Light and bright. That's the look Gigi and Kyle Graffagnini went for when remodeling and redecorating their State Street home, and it is precisely what they created.

And the rooms do. Walls throughout the home are painted a soft neutral color that Gigi Graffagnini settled on after many trials and errors.

Oushak carpets -- in muted colors -- cover the floors in rooms both downstairs and up, enhancing the continuity of the dcor. Crystal chandeliers, sconces and candelabra reflect and refract the light that pours in through floor-to-ceiling windows and glass French doors.

Creamy silk draperies dress the windows, and Belgian linen cover the sofa and chairs in one room. To complete the palette, many pieces of furniture are painted wood -- rather than natural -- be they of French, Italian or Swedish heritage.

If it sounds sumptuous, it is. But Gigi Graffagnini said it is also livable.

"With three young daughters, we needed to use upholstery fabric that wouldn't suffer much from regular wear and tear," she said. "The girls will come running into the family room and jump on the sofa, and it doesn't matter."

Gentle but thorough update

The 1892 vintage Victorian grande dame that the Graffagninis now live in -- which will be on the Academy of the Sacred Heart alumnae association's inaugural home tour Friday -- wasn't always the splendid showplace it is today.

When they bought it in late 2007, its systems had become outmoded and its interior -- especially the baths and kitchen -- dated. The house had been on the market for nine months when the Graffagninis decided it had all the natural ingredients to become a lovely and comfortable family home.

"I think some people may have been daunted when they realized everything would need to be rewired and re-plumbed -- it's a lot of work," Gigi Graffagnini said. "But we could see what it could look like when all of the improvements were made and the rooms painted. One thing that really attracted us was the fact that all of the original features were still here."

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The doors to beautiful Uptown houses open for Sacred Heart Academy's first home-tour fundraiser

This article was published July 31, 2002.

Suddenly, Georges Perrier is tableside, filleting the decor of his own restaurant - the familiar raspberry-walled, Louis XVI preciousness that is Le Bec-Fin.

It has been the gold standard for French formality in Philadelphia, a room he describes in his 1997 cookbook as conferring instant chaleur, "the warmth of ambience" - a flattering, intimate, welcoming space.

But that was then. This is now: "I'm changing everything," Perrier announces, his arm sweeping dismissively past marble busts and faux-marble mantles, towering mirrors, and flocked wall coverings, now referred to not as "warm" by his architect but, impatiently, "pink."

The Faberge egg on Walnut Street has been declared unfit. Frumpy. Outta here.

Ten days from now - at midnight, Aug. 10 - Le Bec will cease to exist as we know it: Two shifts of tradesmen working nonstop will strip the place down to the plaster, then recast the room in muted gold, milled chestnut woodwork, silk panels, and elaborate cornices molded by techniques nearly lost to history.

In the end, in early September, designer David Schultz says, the Louis XVI look will give way to the lighter, airier - but still formal - styling of a late-19th-century Paris salon.

It is tricky business, dismantling a legend: You don't want to alienate the loyalists who have given Le Bec an enviable 20-year run on Walnut Street. Then again, how to generate excitement?

The classic French food already has lightened up. The rigid two-seating policy is on the skids. Music will be added. But without a dining room overhaul, would anyone care?

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The tricky remodeling of a legend: Le Bec-Fin (2002)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Less than three hours before the 515-plus exhibits for the Building, Home & Remodeling Show are supposed to be finished, there are still people working to beat the deadline.

There are people still installing tile, people still putting the final touches on model kitchens and bathrooms, among other things. The deadline was noon Thursday, hours before the crowds start filing in for a sneak-preview show.

The annual show, sponsored by the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association, officially begins today from noon-8 p.m. in the South Hall of the Von Braun Center. It continues Saturday and Sunday. Times are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets are $7 for adults; senior citizens (60 and older) are $6; and children under 12 are free.

"It's one of the best-looking shows - if not the best - we've ever had," said Lynn Kilgore, executive director of the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association. "A lot of companies will be getting a year's work off of this."

Here's an example: Sandi Cantrell, president of Designer Granite & Marble, says she recently had two customers whom she met at last year's show.

"We get customers a year later," she said.

At the front of the South Hall, she and several workers were still working Thursday morning, trying to finish Designer Granite & Marble's exhibit.

"We started at 8 Monday morning," Cantrell said. "We were one of the first ones here."

