One of my goals this year was to go room by room in my house to makeeach space more organized and functional. Ive been doing a lot of thinking and planningforrooms like my family room, master closet, office and a craft closet. But one of the rooms in my house has always been a bit more of a puzzle. Its been in process for about three years or so. Because Im slow like that.

Acouple of years ago I decided our living roomreally wasnt working for us as a typical living room. I removed all of the furniture andstarted reimagining it as more of a useful gathering areasince it wasconnected toour entry.

I also wanted the living room spaceto be more useful to the small adjoiningdining room. Sometimes we have larger groups in our home and its handy to have even a little a space to expand into when we need additional seating. Ive been evolving my dining room into a brighter more casual eating space soof course, the evolution of thatroomimpacts the living room. When your house is all connected it definitely requires a little more thoughtto the flow of the spaces.

I thought about turning the living room into the dining room and even moved our table in there for awhile to test it out, but really didnt like how it felt as a dining room with such a high ceiling.

I didnt want it to be a craft room or an office since it would likely always be a mess and no one wants to face that as they walk in the front door or down the stairs every morning. So, after considering the options we decided itneeded to be treated just as a small sitting space between the entry and dining room.

You might remember the progressionof this room from the time we moved in until now. Here is how it looked when we bought the house (above)in all its swine gloryprior to being painted.

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The city of St. Francis plans to remodel its fire department headquarters this summer. The main goal is to expand its training room to allow for more productive and efficient training of staff.

Right now, when we have a full-size group in training, were basically sitting on top of each other, said St. Francis Fire Chief Dean Kapler.

For many years, the fire station housed both the fire and police departments. The police department moved out of the building when the citys new police and public works facility opened in late 2012, freeing up much-needed space for the fire department. This remodeling project is part of the citys 2014 capital improvement plan. It will also improve the space from which Allinas ambulance service dispatches.

Kapler emphasized that the remodeling project does not involve expanding the building; the fire stations footprint will stay the same.

The fire station is actually comprised of three separately constructed units connected together, the first portion of which was built in 1975. The fact that there are three separate components does present some challenges in the remodeling project, said Kapler.

The St. Francis City Council on April 7 authorized the creation of architectural drawings for the building. Once those are completed, the city will solicit bids for the project. The project cost is estimated at approximately $100,000 and should be completed in 2014.

The remodeling project will only address the buildings interior, said Kapler. The buildings exterior was upgraded last summer, with a new roof and exterior paint.

This is going to be a great improvement to the building, said Kapler. We train a lot, and this will help make that training more productive and efficient.

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St. Francis to remodel fire department headquarters

27-28 Kitchen and Laundry
333 Stardust Lane, Seneca, SC on Lake Keowee in Moonlight Bay is for sale. Contact the Keowee Lake Team at 864.293.2853 or visit KeoweeLakeTeam.com/moonlight...

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HACKENSACK, N.J. | Vikki Ruisch had a fireplace in her house, but it was in a room her family barely used. So during a remodeling project last year, she had a fireplace built in her heavily trafficked living room, where everyone could enjoy it.

Ruisch figured it would add value to her Woodcliff Lake, N.J., house, but that wasnt really an incentive. She grew up having a fireplace in her home and just wanted one, or two. She also had one put in the master bedroom.

I dont know anyone who doesnt like a fireplace, she said. We use ours, especially this winter. My husband puts the one on in the bedroom when he gets up about an hour before me, and then its nice and toasty by the time I get up.

Ruisch is one of many home and business owners installing fireplaces to add ambience, warmth and financial value to where they live and work. A fireplace can increase a homes value by 6 to 12 percent, according to the National Center for Real Estate Research of Littleton, Colo.

In addition to the standard stone or brick fireplaces found in typical settings like single-family homes and ski lodges, temporary hearths can be installed in the tiniest of apartments and the most intimate of restaurants.

Ventless fireplaces are a swiftly growing segment of the market, targeted for apartments or other buildings where permanent changes cant be made. Those that run on electricity can, with the flip of a switch, heat a space up to about 400 square feet, or, in hot weather operate with no warming element.

One manufacturer, HearthCabinet Ventless Fireplaces in New York City, offers products that use alcohol gel cartridges instead of electricity, said Sara Check, marketing and sales manager for the company.

Lots of people wanted a fireplace and didnt have a chimney, gas line or vent, Check said. So we are filling a void in a niche market. The cartridges work like a sterno canister works. You can replace the top and then use it again.

One of the drawbacks to ventless fireplaces, specifically because there is no way to send gases outside the building, is that they often emit an odor, similar to the smell from an oven when it is on. But Check said HearthCabinet throws off little, if any odor, because of the gel cartridges it uses.

