 Universal Design for Bathrooms is Catching On
Fall is a great time for having remodeling work done, so prepare your home now for welcoming holiday visitors. Our workload starts to loosen up a bit, which means we may be able to begin your project sooner than at other times of the year. Also, our vendors often offer special sale prices on their products in the fall with savings we can pass on to you.
Entrance Foyer
Here's where your guests catch their first glimpse of your home's interior, and you want it to be visually appealing. Have those tired walls covered with a fresh coat of paint. Choose a zero-VOC product, so there are no lingering, harmful fumes. Add interest to the door and ceilings with decorative wood trim in an unusual pattern. If your foyer has a low ceiling, consider track lighting instead of a chandelier.
Kitchen
As various family members get involved in preparing those holiday meals, you'll want your kitchen to provide a functional workspace, as well as attractive surroundings. Now would be the perfect time to upgrade to a range with two separate ovens so multiple dishes may be cooking at different temperatures at the same time. Install a new faucet with a pull-down spray so both food prep and clean up can go faster. Have your scratched and stained plastic laminate countertops replaced with beautiful new solid surface or granite. Likewise, replace your worn vinyl flooring with engineered hardwood flooring, a product that not only is durable, but also handles moisture well.
Family Room
There never seems to be enough storage space for all the games, toys, magazines, DVDs, pillows etc. that accumulate in the family room. You will want to clear up the clutter before your holiday guests arrive. We can help suggest places where you can easily tuck some additional cabinets or shelves, such as below a bay window, beneath a stairway or against an empty wall.
Bathroom
If your bathroom lighting is limited to an overhead ceiling fixture, install additional fixtures, such as stylish pendants or sconces at the vanity. This is convenient for guests applying make-up at the mirror, but more importantly, it helps prevent accidents for those with diminished eyesight. Update a basic plate-glass mirror by adhering decorative molding around the outer edges to form a frame. New hardware can greatly enhance the look of your existing cabinets. Choose hardware with a creative design or unique color that also coordinates with the existing finishes.
|
To make sure your home is truly protected from the elements, you’ll want to have your doors and windows inspected from the inside as well as the outside. Air leaking around these areas creates drafts, and causes your home heating system to work even harder, increasing energy costs. Prevent this from happening by having weather stripping applied to your windows or doors. If you already have it in place, be sure to check and see if you need a re-application before the cold comes creeping in.
If you have a woodstove or fireplace, make sure they’re in working order before firing them up again. A regularly used fireplace should also have an annual cleaning to prevent chimney fires. Small maintenance items like this will keep your home both cozy and safe. It’s also a good idea to have your home heating system checked to make sure everything will be in working condition. The last thing you’ll want to deal with in the middle of winter is a furnace break-down, and a properly serviced heating system is a more efficient one.
Checking the property around your home before winter hits is good practice for safety reasons, and to ensure that your yard will be ready for spring once the snow finally melts. Be sure to keep an eye on any shrubs or trees in your yard that may be in poor health. If they don’t look like they’ll make it through the winter, better to have them removed rather than falling on your home. You’ll also want to be raking up all those colorful fall leaves. They may look pretty, but leaving too many leaves blanketing your yard will curb spring growth once the snow melts.
