Colors are more saturated and deeper. And we have tapped other cultures for ideas. Bold color is exciting to use, but there's a trick to using it without hating it the next day. Try pairing it with the correct neutral hues. This will relax the contrasts. Here are some examples:
Emerald green with black and white (See photo above.) Malachite is so big these days. Here we pair it with graphic black and white for a high energy, sophisticated vibe. This kind of color combination really specifies the way a room will be used.
Francois Halard
Tangerine with stone For a softer alternative to bold orange, try warm, sunny tangerine paired with stone.
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Eric Boman
Yellow with silverCitron and charteuse need only silver's shimmer to take on a glamourous glow. Balance the acid tones with strokes of deep brown and white.
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Eric Boman
Pink with brown Chocolate browns coupled with exotic patterns and splashes of girlie pinks give a mature feminine touch.
Other hints on color:
Enveloping a space all in one color is a chic way to solve a "mystery" room.
Dont just rely on a paint chip: Paint a bit of the color onto the wall: It can sometimes look completely different in the light, etc. But paint chips are helpful in terms of seeing the range of colors you've chosen for your house (hallways that lead into rooms, etc.)
It's nice to color code your rooms so each has an identity.
Using two tones adds interest to small spaces and helps it from getting too dark. Objects are highlighted by what they are contrasted against: Matte against glossy, etc. Pair homey with glam; folksy with ornate: Do it against a dark backdrop to add a glam effect.
The bottome line: Dont be afraid of color: It's the easiest way to renovate."

This information is very timely for any of you who are thinking about spring cleaning, and making changes to your spaces. Think color!

Tags: home decorating with color, easy home renovations with paint

Choosing your shower door

Choosing your shower door
Choosing your shower door
Tips on buying a shower door for your bathroom renovation project, including price, material and styles. Something as simple as changing your shower door can update and totally change the look of your bathroom.

"Replacing a shower door can be part of a total bath renovation or a simple way to rejuvenate the look of your bathroom. Following these tips will help you select the shower door that will work best for you.
The first point to consider is how much money you have to spend. This will help you to narrow your selection to the shower doors you can afford. Next, measure the opening the shower door needs to cover. Allow this measurement to help narrow your choices down even further. Once you have a budget in mind and measurements in hand, you still aren’t quite ready to start looking at new doors. Take a good look at the bathroom where the shower door will be hung (or the other fixtures you have selected if your shower door purchase is part of a complete renovation).

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Take your cues from the existing furnishings of your bathroom. If you have brass-toned accents, continue the look in your shower door frame. The same is true for chrome. Is your look modern? The clean, contemporary lines should be complemented in your shower door. Rose etchings in the glass would be best suited to a romantic or traditional look.
Speaking of glass, the doors of your shower can be made of glass or a hard plastic such as plexi-glass. Plexi-glass is often easier to install because it is much lighter than glass and is much less cumbersome to handle. Whether you select glass or plexi-glass, you can still choose frosted, lined or plain glass. Frosted glass is a particularly good choice if you are modest and will not be using a decorative curtain in front of the shower door. Mirrored surfaces are yet another choice for your shower door. Finally, think about the way you want the door to open. It can rest on top of the tub and slide open like a pocket door or it can sit on hinges and swing open like a regular door.
You are finally ready to start looking for the shower door that will satisfy your design elements and your wallet. Look at doors outside of your price range first to pick out features you hope to find in a less costly version. You can find designer doors at boutique-style fixture stores and their less-expensive counterparts at chain store “big box” stores. You can also scour close-out stores and liquidation sales to find a pricey door within your budget. Many times these doors aren’t imperfect – they are overstock or the byproduct of a business that has decided to close. Occasionally you may need to replace a screw or smooth out a small imperfection, but typically the savings is enough to make it worthwhile.
If your home is full of unique pieces and architectural elements, you may want to consider hiring an artisan to make the door for you. It may surprise you just how reasonably priced a custom-made door can be. A shower door can be small enough to be an affordable piece of functional art.
You may find the perfect shower door for your project only to find it is too small to fit across the space you need to enclose. Many times you can extend the wall far enough to make the door fit. Framing out the wall and affixing the drywall is a relatively easy project, and is fairly inexpensive to hire a professional if it is beyond your skill level. Just make sure the cost of adding the extra wall doesn’t take too much of an extra bite out of your budget. Remember that tiling can be very expensive – even for small areas. In addition, it is exceedingly difficult to match new tiles against ones already in the room. Unless you have surplus tiles left over from the original tiling project, you may want to avoid buying any shower doors that may require any tile work.
Buying a new shower door for your bathroom can be a fun project. Taking a little time to think about what door is right for you before heading to the store can save you time and aggravation – and perhaps some money. "

