Weekend Project Home Design Software $39.99!

Sometimes, okay basically every time, you remodel your house whether it is a big or small project, comes stress. Well now thanks to interior designer Kristan Cunningham, as seen on HGTV and The Rachel Ray Show, there is a computer program to make projects a little easier.

Weekend Project is a computer program that is designed to help you get started and finished quickly with your project. Kristan Cunnigham offers tips and more in-depth how-to articles from other professionals. Just load the software on any Windows XP and higher computer and you are good to go. There are even pre-defined projects such as: Adding a new sink to your bathroom, Updating your kitchen appliances with the help of an extensive object library, Check out a new paint color for your room with a click of the mouse, Use PhotoView to check out a new landscape design, and Add new lighting and turn on those lights to see the end result.

I know I am a visual person and for the $39.99 this home design software program seems definitely worth it. Right now, I am actually struggling with picking colors for our rooms so I am really considering this program. We also want to update one of our bathrooms and this would be a nice way for me and my husband to agree on a design.

Drum Lamp Shade - What is it?

By Jim Hoyle

The answer to that question use to be very simple. But today, we are stretching the definition. Traditionally these lamp shades are similar to a cylinder with fairly straight sides. Just think of an oil barrel!

However, today drum lamp shades take on many variations of form and design. You will find modified versions which have a relatively narrower top diameter. There are bell shape versions with graceful curving sides. There are V shaped notch designs in the top and/or bottom rims. There are shallow shades which are short and stocky in appearance, also called Bouillotte lamp shades.

Drum lamp shades are very functional because they not only diffuse light outward through the shade fabric, they also reflect light downward and upward where it can diffuse of the ceiling.

Generally, these lamp shades are relatively larger compared to others which allows the usage of larger wattage bulbs and therefore more light output.

Drum lamp shades were extremely popular from the early 20th century up through the 1980's when they fell out of favor. Today they are becoming extremely popular and they are "new again". Nearly all home design magazines are filled with drum shades. You will see them being used throughout all rooms of the house.

Although there are plenty of options, here are some lamps that simply "cry out" for drum shades:

Hollywood Regency Lamps

Stiffel Lamps and Lamps With The Stiffel Look

Antique Ornate Metal Lamps

Antique Crystal Lamps

Antique Porcelain Lamps

Antique Capodimonte Lamps

George and Martha Washington Lamps

Antique Lamps Circa 1950 - 1980

New Reproduction Lamps of all styles listed above and many others

In summary, most lamp styles can be used with a drum lamp shade. It depends a lot on personal preference and the look you wish to achieve with the lamp.

Good luck on your next lamp shade project.

Torchere Glass Lamp Shade Replacement Types

By Jim Hoyle

There is hardly any more confusion in the lighting industry than how to select a replacement glass shade for a torchiere lamp.

First let us define a torchiere lamp. A torchiere lamp is any table or floor lamp whose light is directed upward by means of a glass, metal, stone, plastic or other type of reflector. These lamps take many forms and are made of many materials but most commonly made as floor lamps.

The word "Torchiere" is derived from the French word "Torche" torch.

These popular lamps provide excellent area lighting because they bounce light off the ceiling and diffuse it throughout a large area of the room.

There are four (4) basic types of torchiere glass.

1) Dish type torchiere glass (most common) is a dish or bowl shape glass shade with a 1 5/8" wide center hole that simply slips down over the electrical socket and rests upon a metal or plastic holder. There is a threaded ring which screws down over the electrical socket to hold the glass in place. This type torchiere glass is usually frosted white, beige or plain white.

2) Reflector waffle pattern opal white torchiere glass is a cone shape glass shade available in two (2) common sizes: 2.75" fitter that is 10" wide and the other is a 2.25" fitter that is 8" wide. This torchiere glass usually has a waffle type pattern pressed into the surface of the glass although there are some with no pattern in the glass. These torchiere glass shades were very popular in the 1920's and 1930's and were found on many 6 way floor lamps that had 3 arm lights plus a center light. They are also available on some modern lamps as well as some floor lamps without arms. Many of these lamps are designed for a fabric lamp shade to rest upon the reflector glass. This arrangement not only provides excellent area lighting but also excellent reading light.

3) Long neck torchiere glass is a larger glass, usually around 13-16" wide with a long neck that fits down inside a 2.75 - 3"" wide holder. This glass shade has the appearance of a very wide funnel with neck. These are the most expensive type of torchiere glass shades.

4) Stiffel replacement torchiere glass is made specifically to fit lamps from this lamp maker.

If you need further help selecting the correct torchiere glass for your lamp, be sure to contact a professional full service lamp company with lots of experience with torchiere lamps.

Good luck on all your lighting projects.

Best Regards - Jim Hoyle

Biography: Since 1979 Jim Hoyle has owned and operated Lamp & Home Outlet - North Carolina's Most Exclusive Unique Lamps and Lamp Shades. Jim designs and manufactures fine cast metal table lamps and floor lamps and collects, sells, repairs, restores and appraises antique lamps from special acquisitions and estates worldwide. His company also specializes in lamp and home decor factory buyouts and warehouse closings.

George and Martha Washington Lamps - A History

By Jim Hoyle

Sorry, but these lamps really have little to do with George and Martha Washington except for their fashion of clothing and dress.

Most George and Martha Washington lamps were made of porcelain circa 1940. They were commonly made with real 22 K gold trim. Try as much as you like but you can never duplicate the gold color trim used in these beautiful porcelain lamps unless you use real gold.

Although commonly called George and Martha Washington lamps, the decorative figures adorning these porcelain lamps actually represent wealthy members of the court of French King Louis XV around 1765.

The decorative figures are usually in various states of romance, picnics,dancing, poetry, singing, etc. The original paintings on many of these lamps were originally from the French artist Jean- Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806). Fragonard was well known for his very lewd and hedonistic art that was highly sought after by wealthy art patrons of Louis XV's morally loose and fun loving court. George and Martha lamp decorations represent Fragonard's much more reserved paintings.

George and Martha Washington lamps are no longer being produced and the value of these vintage lamps continue to rise.

George Washington lived from 1732- 1799 so he was alive when the original designs were created for these beautiful lamps in France.

In 1775, the Continental Congress appointed Washington commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces. He was later elected president in 1789 but George and Martha Washington had nothing to do with these lamps except they both had a similar fashion of dressing which was also common in France during that period.

- Jim Hoyle

How To Turn Your Guest Room Into A Tuscan Retreat

By Lee Dobbins

Your guest room is a place to make your guests feel welcome and what better way then to add some sunny and warm Tuscan decor!

Regardless of your budget you can get the look of Tuscany in your guest room by making a few changes such as wallpapering and coordinating your bedding and pillows to give the room a look of old Italy. A budget remake can encompass simple changes to accessories while a top notch remodel can include alterations to lighting fixtures, flooring, wall coverings and decorative accessories as well as new bed and bureaus.

