ConstructionDeal.com Update

If you're working on a remodeling project or a home addition, it's sometimes hard to try to visualize how everything will look and where it will all go. You may be planning on buying new furniture or you've got existing furniture and you want to see if it will fit. You might just be considering ways to move your furniture around in your living room, too.

Well, I've found a neat tool that could help you see your room configuration a little better. It's a room planner from a furniture site called Raymour & Flanigan.

It's free to use. You may need to have the correct software to enable it but they have a link for the player. It could come in handy when you're planning a remodel.

It allows you to print up your designs after you're done. It even has an option to email it to your designer or contractor.

Planning Is The Most Important Part of Any Remodel:
If you don't have everything ready when you're starting a remodeling project, you're going to spend more money that you expect. Count on it.

When you don't plan every little detail, you will have to make changes. Changes mean more money, more delays, and more problems.

Start talking with a general contractor early and often so you won't have to make changes down the road. Plan like crazy and expect the unexpected.

Labels: Furniture, Home Improvement, Interior Design

You've remodeled your basement or added a family room on to the back of your house. Now you need to add new furniture to complete the space. The first thing you're likely to do is rush out to the local furniture store.

And that's probably a big mistake.

Here are some helpful tips from Sixwise.com that can make sure you avoid a furniture shopping disaster.

1. Compare Prices Online First: Even if you don't buy online, do some research to find out how low the prices might be on some similar items. Some are even buying furniture online, which I don't recommend because you can't really test it out and returning it is not easy (if it's even possible.) But information and price comparison can be very valuable
2. Negotiate the Price: Most people hate the haggle. But furniture can be expensive so hold your ground to get a 10 to 20% discount at mid to high end retail shops. If you can't get them to drop the price, work out better financing or hold out for a sale
   
3. Ask for Extras: Ask for a deal on delivery or assembly if it's an extra cost. Get a warranty in writing, too
   
4. Shop Prepared: Know your room dimensions before you leave the house. Know what styles you like and that are right for your room. Know what colors you have to work with (curtains, other furniture, blinds, carpet, hardwood floors, interior paint, etc.) Get swatches from a paint store that match the items already in the room and take them to the furniture store. Find out what the store return policy is in case the new items don't work in the room
   
5. Mind your Cushions: The cushions are the most important component of any chair or sofa. Ignore talk of the frames and springs and construction. The cushions make or break the comfort and usability of the furniture. Test it out, try it out, and make sure it will work for you for a long period of time
   
6. Skip Fabric Protection: you can apply all the fabric protection you need aftermarket and for a lot less (if you don't mind the chemical factor)
   
7. Higher Prices Don't Mean Higher Quality: in '02, the FTC pulled accurate label requirements for furniture which means you cannot trust what you believe on any label or from any salesman anymore. Just because it says it contains this or that or can do this or that, don't believe the hype.

If you need more home design help, an Interior Designer can do wonders for you. And it doesn't mean you have to be a millionaire just to talk to a designer. But it could help to have a consultation to make sure you're buying what's right for your home and buying it from the place that is right for your budget. Interior Designers know where to look for the right item, how to match the colors correctly, and how to get the best price.

ConstructionDeal.com can help you find Interior Design Pros at no cost. Simply submit a request and get contact information for or phone calls from local designers. It's that easy. And there's no obligation.

RELATED POSTS:
Interior Design Trends for 2007
Remodeling Ideas: Kitchen Design Ideas
Remodeling Trends: Wrought Iron Elegance

Labels: Design Ideas, Interior Design

We always know what's going to be the latest trend and which product will be the new "must-have" each year. When it comes to home improvement and remodeling, it's no different.

What is different is that most renovation projects you do in your home will last much longer than the latest clothing trend or cell phone. When you redo your kitchen, you're going to be stuck with it for quite some time...

However, a new coat of paint, some accessories, and some window treatments can completely change the look of your room - for just a few hundred dollars - and if you don't like it in a few months... you can always change it again.

If you're interested in hiring an Interior Designer for even more help -- post your request with ConstructionDeal.com.

We've got a plethora of information on Design Trends for home this year. Check them all out:

2007 Home Design Trends has a new look at what's hot!

Wendy, over at the Spacelift Blog, has some insights into the coming 2007 trends in interior design. She talks about what's going to be hot in color choices (Color), comfort choices (Atmosphere), sustainability (Building) and touches on luxury products that could be trending your way... if you're rich (Luxury. Elevators?!)