Since then, she and eight to 12 workers have been in the South Hall 12-15 hours a day, by her estimate.

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Room full of ideas this weekend at the Building, Home & Remodeling Show

Posted: Mar. 8, 2012 | 2:03 a.m.

Remember the days when you tore pictures of your dream home out of magazines, stuffed them in a drawer and scrambled to find the right one when you were ready to begin a remodeling project?

Just as listening to music or talking on the telephone has gone high-tech, so has finding the right look for your home. Welcome to Houzz.

Houzz is an online site where you can find pictures and put them in a personal ideabook so they are readily available with just the click of your mouse. The site has more than 300,000 magazine-quality photos, uploaded by design and decorating professionals.

Liza Hausman, vice president of marketing for Houzz, describes it as a free website and mobile application that brings together homeowners and remodeling professionals using technology.

"There are a few ways you can use the site," she said. "The way most people start is to use it for inspiration and to help define their style. They can browse all the photos or, if they are doing a living room, they can sort by living room and just look at living room photos."

Hausman said the photographs also can be filtered by style, such as traditional, contemporary or transitional. In addition, you can tailor your view by city.

"As they discover photos they like, the can save them in an ideabook. It's what we used to do when we ripped photos from a magazine and put them in a manila folder," she said.

Since the ideabooks are online, they can be easily shared with a spouse or professional collaborator. There's also a place to comment about what they like and don't like about each photo.

"It's a key communication tool within families ... they say they don't need marriage counselors," Hausman said.

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Welcome To My Houzz

07-03-2012 12:47 When you need a general contractor in Farwell, MN, come to Lifetime Homes Inc. We have many years of experience providing an array of services such as Home Renovations, House Remodeling and much more. We have the resources necessary to get the job done right! We pride ourselves on our excellent service and our affordable rates. For a great service in Farwell, MN, call on Lifetime Homes Inc.

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General Contractor, Home Renovations in Farwell MN 56327 - Video

07-03-2012 13:15 suncoastsd.com Straightforward ad about your skills at helping customers remodel or refurbish their home, whether for a single room or several. New housing costs have you overwhelmed? Why not spruce up your existing home with help from the experts? With the proper skills, tools and experience, we specialize in a wide range of remodeling and renovation services. We work with you to create an exciting design, then our experienced and knowledgeable crews work quickly to complete the job to your satisfaction, while maintaining a high standard of excellence. Whether you want to remodel a single room or your entire home, call us today.

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Sun Coast Remodelers - Video

A former vendor who pleaded guilty to taking part in a kickback scheme by performing home improvements for former staffers at the Memorial Healthcare System was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison on Tuesday.

Joseph Badalich, 67, of Hollywood admitted that he tacked on an extra $70,000 to a bill for remodeling the interior of the Cystic Fibrosis Center at the taxpayer-assisted Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. The money was in exchange for insider help in getting awarded lucrative contracts, prosecutors said.

Badalich used the money to pay for marble floors installed at the Lake Worth home of hospital maintenance manager, Eliot Gordon. Badalich also converted a garage into a game room for another maintenance manager, Anthony Merola, who also lived in Lake Worth. Gordon and Merola are both serving federal prison terms for related crimes.

Badalich, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe an agent of an organization receiving federal funds, has to turn himself in to begin serving his prison sentence on April 9. He was also ordered to pay $457,274 in restitution during the sentencing in federal court in Miami. He had faced up to five years in prison but agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testified at trial against other members of the conspiracy, according to court records.

pmcmahon@tribune.com, 954-356-4533 or Twitter @SentinelPaula

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Former Memorial hospital vendor sentenced in home remodeling bribery scheme

Travelers heading to the 2012 Home Design and Remodeling Show in Miami are searching for private vacation rentals instead of hotel rooms this year. John Romano of Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rentals says the online site is experiencing higher traffic than last year from people searching for home-away-from-home accommodations.

Miami, Florida (PRWEB) March 05, 2012

At a time when many travelers are looking to save money and demand for Miami vacation rental condos and homes increases, more and more visitors are booking their accommodations online through FtLauderdaleVacationRentals.com. Private property owners in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Beach area are making their vacation homes available to visitors in increasing numbers, particularly heading into the spring tourist season.

Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rentals offers a comprehensive listing of vacation rental homes in the Fort Lauderdale Miami area. FtLauderdaleVacationRentals.com provides a single gateway for people planning their South Florida vacations with a variety of available condos, villas, townhomes and estate homes to choose from.