Great lighting is a must in most rooms and the guest room is no exception. To enhance your Tuscan home décor theme, you might want to keep in mind the style of light fixtures as well as the type of light. Most guest rooms can make good use of night stand lamps in addition to overhead lighting. When you are decorating with a Tuscan style, try installing rustic ceiling fixtures with alabaster wall sconces and avoid any lighting that is too modern or shiny like chrome or stainless steel.

The flooring can make a big difference, but if it costs too much for new floors for your guest room then work with what you have by covering them with area rugs that have a Tuscan look. If new floors are in your budget, consider using aged hardwood floors or Italian tile or marble.

Decorative items are vital to pulling your Tuscan home décor design together. You can even totally alter the appearance of your room by simply changing the accessories! Concentrate on choosing bedding, pillows and artwork, in colors that compliment your Tuscan design. You'll be amazed at how easy and inexpensive it is, and what a huge difference these changes make! Make sure to incorporate plenty of antiques in conjunction with majolica pottery which can be purchased either new or old. You could even try some country wooden items mixed in with a few shabby chic crystal accessories with drippy prisms to get a professional look for your guest room. Extra touches like lots of silk flowers and plants can help give your room a picture perfect designer appeal.

One thing to keep in mind when decorating your guest room with a Tuscan home décor theme is your wall color. For this design style the colors are important - consider using golden mustard yellow and earthtones as a paint color. Try using a faux plaster with an aged patina on the walls, or use faux painted walls that look antique and resemble old cracked plaster. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money and if you are afraid of too much color, simply paint the walls a neutral shade and play up the color with accents.

It's not necessary to have a coordinating bed, bureau, and side table but the guest room should have plenty of antique or reproduction furniture. To really compliment the Tuscan theme, bring in furniture that has a hand painted or antique finish.

What you put on your windows can enhance your Tuscan home décor theme. There are a variety of window treatments that go great with this style, particularly if you use coordinating fabrics, but be sure to avoid anything too cutsey or frilly. To get a nice look in your guest room you should try using panel drapes or sheers.

One vital area that is frequently overlooked when decorating your room is the wall space. Any wall can look wonderful with great accessories and wall art. Try adding antique paintings or perhaps a wall mural of a Tuscan country side to your guest room walls to enhance the warmth of your Tuscan decorating style. An interesting addition could be a mural of a small vignette or nook with an Italian flair.

Achieving a great Tuscan look in your guest room doesn’t have to be difficult if you pay attention to detail and match your accessories and furniture. You may find that you’ve done such a great job with your Tuscan home décor that your guests don’t want to leave!

How To Add French Country Style To Your Kitchen

By Lee Dobbins

You don’t have to be a decorator to get a add a bit of French country style home décor to your kitchen. Little changes like adding stencils to the walls and coordinating your tablecloths and dishware can do wonders to make your kitchen seem like an old French country Inn.

You don’t have to go out and buy all new furniture, but for a great French country look, you should have some antique looking painted pieces. Anything with hand painted stenciling or chippy or aged paint will do. If your cabinets are tired, try repainting them with a worn look as this can be much less costly than buying new ones and will do wonders for the room.

Decorative accessories are vital to pulling your French country style home décor design theme together. You can totally change the appearance of your room by simply replacing the accessories! Concentrate on getting tablecloths, dishware and canisters, in colors and patterns that match your French country look. It's amazing the difference a few alterations can make! You should to add in a variety of wooden bowls in addition to chippy painted items and you can even try some scrolly decorative flea market finds as well as vintage fabrics which you can use as curtains, on the tables or hang from your cabinet and stove handles.

Lighting is key in any kitchen and your French country kitchen is no exception. When considering lighting in a kitchen, you must provide good overhead lighting as well as task lighting. If you are decorating with a French country design style, try installing a painted or crystal chandelier with crystal lamps or scones and be sure to avoid anything that is too modern with straight lines.

How you dress your windows also effects your French country style home décor look. There are multiple window coverings that go with this design, particularly if you match other fabrics or colors in the room, but you should avoid heavy contemporary fabrics. Try using a nice toile print curtain, or sheers with a great distressed paint wooden valance.

Painting your walls can be one of the biggest and least expensive changes in your French country style home décor decorating project. For this look the room colors make a big difference - you should think about using either light yellow or pale blue either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using a light colored paint with crown moldings on the walls, or if you want something different go with stenciling.

After you paint the walls - don’t forget to decorate them! Try using country style paintings with a French flair or interesting old kitchen utensils that you can hang on groupings on the wall. Buy interesting old plates and tureen covers at flea markets and yard sales and use fancy hangers or silk ribbon to hang those on the walls for an interesting effect.

Getting a great French country look in your kitchen can be as simple as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as replacing everything. Either way, working on the details and making sure to match your furniture and decorative accessories will help you pull off a great new French country style home décor look that you can be proud of!

Lee Dobbins writes for A Kitchen Decorating Idea where you can get more great kitchen decorating ideas.

How To Create A Spicy Mexican Kitchen

By Lee Dobbins

Show your family that spice isn’t just for cooking by decorating your kitchen with Mexican home decor!

Even if you’ve never decorated before you can get a great Mexican look in your kitchen by changing minor accessories such as tablecloths and dishware and adding some colorful paint to the walls. A good remodel can include alterations to flooring, lighting fixtures, decorative items and wall color as well as your kitchen table and chairs.

It's not critical to have a matching table and chair set but the kitchen should have a variety of bright colored or rustic furniture. To really showcase the Mexican design style, try using items with a painted distressed finish.

Your window treatments are important to your Mexican home décor design. To get a great design in your kitchen go with using a simple valance or shutters or a wooden valance painted with distressed paint. There are numerous treatments that you can match up to this decorating style especially if you match fabrics to your window treatments, but you should take care to avoid heavy drapes or modernistic looking treatments.

Decorative accessories are a must to pulling your Mexican home décor look together. Even if you can't do anything else - you can get a new look by adding different decorative items! Concentrate on buying tablecloths, dishware and canisters, in colors and patterns that match your Mexican design style. You won't believe the impact a few simple changes can make! You should to include lots of old rustic pieces in addition to wrought iron pieces and you can even try some colorful hand painted wooden pieces to get a unique look for your kitchen. Incorporating additional touches like vintage hand painted Mexican pottery can make your room appear like it was done by a professional.

What's on your floor can add to the decorating scheme, but if you can not buy new flooring in your kitchen then work with your floors by covering them with area rugs that have a Mexican look. If you do want to go with new floors, try rustic hard wood or tile floors.

Lighting is necessary in your home and the kitchen is no exception. To compliment your Mexican home décor design, you should consider light fixtures in terms of type as well as style. When you are incorporating a Mexican look, try a tin chandelier with scrolly metal wall sconces or anything wrought iron or rustic looking.