To touch on a little of her insight (she's an Interior Designer in Omaha), she talks about new colors for '07 - oranges, greens, and blues. She mentions that these colors have been hot in fashion and you may have been seeing them in magazines and in stores but that it takes a little while for trends to move over to the interior design world. She predicts blues, greens, and oranges will be the "must haves" for this year.

I also like her idea of homeowners going for a more comfortable style. As people have rushed, in the recent past, to expensive materials to fill their kitchens and baths, it's nice to know that the stuffy or formal is fading away.

I've got an article on our Kitchen Remodeling blog that talks about Jumbled Kitchens - which is about homeowners who are looking for a mix of materials in their new kitchens. They don't want a solid row of kitchen cabinets that are all the same size and all the same color. They're mixing it up for a more comfortable, European flair. Mixing wood with steel, adding quartz counters alongside a bamboo counter, or maybe even putting a marble center in the middle of a hardwood floor.

Whatever you do with your interior design this year, please don't renovate or decorate just to "show off" like some do just to get a picture of their living room in a magazine. It always looks forced and overly formal. Untouchable. You want to strive for whatever makes you happy and whatever lets you and your guests feel comfortable in your own home that will be the latest and greatest for 2007.

Finally, consider ConstructionDeal.com for any home improvement, decorating and design professional that you need. We've got a network of over 65,000 service pros, contractors, and designers to help you.

And it's all free for you to find a quality pro!

RELATED POSTS:
Kitchen Design Trends 2007
Remodeling Trends - The Home Office
From CNN: 5 Home Remodeling Trends

Labels: Design Ideas, Interior Design, Remodeling Trends, Trends

Many people want to remodel their kitchen, but not always for the right reasons. Most want "the look." The look of granite countertops, the look of cherry cabinets, the look of natural stone tile floors.

When you're talking with your Kitchen Designer or Remodeling professional, make sure you also plan for the functionality of your new space. Make sure you explain exactly how you want your kitchen to work for you. Even if you're not a master chef, you can plan for how you will best use the room.

A kitchen remodel can do more than make the room pretty. It can create the correct workflow (the Kitchen Work Triangle), add storage, increase access to needed appliances, add appliances you don't currently have, and add more room for your family or for entertaining.

The work triangle is key for just about any job in the kitchen because it cuts down on your movement and saves you time. It's basically the triangle for the sink, to the fridge, to the stovetop. The basic rules are:

• The triangle should measure less than twenty-five feet and be no smaller than ten feet.
• There should be no island, appliance, or cabinet that interrupts the triangle flow.
  
• The triangle does not need equal length sides but no side should be longer than ten feet or shorter than five feet.

Adding an "appliance garage" is a great new way to increase the amount of appliances you have access to while preparing food. Most have to store their blenders, mixers, and juicers way down low or way up high -- the garage gives you improved storage space at your level.

So many people are still trudging along without a dishwasher. Your kitchen remodel can allow you to add this (especially the hot trend of the heavily-insulated, whisper-quiet models) and a whole lot more. Many are adding two dishwashers, wine cooler/storage, drawer microwaves, trash compactors and the still red-hot trend in kitchen remodeling is the stainless steel surface. Matching appliances can really improve the look (Sorry, I forgot - we're talking about function...)

Do you know what room is sitting silent in most homes? The formal dining room. Many want to have their families close by while they're preparing food. Many are remodeling the kitchen to add eating areas, like a dining bar on the kitchen island or banquette seating. It's great for entertaining because the guests and host won't need to be separated during meal prep.

Not everyone has the room for a lot of these remodeling changes. Usually it means expanding into the house and losing the functionality of that room (invading space in closets, family rooms, even dining rooms.) If the lot allows, there has been a persistent trend in kitchen additions - expanding the size of the room out into the yard.

So, make sure you do more than talk about the surface materials, the hardware, and the colors with your kitchen designer - talk about what you want your kitchen to allow you to do. Talk about how you plan to use it. Talk about how you want to improve your life and save your time.

ConstructionDeal.com - a smart, fast and free way to find local contractors and designers.

Labels: Interior Design, Kitchen Remodeling

I recently stumbled upon this site - it's called FoldBedding.com but they've got a second product (besides the really cool folded bedspreads) that I really love called Wallter Paintable Wall Applications.

