Entries from September 2009 ↓

If you’ve never heard of the concept of universal design when it comes to kitchen décor, don’t fret – many haven’t. Here we’ll discuss what this trend is, and why it can add significant value to your home.

What Is Universal Design?

To best explain this concept, let’s use an example. If you have a person who uses a wheelchair in your family, the home would be built with this concept in mind, right? This means widened doorways, wheelchair-accessible ramps and in the most luxurious homes – even built-in elevators.

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If you live in a cold climate and dread the idea of stepping onto a freezing floor in the dead of winter, heated bathroom flooring is an ideal way to remedy this. Heated flooring has been around for years and the choices available are wide and varied.

Following are some things to consider when trying to decide which heated bathroom flooring option is right for you.

Type of Flooring: You can choose from ceramic, granite, glass, stone and marble for example. All of these are ideal options because they are excellent conductors of heat. This means they warm up quickly, which means no waiting around for the floor to heat up.

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They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. If you love to cook and want to take your kitchen to the next level, a chef’s kitchen is ideal. Following are some tips for getting one.

Countertops

Chefs need lots of counter space to prep food. If you don’t have sufficient counter space, this is one of the first areas you are going to want to tackle. If you’re unsure about how to maximize the space in your current kitchen, a professional kitchen contractor can help you construct plans for your remodel.

If you’re remodeling on a budget, there are plenty of newer laminate countertop options to choose from that can look as good as popular, more expensive options like granite.

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According to home décor experts, the average cost to remodel a bathroom can run anywhere from $5,000 on up to $30,000, depending on how extensive the remodel is. Even a scaled-down remodel can cost upwards of $10,000.
A lot of the money spent on a bathroom remodeling project is the cost of materials. Following are three ways to save on this.

1. Save on Shipping

Did you know that shipping and handling costs to deliver bathroom appliances like a tub and/or a sink can run a couple of hundred dollars or more? This is because most shipping is calculated by weight. To get around this, order locally and arrange to pick it up yourself.

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One of the largest uses of energy in any home comes via the hot water tank. According to home energy experts, the hot water tank accounts for upwards of 25 percent of the energy used in a home. By the time the whole family showers; the dinner dishes are run through the dishwasher; and the family laundry is done – is it any wonder?

There is a cheaper option that is better for the environment – solar energy.

2 Benefits of Using Solar Energy

• Environmentally Friendly: Solar energy causes fewer carbons to be released into the environment. Carbon dioxide is a gas that environmental experts believe is a major cause of global warming. Solar-produced energy produces no carbons, which means a cleaner environment.

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