A vital ingredient when decorating your kitchen with a Mexican inspired style is your wall coverings. For this decorating style the room colors make a big difference - consider adding reds and bright blues either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using a stucco on the walls, or maybe go with faux paint that resembles plaster. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money and if you are afraid of too much color, simply paint the walls a neutral shade and put the color into your flooring and accents.

The most important and most fun part is adding art and decorations to your walls. Try adding a hand painted mural or hang some vintage Mexico travel prints to your kitchen walls to really bring out the spice of your Mexican design style. You can also fill the wall with mexican pottery plates and platters hung in wrought iron plate holders or hang shelves and fill them with colorful and interesting Mexican clay jugs.

Getting a great Mexican look in your kitchen doesn’t have to take a lot of money or time. Smart shopping for accessories and making a few simple changes can add a little zing to your room in no time!

Antique Floor Lamps - World's Best Reading Lamps

By Jim Hoyle

First let us define ANTIQUE FLOOR LAMP. Of course a floor lamp normally rests upon the floor as opposed to resting upon a table, the wall or the ceiling. The general definition of an ANTIQUE means something from a bygone era. This places the term outside the legal arena and into common usage. "Era" is general perceived and is defined as a long indefinite time period which also works out perfectly for this general definition. This general definition works perfectly since any identification of an "Antique Floor Lamp" is fairly useless without some time period designation normally in the form of circa 1905 which literally means "about the year 1905". So I will use the term ANTIQUE FLOOR LAMP on this basis and often substitute it with the term VINTAGE FLOOR LAMP. This discussion does not address modern reproductions of antique lamps which is another subject to itself.

More and more people are learning to appreciate the quality and styling of antique floor lamps especially as most of the ones being produced today are molded plastic and literally made to be thrown away. Most all floor lamp makers from the turn of the century made their lamps from heavy metals such as cast iron, brass, steel and cast zinc sometimes combined with marble, onyx, glass and stone. Our lamp shop regularly restores these antique floor lamps for resale as well as for our customers' own use. From our 30 years of experience it is clear that many of these antique floor lamps will last for hundreds of years. The electrical components, the fabric shades and the painted finishes often need restoration but most were made with such fine quality, that they are a much better value than brand new high end lamps that sell for many hundreds of dollars. You will find some other surprises about these collectible works of art below.

High quality, beauty and function were powerful influences on the makers of antique floor lamps. Many people are aware of their outstanding quality and beauty but completely surprised about the highly developed functional and technical characteristics. There are far too many examples to list here but I will mention a couple of the more important ones.

The brightest lamp that you can purchase today in any store was designed and made circa 1920. It is also the most versatile lamp that you can buy anywhere. Further it will outlast most any modern lamp that you can find at any price. This antique floor lamp is known by a numerous names such as: 6 Way Floor Lamp, Reflector Floor Lamp, and "JUNIOR". The design begins with a heavy metal base sometimes highly decorated with an upright tubing leading up to a central electrical socket surrounded by 3 arm lights (4 lights total). The central light takes a 3 way bulb (low-medium-high) that is often a MOGUL size which is larger than a standard socket with higher wattage (100-200-300 watts). The three arm lights are controlled by a switch that can turn on separately just 1, 2 or all 3 of the arm lights. Further, many of these JUNIORS had a small light under the base which provided a very subtle night time floor light operated by a foot switch mounted on the side of the base. As if this were not enough, the central top socket is encased in a large metal cup which holds a white waffle patterned glass bowl that reflects light upward to bounce of the ceiling. A fabric or silk shade (also called JUNIOR shade) rests upon the glass reflector bowl to reflect light downward for reading. A single arm light can provide a simple night light or at it brightest setting, it can light up an entire room. There is no brighter lamp or more versatile lamp available anywhere today and it was designed and made nearly 100 years ago!

One of the best reading lamps in the world was also designed circa 1920. It has been highly imitated but it still remains unchallenged. The Bridge Arm Floor Lamp or Bridge Lamp has a typical floor lamp design with metal base and upright standard which can take the form of various types of decorated tubing, twisted iron rods, etc. At the top of the standard is a decorative cast metal arm with a graceful arc or curvature which ends with an electrical socket pointing downward and covered by a fabric or glass shade. This has the effect of offsetting the light by about 14-18" from the upright standard at the same time lowering it so that it is closer to the reading material or work project. The result is an excellent reading lamp or work lamp which places the light bulb very near the task at hand. Many of these Bridge Arm Floor Lamps have convenient pull chains which hang below the bottom of the lamp shade for ease of operation.

Of course there are many other kinds of antique floor lamps such as torchiere, two light, curved arm, swing arm, etc. Even the oldest and most dilapidated of these well built heirlooms can be brought back to life with some scrubbing, sanding, painting, rewiring and sometimes soldering or welding.

If you want to buy a lamp that you can give to your grand kids, consider buying an antique floor lamp.

Classy Homes - Several Beautiful Victorian Styles

By Anne Clarke

If you have always loved the classy, unparalleled appeal of Victorian-style furniture, wall décor, and other home design accessories, why not consider going Victorian the next time you re-decorate? When you choose a home design with a Victorian style, it reflects a very classy taste. Your home will be elegant and alluring when you decorate with Victorian-style home furniture and accessories. There is beautiful Victorian style furniture available for bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, outdoor décor, and much more.

Elegant railings, bed posts, and vanities all inspired by this particular style can make your home more alluring than ever. So if you are having trouble trying to decide on what to do to re-decorate and design the perfect look for your home: look around at the Victorian styles available right now! Victorian furniture and other Victorian-style home décor is very popular in magnificently decorated homes. Everything from wall art, lighting, chairs, beds, lounges, tables and much, much more are available to choose from when you re-decorate your home in the Victorian style.

One of the most simple as well as elegant types of furniture there are is the Victorian lounge-style chair. As classy as it is comfortable, sprawl out on your Victoriana Chaise Lounge and love the look of your new home decor design. Simple drawers and night stands, as well as desks, rolling serving carts, and even fireplace designs are beautiful in an overall Victorian home design. Available in old-fashioned wooden designs, hand-carved Victorian furniture is some of the classiest furniture you can possibly choose to accentuate your home. Practical and beautiful, types of furniture such as Lazy Susans and elegant rolling serving carts are common Victorian décor. From spice-racks for the kitchen to bedroom chests of drawers and more, a simple change in furniture can completely transform the overall ambiance of any room.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes health and fitness, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on home decor, please visit Home Decor, supplier of fine home

Spruce Up Your House With A Country Style Home Decor Theme

By Lee Dobbins

Regardless of your budget you can use country style home décor to change your home from boring to beautiful. Simple changes like stenciling and coordinating your wall art and pillows can be an inexpensive way to give some country charm to your home. Some other things you can change, depending on your budget, include flooring, lighting, accessories, wall coverings, window treatments and furniture.