From the site, "The geometric, wood-based applications add a third dimension to the wall on which they are composed, commanding light and shadow in an inventive way and turn the space in to something original.

Fold bedding’s clients include The W Hotel, Hotel Lucia, Hotel Max Seattle, Dreamworks Productions, Urban Outfitters, Stratus Films, CB2, Debbie Travis Facelift, and ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition."

You can buy the products on their site or search for a local retailer that might carry the products. These are a great way to go beyond the boring, drab, plain uni-color walls. You can paint them to match or you can contrast them to the color of your walls.

Check out the site if you get a chance.

Labels: Interior Design, Interior Designers

Sometimes, it's nice to get the creative juices flowing. Here are a few truly innovative designs from an Italian studio called Lagostudio. While they might not be practical for your three-bedroom ranch in Nashville, it can be a fun way to generate new design or decorating ideas.



I like the bed in this photo. It's called the Fluttua and it makes it seem like the bed is floating. Actually, the center post underneath supports the bed and it's also attached to the wall. Very cool, very modern look.

Labels: Interior Design, Interior Designers

Every year, the cycle continues. Kids get older and finish school and head off to college or the world beyond. With each generation, you've got parents who are becoming "empty-nesters". These are the folks with a new empty bedroom or two in their homes. And many don't have plans for that new room...

The trick is -- to renovate the empty nest bedroom as fast as possible... before the kids try to move back!

But, what do you do with that new bedroom? Using it for storage is a complete waste. It can be anything for you -- a specialty room that could fulfill an old dream or that's always been on that wishlist.

The ConstructionDeal.com Update has a few ideas on what you can do with the room:

• You can leave it as-is, dusting it occasionally, to let Junior sleep there when he or she comes back to do laundry. Bad idea. The room could be so much more. Try to think about any of your current hobbies or pastimes. Could the room be used for one of your hobbies?
  

• You could do the obvious and convert it to a guest room. Junior won't like it but it's still a place to crash. A guest room will certainly come in handy... every once in a while.
  

• Go the Specialty Room route. Are you an Arts & Crafts person? Do you sew, scrapbook, paint, draw, or sculpt? The room could be a studio for your crafts. You could add tables, desks, lamps, and shelving for materials.
  

• Use the room for a Home Gym. Add exercise equipment and a few mirrors. Perhaps a stereo system left over from Junior for motivation.
  

• Personal Rooms are big now. Sometimes the husband gets the garage or basement but the wife doesn't have a personal room of her own. Or vice versa. The room could be a library or den for reading, meditation, yoga, or just quiet time. And only you would have the key.
  

You've done your job with Junior... now it's time to work on you. Unleash your creativity on the empty room. Then you'll have no excuse for not pulling out those boxes of photographs and tackling that photo album project you've been talking about... for years.

RELATED ARTICLES:
Interior Design: 7 Furniture Shopping Keys
Home Remodeling Cost Estimator
Interior Design Trends for 2007

If you don't know what to do with your new room, you might consider consulting an interior designer. A designer could give you plans and ideas for just that one room, at a very modest cost. It might even be just to change room colors and window treatments. If you'd like to talk with a local interior designer, submit your request with ConstructionDeal.com today. We'll match you with several in your area and it's free to use our service.

Labels: Interior Design, Specialty Rooms

Everyone wants to make their home truly their own. Naturally, your creative juices never start flowing when you want them to, do they? Mine never do. I usually need something to jump-start the brain.

Recently, I ran into a couple of design sites that I really like. Whether you're into fun artwork, funky furniture, or even modern home design... these blogs cover the latest trends. And everybody always wants the "latest trends", right? Take a peek and let me know what you think.

The first is design*sponge: It's a "daily website dedicated to home and product design run by Brooklyn-based writer, Grace Bonney." You can read reviews of new products or learn about the latest designer and ultra-cool "undiscovered" store. You can explore new decorating styles, new artists, and the art they create.


Also, check out Inhabitat: this site focuses on the future of design in technology, home interiors, and architecture. They look into sustainability, energy efficiency, and green products and materials that can affect us in our daily lives. And, of course, just because it's good for you, doesn't mean it can't look good as well!

Know of any other good design sites that inspire the imagination? Email us or post a comment!

If you need to find a local home improvement designer, consider ConstructionDeal.com! We'll help you find an interior designer or design firm in your area.

Labels: Interior Design