Among the perks of staying in a Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental condo or home is the privacy that comes with renting directly from the property owner. Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rentals offer a full kitchen, laundry room, and all the comforts of a home that make traveling easier and more enjoyable.

FtLauderdaleVacationRentals.com has grown rapidly in popularity as more and more property owners and travelers become familiar with this opportunity to connect for a mutually beneficial cause, Romano said.

Fort Lauderdale Vacation Rental homes, condos, chalets, cottages, and apartments are increasing in popularity every year, and we provide a conduit for property owners and travelers to connect.

Many visitors traveling to the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area for the Home Design and Remodeling Show plan to stay the weekend or the week to enjoy the areas beaches and other attractions. By booking a vacation home rental in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, they can stay and enjoy the Florida sun and surf much more affordably and with more amenities than a hotel can offer.

About Ft. Lauderdale Vacation Rentals:

FtLauderdaleVacationRentals.com is the world's first portal dedicated only to vacation rentals in Fort Lauderdale. Established in 2006 and acquired by Vacation Rental Organization, LLC in 2010, Ft Lauderdale Vacation Rentals mission is to provide a selection of vacation rentals in Fort Lauderdale and to connect travelers with property owners in the most efficient way possible.

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Visitors to the Spring 2012 Home Design and Remodeling Show in Miami are Booking Accommodations Through Fort ...

SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE PHOTOS/John Love Leominster Police Chief Robert Healey gave a tour of the old Leominster National Plastics Center & Museum that officials are thinking of renovating to use as part of the police station. The chief stands on the corner of Derwin and Lancaster streets with the National Plastics Center & Museum building in the background.

LEOMINSTER -- Police Chief Robert Healey walked through the former National Plastics Center & Museum at 210 Lancaster St., pointing out its features to visitors.

A room set up for his detectives was warm and well lit, as was a training room on the third floor.

The rest of the building was dark and cold to keep utility costs down.

Mayor Dean Mazzarella says it is time to start phase two of plans to move the police headquarters from 29 Church St. to the former museum.

Healey is planning to meet with Mazzarella soon to discuss the next phase and how to move forward.

"As far as I'm concerned we're ready to go on the next phase. We just have to decide what needs to get done and do a budget," Mazzarella said.

An empty room on the first floor of the former museum that is undergoing renovation as the new police station.

Until a full-scale plan and budget is in place, Mazzarella and Healey plan to phase in some more employees to make greater use of the building.

The next group of employees to move will have to be those who do not interact with the public because there isn't a reception desk or even a main entrance yet.

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Mayor, chief will go to next level in revamp of new Leominster Police Station

You may have considered spending this year's tax refund on a home improvement project. So, which projects would be money well spent, and which would not?

Your home is your biggest asset, so it's important to keep it in good shape and make improvements that you can enjoy right away that will increase your home's value.

Angie Hicks, Founder of Angie's List, gives some advice on where to start home remodeling, "If you are considering updating your house this year, consider remodeling the kitchen or the bathroom. Those two rooms get the best return on your investment- about 85 percent. But the key here is not overdoing it, but keeping up with the Jones's. So if you're the only house in the neighborhood without granite countertops then it makes sense to add them, if you're not - skip out on that extra."

Remodeling those rooms can get pricey. If you're on a limited budget, you may want to think outdoors.

Phil Gettum, Gettum Associates, Inc., explains the type of home remodels they have been doing lately, "We are doing a lot more screened porches. Outside decks, pergolas, outdoor living spaces which brings more space into the house, but it's not as expensive, so those tend to kind of fall under that scale as well."

Projects with the lowest return on investment include swimming pools, home offices, sun room, master suite and third bay on your garage.

Regardless of what projects you choose, planning is key.

Angie explains why it is important to plan ahead, "To make sure your remodeling project goes smoothly, the plan is plan, plan, plan and communicate, communicate, communicate. Plan ahead, lay out your budget, have ideas ahead of time, and then communicate with your contractor regularly - that starts with the estimate, documenting in the contract, all the way through the entire project."

Other great remodeling projects that will add to your home's value and have a great return on investments are siding and new windows.

Content: We all think about ways to improve or update our homes, but many of us don't know how to get beyond that wish list stage or can't afford big budget items.

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Angie's List: Home Remodeling