It is important that your flooring match your overall colors and design theme, but if you can’t afford new floors then you can cover your current floors by using small rugs with a country look. If you are lucky enough to be able to afford new floors, you might try hardwood floors and soften them up with braided rugs.

An important change you should consider for your country style home décor look is painting or wallpapering the walls. For this theme the colors are important - you should think about adding blues, reds and greens either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using a paint with wallpaper borders on the walls, or try a matching wallpaper and border set. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money but a nice color on the walls can work wonders. If you are afraid to put color on the walls you can cover the walls in a neutral shade and play up the color with accents like pillows, rugs and curtains.

Good lighting is a must in any household. To augment your country style home décor design theme, you need to consider light fixtures in terms of both type and style. While you are going for a country theme, you may want to look at installing plain overhead lighting with table lamps but try to steer clear of anything which is too fancy with lots of sparkly crystals.

Decorative accessories are essential to pulling your country style home décor theme together. You can totally alter the appearance of your room simply by replacing the accessories! Concentrate on shopping for wall art, pillows and knick knacks, in patterns and colors complimentary to your country Style. You'll be amazed at how simple and cheap it is, and what an incredible difference these changes make! Be certain to add in lots of vintage country pieces as well as handmade bowls, baskets or boxes and you may even try certain interesting tins and old painted items found in garages and basements to really spruce up your home. Extra touches such as old fashioned signs in either wood or tin can give your home a designer look.

Country furniture can be comfy and overstuffed but you really need to watch the pattern of your upholstery. Plaid is a popular country theme, but if you prefer something more subtle you can get upholstery in a solid color such as red, blue or even tan and spruce it up with plaid or patterned pillows. To really pick up on the country design style, try using furniture made from pine with a plain stain or a painted finish.

How you dress your windows are important to your country style home décor look. There are many window treatments that can enhance this design, particularly if you match fabrics to your window treatments, however you should avoid contemporary style prints. You can match your curtains or drapes to the fabrics on your furniture, use plain sheers or sheers with a valance. Even just wooden blinds can work well with the country look.

One area that is often ignored when redecorating your room is the wall space. Even the ugliest walls can be enhanced with beautiful paintings and wall art. Try adding folk art paintings, stencils or a hand painted mural to your walls to highlight the charm of your country design.

Achieving a fabulous country look in your home can be as basic as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as replacing everything. Either way, paying attention to detail and making sure you match your furniture and decorative items will help you accomplish a decorative new country style home décor theme that you can be proud of.

Design Tips to Make a Small House Feel Larger

Well I’ve struggled with what advice I should give you all. I’ve been through the remodel process now and I’ve supervised at least a dozen others in the past year. I have a wealth of advice to give you so if you have any particular questions just ask. Leave a message for me on our blog.

The most consistent compliment we get on our home is how cool it is for a little house. Our house is just over 1100 sq.ft. but because of a few things we have done it feels much larger. I thought I would give you all a few tips on how to maximize your space and make your home feel much larger than it actually is.

First here are a few to trick the eye and make the space feel larger.

1. Use similar objects to make your eye go from one space to the other. This can be achieved with simply aligning the trim through one space into the other. Or you can paint things the same color so that your eye reads this as one big field.

2. Use the old adage bring the outside in to full effect. Its true, it works, and it couldn’t be easier. Make your outdoor spaces mimic your indoor spaces. Match as many materials, textures, and color as you can.

3. Layer spaces to create visual interest in the overall volume of a house. That wall doesn’t always have to go to the ceiling, pull it down a little and let the ceiling plane continue to the next space.

Here are some space saving ideas we used.

1. Built ins, Built ins, Built ins. One of the great things about doing your own remodel is that you can build built ins that function for there specific task. We built in our closets and dressers as one

2. Use drawers on you lower kitchen cabinets. It makes it much easier to use every available inch of cabinet space when you don’t have to get on your hands and knees to get to that back shelf.
A few general things that help our house feel large.

1. The biggest advantage our little house has is its abundance of natural lighting. We have 24 windows in our little house, which allows us to use the space framed by our landscaping.

2. Our house wastes very little space for circulation. We dont have long hallways to get to rooms, you walk through each space to enter another. You would be suprised at how much space a hallway take up.

3. You have to have very minimal clutter, you can’t be pack rat. One of the quickest ways to make a house feel small is allowing to much buildup of objects .

If you have any other space saving tips, or you see anything else on our blog you like and want me to comment on just ask. There are different opportunities that present themselves throughout the remodel process and those are the things that make or break a project. So when the opportunity arises go for it.

Design Icon: The Sputnik Chandelier

Every once in awhile, I am moved to do a little research on an object that has become a style icon, like the “Sputnik”-style chandeliers that used to just come with tract houses back in the day and now show up regularly in midcentury retro spaces and on the pages of Met Home. This one, the “Orbit” chandelier is one of its recent incarnations—and it’s only $249 at Z Gallerie.It’s not hard to see why the lamps got their name if you know what Sputnik looked like. Here it is, the first satellite to orbit the earth, a silver orb the size of a basketball trailing four long antennae.Interestingly enough, the first “Sputnik”-style lamps were produced 3 years before Sputnik made its historic journey in 1957. Back in 1954, Gino Sarfatti designed a series of four chandeliers for Lightolier, which were called Astral, Skyrocket, Sparkler, and Mobile. Here are two of them, above.

Lightolier, which is still one of the great lighting companies of the world, discontinued Sarfatti’s 1954 line around 1959, by which time dozens of copycats were already on the market.Enter Lincoln Center, New York City’s nexus of high-culture performing arts buildings, which broke ground in 1959 in a neighborhood where “West Side Story” had just finished filming. Now considered‹by some at least‹as a masterpiece of its period, Lincoln center¹s simplified white columns and arches were not universally well-received. Writer and critic Penelope Gilliatt famously quipped that Lincoln Center looked like it had been ordered over the phone by Mussolini, a snide reference to Il Duce¹s obsession with grandiose deco-inspired architecture (the opera house is on the left in the photograph above).The Metropolitan Opera opened at Lincoln Center in 1966 with Franco Zeffirelli’s over-elaborate debut production of Samuel Barber’s “Antony & Cleopatra,” which nearly killed diva Leontyne Price, who was trapped inside a pyramid by malfunctioning scenery that was creating a widening abyss at her feet. Above, just for the fun of it is a photo of poor Leontyne with costar Justino Diaz on opening night.

As part of the décor of the new opera house, which was designed by architect Wallace K. Harrison, a number of crystal “Sputnik”-style chandeliers were hung in the lobby and above the orchestra (these raise and lower for increased dramatic effect). Here's a night shot of the Lobmeyer chandeliers above the Met's lobby.