Since our cartridges use isopropyl alcohol, our emissions dont really have an odor, she said.

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The hearth can sell the home: Fireplaces available in many styles

Living Room Remodeling Paint Ideas : Design Tips
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RUMOR IS that Jenny Richards and Todd Wallar recently doubled the size of their house.

But where? The charming blue Tudor with white trim, 800 square feet and change, sits on its Ravenna street just like it always has. Carpet of lawn, concrete walk out front. Nothing unusual here, folks.

Its out back.

We love the house, says Richards of the place Wallar bought in 2001. But we needed more room. We contacted a lot of architects and design firms who wanted us to knock the house down, but we couldnt have two mortgages.

We also wanted to be good to our neighbors and not put up this gargantuan thing. Plus, she says in defense of the Tudor, we have great curb appeal.

And that is how Jim Burton of Jim Burton Architects came to attach a large contemporary HardiePanel and cedar box directly onto the back of the Tudor. Ingeniously, says Richards, stepping the addition down the sloped yard instead of building up. Placing the addition in the couples otherwise urban farm of a backyard (vegetable garden, fruit trees, bees). And giving the two-bedroom, one-bath home three bedrooms, two baths, a light-filled family room and vastly improved kitchen in a mere 800 additional square feet.

The pivot point of the new box is a clever apple-ply storage block. Upstairs it serves as display and storage, and as a stairwell railing. Along the stairs its a library wall. Down in the master it becomes a design element, holding display niches.

A large beam between kitchen and family room divides old and new. The remodeled kitchen mediates between them. And mediate it does.

I used to be a food blogger, Richards says. For years I churned out a lot of food out of that (galley) kitchen. Were both cooks. Hes got a Persian chicken marinating for tonight. Im more pastry and baking.

But, you know, bigger kitchen, happier couple.

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Tudors stately shape is saved with a box out back

Sparking Pointe owners Tom and Cynthia Rosicki, left, were presented with a plaque at ELIHs ceremony on Wednesday. (Credit: Carrie Miller photos)

Eastern Long Island Hospital hosted areception Wednesday to presentits $4.5 million operating room remodeling plan and to acknowledgebenefactors that helped make the project possible.

The hospital, located on Manor Place in Greenport, has three operating rooms and one procedure room. The four suite remodels will be completed in separate phases. The operating rooms last underwent a major renovation in 1976.

Paul Connor, president and CEO of ELIH unveiled at the ceremony a plan to build a1,500-square foot addition to the north side of the building.

The project comes at a time when new technology is significantly changing the way surgeons perform surgery, Mr. Connor said.

The hospital has reached about half of its $4.5 million fundraising goal. The owners of Sparking Pointe,Cynthia and Tom Rosicki, made the lead contribution of $250,000.

After the Rosicki family was presented with a plaque at the ceremony, Mr. Rosicki talked about the importance of having good healthcare close to home.

ELIH officials are waiting for approvals from the state Department of Health and hope to start construction this summer.

Paul Connor, president and CEO of ELIH, spoke about the impact of the remodel.

Cynthia and Tom Rosicki, owners of Sparkling Pointe, made a $250,000 contribution.

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Photos: ELIH unveils operating room remodeling plans, thanks benefactors

Want to finish your basement? 5 tips to get you started

By Zions Bank

April 15th, 2014 @ 10:03am

Instead of ignoring all the spiders and bugs living in your basement, finish it and update your living space by adding a theater room, a large game room, extra bedrooms, office or much more. Explore the options of what it would take to made these changes to your home, and see what best fits you. Here are some tips to get you started.

Decide on your budget

Remodeling experts from HGTV say, a basic makeover that you do yourself can range from $10,000 to $27,000. It depends, of course, on how much renovating you need. But if you want an extensive remodel say, you want plumbing or electric done then hiring a contractor is in your best interest.

The price range of finishing a basement with a contractor is more in the $60,000 range. HGTV also says there is a basement finishing system option, a sort of "all-in-one kit" that has everything you need from moisture-proof, insulated wall panels to light fixtures. You will need to hire professionals to install them, but if your budget is around $45,000, this might be a great option for you.

Know the best way to pay for it

Once you know your budget, you should also know how you will be paying for it. If you don't have the funds to pay straight up for a renovation, thenest.com suggests that homeowners can tap into their home equity, pay with a low interest credit card, take out a Title 1 loan, or get financing through the contractor. But remember, the best option is to save money and pay upfront for renovations, thus avoiding debt.

Design the best living space for your needs

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Want to finish your basement? 5 tips to get you started

Kitchen and Great Room (again)

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Kitchen and Great Room (again) - Video

Room remodeling ideas
Room remodeling ideas.

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