Tags: redecorate bathrooom, interior decorating and design

Making a Decorating Trend Your Own

Making a Decorating Trend Your Own

Eight Great Ways to Incorporate the Black and White Trend Into Your Home

2007's hot trend may be black and white, but next year it may be shades of red and coral.No matter what the decorating trend, most of us can’t afford to redecorate whenever the latest and greatest hot new trend appears.

So, what do you do when a trend shows up that you love and can't live without? Take a look at one trend for 2007– using black and white – let's see how many ways we can incorporate that color scheme, without spending a fortune.
Here are eight fabulous ideas:

1. Invest in inexpensive soft goods with a shorter lifespan.
   Items like pillows, bedding, tablecloths, placemats or throw rugs. No matter if the room you are decorating is painted white, tan, or even red, bringing in soft goods in black and white should fit well into the existing scheme. Without major investments in furnishings, you can use the trend to your advantage.

2. Use paint to full advantage.
   Use black paint and refurbish a dining room table, or your old coffee table in your living room. Complete the look with a couple of yards of black and white fabric stretched around the seats of the dining room chairs and stapled on, or make sofa and chair throw pillows in the living room. You can use a patterned fabric to make a simple slipcover for each seat. On your table, use placemats in bright green, turquoise, or red, and your everyday white dishes will look polished and new - like a designer planned the whole thing.

3. Do over a small room.
   A tiny powder room, guest room, or laundry room could be just the spot to indulge your black and white fantasies. Put up some subtle patterned black and white wallpaper, or add a fresh coat of white paint to the walls and lots of black and white graphic art framed in black. Add a valance or window treatment in black and white to tie it all together.

4. Walk on it.
   Vinyl floor tiles are inexpensive and easy to install - just figure out how much you need, then buy half of the tiles in white and the other half in black. This classic look is great for an entryway, kitchen, or hall. It is also a look that pairs well with many other colors – think golden yellow walls, mirrored furnishings, or even a crystal chandelier. To create an illusion of more space, even in a small area, install the tiles on the diagonal, so when you enter the room you see the pointed corners of each tile facing you.

5. Timeless.
   Use classically timeless patterns or prints like stripes or toile. These patterns can outlive a trend and often become a treasured favorite. Toile patterned wallpapers, drapery fabrics, pillows, placemats, or tablecloths might be added into your existing living or dining room and feel right at home.

6. Add trim.
   If you are you tired of plain white drapes or boring white chandelier shades, give them a trendy pop with borders of black braided trim from a fabric store. You could even use black grosgrain ribbon attached with fabric glue, for an even less expensive upgrade.

7. Stencil it.
   Stenciling is a craft that is easy to learn and quick to do. Try stenciling a narrow scrolling black border above a chair rail or choose an arched design for over a doorway. Stencils can add the extra punch your room needs. And, if you don't like it, or tire of it – it is only paint so can be covered up in the future as your taste changes.

8. Spray paint.
   Take a garage sale find and turn it into a trendy piece by spraying it with white or black spray paint. Use white with black details, or do the opposite beginning with a coat of black paint and add white embellishments.

There you have it – eight great ways to use 2007's black and white trend – and it hardly cost anything. Everyone you know will think you’re the most creative (and trendy!) decorator around.

Tags: 2007 decorating trends,budget home decorating, paint, decorating small spaces

Apartment Bathroom Design

Create a stylish, easy care bathroom in small spaces. These ideas are especially good for city dwellers, where space is at a premium.

The newest bathroom designs are focused on using the most up-to-date technology to meet needs, with high-tech steel appliances, streamlined ceramics and tough, durable surfaces.

An apartment bathroom is a good place to experiment with color, since the areas to be covered are never large, and are generally seen for short periods of time only. Try unusual color combinations, or keep to cool, clinical white and steel, with small pools of concentrated color provided by bath linens and accessories.