These stunning works of art were produced by the historic Austrian company J. & L. Lobmeyer (founded in Vienna in 1823). Fantastic in their own right even now, the dazzling starburst chandeliers not only epitomize the 1960s, they foreshadow the phenomenal work in contemporary crystal chandeliers currently spearheaded by Nadia Swarovski at her family’s firm.

Hotels are still influencing home décor

irst it was hotel bed linens, then spa-like bathrooms. Now it seems that hotels are influencing our interior and exterior home décor, design elements that only used to be seen at five star hotels and resorts. A recent Miami Herald article “Outdoor chic: Backyard furniture has gone uptown, upscale” got us thinking: even if the recession affected travel plans for some, many are incorporating that vacation vibe into their home.
Sufficient outdoor furniture used to be a table with four chairs for the patio and maybe a few chaises by the pool. No longer. Outdoor furniture has gone uptown with styles as varied and as comfortable as what we put indoors, and making a fashion statement. But be forewarned. Because this is fashion, like haute couture, it often is expensive. One can easily spend $4,000 for a dining table and four chairs or $3,000 for a chaise.

The recent International Casual Furniture and Accessories Market in Chicago proved how fashionable outdoor furniture can be. Sectionals. Beds with canopies. Motion furniture that rocks or reclines. Mahogany frames painted to withstand the weather. Chat groups of four chairs surrounding a table with a fire pit. Cuddle chairs for two or for you and your pooch. Colors inspired by the fashion runways.

Also, manufacturers say Floridians have a major impact on outdoor furniture trends.“We base our season on what Florida does,” says Teresa Buelin, sales and marketing operations manager for Laneventure, which introduced several products, including outdoor beds and cuddle chairs. “They are ahead of the rest of the country.”
Richard Frinier introduced the South Beach Collection for Century Leisure. The collection includes side chairs and tables for terraces and balconies as well as sectional, lounge and dining pieces for larger outdoor spaces. “South Beach is a compelling American destination city,” Frinier says. “You feel a little more alive when you are there. I wanted to design something that would be smart, durable and comfortable for the vertical living and loft spaces that demand a chic but soft-modern aesthetic.”

Home Decor & Design Under $250: Tea for Two, Towels for Tea

Whether you live for the stuff or can’t stand it, tea has at least brought us one item that is universally loved: the tea towel.
For the Retro Diva, the Julia Vol. 1 $16 Towel from Sara Smedley

For the Retro Diva, the "Julia Vol. 1" $16 Towel from Sara Smedley

If you think you don’t love the tea towel yet, just wait until the end of this post (as we attempt to convert you).

(1) The tea towel is essentially the only artwork in your house that you can actually use on a daily basis. And when you’re not drying? Hang it on a hook, fold it on a rack, even frame it on your wall – instant and effortless style is yours in no time.

(2) A tea towel is a versatile item that can suit any and every personality type and decor. Have a classic kitchen? No, problem – check out the black and white pieces from Ferm Living. Want to add some spunk to your dull kitchen? Check out the delightfully irreverent selection at BlueQ or the witty towels at ToDryFor.com.

(3) But, the most important reason to invest in a tea towel or two? You should never pay more than $20 for one. That’s right – for less than 20 bucks a fabbity, colorful, fun tea towel is all yours. So what are you waiting for?

Tuscan Home Décor & Design Opens Online Store

Tuscan Home Décor & Design, a small Internet retailer of quality Tuscan design accents, has opened a brand-new online store. Providing Tuscan decorating advice and products, this shop has everything you need to design a warm, cozy Tuscan home no matter where you live.

Front Royal, VA, November 16, 2009 — Tuscan Home Décor & Design is pleased to announce the grand-opening of their online store. Featuring a full range of Tuscan design home décor items from furniture to wall art to decorative accents, this online store is dedicated to bringing authentic Tuscan-inspired décor to your home at an affordable price. Their collections include hand-printed artisan wall art and custom wallpaper from Pear-Sun Designs, jewelry inspired furniture and art from Belinda Miley, and a huge selection of furnishings and decorative pieces from Casa Cristina. Whether you’re looking for a Tuscan-style table lamp, Mediterranean-inspired end table, or an antique-look mirror, this specialized store has it all.

Created by Virginia entrepreneur Mary Freeland, Tuscan Home Décor & Design grew out of her love for fine furniture and the comfortable feel of traditional Tuscan homes. After delving into the world of Tuscan decorating for her own home, Freeland decided to share her inspiration with the world in this unique new online store.

Tuscan Home Décor & Design is stocked with a variety of furniture pieces, earthenware dishes, and other Mediterranean-inspired décor items: her shop has everything you need create an inviting, cozy Tuscan home whether you’re in New Jersey or Arizona. Based on the time-worn feel, warm colors, and natural inspirations of Italian home design, the collections at Tuscan Home Décor & Design are just what you need to bring the look and feel of Tuscany into your home décor.

Tuscan Home Décor & Design can be found at http://www.tuscanhomedecoranddesign.com. For all of your Tuscan design and décor needs, this online shop has what you need.
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The Right Custom Builder Can Make That Dream Home a Reality Without Major Frustration

By Daniel P Elliott

Many people have a picture in their mind of what a custom built dream home would look like, until the discovery of the costs involved in order to achieve that dream home. Thoughts of building a dream home shouldn't be given up though. The dream doesn't have to be shattered, but just tempered a bit. The easiest and best solution is to search out a reputable custom builder.

The experience of a custom builder plays heavily into achieving the desired goal. Some materials available to the home building industry require very skilled artisans and can be very difficult with which to work. The custom home design team will be able to offer alternative materials that will achieve the same look, but with less expense.

An experienced custom builder has the knowledge and skill to take that dream home vision and recommend practical and realistic alterations to enhance and improve the overall vision. Every change won't always fit within the image of the sought after custom home due to the very real world challenges of costs involved. However, the overall final design of the home should reflect the majority of ideals and desires to be fulfilled.

Quite often, major changes will need to be made in order to satisfy building codes, structural integrity, and safety. It is quite common for the design to go through multiple revisions before being solidified. The final house design may not be the same shape or layout that had originally been envisioned by the client, but many of the original elements will still be present. Again, cost is usually a major factor in determining the final outcome.

Depending upon the design, the planning and designing stages very often exceed the construction time, so patience is always needed from the start. The builder needs to be given time to understand the client's vision in order to eliminate any mistakes and misunderstandings. Custom builders are not mind readers, just skilled designers and contractors that take the intangible and craft a beautiful sizable piece of art to live in and enjoy.

For more information and guidance about Custom Designed and Custom Built Homes, visit http://www.excelbuildersmn.com . Excel Builders, LLC. specializes in creating distinctive upscale remodeling projects and custom home designs.

Going Green With Home Flooring - A New Era In Custom Home Design

By Bill Weber

Green buildings are for those builders and home owners that have a real concern for environmental sustainability. Time was when most people believed that going green with their home plans to either build or renovate meant incurring costs that were comparatively higher than regular building. These days, however, with the several choices of building plans and material available to us, more people are reaping the benefits of cheaper homes by exploiting a variety of opportunities in such a manner that a green home is no longer out of reach. It all begins with people being aware that cheaper green options are available when choosing the right design and building material.

Where does one begin you might ask - a valid question, without a doubt. It all begins with the design and then figuring out just how green you want to go on the exterior and interior. Other elements that impact overall decisions are form, function and space. The choices are guided by your values and attitude to the project.

From garden designs to material for the building's exterior, to ceiling, walls and flooring, greener options are available. The focus of this piece is on green floors and you will be truly be floored by the plethora of low-cost green options available.

The Whys of Green Flooring

A floor is a floor is a floor - or is it? What are some good reasons for opting for green floors?

Green flooring...

is mostly made up of recycled material and does not draw heavily from the environment on virgin material
is usually a longer lasting option than your conventional flooring
provides an opportunity to comply with the recycling regulations of the government
is safer for the occupants of the home and the environment at large
is mostly possible to recycle and does not contribute to landfills
leaves you feeling a sense of pride in contributing to the environment.
Criteria for green flooring:
Recyclable

Green flooring materials are generally recyclable. This can be the actual floor or the kind of carpet that is chosen for your home. Flooring comes in a range of recyclable but affordable material that is easy to use. Bamboo flooring is one such alternative to laminate or other conventional flooring. These floorings come in various shapes, sizes and colors and can even be dyed to suit the interior color themes of a home. Bamboo is comparable to oak in terms of its stability and dent resistance. It can be grown back far more easily than an oak tree.

Renewable material

While choosing green flooring, think about how easily renewable the material is. Cork and linoleum are far easier to grow back, even bamboo. While a hard wood tree might take 50 years or so to be replaced, bamboo takes about 3-5 years. Marmoleum is a flooring product available in rolls or tiles. Marmoleum is a product of linseed oil, rosin, jute, wood flour and limestone.

Recycled material

Carpet makers today offer modular pieces of carpet made of recycled material from industrial waste such as radial rubber. Check out major carpet suppliers who these days make carpets that are manufactured from recycled waste. This helps save precious virgin raw material from being used. Source specialty recyclers that can provide you wood recovered from buildings earmarked for demolition. None of the existing building codes restrict the usage of recycled material for flooring.

Extended life cycle

Carpets made from radial rubber last for more than two decades and linoleum flooring tiles last for four decades. That's certainly worth a thought!

Biodegradability

Today, home planners have a range of choices when it comes to biodegradable floors such as bamboo, cork, or recycled wood.

Choosing green flooring presents exciting options for environmentally friendly buildings. Not only are these options resilient and sturdy, but they are also not as prone to price fluctuations as conventional flooring options are. They come in various shapes, sizes and colors. Since these products pull less heavily on virgin material by using recycled material and are long lasting, they are a superior choice, naturally. Some of these products are actually 30-50% less expensive than conventional material, thus giving you the cost advantage from the beginning. If it is a green building you want, then the type of flooring you opt for will make a significant difference to enhance the value of your building and minimize the impact on the environment.

Bill Weber is the President of Weber Design Group, Inc., a custom architectural design and home plan resource firm that has been in business for more than two decades. His homes feature designs of award winning grace that are seamless in their setting and fluid in their design. The design team at Weber will work to create a custom home unique to your lifestyle.

Contact Weber Design Group to begin the process of bringing your dream to reality.

Hiring an Architect - Great Value Begins With a Great Home Design

By Mel Inglima

A good architect or residential designer can make your new or existing home unique. If you're looking for a truly custom home for a new building project, a home designer has the experience and tools you need.

It's an investment in quality and comfort.

Question: When should we hire an architect ... and why?

Answer:

The quick and easy answer to this question is; every time you build a new home or plan a home addition. Architects are creators, designers, and structural professionals. Many will also work with structural engineers and even interior designers.

Custom home building demands custom design. And, with a major remodel where additions are planned, you will most certainly require some form of home design professional. You cannot expect to get what you want or match the look and functionality of your home without a home designer.

Home Designing Exceptions That Work

Rarely are home building answers black and white and as simple as saying "do this ... don't do that." And, when it comes to home plans, you definitely have other options besides hiring an architect.

Online and off, there are pre-drawn house plans for homes in nearly every size, style, and quality you can imagine. Some of them are quite good. You can find quality construction, good design, and very competitive pricing. But, the one thing you give up the most is having a true custom home. That's something to consider before you purchase.

Why an Architect Could be Your Best Bet

Here are some popular reasons to hire an architect to design your home:

Local codes & restrictions may require a local & licensed architect
You want a truly custom home designed to your specifications
You want a skilled designer to wow you!
You want ongoing design support during your construction
If you do use an architect, get clear on what you want early in the process to avoid lengthy and expensive re-works on the design.

Custom Home Design - Hiring an Architect

By Andrew Stratton

You are finally there - you've made it! It's time for you to get the house of your dreams. That big binder filled with magazine clippings - a collage of colors, textures and designs - can finally be put into a cohesive custom home design just for you.

Now, maybe you think you know exactly what you want and all you have to do is hire a contractor to take your vision and build it. For a project to this magnitude and import, hiring an architect to handle the design and to work with the contractor is a better move.

Why? Because an architect brings certain things to the table that will ensure the house of your dreams becomes just that. What are these special qualifications and how do you know you're getting the right person for the job?

Here are a few things to look for and questions to ask when shopping for an architect to breathe life into your custom home design:

1. Is he licensed in your state? Architects must obtain a license to work in any state. If your "architect" doesn't have one, he is really just a designer. The difference is not just the piece of paper, it is the skill and knowledge necessary to get that license.

2. Can you see examples of his work? Either on paper or in person, you always want to see your architect's finished products. This is important not only to ensure he does quality work, but that you also like it. If a majority of his work is contemporary chic and you want traditional colonial, will he be able to handle it?

3. Does he carry enough liability insurance? Any licensed architect will carry his own insurance, but you should see if it is enough to comfortably cover your custom home design. Insurance is another difference between architects and designers - the architect is required to carry it whereas the designer does not have any regulations regarding liability. Typically, it is the client who has to take out a policy on the project when a designer is used.

4. Does he have time for your project? This is your dream home and you've waited and waited to see it come to life. Now that your custom home design is about to be realized, you want an architect who will treat it with the personal attention and time you know it deserves.

5. What services can he provide and what will you need? Architects can do as little or as much as you want. He can draw up the plans and be done with the project, but it is a better idea to have him work with the contractor throughout the process to make sure his plans are followed exactly.

Your architect can negotiate contracts, manage the construction site, come up with the budget, manage it and much more. If you're comfortable with the architect, it will be easier to give him the freedom to manage the entire project. Of course, he will discuss with you on important issues. But you don't really have time to micro-manage, do you?