Aim for a simple, functional look; keeping in mind the following style fundamentals for apartment bathrooms:

• Walls - Neutral or strong: latex paint in flat colors, either subtle, stark white, or bold combinations. Stay away from wallpaper which tends to give a dated look. Tiles: plain glazed ceramic, in colors or white, natural stone, glass, slate, or sealed cork
• Windows - Frosted glass: replace clear glass windows with frosted. Window coverings should be narrow Venetians in metal or wood, Roman or pleated shades.
• Flooring: Smooth: pale wood, tiles, stone, linoleum, vinyl in plain or semi-plain designs. Rugs with short pile , or a wood-slat bathmat.
• Plumbing Fixtures - Contemporary simple shapes in white ceramic or steel.
• Lighting - High tech bath lighting: recessed ceiling spotlights or simple modern central light fixture.
• Bath Accessories - Modern gleaming, shiny or satin steel fixtures (towels bars, toilet roll, toothbrush holder, etc.), simple mirror, and colored or white towels.

Tags: bathroom design, decorating small spaces, home decorating on a budget, interior design.

Update Your Kitchen - Even If You Are On A Budget

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house, and one that you may want to redecorate first. If you can't afford new appliances, countertops, fixtures, and floors, don't despair! You can update your kitchen even if you are on a modest budget.

First, give some thought to how your kitchen is used. Do you entertain a lot? Do you need more storage? What is it about your kitchen that you don't like, or that you're uncomfortable with? Do your children use the kitchen to do their homework, or school projects? What color is your kitchen - are you happy with the color? What kind of shape are your cabinets in? Do you need more organization and storage?

Even if you have a living room, great room, and/or a family room, we often find everyone congregating in the kitchen. It tends to e the most important room in the home. The kitchen is the place where food is prepared and shared, an important gathering place for activities and chats, and often the most warm and cozy room in the house.

I once had an apartment in New York City with a very small kitchen - we're talking very, very small. Whenever I had guests over I noticed that everyone would gravitate to the kitchen! There was hardly enough room to turn around - imagine, I was trying to cook or prepare drinks and there would be 6 or more people trying to crowd in! We couldn't move. Something had to give.

After giving it a lot of thought, I had part of the wall between the kitchen and the dining area cut out to create a pass-through. We added a granite counter/ledge to create a bar-like area. After making this simple change, I could banish everyone from the kitchen without anyone feeling "left out".

Here are some other ideas for mixing the old with the new, making the most of limited space, and creating your dream kitchen even if you are on a budget:

1. If your cabinets are in good repair, paint them instead of replacing them. Even old laminate cabinets can be painted. Ask at the hardware or paint store for a good primer that sticks well to laminate surfaces. If your cabinets must be replaced, save money by ordering them unfinished and paint them yourself.
2. Cover imperfections in the floors with a rug. Take a look at Natural Area Rugs you can buy sturdy area rugs direct from the manufacturers and save up to 80%! These type of natural rugs are a good choice for the kitchen, and cost effective. Bamboo or seagrass rugs add warmth, and can be an economical upgrade from a worn vinyl floor.
   
3. If your kitchen has a nice private view, leave the window curtainless to open up the room. When you let in more light, you'll make the space feel less cluttered. Alternatively, use blinds that can be opened completely during the day, and then closed at night when you want more privacy.
   
4. Paint the walls a bright new color. Add some fabric accents in contrasting colors to create a completely new look. Think placemats, napkins, tablecloths, seat cushions, etc.
   
5. Update your lighting, if possible. The more light you bring in, the more cheerful, and welcoming your kitchen will be. You can find great light fixtures online. I like Bellacor.com; they have the largest online source for lighting and home furnishings. Their prices are great, and they offer free shipping. Not to be missed.
   
6. The kitchen is a great space in which to display your collectibles. Do you have a collection of colorful mixing bowls, or glassware? Display them on open shelves to add interest and color. Vintage kitchen linens, old bottles or china make beautiful displays on shelves, or hanging on the walls. Check out the flea markets, and discount stores like TJMaxx or Tuesday Morning for bargains. Alternatively, you can use artwork on the walls to update your kitchen. Did you ever think about framing some of your children's artwork? You can also find nice framed prints at ArtprintCollection.com , or BestArt.com at great prices.