Hiring can architect to breathe life into your custom design home is a good idea. Whether you hire through a firm or an individual, always interview the person who will be doing the work, to make sure he is clear on your vision and that you can work together. Once the hiring is done, you can relax a little and know that your dream house is in good hands.

Custom Home Design - Affordable Housing Solutions For Your Dream Home

By Andrew Stratton

Mass produced goods have overtaken the world, leaving little precious hand-made goods to be found. Mass production has also hit the housing market. Track homes litter the highways, filled with one-size-fits-all houses.

Unique handcrafted homes are becoming rare and often retain value better than their vanilla counterparts. Well-constructed custom home designs also tend to sell more quickly even in sluggish markets.

Many people shy away from custom home design due to the time and cost factor; however, many architects can be surprisingly affordable and can help you work within a strict budget, helping you choose the most cost-effective materials.

Custom home design doesn't just pertain to sprawling estates and mansions alone, small cabins, single-level homes, or even futuristic space savers can be created on a reasonable budget. Most architects are happy to work with you to plan whatever size or scope of project you need.

The benefits of choosing customized residences over existing houses are numerous. Besides retaining value better, you have the freedom to create a dwelling that works for you and your family's specific needs. This is especially useful if someone in your household has special needs, such as a difficulty walking.

So not only are you able to create a residence that is aesthetically pleasing, but it can be highly functional for the individual as well. Wheelchair ramps and wider doors can be added for the physically challenged. Cupboards and doors can even be made to suit people shorter than average in stature.

Custom home design also means that you will have ample opportunity to discuss your plans and vision one-on-one with the architects. You'll be closely involved in all aspects and be able to make last-minute decisions and alterations if necessary. You'll have ultimate control over the final outcome to make sure it fits your individual needs.

But with this comes great responsibility. It is important to communicate effectively with the architects and know when compromise is necessary. You want a style you'll love, but remember, you hired a professional architect for a reason. Careful budgeting is also necessary, because even the smallest changes can come with a high price.

If the tailored design is still out of reach price-wise, there are some reasonable alternatives available. Many architects can meet you halfway and offer semi-customized plans. In this instance, an architect will present you with a few different pre-planned designs that can then be further customized or slightly altered.

For example, like the very popular modular kitchens, you can choose cabinetry, flooring, tiles, and appliances as well as other options depending on the arrangement and budget constraints. This is also helpful in narrowing down options if you're feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities of a blank slate.

If you're thinking about a custom home design, many architects and building companies can offer consultations and guidance to help you get started. Setting a budget early on can help you narrow down your choices and have a clear idea of what is possible.

Your dream house may become a reality sooner than you think. Through customized designs, your home can be an original, standing out from the mass-produced crowd.

Custom Home Design and Building Services

Home is the place where our heart resides. For that proper construction of home is very important. For that home should be designed or constructed according to the needs of customer. Choice of customer should be given first priority. After all it is he who will stay once the building is constructed. For that builders should always guide the customer correctly. So that the house is made for the long run. It is not so easy to construct home. Construction of house requires lots of patience money and even good health to face all the problems while constructing a house.

Home construction is an art for that designing perfect house builders should be little cautious. For constructing home first the area should be good. It should have nice locality with good neighbors. The house should be situated from where all the basic requirements of the house should be near. Then the house should be constructed according to the budget. The budget of the customer should not exceed. The rooms and space should also be according to the family members of the customer. It should be good to ask in advance that what type and rooms they needed. Whether they need any basement or terrace. If needed terrace then how big should be the terrace.

Then the type of exterior needed like by customer. There is wide range of exterior finishes for house. Are available. Like cedar, aluminum, stucco, shake, brick, vinyl, hardboard, shell dash and many other types of siding. The house should be constructed according to the climatic condition of the place. Then for the interior of the house rooms should be decorated according to the people living. Like living room should be according to elders in house. Children rooms should made according to their comfortable. Like all the things should be placed within their reach. Drawing room should be constructed according to the taste of customer. Whether they want marble flooring or granite. They can also use Mountain Beige marble, Silver Beige marble, Pearl Beige marble, black granite countertops, Houston, sealing granite, concrete stone, natural stone, Quartz stone, engineered quartz. All depend upon the customer.

There is wide range of furniture available. So furniture should be place with the taste of customer. But furniture should not be so big that it will create difficulty while moving around the house. There are many ranges of furniture are there in market like Ashley furniture, Pulaski furniture, sofa bed, , Brooklyn furniture, Recliners chair, Coffee Table, contemporary furniture, dinette sets, leather sofa, Dining & Dinette Sets they are available in all prices. So according to the customer’s house furniture should be placed. With that matching curtains cushion covers and decorated pieces made up of different artificial and natural stones can be kept. Even beautiful marble lamp shades fire mantel can be placed if the customer wanted. Even various granite countertop slabs can use for kitchen.

So whatever may be the design of the house it should always be remembered while designing the house that who will stay. If the person staying only does not like then all hard work will be waste. So before designing the house the plan should be shown to the customer and his opinion should be taken.

from: creaflash.net

Custom House Plans – Finding Quality Custom Home Design With Design Alternatives

Drawing custom house plans is an expansive industry, but finding a quality designer with construction experience can be more difficult. Although many individuals claim to be qualified custom home designers, you can determine these qualifications by examining their finished product and verifying satisfaction with their former clients. Quality designs, highly detailed house plans and customer satisfaction are all attributes of an experienced custom home designer.

Integrating many different concepts and functions is necessary to draw a good set of custom house plans. Many designers can come up with interesting ideas, but they are unable to convey these ideas with detailed construction drawings to the home builders. They can draw a nice conceptual picture, but these individuals have little or no construction knowledge to translate these ideas into a detailed set of house plans in which the builder can understand. It is necessary to not only have a keen eye for design, but also a strong understanding of what can be built and how it can be built affordably.

Having been in the home design and construction industry for 20 years, Design Alternatives has seen a large number of house plans which appeared complete at first glance. Although further examination sometimes revealed that these so called custom house plans lacked large amounts of pertinent information. If a set of construction drawings is not easy to read or thoroughly detailed, the builder is left to make his own interpretation which inevitably leads to guesswork. This ultimately means increased building costs since he will have to inflate his bid to make sure he covers any unknown construction costs.

When evaluating the quality level of house plans, certain items to check are the amount of pertinent dimensions, notes and details. Highly detailed sets of custom house plans will always include the necessary information to build the house in a productive and affordable way. You will find many home plans available today are incomplete while only showing the design concept rather than the detail. Any time your builder is left to guess at how something will be built, it will obviously add cost to your home construction project. Not all designers go the extra mile to create a quality and useful finished set of house plans, so make sure the custom home designer you select has design as well as construction knowledge.

Design Alternatives Custom Home Design takes pride in offering its clients quality custom house plans which comes from the vast experience received during its 20 years in the custom home design and construction industry. This experience along with the long list of satisfied clients has proven to be the driving force of success for Design Alternatives.

thanks for: creaflash.net

Custom Home Design – Important Floor Plan Considerations by Design Alternatives

During the development of your custom home design, there are numerous floor plan features that should be considered. Maximizing the enjoyment of your custom home can be accomplished by devoting ample thought to key areas of the overall floor plan. Areas of consideration for your custom home design should include and open layout concept, ceiling heights, traffic flow, recreational areas, sight lines and exterior views.

Becoming a key feature of almost every custom home design, an open floor plan concept allows better flow between spaces. A good custom home design floor plan will maximize the useful square footage of the custom home while also creating a sense of special separation. One way to achieve this effect is implementing half walls as a design element between rooms. Maximizing the open concept for your custom home design can also be done by separating each space with a change in floor treatments. The open concept can also have some influence on how the ceiling heights affect the whole design.

Varying ceiling heights or changing the design elements of the ceiling can also create an open feeling throughout the custom home. Tall ceilings and vaulted ceilings are popular trends used to create the open concept of the custom home design floor plan. It is common to see ceilings in great rooms achieving heights of 20 feet either by vaulting or 2-story space. Additionally you will find ceiling heights of 9 to 10 feet in kitchens, dining rooms and bedrooms of new custom homes.

Particularly in an open concept custom home design, the floor plan must cater to the overall traffic flow throughout the home. Single story custom homes typically have bedrooms adjacent to a family room or media room. When designing these areas, Design Alternatives also makes sure too much traffic flow doesn’t cross over one another since the kitchen is usually located in proximity of the family room as well. Although the importance of traffic flow is often neglected in custom home design, experienced designers will also give much consideration to the location of stairways in the overall traffic flow scheme.

Home technology and home theaters have also increased the necessity and importance of recreational areas as a key aspect of custom home design. Adequate thought must be given to not only identify where the television screen will be located, but also how the furniture will lay out around the home theater speakers and components. If the recreational area is not attached to the kitchen, consideration must also be given to including a wet bar as part of this floor plan concept.

As previously mentioned the open concept has become an increasingly important feature of new custom home design. By creating an open floor plan, it opens up sight lines between spaces and to the outside. A quality custom home design incorporates wall openings and doorway locations to utilize critical sight lines. Limiting sight lines not only creates a mundane space, but will also make the whole house feel smaller due to the visual obstructions. These sight lines should open up all the way to the exterior surroundings as well.

Locating the house on the building site is just as important as the custom home design itself. Care should be given in considering how the sun will enhance the natural lighting throughout the home. If there are certain views that should be maintained, window type and positioning are also critical features which need to be planned out. Design Alternatives Custom Home Design incorporates all these important aspects when designing each and every floor plan. Your dream home is a big investment, so your custom home design should be completed by a designer who knows how to maximize all these important features.

Custom Home Design - Affordable Housing Solutions For Your Dream Home

Mass production have overtaken the world, so that will be found few valuable handmade goods. Mass production has made the housing market. Track homes litter the highways filled with one-size-fits-all homes.

Unique handcrafted homes are becoming less common and often even better value than their vanilla counterparts. Well built custom home designs also tend to sell quickly even in weak markets.

Many people shy away from custom home construction through timeand a cost, however, many architects have the surprisingly affordable and can help you work within a strict budget, and helps you the most cost-effective materials.

Custom Home design is not only related to extensive lands and houses alone, small cabins, single-level homes, or even futuristic space savers are created on a reasonable budget. Most architects are happy to work with you to plan, regardless of size or scope of the projects that you need to.

The advantages ofcustom residences on existing homes are numerous. In addition to maintaining a better value, you have the freedom to create a dwelling for you and your family's specific needs. This is especially useful if someone in your household have special needs such as difficulty walking.

So you are not only able to create a residence that is aesthetically pleasing, but it can be highly functional for the individual as well. Wheelchair ramps and wider doors can be added for the physicallycalled into question. Cabinets and doors can be adapted to people below the average in stature.

Custom home design also means that you ample opportunity to discuss your plans and visions will have one-on-one with the architect. They will be closely involved in all aspects and be able to last-minute decisions and changes, if necessary. You will have ultimate control over the final result, if it fits your individual needs.

But with this comes great Responsibility. It is important to communicate effectively with the architects and to know when compromise is necessary. You want a style you'll love, but remember, you hired a professional architect for a reason. Careful budgeting is also necessary, because even the smallest changes can occur with a high price.

If the customized design is still out of reach price-wise, there are some reasonable alternatives are available. Many architects can offer to meet halfway and Semi-customized> Plans. In this case, is an architect with a few different pre-existing projects in the pipeline, which then further adjusted or changed slightly.

For example, like the popular modular kitchens, you can choose furniture, flooring, tile and appliances, and other options, depending on the arrangement and budget constraints. This is also helpful in narrowing options if you feel overwhelmed by the possibilities of a tabula rasa.

If you are thinking aboutmake your own home to many architects and builders can offer consultation and guidance to help you get started. Setting a budget early on can help you reduce your decisions and a clear idea of what is possible.

Make your dream home a reality sooner than you think. Due to custom designs, your home is an original, standing out from the mass quantity produced.

HOME TRADITION OR ULTRAMODERN HOME

At first glance, this structure seems more like an ancient monument or work of abstract public art than a livable contemporary home. Once one realizes that it is, in fact, a dwelling space, it appears to be as ultramodern as they come. However, first glances and initial appearances can be deceiving: this deceptively megalithic design is in fact rooted in ancient traditions of Japanese home building.

BIG BARN TO HOUSE CONVERTION

Barns can be beautiful spaces, as someone who grew up in a red-brick farm house next to a big red-painted wooden barn can attest. They have large, wide-open plans and arched interior ceilings that lend themselves to creative conversions like this brilliant barn-to-home project.The exterior was preserved as well as it could be and partially restored after a fire. New door and window openings on the main story are the only outside signs that this barn building has been turned into a fully-modernized house – and even these were kept small in scale by architect Specht Harpman so as not to detract from the larger-than-life aesthetic of the barn itself.

barn to home

A smooth concrete floor, light wooden interior walls and white ceiling and side walls make this triple-height indoor space even lighter, brighter and bigger-looking than the physical openness of the main area of the home would alone. Spaces are only separated into rooms as absolutely necessary to preserve a sense of scale and allow natural light throughout the structure

interior design for home

from: dornob.com

Creative Stone Home Conversion, Renovation & Addition

Classic School House Converted into Contemporary Home

Reuse is not just about sustainability – it can a choice of necessity or even preference. The traditional masonry of this 18th Century American schoolhouse (remodeled by Faleide Architects) is surely the envy of many neighbors while the addition contrasts playfully with the original structure.